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Old 05-23-2006, 02:03 PM   #15
billybob
 
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Dojo: Academy of Warrior Spirit
Location: tampa
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 440
United_States
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Re: Aspergers and Autism in Aikido

I feel drawn to say something and want to help, but not sure i can.

I have something that caused severe social awkwardness, concreteness, and inappropriate behavior.
Judo was the first sane structured environment I was exposed to. I took to judo in kind of an (autistic) savant way. Nothing else in life made sense; judo did. To this day if I don't understand something I think in the terms, shapes, that were given me from 14 - 17 in judo. It gave me contact with my intuitive mind, and that has enabled me to connect with other people.

I never hurt anyone with judo, because I was told not to! I got out of situations and got away. It is literally 'the gentle way' and that is how I expressed myself. If your child is not violent she won't express violence. No worries there.

I thought asperger's and autism were not interacting normally with other humans. If your daughter does not know fact from fiction I think aikido can only help, as judo helped me. A friend at work has a son with a similar problem. She takes him to the mall and they talk about people's facial expressions and what is going on with them. He often gets it wrong, but she shows him she loves him and he is slowly learning. I'm not sure it's a disease process, but just a developmental difficulty. More training.

And, as is fitting - if I've been offensive, please tell me! - I can't always tell. (embarrassed)

dave
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