Leta's Tap Styles

The Spin of Eye Dominance: Understanding Neurodiversity in Dance

• Leta and Amanda • Season 2

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In this episode of the Leta’s Tap Styles podcast, Leta and Amanda discuss the challenges and experiences involving eye dominance in dance, specifically addressing the left eye dominance and its impact on performing pirouettes. They explore the neurodiversity within dance studios, the importance of tailored accommodations, and the misunderstandings faced by autistic individuals. The episode also touches on the significance of supportive environments, individual preferences like favorite Pokémon and characters from My Little Pony, and the need for better training for educators working with neurodiverse students. Additionally, they highlight the unique aspects of their dance studio, Autistic Wings Dance Company, and encourage support through donations.

To Support Leta’s Dream of a dance studio where autistic dancers can be themselves, and where accommodations are the norm, not something parents have to fight for, please donate here https://www.autisticwingsdancecompany.org

Find Leta and Amanda around social media

Leta's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@letatapstyles

The Podcast's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@letatapstylespodcast

The Podcast's Website: https://www.letatapstyles.com



Leta:

Please, adults understand that my body does not work the way you want it to. Please don't be mean. This is Leta and this is me and my mommy's my mommy, and there's me and I'm just talking about this stuff. And there's me tap dancing because this is the tap Dancing Autism podcast and there's bunch animals and wallby trying to eat my hair and this bunch saying, and. Dancing. Oh, also, they're my boots. My boots are amazing. Also, dance, me trying not to have a panic attack. Also, this is a podcast that we autism and kept dancing and blah, blah, blah. I'm A DHD. This thing also. This your adorable puppy.

Amanda:

Leta, you

Leta:

I am Leta. That's my mom. This is Jackie. It's Jack Jackie, you have anything to say with your smooshy wear first face?

Amanda:

for everyone listening on

Leta:

to say with your little smooshy. First face of Smoosh. Of Smoosh of smooshy doe. Oh. And also say, anybody says anything better My, my mother. So help me.

Amanda:

For anyone listening on the mini podcast streaming services, you can find Leta Tap Styles on. Uh, Jack is the staffy pity, uh, mix that belongs to the podcast, and he has decided to join us on the podcast today. Um, Leta, you did, we're gonna bring this into tap. I was hoping we'd do something fun in choreography, but you said something this weekend and I'm like, uh, we gotta talk about this.

Leta:

Well, all I said is why I knew people came paying. I'm left foot dominant when I'm right foot dominant. And why do people keep saying the stupid thing of, oh, if you wear heads, do you wear foot? Oh, if you wear foot heads, do you wear foot, do blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Amanda:

Quick thing, uh, you are not left foot dominant. What you are is left eye

Leta:

foot Dominic.

Amanda:

Um, but the thing is, when you are doing pirouettes, when you're doing turns, when you're moving, you move to the right because you're left eye dominant, which makes perfect sense. Like I called up your ophthalmologist while I was out shopping yesterday and you were doing soul talk going, Hey, so I wonder something. And she laughed at me and went, I knew that since she was six. And I, because I was like, did you know Lena's left eye dominant? Which I'm pretty sure I just should have known, but didn't think it through. And the response I got was. I've known that since she was six. You did You kind of lose your ever loving mind.

Leta:

you not remember when we went to get me texted for dyslexia?

Amanda:

Well, I think I did remember, but I think because like she said, for you it makes perfect sense, your left eye dominant because your right eye is your lazy eye. So why, and that's one of the reasons we haven't fixed that right eye because that's not your dominant eye. So it's not as big of a deal and you have a very slight lazy eye. So it's not as huge of a deal for you to fix. But I think. Something you said sparked why we have autistic wings dance company is because teachers teach how to prayer wet right eye dominant most of the time, right hand, right eye dominant. But it is not as uncommon as you think, especially within neurodiverse, um, areas for left eye, right hand, right eye, left hand when you were doing your pirouettes. You need to be turning towards the least dominant eye because you're holding a spot. And if you're turning with your dominant eye moving first, you've lost that spot. You are, the puppy disappeared on you. Um, but no. Does that make any sense what I'm saying? Like if you are turning to the right, you can keep your balance and everything easier because your left eye is fully tracking as you're turning.

Leta:

The puppy left me.

Amanda:

Does that make sense? Leta

Leta:

The puppy left me the

Amanda:

Puppy left. This is what happens when you do a podcast with uh, two autistic people. You are over there on the puppy left deal, but does it make kind of sense that what people are seeing as a definite deal, 110% is something totally different because. You, you track better with the dominant eye. I mean, ignoring the DI or neurodiversity, the neuros spicy stuff, you're always gonna track better with your dominant eye. Everyone tracks better with their dominant eye, but no one had ever tested you to see what your dominant eye was other than your ophthalmologist had they. Stan teacher ever made you do the test? I made you Do you yesterday because I.

Leta:

like once, and they said, no, no, you're right. Eye dominant, not, not, not left. They said, no, no, you're white. No, no, no. Do it again. Do it again. Do it again. Why you controlling it? Here, let me just push it back to your thing. Oh, why did you forcibly make it go to your left? I didn't even feel the strength of you forcibly making it go to your left.

Amanda:

No one should be, uh, guiding your hands on that test, but it's a fairly simple test. You look at a spot on the wall, you form a triangle with your hands and you bring your hands back to your face. And whichever, uh, I you land on is which eye dominant you are. Um, but let's discuss pirouettes and turned. When you turn to the left, how much harder is it for you? It is because they're teaching you to turn to the left as though you're right eye dominant. There's a different way, like you know how when they're teaching everyone to turn to the right, which is their dominant eye, and most of these students, they teach'em how to pirouette slightly differently.

Leta:

Ma'am.

Amanda:

You need to be married, what they're doing, but they have never tried to see that because I think a lot of dance teachers don't understand that dominant eye needs to be the one following because if it's one leading, you lose that spot quicker, do you

Leta:

that why I can never peel right to the left?

Amanda:

Yeah, because they're not teaching you how to peer, 'cause they're teaching you to peer what to the left as though that's your dominant eye. And so when they're teaching you to peer what to the left, it's also why sometimes when they're saying how to teach you to peer what to the right, you're kind of thinking they're silly because they're teaching you to compensate for something that doesn't need to be compensated for.

Leta:

That's, plus they keep telling me that's a way harder when it's so fucking

Amanda:

Because you are left eye dominant, so to you, turning right is easier because you are getting that. The lead eye is the eye that loses the spot first as you're turning. So it's you're turning towards your dominant side. It's harder because you lose. Where you are easier. And so, and add to that, your eye tracking issue, so turning to the left, you're losing that spot quicker. You don't know you have a hu larger blind spot for your turn and because you don't track so easily, it's hard for you to pick that spot up right away again, especially since they're asking also, let's add another cork to this. They're asking you to do all that with your bad, lazy eye. But they don't understand that that's what they're asking you to do. They think, oh, lead's right hand dominant. We're gonna teach her how to turn left the way that a right eye dominate person would do it.

Leta:

I don't think how any of, I don't think that's how any of life works.

Amanda:

It is not. But I think that's another thing. Uh, the difference between neurotypical studios and a Neurodiverse studio like ours is the neurotypical studio is assuming everyone's gonna be right eye dominant. I. I'm guessing the few people they think are left eye dominant are the ones with left hand dominancy, but those are few and far between. It's actually more common to be left eye, right hand dominant than to be left hand, left eye dominant. You're giving me a look.

Leta:

you mean right dominant, left hand dominant?

Amanda:

No, it's actually really common to be right eye dominant, left hand dominant. Right eye dominant is a more tra. More per, more likely domination right eye is, um, you are more likely to be right eye dominant than you are to be left-handed. You're giving me a look. You are more likely to be right eye dominant than you are to be left-handed. There are more left-handed people in the world than there are left eye dominant people in the world. The brain is weird. The brain is weird. It's like total cuckoo banana brains. Um, but no, it, it's actually, and you are very likely to be right, uh, or left eye, right hand is more common than left hand, left eye, which is weird, but probably 'cause there's more right-handed people out there that you have the bigger combo of right hand. Left, right hand, left eye, left eye, right hand, but

Leta:

He said left so much. It sounds just, and like a ma word you're saying so much are.

Amanda:

but.

Leta:

This is like the time I've heard that. I heard fork too many times in a sentence when a word

Amanda:

Well, even so, even our reading and our writing is meant for, and I'm gonna make a lot of my left-handed friends out. There're upset. Um, our reading, reading left to right, your dominant eye is the one following that whole time. Or not following Your dominant eye is leading the whole time. You, your dominant eye is following the whole time, so you are seeing the letters a little bit later'cause of how the domination work or dom, that the eyes work. Your left eye is way stronger than your right eye. It's going to process quicker, it's gonna process fast or process. And we're talking nanoseconds here and I know nanoseconds are splitting hairs, but we're in science and nanoseconds are nanoseconds, are they not? But a nanoseconds is difference between being able to stand up while you're pure wedding and fall down to the ground. And I don't think dance and art like to live over in their own little world. And I love that about 'em.

Leta:

They talk too much.

Amanda:

They do talk you a lot. Um, but,

Leta:

so much?

Amanda:

but on the other hand, when you're dealing with something that's not typical, it's not necessarily neurodiverse.'cause your left eye domination has nothing to do with being neurodiverse. But, um, you see basketball players who are right-handed, who shoot left because you want to focus with that left as you're shooting. Did you realize that?

Leta:

Me,

Amanda:

I have

Leta:

to do basketball.

Amanda:

that's right. Um, but you'll see golfers who are right-handed, but they golf left because they're left eye dominant. Anything where you have to have eye coordination. Hand eye coordination, or even in your case, just body eye coordination. You absolutely need to know which eye you're dominant with because that leads to better training that leads to better results. And the fact that this is not something

Leta:

Still need to work on a hand. I, because I embedded it,

Amanda:

but I mean, the thing is, um. You see a lot of, did Bucky just attack you? They stuffed, Bucky just attacked you, didn't it? You were attacked by Valentine's Day, Bucky. So I think that's one of the things that sets autistic wings apart is it has always, like I knew. I know your ophthalmologist is laughing hysterically at me going, you knew Amanda and there were a few, you know, words. Uh.

Leta:

Stop like you someone knew because it was the doctor's office, the sing sing. You know that thing that you said that you didn't know that Yes, if I knew, but I.

Amanda:

Okay, so was it the doctor or was it Ms. Rosa at ot.

Leta:

it was both. It was both.

Amanda:

So

Leta:

She said it right after, before the doctor. It was both. She said to get me checked for it. Then the doctor said I had it. It was both

Amanda:

Let's be honest.

Leta:

like seriously, I was six, seven and I.

Amanda:

Let us be honest. When we were leaving your ophthalmology appointment, it had been.

Leta:

asleep.

Amanda:

No, see what you don't remember. Bucky is still there. Do not jump scare yourself. Don't push Bucky further into your bag or you carry insane. Um, what you don't remember because it wasn't important to you, and I appreciate that it wasn't important to you, is that at the time, um. I had spent two and a half hours going, she's got a lazy eye. Her right eye is lazy, and your ophthalmologist has spent two and a half hours telling me no, she's got dyslexia. She's left eye dominant. She doesn't have a lazy eye. And I'm like, she's got a lazy eye. It's ever so slight, but it's there. Can we go see what he did? Interlude.

Leta:

Lily.

Amanda:

I was not the mom who was paying attention to my, a lot of stuff. I was kind of like, she's got a lazy eye, she's got a lazy eye, she's got a lazy eye. And at the very end, your eye went lazy. And she's like, oh my gosh, mom, if you hadn't told me I wouldn't have been looking for it, and I would've never seen it. So I've spent the last, you know, seven years, uh, working with her on a professional level, making it very clear that I know what a lazy eye looks like. Let's be honest, it is really fun to walk into some other child's IEP and look at your ophthalmologist and go. Afterwards, you know, I know what a lazy eye looks like, but now I have a feeling the statement is going to be returned and I know what left eye dominant looks like.

Leta:

I have one thing, but.

Amanda:

I what?

Leta:

happen if they see this

Amanda:

Oh, she's gonna laugh hysterically.'cause I still use her for IEPs in that area. Hence why I got a hold of her yesterday and went, Hey, fun fact, did you know she has uh, left eye dominant? And your ophthalmologist was like, fun fact. Yeah.

Leta:

Wait when? When did you ask this?

Amanda:

When I went shopping, I've got her home cell, I have her cell number. Yeah. Well you were doing stuff. I went shopping.

Leta:

What else did you ask her?

Amanda:

Uh, I kind of said that LE's upset because she doesn't have the p can't seem to pull certain Pokemon cards, but I mean, she was laughing going, how is it that Leta can't pull the boring cards?

Leta:

You mean energy?

Amanda:

I mean, energy energy's important. You have been collect. You have had multiple decks over multiple years, and you have somehow, like you pull, I bought you a trainer pack, which hopefully has energy. We're gonna go to the store today or tomorrow and hopefully go get you energy cards because you have been pulling cards for. Years now, like since, you know, COVID started, there were a couple years there that was hard to get booster packs and everything, uh,'cause of Covid and it went up. But you pull cards on a regular basis and you have like hundreds of cards and 14 energy cards.

Leta:

No, it's usually like nine, eight something.

Amanda:

Do I wanna know what that doggie is doing now? No. No I don't. Why didn't we not close the door on our way down?

Leta:

did.

Amanda:

And how is he not in the basement? He's

Leta:

No, he's probably near a door.

Amanda:

uh, I think I heard him in the kitchen.

Leta:

No, I just saw his bud. Finally get up.

Amanda:

Okay. So,

Leta:

No,

Amanda:

but let's get back to the dancing portion of this and not how your ophthalmologist is smart on some things, and I Smart one.

Leta:

this. So I have lunch.

Amanda:

How when you are doing pirouettes, when no one interferes with how you are doing pirouettes, is it easier for you to do a pirouette?

Leta:

Yeah, and I go spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning and spinning and hyper. I didn't think about dance, so talk

Amanda:

But here's a question, because no one has.

Leta:

I have annoying, annoying voice.

Amanda:

Physically, you look like you're doing a pirouette the same way everyone else is doing the pirouette.

Leta:

I go turning.

Amanda:

But it aggravates teachers that you're not doing it mentally the same way as everyone else is doing it.

Leta:

I go turning.

Amanda:

And if I might try to pull some information from your, uh, neurodiverse brain. Um. When you are turning, what are your eyes doing to the best of your knowledge?

Leta:

Uh, staring into the, and I go turning. I go turning. I go turning.

Amanda:

Are you picking? Okay, so when you're typically training a dancer, you tell 'em to look at a spot on the wall and you turn keeping that spot.

Leta:

dizzy.

Amanda:

And there in lies the um. Are you a hundred? Could, could you just check and make sure he's on the stairs? And then, yes, let's hurry up so that we can, uh, do di no, but um, I know you're just staring off into the void, but when you pick that spot on the wall, especially if you're turning to the right, how much harder is it Turn?

Leta:

Ah, get dizzy and fainty. And then I collapse

Amanda:

How easy is it for you to pick up that spot once you turn?

Leta:

easy. I just go, Spini, spini, spin, win, win, spinning, winning,

Amanda:

No, when, when you are doing it the way you're told to, when you're picking a spot on the wall, you're looking at that spot on the wall and you're turning and keeping your head straight until you turn all the way around, and then you catch that spot, whip your head around and catch that spot again.

Leta:

You know those comedy shows where the person just keeps falling and falling and falling and falling and almost falls off a cliff.

Amanda:

Yep. Now let's bring up the difficulty level. Just what, how much harder is it when they have you doing it into a mirror?

Leta:

I almost hit the mirror. Well, that I probably almost go into a mirror dimension

Amanda:

Which is that neurodiversity in you? Because neurodiverse people tend to

Leta:

was just with Harry Potter because then if I hit the mirror, I could go through a train and then hug once.

Amanda:

okay, technically it was a wall, not a mirror. Yes. Well, um, anyhow, how much easier is it at, uh, our studio where we are taking into account? Where you're not being told 'cause. Okay, back it up here just a minute. How many people have told you that you need to get past your limitation of your eye tracking not working and you picking a spot on the wall and doing it the way they want you to do it?

Leta:

A bail in. Even the people close to

Amanda:

Is it. And how many people, I mean in reality, when you're going right and you can do it really well going right, and they want you to go right eye dominant left, how many people have told you to just get over that limitation and do it the way that they think you should do it? Not caring about that limitation being like hardwired into your brain.

Leta:

All of them. I have also heard them admit that they would say the person who has a missing leg could just random leg get a new leg. Even though that's not how the human body works. That's how I act a lot. It works.

Amanda:

What accommodations would do you need for learning to pure wet?

Leta:

Don't be mean.

Amanda:

You

Leta:

I know spotty don't be mean. I just go, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn, turn. Turn.

Amanda:

You know, don't be a meanie. Should not be an accommodation. Okay? That should just be like, don't be a meanie. Sorry. That shouldn't be like your first accommodation. Please, adults, understand that my body does not work the way you want it to. Please don't be a mean

Leta:

still be a mean. This

Amanda:

that shouldn't.

Leta:

I need. Please still be a mean. Oh, also. Actually pass high school because you damn well should pass high school.

Amanda:

You can pass.

Leta:

you should pass high school. Somebody make high school less easy for the idiots to.

Amanda:

Let, let's, um. Put a pin in that one.'cause you can pass high school fairly easily without taking a lot of sciences. And I understand not everyone's going to be as into science as like I am or any of our, uh, friends in the scientific geeky community.

Leta:

Who.

Amanda:

that's okay. I had not a current teacher of yours. Let me fix my mic or camera. Not a current teacher of yours, but someone. Who we know in the dance community. I was saying that you need a few things and I mentioned that you, uh, are playing, not just collecting, but you're trying to build a deck for Pokemon, and their response was, oh, I didn't know her dyslexia allows her to do Pokemon.

Leta:

There's fucking pictures. There's fucking bullshit pictures.

Amanda:

There's words on there.

Leta:

I can.

Amanda:

I one, it's kind of

Leta:

Also, plus there's a number near, near the five, so I know how much damage 'cause there's an actual fucking number and not fucking words to tell me a fucking number.

Amanda:

To mention, um, because I was mentioning you would not mind having a couple Japanese cards in your collection, would you?

Leta:

Damn dyslexic. I can't read small print. I won't mind. I can't read the God. The print's too small.

Amanda:

But, um, they were like, oh, but how can she tell that there's what character is on the card?

Leta:

Fucking full shade Fucking picture are they. Are they blind?

Amanda:

Like, that's not quite what dyslexia

Leta:

now? Are they bullshit? Fucking blind.

Amanda:

are you supposed to know it's. Evie, it's not like you've never,

Leta:

The, the sign of Evie is, Evie, I know what Evie looks like. I know what fucking Evie looks like. This fucking bulls shaped pictures. Fuck them.

Amanda:

outside of not being mean and not being a bully, and not using nice words, not hateful words, and understanding that maybe my eyes don't work the way you think they do.

Leta:

Just please don't be mean.

Amanda:

Okay. Honestly, that should not be an accommodation you're asking for. You shouldn't be going, hi, the number one accommodation I need in life is for you.

Leta:

mean. We, we don't be

Amanda:

That shouldn't even be close to the number one accommodation you're asking for in dance studios. That should be like so far down on list.'cause you're not asking that.

Leta:

was going for dance, just dance studios. I wasn't going

Amanda:

But you're not for people who may be turning in, tuning in for the first time, not turning in, blah. Um, you are talking about the actual things teachers have said, not things kids have said, and it shouldn't be a, please don't be a meanie when you're talking about adults. Adults working with kids.

Leta:

are. They need to be surprised that we are good bodyguards.

Amanda:

Against adults,

Leta:

Yeah.

Amanda:

which should not be the case. But even, um, what would be another like. Would it help you if when they were doing pirouettes they maybe, I don't know, went to an adult who could under explain to them what the mechanics of working with a left eye dominant kid would be?

Leta:

What was your question gonna be?

Amanda:

Um, would it, there are some mirror issues in there too. You know, I know the man in the moon knows that there are so many studies showing that autistic kids have issues with mirrors. Especially when you're moving into a mirror, like when they're sitting there putting you in front of a mirror, it messes with your brain. We have studies that show that. I mean our studio, I will honestly go in and tell a teacher to turn a kid around and go, Hey, you don't understand. This child cannot do this. This is not a limitation you can get past. This is their brain is Min, is wired not to do what you want them to do. So here's how we're working around it. Do you sometimes wish that those accommodations like, Hey, Leta. With your autism, can you deal with this in the mirror? No. Flip around. Don't look in the mirror while you're doing it.

Leta:

Are you saying don't be mean in accommodation,

Amanda:

I, yeah. Okay. It goes back to being a meaning.'cause how many teachers have told, now that we're dealing with this, how many teachers have like put spots on the mirrors or something on mirror and sat there and told you that you're going to do this? Not. I, I don't wanna say not caring

Leta:

I don't care. I've had one. I had one teacher that literally told me that she didn't care. She even freaking curse. I.

Amanda:

I think a lot of those teachers don't understand what they're asking you to do. These limitations are actually finite limitations. These limitations are not like I. Like with your dyslexia, we are trying every trick in the book to find you a program that actually helps you learn to read. But we know that the tricks are out there for other people, 'cause other people have done that. But with turning your eye is never gonna switch, dominate which eye is dominant and turning a pirouette.

Leta:

Oh, this is. As a, as a better thing to, as far as, as a accommodation, than Adobe diminishing

Amanda:

You mean asking teachers to understand that you're left eye dominant means that how they're teaching you to turn right needs to be. How they're teaching other dancers to turn left and how they're teaching you to turn left is how they're teaching other dancers to turn right.

Leta:

No.

Amanda:

Understanding that teaching you to pirouette in a mirror is going to like send every synopsis in your brain into freaking overload.

Leta:

Now please tell me a mean about my hypo fixation on the history of my will pony. I don't care who this records. And please don't be a mini on my hypo fixation. A and please don't be a meaning on my hypo fixation of Pokemon ology because I just like Pokemon ology and I just white jacket. I just, why? I have to be a mini about me having my favorite pony. Luna. What's so wrong with having Luna as a favorite pony? I don't get it.

Amanda:

Uh, no. See, that shouldn't be an accommodation. That should not be, I, I mean, I cannot emphasize this enough. What you're, I'm not saying that that's something wrong with it. What I'm saying is we have so many teachers who, and, and it's across the board. It's in elementary schools, it's in middle schools, it's in high schools, it's in, um. Gymnastics, it's in soccer, it's in coaching This, coaching that we have so many people working with youth who don't armies. Um, but I think some of these accommodations that you're asking for, you shouldn't have to have an accommodation because you like Pokemon and you understand the evolution. You understand the zoology, zoology and you know everything there is to know about Pokemon. And there is nothing wrong with having Luna as your favorite. My Little Pony. Okay. Nothing. Nothing at all. You.

Leta:

This one, this one person was going mean about it because they said my favorite, favorite, favorite. I would going in pony Mouna and it would make you mean about it. And it we going out a nightmare moon. And I was going and I was think Nightmare Moon was basically, why was you duck. Is the best character. It has to say, interacting with other like men, interacting with other human beings. We both have social problems and don't understand social, the slightest, and we both have violent issues.

Amanda:

The thing is. That shouldn't be a thing. I mean, you should be able to like Luna, that's not my statement. My statement is that adults working with kids have to understand how to work with kids and we see a lot of idolizing the position thinking that if you work with kids you must be good and not thinking.

Leta:

idolize being an adult.

Amanda:

No, I think it's that we assume that if you're working with kids, you must be good working with kids. And we don't listen to the kids about what the issues are, which honestly is half the problems you've had in dance studios is they're not listening to you, not just over Luna. Not just over like who's your favorite Pokemon?'cause I've had people come up and go.

Leta:

Evie.

Amanda:

But your reasoning for liking Evie is not everyone else's reasoning for liking Evie.

Leta:

Evie can be anything. Evie can be old. Evie can be old, and I can a HD the hell outta my life,

Amanda:

And what does Evie have that most other Pokemon do? Not the ability to.

Leta:

be away anything. She can be everything. He is the most powerful.

Amanda:

She gets to choose her destiny. She gets to choose who she becomes.

Leta:

And she gets to be do it a crazy

Amanda:

So if anyone would like to come on on a Friend's Friday and talk Pokemon lore with you and bring it into autism, you're like, ah, please get ahold of us.

Leta:

Please, please, please, please, please, please, please,

Amanda:

Going back

Leta:

please.

Amanda:

well, and let's, let's be honest, one of the great things about Pokemon and then we're fi finishing back up on the dance world is Pokemon. You know, we've got kids coming in wearing the Pokemon gear. I mean, Pokemon is not necessarily. But Pokemon isn't just for like you can be. Neurotypical like Pokemon, you could be neurodiverse and like Pokemon. Pokemon isn't limited as much as like, say your cousin who does Rubik's Cube.'cause I'm sorry I have yet to meet a single competitive person with that. Does Rubik's Cube. That is neurotypical you guys

Leta:

is diagnosed not neurotypical.

Amanda:

Yeah, but what I'm saying is. No, but I mean, there are, this is gonna be sound crazy and we're gonna bring it back to the studio in about two seconds, but, um, I know so many people who are like, oh, I'd love to be able to do Rubik's cubes. And it's like, well, you know what you need to do is you need to become neurodiverse and then we can talk.

Leta:

Anybody taking that early? No. I can't do aerobics, cubes. The last time I tried. It's good for every human being. It did not end good for the aerobics.

Amanda:

No, but, um, but, but I think a lot of dance studios, one, they have that and I think we should talk about this next week. That whole, oh, well we're all a little autistic,

Leta:

What the, oh. Or what next? We're a little bitch. Have a major, major, major. That next just.

Amanda:

I had a few dance teachers because you do wear out your knees, and this is not the Disability Olympics here, but were. But they were comparing my MCL.'cause when I tore my MCL completely because of my painkiller issues and everything, the statement was, well, I guess you just don't have an MCL multiple on Orthopeds. And a physical therapist decided the same thing and all these guys are like, oh yeah, I too wore out the cartilage on my knee. And I'm like, I, that hurts. Don't get me wrong. I have arthritis. It hurts.

Leta:

You have none of that caught witch. None of it.

Amanda:

Well, in one of my knees, no, I don't have any cartilage. But on the other hand, um, the fun fact is I've had arthritis my entire life. So trust me, I know what joint pain is. This is not the, um, disability Olympics. We're not trying to see who has it worse, but I. They were like, well, why don't you just go get a knee replacement? And I'm like, um, my MCL and my meniscus membrane, they're not like, what? You guys seem to think that these are part of that like metal thing, and I get it, but I'll just take my

Leta:

But it's a muscle. You can't replace a muscle. It's a muscle.

Amanda:

you can, it's just a heck of a lot more intense, and it's not a muscle, it's ligament. So it's a part of the muscular system, but it's not muscle itself. But, um, I think I see everyone going, oh, you ha And they're like, oh, well, you know, I too have hurt my knee. And I'm like, technically, I didn't hurt my knee. I hurt part of the knee entire system. But the CS is separate than the

Leta:

come I'm the violent one and you and dad are not violent.

Amanda:

I do cross stitching. I go stabby, stabby on, uh, fabric, anyhoo. But I think that's. The same thing.'cause I can't hold my heels up and tap, which you're supposed to do. I can't tap dance anymore because we won't gimme the accommodation of putting my heels. These on the, my heels on the ground. We got dogs. My baby talk started because they're puppies and we have to talk baby. Talk to them to talk baby talk to you. Your entire life was

Leta:

Baby talk to Champ.

Amanda:

Yeah, but Champ wasn't a baby. Champ was a full grown doc.

Leta:

baby? No,

Amanda:

Was baby, as in he was our baby, but he was not a baby when we got him. He was five freaking years old. These two were like still puppies. So, um, anymore like back to the studio. Um, and not just the, 'cause I'm guessing they want rarity or what's her name as your favorite ponies.

Leta:

Now, apparently, because uh, you know how you usually tell people that. Where that I was born in Las S because of a Oh, oh yeah. Possibility. I was born in Las Crus, so apparently Apple Jack should be my favorite.

Amanda:

Why would an apple orchard pony be your favorite for high desert? I'm

Leta:

I dunno, apparently because it has a hat, apparently. Hat, hat and rope. Apparently. This is father. I lived on a

Amanda:

floor

Leta:

and a farm.

Amanda:

i

Leta:

In a barn, which makes no sense because what, what farm person land in the barn. You don't live in the barn.

Amanda:

I know a lot of places, uh, they don't even have a barn. I mean, you gotta be one rolling in the dough for a barn, I mean, shops and stuff for, but barns are really

Leta:

Oh, and also because of the shyness, I found my favorite penalty would be flutter shy.'cause I'm shy. Flutter. Shy. Shy, and her name's flutter with shy, and I was shy.

Amanda:

I'm hearing is your, the accommodation you would like is to actually, you know, let you be an individual that they have. Yes. A blank

Leta:

just me like Luna. And also they asked when, then me, because I said Luna was my favorite Milo Pony character. Then they asked, what's my favorite character from the main friend group? And I said, pinky pie. Apparently I'm not allowed to like the most autistic with the whole show. She's so freaking autistic and goodbye.

Amanda:

Oh, pinky Pie, definitely. I mean, I don't think she was meant to be at or written as autistic necessarily, but Pinky Pie is,

Leta:

characters come by accident.

Amanda:

I don't know who

Leta:

try to write autistic character and terrible, like a world of crap, if you don't to write it every single ba.

Amanda:

there is one show, um, on YouTube, um, that it has it right, but it's written by autistic people.

Leta:

Yes, like no offenses are neurotypical people out there, but sorry. At this point, I'm pretty sure the only way you can write an autistic person is A, if you're autistic, and B, if you did it by accident, it just did not notice. And just did it fully on accident and just did not know this.

Amanda:

Um.

Leta:

telling the autistic people out there who think you can't write a good autistic character if you're neurotypical on purpose. no, the bias in there know no how much bias there is in in there. No,

Amanda:

Yeah, so, um.

Leta:

For the bias. No. You just can't. They're typical and their level of bias, just no, that's gonna end bad.

Amanda:

Back to eye dominance, back to lazy eye, back to needing accommodations in studio.

Leta:

Please don't be a.

Amanda:

Let's outside of, don't be a meanie. And that's not that I am, you know, a terrible, horrible excuse for a mother. I really don't want to be that mom saying. But um.

Leta:

mean about me being a nerdy.

Amanda:

Okay, but no like would it benefit, like at our studio, obviously I'm the one sitting parents down going, hi, no, I need to know what accommodations your child needs and I'm not lying. I need to know the accommodations, and I needed to know them yesterday. So pony up that information right lead.

Leta:

Yes.

Amanda:

You're like, it's a couch of tea, but it is not. Sometimes it is me asking for like actual diagnoses. Um.

Leta:

You made a tea corner without me. I am

Amanda:

But would it for all those neurotypical studios out there who are like, I want to give accommodations, but I don't wanna give, allow limitations. But limitations. Like your eye is not going to miraculously switch. Which one is dominant and which one is lazy? Um, would it behoove some studio owners and teachers to understand the difference between a. Actual limitation and a stumbling block.

Leta:

It behooved him to get an actual education.

Amanda:

They, they do understand. Okay, so here's the thing. Most dance teachers, and, and let's be honest, most teachers do not spend any time with spent, they do not spend time with special education. You do not have to have special education in your background, which is problematic because they're working with special ed kids and they don't have the training. Is that what you're trying to say? Um, I'm not disagreeing and a lot of these studios that say, Hey, we are accommodating, do not understand what that word means

Leta:

then? Why are you meaning then? Why are you meaning about me being a real naughty? Why are you meaning about me being the child? You're two naughties. Who's a naughty?

Amanda:

Let's, um. Wrap it up 'cause I need to feed you. Um, we're going to be interviewing for Miss April's podcast this afternoon. You're hungry and nerdy. Uh, and I did promise you we would go try a couple of the Pokemon shops in town to see if they have any energy cars because for reasoning, you can't pull energy to save your life. Alright, so Friday we have Barb on the podcast. Um, Barb is a therapy dog worker who takes her therapy dog in to work with students in school and has, um, some interesting ideas of how to utilize the dog, not just for reading.'cause we all know therapy dogs and reading HA programs have been amazing, but she's also using her dog for math. Social studies and language arts doesn't, wasn't that interesting. Leta,

Leta:

and it was listenening and accidentally fell asleep. I was listening and accidentally fell asleep. The dog made too comfy of a bed.

Amanda:

you had Jack Elvis as a pillow and you two had been up all night.'cause Jack Elvis was having a bad night. But, um. Yeah, that, I think that one's going to be an amazing one. I can't wait to see where Barb's research takes her. I think we should talk to some of the local, uh, play therapy dog train or handlers here in our area and the teams here in our area and see if we can't bring 'em into the dance studio. If people wanna support your dance studio, which is a nonprofit 5 0 1 C3, that gives out scholarships to these dancers. Go to www.autisticwingsdancecompany.org. Link in the description below.

Leta:

too many whistles and words for thing.

Amanda:

Um, we are currently trying to get a new building space. Uh, we really need a much larger space. We have pretty much gone to where we can with the space we're in, and we have families calling us almost daily asking us to get their kids into dance. If anyone's listening in the Denver area and the Colorado Springs area, they're a dance teacher and they're willing to learn what it takes to work with autistic kids. Are we looking for volunteer teachers too?

Leta:

And I still hungry, naughty.

Amanda:

And you are still nerdy. All right. Um, and back on the donation things. If you donate $10 a month or $20 a month for autism awareness and for. Next month too, probably. You get a key Okay, well thank you for watching the PIT podcast and please subscribe and also look at the Adorable Don't Watch Subscribe for. And also please like, and if you'll, if you'll any of our new podcast and also you see the Adorable Don, you Like It. chain. Do you have one sitting beside you by any chance? A key chain made by Leta herself. Do not throw it at the camera. It is a cute little resin key chain. She's pouring the resin herself, she's making 'em in the molds, and then she's putting them on, uh, the chain and everything. So yes, you do get that if you donate. Anything else you wanna say before we, uh, sign off other than you're hungry and nerdy. All right, well we will catch everyone Friday for Friends Friday and we will see you then. Bye. Okay, well thank you for watching the PIT podcast and please subscribe and also look at the Adorable Don't Watch Subscribe for. And also please like, and if you'll, if you'll any of our new podcast and also you see the Adorable Don, you Like It.

People on this episode

Contributor

Amanda Trisdale

Host
Head Shot

Leta Rundell

Host