This is your place to publicly comment on the topics and issues addressed in Speaking of Faith programs. React in a personal way, and put into words what this program meant to you.
Submit Your Reflection about "Being Autistic, Being Human."
Inadequate (October 20, 2008)
I found your autism broadcast to be very incomplete and inadequate. This is a reflection of family's with autistic children. Autism is a spectrum and the family impact is spread over a spectrum. I am a professor and my autistic son will turn 19 in March, 2009. The experience of our family documents the cruelty of American communities and educational systems toward families with autistic children that has occurred over the last 15 years. The legacy of the cruelty continues for our son to this day. He is a 19 year old who has no relationships with anyone else. And connecting him with others is almost impossible.
Like Morgan he loves YouYube But it is no substitute for real contact with others. There is great cruelty in our culture toward individuals with autism. Your show failed to portray the reality of families with autism. This issue in much more complicated and painful than you portrayed in your inadequate show.
Carl Nelson
Urbana, IL (Listens to SOF Podcast)
Show on Autism (October 20, 2008)
We have an autistic child and it was remarkable how much of what the author described about his child Morgan was nearly exactly the same with our child (12 years of age). The comments about Thomas the Train, our child loves trains — particularly Thomas. Our child frequently makes comments social interactions based on memorized monologues from videos. We truly enjoyed the part of the interview we heard — mostly the fact that we are not alone in dealing with issues.
This was the most in-depth well rounded discussion of autism issues we had ever heard in the media.
Marlin Mullins
Terry, MS (WMPN, 91.3 FM)
Show on Autism (October 20, 2008)
Informative, fascinating and, above all, humane. Thank you for enriching my morning.
Debra MacComb
Carrollton, GA (WUGA, 90.1 FM)
Teaching Autistic Children (October 20, 2008)
I have worked as a speech pathologist with children on the spectrum on and off since 1973. I find them fascinating and all so different. I especially enjoyed the report about speaking to a group of folks who were watching on their laptops even though they were in the same room with the speaker. I think, given the right software and video you could teach a student with autism almost anything. Getting it back out of them is the real challenge. Thanks for a most enlightening report.
Gale Sevener
Athens, GA (WUGA, 91.7 FM)
Jesse (October 16, 2008)
I read with interest the insert from Stephen Jay Gould about his son, Jesse. I worked with Jesse many years ago at The League School in Newton. He could, as I still remember, then quote the begats in the Bible seemingly flawlessly. I didn't completely check. It seemed interesting from a naming perspective for a Ruth to be working with a Jesse. So Biblical in some ways.
Stephen was always very positive about our work and once interrupted a group of people gathered about him at Newton Public Library to let me push through the crowd. I have never forgotten how he embraced me as "family".
Since the other day I was focusing on the number twenty-eight itself in an email to a good friend of mine, since it came up for me, remarkably in multiple and unusual ways, it seemed a major piece of synchronicity to read about Jesse and this very number on line just now. I have all the dated emails to prove the synchronicity in my life and it is massive and ongoing.
Jesse is a wonderful young man. I do recall he used to play violin with his Dad and that they both loved to do this.
There is more to autism that is apparent and it is so true that the word itself means, withdrawn into the self. It is true that we do move from a kind of merger at birth to a different kind of embrace in dealing with the world of words, of concepts etc. and spiritually it could be said we do move from merger before birth, with the Divine, to merger at death.
There are so many ways to perceive the dots we are all connecting. I am so aware as I do mosaics, that these same dots in a picture do give us new perceptions as we move that picture around to determine how to frame it. Perhaps we all need to expand our ability to perceive by thinking more deeply and more fully, examining all disciplines when it comes to this puzzle called autism and the associated spectrum disorders, in terms of what it is to be human and what they are teaching us all.
Ruth Housman
Newton, MA (Listens to SOF OnDemand)
Autism, Faith, and Identity (October 16, 2008)
My 25-year-old stepson is autistic. School — he's about a sixth-year junior in college — is sometimes a struggle; he may never be able to live without steady supervision. But it's very clear that his faith, and the way he acts it out, is very important to him both for his own identity and as a source of friends and support. He is a deacon in his mainline Presbyterian church while also active in Inter-varsity Fellowship and Campus Crusade. He's rather more conservative and evangelical than his father or I, perhaps because autistics tend to see the world in very black-and-white terms.
All of which is to say that I'm very glad a program like "Speaking of Faith" is considering what "being autistic" means all across the spectrum of the condition. Thanks!
Judy Austin
Boise, ID (KBSX, 91.5 FM)
Autism and Aspberger's in Adulthood (October 13, 2008)
I just finished listening to "Being Autistic, Being Human." Because of the explosive rise in early diagnoses, nearly all the resources on autism and the related Aspberger Syndrome are about raising your "autie"/"Aspie" kid. People forget that these kids also grow up and fall in love. I have been dating/married to a man with high-functioning Asperger's for 20 years. He was diagnosed about fifteen years into our relationship, and since the diagnosis, things make a lot more sense.
When your guests on the autism show started mentioning well-known people who may have been auties or Aspies, it reminded me that my husband and I have come up with another one — we're pretty sure that Sigmund Freud must have had a touch of the ole Martian magic himself. As Paul Collins notes, autistic kids love machines and are extremely interior-oriented. Look at how extremely mechanistic Freud's theory of the human psyche is, and at its incessant interiority. And, of course, the brilliance of his theory. It's exactly how a brilliant European Aspie in the "sex is always here but not here, hence we must cover piano legs because they are offensive" Victorian era might have seen life. Freud is SO Aspie.
Arlynda Boyer
Staunton, VA (Listen to SOF Podcast)
The Sacrifices of Parenthood (June 17, 2008)
This may sound odd, but of all the programs I've listened to (so far), this has been one of the most meaningful. I've listened through it a number of times ... and can't quite put my finger on what it is that draws me. Their love for Morgan? The way it's changed their outlook on the rest of the world? I don't know. But I have somehow gained a new, deeper appreciation and compassion for the sacrifices of parenthood. Thank you!
Barbara Lane
Ruidoso Downs, NM (Listens to SOF Podcast)
Are We All Autistic, Then? (October 17, 2007)
I am divided in my thoughts about this show. On the one hand, celebration, open discussion, passion, and love are all valuable, enlightened, and delightful ways to approach autism and those in our lives who are diagnosed as being somewhere on the autism spectrum. I enjoyed hearing two parents wax poetic by speaking about their fascination in and love for their son, Morgan (what other parent doesn't jump at the chance to talk about how wonderful, talented, and amazing their own children are — and Paul and Jennifer got to do it in a forum that reaches far more listeners than I will ever be able to!).
However, I was somewhat alarmed at their open diagnosis of themselves and their family members, as well as their descriptions of autistic characteristics. I found myself mentally wondering if my husband is autistic because of his career in science, his love of mathematics, his passion for music! We already live in a society that is quick to label and diagnose everyone with some sort of disorder or personality dysfunction, and then just as quick to either enable ("She's a little manic today. It's okay.") or disable (drugs, drugs, drugs!) those differences — the very ones that make us individual human beings. This show (difficult as it was to edit) did more to promote the idea that a person must certainly be autistic because he or she is able to get engrossed in a creative endeavor (and yes, that may mean not hearing someone say their name or call them for dinner) than anything I've heard or read about recently.
I don't want to gloss over true autism — it is a certain and often debilitating disorder — but the blanket, sweeping statements made by the guests, particularly about recognizing traits of autism in the people around them, went too far in attempting to make autism a disorder that we all experience everyday. My point: when the facts on autism are not given in appropriate context or with enough distinguishing detail, every single person I have ever met displays autistic tendencies at times. And obviously, that's not true!
Britton Donharl
Los Alamos, NM (Listens to SOF OnDemand)
Missed the Mark (October 4, 2007)
Although I'm a huge fan of SOF and I know how unpopular my view will be, I thought this show was a waste of time. Listening to these parents prose on endlessly about their son and his likes and dislikes is not what I listen to SOF for. These parents could get away with making the kind of self-absorbed faux-poetic comments because they are "artists" and their son is high-functioning, but their comments would completely miss the mark for parents who struggle with children who have more severe autism and don't have the outlet of being "artistic" in the way they get to see autism.
Kalpana Shankar
Bloomington, IN (Listens to SOF Podcast)
What Is His Place? (October 3, 2007)
Some of the comments about Morgan reminded me so much of my son. My son is 24 and is "high functioning." We have hit a brick wall. We have fought our way through the Chicago public school system and now face the gross incompetency of the state of Illinois. It's easy (relatively) to be hopeful and accepting when a child is young — but what do we do when they grow up? My son is a dear, sweet soul, with some real abilities but many, many disabilities as well. What is his place in society? Who knows the answer? Where can we move to find him better services?
Sara Gregory
Chicago, IL (Listens to SOF OnDemand)
Being Treated Equally (October 3, 2007)
As the parent of a low-functioning disabled 19 year old, I feel that most in the "Christian" community shun our families. We are an extremely wealthy society which is marketing greed. Being treated like an equal who just happens to have a low-functioning autistic child or as a special parent who has enough love for a child that he will sacrifice goals to care for him is rare. The isolation in being a special parent is deadly. Where are the people who act like Christ did?
David Kohlwey
Sheboygan, WI (WUWM, 89.7 FM)
Where Are We Headed (October 1, 2007)
I applaud the parents of Morgan for all the ways they're working with him, including on ethical behaviors, teaching him to "comfort" his brother, and for their great capacity for love and their creativity. However, I had real difficulty with the idea that the autistic "outhuman the humans." The comment that what separates us as humans from animals is basically our "toolmaking" skills, our intellect and use of it, strikes me as, well, wrong. What has sustained us and our species is our ability to make community and to nurture. The lack in the ability to bond or connect emotionally is a real, deep loss and the vision of a population increasingly autistic makes me sad — feels as dystopian as the picture of the crowd at Microsoft watching a live lecture on their laptop screens. This may be a "good time to be autistic," due to accommodating technologies, but is that really a good thing? I know this will not be popular, but I just felt like many of the statements on the show go contrary to my core beliefs about being human.
Susan Sink
Cold Spring, MN (KNSR, 89.9 FM)
Connecting Me with My Neighbors (September 30, 2007)
What a compelling story to better understand one another. I learned so much just listening to Paul Collins and how he discusses understanding oneself to better understand his son's disability. I have couple in my neighborhood with two children with autism, and prior to listening to this broadcast, did not understand their disability and what it truly is. I will be sending copies of this episode to all my neighbors in hopes of them too listening to this in order to strengthen all our understanding to which our friends are going through.
Bridell Scott
St. Michael, MN (KNOW, 91.1 FM)
We All Have Some Autism and That May Be Good (September 30, 2007)
As a grandparent whose first grandson has mild autism, the SOF conversation re-confirms it affects each child differently. As his primary daylight caregiver since six months of age, now 3 1/2, it took a lot of reading and listening by me to realize recognizing autism is difficult for those untrained in this area. Also, as much as I want to, I cannot "fix him." Fortunately, we live in an area with good resources to help him develop his skills and help me and the rest of our family understand what we can and cannot do.
While my other grandsons do not show autism traits, I must always remember, each child perceives themselves as normal and I cannot force any of them to be like the other. To help my grandchildren, I must help each one differently and work with them where they are.
As a person with technical interests and extensive training, I realize autism traits are present in most every person I know at different levels. My observations confirm your guests' comments about many technical people success traits are not far from autistic traits.
James Holton
West Chester, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
Paradise Jungle (September 30, 2007)
My grandson is autistic. As an English literature instructor, I had already taught Mark Haddon's book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. I watched my grandson develop from infant to toddler and noticed him exhibiting classic autistic behavior. When he was 18 months old, I had the painful conversation with my daughter that he was probably autistic to some degree. Her denial was only on the outside, but internally she knew the reality as well. Now that the "word" was spoken, she cried in relief. He is now 3 years old and progressing slowly through speech and occupational therapy.
"Being Human" is an important message, not for the previous blog written by an autistic person who feels she is human, but for the public who do not view autistic people as human. Autism doesn't exhibit as a physical deformity but in "unacceptable" social behavior or verbal reactions. I have been in public with my grandson on numerous occasions and felt the derision of people's judgments as he releases a high-pitched scream in frustration or won't respond when the nice old lady in line behind us starts talking to him. I have begun to feel that the public's expectation that my grandson behave according to its social standards or be an outcast is the true offense.
My daughter has altered her social life to remain in controlled private spaces with her son to avoid looks or tisks tisks. Perhaps my poem says it better.
Paradise Jungle
Hear me in your paradise jungle
Orange giraffe screaming joy
Against a language unknown
Wants unexpressed under sprinkles
Gushing from a distorted tree
Splashing thoughts on neon tubes
To enjoy plastic floating balls
Held close for avoidance
Of the smiling twisted snake
Jump out and jump in sensory
Confusion on clinging blades
Of grass and dirt even as your
Out-ism is a triumphant existence
But more a kin to in-tism
Unique and separate, we
Awkwardly ineptly smash through
To obliterate your paradise jungle.
Robin Fiedler
Los Angeles, CA (KPCC, 89.3 FM)
Approaching Autism Anew (September 30, 2007)
When I went to school in the 60's and 70's someone with, say Asperger's traits, might have been placed in "special education" or labeled an "exceptional child." The thing is that, back then, those two labels did not apply to "slow" or disruptive children — as they do today — but to highly intelligent and/or creative children. How the world, or words, have changed. I appreciate the show for, to some extent, de-pathologizing the "disorder."
Evan Rudderow
Denville, NJ (WNYC, 93.9 FM)
Growing Up (September 30, 2007)
The speaker alluded to the fact that autistic kids tend to have intense narrowly focused interests. It's hard though, particularly as they get older, to channel these youngsters toward things that will help them in life and away from those (like gaming and video streaming) that don't. Gaming is a particularly difficult problem because it makes it easy for them to experience sociality in a completely non-social way, and it's easy for them to become addicted. Their frustration with a world that is not always logical or honed to their needs can become a full-scale teenage rebellion. Images in the media of people with autism and Asperger's are often comical and negative. No teenager wants to be categorized that way, and it's a lot easier to find the world to be all wrong than to see oneself as portrayed as a social incompetent.
Miriam Dobrofsky
Hancock, MI (WUOM, 91.7 FM)
Fostering Abilities (September 30, 2007)
Thank you for your segment on Morgan, an autistic eight-year-old by his two very intuitive and capable parents. I, too, have an autistic son. He's now about to turn 15 with mild Asperger's and a wonderful cellist. His best "friend" is a year older with Asperger's as well, but so very different. The only thing these two have in common are music (his friend plays bass) and lunch period. (Even their religions are different: one is Jewish and the other a Methodist.) It's really a tribute to the parents of my son's friend that they have encouraged the boys' abilities. I know Morgan will grow to be as surprising and wonderful as these two boys. His parents are already headed there.
Tena Gebers
Lincoln, NE (KUCV, 91.1 FM)
How About the Non-Savant Side? (September 30, 2007)
First of all, let me congratulate Krista for the most interesting hour usually spent on a Sunday listening to her program. This time, today for me, it was so sad — sad because it gives the listeners the wrong idea of the true meaning of autism. As a mother of a truly autistic child, having lived with this extremely difficult situation for many years, I could not relate with Morgan's case who seemed to exhibit only, just only, a few autistic characteristics. My child, who is now an adult, is autistic. When I use the term autistic, I mean really autistic.
Looking at the "spectrum" of autism, he fits on the severe side. No language skills, no eye contact, living in a world of his own, flapping his hands, rocking, never sitting still, engaging in the most unsociable behaviors right now as an adult. Usually, we always hear about the "savant" cases, we hear of those who have some or full language skills and who exhibit one extraordinary ability. In so doing, the world out there relates autism with those falling in the "savant" side of that so-called spectrum. Thirty-seven years ago, when my son was diagnosed at the age of 18 months, autism was described as a condition manifested with no eye contact or barely, no verbal skills, living in a world of their own with frequent tantrums, repetitive physical gestures, etc. My request: would you kindly consider airing a discussion amongst a panel of professional researchers in the field of autism regarding the latest research, in Europe where there are so advanced, and of course in the U.S. regarding severe cases of autism, the other end of the spectrum, so to speak?
Yvette Levenstein
DeKalb, IL (WNIJ, 89.5 FM)
In Our Own Image (September 30, 2007)
The image I got from "Being Autistic, Being Human" was that to be somewhat autistic was to be somewhat not human. So it would seem, if only one of us in 150 fits the description. The implied norm was that life is a sea of relationships in which float capsules of projects. This makes me feel an outcast, since the emphasis is the other way around for me. And, not only for me, not only for 1 in 150, but for about half of us, since according to Debra Tanner in You Just Don't Understand that distinction is the fundamental male-female distinction. Gender aside, I would rather think of two interpenetrating substrates, projects and relationships, which support and aid each other. Some of us are most adept in social relationships; these are the "sokes," while others are the "auts," most adept in thing relationships. But, we are all sokes to a degree, and we are all auts to a degree. Being Autistic is not an alternative to Being Human, but a component of it.
Albert Fonda
King of Prussia, PA (WHYY, 91.0 FM)
In Our Own Image (September 29, 2007)
As a paraprofessional in a public school district who works intensely with autistic children, I was enthralled with this "different" look at the condition and its meaning. The insights and comments helped me view "my kids" in a totally different light, for which I will always be grateful. Thank you for a marvelous program.
Debbie Lipscomb
Pittsford, NY (WXXI, 1370 AM)
In Our Own Image (September 29, 2007)
You might want to know there are organizations outside of the USA that provide services to autistic children and their parents. One of my own nephews is diagnosed with autism and his mother (my younger sister) has started a school to help others as she has learnt to cope with her own situation. Her organization is called AIKYA with a mission to integrate the different. The experiences of Paul Collins and Jennifer Elder should reveal to all there are many meanings to the biblical phrase, "in our own image."
Bala Subramanian
Monroe, NJ (WNYC, 93.9 FM)
All Things Are Connected (October 16, 2008)
Yesterday The Infinite Mind did a show on Aspies, and today Krista brings us more on autism. As a parent of a child who was diagnosed last spring, programs like these make things somewhat easier. 1 in 150, so there are many parents like me around.
Jeffrey Fox
Charlotte, VT (WXXI, 1370 AM)