Okay…as I said I would be throwing autism into the mix along with everything else I like to talk about, I should probably make an effort to explain how it will “fit.”
To that end, here is part 1:
NOTE: Throughout this series, autism spectrum disorder will be abbreviated ASD.
What’s in a name?
As I mentioned in a previous post, I had originally intended a separate website dedicated to autism — namely, Forming Horizons.
So let me begin by sharing the meaning of this strange title, since it will be pertinent to my treatment of autism here and, as will be explained at the end of this introductory series, ties in with the philosophy of Into the Dance.
How many of you encourage your children to “broaden their horizons?”
It’s a fantastic notion, but imagine an ASD child’s reaction to that phrase. At worst, it might trigger a meltdown. At the least, it will confuse him.
“What?” Johnny asks. “Are you seriously suggesting that I grab the sky and stretch it out?!? Is that even possible?!?”
As a sensitive and loving parent, you explain the time-honored phrase for what it is: An invitation to personal growth, to the discovery of potential.
But the word “horizon” causes trouble for people both on and off of the autism spectrum. When we hear “horizons,” we think of limitless possibilities. We think of ourselves as unstoppable.
Bear with me a moment while I do two things:
- challenge this conception; and
- get just a little bit philosophical.
The mixed blessing of a horizon
There is a school of thought ($5 word alert) known as phenomenology, which took off in early twentieth-century continental Europe.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to give you a philosophy lesson. But a baseline familiarity with this particular branch of philosophy is indispensable for our current purpose.
Western philosophy has tended, at various times throughout its long history, to have its “head in the clouds;” phenomenology aims at bringing it back “down to earth” by focusing on the structures of our basic, everyday, embodied experiences. This quality has made it as helpful to the fields of psychology and psychotherapy as to philosophy.
Phenomenological thinkers see “horizon” as a context, much like the frame of a picture. It is the limit, not the limitless.
Okay — now consider the contrast between our modern interpretation of the word “horizon” and the phenomenological interpretation.
I would suggest that a twofold understanding of horizons emerges out of this, and that such an understanding can contribute meaningfully to thoughtful engagement autism as a living reality (as opposed to a problem in search of a solution).
Whether we have an ASD ourselves and struggle with social and sensory problems, are parents who must adjust our lives to accommodate the needs of our ASD children, or otherwise, our horizons (in the phenomenological sense) are there, and we have to work within the limits they impose.
If we cannot learn to do this, we are lost from the start.
But there are horizons, and then there are horizons.
Can we overcome our difficulties? Sure, but we have to acknowledge them first. Once we’ve done that, we may be surprised to find our range of motion within these limits more expansive than we thought.
And that’s where we’ll pick up next time. Thanks for reading.
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