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Bunni's Blog
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A Change in focus
posted at 12:51 am on 08-02-2008
This has been an interesting summer. It's been full of stressful things, and some enlightenment as well.
Stress: Everyone here is unemployed. Worries over losing our home, staying afloat, etc. etc. etc. Job Market is terrible, but as of a few days ago there might be light at the end of the tunnel. After two months of this, finally there is a chance. My husband and son both start training for a new position soon, and it will take a month to get through that. So...I can't get hopes up, but I am praying.
Enlightenment: Last month we attended a seminar given by a good friend of ours, William Stillman. He had done a consultation for my daughter and her team about 4 years ago, and it made such a huge impact. We've spent years since, working on social issues, behavior issues, and interpreting Asperger's to NT Teachers. Still a struggle but not as much of one before Bill.
The cool thing about the seminar was my daughter was with me, and we have been more recently working on self-advocacy. I've kept in touch with Bill for years and let him know we'd be there. He helped Emily feel safe in the environment, included her during the seminar, and Emily too began raising her hand and speaking to issues, answering questions.
Bills mantra is Presume Intellect. He talks about Autism in a way most don't hear it. Firstly from his one unique perspective of having Asperger's himself. But also to get the message out that communication and understanding are the key. That nothing is wrong with people who are Autistic except maybe for the NT people who don't understand them, not the other way around.
I think most trainings that go on in schools are more about "how do we control this or them", rather than what do we need to do to understand and communicate. So much more to it than I'm going to type here. Visit Bill's site at williamstillman.com. Visit my site also, and click challenges, there you will find a link to the Asperger's page my daughter and I wrote. It is at: http://home.comcast.net/~somebunni/
Since the seminar Emily and I have been very close...we have alwasy been tuned in, and I have always done what I could to understand her and what she needs..but I've been working hard at helping her fit. Instead I have now decided to help her teach others that she already fits, and that they need to now come and meet her part way. It's time for society to listen and learn. We can't change the world? Maybe not, but we sure can try. I've even informed her therapist that this is how we're going to handle things. We will take Emily's lead, and let her teach us, and let her tell the team what she needs..she's becoming quite good at it.
The day of the seminar I saw a different Emily. I liked her :)
Thanks for reading :)
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