Hi, I’m Kelly, and I have Autism and Optic Nerve Hypoplasia.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that makes it difficult for me to express and recognize emotions in myself and others. It is also difficult to have social relationships and it interferes with my communication. Sometimes, I have different speech patterns and I repeat the same thing. I also have Optic Nerve Hypoplasia and so I lost my vision at about 12 years old. Optic Nerve Hypoplasia happens when the optic nerve is underdeveloped. The optic nerve sends messages between the eyes and the brain. When someone is diagnosed with this condition,there can be little or no visual impairment to total blindness, for me, I am totally blind.

Now I would like to tell you some fun things about myself. I have a really cool skill, if you give me a date (as far as 28 years back) I can tell you the day of the week that it is on. I really love to remember people’s birthdays and I usually never forget. I also can remember the color of their clothes when people tell me. I am a good piano player and have been playing for 15 years. My favorite piece to play is “Pink” because it’s a pretty song. The hardest song is “Rondo Turkish March” by Mozart, but I still know how to play it well. I learned to play the piano by listening and I have perfect pitch. I also learned to type on the keyboard, so I’m really excited to work with Travel Visions Aloha for the Blind. The blog is a perfect opportunity to share something special with everyone.