I don't know whose idea this was but it has sufficiently pissed me off. I don't even know who to be angry at. The quote below comes from an article in the Onion, which I realize is a satirical publication. It is meant to be the words of Thomas himself and it reaches a new low in perpetuating dangerous autism myths and picking on a population that needs to focus on treatment and recovery and not protecting itself from assholes like this: Thomas The Tank Engine A Little Uneasy With His Broad Autistic Following NEWS IN BRIEF • Our Annual Year 2012 • Entertainment • Children • ISSUE 48•21 • May 25, 2012 read the article here http://www.theonion.com/articles/thomas-the-tank-engine-a-little-uneasy-with-his-br,28298/ "Don't get me wrong—I'm grateful that these kids enjoy me so much, but I think the way they're enjoying me is not really so healthy, and honestly not the way I would choose to be appreciated, personally," the anthropomorphic locomotive said between stops on his Mystery On The Rails tour, where he observed that children with autism "outnumber the normal kids by at least three to one." "It would be nice to have some indication that my messages about friendship and sharing are being heard rather than have a pack of totally silent, open-mouthed 6-year-olds stare unblinkingly at my shiny wheels for an hour. It creeps me out."
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5. Hug Every Single Person You See: Kate, appropriate or not, loves to give hugs to people. She will crawl into the lap of a stranger if you let her. But, you know what? They always smile. They always instantly feel happier once receiving a Kate hug. So, lesson five boils down to: hug people and make them smile. (feels funny typing this out because I am definitly not a 'hugger'. Unless it is my girls, of course. So, please don't hug me) ;) 4. Don't Judge: Kate likes every single person she meets. She does not care what you are wearing or what you do. She does not care if you have money or not. She does not care if you have a disability or if you've made mistakes. She is happy to be in your company. She routinely greets strangers with a big "Hi" as we walk around town. She is an equal opportunity lover of people. Lesson four: You should be too. 3. Be Sincere: Kate never lies. She never pretends to be something she is not. One of the myths of autism is that they cannot tell a lie and I do not want to perpetuate that myth with this lesson but at the moment she is as authentic as they come. For example, you can say: "Kate, did you put your banana between the couch cushions?" and you will get a "Yes, Mama." and a huge smile. You will always know where you stand with Kate. Lesson three: Be genuine to yourself and others. 2. Give it Your All: Kate doesn't hold back. No matter the situation she gives all of her energy and effort to what she is doing. To Kate, there is nothing she cannot do. She can tackle the gymnastic equipment without trepidation. She can (try to) jump off the boat and go for a swim (while it is moving!) She is fearless (which can be stressful for us, but a quality we understand to be freeing). Lesson two: Don't be afraid to go all out, whatever the task. 1. Live in the Moment: Kate does not regret yesterday or worry about tomorrow. She lives for today. She does not hold a grudge or dwell on the past. She does not fret about what will happen in the future. She is present in the moment. She does not live in her 'head' like some of us can get caught up doing. Lesson one: enjoy the moment you are in. Be present and be mindful. Part of me was trying to avoid writing this post. So many others have said what I am about to say so eloquently that I am afraid to do an injustice to this topic. For better, or for worse, here goes. Firstly, to the community of Newtown: I mourn with you. I am deeply saddened by these tragic events. In the wake of hearing this unbearable news I heard newscasters make potentially dangerous and most certainly inaccurate links between a diagnosis of autism or aspergers and violent and heartless behaviours. Some of you, may have nodded in agreement upon hearing this. Some of you, may have been desperately looking for an answer as to how someone could do something so evil and unthinkable. Some of you stood up and shouted that this wasn't true and pointed out how alarming a claim like this could be. I want you to know that an entire community is at risk of further stigmatization through these words. Dr. Sanya Gupta was quick to set the record straight when he tweeted the following: @drsanjaygupta something that should be clarified. there is no evidence of a link between autism and planned violent behavior. #Newtown Furthermore, Raising Asperger's Kids, wrote a post on her blog that details, with conviction, how threatening and damaging comments like these can be to the autism community. Click here to read that post. Those in the autism community are defensive right now and rightly so. We are afraid that people will gain an increased misunderstanding of autism and that it will lead to actions and prejudices that can instantly destroy the progress that has been made to educate the public. Please do not let careless comments like these target a population of people that have so much to offer. To those of you that stood up against this thoughtless claim. Thank-you. Kate could have written much of this letter herself. mom-ology.ca/wordpress/autism-at-christmas-please-be-understanding Dear Kate, We wrote a letter to your sister a while ago with every intention of writing a letter to you as well. We have been struggling to write it for many reasons. We did not want it to be a list of things we are sorry for but, instead, a list of things we love about you. Inevitably, though, we have to apologize for some things before we can continue. We are sorry that your treatment has been delayed due to decisions and policies and oversights beyond our control. We are so sorry that there is only one therapy approved in New Brunswick. We are so sorry that the only current option for therapy is one we do not feel is best suited for you. Your dad and I are trying to incorporate other available therapies and treatments but the expense and availability of these things can be overwhelming. You have been waiting over six months to begin your treatment. We are afraid that we have missed a very crucial time for your development. We are terrified we will make a wrong move or a bad decision. We are so grateful for your speech pathologist and your OT and Amanda for helping us get started. We are so grateful for the members of Team Kate who share advice and information and kind words with us. We promise we will not give up. We will be vigilante in fighting to get you access to the most contemporary treatments and everything you need and deserve to reach your full potential. Your father will go toe to toe with anyone to protect you. He has a very refined and educated, "you'll do what I ask and then you'll thank me for it" style of talking to people who hold the power to make key changes to autism treatment programs here in New Brunswick. My style is more like a, "there is nothing fiercer than the mother of a special needs child" kind of thing. We may be new in the 'game' but we are educated, motivated and ready to take on the world. Enough of that now. This letter is meant to tell you how much you mean to us. We want you to know you are the sweetest, most sincere, little girl. You are so easy to love. We have noticed that people are drawn to you. They quickly adore you after only one meeting. We are so glad that we are the lucky ones that get to have you. We love that each night when we put you to bed you call out, "Mama, you ok?", five times before you fall asleep. We love listening to you talk happily to your toys when you wake up in the morning. We love watching you play with your sister and your new kitten, Monty. We love your hugs and kisses. They are so genuine. We love your little behaviours that make you stand out; the 'stims' that people used to diagnose you. These are things that the 'therapy' will try and train out of you. We know you do them for good reason. We know you find comfort in them and we will not let anyone take them away from you until you are ready. We love your bright eyes and excitement whenever we walk into the room. It is a feeling we hope every parent and child feels when they see each other. We love your sparkly blue eyes and blonde curls. We love that it is near impossible to take your picture because you are so busy at playing all the time. We love that you are never mean or insincere. You are so loving and authentic, in a way that I think only a child with ASD can be. We know you will do amazing things. We know you will astound us. We are so proud of you. You are so special. You are so loved. Love Mommy and Daddy xxoo. |
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April 2022
AuthorGrace and Kate's mom. (Shanell) |