Re: Not wrong, just different

[Guest guest]

, Thank you so much for posting this and thank you for writing

this! I love it!

In a message dated 4/5/2007 11:41:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

maryt211@... writes:

I wanted to share this, it was printed in the Toronto Star paper here in

Canada, and it made me cry tears of joy, made me think of my little

girl......

________________________________________

A typical day with Chloe is unpredictable, noisy, and a source of endless

wonder.

She jumps on the arm of the chair by the window, and while perching on the

very edge, gazes outside.

" What do you see, Chloe? " I ask.

" See, " she says.

" I see a black car. "

" See a black car, " Chloe repeats, not looking anywhere near the black car.

" Chloe, what do you see? " I try again, pointing at her chest.

" See a black car. "

This could go on all day. She must be looking at something outside. Or is

she looking at the window pane?

Then, Chloe licks her fingers and rubs the saliva into circles on the

window. I don't stop her. Her mother would kill me if she knew I didn't stop

her. I'll get Chloe to wash the window later. Then, she moves toward the

saliva circles, turns her head so her cheek is parallel to the mucky pane,

and looks out the corner of her eye. Is she looking at the saliva? Or is it

the way the saliva distorts her view of the outside?

Then the song and dance begins -- Chloe has discovered something fantastic!

She's now smiling and making a low pitched drone, " HeeyeeheeyeeheeyeeShe's n

stands on the arm of the chair, madly flapping her hands, and her whole body

appears to be vibrating.

This action I will attempt to stop.

" Chloe, no standing on the chair. " She hears my instruction and jumps to the

couch, still standing, flapping and howling with delight. My fault. Of

course she misinterpreted my direction; she has autism.

" Chloe, sitting on the couch and chair and standing on the floor, " I calmly

clarify. This is a typical day with Chloe: unpredictable, noisy, and a

source of endless wonder.

A typical day with Chloe includes a lot of " behaviours.A typical day with

Chloe

use that term, " behaviours.use that term, " behaviours.<WBR> " We all display

every day we react to something in our environment and display behaviours.

Frequently, people in Chloe's life use that term with a negative

connotation: " Chloe's behaviours have impacted her ability to function in a

typical environment.t

Chloe's behaviours are a reaction to how she perceives her environment. Her

reactions are not negative -- they are different. Most of the time no one

even knows what she is reacting to.

Most of Chloe's language is echolalic; she repeats what she hears. She has

very little spontaneous speech, unless she needs something. Since Chloe does

not comment on things in her environment, no one really knows what initiates

the song and dance. I think the song and dance are wonderful, while others

think the performance is " a behaviour which needs to be replaced by

something more appropriate.s

I admire Chloe's life. She's one of the happiest children I have ever known.

Unfortunately, she shows her happiness in ways that are deemed inappropriate

in our society. I am, by nature, a very calm person. It takes something

extremely fantastic to get me excited. However, when I do get excited, I get

this intense urge to behave wildly. I want to sing and dance like Chloe. My

tune would be different and my moves would be my own but, if I could, I

would bust out in a performance worth remembering.

But, I can't. Even in the confines of my home, I can't. I have conditioned

myself to maintain physical and emotional restraint. I have perfect control

over my body. Plus, someone may be watching.

Chloe does not have the same personal restraint as typically developed

people. She also doesn't care if anyone is watching her. When she gets

excited, everyone within 20 metres knows about it. I have thick skin, so

when the song and dance break out while we are lined up for the cashier at

Superstore on a Saturday, I am not bothered. The other shoppers are

bothered. I am jealous that a person could be so ecstatic while waiting in

line at Superstore on a Saturday. I wish I knew what makes her so happy so I

could be that happy, too. I'll just have to be happy watching her. The other

shoppers are not happy. The mothers hide their children. Some pretend not to

watch. Some watch with disgust. I watch with envy.

I will never understand how a person could be offended by Chloe's actions.

She's a little girl with extraordinary emotion and spirit. Her behaviour can

be unexpected and sometimes startling, but it is not offensive. Perhaps it

is fear and ignorance that cause some people to react negatively to Chloe.

Could it be fear that their children may catch autism? Or the ignorance that

leads people to pretend that autism doesn't exist in their world? Until

autism affects a family we know, it is easier to pretend that every child is

born typical.

I look forward to my Saturdays with Chloe. I enjoy a few hours of excitement

and unpredictability and I sing and dance vicariously through Chloe. I enjoy

trying to figure what she's excited about. She's a mystery to me. A

mysteriously motivated source of emotion and energy. My Saturdays would be

atypical without her.

Ewing Cyr lives in Calgary.

__________________________________________________________

Check Out Our List Of Trendy Restaurants. You'll Eat It Up!

_http://local.http://lohttp://locahttp & cid=cid=<WBR>A6D6BDB_

(http://local.live.com/?mkt=en-ca/?v=2 & cid=A6D6BDB4586E357F) !378

Blessings Light and always Love,

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

, Thank you so much for posting this and thank you for writing

this! I love it!

In a message dated 4/5/2007 11:41:30 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

maryt211@... writes:

I wanted to share this, it was printed in the Toronto Star paper here in

Canada, and it made me cry tears of joy, made me think of my little

girl......

________________________________________

A typical day with Chloe is unpredictable, noisy, and a source of endless

wonder.

She jumps on the arm of the chair by the window, and while perching on the

very edge, gazes outside.

" What do you see, Chloe? " I ask.

" See, " she says.

" I see a black car. "

" See a black car, " Chloe repeats, not looking anywhere near the black car.

" Chloe, what do you see? " I try again, pointing at her chest.

" See a black car. "

This could go on all day. She must be looking at something outside. Or is

she looking at the window pane?

Then, Chloe licks her fingers and rubs the saliva into circles on the

window. I don't stop her. Her mother would kill me if she knew I didn't stop

her. I'll get Chloe to wash the window later. Then, she moves toward the

saliva circles, turns her head so her cheek is parallel to the mucky pane,

and looks out the corner of her eye. Is she looking at the saliva? Or is it

the way the saliva distorts her view of the outside?

Then the song and dance begins -- Chloe has discovered something fantastic!

She's now smiling and making a low pitched drone, " HeeyeeheeyeeheeyeeShe's n

stands on the arm of the chair, madly flapping her hands, and her whole body

appears to be vibrating.

This action I will attempt to stop.

" Chloe, no standing on the chair. " She hears my instruction and jumps to the

couch, still standing, flapping and howling with delight. My fault. Of

course she misinterpreted my direction; she has autism.

" Chloe, sitting on the couch and chair and standing on the floor, " I calmly

clarify. This is a typical day with Chloe: unpredictable, noisy, and a

source of endless wonder.

A typical day with Chloe includes a lot of " behaviours.A typical day with

Chloe

use that term, " behaviours.use that term, " behaviours.<WBR> " We all display

every day we react to something in our environment and display behaviours.

Frequently, people in Chloe's life use that term with a negative

connotation: " Chloe's behaviours have impacted her ability to function in a

typical environment.t

Chloe's behaviours are a reaction to how she perceives her environment. Her

reactions are not negative -- they are different. Most of the time no one

even knows what she is reacting to.

Most of Chloe's language is echolalic; she repeats what she hears. She has

very little spontaneous speech, unless she needs something. Since Chloe does

not comment on things in her environment, no one really knows what initiates

the song and dance. I think the song and dance are wonderful, while others

think the performance is " a behaviour which needs to be replaced by

something more appropriate.s

I admire Chloe's life. She's one of the happiest children I have ever known.

Unfortunately, she shows her happiness in ways that are deemed inappropriate

in our society. I am, by nature, a very calm person. It takes something

extremely fantastic to get me excited. However, when I do get excited, I get

this intense urge to behave wildly. I want to sing and dance like Chloe. My

tune would be different and my moves would be my own but, if I could, I

would bust out in a performance worth remembering.

But, I can't. Even in the confines of my home, I can't. I have conditioned

myself to maintain physical and emotional restraint. I have perfect control

over my body. Plus, someone may be watching.

Chloe does not have the same personal restraint as typically developed

people. She also doesn't care if anyone is watching her. When she gets

excited, everyone within 20 metres knows about it. I have thick skin, so

when the song and dance break out while we are lined up for the cashier at

Superstore on a Saturday, I am not bothered. The other shoppers are

bothered. I am jealous that a person could be so ecstatic while waiting in

line at Superstore on a Saturday. I wish I knew what makes her so happy so I

could be that happy, too. I'll just have to be happy watching her. The other

shoppers are not happy. The mothers hide their children. Some pretend not to

watch. Some watch with disgust. I watch with envy.

I will never understand how a person could be offended by Chloe's actions.

She's a little girl with extraordinary emotion and spirit. Her behaviour can

be unexpected and sometimes startling, but it is not offensive. Perhaps it

is fear and ignorance that cause some people to react negatively to Chloe.

Could it be fear that their children may catch autism? Or the ignorance that

leads people to pretend that autism doesn't exist in their world? Until

autism affects a family we know, it is easier to pretend that every child is

born typical.

I look forward to my Saturdays with Chloe. I enjoy a few hours of excitement

and unpredictability and I sing and dance vicariously through Chloe. I enjoy

trying to figure what she's excited about. She's a mystery to me. A

mysteriously motivated source of emotion and energy. My Saturdays would be

atypical without her.

Ewing Cyr lives in Calgary.

__________________________________________________________

Check Out Our List Of Trendy Restaurants. You'll Eat It Up!

_http://local.http://lohttp://locahttp & cid=cid=<WBR>A6D6BDB_

(http://local.live.com/?mkt=en-ca/?v=2 & cid=A6D6BDB4586E357F) !378

Blessings Light and always Love,

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

Oh, this is so great. Thanks for posting. While I understand the range of

feelings everyone expresses, it is so soothing to read articles like this. It

feels like healing balm.

Melinda

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

Oh, this is so great. Thanks for posting. While I understand the range of

feelings everyone expresses, it is so soothing to read articles like this. It

feels like healing balm.

Melinda

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

this person truely understands autism at its most truest form

and can see the beuty in it which is rare most never come to this

place. most get so brain washed by society veiws and then enforce

those views upon us and this impacts us more than autism ever will.

thanks to share of this is of a gem of a piece of work more like art

or poetry of the dance of life from a differnet perspective. Cloe

sounds like of my own world before school years. that dance yes can

be a surging of emotions over things we find beautiful in life but

cant express in words yet. Except for me the mother never ot had

windows in ways for me to notice to not really have any memory of

seeking them out. But did often go to the front door if the main door

was open to look out waiting for the mother to magically open that

door for me to escape outside to my trees, bushes that weremy safe

haven in life.

Sondra

In Autism_in_Girls , " "

wrote:

>

> I wanted to share this, it was printed in the Toronto Star paper

here in

> Canada, and it made me cry tears of joy, made me think of my little

> girl......

>

>

> ________________________________________

>

>

> A typical day with Chloe is unpredictable, noisy, and a source of

endless

> wonder.

>

> She jumps on the arm of the chair by the window, and while perching

on the

> very edge, gazes outside.

>

> " What do you see, Chloe? " I ask.

>

> " See, " she says.

>

> " I see a black car. "

>

> " See a black car, " Chloe repeats, not looking anywhere near the

black car.

>

> " Chloe, what do you see? " I try again, pointing at her chest.

>

> " See a black car. "

>

> This could go on all day. She must be looking at something outside.

Or is

> she looking at the window pane?

>

> Then, Chloe licks her fingers and rubs the saliva into circles on

the

> window. I don't stop her. Her mother would kill me if she knew I

didn't stop

> her. I'll get Chloe to wash the window later. Then, she moves

toward the

> saliva circles, turns her head so her cheek is parallel to the

mucky pane,

> and looks out the corner of her eye. Is she looking at the saliva?

Or is it

> the way the saliva distorts her view of the outside?

>

> Then the song and dance begins -- Chloe has discovered something

fantastic!

> She's now smiling and making a low pitched

drone, " Heeyeeheeyeeheeyee! " She

> stands on the arm of the chair, madly flapping her hands, and her

whole body

> appears to be vibrating.

>

> This action I will attempt to stop.

>

> " Chloe, no standing on the chair. " She hears my instruction and

jumps to the

> couch, still standing, flapping and howling with delight. My fault.

Of

> course she misinterpreted my direction; she has autism.

>

> " Chloe, sitting on the couch and chair and standing on the floor, "

I calmly

> clarify. This is a typical day with Chloe: unpredictable, noisy,

and a

> source of endless wonder.

>

> A typical day with Chloe includes a lot of " behaviours. " I hate

when people

> use that term, " behaviours. " We all display behaviours. Every

minute of

> every day we react to something in our environment and display

behaviours.

> Frequently, people in Chloe's life use that term with a negative

> connotation: " Chloe's behaviours have impacted her ability to

function in a

> typical environment. "

>

> Chloe's behaviours are a reaction to how she perceives her

environment. Her

> reactions are not negative -- they are different. Most of the time

no one

> even knows what she is reacting to.

>

> Most of Chloe's language is echolalic; she repeats what she hears.

She has

> very little spontaneous speech, unless she needs something. Since

Chloe does

> not comment on things in her environment, no one really knows what

initiates

> the song and dance. I think the song and dance are wonderful, while

others

> think the performance is " a behaviour which needs to be replaced by

> something more appropriate. "

>

> I admire Chloe's life. She's one of the happiest children I have

ever known.

> Unfortunately, she shows her happiness in ways that are deemed

inappropriate

> in our society. I am, by nature, a very calm person. It takes

something

> extremely fantastic to get me excited. However, when I do get

excited, I get

> this intense urge to behave wildly. I want to sing and dance like

Chloe. My

> tune would be different and my moves would be my own but, if I

could, I

> would bust out in a performance worth remembering.

>

> But, I can't. Even in the confines of my home, I can't. I have

conditioned

> myself to maintain physical and emotional restraint. I have perfect

control

> over my body. Plus, someone may be watching.

>

> Chloe does not have the same personal restraint as typically

developed

> people. She also doesn't care if anyone is watching her. When she

gets

> excited, everyone within 20 metres knows about it. I have thick

skin, so

> when the song and dance break out while we are lined up for the

cashier at

> Superstore on a Saturday, I am not bothered. The other shoppers are

> bothered. I am jealous that a person could be so ecstatic while

waiting in

> line at Superstore on a Saturday. I wish I knew what makes her so

happy so I

> could be that happy, too. I'll just have to be happy watching her.

The other

> shoppers are not happy. The mothers hide their children. Some

pretend not to

> watch. Some watch with disgust. I watch with envy.

>

> I will never understand how a person could be offended by Chloe's

actions.

> She's a little girl with extraordinary emotion and spirit. Her

behaviour can

> be unexpected and sometimes startling, but it is not offensive.

Perhaps it

> is fear and ignorance that cause some people to react negatively to

Chloe.

> Could it be fear that their children may catch autism? Or the

ignorance that

> leads people to pretend that autism doesn't exist in their world?

Until

> autism affects a family we know, it is easier to pretend that every

child is

> born typical.

>

> I look forward to my Saturdays with Chloe. I enjoy a few hours of

excitement

> and unpredictability and I sing and dance vicariously through

Chloe. I enjoy

> trying to figure what she's excited about. She's a mystery to me. A

> mysteriously motivated source of emotion and energy. My Saturdays

would be

> atypical without her.

>

> Ewing Cyr lives in Calgary.

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Check Out Our List Of Trendy Restaurants. You'll Eat It Up!

> http://local.live.com/?mkt=en-ca/?v=2 & cid=A6D6BDB4586E357F!378

>

[Guest guest]

this person truely understands autism at its most truest form

and can see the beuty in it which is rare most never come to this

place. most get so brain washed by society veiws and then enforce

those views upon us and this impacts us more than autism ever will.

thanks to share of this is of a gem of a piece of work more like art

or poetry of the dance of life from a differnet perspective. Cloe

sounds like of my own world before school years. that dance yes can

be a surging of emotions over things we find beautiful in life but

cant express in words yet. Except for me the mother never ot had

windows in ways for me to notice to not really have any memory of

seeking them out. But did often go to the front door if the main door

was open to look out waiting for the mother to magically open that

door for me to escape outside to my trees, bushes that weremy safe

haven in life.

Sondra

In Autism_in_Girls , " "

wrote:

>

> I wanted to share this, it was printed in the Toronto Star paper

here in

> Canada, and it made me cry tears of joy, made me think of my little

> girl......

>

>

> ________________________________________

>

>

> A typical day with Chloe is unpredictable, noisy, and a source of

endless

> wonder.

>

> She jumps on the arm of the chair by the window, and while perching

on the

> very edge, gazes outside.

>

> " What do you see, Chloe? " I ask.

>

> " See, " she says.

>

> " I see a black car. "

>

> " See a black car, " Chloe repeats, not looking anywhere near the

black car.

>

> " Chloe, what do you see? " I try again, pointing at her chest.

>

> " See a black car. "

>

> This could go on all day. She must be looking at something outside.

Or is

> she looking at the window pane?

>

> Then, Chloe licks her fingers and rubs the saliva into circles on

the

> window. I don't stop her. Her mother would kill me if she knew I

didn't stop

> her. I'll get Chloe to wash the window later. Then, she moves

toward the

> saliva circles, turns her head so her cheek is parallel to the

mucky pane,

> and looks out the corner of her eye. Is she looking at the saliva?

Or is it

> the way the saliva distorts her view of the outside?

>

> Then the song and dance begins -- Chloe has discovered something

fantastic!

> She's now smiling and making a low pitched

drone, " Heeyeeheeyeeheeyee! " She

> stands on the arm of the chair, madly flapping her hands, and her

whole body

> appears to be vibrating.

>

> This action I will attempt to stop.

>

> " Chloe, no standing on the chair. " She hears my instruction and

jumps to the

> couch, still standing, flapping and howling with delight. My fault.

Of

> course she misinterpreted my direction; she has autism.

>

> " Chloe, sitting on the couch and chair and standing on the floor, "

I calmly

> clarify. This is a typical day with Chloe: unpredictable, noisy,

and a

> source of endless wonder.

>

> A typical day with Chloe includes a lot of " behaviours. " I hate

when people

> use that term, " behaviours. " We all display behaviours. Every

minute of

> every day we react to something in our environment and display

behaviours.

> Frequently, people in Chloe's life use that term with a negative

> connotation: " Chloe's behaviours have impacted her ability to

function in a

> typical environment. "

>

> Chloe's behaviours are a reaction to how she perceives her

environment. Her

> reactions are not negative -- they are different. Most of the time

no one

> even knows what she is reacting to.

>

> Most of Chloe's language is echolalic; she repeats what she hears.

She has

> very little spontaneous speech, unless she needs something. Since

Chloe does

> not comment on things in her environment, no one really knows what

initiates

> the song and dance. I think the song and dance are wonderful, while

others

> think the performance is " a behaviour which needs to be replaced by

> something more appropriate. "

>

> I admire Chloe's life. She's one of the happiest children I have

ever known.

> Unfortunately, she shows her happiness in ways that are deemed

inappropriate

> in our society. I am, by nature, a very calm person. It takes

something

> extremely fantastic to get me excited. However, when I do get

excited, I get

> this intense urge to behave wildly. I want to sing and dance like

Chloe. My

> tune would be different and my moves would be my own but, if I

could, I

> would bust out in a performance worth remembering.

>

> But, I can't. Even in the confines of my home, I can't. I have

conditioned

> myself to maintain physical and emotional restraint. I have perfect

control

> over my body. Plus, someone may be watching.

>

> Chloe does not have the same personal restraint as typically

developed

> people. She also doesn't care if anyone is watching her. When she

gets

> excited, everyone within 20 metres knows about it. I have thick

skin, so

> when the song and dance break out while we are lined up for the

cashier at

> Superstore on a Saturday, I am not bothered. The other shoppers are

> bothered. I am jealous that a person could be so ecstatic while

waiting in

> line at Superstore on a Saturday. I wish I knew what makes her so

happy so I

> could be that happy, too. I'll just have to be happy watching her.

The other

> shoppers are not happy. The mothers hide their children. Some

pretend not to

> watch. Some watch with disgust. I watch with envy.

>

> I will never understand how a person could be offended by Chloe's

actions.

> She's a little girl with extraordinary emotion and spirit. Her

behaviour can

> be unexpected and sometimes startling, but it is not offensive.

Perhaps it

> is fear and ignorance that cause some people to react negatively to

Chloe.

> Could it be fear that their children may catch autism? Or the

ignorance that

> leads people to pretend that autism doesn't exist in their world?

Until

> autism affects a family we know, it is easier to pretend that every

child is

> born typical.

>

> I look forward to my Saturdays with Chloe. I enjoy a few hours of

excitement

> and unpredictability and I sing and dance vicariously through

Chloe. I enjoy

> trying to figure what she's excited about. She's a mystery to me. A

> mysteriously motivated source of emotion and energy. My Saturdays

would be

> atypical without her.

>

> Ewing Cyr lives in Calgary.

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Check Out Our List Of Trendy Restaurants. You'll Eat It Up!

> http://local.live.com/?mkt=en-ca/?v=2 & cid=A6D6BDB4586E357F!378

>

[Guest guest]

Oh I love that! Thanks for sharing it!!!

wrote: I wanted to share this, it

was printed in the Toronto Star paper here in

Canada, and it made me cry tears of joy, made me think of my little

girl......

________________________________________

A typical day with Chloe is unpredictable, noisy, and a source of endless

wonder.

She jumps on the arm of the chair by the window, and while perching on the

very edge, gazes outside.

" What do you see, Chloe? " I ask.

" See, " she says.

" I see a black car. "

" See a black car, " Chloe repeats, not looking anywhere near the black car.

" Chloe, what do you see? " I try again, pointing at her chest.

" See a black car. "

This could go on all day. She must be looking at something outside. Or is

she looking at the window pane?

Then, Chloe licks her fingers and rubs the saliva into circles on the

window. I don't stop her. Her mother would kill me if she knew I didn't stop

her. I'll get Chloe to wash the window later. Then, she moves toward the

saliva circles, turns her head so her cheek is parallel to the mucky pane,

and looks out the corner of her eye. Is she looking at the saliva? Or is it

the way the saliva distorts her view of the outside?

Then the song and dance begins -- Chloe has discovered something fantastic!

She's now smiling and making a low pitched drone, " Heeyeeheeyeeheeyee! " She

stands on the arm of the chair, madly flapping her hands, and her whole body

appears to be vibrating.

This action I will attempt to stop.

" Chloe, no standing on the chair. " She hears my instruction and jumps to the

couch, still standing, flapping and howling with delight. My fault. Of

course she misinterpreted my direction; she has autism.

" Chloe, sitting on the couch and chair and standing on the floor, " I calmly

clarify. This is a typical day with Chloe: unpredictable, noisy, and a

source of endless wonder.

A typical day with Chloe includes a lot of " behaviours. " I hate when people

use that term, " behaviours. " We all display behaviours. Every minute of

every day we react to something in our environment and display behaviours.

Frequently, people in Chloe's life use that term with a negative

connotation: " Chloe's behaviours have impacted her ability to function in a

typical environment. "

Chloe's behaviours are a reaction to how she perceives her environment. Her

reactions are not negative -- they are different. Most of the time no one

even knows what she is reacting to.

Most of Chloe's language is echolalic; she repeats what she hears. She has

very little spontaneous speech, unless she needs something. Since Chloe does

not comment on things in her environment, no one really knows what initiates

the song and dance. I think the song and dance are wonderful, while others

think the performance is " a behaviour which needs to be replaced by

something more appropriate. "

I admire Chloe's life. She's one of the happiest children I have ever known.

Unfortunately, she shows her happiness in ways that are deemed inappropriate

in our society. I am, by nature, a very calm person. It takes something

extremely fantastic to get me excited. However, when I do get excited, I get

this intense urge to behave wildly. I want to sing and dance like Chloe. My

tune would be different and my moves would be my own but, if I could, I

would bust out in a performance worth remembering.

But, I can't. Even in the confines of my home, I can't. I have conditioned

myself to maintain physical and emotional restraint. I have perfect control

over my body. Plus, someone may be watching.

Chloe does not have the same personal restraint as typically developed

people. She also doesn't care if anyone is watching her. When she gets

excited, everyone within 20 metres knows about it. I have thick skin, so

when the song and dance break out while we are lined up for the cashier at

Superstore on a Saturday, I am not bothered. The other shoppers are

bothered. I am jealous that a person could be so ecstatic while waiting in

line at Superstore on a Saturday. I wish I knew what makes her so happy so I

could be that happy, too. I'll just have to be happy watching her. The other

shoppers are not happy. The mothers hide their children. Some pretend not to

watch. Some watch with disgust. I watch with envy.

I will never understand how a person could be offended by Chloe's actions.

She's a little girl with extraordinary emotion and spirit. Her behaviour can

be unexpected and sometimes startling, but it is not offensive. Perhaps it

is fear and ignorance that cause some people to react negatively to Chloe.

Could it be fear that their children may catch autism? Or the ignorance that

leads people to pretend that autism doesn't exist in their world? Until

autism affects a family we know, it is easier to pretend that every child is

born typical.

I look forward to my Saturdays with Chloe. I enjoy a few hours of excitement

and unpredictability and I sing and dance vicariously through Chloe. I enjoy

trying to figure what she's excited about. She's a mystery to me. A

mysteriously motivated source of emotion and energy. My Saturdays would be

atypical without her.

Ewing Cyr lives in Calgary.

__________________________________________________________

Check Out Our List Of Trendy Restaurants. You'll Eat It Up!

http://local.live.com/?mkt=en-ca/?v=2 & cid=A6D6BDB4586E357F!378

Crystal B

http://www.myspace.com/breger3

http://craftyrecord.blogspot.com/

http://bethpuzzle.blogspot.com/

407 total skeins of yarn (all types) to go

[Guest guest]

Oh I love that! Thanks for sharing it!!!

wrote: I wanted to share this, it

was printed in the Toronto Star paper here in

Canada, and it made me cry tears of joy, made me think of my little

girl......

________________________________________

A typical day with Chloe is unpredictable, noisy, and a source of endless

wonder.

She jumps on the arm of the chair by the window, and while perching on the

very edge, gazes outside.

" What do you see, Chloe? " I ask.

" See, " she says.

" I see a black car. "

" See a black car, " Chloe repeats, not looking anywhere near the black car.

" Chloe, what do you see? " I try again, pointing at her chest.

" See a black car. "

This could go on all day. She must be looking at something outside. Or is

she looking at the window pane?

Then, Chloe licks her fingers and rubs the saliva into circles on the

window. I don't stop her. Her mother would kill me if she knew I didn't stop

her. I'll get Chloe to wash the window later. Then, she moves toward the

saliva circles, turns her head so her cheek is parallel to the mucky pane,

and looks out the corner of her eye. Is she looking at the saliva? Or is it

the way the saliva distorts her view of the outside?

Then the song and dance begins -- Chloe has discovered something fantastic!

She's now smiling and making a low pitched drone, " Heeyeeheeyeeheeyee! " She

stands on the arm of the chair, madly flapping her hands, and her whole body

appears to be vibrating.

This action I will attempt to stop.

" Chloe, no standing on the chair. " She hears my instruction and jumps to the

couch, still standing, flapping and howling with delight. My fault. Of

course she misinterpreted my direction; she has autism.

" Chloe, sitting on the couch and chair and standing on the floor, " I calmly

clarify. This is a typical day with Chloe: unpredictable, noisy, and a

source of endless wonder.

A typical day with Chloe includes a lot of " behaviours. " I hate when people

use that term, " behaviours. " We all display behaviours. Every minute of

every day we react to something in our environment and display behaviours.

Frequently, people in Chloe's life use that term with a negative

connotation: " Chloe's behaviours have impacted her ability to function in a

typical environment. "

Chloe's behaviours are a reaction to how she perceives her environment. Her

reactions are not negative -- they are different. Most of the time no one

even knows what she is reacting to.

Most of Chloe's language is echolalic; she repeats what she hears. She has

very little spontaneous speech, unless she needs something. Since Chloe does

not comment on things in her environment, no one really knows what initiates

the song and dance. I think the song and dance are wonderful, while others

think the performance is " a behaviour which needs to be replaced by

something more appropriate. "

I admire Chloe's life. She's one of the happiest children I have ever known.

Unfortunately, she shows her happiness in ways that are deemed inappropriate

in our society. I am, by nature, a very calm person. It takes something

extremely fantastic to get me excited. However, when I do get excited, I get

this intense urge to behave wildly. I want to sing and dance like Chloe. My

tune would be different and my moves would be my own but, if I could, I

would bust out in a performance worth remembering.

But, I can't. Even in the confines of my home, I can't. I have conditioned

myself to maintain physical and emotional restraint. I have perfect control

over my body. Plus, someone may be watching.

Chloe does not have the same personal restraint as typically developed

people. She also doesn't care if anyone is watching her. When she gets

excited, everyone within 20 metres knows about it. I have thick skin, so

when the song and dance break out while we are lined up for the cashier at

Superstore on a Saturday, I am not bothered. The other shoppers are

bothered. I am jealous that a person could be so ecstatic while waiting in

line at Superstore on a Saturday. I wish I knew what makes her so happy so I

could be that happy, too. I'll just have to be happy watching her. The other

shoppers are not happy. The mothers hide their children. Some pretend not to

watch. Some watch with disgust. I watch with envy.

I will never understand how a person could be offended by Chloe's actions.

She's a little girl with extraordinary emotion and spirit. Her behaviour can

be unexpected and sometimes startling, but it is not offensive. Perhaps it

is fear and ignorance that cause some people to react negatively to Chloe.

Could it be fear that their children may catch autism? Or the ignorance that

leads people to pretend that autism doesn't exist in their world? Until

autism affects a family we know, it is easier to pretend that every child is

born typical.

I look forward to my Saturdays with Chloe. I enjoy a few hours of excitement

and unpredictability and I sing and dance vicariously through Chloe. I enjoy

trying to figure what she's excited about. She's a mystery to me. A

mysteriously motivated source of emotion and energy. My Saturdays would be

atypical without her.

Ewing Cyr lives in Calgary.

__________________________________________________________

Check Out Our List Of Trendy Restaurants. You'll Eat It Up!

http://local.live.com/?mkt=en-ca/?v=2 & cid=A6D6BDB4586E357F!378

Crystal B

http://www.myspace.com/breger3

http://craftyrecord.blogspot.com/

http://bethpuzzle.blogspot.com/

407 total skeins of yarn (all types) to go