As part of our 80th Anniversary Celebration this past November, we featured a music video by singer, songwriter and actor, Quinn L’Esperance. She offered it to us because her brother, Connor, has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and Connor participates in our Camp Cheerful. Connor loves Camp!
Quinn took some time to talk with us about Connor and her music.
Connor is Quinn’s older brother, so she has always had a sibling with ASD. Growing up, she was frequently shocked by how people unwittingly, or sometimes intentionally, stared at Connor. Because many people don’t know how to react around someone with special needs, Quinn has come to feel that, “We need to break the stigma of our differences to those on the spectrum, and, rather, embrace them and learn from them.”
So, how does Quinn’s family celebrate Connor’s ASD? She said, “We celebrate the little victories and the good days. We also cherish our time spent with our friends and those we love.”
As for Connor’s time at Camp Cheerful, Quinn brightened as she said, “Connor has become much more confident in being independent and is so proud of himself! The fact that he has been able to acclimate to the safe, loving setting at Camp Cheerful gives me hope that when the day comes when he moves into a group home, the transition will be smooth.”
Quinn’s song, “Dance in the Garden,” is dedicated to Connor. She doesn’t skip a beat in sharing the credit for equating Connor’s world to a garden, saying, “The idea actually comes from my dad. He says, ‘Connor lives in the garden, we live in the world. We have the ability to come in and out of the garden, to tend to it and take care of it, but Connor gets to experience his own version of the garden in his own, beautiful way!’”
When asked if she was planning on writing more songs drawing attention to people with special needs, she said, “I really want to use my platform as an artist to be an advocate for the special needs community to help people understand the common misconceptions about it. You can expect more songs promoting positivity and inclusivity on all fronts.”
Quinn hopes that this song will help people view Connor, and people like him, through the, “loving, fresh eyes” that she does. Through making the music video for “Dance in the Garden,” she hopes that it really shows how much Connor and his friends shine and how much music with a good beat can make you get up to dance and express yourself.
There are several more songs that Quinn is working on. She hopes to release them in the near future. We’ll keep an eye on her career and on Quinn’s achievements through life!
You can watch the video here:
