AUTISM from a DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
- Cesare's successful story -
by Giovanni Tommasini and Maria Teresa De Donato
Review by Maria
Cristina Buoso
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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.
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