Autism to me, says that I accept my child wholly. I celebrate his differences and his quirky-ness. I advocate diversity. I try to empower him. I am proud of his successes, no matter how small they seem. I hope he holds onto the compassion he has in his heart into adulthood. I do not think he needs ‘fixing.’ I am proud that he is my son, and sometimes I am humbled by that very same thought.” (Mommy dearest from Odd One Out blog.
Persons with the syndrome are often workaholics, highly persistent, content with their own company and solitary artistic occupations; they focus on detail with massive curiosity and total immersion; they are novelty-seekers in terms of their art, with massive imagination in their specialized spheres. They are also far less influenced by previous or contemporary artists in their work then are ‘neurotypicals.’ It appears that the autistic artist, because of his/her rather diffuse identity and diffuse psychological boundaries, has the capacity to do what the artist George Bruce described as being necessary for art: ‘One must not just depict the objects, one must penetrate them, and one must oneself become the object.’ (Creativity: Asperger’s Syndrome and the Arts)
History suggests that many individuals whom we would today diagnose as autistic—some severely so—contributed profoundly to our art, our math, our science, and our literature.” (Morton Gernsbacher, parent of an autistic child)
It seems that for success in science or art, a dash of autism is essential.” Hans Asperger
Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. It may be true that I’m not good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed that I don’t lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates or pass judgment on other people? Also true that I probably won’t be the next Michael Jordan. But with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein or Mozart or Van Gogh. (Ellen Notbohm, author of The Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew)
Persons with the syndrome are often workaholics, highly persistent, content with their own company and solitary artistic occupations; they focus on detail with massive curiosity and total immersion; they are novelty-seekers in terms of their art, with massive imagination in their specialized spheres. They are also far less influenced by previous or contemporary artists in their work then are ‘neurotypicals.’ It appears that the autistic artist, because of his/her rather diffuse identity and diffuse psychological boundaries, has the capacity to do what the artist George Bruce described as being necessary for art: ‘One must not just depict the objects, one must penetrate them, and one must oneself become the object.’ (Creativity: Asperger’s Syndrome and the Arts)
History suggests that many individuals whom we would today diagnose as autistic—some severely so—contributed profoundly to our art, our math, our science, and our literature.” (Morton Gernsbacher, parent of an autistic child)
It seems that for success in science or art, a dash of autism is essential.” Hans Asperger
Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. It may be true that I’m not good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed that I don’t lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates or pass judgment on other people? Also true that I probably won’t be the next Michael Jordan. But with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein or Mozart or Van Gogh. (Ellen Notbohm, author of The Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew)