For obvious reasons, many autistic children are unable right now to articulate their lives. TH and I have discussed this issue before, and he has expressed a wish to let people know what autism is like, at least for him. We have made that a part of a homeschool project, and his hope is that he can grow this information into a useful book for parents and children. TH always has huge plans for books, art, comic strips, and games that he's devised, and it's his lifelong dream to one day get a photograph into National Geographic.
In keeping with our work on his project and to expand the perspective on Autism Awareness Month, below I bring you a Q&A session with TH, an autistic 8-year-old. For some folks, none of this will be news, but perhaps others, maybe even a parent who's terrified by that fright-wig of a blog over at Age of Autism, might find some comfort and increased understanding in what TH has to say. Perhaps, even, teachers or parents presenting about autism to classes could find some use in it. If you do, please let us know. I think it would please TH to know that his information helped someone. If you have questions for him that you think he might be able to answer, please feel free to post so we can perhaps add them to our project.
You'll note that much of what TH does that are considered "classic" autistic behaviors are, to him, about "releasing energy."
Interview with TH, age 8. (Responses are verbatim with non-sequitur interjections and vocalizations not included).
On noises
Q: Why do you hum?
A: It helps me get all my energy out. When I'm excited, I do that the most. It can also help me concentrate.
Q: When you make the "eeeeeee!" noise, what's that about?
A: It's when I feel good.
On eye contact
Q: Do you have trouble looking people in the eye?
A: Sort of.
Q: Why is that?
A: It's sort of scary for me because I haven't done it that much.
Q: Why do you think you haven't done it that much?
Well, probably because I was sort of afraid, scared also, back when I was in kindergarten.
Q: How do you feel if you try to look somebody in the eye?
A: Weird. Tingly.
Making faces
Q: When do you think you make faces the most?
A: When I'm excited.
Q: What does making faces do for you?
A: It makes me feel good because I sort of like doing it. I guess I have a lot of energy so I do all that stuff.
On hugs and contact
Q: Temple Grandin apparently didn't really like people to touch her, but she liked being squeezed by non-people things. Do you mind when people touch or hug you?
A: When someone touches me, it feels really disturbing. When someone hugs me, it's a little bit better.
Q: What about if you're squeezed inside of something, a blanket or something like that?
A: It sort of makes me feel better. (Q: How?): By letting out all my energy, and it's sort of comfortable. When they put me through the "squeeze machine" at the school, I felt better, I sort of felt comfortable.
Q: You squeeze my arms all the time. In fact, you are doing it right now. Why is that?
A: Because I like you. And I like squeezing things.
On flapping
Q: Why do you flap?
A: Because I'm excited when I flap. It makes all my energy go out.
Q: Are you aware when you're doing that?
A: Sort of.
Q: Do you think other people notice it?
A: No. (I loved this answer. Obviously, people do notice it...but he doesn't care).
Social interactions
Q: Is it hard for you to understand other children?
A: Sort of.
Q: What do you find hard to understand?
A: What they do, basically. I didn't like being in big groups. It made it confusing.
Q: What is it like when you meet new people?
A: It's sort of scary. It's embarrassing. If I meet people out in public, it's embarrassing the most, and I don't even know why. It's just extremely embarrassing.
A: It's sort of scary. It's embarrassing. If I meet people out in public, it's embarrassing the most, and I don't even know why. It's just extremely embarrassing.
Q: Do you feel like you know what to do when you meet new people?
A: No. (I want my money on that social skills training back now, please).
Comments on being autistic
Q: Do you like being autistic?
A: Yes.
Q: What do you think about autism?
A: I think it's sort of a good thing.
Q: Why do you think it's a good thing?
A: Because I like it. You can be smarter about some things, and you're also better at some things, like being excited, getting all your energy out. You can smell things really good. Another thing is that you see really good. I can list a ton of bad things about being autistic.
Q: What are those?
A: It's sort of hard to do things in class, especially first grade. Another thing is that you're being bullied. And it's sort of hard to concentrate.
Q: Why is it hard to concentrate?
A: Because you're so distracted by other things that are more exciting.
Q: Like what?
A: Like just looking out this window (he points to a large window through which much vegetation and many birds are visible), and forgetting everything else.
11 comments:
TH,
Thank you for sharing! My two daughters are 8 and 6, and they could really relate to your answers. It's always helpful when we can offer glimpses of our interior life for others; it can be surprisingly hard for people to imagine another person's inner world. :-)
Emily, I find this incredibly interesting (and very sweet, too) because, as you know, my son can't (yet) tell me about his thoughts, feelings, reactions to the world around him. Not that I think his would be the same as TH's. Rather, that this makes me stop and consider what his actions and reactions may be telling me instead. I always think about it in more general terms; this post helps me narrow the focus a bit which may actually be more helpful.Thanks!
TH is awesome. I look forward to seeing his pictures in National Geographic someday!
This was a great idea, Emily. I don't think I've ever read any other interviews from kids with autism, besides Luke Jackson's book. I wonder if any of the other parents of verbal kids on the hub might pick it up.
Love every word of it.
Thank you, TH!
Thanks for doing an interview, TH. You sound like a really well-spoken kid and I hope that you get your photograph in National Geographic one day!
Thank you for telling us what it's like for you to be autistic, TH. I think it will help me understand our daughters better. You did a really good job!
Emily, thank you for helping TH do this and for sharing it with us. :)
Dang, TH, you remind me of me. I, too, loves me the hyperacusic hearing and the extra-sharp vision. (my eyes corrected to 20/15 when I was your age.) I, too, still feel right awkward around strangers, and I'm in my 60th year on the planet. I think that you are more fortunate than I was at your age, in that your parents seem to understand how your brain works better than mine did, so that they may help you to have more success than I have had.
As an autistic person, I felt I could really relate to a lot of what this kid was saying. I say goodonya for doing this interview! In my case with eye contact, it gives me more of a burning sensation like I've got shampoo in my eyes times five.
He has stuff in common with me. I tend to flap my arms and squeek when I'm happy. It's like a bolt of energy and I just have to release it somehow. And I feel the same way about crowds.
Not so much eye contact though.
Great interview.
What a great post! This is Jesus Rios. I was a SEU student of yours from Science in Perspective - Fall 2007. You taught an amazing and invaluable class and it definitely has made an impact on my life. I was the sat in the back left middle row of the class and I wrote papers about steroids & football tackles and one on solar powered energy from satellites. The reason I found this page was because I was writing on my blog (http://thebeloveddisciple.wordpress.com) about Louis Pasteur's phrase, "chance favors the well prepared mind." I remembered you were the professor who gave us this incredible motto so I google'd for you and found this blog.
This post was an amazing and comforting read for me. After graduating in Dec 2007 and into the months when I started law school I taught Rites of Christian Initiation for (Adults) for children. It was a great experience. In my second group of kids I had one autistic girl. She was quiet but had her brother in the class next to her so she was somewhat comfortable. When I was reading your interview with TH, it made me remember her mannerisms and it made me understand why she acted the way she did at times. Thanks for that! Most interestingly, I will never forget what she said one day. We were talking about the 10 Commandments and its applicablity to the children's lives. For the fifth commandment, all of them except for her expressed simple child themes: do my chores, not argue with my parents, etc. Then I asked her. Usually when I called on her, which I always did because she really got smiley and happy when I did, she would answer with a smile and a misunderstood statement and then her brother would help. But this time, I asked her what does the "Honor your father and mother mean to you?" She said, "Jesus was the Son and God was the Father and he did everything for his father and we should be like that." I remember being so surprised and ranting around the room about how great of a statement she made and how true it was and that I've never heard something so right. I'm so glad I had that experience with the class and especially her because it opened my mind even more. And thanks for this post!
Just wonderful...thank you!
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