Sam Theriault

Programming for Autistic Audiences: Access in Virtual Museum Programs

About 25 pressed flowers and plants such as leaves, four leaf clovers, and flower petals on a white background.

We, the people, made museums; and we, the autistic people, are part of the “public” audiences museums aim to serve… Wherever your museum is, I assure you, part of your community is at risk.

Masking my Autistic Traits as a Museum Professional

a white hand holding two large 4 leaf clovers in front of many small daisies

In my advocacy and museum work, I often feel like I need to walk a fine line between masking my autistic traits or low-functioning days/weeks and communicating the reality of my experience as an autistic museum professional. In many interactions with colleagues at conferences and online, I’ve been met with confusion or disbelief when IContinue reading “Masking my Autistic Traits as a Museum Professional”

JUL 15 2020

A small glass jar with cork top resting on a notebook with cursive writing. Inside the jar is a small speckled bird egg resting on some moss. The content of the journal is the text in this blog post.

This week marks six months of (almost) daily journaling via the most recent iteration of my Morning Pages practice. Though Morning Pages/journals are traditionally private, I’m celebrating this week by breaking the rules and sharing today’s journal entry on my blog. JUL 15 2020 I’m sitting at the pool. Thinking maybe if I go inContinue reading “JUL 15 2020”

#WeAreNotConfused: JKR, Autism, Museums, and more

Why is it so difficult for my colleagues and mentors to not only include and uplift autistic people as museum staff and visitors, but also to just … say the word autism? Do you, like J. K. Rowling, see us as helpless? Lacking agency?

Investigating Local Water Contamination

A blue river flowing between two pieces of land. Both river banks have green grass and some sand. One side of the river has many leafy trees growing in a forest.

Less than a mile north of our home is a plastic factory called Saint-Gobain. They make Teflon and other products at an industrial level. And it seems like they’re responsible for the presence of PFOA/PFOS/PFAS in our water.

Autism Awareness in Museums

In addition to the increasingly meaningful DEAI initiatives focused on race and gender equity, museums must learn more about physical and cognitive disability—an under-discussed aspect of DEAI, but one which is an instrumental part of the fourth pillar, “Inclusion.”

Seafood for Thought

I crouched down and a seal came right up to the glass. It floated in front of me and blew bubbles, which made me giggle uncontrollably. This went on for several minutes – the seal and me, just staring at each other and giggling. I made a friend!