Flying Colors loves to compete, and she loves dangerous sports. She sometimes likes to pull pranks and break the rules. Yet she tends to be a loyal friend. She can be remarkably kind and understanding when it matters the most.
 
“Fly” has six autistic friends: Nightlight, David Starlyre, Dragonshy, Sparklefire, Precious Sapphire, and Applewood. In learning to appreciate their feelings, she has learned that her social skills are not so great, either. In Starlyre, she sees an autistic person who may be as emotionally intelligent as her. And Nightlight will soon catch up.
 
The “Spectrum 6” find that it’s not normally easier to get along with other autistic people. Instead, it’s often harder. Too many times, they have triggered one another by mistake. Neurotypicals, such as Fly, are often more predictable. Fly is part of the glue that keeps them together.
 
How did Fly start befriending autistic ponies? It started when she met two who were severely abused by their parents: Dragonshy and Sparklefire. They had run away from their parents, and they felt lost and alone. At that time, Fly was about to run away from her own parents – even though they took good care of her. Dragon and Sparkle never wanted to run away; they felt forced to. They wished they had what Fly had.
 
Where Fly lives, most people take care of one another. Friendsville was founded on the principle of caring for everyone, and the laws largely enforce it. Most of the townsfolk feel like one big family, though part of the family is dysfunctional. Dragonshy and Sparklefire came from a city where people tend to work against one another.
 
Suddenly, Fly felt her own motherly instincts coming to life. She felt sorry for these two ponies. Fly started to feel guilty for failing to appreciate her parents’ kindness. She realized she didn’t want to live without anyone to care for her. Dragonshy and Sparklefire were taken into the local orphanage. Once they were old enough, they found their own jobs, and they started living in their own homes.
 
The Spectrum 6 live on their own. But they’re never truly alone. They have friends who take care of one another. Therefore, they can live without special assistance. Sparklefire inherited a party shop from an old woman who wrote Sparklefire into her will. Dragonshy runs an animal sanctuary, just inside the Wildfree Forest. When one has a bad day, their friends give them an extra hoof.
 
Over time, Fly has become more kind and understanding. She’s been learning that it’s not normally cool to break the rules. She’s been learning not to hurt others’ feelings for no good reason. She’s been learning not to take stupid risks, and she’s been learning that life is not supposed to be a competition. Sports should be about doing your best – not about acting your worst.
 
In a big way, Fly’s autistic friends have exposed her own weaknesses. She learns as much from them as they do from her.
 

 
Starponys: Friends with Autism / The Spectrum of Friendship © and ™ of M. Wayne Howell (starponys87@gmail.com), along with all characters therein.
 
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