Autism

[gjhzyy]

It is wonderful.

 

[wbrandsma]

i enjoy these photos very much. what camera & film?

No film, but a Ricoh GR Digital III with some Photoshop editing.

So profound, Wouter — I have just seen these photos for the first time and am blown away by your words and their power and your situation.

Then, perhaps, the two of you might be able to collaborate on a book, perhaps with a photo of his on one page and one of yours on the facing one, with him having major input in the sequencing and perhaps even in any words that might (or might not) grow out of it all.

Hi Irenaeus, He completely lost interest in the camera. It takes too much time and he still prefers his Lego and dinosaurs.

Great imagery. Have you considered a keyboard/synthesizer/sequencer? My son was a handful (diagnosed ADHD) and while him taking pictures occupied him on occasion (especially doing time lapse stills), he also found some interesting "space" playing one of my keyboards, picking out weird sounds and layering them. Visual and aural and kind of different "channels" and can get to different spots in the brain/soul. I have midi recordings from when my son was 5-6 years old that are pretty amazing. Thankfully he's now going on 13 and mostly "grew out" of his handfullness. Well...some of the time

We have been considering music as a form of therapy. He loves music and helps him create order.

Wouter, my daughter has aspergers. I know exactly what you are portraying. Nice work.

My thoughts are with you Mike.

Thank you all for your encouraging comments and taking the time to see my photographs.

 

[benneh]

One of my three sons has Autism as well....he sees the world in a much more beautiful way than most humans.....but that's sometimes hard to remember....

I can relate completely to your post and the pictures and what it all means.

Breathe ;-)

 

[wbrandsma]

Thank you benneh. All the best with your family. Maybe the hardest part for us is actually trying to understand both their worlds. Learning every inch feels like a milestone, as long as we are getting closer to them and they not moving further away from us.

 

[smokysun]

just ran across this. it might be helpful and inspiring for those of you with autistic children:

http://www.olivefilms.com/Documentaries.13/Docurama.3/Autism__The_Musical__DVD_.4507.html

wayne
www.pbase.com/wwp

 

[Snapshot]

Hi Wouter,

I just came across this thread. Thanks so much for sharing the pictures and your thoughts and feelings. As a father of two young children I am very touched by them.

"Heel veel sterkte!"

Best,
Selmar

 

[wbrandsma]

Dank je wel, Selmar.

And Wayne, you might also want to have a look at The Horse Boy.

All the best for 2010.

 

[kit laughlin]

Wouter, one of my students is autistic; in his case, definitely no disability, at all—rather, a narrowness of focus (if I may) that has within it its own gifts; its own unique perspective. As well, if I may say, your son at eight years old, is perhaps not able to be 'read' yet in the ordinary world: his gifts (and surely they are there, waiting to unfold) have not been seen, so far.

And, personally (like dickinsonjon, above?), had I been your son's age now, I am sure that I would have been diagnosed with Asberger's (at least!). That this was not the case has not hindered me in the slightest. It's all good, truly.

Lastly, lovely images. Definitely how I see the world—all the ordinary things that excite me tremendously, yet are so often missed by people standing right next to me, ostensibly seeing the same things. Thanks you, sincerely. The book suggestion, using your present gear, is an excellent idea.

@ Jono; you wrote:

So I guess that I'm asking whether the pictures are an attempt to define your feelings, or an effort to indicate his feelings.

From one perspective (a viewer with no context given, like when in a gallery with images and no words) it does not matter, it seems to me. What do the images say (or not say) to you? My guess (and that's all) is that Wouter is attempting to depict the reality he thinks/feel his son experiences. cheers all, kl