Andreas: Help for Autistic Families in Slovakia

For quite some time I have been thinking how to describe autism. Waterball seems to be a great metaphor. During this „sport“ a person goes into an inflated balloon and tries to walk on water. Life of a person with autism is like a world inside a world, inside a balloon, in which quite a different rules apply. Sounds and words sound different, they have a special tone... and many times they tickle. Everything is organized, events follow in chronological order. Inside a balloon there is also loneliness and isolation.

Out there, beyond the balloon walls, there is a totally different world. Disorganized. Ruled by chaos and a full of words. There are people who have constant need to establish relationships, to talk and ask questions. And things don’t have their place. Not many of us cares to put something exactly where it was found. No one cares what is a taste of a ball. Few enjoy the pleasure of tasting the surface of a walnut or listening carefully to sound of bead necklace. People around the balloon do not have a system. They change their mind often. They do not respect the order. To meet at 15:00 sometimes means 14:50 or 15:15. For people with autism, confrontation with such a world means an immense burden.

I often wonder what does Jakub and other children with autism think about our world. Is he sorry for being in the balloon alone? Is he bothered when I am constantly asking him something, when I am trying to pull him into my world? Does he even want it? Is he bothered that people don’t understand him? Would he want to be different? Is he happy to be alone? What makes him sad?

Our project „For parents without parents“ provides various leisure activities for children with autism. One hour of rehabilitation costs 8 euros. Thank you for all your support.

From Lucia Gallova´s therapy notes