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For those who live with autism...

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Cehrabehra

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... this is truly a powerful piece, in particular the video about half way down. I just totally started bawling for my son. He is not "as" autistic as this but he seems to hang in a limbo where he isn''t severe enough to get help but he''s too severe to function normally and it just breaks my heart.... he got 10/12 markers for ASD and they said he had to have all 12 to be considered autistic even though 0 is normal. Anyway.... amazing piece this...
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/21/autism.amanda/index.html


the full video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnylM1hI2jc
 

lumpkin

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Thank you for sharing that, Cehra. It is amazing how incredibly articulate her message is. What I get from it, and I can really relate to, is the alternate consciousness she posesses. It seems so highly evolved, in a way, very pure. Almost devine?

I''m sure that seems crazy, but I have felt that same type of interaction with water and air and different sensations. It''s almost like meditation. The problem is, they are constantly in this state and being able to take care of themselves, earn a living, and more mundane, limited (maybe specialized?) interactions with others and the environment is difficult or impossible for many autistic people. Many are very defensive (Keep your cure off my brain).

If I could wish anything for my kids, who are more normal than autistic, would be that they could go back and forth -- not lose the gifts in exchange for learning the specialized, necessary interactions and language for living in a social community (society).
 

KristyDarling

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That was a revealing, educational, and moving video. Thanks for sharing that, Cehra. I had only a vague idea of what autism was, but Amanda's piece opened my eyes a bit more. She raises so many valid points...that language is understood and spoken differently by pretty much everyone in the world, though there is still a "majority" standard language. She happens to not speak the majority language, which the rest of the world unfortunately interprets as "disability" or invalid somehow. I'm happy that she and other autistics are finding new ways to communicate and express themselves so that the rest of the world can better understand them and not be so cruel and judgmental...technology can be such a blessing.

I'm sorry that you've had to deal with the frustrations of autism's criteria system. It just seems like there are so many shades of gray with autism that diagnostic criteria can't quite capture....I can only imagine how helpless you must feel at times. Your son sounds like a really special kid though, and he's lucky to have such a loving mom.
 

blingless

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Feb 13, 2007
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Thanks Cehra, I''ve known about Amanda for a while. The most striking thing about her that seems to have been glossed over is that she was "typical" until her teens. I haven''t heard of other cases developing or being diagnosed beyond childhood. I have wondered whether she is truly autistic or displays symptoms similar to autism resulting from TMI or something else. Various methods have been used to facilitate communication with autistic persons and some ae verbal but I haven''t known of any quite as articulate as her. Its very interesting, thanks for sharing.
 

poptart

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The article and video was very touching. Thank you for sharing that with us. I am always amazed that people who think differently than the "norm" are considered either disabled/insane, or pure genius. If your perception of the world is does not fall in the majority range, it''s as if people don''t quite know how to react. I really liked the beginning when she was interacting with the water because I do that all the time. I like to run the water and play with it, listen to it, just enjoy it being there and the way it feels. So I understood what she meant. I also was intrigued by the idea that instead of saying we are confused by the language of autism, those with autism are confused by us. It was just altogether touching. And Cehra, I hope that your son is doing well. From what I''ve seen with family and friends, it can be difficult raising a child with different levels of disabilities (if that''s what you want to call them, although I see that as a limiting and possibly detrimental perception),especially if doctors are not clear on what would be best for the child.

*M*
 

ImpatientOne

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Thanks for sharing! I have a four year-old nephew who has been labelled as "autistic tendencies". He's has been through every kind of testing and is basically undiagnosed. He attends special therapies a few days a week. He is really, really smart - he just doesn't talk. It breaks my heart to see what my brother-in-law and sister go through, and the realization that my nephew will most likely always be dependant
emsad.gif
 
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