Friday, March 28, 2008

the roots of autism

There are 2 main hopes I have for autism research.

1. That they find something that makes it medically diagnosable (allergy, chemical reaction issues...., something so that we understand what it is we are dealing with inside the child's body. It also should be medically testable.... and treatable). Now in all reality. There will probably be splinter groups of no more then 15% of autistic labeled individuals at any one time who actually fit the medical diagnosis, but then they would be removed from the "autistic" group and given the label of what ever the problem really is. But if you take that 15% several times, you would significantly make a dent in the autism population.

2. the find the cause(s), and hence a way to stem the tide of new autistic children.

Now don't get me wrong, I love autistic children, they are special. They work on a different plane of reality, that seems to be a beautiful place. But Sometimes they feel trapped in an ugly place, and other times, you can't interact with them on anywhere near a normal way.

overall, my Galen actually dose well with changes. He enjoyed changing his room, and actually feel asleep by 11 pm last night. He expressed to me yesterday (while in his happy place) that he didn't want to go on the field trip today. I told him that he didn't have to. However, this morning, he fought with us every step of the way for getting him dressed and on the school bus because he has some fear of this field trip... so of course, I assured him that we would call the school and he wouldn't have to go. But that didn't improve his behavior this morning.

oftentimes, the change of setting really helps. When he gets on the bus and on his way to school he usually realizes that he lost the battle to stay home, so might as well not fight it any longer.

I remember growing up, that it was always hard to want to go to school. It was hard to walk out of your security zone and into a building with 500 other children and adults who get paid to tell you what to do, and what to think. But I was a good kid. I did it day after day, because I was told that was were I was supposed to be. Now, as an adult, it is even harder, because I know schools are much more big babysitting operations then places where you really learn anything.

In many ways schools really screw up that natural learning mechanics, curiosity, and desire to explore that we are all born with. The problem is that we have spent the last 100 years thinking that school is important, when it is the learning that is important. Schools teach you how to work with in a system, and this is fine, if you plan to spend the rest of your life in somebody else's system.

overall, I hate systems, corporate entities, things that have exisisted so long that there has to be rules, and then more rules on how to deal with the rules, and so forth, until the entire reason for the thing was forgotten under a pile of paperwork and corporate "Culture". And then they try to make it all better by hanging a few motivational posters. It is definitely the way to lose touch with the earth, and the real laws that govern our planet.

When you strip away all the garbage that piled up... and get back to the real problem, you realize that a few bugs are much less of a problem then the chemicals designed to get rid of them, and then the chemicals you use to overcome the chemicals you used (ect). And then if use look at it close enough, and did in enough dirt, you realize that the bugs might actually be useful, if balanced right. And then all of a sudden, the system nature put forth millions of years ago is dramatic and complex and functions really well. And all you have to do is tap into it, and then the garbage is gone, and there are nutrients, and you are happier, you feel full of light and your garden grows while you dance in the sun, and splash in the puddles.

Maybe that is what autism is.

We have finally succeeded in separating ourselves so far from the earth, that the autistic generation has no roots at all.

Maybe we need to plant them, water them, nourish them with sunshine and good dirt, and teach them to join the earth. Maybe then, if we are joined to the earth too, we will be able to communicate with them and see the amazing simplicity, clarity and wonder as their minds and bodies operate.

1 comment:

Solange Hommel said...

"things that have exisisted so long that there has to be rules, and then more rules on how to deal with the rules, and so forth, until the entire reason for the thing was forgotten under a pile of paperwork and corporate "Culture". And then they try to make it all better by hanging a few motivational posters."

Amen. Interestingly, I was driven to write something about the current state of the system from a teacher perspective just today. :)