What goes through your mind when you hear the word "autism"? For most people who are not autistic in any way, they probably think of somebody who will be "less than" in the worldly, pragmatic sense. But when an autistic person shows that they are creative or are able to contribute to society, the non-autistic person probably oohs and aahs that a "less than" creature was somehow able to show signs of a functioning intellect. Well, maybe I'm being somewhat sarcastic. But to those of us who ARE autistic, I say that it's time the non-autistic population, or the "neurotypicals" as we call them, realize one thing -- that it is usually we, the audies, who end up saving their butts with our brilliance.
We're usually the ones who are able to point out the obvious when others cannot see it. Where would this world be if not for the amazing contributions to it by Einstein, Mozart, Beethoven, Jane Austen, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Thomas Jefferson, Carl Jung, and Van Gogh, just to name a few? Or, in our lifetime, Bob Dylan and Bill Gates! I wonder if Bill Gates, as an unknown way back when, applied for a job and announced that he was autistic if he would have ever been hired anywhere. Probably not. But thanks to an organization called Think Beyond The Label, that may all change someday.
The word "autism" was first coined in 1912. The literal meaning of the word translates to read, "a state of being absorbed by one's self." What this really means, as I see it, is that autism is a state of being so awe-inspired by your own view of the world and not really knowing how to communicate it. Eventually we learn how to, though, much to the askew glances of the neurotypical world. Sometimes when we speak we say the "wrong", or socially inappropriate, things. But always when we speak, we say the truth. We can't help but to be oddly creative by the neurotypical's judgement, but we're just being ourselves by the audie's reality.
I am quite a fan of Temple Grandin. Not because she is an autistic person who can speak brilliantly, which is perhaps why neurotypicals enjoy her (as if they never expected someone with autism to be a great contributor to society). I like her because she tells it like it is. Well, telling it like it is is what makes us appear so off-color, really. We say what we want, we dress the way we want, we do what we want. We make our own rules. And we don't really care what society thinks because we KNOW we are brilliant. We are "absorbed by our own self". It's time that the neurotypical world realizes this and doesn't scold us for being ourselves. If you look past the label and see what we can do for the strange world around us, you'll shut up and listen, and you'll give us a CHANCE.
I got to where I am in life because of mentors, or "guardian angels" as I call them in my "Living With An Autism Spectrum Disorder" class that I teach. If not for a guy named Larry, I wouldn't have lasted more than three days on the ambulance crew that I volunteered with for ten years. Thanks to Larry taking me under his wing, I eventually became somebody who could take charge of the scene of a major emergency, and I became somebody who could train others. Every audie NEEDS a mentor. It's not that we are "disabled". We are not. Because of the way our brains process information, we need to learn, on our own accord, a different way of doing things. We need to repeat things over and over and over again until we get it right. And when we get it, we are not only good at it. We are brilliant! We exceed what the neurotypicals who are all doing the same thing can do. Why? Because our intuition allows us to see the elephant in the room when others can't. We find better ways. We become very efficient -- SELF-sufficient. We are "absorbed in our own self"; we are AUTISTIC.
It is understandable, though, why a neurotypical employer wouldn't want to bother hiring somebody with autism. Who wants to be around somebody who doesn't "fit in"? Who wants to feel like they are having to drag somebody when they need somebody who can magically jump right into the shark-infested waters? But really, who wants to hire somebody who's not afraid to tell them that they can do their job more efficiently than they can? It's a new science -- trying to figure out how to coexist with these creatures from another planet. Well, we are not from another planet. We have always been here, and our "problem", as you see it, is not going to go away. Deal with it.
So why does this condition exist in the first place? In all those years ago, we can truly say that some brilliant people were wired that way, as some are in this day and age. For some, especially in modern times, their condition may have been unfortunately induced by some toxic or allergic exposure or even a physical trauma. In any case, autism is what it is, and autistics are what they are -- people who can contribute to this world in amazing ways. If you are a person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, or you have a child or loved one that is, get together with others that are by joining support groups. Don't navigate this world alone. There is definitely strength in numbers. Also, find a mentor. Every audie NEEDS one. For employers, stop thinking that audies are disabled. They are completely able!
Because I am a physician and somebody with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, I recently felt the need to expand my horizons in my quest to get the message out there. I am willing to travel anywhere in the 48 contiguous United States to teach my "Living With An Autism Spectrum Disorder" seminar or to speak to your company or special interest group. To see an actual syllabus of the three-hour course, which includes my bio, please click HERE (this file is in PDF format). I am always available to answer any of your questions through my Facebook page. I hope this entry has given you a better picture of what goes through the mind of an autistic person. If you hop on board, you'll find that exploring the mind of somebody with an Autism Spectrum Disorder is a fantastic journey!
Showing posts with label audie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label audie. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Friday, December 11, 2009
Audie Ego
In his book "The Power Of Intention," Dr. Wayne Dyer mentions six characteristics of the ego. When a person can break themselves free of these six illusions that characterize the ego, they are a truly enlightened spiritual being. But such a task is not easy. Even the spiritual masters had to endure many years of spiritual practice through yoga and meditation to reach this level. This blog posting is not a discussion of these six characteristics. Instead, I am going to focus on just one: "You are what you do."
For an autistic person on a spiritual journey, "you are what you do" would probably be the absolute most difficult part of the ego to destroy. The reason for this is because an autistic person grew up in their own world where they could not figure out how to communicate and be part of the neurotypical world. Therefore, that gift that they bring to this world, whether it be a great talent, interest, hobby they excel at, or profession they encompass, becomes THE way that they can bridge the gap between the two worlds. They identify themselves so completely with what they do that they use that as a definition of themselves and their self worth. It is only natural to do so because they lack social interaction skills and normal learning skills to be able to see themselves as anything or anyone else in the world.
How many times do you hear somebody with Asperger's Syndrome talk about their favorite pastime or TV show or an interest in electronics -- incessantly. It really can be annoying, yes? But to them, this is the only way they know how to bridge the gap between their autistic ways of thinking and the "typical" world around them. They identify so intimately with what they do, and this identification may never be broken. As for me personally, ever since I was a kid I was interested in how the body works and in metaphysical topics. So truly did I stick to these interests that I became a holistic physician who practices healing arts that span the spectrum from mainstream medicine (with functional medicine testing) to etheric healing (which encompasses dealing with paranormal phenomena). But these interests do not stay within the walls of my healing center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. I spend a great deal of time answering health related questions in two different online forums. Many times over the years, in social situations I would end up being a turnoff to people because I'd talk about my profession and my place in it. I indeed WAS what I DID.
I felt that I was what I did, like most audies, because I had to place myself somewhere in this world somehow. My way of breaking out of the autistic world was to tell the neurotypical world how I can be of service to them, and loudly so because I always "knew" that I was one of the best darn healers in this world because of my great insight and because I had the best darn teachers teaching me the best darn ways of doing things. I was BEST FRIENDS with this part of my ego -- knowing that I WAS what I DID. Unfortunately, announcing this to the world only alienated me further, when done so in socially inappropriate settings. Like other audies, I was just as boastful about my accomplishments because I had nothing and no one else to identify with; there was no measure for me to identify my place among the "normals".
In her book "Unwritten Rules Of Social Relationships," Dr. Temple Grandin explains that the autistic person needs to develop an interest in something and excel in that interest because that is what will carry them through life. Developing other tools to relate, such as social and interpersonal skills, would be a constant struggle. Thus, it should be no surprise that an autistic person will use that one skill they embrace and are highly proficient at to navigate through their life in this foreign land of the typical world. One must understand this, and perhaps become a bit more tolerant, of an autistic person the next time they hear him talk about molecular physics for the 39,543rd time.
So how does an autistic person on the spiritual path break free from the illusory egotistic belief that they are what they do? For me to really be able to answer that fully would be like a cow trying to explain, and make excuses for, why she is a cow. I myself didn't start to see lights going off in my own mind until I started attending a support group for adults with autism at the Autism Society of Minnesota. Being among other audies, and finally being in a crowd I felt at home with, allowed me to see myself in an objective way. Also, early on in my days of practicing Siddha Yoga, I had profound visions during deep meditations in which I was not only being separated from the world around me by a profound force, but my etheric body was being separated from my physical body. It was a very important lesson to EXPERIENCE the fact that we are, in our pure essence, the Power of God in manifest form. So, there is no reason to be attached to an ego, which makes us have all these illusions of what we are NOT.
Over the past eleven years that I have been practicing Siddha Yoga, I wrote about my meditation experiences and lessons learned from them, which I am willing to share openly. I encourage every audie in this world to adhere to some sort of discipline that will focus on the Spiritual aspect of being. It will surely give you greater insight and strength to carry on in your difficult journey in this world. On that note, though, not all "meditational" paths are the same, so choose wisely. You will know which path is right for you because you will feel your audie ego melting away from the beginning.
For an autistic person on a spiritual journey, "you are what you do" would probably be the absolute most difficult part of the ego to destroy. The reason for this is because an autistic person grew up in their own world where they could not figure out how to communicate and be part of the neurotypical world. Therefore, that gift that they bring to this world, whether it be a great talent, interest, hobby they excel at, or profession they encompass, becomes THE way that they can bridge the gap between the two worlds. They identify themselves so completely with what they do that they use that as a definition of themselves and their self worth. It is only natural to do so because they lack social interaction skills and normal learning skills to be able to see themselves as anything or anyone else in the world.
How many times do you hear somebody with Asperger's Syndrome talk about their favorite pastime or TV show or an interest in electronics -- incessantly. It really can be annoying, yes? But to them, this is the only way they know how to bridge the gap between their autistic ways of thinking and the "typical" world around them. They identify so intimately with what they do, and this identification may never be broken. As for me personally, ever since I was a kid I was interested in how the body works and in metaphysical topics. So truly did I stick to these interests that I became a holistic physician who practices healing arts that span the spectrum from mainstream medicine (with functional medicine testing) to etheric healing (which encompasses dealing with paranormal phenomena). But these interests do not stay within the walls of my healing center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. I spend a great deal of time answering health related questions in two different online forums. Many times over the years, in social situations I would end up being a turnoff to people because I'd talk about my profession and my place in it. I indeed WAS what I DID.
I felt that I was what I did, like most audies, because I had to place myself somewhere in this world somehow. My way of breaking out of the autistic world was to tell the neurotypical world how I can be of service to them, and loudly so because I always "knew" that I was one of the best darn healers in this world because of my great insight and because I had the best darn teachers teaching me the best darn ways of doing things. I was BEST FRIENDS with this part of my ego -- knowing that I WAS what I DID. Unfortunately, announcing this to the world only alienated me further, when done so in socially inappropriate settings. Like other audies, I was just as boastful about my accomplishments because I had nothing and no one else to identify with; there was no measure for me to identify my place among the "normals".
In her book "Unwritten Rules Of Social Relationships," Dr. Temple Grandin explains that the autistic person needs to develop an interest in something and excel in that interest because that is what will carry them through life. Developing other tools to relate, such as social and interpersonal skills, would be a constant struggle. Thus, it should be no surprise that an autistic person will use that one skill they embrace and are highly proficient at to navigate through their life in this foreign land of the typical world. One must understand this, and perhaps become a bit more tolerant, of an autistic person the next time they hear him talk about molecular physics for the 39,543rd time.
So how does an autistic person on the spiritual path break free from the illusory egotistic belief that they are what they do? For me to really be able to answer that fully would be like a cow trying to explain, and make excuses for, why she is a cow. I myself didn't start to see lights going off in my own mind until I started attending a support group for adults with autism at the Autism Society of Minnesota. Being among other audies, and finally being in a crowd I felt at home with, allowed me to see myself in an objective way. Also, early on in my days of practicing Siddha Yoga, I had profound visions during deep meditations in which I was not only being separated from the world around me by a profound force, but my etheric body was being separated from my physical body. It was a very important lesson to EXPERIENCE the fact that we are, in our pure essence, the Power of God in manifest form. So, there is no reason to be attached to an ego, which makes us have all these illusions of what we are NOT.
Over the past eleven years that I have been practicing Siddha Yoga, I wrote about my meditation experiences and lessons learned from them, which I am willing to share openly. I encourage every audie in this world to adhere to some sort of discipline that will focus on the Spiritual aspect of being. It will surely give you greater insight and strength to carry on in your difficult journey in this world. On that note, though, not all "meditational" paths are the same, so choose wisely. You will know which path is right for you because you will feel your audie ego melting away from the beginning.
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