Rev. Erudite Redneck, B.S., B.S., M.A., M.Div.

Absolutely amazing, the gifts God does bestow.
 

WOW!
 

I theach self-defense to special needs kids, and most of the kids I work with are on the autism spectrum.

These kids ARE gifts in and of themselves.

That said, their lives are difficult and frustrating. For some, sensory stimulation is like a constant painful assault, too intense and painful to be believed.

Mostly, our response to this has been to train them to "behave apporpriatly", that is, not express their discomfort by waving their hands, yelling, and such self-stim activities.

Most people in the general public think seem to think people with autism are so cool when they see videos like this, but when they meet a real person with autism, they react with hostility and ignorant judgement. They find them inconvenient, tedius, and expensive.

It is true that many people with autism have wonderful and extra-ordinary gifts, but they also have tremendous burdens. And their parents are absolutely courageous. I've never seen better parenting than from the parents of the special kids I teach they are truly devoted and extraordinary on a super-human level.

If you would like to know more about autism from the perspective of someone who has it, I recommend Temple Grandin's book "Thinking in Pictures: and other reports from my life with autism".

But just remember, these gifts come at a great price, not everyone who has autism is able to express these gifts - they remain singular to the world inside the head of the individual, and it is only with great effort, outside support, luck, and extra-ordinary intelligence that they can express them.

If you meet someone with autism, try to be supportive, encouraging, and understanding.
 

Teresa, I know what you are saying. I had a special needs brother and my best friend in the world is a special education teacher. Much of my life has been spent in that part of the world with people with physical and mental disabilities.
 

Thanks for the nice words,ER, and posting this amazing video in a much cooler format than I was able to on my first blog posting.
Being that I'm somewhere right of center--in a Kinky Friedman sorta way--I'm not too sure you'll pile on the praise, so I'll takes what I can gets. I do, however, like "Ceegars and Red Meat" (although perhaps not from your recent cookout.) BTW, Hope you're feeling better!
As I had replied to your comments over on my blog- I do wonder if we are not looking at some future plan creation has in store for us with such special folks like this. I am always amazed and humbled in what the mind can do.
Teresa, I fully agree with your perspective and...thanks for your work.
I would like to modify one point of yours regarding the exposure of the "gifts" requiring extra-ordinary intelligence. I have noticed, with much greater than expected frequency, talents--perhaps on not such a wow!-inducing level as the famous savants--but certainly unique, in many of the individuals that I treat. We may not have too look as far or be as lucky as one might imagine to see these gifts.
Grandin's book is quite a read, I'd also recommend "The Real Rain Man", by Fran Peek (about Kim Peek--a fascinating individual in his own right).
 

I had a friend who was a "Savant", back then the term was "Idiot Savant". He held down a very simple job that was almost impossible to screw up but also came into contact with lots of people doing it. He remembered everybody by name once he met them and after he was told your birthday and age he could tell you what day of the week on which you were born and all of the great persons who shared your birthday with you as well as anybody and/or everybody he had ever met who likewise shared the birthday.
He had to wear loafers however because he could not tie his shoes.

These people are amazing, and of course not one of us would trade lives with any of them. Perhaps we are simply not recognizing how complex a world the "normal" people
live in. After all we are still so very far away from creating an AI that can compete with the normal brain's function.
It is all seemingly miraculous after all.
 

Hey, Doc, I stand straddling the center on some things, right of center on some things, and left of center on some more things. The nod goes to the left, but just barely, I think.

I'm a right-wing Democrat. Maybe a bleeding-heart conservative. ...

I don't much care for unthinking righties or overthinking lefties. :-)