marcandalysse 0 #1 March 3, 2008 Step into another world...another mindset....as a companion thread to today's 'Do you really know anybody' thread....How can we understand other's thoughts? Who is really 'normal'? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnylM1hI2jc I found out about this in Wired Magazine this month. http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-03/ff_autism: QuoteThe YouTube clip opens with a woman facing away from the camera, rocking back and forth, flapping her hands awkwardly, and emitting an eerie hum. She then performs strange repetitive behaviors: slapping a piece of paper against a window, running a hand lengthwise over a computer keyboard, twisting the knob of a drawer. She bats a necklace with her hand and nuzzles her face against the pages of a book. And you find yourself thinking: Who's shooting this footage of the handicapped lady, and why do I always get sucked into watching the latest viral video? But then the words "A Translation" appear on a black screen, and for the next five minutes, 27-year-old Amanda Baggs — who is autistic and doesn't speak — describes in vivid and articulate terms what's going on inside her head as she carries out these seemingly bizarre actions. In a synthesized voice generated by a software application, she explains that touching, tasting, and smelling allow her to have a "constant conversation" with her surroundings. These forms of nonverbal stimuli constitute her "native language," Baggs explains, and are no better or worse than spoken language. Yet her failure to speak is seen as a deficit, she says, while other people's failure to learn her language is seen as natural and acceptable. And you find yourself thinking: She might have a point. marc "The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Squeak 17 #2 March 3, 2008 WOW, just wowMy wife works in mental health, and i have had conversations with her over the years about "quality of life" and under what circumstances do we have the right to say if someones quality of life is poor or not valid. and just because someone is in their own reality, who is to say that they are not enjoying their quality of life in their own "non us" way. This video was interesting because i had previously not considered it from an austisic persons point of view. and had never considered that the way they comminucate could be so elaborate. thank for the link You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky) My Life ROCKS! How's yours doing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wmw999 2,148 #3 March 4, 2008 Yeah. Wow. An entirely new perspective. I'll be thinking on that one all day. Wendy W.There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marcandalysse 0 #4 March 4, 2008 Since posting this link last night I have been visiting websites and other videos relating to her perspective. It's mindblowing what is out there... There are groups of Autistics who are fighting the perception by well-meaning people who think Autism is a disease to be cured....check them out! http://autistics.org/ Quote Who We Are The purpose of the autistics.org project is to connect autistic people with the services we need to live whole and happy lives. The immediate goal of autistics.org is to build a global database of information and resources by and for persons on the autistic spectrum. The autistics.org project is by and for autistics, not parents of autistic children, though family members and professionals may find this website helpful. The autistics.org project is a project in the spirit of the various Linux development projects: created by volunteers, it's not so much an organization as it is a constructive anarchy. About our Slogan: The Autism Society of America, an organization composed almost entirely of non-autistic people and controlled entirely by non-autistic people, which performs few if any useful functions for autistic people, and which on numerous occasions has advocated against the best interests of autistic people, has started to call itself "The Voice of Autism". In our judgment, such hubris demands a response. So we've changed our tagline to "The Real Voice of Autism" When we call ourselves "The Real Voice of Autism", we mean by that that we autistics are the real voice of autism, not that we in particular at Autistics.org are. Every autistic, whether he or she contributes to this site, doesn't know this site exists, or hates what we do here, is also "The Real Voice of Autism". If you are autistic, feel free to join us in proclaiming yourself "The Real Voice of Autism" "The reason angels can fly is that they take themselves so lightly." --GK Chesterton Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kbordson 8 #5 March 4, 2008 Very interesting link. Thank you for sharing that. I think that our defination of what is "reality" is very limiting. Just because we don't see or hear or feel the same sensations.... just because we don't understand what is being done or why.... doesn't make it any less of a reality for others. It's rather arrogant to label them as "abnormal" when we don't really understand "normal." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
