To understand autism, don't look away

This was the first book I used with my son Ivan. It guided me on how to use his interests and motivations to teach him how to communicate. Almost 90% of our communication is non-verbal. So more than words, what mattered is increasing Ivan’s communicative intention, teaching him different resources. The first step to that connection was eye contact. I still have one of the images of the book, where a parent chases his son trying to make eye contact, so fresh in my mind. It is hard as parents to loose the anxiety of wanting your child to speak, so this book helped me focus on the most important thing, teaching him how to communicate.

This book was really helpful during Ivan’s first years. Greenspan outlines the six stages of emotional growth in early childhood and how as parents we can help our child go through each stage, and how important it is to go through each one. When I received Ivan’s diagnosis, since it was so hard to communicate with him, my main concern was that emotionally he felt contained, that he felt loved. In certain aspects, Ivan’s development was the norm, and in others aspects, he was behind. This disparity made me very insecure so this book showed me that even if it took longer, Ivan had to go through each stage to build the layers of his emotional development, which are crucial to everyone.

This was also one of the first books I read and remains a big favorite. It was given to me by Ivan’s speech therapist at that time. In this book, Oliver Sacks that has a fascinating and such a humane way of describing his meetings with seven individuals with neurological conditions such as autism. However abnormal they may be to our way of thinking, Oliver Sachs shows their beauty of their original way of looking at life.

A friend of mine gave me this book when Ivan was recently diagnosed. I read it in Spanish (El Curioso Incidente del Perro a Medianoche). It was the first time I read a book written in first-person that gave me insight into what a person with autism feels and how he sees the world, although funnily enough the book never mentions the word autism. The book has a sense of humor and irony that is really refreshing. I always feel that having a good sense of humor to deal with certain situations that autism makes us go through is an excellent tool and therapy.

Autism Speaks was a big inspiration for Fundación Brincar in the way that it put autism on the map. Autism Speaks is the world’s leading autism advocacy organization, and was started in 2005 by two grandparents, Suzanne and Bob Wright, inspired by their grandson Christian with autism, who was also non-verbal like my son Ivan. Autism Speaks worked with the Ad Council and BBDO Worldwide in a ten-year public service announcement campaign about the early signs of autism. Their advocacy efforts were key to persuading the United Nations to establish April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day, and to launch the international Light It Up Blue campaign. They have excellent free resources and guides.

I love the apps proposed by Orange Foundation for autism. Although Ivan uses Proloquo-2-go as his system of alternative communication, this is a paid app. Orange Foundation is constantly developing free innovative technological resources.

Temple Grandin is the biopic of Temple Grandin, with autism, starring Claire Danes. I had the honor of meeting Temple Grandin in 2016 when she came to Buenos Aires. She is so inspiring and encouraging and has done so much for autism awareness by teaching us how the different sensory processing system in people with autism can be so interfering. She was one of the first people to give first-hand conferences on autism. I was really moved by her gratitude to her parents and especially to her mother, that really stood up for her at a time where almost no-one knew what autism was about and the theory of the refrigerator mothers was still around. In spite of all those myths, Temple’s mother persevered and fought for her to finish high school and attend university, by not victimizing her and strongly believing in her. We all need someone to believe in us. Every time I see this film, I am moved to tears.