Conversation with a Man from Germany-part1

LOKING for a COMMON INTEREST

 -In  order to start with a topic: Why are you interested in autism? For a special reason I am interested in it too, but it is not very important for me.
-I used to work with autistic kids for many years. What is Your interest about ? Then maybe we could find a common interest about autism
- I suffer from an environmental illness (probably), so I am interested in people getting ill from chemicals, heavy metals and alike, and I know that there is a debate about autism and vaccination. Official medicine and mainstream media say: “That's just a conspiracy theory, based on a faked study published by Andrew Wakefield. Serious studies have shown that there is no connection.”
- If I had no experience with this kind of topics I would probably believe that. But I know that
- They also lie about mercury tooth fillings and about MCS, i.e. about issues where people have been harmed and somebody would have to pay for it. They always have studies to "proof" their lies in such cases.  There are several studies with different methods showing that there is a connection between autism and mercury (and the debate about vaccines is about the mercury inside the vaccines). That there is a connection between intestinal bacteria and autism, but the problem there is a toxin again, produced by the bacteria.  In Italy one or several vaccines were excluded from the market after cases of autism. So I'm interested in what is the truth in this case? Is this question of interest for you?
-The point is that children without vaccine also have autism, but vaccine, especially this one is harmful thing. I've read they put cheap garbage there …And No, that is not my interest. And what I can do about that? My interest is development of kids. So far there is no ONE proven theory about autism
-There might be different types of autism (that's why they call it autism spectrum) with different reasons. I already mentioned the bacteria. The question is: When is a theory "proven" or "recognized"? These words are powerful; they can be used as political means. Your interest is the development of kids, but only the educational part, right? What improvements did you see with autistic children?
- “Spectrum” means differently affected and different way of functioning. In Russia they change the problem-after 18 yo its already schizophrenia. I believe a child needs to function independently as much as possible, has a system of communication. For that there is a need to get him out of his world
I worked a lot with low- functioning non-verbal kids
-Ah, you have to get him out of his limited world, ok
-yes
-What percentage was male?
- 1 girl to 4 boys
-How to get them out of their world and don't they reject it? I guess they don't like it
-It depends. Read about Mirror Neurons. They are needed for imitation environment. Autism has problem here
- Ahhhh. Therefore the problems with reading faces
- Yes,  its a part of it-reading body language altogether. Official system uses 'animal training" for autism. I do differently. I can easily get to their world, make nice safe connection with a child and then we together move out
-Sounds logical. How does the animal training work? Conditioning?
- Instructor shows cookie and asks a child to perform action
-Oh. What would a typical action be a child would be asked to do?
-Waving “hello, goodbye"--social stuff. They try to make a child look as much "normal" as possible
-Is the official way in your country the same as in the US or in the EU?
- The system ABA is popular everywhere in the world. Autism is a big business.
-Have you considered writing a book about your method?
-I did, In Russian, but they stole it
-Published your ideas with another author name?
-I published a few articles, but I cannot use my method because I do not have enough credits to work with it. Professionals use it
-Ok I read about ABA. It's the behavioral approach, not yours. There's an intense debate about ABA in Germany
- Yes, it's helpful and harmful at the same time. My system is more as phototherapy and fits approach of Soviet psychologists. Here is the article if somebody could be interested
It says that my method develops mental ability of a child, but I cannot prove it as I have no official right to do that-need a research.
-Ok, I understand. You could try to spread your method among parents worldwide. Who are your co-authors? Also I'm interested how your book was stolen. And did you contact researchers to make them interested in your concept? When you said "I go to their world and then together we move out", this was immediately convincing. But when I started to read the pdf, it didn't seem to be something really revolutionary or important.

COMMENT

 I did not think about impressing readers. I tried to show the idea as correct фтв гтвукыефтвфиду as possible. It was not easy. And I did not succeed. people pay attention to different things. Actually I cannot do that-influence the readers. I can motivate and inspire kids, but failed to motivate adults to develop their kids

PROJECT or SYSTEM

- I guess that the spontaneous idea of readers is that a photobook project is a temporary thing and thus not a long term concept of education. Maybe it should not be a photobook concept but "photos as means of communication with and motivation for children with autism". Just as a feedback and inspiration.

-Why creating photobooks? A few reasons
  It involves a lot of different skills which child is learning during the process. It’s not fun, BUT a child is inspired by the purpose of the book; for example -a present for his dad. Some kids can do only the simplest steps on book creating at the beginning and learn the others in process. As it includes a lot of learning-they learn new things in the process-learn many skills and many concepts while working towards the END of the process-to get a product. And on that process we are team at work-co-authors, working together. For inspiration you use child's personality-different motivations to complete work. Its NOT easy actually to understand my system.

Now imagine situation. We worked hard with a child to create photobook about different fun places in his neighborhood-with addresses and descriptions of the places
Goal-teacher in his class shows the book in front of all students "Look what Mickle made for us. Now we can try new places to go. Thanks Michael. Great job!"
Guess What?
Mom forgot to send photobook to school and inform teacher. Also she forgot where she put the photobook…they had a big house. It was nothing for her, because she followed behavior plan giving to her by professional-popular "token economy".  After that I left position. Her kid was not easy to motivate for doing that photobook work. I managed to motivate him, he cooperated and learned many new things,  but I failed to motivate mom to send it to school

-Publisher never contacted me after payment
-Did you pay them money for publishing? Because you said you never got any money
-Yes I pay for publishing. After that they stop communicating. They did the same to many people, not only to me....and they still working, still on the market ..Liteo!!! Hard to believe...but that is what has happened

-Have you considered writing an easy e-book for parents and professionals and publish it on Amazon? Or with Amazon CreateSpace they could even print it on demand. You would make a little money and your method would be spread. Additionally you could open a website where the readers could tell their experience with the method. Or a forum to discuss the best way to use it. Could be a Facebook group too. This would be a feedback for you and advertising for the book in the same time. I know a professional translator, who is working in English, German and Spanish. He could help publishing it in several languages. There will always be parents who don't comply, publishers who cheat, researchers who don't care etc. You must find a way to spread your word nevertheless.

CANNOT find a WAY ANYMORE

-Cannot do it alone any longer. I used to have huge website-it’s gone. I have tons of different material and projects, but cannot do it myself any more-too much negative experience connected to that and I do not know Why?
- Ok, are you interested in getting in touch with the  man I told you? If he is interested, maybe he could do a big part of the work for you. I don't know him for a long time, but I met him one time and I trust him. Of course you would have to share the profits.
-Yes, of course if he is interested. I always use any opportunity. How do you know whom to trust and whom not? I'm lost completely in that "department"
-Finally you never know, but you can see what someone says and does. E.g. if someone wants to make the world a better place. Ok, I sent him a message. Let's wait and see. To write the book for parents you would have to write it in Russian and translate it into English yourself, and then my friend would correct the English version and translate it into German and Spanish. That would cover a huge part of the world
- I have a book in Russian but I cannot translate it in English myself-my English is not so great. But I have another book in English
-How was the book in English written? Who was the target audience?
-Everybody connected to special kids
-Who owns the copyright of it?
- I didn't publish it
- Ok good. I got a message from my friend and I sent him the link to your paper and gave him some basic information. We will see if he is interested
-what is his occupation?
-He is a professional translator, at the moment without a job
-O, he need a job, an income, I cannot provide it for him
- Of course you cannot. The idea is that you publish together the e- book in several languages and share the profits. Nothing else. He has some other income
-O,I see, good!
- Why do you use an euphemism for autistic children?
- Which one?
-Special children. Were there more?
-Special children include kids with different kinds of disabilities-Down Syndrome, autism, and so on. It’s kind of a broader term. I used to work with all kinds of disabilities, including adults with psychiatric issues. But autism now is in focus and so different from other issues
-Why different? How?
-They could be taken out of that state. Read about Temple Grandin
- Some people with down syndrome reach similar things. And is Temple Grandin "taken out of that state"? Have you ever heard about Dietrich Klinghardt?

-I do believe that autistic child (because of problem with mirror neurons) cannot communicate productively with human world. A child sees “The bigger picture” of everything and get scared...find refuges in his own closed from others world. It is just a personal belief-nothing more. Sometimes I share it. That is why I carefully enter that world as a pleasant addition-bring nice things, follow the child path...till the certain point. The point is when a child start to feel my value in his world and starts  using me for his advantages (as any other child) , then  I start to present myself as something different and independent from him with my own agenda. And here the most amazing part starts-" fight for Power" and a child's Personality coming out and many of his hidden abilities and talents
-What is your value in his world?
- I give him understanding-it’s important! I follow his path and not make him to do what I want for cookie. It feels good. And I bring him a lot of fun
-So, the basic advantage of your method is a better way of motivating the child. Then I have two questions.
Question one- Isn’t it hard to understand his world and guess how you can make yourself useful for him?
Question two- What you tell me is more general than the photobook project. Why don't you spread your general approach, why do you put it in the more special photobook concept?
- Motivation, yes, not the food as ABA, but motivation based on personality traits and personal interest
Q#1 -no, to me it’s not difficult
Q #2 it is a phototherapy. Officially I cannot present that-not enough official credits. I can be punished for that
-I should read your paper but where is the time to do so?

-It’s written in academic language-hard reading, but the book in Russian is simple one. And I have so much different material. It'd be great if somebody would work with -share the profit and if that could be a parent of autistic kid and will have double interest-it'd be great really.
-Unfortunately I don't speak Russian. My friend the translator wrote to me "I know nothing about this topic". I sent him your links, but I am not very hopeful, that he wants to do it. Did you search someone for this task in autism parents' forum? There you might find that ideal person. Or ask a translator who already translated health and psychology books.
- All my attempts for cooperation were not good. I have to hope on "miracles" Or do the meditation-visualization.  Once I did for autistic boy and I got exactly the one I wanted-worked with him for many years
-Well ...
-I think the problem now is that people do not trust each other and see some "hidden motives” behind of everything . Also I think with my approach I let a child to feel that he is important as a person, as a subject, not as an object or a toy or kind of animal-to feed, to dress to take him for a walk, give him a toy. Mostly attitude to them is like that-cute toy.  But when you start to discover a personality, then a child starts to open up, to show hidden sides - it’s so amazing! In ABA a specialist should be only as a teaching tool. They are not allowed to form any emotional contact with a child, no attachment-just work.  Adults –autists who went through ABA talk about inner trauma they got
- My friend wrote to me that he is probably not interested, but we are going to talk on Skype in the near future. Maybe I can convince him, but I'm not too optimistic. Let's see. Besides that, I think I can't help you. I have my own plans and my own battles to fight.
-No problem. I'm also not optimistic at all, unless something unusual happened.  Motivation is a Key. I can motivate disable kids, but cannot find Motivation for able Adults. The only Motivation which works is Money, but that motivation doesn't work the right way for my purpose.
-Well, maybe you planted a seed in the head of this Belarusian woman, you never know. As for the photobook, I wonder if nowadays an Instagram account or an own community/app would be more appropriate.
- I'm not good with those things. I wanted to try to restore my old website and make a simple blog, but there are not specialists here. One offered to do a simple blog for 450 euros. I saw on Internet it could be made for free.

PLANTINF a SEED

-"Well, maybe you planted a seed in the head of this Belarusian woman, you never know"...The man who asked me to help was very sorry for parents. That is the attitude. Child behaves badly-Empathy to parents. Also I met autistic child in our city. Parents are the problem. Father is in denying. Mother is full of fear. Child is full of fear of people and he eats from the parents hand as a doggy. he doesn't want to touch food by some reason. I'd be so happy to work with him (we got contact with a child very quickly), but father's attitude is “trusting only professionals and the official System.” Parents are embarrassed to admit to have autistic child. Some believe its their fault, but it is not.
Also it is not that I do not need money, but Money is not main interest here. I need to develop my ideas and that is a problem. There is my satisfaction, interest and abilities. For some reason In USA I met only three "right for that people” with some power to support me and never met "a right parent", who would cooperate on child's progress. On Balkan I meet only "users". I have a new project now in my mind. But my projects are kind of idealistic and nobody wants to cooperate, although I do not understand why. They are idealistic, because they require to focus only for child's benefits and forget other things. I give for that only limited time, like for example 3 months, but it requires some changes in personality and for adults it's not easy task, It happens , when a woman gives birth. She forgets about her needs and completely concentrate on her baby. But probably it is made by nature force. By themselves its hard for people to do so...

EXPERIMENTS

I usually do experiments, which don't hurt a child in any way and see the reaction-this way I'm studying a child, how he functions and what he responds to.
    For example, one kid could talk, but did not talk to me. One day I gave him cereal, but did not give milk. Milk together with juice and water I put high on refrigerator. He started to ask milk, pointing there. I pretended to be stupid and gave him water or juice, but not milk. Eventually he screamed "Milk!" I was calm, as nothing happened, " O! You want milk! I'm sorry! I did not understand you! Of course you need milk!" Since that day he started talking to me ...
 Working for the System you are not allowed to do those things, it'd probably consider "abuse". No jokes with food, but sometimes food could be the only area of interest for a child. I think my way is difficult to understand and pretty overwhelming for parents, that is why my idea for Project was first to work together, where parents slowly getting in, establish what work for certain child and then parents work independently. I create things intuitively, but then I find similar things in literature as well. The whole system I build just watching kids and experimenting fits with theories of Soviet famous psychologists
BUT
In order to be legal for using a research is needed. Research is money and Academy. They tried twice in USA, but behind my back. I got a rare book, which shows how to do research to prove that my System improves child's mental abilities, but...it has no use
-You wrote : “Unfortunately, instead of continue to develop my system further, so it could benefit kids, it seems I am busy with the proving hypothesis of staying away from the world of normal people.
-…What does it mean? Why do you have to focus on your hypothesis instead of on your method?"
- Because it depends on dealing with so called normal people, but it brings a lot of frustration.