Bridging different worlds from "summary" of The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson
"Bridging different worlds" is a concept that is central to the journey my family embarked upon as we sought to help our son, Rowan, who has autism. We found ourselves navigating the divide between the neurotypical world and the world of autism, a chasm that often feels insurmountable. Each world has its own rules, its own language, its own expectations - and they don't always align. In the neurotypical world, communication is largely verbal, social interactions follow certain norms, and there is a premium placed on conformity and compliance. In the world of autism, communication can be nonverbal or atypical, social interactions can be challenging, and there is a resistance to conformity that can be both beautiful and bewildering. The two worlds seem to operate on different frequencies, making it difficult for someone like Rowan, who straddles both, to find his place. Our journey involved literal bridging as well. We traveled to Mongolia, a land far removed from our urban life in Texas, in search of healing for Rowan. In Mongolia, we encountered a culture that has a fundamentally different relationship with autism. Rather than seeing it as a deficit to be corrected or a problem to be solved, the Mongolians view autism as a gift, a shamanic calling. They believe that individuals with autism have a unique connection to the spirit world, and that their behaviors are not symptoms of a disorder but expressions of a deeper wisdom. Through our experiences in Mongolia, we began to see autism in a new light. We started to understand that Rowan's behaviors were not random or meaningless, but were meaningful expressions of his inner world. We learned to communicate with him in ways that honored his unique way of being, rather than trying to force him to fit into the mold of neurotypical expectations. In doing so, we were able to bridge the gap between our world and his, finding a shared language that transcended words. This concept of bridging different worlds is not just about autism and neurotypicality, or about Western and Mongolian cultures. It is about the universal human experience of seeking connection and understanding across divides of all kinds - whether they be cultural, linguistic, or neurological. It is about recognizing the inherent value of diversity, and the richness that comes from engaging with perspectives that are different from our own. By embracing this concept, we were able to embark on a transformative journey that brought us closer together as a
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