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Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Writer/Curator/Founder of The Autism Acceptance Project. Contributing Author to Between Interruptions: Thirty Women Tell the Truth About Motherhood, and Concepts of Normality by Wendy Lawson, and soon to be published Gravity Pulls You In. Writing my own book. Lecturer on autism and the media and parenting. Current graduate student Critical Disability Studies and most importantly, mother of Adam -- a new and emerging writer.

“There is no hope unmingled with fear, and no fear unmingled with hope.” -- Baruch Spinoza

Thursday, August 10, 2006

 

Hope is Vested in Humanity



I've been looking for a photograph for the piece that will be published next year. It is a piece about Adam, autism, family life. I called it "The Perfect Child." I like this photograph. It was taken in the throes of worry, when Adam was newly diagnosed; when clinicians and psychologists consumed us in their leather couches, saying um hum, and scratching their pens against lined paper, peering at Adam from behind dark rimmed glasses. I remember feeling angry at them. How dare they view my first and only beautiful child as a pathology? I remember hiring and firing so many therapists and clinicians who came into our home -- our door might as well been revolving.

This photo brings me back to this time when I was worried, angry, confused. It reminds me of all the terrifying things I saw, the films of autistic people screaming, being tugged by therapists. Yes, there are many movies like those.

Soon, The Autism Acceptance Project will release its video. It was made to give people dignity, others hope. In a world where there is little, where people put all their stakes in cures, pills and perfection, we need to remind ourselves that in the end, hope is not vested in cures, it is vested in humanity.

6 Comments:

Blogger kristina said...

Sweet and lovely---Charlie had the same big eyes and sideways glance as a baby.

11:05 AM  
Blogger Usethebrains Godgiveyou said...

I'm thinking now it was your blog that led me to this autism hub...for today I'll give you credit, anyhow!

I was looking for positive adjectives and "autism". Happy, good, joy...

H-u-m-a-n-i-t-y...What a novel concept to bring to the table!

Great picture!

7:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Estee, if I haven't said so before, I love your use of words. Vested hope... that has such an inspiring sound to it.

I'm looking forward to the video.

9:49 AM  
Blogger Mom to Mr. Handsome said...

Wonderful point and beautiful picture.

Thanks for sharing them :o)

Kristin

4:57 PM  
Blogger Estee Klar-Wolfond said...

r.b. sweet words and thank you!

12:57 PM  
Blogger mysamiam said...

Beautiful picture and I can't wait for the video!!

11:11 PM  

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