New Trails
Learning Systems
If a doctor tells a family their child’s brain may never develop past the infant stage, that family’s life could be dictated by that statement. But, if the same professional said “we don’t know if he can recognize you, we don’t know if he understands language. But he might.”
It’s not false hope – it’s acknowledging the humanity of the patient.
I got up early, cleaned the stalls, fed the horses. I pet the dog, kissed my husband and flew across the US. I arrived at midnight and hopped a cab to a funky rented bedroom hosted by a kind stranger. The next morning, I put on warm clothes and hiked a mile or so through an unfamiliar city. I descended three floors down into a basement of a high-rise. In my backpack was my presentation – my 25 minutes of the best I had to offer.
Not knowing how to title this blog, I just started writing. I needed to reflect, digest, and process this unique experience of being able to see things from a parent perspective with a child with autism and why the work we do is so desperately needed!
It is all related…
Just recently I spent some time at New Trails in Texas, the cradle of Movement Method and Horse Boy. People often ask me, “How do you do it all?”
When we hear someone say ‘see the gift’ in autism, we are often extremely critical,
When people ask me how the presentation went in New York City and the first CUNY Neurodiversity Conference, I have to pause and really think what the person is asking.
Are they asking me how it went for my sakes, are they asking how the presentation was perceived, or do they actually want to know what went on during the conference. What is their perspective taking on this, how should I even answer…