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.Still Human.
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Published: 2010-05-24 00:22:30 +0000 UTC; Views: 131565; Favourites: 7383; Downloads: 0
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Description
This is a special person in my life. His favorite color is green. His favorite sport is soccer, and his favorite music is found on the Guitar Hero games. Like a lot of kids, he goes to school, and his favorite subject is reading. He loves swimming, computer games, and eating. He likes to dress up as Spider Man for Halloween, and wishes he could be Spider Man in real life. He has his own likes, dislikes, talents, and quirks. He breathes air, his heart beats, his mind thinks, and he has feelings. Oh yeah, by the way, he has autism, but really heβs just another human like you and me, and loves to be treated as one."If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away." - Henry David Thoreau
Faves, features, comments, and watches are always welcome and extremely appreciated. Thank you for any support in advance (although I will try to thank you personally, sometimes life gets in the way)! If you use this picture, please send a link!
Update: To answer a frequent question I'm seeing: Yes, I am sharing with him his feedback, and no, he didn't technically write the text himself, but he did to the best of his ability, so he deserves the credit. In my opinion, yes he wrote it and deserves the credit because he did his very best and that's all anyone can do.
Β©2010 - nothingbuteverything
you are NOT authorized to use this work unless I have given you my explicit (online) permission (contact me in any way on here, and I will reply to you, either agreeing or declining). THIS IS NOT STOCK. All rights reserved. Features are most welcome, and if you link it to another site, you MUST give credit to this account. If you use it without my permission, you are not only stealing from me, but are also stealing from him, and that's just cruel. Sorry for the watermark and small view size, it will not be that way on the prints, but I have received word that the picture has already been stolen on another site and am taking no chances.We have also decided to enable this as a print, mug, magnet, and postcard, and 100% of the profits will go to a wonderful organization that runs a program for people with disabilities that is close to our hearts: Easter Seals Camp Stand By Me [link] If you can, help us help them!
**Life will be very busy soon during summer months, so bear with me as far as responses go, please
.**Like this photo and what it stands for? Check out the group: and see what it's about!
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Comments: 3471
This photo made me smile. Thank you.
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There are a couple of double, inaccurate, or excessive word usages in the previous post, including "depraved" instead of "deprived" (yes I know, ha-ha, the joke is on me). It tends to happen when there is lots of information to somewhat sort into a limited space, in combination with lack of editing function. Sorry.
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Actually, the "kill the child now" guy may either be an evil fascist in the true "No f-ing taxes-discussion related Godwin's law relevance here!" sense of the word.
However, he does have a point in that life generally literally does turn into living hell for most autistic people if they don't have a very stable upbringing with lots (as in at least 35-40 hours a week) of early childhood training, and clarifications of things we really don't naturally get or connect to.
The worst thing the parents can do is to just allow us to vegetate as "mascot drag-arounds", as we often have very limited initiative, structuring ability, connection, intuitive understanding, free will shifting of concentration/focus, pieces of the puzzle, etc of our own. There are very different degrees of the diagnosis, and those who either have a mild disorder and reasonable circumstances, were intensely trained since early on, or didn't get the characteristic early imprinting fixation on destructive incoherent and destructive input, but rather on something useful, can often live fulfilling lives beyond teenage years. Further complicating the issue is that the autism is often accompanyed by ocd, add, adhd, bipolar disorder, damp, epilepsy, schizophrenia, or other disorder in combination.
However, one of the worst kinds in terms of literally pure "skinned alive, tongue-eyes-and-ears-cut-out living in an isolation cell since birth" levels of pure suffering and mental isolation from any meaningful experience whatsoever with no filters whatsoever and constantly counting the seconds until complete annihilation, may be when you have a combination of very severe in several areas and high function in others with the full need of a regular person and non of the satisfaction or ability to feel anything resembling true joy and awareness whatsoever, with the world being more flat dreamlike and disconnected than a television screen, and no refuge anywhere.
Oh sure, we can think plenty "outside of the box" and have no filters whatsoever (which in itself would probably be enough to make a regular person scream incessantly) so we flatly see things for what they are or at least from a sideways perspective, but it's not like we remotely enjoy being that way. Even though we often push ourselves to the extreme in education or similar panicked uncomprehending emotionally retarded somehow comprehendable compensation achievement areas, it takes enormous amounts of effort and literally constant intense headache pain to do so, and of course will happen to the exclusion of any type of other experience whatsoever, without any clue or connection with the concept of remotely enjoying or finding connection and stability in the work, and the self-reliant flexible initiative is still virtually non-existent so all of that work and sacrifice amounts to nothing without sufficient stability and routine in a research position or similar. Again, the parents finding early guidance, explanation, and heavy filtering of extremely disorienting incoherent and confusing destructive input is extremely important here. Research shows that if we receive intense treatment while still 3-4 the diagnosis can actually be severely lessened, and we then connect much easier to other schoolkids from the start and thus start the right chain of experience that gradually lessens it. WIthout that we gradually fall socially and emotionally more and more behind and try harder and harder for less and less payoff. My parents shut their ears. sang lalalalala, and generally intensely mentally abused me, which is not "whining" it's a statement of fact and trying to maybe give some insight in what to avoid for parents with children that can still be saved and are not on the route of a life centering around vainly fighting every single day for slowing down the steady mental deterioration with any training, nutrient, or desperate distrustworthy treatment method we can find.
Pity is not something desirable or enjoyable, even when offered with good intent, and especially not when recurrently completely insincere or laced with sadistic supremacism. Acceptance and respect for the enormous effort we go through just to stay alive (rather than distort us into crazed pathetic serial killers with no respect for human life, whose sheer intensity of suffering warrants even more of it, up to and including eternal torture fantasies that put Nazi extinction camp fantasies to shame, as media people tend to do), is fine, but doesn't give any genuinely constructive information; but best of all is to simply give serious systematic training from early on, so we get sufficient amount of puzzle-pieces to grow much more capable of helping ourselves and live fulfilling lives. New advanced research regarding how to "fix" those of us who are so thoroughly damaged that this isn't enough doesn't hurt either, although there are plenty of people with either mild disorder, useful fixations, or stable and structured upbringings who have actually learned to use it to their advantage and obviously don't need any "fixing". The differences between different autistic people are so wide that generalisation don't work at all from either side. However, we are generally innately much more vulnerable in the genuine "victims to sufficient amount of circumstances" sense than regular people, so structural planning and early information and adjustment is tentamount to avoid the risk of turning life itself into a "sentenced to torture, absolute depravation, almost no free will, and slow mental erosion until nothing remains, you starve to death, and cease to exist, with full awareness during the entire process and all attempts to stall it doomed no matter how hard you try" from birth.
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Um... I know this is a very old comment I'm replying to, but it interested me. It's hard for me to understand, though, so could you put it in terms a thick-skulled girl with high-functioning autism can (somewhat) understand?
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You definitely shouldn't kill yourself, or listen to the Nazis who tell you that you don't deserve to exist. I also used to take their bile, hate, and bullshit literally, and got enormous over-exerting self-loathing as a consequence.
I'm just saying that as it is statistically speaking, when adult most autistic suffer immensely from not being able to handle the complexity of modern society, especially not completely life-changing/pattern-breaking burnout traumas.
Most of us need calm non-confusing patterns, so it is both necessary to put greater resources on socially integrating autistic in general in early childhood before they have a chance to lag increasingly behind, work with the way the different wiring functions, rather than against and also necessary that young autistic such as yourself are given counseling to what kind of work they can actually be genuinely interested in doing.
And finally, don't overtax yourself for a long time to the extent that you get a complete burnout. Once the patterns are completely lost, and you have no social competence or flexibility leg to stand on to build them up again, it is easy to end up with what other people have called a life worse than death... which isn't helping.
Basically, we may have different neurological wiring (mirror neurons that notice social cues are apparently shut off), and stronger subconscious minds than a regular person, but we can still live fulfilling lives if we get help and wise up early on.
Einstein was autistic, Bill Gates is autistic, the Facebook creator is autistic, etc, etc, etc. The real problems come when we completely lose our orientation in life, because then we usually have much less than normal ability to do anything about it and fix up our lives again.
A local autistic journalist said that "She was so happy that she had managed to get a happy, stable life, with a loving family, but if she would have been put in the wrong situation there would be no end to how disabled she would be". I think that this is a very good way of putting it.
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Which reply would that be? I have mid-level autism myself. As for being thick-skulled, you should be made aware that autistic tend to have the highest developed subconscious minds on the planet per definition, and are usually extremely observant, idealistic, honest, compassionate, meticulous, and ethical. It is not all bad.
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I feel Humanity out there !
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I have 2 sons with autism and this piece really touched my heart. I get so angry when people hear they have autism and immediately start treating them different or feeling sorry for them. They are 2 of the happiest carefree people I have ever met and even though I rarely understand exactly what they are thinking I love to share their day.
Thanks for putting a voice to this cause, and for doing it so well
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cool, i like what the writng says
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I would like to say that I shared this photo on my Facebook as a link.
You know the little attachment where you can attach a picture, video, link, etc.
I shared the link to your deviation. I did not claim it as my own, on the status it says where it's from the link to your deviantart account and this picture.
It's an very inspiring pictureβ₯.
I also hope that the friends on my facebook also read your comment about this photograph.
Some of these people don't know, but need to know about Autism and such, and how the people who have Autism are just like us with a bit of flavorβ₯.
I personally knew several Autistic children, and through out the years I made great friends with them.
Unfortunately not a lot of people my age look at them the way I do.
It makes me so angry and hurt.. very upset when they say ignorant things about people with disabilities and such.
I hope they all learn how wonderful everyone is, including people with disabilities. β₯
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Wow, this is so awesome. Such a cute kid! My little sister has autism, and looking over what you say about how excited he is to read our feedback and stuff really touches me. Thanks for sharing this!
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I'm glad that finally someone raise the subject of autism. I know that in the world there are a lot of kids having such a terrible disease. It makes me sad and I feel sorry for them and for their parents.
The photo is touching and that's why I really like it.
Big thumbs up for posting this +fav.
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Aww... I don't know what to say. That picture is awesome. And that boy too.
Sorry, I'm not to good to speak english ^^'
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nice picture and a very heart touching message
-This is a Great Eye Opener to people who just critizise people with mental/physical condition than to help them care and understand the and lastly show them love
God bless
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What an absolutely touching photo.. my (almost) 9 year old has Autism
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I featured this! Hope you don't mind!
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As someone who is autistic himself, this is just really special to me. It would be criminal of me not to like it.
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It is so sad, how they sometimes be treated from their peers.We have to encourage them, to manage the life.
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How adorable. He is so cute. Great picture to promote understanding and awareness.
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I'm really glad you made this. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks autism isn't something to be ashamed of.
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So true <3 My little brother also have autism... But sometimes it is hard to see because most of the time he functions just like you and me.
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Just....THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS!!!!!!!
My baby brother has a sorts of complications including blindness and Downs syndrome. Autism is another possible thing he may have.I'm just so scared one day some bastard will point out the fact that he has complications. and I just want him to look them straight in the eye and say this.THANK YOU!!!!!!!
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He just radiates pure lightwaves even by a simple picture...
Please, Tell him I love Him... And Angels just protect him every moment.
From Venezuela, with love.
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This touches my heart
ON ANOTHER NOTE
The lil guy in the photo is so cuuuuuute! I just wanna hug him! X3
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sooo true... MOAR POWER TO YA !
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You have autism, therefore you are incapable of numerous normal human activities. If your parents REALLY loved you, they'd end your life now. Otherwise, you are doomed to suffer just as much, if not more of this world's torment for the rest of your life.
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so... so I should kill myself?
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In truth, 40 percent of humans alive right now should not even be alive, myself included. They (we) are either mentally flawed or physically flawed to the point where they can, in no way, become a functioning member of society. If we are to progress as a species, we must severe our dead ends, for they hold us back.
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Exactly. We must eliminate all weakness in the human race in order to be the perfect species.
Unfortunately, I'm too cowardly to help that cause by ending my life. It's this selfishness that makes me feel even worse about myself.
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You are a truly horrible person who has no fucking idea what the hell they're blathering about, and apparently, can't read, either. What the hell is fucking WRONG with you?!
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So, if they were to end his life now, it would not be considered murder or any of the sort? d: Though I believe in pro-choice, what you just said disgusts me greatly. Technically saying, if you get into a car accident and you are confined to a hospital bed for the rest of your life, your parents REALLY love you and will end your life then. Okay. Awesome.
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"Numerous" doesn't mean "all."
Someone very close to me is autistic. Sure, he may never read a full-length novel; sure, he may never entirely understand complicated mathematics, or learn to shut up once in a while. But he can change light bulbs, fix plumbing, repair appliances in general (provided he is told how, but that can apply to anyone), he loves watching animated movies, and going bowling and golfing.
And he seems pretty normal and content with life to me.
Despite our obvious shortcomings, the world is not the dark, lonely, violent place you seem to envision it to be; it only takes some looking around and appreciation of the good things in life to learn that. Humans with autism are no exception; they can enjoy life too.
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Clearly you are someone who knows very little about autism and also have no respect for people who do have it. Every child who is born with a disibility has a right to live, you are not God and therefore you have no right to say who should live and who should not.
The most beautiful thing about children who have autism is against what you said, because they see the world differently, they see it with more clear eyes than we do, they notice all the beauty in the small things. There mind is not as corrupt as other peoples, I believe because of this, they live better lives than most of us do.
What 'numerous normal human activities' can this child not do that would really make his life not worth living! That is complete utter bull shit.
Did you know some people who have autism live lives no different from everyone else, with some you'd never know they even had it, I see it more as having different personality traits than a disbility.
Read over your words, and just really think, what kind of people are better to have in the world, people with autism, or people like you? I think I know my answer.
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Bitch, I AM AUTISTIC.
Socially Autistic with a strong logical output.
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...so in other words, you hate yourself and want to die? Please do it, quickly. Christ.
Besides, what makes you think you're the only person with autism here? Good lord almighty.
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Who the hell do you think you're calling a bitch! Why not use that logical output to talk some sense instead, and have some damn respect.
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Don't worry, most of us with autism are much more logical than this moron.
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I'm also autistic, or rather severe Aspergers, among other things. I also liked it.
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I don't know why a lot of people think that just because someone is different, they're less of a person. To be honest, I think they're more of a person than everyone else. I have a lower form of autism, I'm just plain weird, and I'm pale as a ghost and lots of other things, so I'm separated from everything like I'm an experiment gone wrong. I love this very much.
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A great concept, a sweet boy, and a lovely text.
Definitely faved
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A beautiful young man with beautiful hands and kind eyes. People don't always see the me inside and I can't tell them with my voice or face. I have to write it out. Sometimes, I forget I'm beautiful too, so I want to tell him. He should hear it every day.
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Disabilities are so often looked down upon in our society - but this piece, is simply incredible. Instead of looking at the "disability" in the person, why aren't we able to see the "ability" in the person and look past what they can't do onto what they can.
Amazing piece, if I could fave this more then once, I would. (:
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