Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Humanities Course II
Members
Fiorela Gutierrez
Group 1
2. Justification 4
4. Theoretical framework 6
5. Chapter scheme 8
6. Chapter 1 12
7. Episode 2 17
8. Chapter 3 21
9. Chapter 4 30
10. Conclusion 33
11. Bibliography 34
12. Exhibit 35
2
Topic – Problem
General objective
Specific objectives
2. Demonstrate and denounce the limitations that children with autism suffer in
society
3. Point out the treatment that the Children's Neuropsychiatric School uses
4. Explain the forms of communication that children with autism use and know
3
Justification
Even though we are all different and yet we all live in the same society and are related to
The problem of "I" discriminating against the "other" occurs from social classes, religion,
People tend to be indifferent to those who suffer from a disability, they discriminate
against them for being different, because they fear them or simply because they do not
understand them. It is difficult for people to accept what they do not know and that is why
Autism is quite complicated and people who suffer from this mental disability are similar
to us, the difference is not being able to understand their unusual behaviors. A child with
autism looks exactly the same as any other, but he or she does not act or think the same.
The fact that the people close to them and the world around them ignore what autism is
and do not know what these children experience every day makes their acceptance in
addition to doctors and specialized centers that daily care for children with autism, it is
also very true that the bibliography is not available to everyone or is extremely technical
and leaves aside the human part and the reality of these children. We continue to look for
a why and not a solution. It is very difficult for children with autism to be accepted in our
That is why we have given ourselves the task of showing the reality of children with
autism, their families, teachers and classmates. In this way, the knowledge of autism and
children with this syndrome could be expanded, since we believe it is convenient for
people to begin to know them, so that these children can be better understood and
4
State of the matter
In the research of this work we were able to find an extensive bibliography and
information about the autism syndrome, which shows multiple definitions, some explain
the concept in a broad and generalized way and others are too technical and confusing
for most of us, mainly for the parents of these children. Aspects such as diagnosis,
These texts were of great help for the research, as they allow us to better understand
how autism works, however, it is extremely important to note that the current bibliography
on the syndrome is still full of myths and stereotypes, which do not allow the reader to
accept to children who suffer from autism as human beings. The human side of children
with autism, their life, their rights, nor the experience of those close to them, is left aside,
that is, it has not been the object of study. It seems that in these texts, children with
autism are “something” and not “someone”, they are not seen as people, but as being
In addition to the bibliography, another type of source that explains the autism syndrome
is the Children's Neuropsychiatric School, who provides this information only to parents
These are some written, oral and visual means used to carry out our research:
Books:
Wing, Lorna. The education of the autistic child; Guide for parents and
teachers
This book takes aspects such as: The description of the autistic child and his behavior,
theories about the physical and emotional causes, disadvantages and problems of
childhood with respect to other diseases such as: mental retardation, congenital
5
The role of doctors in diagnosis, dialogue and treatment with children with autism.
The social interaction of teachers, parents, family in general and the different services
that children with autism have: schools, workshops, medical services, etc.
Therefore, this book takes fundamental aspects of the development and behavior of
children with autism, as it is a source of useful knowledge for parents, teachers and all
Thomas M., Shea and Bauer, Anne Marie. Special education, an ecological
In this work the authors use the “ecological perspective”, one of the most modern
approaches to education, through which it is considered that all people with special needs
are, first of all, learning subjects, with diverse styles and traits of learning. development,
and who have the ability to integrate into the environment through communication, vision,
Includes concepts, key phrases and teaching resources. It also makes it very clear what
Although we find information about autism, being a book that deals with a large number
of disabilities, the topic is not developed much, and the study methods are for schools in
the United States. Which did not agree with our objective to follow.
The concept of quality of life is closely linked to the possibility of making decisions and
organizing life, relating to others and the environment. This environment or environment
in which we live must be accessible and appropriate to the needs and expectations of its
6
Interview:
School, and she also has a 31-year-old brother with autism. It was used to consider their
experience with autism and guide the research to a more human, closer approach.
Photos:
A small collection of photos was collected, in order not only to illustrate the research, but
A member of the project attended an ENI class in which we work with children with
autism, in order to test what was proposed in this research and value these children as
people.
Theoretical framework
Autism: It is a chronic developmental disability that typically appears during the first three
years of life.
Early Concepts of Autism: Leo Kanner (1943); describes the results of his research
with eleven children who suffered from a condition very different from anything reported
7
until then in the psychopathological literature and therefore subject to study. This study
has been considered the one that began research based on the subsequent development
Carlos Molina (1984); states that the term Autism comes from the Greek “autos” which
means oneself or oneself. But it was Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist, who in 1906 used it for
the first time to designate "... the alterations of thought, specific to adult psychotic
patients, consisting of referring to themselves any event that happened in reality, as well
as such as the loss of mental contents and the loss of contact with reality, including the
social environment.”
In 1988, López and Sánchez reported that autism is a syndrome that originates in
childhood and points out that it occurs in “children whose links that keep them united to
the surrounding world remain blocked,” and leave them in a state of withdrawal and
insensitivity to all external stimuli.” They also state that the symptoms of Autism generally
María Paluszny (1987), for her part, characterizes Childhood Autism as a syndrome
compulsive rituals and resistance to change. Also consider that a child with these
characteristics does not relate to the people around him and prefers, instead, repetitive
The author (1987) adds that language, when it exists, can be very out of adjustment
despite the fact that the child maintains a relationship with his environment, characterized
by the appearance of tantrums when he intervenes in his usual games or changes known
8
objects ( It seems that there is no reason why the child should not develop adequate
Behavioral problems: Any deviation in the pattern of child development that exceeds
the normal range of variation because it occurs either at a time, sequence, or degree not
socialization process and that, due to their own characteristics, do not favor the child's
not reinforced by the outside. Example: neck rubbing, rocking, scratching, excessive
Limitations: it is the impediment that a person may have in what they say or do.
Treatment: are the different methods such as therapies, medications, in order to prevent
Disability: is a person who is prevented or hindered from any of the daily activities
person's environment.
9
Biological cause: That which is considered the foundation or origin of something
Method: Procedure followed to find the truth and improve the given state of something or
someone.
Disorder: Mild alteration in health, which hinders the person's state of ability.
sudden manner.
word or phrase that he or another person has just pronounced in his presence.
Chapter scheme
Chapters
2. Demonstrate and denounce the limitations that children with autism suffer in
society
3. Point out the treatment that the Children's Neuropsychiatric School uses with
4. Explain the forms of communication that children with autism use and know ways
10
Chapter 1
disability that typically appears during the first three years of life . ”
disorder of the development of brain functions. This syndrome can be observed during
the first 30 months of life and continues for the rest of your life. It shows 3 basic types of
symptoms: impaired language and communication, limited social competence, and little
stimulation surrounding it. It occurs in approximately fifteen out of every 10,000 births and
is four times more common in boys than girls. It has been found throughout the world in
families from all racial, ethnic and social backgrounds. No known factor in the
11
psychological environment has been shown to cause the illness of a child suffering from
Autism. The symptoms are caused by physical disorders of the brain. They include:
affected: sight, hearing, touch, pain, balance, smell, taste, and the way a child carries out
body movements.
3. Speech and language are absent or delayed while specific thinking abilities may
be present.
autism occurs alone or in association with other disorders that affect brain functions; such
from retardation or mental disorders since diagnostic confusion can lead to the
application of inappropriate and ineffective techniques for its treatment. The severe form
of the syndrome may include extremely self-injurious, repetitive, and highly unusual and
Children with Autism demonstrate certain unusual behaviors. The typical behavior of an
movements and unusual obsessions with certain objects or actions. Rocking, rolling your
12
Lack of response to others, a considerable deterioration in communication, ranging
“echolalia”.
In social interaction, a child with autism can be very reserved and indifferent, which
produces a disorder in their social relationship. It is common for them not to respond to
their own name, and they do not look into the other person's eyes. Difficulty maintaining
eye contact.
They are hypersensitive to sound; they are indifferent to sounds that other people
find intolerant. They are excessively attracted to lights, touches, flavors and the
movement of objects.
There may be absences of specific skills, or on the contrary, the presence of skills
in areas where the child has normal or advanced ability is likely. Typical examples include
drawing ability, musical ability, arithmetic, calendar arithmetic, memory skills, perfect
When he is lifted, he does not provide any "help" ("it feels like lifting a sack of
Autism Etiology
There is no convincing theory about the cause of autism. There may be multiple causes.
So we will review some of the proposed causes. Most researchers are absolutely
convinced that the cause is biological and not psychological. Bernard Rimland's
Borderland in his book Childhood Autism (1965) cited the following evidence for a
biological genesis and against the idea that parents caused or made their children
autistic:
13
1. Some children with autism are born to parents who do not fit the autistic model of
2. Parents who fit the description of the supposed pathogenic parent almost
4. Children with autism are very unusual in their behavior" from the moment of birth. "
occurs more in males than in females. There is a constant ratio of three or four boys for
every girl.
6. Virtually all cases of twins reported in the literature have been identical twins, with
7. Autism can occur or closely simulate in children with organic brain damage.
9. There is an absence of steps of childhood autism that would create "blends" from
There is still controversy about neurological differences in the brains of children with
autism and the rest of the population. However, it appears from evidence obtained from
autopsies, MRI scans and PET scans that there are subtle cellular changes in the autistic
Autism, more than a problem that affects one person, is a disabling disorder that affects
the entire family. When parents try to describe living with a child with autism, they use
very different terms such as: painful, annoying, difficult, normal, complicated, very
satisfying, growing up, disappointing, traumatic and many others. The truth is that each
family, and within it each family member, is affected by the autistic member in a different
14
way. The impact that autism produces, in addition to varying in families and in the
individuals who form them, changes depending on the stage in which each one is.
The effect of autism is similar to that of any other permanent disability on a family
member, so several aspects that will be discussed here are common to several
disabilities.
Certainly, having a child with autism can be one of the most difficult experiences for
parents in particular, and for other children as well. It puts stress on the family, but it is
not an impossible situation to overcome. Many have managed to overcome it and their
experiences help others face the greatest source of worry, which is fear of the unknown.
Parents often feel bad because of the diversity, intensity and contradictory nature of the
feelings they have regarding their child with autism and the situation they are
experiencing. An effective help can be knowing that these feelings are normal, that other
parents have had them and that it is not shameful or bad to have these reactions, nor are
15
Episode 2
society
abnormality in speech and the way of interacting with people. Disability, then, is one of
the main problems that hinder the development and integration of people in society,
Because of this, many societies, including ours, have not cared about giving them equal
possible and not see them as people incapable of being useful to it.
Certainly, due to the complexity of his illness, science has not been able to determine
many of the primary factors such as its cause, which could be used to improve his quality
of life and that decreases not only the average of this but the way in which that they are
treated.
There is no specific medication to control autism itself, but there are medications to
improve some symptoms such as hyperactivity, sleep disorders, severe tantrums, lack of
attention, so the individual must maintain medical control, as well as the help of their
parents separately, who must receive training to understand and comprehend the
behaviors that they have and help them until the child gradually learns the simplest things
16
These children should receive therapy from the earliest age, as soon as the problem has
been identified. In the case of Costa Rica, they can receive early stimulation in the
Special Education Schools, in the SILOR, which are the programs of the Rehabilitation
Council that are located in Naranjo, San Carlos, Turrialba, Santa Cruz de Guanacaste,
Despite the many efforts made by different centers and organizations, we must say that
the culture of segregation has predominated with respect to coexistence with the disabled
population in our society. The prevailing isolation and denial of many are the social
An example of this are the special workshops, asylums and public service institutions
since they have served us to deny, forget and not assume responsibilities towards this
minority, with all the cost in the violation of human rights that people with disabilities
To represent the above we can take the workplace as an example. Although autistic
people can learn to perform certain specific tasks through special workshops, the
problem is the limitation that arises from the rejection of most people. This occurs due to
the isolation they suffer since it causes the ignorance of others, thus harming their
possible integration, referring in this case to employment contracting. We could also refer
to an extensive number of examples that demonstrate the limitations that are promoted
by the isolation that is given to them under the pretext of their treatment.
Law 7600 seeks to modify all types of services so that they can be used by the disabled
and seek their integration into society. Thus, adapt them to the use of this minority,
17
As for the education they receive, it is through early stimulation. This can be done in two
ways, the first is to give the opportunity for children to attend regular schools from an
Such is the case of Alonso, a young man with autism who, through the drawing
technique, was able to express many of his emotions. However, despite his desire to
learn, he could not do so since the method used with children with autism, It reaches a
degree, referring to special education centers and due to how poorly conditioned society
opportunities for social interaction and does not allow teachers to demand this, referring
in this case specifically to childhood. Since the most that autistic people aspire to is an
integration school or special education but not specialized in autistic people. However, it
also applies when they reach an older age, be it adolescence or adulthood, since they do
Lastly, children with autism are not legally considered legal persons since they do not
have volitional or cognitive capacity, so they do not have the capacity to act and all their
legal acts will be absolutely null. Including here contracts, agreements, donations, votes,
etc.,
Despite the mention of the many limitations suffered by autistic people in Costa Rica, it is
worth noting that in many countries around the world, such as the United States, children
with autism are enrolled in regular schools as long as possible and are given specialized
18
education. then helping them relate. Parallel to this, the States follow a series of laws
There are also special workshops that not only teach them certain tasks, but they have
an agreement with companies where they are hired, giving them the necessary
conditions for an appropriate work environment for them, thus demonstrating that many of
the limitations that are observed in our country, In addition to ignorance and lack of
support from society, it is negligence on the part of the State since they should require
companies to condition and condition their facilities and personnel to integrate disabled
people.
Chapter 3
Point out the treatment used by the Children's Neuropsychiatric School (ENI) with
19
Created in 1954, as the first school of its kind. The first location was at the National
Psychiatric Hospital. In 1963 the school was part of the MEP In 1987, a delimitation of the
population was made, since its creation was generally aimed at serving children with
At the ENI The normalization and integration of children and adolescents is sought, in
accordance with appropriate programs and treatments seeking to produce desired and
In 1992 the school served a population of 150 students whose ages ranged from 0 years
to 32 years.
They all come from different areas of the country and are attended to both individually
and collectively, depending on the degree to which each student's problem occurs.
The school's students show a marked deviation from the behavior patterns appropriate to
their age and what society stipulates as normal, therefore people who present, for
etc
As a procedure in IPD, care programs are promoted with a technical and philosophical
foundation and orientation that are determined by the use of behavioral techniques,
The aim is not the simple adaptation of the individual to the system but rather their
The work that is carried out daily with the children is divided into 8 modalities:
1. Early stimulation with children under 4 years of age who have been referred to the
20
2. Individual with children from 2 to 12 years old who require basic behavior
seated)
3. Perceptual Prekinder 1, with children from 4 to 7 years old who begin with a basic
repertoire of skills, knowledge, abilities and behaviors for their subsequent integration and
development.
4. Perceptual Kindergarten 2, with children from 6 to 9 years old who are followed up
on the work done in prekindergarten, but with curricular content at the preschool level.
5. High school, with children from 7 to 10 years old divided into 2 levels, some with a
high level of intellectual performance, but with disruptive behaviors and behavioral
disorders; and others with limited intellectual capacity and severe behavioral problems,
characteristics that make it difficult for them to integrate into the formal system. At both
6. School 1, with children from 7 to 12 years old integrated into the formal system
and attending the service as support to solve behavioral and academic problems.
7. Workshop – Practical skills, adolescents and young people who, due to their age,
require a behavioral repertoire that contemplates and emphasizes their needs in terms of
It should also be noted that the teaching staff is specialized in special education, with
emphasis on emotional disorders and others who are dedicated to teaching music and
This school is the only one in the country that serves children with autism. One of the
systems that teachers use to carry out work with them is Pictorial Agendas, in which a
21
graphic representation is made for the child of each of the activities they will carry out
during the day. This agenda includes even the simplest tasks, such as washing your
hands before eating, moving from one place to another, or picking up your belongings
Finally, it should be noted that 90% of the population is from low socioeconomic
resources.
Autism treatment.
Treatment for the person with autism should be focused on medical and special
education interventions.
Until now there is no cure for autism, but yes, interventions are designed to remedy
specific symptoms in each person who has this condition and the results obtained have
symptoms.
with boys and girls to help them develop social and language skills. Therapy should begin
at an early age. They learn faster, and more effectively, when they are very young. Early
Other therapies.
combat the onset of some types of deafness, but it was treated in an autistic girl and
cured her. Since then it has not produced any cures, but has been credited with achieving
children with autism show an extreme aversion to certain sounds, and with auditory
22
training they have lost their aversion and exhibited further reductions in autism
symptoms.
people who are overly sensitive to the five senses beyond their limiting capacity to cope
with sensory experiences, e.g., swinging, tumbling, jumping and spinning. Usually
Play Therapy Play therapy broadly consists of the therapist playing with the child while
speaking to the child and trying to very discreetly induce the child into dialogue. The goal
is to help the child acquire language and the functional knowledge of every day of life that
all of us require. The method is to use play, which is a component of a typical child's
Be patient and respect their rhythm. Try to understand the needs of the boy or girl
Tell him when he has done things well. Encourage work without errors, reinforce it
without errors and immediately. Remember that when they do not achieve success, they
23
This workshop was developed by the group Association for Behavioral Change, in the
techniques (BCT), on excessive or deficient behavior of children in general and not only
The training seeks to ensure that parents themselves, using CCT, are able to increase
less deficient behaviors, reduce or eliminate excessive ones, or maintain the desired
The programming of this workshop was defined for a duration of 9 weeks of training. The
written materials that the workshop provides are prepared in such a way that the
participant makes use of a manual on which they gradually work while receiving other
materials week by week that indicate the steps to follow to complete the tasks and
The materials that are given each week have defined objectives for each session and a
gradual succession of content, which is related to an ascending level of demand. For this
reason, participants must assume the responsibility of assimilating the contents step by
step. The manual that each participant has was designed to complete the materials for
As the workshop progresses, 29 specific steps are required to follow in order to make
changes in the children's behavior. It contains forms, grid sheets for graphs and
evaluation sheets necessary to complete the steps, all in order to keep rigorous and
periodic records that allow observing the behavioral evolution of the children and the
principles and techniques that parents must apply, always summarizing the content
previously seen. And at the end of each session, not only is the task of reading the
24
material seen, but also other additional ones, in addition to doing a small evaluation test
Finally, the contents that the workshop covers are the following:
In Costa Rica, medical care for people with emotional and behavioral problems has been
provided for many years, but it can be noted that their school care is recent, considering
that in 1939 the first steps were taken to create health care services. special education,
and until 1957 the first educational service for emotional disorders in the country was
established, at the Manuel Antonio Chapuí Hospital, where care was provided to children
Subsequently, as part of the Hospital Schools project, the ENI, the Franklin Delano
Roosevelt Preventotory and the Corazón de María Special School were created, for the
educational care of boys, girls and adolescents with emotional disorders and significant
In 1979, the University of Costa Rica opened a degree in Emotional Disorders, for the
training of specialists in the care of the population with emotional and behavioral
problems in schools.
25
Upon detecting the need for greater attention in this area, at the national level, the
Special Education Department of the Ministry of Public Education created the Resource
Classroom Service for emotional disorders in 1982, located in the first Jesús Jiménez
school in Cartago.
It should be noted that in 1987, by decree No. 17599, the Department of Special
Education of the Ministry of Public Education became the General Advisory of Special
Education, creating, among others, the National Advisory on Emotional Disorders. The
main function of the latter is to propose policies in this area and implement them for their
This consultancy has provided more specific guidance to the support services provided
by the Ministry of Public Education related to emotional and behavioral problems, hence
When we talk about the rights of children, we also talk about the rights of children with
autism, since they are both children, small human beings for whom adults must be
responsible in a society.
Children with autism have the same rights as all others, the Declaration of the Rights of
the Child, approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations on November 20,
“The child will enjoy all the rights set forth in this declaration.
These rights will be recognized for all children without any exception or distinction or
discrimination based on race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinions,
national or social origin, economic position, birth or other status, whether of the child
26
And we still continue to differentiate between children with autism as if they do not have
Article 2 mentions protection, opportunities and services for optimal development; as well
Just because a child has autism does not mean that he or she should remain locked up in
his or her home or be unable to do the same activities as others. (Go to the movies, a
Article 4 talks about the social security of good health, the right to enjoy food, housing,
Article 5 is very clear when it says: “A child who is physically or mentally handicapped or
who suffers from any social handicap must receive the special treatment, education and
care that his or her particular case requires.” Not even parents can take this right away
With article 6, the child's need for love and understanding is mentioned, for the full
development of his personality; However, many of these children do not have their
parents and are forced to stay in institutions like PANI, where the last thing they are given
is love.
The child must fully enjoy games and recreation, which must be oriented towards the
goals pursued by education; Society and public authorities will strive to promote the
Finally, article 10 protects the child against practices that may encourage racial, religious,
If we reflect and enforce each of these rights, children with autism would have better
27
Likewise, we can remember law 7600:
This law, titled in our country as the law of equal opportunities for people with disabilities,
is divided into chapters, like any law. Each chapter responds to a title such as: Education,
social work, health, transportation and others. This law is aimed at ensuring a quality life
It had its years of grace, giving the opportunity for the respective accesses to be
developed in institutions and public roads. Currently, that time has ended and the law is
applied accordingly.
disabilities, both in public and private centers and this education ranges from early
Chapter 4
Explain the forms of communication that children with autism use and know ways
Forms of communication
interact with other people and make our needs, feelings and thoughts known.
28
Unlike the majority, children with autism have a language and communication disorder.
This does not mean that they cannot use their voice, nor that they do not express their
Some of the forms of communication that these children use are the following:
sounds, which in a large number of cases occurs without the objective of transmitting a
message, however, cases have been found in which echolalia can be functional. When
asked something like, “Do you want to eat?” , they repeat the question even with the
same intonation, “do you want to eat?”, associating the sound with the action of eating.
They also repeat the phrase without hearing it first, as a way of expressing their desire or
need.
This language is common in children who are just beginning to speak and continues until
they are approximately 6 years old. You should not try to hastily correct them when they
use incorrect expressions, but rather try to ask questions in a different way, showing the
A very common form of communication for children with autism is “the crane
phenomenon” in which they do not point with their finger at the object they want to have,
but instead grab the other person's hand and take it to the object, using the that person's
hand like a crane, which is a machine to grab things. At other times, they tend to point out
Despite their little interest in making friends, and generally preferring to be alone, they do
not interact in games, avoid eye contact, do not smile at people they might be familiar
with, such as their teachers or parents, and do not seem to notice. of the existence of
other people, children with autism also have a lot to offer and if you learn to treat them
29
Ways to interact with children with autism
When we find ourselves in the presence of a boy or girl with autism we should not feel
uncomfortable. Rather, look for the best way to approach them, without discriminating
We should try to communicate using clear and simple words in a calm manner. It is also
necessary.
Although we know that there is a good chance that they will not respond to us, let's try to
greet them in a friendly manner, call them by name and explain things in detail.
Seeing a change in the environment, they become upset. We should not believe that they
are bad breeding or evil. Although they sometimes seem a little mischievous, they have
no bad intentions. So we must be patient, because when things do not work as they want,
Children with autism should not be treated as sick, but as people who need to learn
certain behaviors. The ideal way to interact is in a friendly and educational way.
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Conclusion
Children with autism are valuable people who deserve to be respected and have their
rights asserted. Furthermore, if we get to know them, we can realize that in reality they
are not so mysterious or strange and that on the contrary, we can learn many things from
them as people.
This research leaves the door open to invite us to leave discrimination and fear of what
we do not know, and thus accept those who are different from us.
Our Costa Rican society could be capable, not only of accepting people with autism, but
also of giving them a space for their entire personal development, however this will not be
It is important to stop and stop thinking only about ourselves. We can learn a lot from
boys and girls with autism and we can help them a lot if we understand that the only thing
that keeps us from boys and girls with autism is ourselves, our ignorance and fear of the
unknown.
31
Bibliography
http://www.margen.org/ninos/derech4k.html
32
Exhibit
Interview:
Due to his extensive experience, he easily recognizes children with autism, “just looking
at it makes me realize it.” For her, they have a beautiful face, they are “handsome” or
It says that they consider themselves to be the smart ones and us to be the stupid ones.
People reject them because they don't understand them. They are egocentric, because
They always repeat their actions, says Helga, they walk in the same place for example
and take a different step, returning as many times as necessary until they manage to do it
as always. One learns from their rituals, mentioning what are called stereotypes. For her,
33
they live in the world of “rainbow brain” and no child with autism is the same as another,
even if their behaviors are similar. Helga says that food is very important to them.
After I was born, my mother had surgery, she tied her tubes, at that time it was what was
done, because she no longer wanted to have any more children because she had three
who “fucked” a lot. However, Jeffrey was born. She became depressed and rejected him
because in addition to not wanting another child, this one was different, he was autistic.
I grew up with him, I watched him a lot, I learned from him and his behaviors. I remember
when we took him to the children's neuropsychiatric school that was then in the
Psychiatric Hospital. Before taking him there they didn't know what he had but the school
diagnosed him. He was something strange because he is the first autistic black man in
Costa Rica. When I was 4 years old and he was barely 3, I had to assume the role of
mother and my parents reinforced it to the point of saying that the child was mine. I had to
stop, “I love him very much but I didn't give birth to him, I'm just his sister.”
It was also difficult for me, because I didn't socialize with people until I was nine years
old, I didn't speak, I had a teacher at school who pinched me because I didn't answer. My
mom came home from work and asked me, where is Jeffrey? I told him: “playing in his
room with the red car, for about two hours.” My house is set up for him, because I need
peace, before we had a curtain on the kitchen door and I had to develop my hearing a lot
because every time he came in I had to yell at him to get out. Then we put the door up
like the one in his room, which is completely noise-proof, because sometimes he has
34
insomnia and can go two days without sleeping or more and I don't, so that way he
He always listens to me, I think he also assumed that I was his mother, he never gets
angry with me, I understand him very well. The rejection with my mother is mutual, I must
give her medication because otherwise she has aggressive seizures against her, once on
a date I hit her and that's why we admitted him to the psychiatric hospital for a month, I
was twelve years old, and I missed it a lot while was not there When he returned he was
very “attached” to me and since I know that they like me being on top of them, I put his
head on his lap, I thought that as always what he would do was push me and go to his
room, but instead That's when he started caressing my head, I thought it was because he
missed me.
I started as an “adoren” at school, only on the days he went and I learned many things,
but I didn't want just that and since I had friends there, they later integrated me as part of
the staff. I do not agree with the system that the school uses, in this country children with
autism have no future, in other places they work in factories, bakeries or milking cows. If I
could set up a center in a house in the middle of San José, I would put a center in a farm
where they could have a life, and not always have to be locked up. Why teach them to
write their name, they are not going to sign checks or give autographs, it is better to teach
Sometimes I would like to share this position with someone else, what is called “giving up
power” but no one wants it; However, I love Jefrey and if they invented a pill that would
change him and make him normal it would be as if they had killed him.
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