Autism ...

Autism covers a broad spectrum of abilities ...
often eye contact is almost nil, and it is like they are not totally aware of anyone else but themselves ...
I went to a workshop this week on how to deal with difficult people ...
the impact on me, I must say, was really life changing ... not just for myself, the men that I assist with their lives, but for the staff that are on my team, other co-workers in our agency, families, and even my own circle of family and friends ...
I came back refreshed and with new thoughts and determined to try some new things in on going dealings with self stim, OCD, and repetitive questioning ...
often when someone is unsure of the response that they will get in life, unsure of the commitment of the people in their lives, scared to trust their own instincts, or just plain lonely they will act out and do what they know that they should not do ... just because they know that they can do that ...
It is easier to screw up and know that you are a screw up than to take that risk, to take a chance and maybe, just maybe it will all work out ok ...
What I discovered, is that if you offer the risk, let them know that they will still be safe, and that it is ok to want to take that risk, than their chances of being successful soar in actual numbers ...
People, just want to be heard ...
they want to be listened to,
someone to tell their story to ...
for we all have stories ...
some of them are not very nice
but the thing is,
that if you tell your story
you let go of some of it ... if it is a bad one,
and it grows if it is a good one, for the listener relishes in the story with you ... celebrating your success ...

a person can be in a room with a hundred other people and be so very lonely, and yet one person listening to their story can make a world of difference ...

my request of you, is to just take a moment ...
when having a conversation with someone today
listen to what they are saying, not just with their words but with their body, their soul ...
let them know that you hear what they are saying ...

open your heart,
open your mind ...