Understanding Autism

Autism is a complex, lifelong developmental disability that typically appears during early childhood and can impact a person's social skills, communication, relationships, and self-regulation.- http://www.autism-society.org

I think that is a bit of a dysphemism. Everyone is on the autism scale whether you like the idea of that or not. Once enough of these traits add up you reach a level (or a points score) they slap a label of autism on a person...

I have worked in SEN and dealt with a lot of autistic people. Some of the most kind, forward thinking and generous people I have ever met. I suppose in our society, we idolise sociopaths. And what could be further from the unfeeling, confident, hungry dead stare of a sociopath than someone who has so much going through their head and their other senses that they struggle to make eye contact?

I wish we had a lot more negative stigma surround sociopaths and not autistic people; I think the world would be a much better place.

This is my song: Tommy Thumb and his Gunn
https://soundcloud.com/user-203760921/mark-acraman-tommy-thumb-and-his-gunn-original?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Sometimes when I make a new song, I am not sure what to write. So, just like with this song, I took two pieces of work and kind of just mashed them together with some original music. One of the pieces are from a poem I wrote about the difficulties of working with one particular child that had enough autistic traits that it made everyday function quite difficult. The other is from the final chapter of a book a wrote a few years ago.

I hope you like it!

And I suppose I will be seeing you, Space Cowboy...