Are Children with Autism on Earth for a Purpose? Your Thoughts Requested
My husband and I personally believe children with Autism and other learning disabilities are here for a purpose...they are here to teach mankind about unconditional love and unconditional acceptance.I have to say, this idea gives me pause, for two reasons.
First: the implication is that people with autism and other learning issues are here "for us" - and not because they, themselves, can become fulfilled and active human beings. While people with autism aren't always able to shine in the usual ways, almost every person with autism has abilities and talents which, if nurtured, can teach, impress, delight, or surprise the people around them. I'm personally uncomfortable with the idea that anyone is on this planet simply because others can learn from their plight.
Second: It seems to me that every person on the planet goes through difficulties and hard times, and that all of us turn to others for help at some point in our lives. Whether we're facing financial hard times, illness, depression, or some other crisis - every one of us has at least the potential to "teach humankind about unconditional love and unconditional acceptance."
The fact that all of us, at some point in our lives, are in need of unconditional support, however, doesn't mean that we receive it. Plenty of ordinary, typically-abled people are frightened, distressed or made uncomfortable by a person who needs more than a kind word and a casserole. Supporting a person who's going through depression, grief or mental illness can be difficult - and not everyone is up to the task. It's hard to set aside our own anxieties to truly be available to someone with emotional or psychological differences.
But these are just my own musings. What are your thoughts on this Sunday morning blog?
Comments
If you believe that we are all here for a purpose, then the answer would have to be yes.
That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard. I personally will never teach my Autistic child about “god.” No “god” would ever let a child suffer so much. And no society really believing in a “god” would ever set up a society where these children’s educational and theraputic needs are met so poorly. There is no divine purpose here. There are just some genetic and environmental factors that result in this neurological condition. Why expend so much energy on this idea? Better write a letter of support for services for these individuals who need effective interventions RIGHT NOW AND AREN”T GETTING THEM!!!!! No efforts spent convincing me of your personal belief system will when this society of millions has done so little to support these individuals in a meaningful way. And it’s every individual’s responsibility to speak up according to your “god.”
I do believe that we are ALL here for a purpose…to be there for eachother, regardless if a doctor gave you a diagnosis or not. I am tired of the controversy about whether a particular special needs category is “God’s gift” or not.
I work with so many special needs kids, and the only message I get from them broadcasted loud and clear is that they want to be loved, accepted, respected and believed in. The ones that communicate this message the loudest are the ones who are non-verbal.
I say go with whatever works for you, but please also respect others who do not believe in the same thing or in quite the same way as you do.
Long and short of it, yes, I think our kids are here for a purpose…only because we are created as social creatures and as a way to feed that social need, we are all here for eachother.
My 2 cents anyway.
Cheers
Caroline
Thank you Kelly! You took the words right out of my mouth!
I’m not sure why any would bring God into this. God or no God, people are going to be born with disorder’s or have disorder’s later in life. I can think of way worse things than autism that a child can have and even then, one has to find some peace with whatever it is. What ever a child has, they are still a child first, autism is second to that.
If my child didn’t have autism, I’d had never seen this other ‘world’ of his. My child suffers in some ways but in many ways, all children do at one point or another and so do adults. My child’s therapy needs have always been met as well as educational. Yet no one lives in Walgreens Perfect World. Wish we could. I have no bitterness towards autism; it is what it is and I go on to the next day and make it more than what it was. It would be nice to be a typical parent, but then they all have their hard times too. Since I don’t expect every one in the world to understand my child or my days, when some one doesn’t it doesn’t bother me nor angers me.
No one expects their child to have anything but to be a perfect child, but autism does happen. How one proceeds after that is up to each person and how they perceive the why’s of it. I personally do not feel God specifically pin pointed my child to have autism but if He did, he chose the right parent for the job.
Sandy
So well said. I’m not waiting for anyone else to understand our world, and I really could care less.
Every day our son has fun, smiles, and improves is a good day. Perspective, though a challenge to find some days, is so critical.
I’m not sure I’d use the word “chosen” either, but I certainly feel my wife and I are the right parents for the job!
Autism doesn’t just have one cause — it’s a catch-all to describe problems caused when a variety of genes misfire in a way that’s still poorly understood. The genes that go wrong are inside us all.
Given how hard it can be to live with, one might think it would go away over the generations. The reason it hasn’t probably means that the genes which go wrong are very beneficial when they go right.
The condition clearly isn’t a gift to those who struggle to live with it. But the genes that create it may be the ones that cause others to be gifted.
Is God here? Certainly. Anyone’s belief in him/her is their choice. But the question remains. Are these kids here for a purpose?
Absolutely!
Craig Evans
Autism Hangout (dotcom)
My autistic daughter is here for a purpose! Autism has been the greatest blessing in our lives–we truly see miracles everyday, and don’t take small and simple things for granted. I thank God everyday for the opportunity to be my daughter’s mother.
Whether or not you wish to call it a “purpose” is certainly up to the individual and his/her beliefs. I do believe that the increase in both the diagnosis and awareness of autism, coupled with impassioned activism on the part of this community, drives research into research and treatment techniques that will have far reaching effects into our understanding of the brain and our social behavior. Those with autism have much to teach us all. We must figure out how to learn it.
I think many people focus on the negative things about autism and not the great things about the child. My son has had his hard days, but ever since he’s been little he’s always smiled, always looked at me and for a long time if he never looked at you it didn’t bother me a bit
So, there are many days my kid giggles for odd reasons, and has an odd sense of humor but it’s hard not to find the child-likeness to be so sweet. There are things about autism that are quite interesting, and make my child unique. The way he uses his senses is enough to get any one up all night reading, or just watching him. His unique way of every thing in three’s and opposite too.
A child with autism and the parent of that child, you’re both the teachers of each other.
If one cant find the purpose, maybe one is looking at it in all the wrong ways. In order not to find the purpose, one cant help the child find their purpose and to forever dread they have autism. I just out right refuse to look at autism in that manner. There’s plenty about autism that makes my kid neat to know.
I believe that autism is the beginning of a new era in mankind…an evolution of mankind. As the population increases, society evolves accordingly, mankind begins to be non-social and robotic. It will become more necessary for society to evolve this way for the survival of humankind. i.e.: “Spock” on TV (can’t remember the name of the show–I am not a science fiction person, nor am I a evolution specialist). Just a thought, my own little theory.
I like your 2 part commentary and agree. There are no easy answers but certainly my experience is that my son’s disability is a breeding ground for character development. I believe we are all here for a purpose, so is he? Yes!
Were it not for my son, I might have breezed through life not growing in many ways. The saying “iron sharpens iron” comes to mind. When faced with any of life’s trials–be it autism or cancer or car trouble–we either become bitter or it makes us better. Acknowledging God as creator and redeemer (and an enemy who perpetrates evil) helps me embrace the opportunity to improve and gives me a source outside myself from which to draw strength and find meaning.
My son makes others be better people. Its what he does. (Are you listening CDC?) My son is not autism. He is not pity, despair, hate, want, jealousy, ignorance, disobedience, failure or hopelessness. He has never told a lie. I have a feeling my son has a very close relationship with God – that’s why he gets away with mouthing off at church so much! In fact I have always thought my son had a closer relationship with God than I did, even before he lost his words and his music. I am not interested in the audacity of researching God’s purpose. I am interested in the audacity of the questions of why there is so much autism today.
Julia. God bless you. My granddaughter is my greatest blessing. I can not imagine life without her. The “Purpose” or reason for autism and children with autism is many faceted and we see the joy in them every day. They teach us to accept far more than we would believe ourselves able. They let us use all the love He has given us. I am so proud of the little, few and far between accomplishments, and praise her every day. She is my sunshine.
Maga
To Kelly and anyone else who believes God doens’t exist. Well NEWSFLASH, He does. And I agree with everyone who realizes that there is a reason and purpose for everything everyone experiences -if it’s a disability, disease or anything else. Open your eyes and stop being closed minded and see the blessing our children with autism are.
Lighten up Tiffanie. Sometimes when the blessing is cleaning feces off the wall at 4 am for the fifth time that day, the blessing is hard to see. You won’t bring people around by yelling NEWSFLASH at them or being condescending.
Kelly, the question of why a good God would allow so much suffering is a tough one. Anyone who thinks they have the exact answer is probably fooling themselves but you might want to check out “Everything Belongs” by Richard Rohr.
For what it’s worth I think my kids are a great blessing but autism is hard. Hard times can cause you to question God but that’s not always bad. You live those questions and maybe you get closer to the answer.
‘God’ and religion will be the downfall of mankind. Autistic thinking is physical, logical, religion is the opposite. We need more autistic minds, mankind will depend on it believe you me. When we are facing overpopulation, desperate for ‘outside the box’ ideas to get us out of this NT mess then hopefully the new world order will be aspergian, autistic thinking is the next step in human evolution, and once the NTs have wiped each other out in WW3, we will reign supreme. I have HFA so I know what I am talking about. Why is it the problems this world faces are staring me right in the face when it just passes most people by?
PS Tiffanie give me your proof that this strange guy sitting in the sky with a white flowing beard exists. Do you have temporal lobe epilepsy or something? There is not such thing as god, Darwinism is a scientific fact. Autism is evidence of natural variation.
I tend to agree with Jacqui. When I hear autism affects 1 in every 150 children, I have to believe this epidemic is evolution of mankind right before our eyes. It is said that we only use 10% (or less) of our brain capacity/abilities. What if those with autism are tapping into the other 90%, and are still figuring out how to channel its functionality?
Whether you believe in God or Darwinism, evolution of mankind is a mystery…just as autism and its causes remain.
No matter…everyone is special is their own way, and offer the world full of possibilities.