What I know about Autism

I watched a documentary last night called Portraits of Emotion. This documentary was the story of Johnathan Lerman.  An artist who happens to have autism.  Autism is a disorder.  The symptoms of this disorder can vary for each individual.  Typically people with autism don't show emotion.  They are often described as not having empathy for others.  Since I am a very emotional person, so emotional in fact I have to write a blog and see a therapist to help contain them, I have a difficult time understanding the lack of emotion that comes with Autism.  This documentary helped me understand this disorder just a bit better.  I knew that people with autism often have the ability to speak at a young age and eventually they may lose that ability.  But Johnathan's father describes it as Johnathan being on one side of the Great Wall of China with society being on the other.  The neurons in Johnathan's brain can't make connections.  He struggles with speech and what is an appropriate behavior for situations.  NOW I GET IT!  At least I get it for this guy. 

Besides the wall, Johnathan is sensitive to noise.  The best way I understand it is to say that while he is trying to get over or dig under that great wall he can hear everything that goes on and it distracts him.  Johnathan expresses himself by drawing pictures.  These pictures are also a way for him to show what his perceptions and feelings are.  An example that was given in the video was a picture Johnathan drew around the time of his Bar Mitzvah that he described as "The Jewish Show".   

This brought home something for me.  I have worked with a lot of people who could not communicate in traditional ways.  Some people used letter boards   Some people used music.  But everyone I worked with "EVERYONE" who did not communicate traditionally was described as having negative behaviors.  Well we all have negative behaviors from time to time.  We need to try and find some way to help everyone find some way to communicate with each other.  It's the only way to deal with whatever is inside us. Another thing got to me.  While I was doing basic research on autism for this blog, I discovered an article that asked "Do people with autism have feelings? " I found this insulting of course they have them I thought.  Every person has them.  This article said the same thing.  But the article also said that we should not get too frustrated with those who have autism.  They need to be taught to recognize the cues for feelings.  You know what people with autism shouldn't get too frustrated with us while we try to figure out how to relate to them either.  Every individual struggles to get along in the world.  Some just struggle more than others.  We struggle in different ways too.  We all have to learn to deal with each other.  For more info on autism www.autismspeaks.org  Take Care