Summer Adventures with Autism
Summer turns out to be the busiest of months. Adam is at a "regular" day camp with his shadow and is beginning to do his "I've got this place under my thumb" strut. He goes on the bus, I pick him up at 3 -- it's a long day for my little guy. He has taught himself to swim under water (gulp -- I watch him like a hawk of course), and is learning to jump off higher and higher ledges (another gulp -- my guy who never climbed and had troubles with jumping is now leaping from higher bounds). He is growing, he is losing his cherub cheeks...he is becoming a little boy.
Sigh.
Henry and I were interviewed for a magazine yesterday (will post when ready). The interviewer was astonished when I said spontaneously in the context of discussing disability and autism, "Adam has taught me how to live." He is showing me vistas I would have never seen without autism and I have come to a point where I can't imagine life any differently. Adam continues to teach me what it means to be human. He teaches me to expand and to know what supporting another person really means.
As we prepare to travel to Alaska -- I can't wait to see Adam's face -- and just enjoy our summer, I look forward to sharing more of our adventures. In the meantime, keep checking out the TAAProject website as we are receiving more essays and others are editing the content. Support groups are still running throughout the summer and keep your eyes out for our next lecture series.
Sigh.
Henry and I were interviewed for a magazine yesterday (will post when ready). The interviewer was astonished when I said spontaneously in the context of discussing disability and autism, "Adam has taught me how to live." He is showing me vistas I would have never seen without autism and I have come to a point where I can't imagine life any differently. Adam continues to teach me what it means to be human. He teaches me to expand and to know what supporting another person really means.
As we prepare to travel to Alaska -- I can't wait to see Adam's face -- and just enjoy our summer, I look forward to sharing more of our adventures. In the meantime, keep checking out the TAAProject website as we are receiving more essays and others are editing the content. Support groups are still running throughout the summer and keep your eyes out for our next lecture series.
3 Comments:
With Adam teaching you, Estee and Henry how to live, my question is whether or not the other autistics in the world (self included) can teach all of the human race how to live. Perhaps, if we could, we would be getting back to the original meaning of the word "humanity"... after all, it's the human race, not the "rat race", that defines who we are.
Autistics have been showing this for ages, but have now been relegated to a very low niche on the totem pole, as they do not need the vast competition, economic drive, or media and marketing strategies to give them an outline of how to live; they already know, but are constantly chastised for not going along with the "rat race", even to the point of them being diagnosed as a "threat" (in the form of a "severe disorder").
It's like the patient has gone into the doctor's office and is prescribing medicines and therapies for the "terrible disorders" that the patient sees in the doctor, as the doctor is just not seen as being "normal", in any sense of the word. In other words, the roles have been completely reversed, and the creative person is now defined as having a "terrible malady" in being diagnosed with "autistic disorder", when the creative spirit, itself, is just exercising it's own pursuit of ingenuity.
Hi.
I did call you last Wed at the office and got the machine. Since I wasn't home I didn't leave a message. That gmail addy has been closed. When you get back... post on my blog and I'll call again.
Have a good holiday.
S.
autism is a way of life. the children of today are teaching society how to live in the moment. having a child with autism naturally gives you that perpective. its a blessing in disguise. have fun in alaska. looking forward to hearing how adam enjoyed the beautiful sights. autistic kids are generally in tune with nature. have a "wonder"ful day.
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