Autism and Ignorance

 Although our Caleb looks "normal", he is often treated like he is not "all there". People assume that because he doesn't seem as engaged as others, he is not listening, or is incapable of listening and answering a question. The video below of him at school shows how he looks a little distracted, maybe even distant, but he is listening, and he is capable.

  Children with autism are often trying so hard to learn about people, and to understand them; to see things from another's point of view-because they know they don't do it naturally, but realize (or are told, and coached) that they should be doing it. I'm afraid the "rest of us" don't try enough to learn things we don't do naturally, because it will help us be better people in the world. And we're calling the people with Autism mentally retarded....yikes.    

Caleb out exploring

  Ignorance is the lack of knowledge or information. I feel like in today's world, ignorance in more unacceptable than it used to be. We have access to libraries full of information, and if the library we're at doesn't have something we need, they can get it in for you! We have the internet which, although can have mis-information, can also be a never ending resource for subjects you want to know about.
   We once had a neighbour....he was a strange man, and would come over often for sugar, flour, butter, to steal our newspaper, etc. One day, while standing in our entryway, he was telling about how another neighbour had let her cats "run around" (huh?). Well, his dogs saw the cats, and chased after them. So, she came to ask if his dogs could not chase her cats. And (in his words), "I was so friggin' mad, she should just keep her cats inside, and I was thinking, 'what are you, retarded?'-oh, no offence, I think Caleb is great and everything, but...." (and he continued on in his story). Yup, he actually said that! He A: referred to our neighbour as handicapped, then B: apologized because he thought Caleb was great.....because he's handicapped? I guess they say ignorance is bliss.....   

  Why is it that people can still be so ignorant in a time such as this, where information is so readily available? I think part of it is because every person can't possibly know about everything to keep from being ignorant. But I believe (not to sound too much like a free spirit) ignorance is also a state of mind. 
   You don't have to know everything about everything, but you can try to see a situation, and become less ignorant as you observe/get involved. If you hear of something, whether it be autism, diabetes, depression, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, whatever, and you think, "I don't really know much about that", go ahead an find out about it! I'm not talking about hours of research, but just getting acquainted with something, simply for the sake of being less ignorant. The less ignorant we are, the more it brings us together, and also keeps us from saying ridiculous things like my neighbour did.....