ANOTHER WAY OF SEEING AND KNOWING
What a unique and genuinely insightful article on autism by Mary Kay Blakely (“A Place of Belonging,” May 15). There was a bagful of raw and honest life lessons in that piece. Donna Williams may not actually “enjoy” that there’s such an article about her, but I’ll bet she doesn’t mind it.
PAMELA LAWSON
Los Angeles
Although I am not, so far as I know, autistic, I found myself identifying with many of the defensive patterns listed by Blakely. The article introduced me to “another way of seeing, another way of knowing.”
Donna’s and Paul’s “systems to keep the ‘self’ from disappearing during frightening emotions” are echoed within my own life. I have been unaware of how strongly influenced I am by patterns from my own experiences. As I read the article, I realized that I constantly regurgitate lines of dialogue from my past instead of responding to a situation in a thinking manner.
Donna’s descriptions of “bright spots of translucent color dancing before her eyes” parallels my own experiences, and I have never comprehended why other people didn’t understand what I was talking about. Now, if I can just learn who or what my “self” is . . . .
JERALD L. GRAHAM
Irvine
My beautiful 8-year-old “attention deficit hyperactive disorder” son, alternately described as brilliant and impossible, has provided an immense and often overwhelming challenge for me. What I learned from Blakely’s story is that many of the complex operations and “malfunctions” of his mind are similar to those of Donna and Paul, and therefore I have derived great hope from reading how these two special people have learned to deal with and overcome them.
Thank you for providing a window of hope.
JANIS HENDLER
Studio City
After reading Blakely’s article, I will forever regret that I cannot sing a song “written by birds” nor feel all that Donna feels and sees in her very special world.
MARY ELIZABETH FIELD
Alhambra
What a remarkable thing it must be to be so aware of each and every external sound and color, indeed to be able to see things that ordinary people cannot, yet be thrown into hopeless despair by the touch or look of another human being. Is that the terrible price Donna must pay for being able to learn the music of the birds?
JULIA SPIEGELMAN
Agoura Hills
I recently retired from a 20-year mainstream-education teaching career, during which I had the privilege of teaching one autistic student. This young man made it into regular classes through his own efforts and a tremendous amount of love and work on the part of his adoptive parents. If I had been able to read an article like Blakely’s in those days, I might have been better able to understand the obstacles that student had to overcome on a daily basis.
JANET MC DONALD
Orange
Finally, someone who truly understands. Donna’s lifestyle, moving in a “red” world, sounded so much like mine. However, African Americans call it “assimilation,” or “living in a redneck world.” The big difference, of course, is that racism isn’t an acknowledged illness, and, therefore, we have no medication with which to control it.
MELLISSA TRUITT
Canyon Lake