Discovering Autistic Gold

When we were considering the name for our new publishing company, we wondered how we might express the elements of Autism in a name. Auptima came to mind – but perhaps not for the reason you might think.

A number of people and organizations have used “Au” in their names, to show that they’re aligned with Autism. It’s an easy connection to make; it’s logical. People recognize it.

But there’s a different reason we chose to start our company name with “Au”. On the periodic table, “AU” is the symbol for gold. And a number of autistic folks have used that symbol on their websites, in their products and artwork, claiming the sense of gold as the theme of their work.

AU is really the perfect symbol for Autism, because like gold, Autism can be buried deep within the layers of a person or place. It can be found all over the world, yet it tends to be hidden to all, except those who know how to recognize it.

And when it’s discovered, it’s not a simple matter of just drawing it out of the darkness and shining it up.

Gold can’t just be pulled from a hillside or stream bed. It takes work to discover it, more work to extract it, and once you have it, it needs to be refined and worked, in order to become uniquely valuable.

In much the same way, Autism promises many latent possibilities and amazing strengths. But it needs to be approached in a certain way, the skills and talents drawn out, then refined through work and re-work, the skills polished, the impressions made, the lessons learned that will transform you from the person other people see to the truly amazing individual you are.

Learning to live fully when you’re on the Autism spectrum is no small feat. It takes time, energy, dedication, and there are often as many steps back, as there are steps forward. And yet, every bit of time, energy, and dedication is an investment in our future — in the future of the world.

For just as gold is one of the most valuable metals we have, so are Autistic folks some of the most unique individuals you’ll find.

Discovering our talents, our gifts, our unique qualities, is what Auptima Press is all about.

We hope you’ll join us in our exploration, our discovery, and yes, the refining process that can make Autism the most that it can be.