Temporarily Untitled

Telling about a life takes time. I hope my readers have the patience and interest in it.

I want to start with facilitated communication because it is the conduit that enabled me to not just share my thoughts, but find them. You don't need to formulate thought from emotion absent the need to share it. So much of my beginning communication is raging because it is what I felt at the time, anger at the injustice you call therapy, anger at myself for my inadequacies, anger at my parents for their lack of understanding and sympathy. Like a human experiment I was in ABA directed therapy, torture in my words. Absent an understanding of their directions I fought and sabatoged their efforts to control me. My lack of control was my control.

Facilitated Communication is a form of control for the disabled. It serves to remind our caretakers and ourselves of our humanity. Seeing myself as a rage is what helped me change directon. Seeing my Mom cry at my words showed me my impact. Seeing Bill Stillman gave me another path of opportunity. He showed me a better way. He took his pain and turned it into something positive for other's benefit. Bill saved my life.

But, seeing the end goal and getting there are two different things. For me, Facilitated Communication (FC) is the means to Bill's end. FC needs to be developed as a technical skill and I can help with that in defining my path to independent typing. I have overcome so many hurdles both psychological and physical. I still have a few more too, even at my stage of independence. The psychological are best approached as ignorance and epiphany, realizations on the part of the autist born of positive experience. The physical are best addressed by sensory aware occupational therapists.

Tina,I would love your input and comment additions for training suggestions. To those of you who FC, your individual experiences are invaluable. My thought is that someone could take and consolidate the information as a guide later to helping others progress in the process.

I will start to think and compose tomorrow. Guest entries are most welcome, less work for me (smiles).

Mike