My original plan for this week had been a brief toe dive into our recent public therapy outings. After reading Denise’s comment on Hannah’s post last week, and after reflecting on a comment I myself made to someone else someplace else on-line this past week, I decided to keep everyone’s toes waiting at the edge of our therapy strategies pool just another week more.

The issue of inadequate appropriate representation for individuals with all types of disabilities in films and other forms of media is one I don’t just see in our country’s culture. Recently I was watching “El Faro De Las Orcas” on Netflix (my own recent health journey has caused me to adjust the balances of my own schedule to include slightly more rest and relaxation). While the movie overall is beautifully filmed and artistically emotive, as I watched the young actor portraying an individual with Autism, I felt like I wasn’t watching any version of Autism I had seen in real life.

As the credits started to roll across my phone, I read that the films events were loosely based on actual happenings, and then the first picture came up of the real-life inspiration for the Autistic character. I immediately noted in his eyes a depth of expression I felt was completely missing in the portrayal. Of course, as a side note, I became curious at this point and asked Google a few things, which led me to a book written by the other real life person one of the characters was based upon (Roberto Bubas). Perhaps soon I will begin to read that one, I am certainly interested to see what his reflections would be about the events that transpired if they are included.

I think far too often individuals with Autism are misrepresented as either lacking emotion or being incapable of love. I have been Tony’s mother now for nearly nine years, and never once have I ever doubted that he loved me. In fact, when I think of how Tony loves people, and he loves more than just me, I can only describe the depth of what he feels as a love so sincere. A love that may not show up in displays of cooperation, but a love that formed without reference to how I look or what groups I belong to.

He shows it in so many ways, from giving me surprise bear hug squeezes with a laughing grin to laying next to me much of the day for the first few days after I came home from my visit to the ER for an elevated heart rate. Even medicated for his ADHD that really isn’t something we see from him. But there he was, trying to engage with me at the level I was capable of on his crash pad (a small space between us of course, because he does not like to cuddle), giggling as I tickled him, his eyes filled with the confidence of one who loves and is loved in return.

Yeah, he may not outwardly show the same range of emotion as some people, but he definitely has and displays a number of stereotype busting feelings. And I certainly wish that more people could see him like I do. As a mother, I hope some day we can all move past the misunderstandings that lead to the creation of such caricatures of Autism or other disabilities in media portrayals.

Today I wanted to catch as many of his smiles and enjoyment as I could in pictures from our morning walk to share. This was the kind of glorious morning here where the balmy gaze of the sun showers one in peacefulness, and every gentle stroke of the breeze infused my spirit with germinating joy. We both were quite frankly loving it, but our little man is a bit mischievous, and most every time I tried to get a picture he would either turn away or give me the stink eye.

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I have been having the same problem trying to get pictures of him working with his PT of the past several months, Miss Justine. He laughs and tries to hide for those. I managed to successfully catch a few of his smiles though, but given how precious and pleasant the experience was, I didn’t want to devote too much of my time to the attempts, so I have sprinkled in a couple pictures of him enjoying life from other days as well. Tony, my son, who like his sister, shows love so sincere.