Exams; detentions; homework… The stresses and frustrations of school-life are obvious, aren’t they?
Well, the answer is yes…Ā some of them. (Award yourself a house point if you got that right.) However, for so many autistic young people, the most challenging aspects of school remain unconsidered or overlooked. A poem:
In this poem I attempt to highlight some of the hidden pains and misunderstandings experienced by many of our children and young people. Ā I’ve named it ‘Empathy,’ with the hope of promoting relationship, nurture, and a quest for true understanding, over one-size-fits-all approaches and quick-fix strategies.
I was diagnosed with autism as an adult. My school experience was pretty miserable, and I ended up leaving due to depression, anxiety, and a sleep disorder, at the age of fifteen. Ā Over the last fourteen years, I’ve worked with autistic children and young people in a variety of educational contexts. Although mainly non-autobiographic, many of my own school-based experiences and mentality are embedded in this poem.
- Video: A poem performed through the eyes of an autistic child. - March 11, 2020
One Response
That was brilliant!