This was my most challenging speaking engagement yet! No one has asked me to speak at a school graduation ceremony until recently; Other speaking engagements I have done were about giving information relating to autism, but this was a GRADUATION speech I had to give, and that was scary! Before I took my seat on the front row, I said: “I want my mom.” My dad was with me, but it was just one of those feelings, ya know.

I think the main reason why I was so terrified, in this particular event, was because it reminded me of the time I graduated high school in 2013, not too long ago. That does not feel very long ago to me, maybe because I know how important graduation is. So we practiced hard on getting the outline right before going up on stage to make the best impression on all of those graduates since it can only be done once. 

Before graduation, Dad and I had the privilege to check out the school . Gateway Academy. Out of all of the schools I have been in, this one...

The Muckleshoot Tribe.

It was November in 2016, way before I perfected my signature when signing books; We were invited to a community gathering from the tribe. Me, and my parents were with me and I was fully ready for this engagement. In its own way, this felt very personal.

For a very long time, I have always been fascinated with the native tribes of the nation. In elementary school, I would go to the library and learn more about the different cultures in the many tribes all around the country. Navajo, Apache, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Comanche, Cree, Seminole, Nootka, Klamath; all of them outstanding! I remember when I was very little, I was so extremely bummed out realizing I did not have any native blood; It is all European descent for me. There are ninety six tribes here in Washington state, and one of the tribes is Muckleshoot. Only tribes I was familiar with in the state were Spokane, Snoqualmie, and Muckleshoot; And I was fortunate and grateful to be reached out by Muckleshoot....

I was starving! All I really had for breakfast was a couple of waffles and two oranges. It was a work day but I already signed all of the books and had them shipped. Spare time was in full effect but wanted to make a business trip to Fry’s, one of my favorite stores for electronics. Before that, I took the boat to Seattle and made my journey out to the city culture once again; Currently live in an island, fun to get a city fix anyway.

Fried chicken would be one of my first choices for lunch or possibly dinner; Uncle Jack introduced the tasty goodness to me when I was six and I was hooked! Good with ranch! Wasn’t just the fried chicken for me, it was fried chicken, ranch, a biscuit, a cookie, soda, root beer, fries, and a burger; three pieces of chicken I almost forgot to add there.
I was starving! Went through the drive-thru, parked at a Taco Bell, and ate my meal sitting up against my car. Of course, that is the thing about having an empty stomach, empty brain. Forgot...

I have wanted to go to the moon. It is dark and quiet up there; Good place to read and play baseball. When I was little, I would think that every home run will turn the baseballs into comments and people on Earth will know I’ve been playing baseball up on the moon.

Years went by, the dream is still welcoming, but every dream can turn into a nightmare when reality hits hard. It is not the risk of going up there; I love the danger, it is the thought of the press. Here is what I mean.

Lately, I have been noticing a strange trend relating to autism. I will give some exaggerated examples.

• “First openly autistic race car driver.”
• “First autistic judge.”
• “First cartoon character with autism.”
• “First actor with autism to win an Oscar.”

It is this kind of thing I have been thinking about lately.

Do not get me wrong, I think it is WONDERFUL to have these kinds of things. Lot of opportunities and the most important aspect of the press is...

You are probably reading this on a computer.

I love the machine! About time I said it after twenty years. Try not to let it dominate me even though I may have let it control me after a twelve hour marathon of a favorite computer game of mine. Red eyes and a grande coconut cappuccino the next day.

Though it is true, I can be on the computer for days; For instance, I tend to enjoy producing videos on my personal channel that are not work related and spent the whole month doing masking work for a video project; But that’s not important. What is important is understanding why computers work. Here are my personal reasons.

• Fidget for the eyes
• Mentally challenging
• No physical challenge
• Colors on the screen
• Certain sounds are heard that can be fidgets to the ears
• A “recharge station”
• A creative outlook
• Typing on the keyboard is like a fidget

I learned how to type at a very early age. We used to play computer games that made typing fun. Practiced hard to go...

How do you do? My name is Tyler McNamer.

The long awaited sequel to Population: ONE is available to purchase!

Becoming ONE

Adolescence was one of the most difficult times in my life, becoming a young adult was even harder. I had to come to terms with being different, learn how I could use my differences to find my place in the world, then find and maintain relationships that would accept and support me. 

Professionals told me I would not live independently. Those limiting beliefs affected me deeply.  Thankfully with help of my parents, mentors, therapists, and friends, I now have the ability to live on my own.

My training for adulthood started in middle school. If you would like to help your child make the shift into young adulthood, now it the time to prepare.  The work you do now will have a profound effect on their future. 

Your child with autism has a tremendous gift to give.  They...

I was taught to keep my hands to myself when I was very little; This post isn’t about human interactions, it is about what I would like to call: Environmental Interaction.

One of my favorite things to do is to touch things and explore things by feeling them. Sounds strange, I know, and I get called out for it a bunch of times getting different impressions on whatever I do; Especially when it comes to this topic. Why did I enjoy touch? Why did I enjoy the tiniest of touches? This is why.

Exploration has always been one of my favorite things. All a part of the adventure. When I was little, I would literally lie down on the grass and softly feel the blades by the smallest of touches. The only thing that I can hear is the small gusts of wind, the small sudden chirps of birds, and the sound of insects flying around. Just wanted to have my moment with the grass. Why did I do this? It was because of things.

• Shut everything off for a moment
• Escape to my own world for at least one...

Have you ever wondered if your child is trying to figure out why you do the odd things you do?  Or perhaps why you can't do the extraordinary things they are able to do?  Watch this video blog for a fathers perspective.

Nighttime is a wonderful time of the day with it being all so quiet, so I figured the topic of snow would be an excellent tie-in in relation to the subject of autism.

Snow! You see the wonderful white stuff during the season of winter. When the temperature is cold enough, you’ll see the snow coming down. Would love to talk more about the snow on what it is and where it comes from, but I will get back on the topic of autism getting to the point on why snow is so very important in the topic of autism.

Think of it this way. Snow.

• Cold
• Soft
• Hard (Ice)
• Cushions a fall
• Enjoyable to look at as it all goes down
• Tastes like a snow cone with no flavor but water

Snow is something special. One thing that I have not mentioned in the list of six things is something I find the most important.

Silence.

In about three feet of snow where the roads are not too safe for any car except the most likely exception of four wheel driving vehicles, the days and especially nights become...