Autism Breakthrough: Girl’s Writings Explain Her Behavior and Feelings
Two years ago, working with pictures and symbols on a computer keyboard, she started typing and spelling out words. The computer became her voice.
“All of a sudden these words started to pour out of her, and it was an exciting moment because we didn’t realize she had all these words,” said speech pathologist Barbara Nash. “It was one of those moments in my career that I’ll never forget.”
Then Carly began opening up, describing what it was like to have autism and why she makes odd noises or why she hits herself.
“It feels like my legs are on first and a million ants are crawling up my arms,” Carly said through the computer.
e = get, head
Dive into said
I find this story so incredible. But I’m completely unable to evaluate it.
One can fervently hope that Carly is the typical kid caught up in this disability, and that this proves to give more than hope to parents, and the kids and adults who suffer from it.
What is the take on this story from Waisman Center? From other professionals who study this disability? From parents of autistic kids?
It’s very confusing at this point. There’s been a plethora of media attention as of late about severely autistic people using technology to communicate feelings, thoughts and ideas that professionals had thought didn’t exist in the minds of the autistic. Some folks think that it’s total bunk and it’s all facilitated by their caregivers….others think that indeed, the human brain is an incredible organ that science knows so very little about, and technology is unlocking it’s potential in folks who have severe expressive (as well as cognitive) disabilities.
I can tell you this, as a parent of a (thankfully) very high functioning autistic person: they have brains, their brains work very differently from anything that we can even possibly imagine, and at least in some cases, they have the ability to express ideas that the normal, societally programmed mind cannot begin to behold. I liken it to the blind man’s sense of smell. It’s well documented that many autistic people have pockets of knowledge often referred to as “savant”. No one truly understands how or why this happens.
There are many explanations Larry. My personal feeling is that researchers can look at these phenomenon and try to give us a rational explanation; I’d rather see how to use these breakthroughs in a practical sense to help autistic people navigate the real world that can often be extremely cruel and troublesome to them.
The bottom line, however, is that autism is a spectrum disorder. There are no two autistic people who’s disability is exactly alike, so every case is very unique, just as every person is very unique.
I don’t believe that we can evaluate every story we read about an autistic person’s triumphs- though I understand the desire to evaluate. All we can do is celebrate that one person’s triumph. And I can tell you this: I’ve consistently watched my own child BLOW AWAY other people’s preconceived notions of what his disability limits him to accomplish. Special ed teachers, speech and language teachers, administrators, peers, siblings, his parents and grandparents, clergy, etc. all left in a cloud of dust, and to my son, if asked, he’ll just tell you “i’m autistic, it’s no big deal, it’s just me.”
Thanks, David. I had totally forgotten about the facilitated caregiver issue — one of the cruelest possible frauds I can think of, if true.
It would be a shame if the Carly story is just such an example.
I can’t speak to the validity of the caregiver facilitation issue. I’ve only heard it mentioned as an issue. I would be terrible if, in fact, severely autistic people were able to communicate via technology, yet we discounted their experiences because one or two caregivers “fudged” the truth. I think the whole concept is really interesting. It’s like finding a library full of books that have never been read.