Hi All of Something! I’m Sofia Bianchi, and I am a student at Columbia University and the founder of a company called Ausome, the digital media brand and social network that serves and represents the worldwide autism community. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, autism, otherwise known as Autism Spectrum Disorder, it is a developmental “disability” wherein a person’s brain is wired a little bit differently, often compensating communication skills including the ability to make eye-contact, verbal communication, or picking up on “common sense” social cues. It also may cause one to engage in odd repetitive behaviors, or to misunderstand social “norms”. Autism can manifest itself in many different ways, which is why they call it a spectrum. The reason I know so much about autism is because my older brother Giulio is on the autism spectrum, and so trying to understand the way Giulio thinks has naturally been a big part of my life. Giulio is 23 years old and is a published poet, a short-filmmaker, a feature-film writer, and an essayist. (He is also an incredible person, and my best friend.)
I founded Ausome a little over a year ago when I met a parent named Susan in my local area who expressed to me her concern for her son who had recently been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Susan was in a lot of distress and didn’t know where to turn, or who to reach out to. As we were speaking, I had come to learn that her ten year old son was interested in a lot of the things that Giulio was interested in, and her overall description of him sounded very similar to how I would have described Giulio to someone when he was that age. I knew plenty of people who she could reach out to, and programs she could look
into for her son. However, it occurred to me that there is no website or app in which people are invited to be open about being a person or a parent of a person who experiences neurodiversity, and is seeking guidance, mentorship, and acceptance. If Susan hadn’t had that conversation with me that day, she may never have discovered these local resources for her son, which she would have been able to find for herself, on a website or app that would provide her with the information she needed with a few simple taps. So I decided to create it.
Right now, Ausome is a website and has both an instagram, Twitter, and a Youtube page. But in ten years, Ausome will be the go-to company providing services for people who have learning disabilities, including being on the autism spectrum. In five years, a person will be able to log onto the Ausome app and find the best constructive activities and programs to put their children in, in order to help their children overcome communication boundaries and grow to become successful in the world. The taboos that follow words like “autism” or “Aspergers Syndrome” will be no longer, because my company will provide services and tools for people who experience these challenges to succeed in the workforce. Parents will no longer panic when they hear that their child is on the spectrum, because they will be equipped with the tools to help nurture their child and cater to their needs.
Please visit www.weareausome.com if you or someone you know would like to connect with other members of the worldwide autism community! Also, to help fund future projects for Ausome, consider donating to our GoFundMe page (below)!
Want to learn more? Go check out their Social Media!!
IG: @weareausome
Twitter: @weareausome
YouTube: weareausome
Blog: The Ausome Blog
GoFundMe! Click here!
