Monday, December 19, 2022

AUTISM from a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE - by Giovanni Tommasini and Maria Teresa De Donato - Review by Maria Cristina Buoso

 AUTISM from a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

- Cesare's successful story -

by Giovanni Tommasini and Maria Teresa De Donato

 

Review by Maria Cristina Buoso

 




Today I want to tell you about a book that deals with an increasingly current topic because it has been found that it is increasing compared to the past: autism.

This pathology has long been considered a ‘disease.’ Over time, however, through studies and research, it has been understood that it is a neurodevelopment disorder.  The latter is characterized by the difficulty of interacting socially because it is impossible to have verbal and physical communication between those born with the condition and family members or others with whom autistic individuals come into contact for one reason or another.

It’s like two worlds collide without ever merging because they don’t speak the same language.

In this book, the authors present the story of a little boy and his educator over a very long time.  Through this story, we learn to understand reality better that many of us ignore and how, little by little, we can know how to interact with these people and better understand the drama experienced by family members, often left on their own.

It’s a story of hope and discovery but also of a beautiful relationship between two people who didn’t know each other and slowly learned to know each other growing up together.  The boy is called Cesare, and his educator is Giovanni Tommasini.

The latter treated the topic in the book with the help of Maria Teresa De Donato, naturopath, through considerations, questions, and a narrative that involves the reader making him understand some problems from a different point of view, that from that of the autistic person.

“… If I speak a different language ... it must not be him who adapts to me but I who try to speak his language.”

This is logical if we consider that the autistic person does not have the tools to understand or interpret correctly other people’s language they might be confronted with and must learn to trust them.  The educator, in turn, must understand how to interact with him, respecting his time calmly and with great patience.

Who is autistic is as if he were “shattered  .”We must, therefore, find a way to create a bridge between two worlds that are seen but do not understand each other.  In this book, the authors describe the path taken, the precautions needed for those living with this pathology, and how even a tool such as music can help them in everyday life.

Tommasini’s personal experience and his sensitivity have been significant in this journey that he has made with Cesare.  The questions Giovanni asked himself during this experience with Cesare forced him to look for answers.  The questions and analysis about the uniqueness of thought, perception, and sensitivity of autistic people by Maria Teresa De Donato, who has approached everything from a holistic and multidisciplinary perspective, are all fundamental.  They all help the reader understand how to treasure it to support other autistic children and teenagers.

I recommend reading this publication for many reasons.  It is a fiction book that can be read effortlessly.  It is socially helpful as it allows us to understand a pathology better than many of us know only by name without knowing that it has many variables and that autistic people have many colors inside them.  Still, they don’t know how to let us know them if we don’t learn to understand their world better.

Enjoy the reading.