Abifae - Ciao Babies!

[Farmfresh]

So question, I've been wanting to discuss this with someone more knowledgable then I

A friend told me about this movie and he is autistic and won't speak. He forms a bond with horses and his parents take him to some Shaman in Tibet to "cure" him or communicate or whatever. At one point the kid speaks, the father asks him "what did you say?" But the kid was already moved on. Does he live "in the moment"?

You know I saw that movie with great expectations. It is called "The Horse Boy".

I work almost daily with people with autism and I worked with equine therapy for years as a volunteer and as part of the management of out local program. I have seen with my own eyes animals, especially horses get response out of kids and adults that were VERY locked into their own plane of existence. It can happen.

The movie was supposed to be about the great progress that a kid makes when his parents try a very unconventional type of equine therapy, by traveling to Mongolia and living with the nomads. Most of the movie just hacked me off. It was more about the "great sacrifices for the child" that the parents made. In my opinion the parents were basically a couple of kooks. The dad especially. It was more like they were using the child as an excuse for an exciting vacation. Two thumbs down.

 

[MsPony]

FF thanks I haven't seen it and from the reviews from people, wasn't sure I wanted to.

 

[abifae]

I have a question for you.
Are you tactile defensive at all?

What does that mean?

For some reason my reality doesn't seem to both Abi too much since she is forced by some cosmic force to have her body live in it

This is very true. You also don't think I have to buy into your reality. It doesn't bother you that I DO see faeries and vampires and sky manatee.

If you ask my son to repeat something because you didn't hear him or understand him, he gets really ticked off. Not sure what that is about exactly, but Abi will have some insight.

Because he put ALL that effort into communicating and YOU MISSED IT!!! Add to that the egocentric "I heard me, why didn't you hear me? Are you broken?"... and it just goes downhill from there. It's non appreciation and megalomania combined. <3

Here and now. *nod nod* Very NOW. Auties make great Buddhists. There is before now which is a dream. Doesn't exist. Just thought games. There is later which doesn't exist. It is a thought game. It's complex and abstract.

But now. Oh NOW! <3

Now is where everything IS. Thoughts. Feelings. Sensation. Everything now is life. Life is not a then or later. Life only IS. So now only matters.

DUH.

But the kid was already moved on. Does he live "in the moment"?

I move on like that. If it's not now it doesn't matter. Unless I'm nit picking a specific event to understand it, but the understanding is NOW.

Dacjohns... thanks I'm a cheerful pessimist.

I have a box that I live in, and if you try to reshape it, even a little bit, I feel like I am going to explode.

I'm not boxable. Auntie says that is part of why I make people nervous. I'm not easily categorized. *shrugs*

I'm not in a box. I'm an entire universe. LOL.

It was more about the "great sacrifices for the child" that the parents made. In my opinion the parents were basically a couple of kooks. The dad especially. It was more like they were using the child as an excuse for an exciting vacation. Two thumbs down.

Yikes. Glad for the warning. That is why I won't read most books on autism. They're glorifications written by parents to pat themselves on the back for surviving the hell that is autism. The thought seems to be "DEATH BEFORE AUTISM" we'd rather have a dead child than an autistic because we hate our children. They do not give back and we only have children to fulfill something because children have no choice but to love you. Autism is the ultimate f*ck you LOL. Love you? Pffff. You don't exist. It's not like anyone else's kids really love them. It's all obligation and social instruction. So PFFFFF on it all.

Fie upon relations.

Speaking of!!!

Just got home from seeing the last batch of relatives. Aunt and uncle and two cousins I hadn't seen in.... 13 years? That only for one day and a 20 years since a real visit.

I ate dinner and got them to talk. I managed to say VERY LITTLE!!! So no one got offended at me. *beams* I lot my mom handle the offended everyone. LOL. But I did gather emails. I've always like this part of the family. So I look forward to emailing them.

Anyway, it was two hours and only aunt and uncle were upstairs. So the noise was elsewhere. It was good, I think? LOL. My elder cousin is a hottie. The younger is cute too. I've never had the feeling that they were as scared of me as most relatives. Maybe they had less exposure *giggles*

My dad thanked me profusely for coming over. I think he seriously understands how hard it is on me. He didn't say thanks for stopping by. He said thank you for tolerating this. *beams* He is the one who was relieved (so relieved I could tell) that I was "only autistic". LOL. I do wonder about my upbringing, indeed.

The Abi rating system of relatives:
scared of the abi
irritated by the weirdness of abi
not scared & able to sit back and watch the abi without offense or interest
anti scared... actually interested in the abi universe

hee hee. Dad's family has always been on the
Helen's family has always been and

That's how. All my friends are THE ABI VERSE ROCKS. Like that.

Just so.

 

[Farmfresh]

Perhaps I am judgmental of that movie - :/ others might like it, but it just seemed SO stupid to me. If the parents wanted to offer some positive experiences for their child then GREAT.

Horses are emotionally based creatures, I believe that they actually "get it" when it comes to people with special needs. Horses also have MANY benefits for people with disabilities. They have scientifically proven that the movement of a walking horse will stimulate a person's brain in the same ways that actual walking does. This in turn gives recovery benefit to people that have gross motor issues, balance issues and also builds the large muscle groups in the legs and back to aid in the ability to sit, stand and walk. Everything about a horse based therapy is sensory. The scent of the horse, the sound, the motion and the actual "feel" of the horses coat and mane all provide great sensory input. People that spend their lives looking up at the world from a wheel chair, finally get a chance to look down upon everyone else for a change. Horses are inspirational. They bring that out the best in people. I have seen a blind child ride a horse over jumps and know of a man who competed in freestyle reining (which is a VERY demanding event for you non-horsey crowd) with only part of one leg. Children who have never spoken before will talk to a horse and I personally saw a child with almost no ability to sit, work and strive to be able to do so - just so he could ride better. Great motivation.

My problem with the movie is that the parents already OWNED horses. The kid was already involved with them and riding them. There are therapy groups all over the US devoted to assisting with JUST what the boy needed. Instead they took a "pilgrimage to save their son". Horse feathers.

 

[Denim Deb]

FF, I was in a car accident in 1998. As a result, I have permanent nerve irritation to the nerves in my lower right leg. (It constantly feels like my leg is asleep.) I could not walk for long distances and forget running. If the family went anyplace where there was a lot of walking, like Hershey Park, I had to get either a wheel chair or an electric scooter. The scooter wasn't bad. But, if they didn't have any left, I would be stuck w/the wheel chair. And, I HATED it! I used to take long walks in the woods. I couldn't do it any more. The neurologist that I saw recommended horseback riding. I didn't own a horse and didn't know anyone that did. And, while I had done some riding as a kid, it wasn't a whole lot. I was never given the opportunity. Plus I'll admit to being afraid to try. Almost everything that I enjoyed doing b4 the accident was now either difficult, if not impossible, and I was afraid horseback riding would be just one more thing I couldn't do.

Then, one morning I woke up and I HAD to ride. I knew of one place in the area where you could get a horse for an hour. I called them up, explained what I was dealing with and they told me to come over, they'd make sure I had an easy horse, and we'd just walk. They sent me out w/a guide. Well, his horse spooked, he fell off and his horse ran off. Not only did I stay in the saddle, but I was able to bring my horse back under control. He had to take my horse and go after his horse while I stayed where I was and laughed my head off. It was shortly after this that I met RU. I'll admit, when I first really started riding, it was hard. I'd hurt all the way down from my hip to my toes. But, the more I rode, the less it hurt. I can now ride for hours w/out it bothering me. And I can walk longer, even do some running. (Though not much, I'd never be able to do a marathon.) I agree w/you 10000000% about the healing power of horses!

 

[Farmfresh]

Have you ever ridden Abi?

 

[Damummis]

Tactile defensive is being irritated with the way things feel. I have noticed most of the autistic kids I know are tactile defensive. I am too though. I hate the way shoes feel, wool is a big one *shivers*, tags in clothing.....

The more I read the more I envy you. I so wish I wasn't under the social laws that govern my universe. I managed to break the familial laws, yay, but I really hate being nice all the time.
Just because of etiquette.

 

[Wifezilla]

My son is very sensitive to fabrics. He basically will only wear sweat pants and t shirts. As for tags...GAAAHHHHH!!!! I HATE THEM!!! DIE DIE DIE!!!

 

[abifae]

Horses are emotionally based creatures, I believe that they actually "get it" when it comes to people with special needs.

There is a reason they're sacred in so many cultures

But, the more I rode, the less it hurt. I can now ride for hours w/out it bothering me. And I can walk longer, even do some running.

That's great!! Colorado, lotta folk own horses. Lotta folk by land to keep their horses while they live in the city, in fact. *laughing* I have quite a few friends who have a horse.

Have you ever ridden Abi?

That needs a comma. Otherwise, naughty naughty.



Yes, I have! I love horseback riding. I've never had the money to do it often. I'm more likely to shove all my cash into dance, but I really have enjoyed it. I used to make my dad take me on at least one horse ride a year. Lots of places around here have nice trails and you rent the horse for a few hours and go wherever you like.

Tactile defensive is being irritated with the way things feel.

Ooooooh!

Yes. I hate shoes. One of the big bennies to working at home is I am almost always barefoot. I wear shoes to dance class and weekly groceries.

I cannot wear most synthetics. Tags are evil.

I woke up one night, tossing and turning and dreaming of snakes in the bed to find out there was a cat whisker between the sheet and the mattress.

I wake up to redo my sheets if I move in my sleep, so there are no wrinkles. As a result, I wake up every time I roll over and make it nice before I snuggle back in. I don't toss and turn without waking. Darn wrinkles.

I love silk, linen, cotton. That's most of my wardrobe.

And elastic. If it touches me. I cannot stand clothing with exposed elastic.

Oddly, no issues with wool.

And I prefer firm touches. Light touches make me irate. I like thwap over sting for leather.

I so wish I wasn't under the social laws that govern my universe. I managed to break the familial laws, yay, but I really hate being nice all the time. Just because of etiquette.

Then why are you?

What benefits are you getting. If benefits do not outweigh the cost, don't do it.

That's how I've always made decisions. My dad taught me "morals" through cost-benefit analysis, knowing I didn't care about "good" and "bad" LOL.

He basically will only wear sweat pants and t shirts.

And no shoes. Or underwear. And he drops off the tshirts and pants any time you don't pay close attention

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

I just had a funny thought! Abi, you must be a true princess