Katelyn O’Dea

9/11/12

Essay

English

Autism

“Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other people felt the same way I did. The emotions, whether they were joy, sorrow, love, or pride, were so deep and sharp that in the end they left you raw, exposed, and yes in pain.” – Debra Ginsberg, parent of an autistic child.

            Autistic children have trouble, but they manage to live life, just in a different way we do. In the next few paragraphs I will be explaining their thinking process, and emotional process.

            Their thoughts are different than most. The thoughts they have are things from a different perspective then others. Using visual supports allows the children to focus on the message being stated. Visual aids and symbols range in difficulty from simple and actual to hypothetical. Consequently for most children with Autism, words re like a second language into moving pictures with sounds in their brain. Their senses and thoughts are sometimes very disconnected, unlike our senses, where we can stay focused and connected. Autistic children also have trouble, understanding what others are thinking and feeling. The spectrum of Autism ranges from low functioning to high functioning and their thinking process depends on how far along the spectrum they are.

            Not only do autistic children think in different ways, their emotional process is also much different. Of course they have fears, interests, dreams, etc., but the “way” they feel is more complex than our “way” of feeling; they are much more pulled away from their feeling. yourguidetoautism.com says, “Their emotions are different than ours because being friendly to us means saying, “Hi how are you,” or “Your story sounds really good, “or even having a helpful personality. To them it means being soft voiced or stepping away from conversations.” They will act a certain way for a long time, they repeat behavior such as anger, or helpfulness over and over. Children with autism are also extremely capable of feeling and expressing love, but they may experience it in a different way because it’s harder for them to socialize. Many people with autism are much more empathetic than the average person, but again, they express their emotions in unusual ways.

            In conclusion, after reading all about autism I think I have a better developed idea about children who have this disorder. I learned that children with autism process thoughts, and emotions. I learned that it’s hard to go through but not impossible. Most of all, .I learned that, “Autism is not a disability, it’s a different ability.” –Stuart Duncan