Published on 12, July, 2020
Over the past 6 months I have been reaping-my-way through the post-diagnosis autistic service-provision, after all of the searching and hunting for answer, I have been left with a reasonable-suspicion that my initial hypothesis is true. That the field of autism lacks awareness and provision, such that only becoming your owe saviour, is the only sure way of freedom.
But this cannot be done alone, especially in the case of the incompetent and illiterate, success can only be assured though amateur-means and interest-fuelled increment, such as I am. When practiced and exposed enough the autist themself becomes the artist. But alongside the different-aspect off autism, there is also the spared-functional-aspect the side that requires a mentor and peers, to help an autist consider the extremity-and-rigidity and provide proactivity in supporting impairments.
So that begs the question of: What is sanctuary to an autistic-person? Is it a number of things balanced, or is it the glue that binds these things, or it is peer and mentor review such as is observed in this forum? Is it the opportunity for safe-exposure to threats? It is protection and safety from threats and fear?
Also what resources can an autist consider reliable and effective? Because to me it is not to be found in the upper-echelons of professional practice, nor can it be found reliably in operational service-provision, to me it has only been found amongst this forum and within my own skill-and-interest..
DeSpereaux said:Also what resources can an autist consider reliable and effective? Because to me it is not to be found in the upper-echelons of professional practice, nor can it be found reliably in operational service-provision, to me it has only been found amongst this forum and within my own skill-and-interest.
The advantage of this forum is that its members are often coming from a similar place and/or perspective - you are likely to find empathy here, and empathy can lead to validation, which we all benefit from as humans.
In an NT-dominated world, empathy and validation can be painfully lacking, as I'm sure most of us have experienced at some point.
Perhaps then, this forum can be - indeed is - a sanctuary to its people.
Beyond the basic and generic requirements of life, like a safe and secure place to live, an environment you can control to an acceptable extent, sufficient means to live - which are the foundations on which the rest rests -
Sanctuary can potentially be found in people (astonishing but occasionally true) and animals, interests and ideas...
If it is to have a single defining characteristic, then Sanctuary is the sense of peace, security and serenity that allows you to be, and more fully become, yourself.
That's it, I think...
Pegg.
I love that Pegg, sanctuary then is validation, sanctuary starts at the moment of admission into a place that arrests you of your burdens, even if temporary.
Sanctuary is the moment of authentication, the beep of a train-ticket at a barrier, that tells you that you need not worry again until you reach your destination..