Benjamin Breaking Barriers: Autism - A Journey of Hope by Tarasewicz Malva Freymuth

Author:Tarasewicz, Malva Freymuth [Tarasewicz, Malva Freymuth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Integrated Musician's Press
Published: 2014-01-29T05:00:00+00:00

We were in the park adjoining the old Chautauqua auditorium, flying a kite, watching it climb higher and higher into the sunny, clear sky. As it steadied, tugging at the end of its tether, Benjamin giggled with happiness, holding tightly to the handle that secured the twine. “I’m doing it all by myself,” he announced repeatedly, clearly reveling in a new awareness of independence. Making choices was waking him up.

We were working on language drills, and I was keeping up Benjamin’s motivation and energy by repeatedly flinging a soft feather pillow at him. However, since having a “pillow fight” was becoming hyper-stimulating for Benjamin, I eventually changed course and invited him into a calm dialogue, giving him a new cue that I had brainstormed. “Palm-to-palm,” I said, kneeling down and holding my hands up in front of my chest, palms facing outward. Benjamin eagerly placed his hands flat against mine, giving me his rapt attention.

This idea of holding “palm-to-palm” while talking had come to me after a recent cranio-sacral session. On that day, Cheryl’s quiet way of speaking hadn’t filtered through to Benjamin’s attention, and I had wondered, “How might I teach him to listen and focus when someone speaks calmly?” So often, I captured Benjamin’s interest by acting super-animated, by singing, or by doing something unexpected. However, other people wouldn’t do that, and my job was to connect Benjamin to the “real world.”

After conversing for a bit, I ended the exchange. Slowly, gently, I drew my hands away from Benjamin’s, asking him to do likewise rather than snatching his hands away. “We want to keep our connection, even if we aren’t talking,” I explained. Benjamin’s eyes glowed as he sensed the warmth that remained even though our hands were no longer touching. “It tickles,” he told me, and I nodded. “That’s energy.”

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