How I Have Learned

Dear Phillip

I have a question for you and your mom please.

When you were young before RPM, how did you learn?

I mean did you learn from your therapy sessions or was it from your mom or was it self learning?

Thanks a lot,

MH

Dear MH, 

I have been learning since I was very young. I look like I can’t learn. I waited to make my intelligence manifest. When I was practicing talking as a young child, I would get mad about not being able to say what I very much wanted to say. I wanted to tell my family I was smart, that I wanted to make conversation, and I love them. I wanted to talk so badly. Instead the wrong words came out.

Learning comes from all around me. In practically every moment learning about the world happens. Learning to make an opinion starts with making observations. All you need are your mind and senses. I make use of all my senses. My most relied-on sense is my hearing. I used to learn to read on my own by matching the words mom read to the words on the page she read. Mom read me lots of books. I learned a lot from mom creating lessons everywhere we went. Probably the biggest way I learned was through songs. I love music. My preschool teachers sang to me to get me to talk. I would feel me learning to rock to the beat and practice seeing the lyrics in my head. At church I learned to read the lyrics of worship songs.

I learned from my therapies somewhat. In ABA (Applied Behavioral Analysis) I learned to make the most of a babyish education by memorizing writings I saw on signs or books in the classroom. ABA taught me to be malleable to get food. Learning was not challenging or fun. I did not need the repetition. Once I learn something, I want to learn something new and interesting. ABA had me repeating the same goals for years.

My favorite therapy before RPM was RDI (Relationship Development Intervention). I liked making my body useful by helping around the house doing chores like laundry, dishes, and lots of other chores. I also liked playing with my family.

RPM is by far the best thing I learned. I am now able to attend regular school. I love it. Meaningful communication allows me to show my intelligence and converse with other people.

Philip

Understanding a Young Autistic Child

Philip answers a question from a mother who has a son with a recent autism diagnosis.

Hello Philip. I have a 3 and a half yr old son and he was diagnosed with autism before he was 3. I’m having a hard time; really hard because he never listens to me. I don’t know if he understands or is just not paying attention. Sometimes he responds but most of the time he ignores me. He used to recite ABC's and numbers but now he says nothing. At an early age, did you act like that too? I'm in need of understanding his behavior. And I know no one around me with this kind of case on their children.  Thank you for creating this page. 

Best regards,

Ms. J

Dear Ms. J, 

I am an Autistic since birth. Understand our brains are not neurotypical. Not looking or talking does not mean not thinking. All people need love and understanding even when they can't express themselves. I can try to understand you to see your side in this. I know you are worried. Autism is different. People make life difficult for your son to fit in. Moms want to fix everything. My mom wants me to not make mistakes but I make a lot. I can learn from mistakes. You can try to understand your son is learning. No one needs to baby him. My advice is to treat him at his age.  No matter what, please veer him toward the normal world as much as possible. He each day learns from being exposed to many experiences. Listening to people’s words amounts to many momentous memories.  Watch what you say around him. Make sure you talk about nice things. No one should have to hear about their deficits without also hearing about their strengths. 

I was like your son when I was younger. I was always listening but not always responding in a way people understood. This was because my body would not follow my mind’s directions. There are moments my body could obey better but it is not consistent all the time. When I was younger, I was able to talk better with my mouth. I had to put my learning at the mercy of ABA to make me talk like a neurotypical person. I was only able to speak as I was trained to talk through repetition. I could not express what I really wanted to say. Popular therapies like ABA and speech could not help me truly communicate because they lack presumption of intelligence. No Autistic wants to be made to feel inferior.  I am finally able to tell my true thoughts by typing. I hope you give your son the opportunity to be himself as Autistic and make his life better by accommodating his challenges in fitting into a neurotypical world.

From,

Philip

These are some of Philip's previous posts which explain the following (click to read):

Eye Contact

Movement 

Flapping 

Difficulty of Self-Control

Philip supporting his brother at a soccer game

World Autism Awareness Day 2015

By Philip

I want people to know autism is another way of being. I am weary of stereotypes that make us out to be less human than neurotypicals. I have listened to people talk negatively about autism since I was diagnosed. I learned to hate myself and think I was a monster for causing so much hardship. I can't let others continue living under popular ideas about autism. Let’s pretend you are like me. You can't talk; but having a thinking mind, you can understand. Imagine you are each day answering back what you mean to say. But only you can hear it. People hear your voice saying things you don't necessarily mean. They think that’s all you are capable of thinking.  People see you stimming by your repetitive flapping or tapping. They think there is no purpose. They don't understand the minute you stop, the moment is flooded with lights that hum, loud sounds that echo, kids moving too fast for me to keep up with, and people trying to engage me. It is hard on me to put my stims away but I try. People see your hyper movement. They prefer you to sit quietly. It’s hard to feel my body in space. I prefer to move because I can feel my body better and peacefully work. I work better sitting than I used to. The reason is now I get interesting lessons.

Interesting subjects like math, science, social studies, and language arts really stimulate my thinking, ease my mind, and teach me something about the world. I was not always taught in the way I am now. Many years of my life were spent in ABA school. I was made to do my drills over and over until I was so bored and frustrated with my teachers. I would melt down. I am telling you ABA is not the solution. ABA is long hours meeting pointless goals like pointing to flashcards and pointing to my nose. If pointless goals are your passion, then I pity your kids. People need to be able to set their own goals. No person should be without a voice. I believe in teaching communication first. Meaningful communication means being able to say what I really want to say. People must believe we are capable and our minds are intact.

Most importantly, my parents have been great. Love is felt when you are accepted. Love is felt peacefully when you are no longer seen by your momentary deficits but by your attributes that make you a complete person.

I peacefully make friends now. I learn normally. My school values me. I make my own goals. My parents support me by communicating to others about autism and me. They play. They make my life as normal as possible.

I think autism is no better or worse than a typical life. Each life is special in its own way. I love my life as autistic. 

Change

Today Philip and I discussed how some changes happen in society.  We contrasted revolutions and grassroots movements.  Revolutions are marked by a sudden change in power in which the powers that be are replaced by another power at the top, often by violent means.  The Bolshevik or Communist Revolution which overthrew the last tsar, is an example.  It's leader Vladimir Lenin, a politician of noble background, was moved by Marxist theory, but he himself was not from the labor class of which he claimed to speak for.  In contrast to revolutions, we looked at grassroots movements, an example being the Civil Rights Movement lead by Martin Luther King Jr.  Grassroots movements are distinctly different because they are formed from the bottom up rather than top-down.  Philip summed it up best by writing with his letterboard, "It is daring by the oppressed."  In grassroots movements, ordinary people come together to influence the change they believe in whole-heartedly, without concern of power or position.  Their passion comes from truly wanting to better the lives of others.

On the topic of change, Philip wrote:

I want to each day so care for each Autistic by establishing RPM as the standard method going to school. Right now the standard is remedial work.  It otherwise is ABA.  ABA is too repetitive and boring.  No demands are made on our intellect, only on our uncooperative bodies.  I escaped this model of education. RPM teaches me something new daily.  RPM is day to day meaningful learning and communication.  I am now in a generation of so-called non-verbals who come to learn RPM to talk with a letterboard.  You should dare to listen to us.  We are not deceitful.  Instead we are really kind and caring.  We are trying to help each other.  You really show care when you dare to meet us where we are learning notable RPM.  

Philip

An outing with Tito Mukhopadhyay during Soma's RPM Workshop in Buffalo.  Many families and professionals were able to learn RPM for their children and clients for the first time.  The kids participating were able to show everyone how smart they are!

                                                            Philip and Tito

Thoughts on Thinking, Reading, Writing, and School

By Philip

I think reading is important bc (because) it is how we hear information best.  I read a lot.  I like to read signs and TV.  I have a hard time reading books bc momentarily I cannot very well handle a book.  Books are hard to handle bc they store information too sedentary.   How you read it, you have to sit still.  When I read I either read it at a glance or ten words at a time.  I need to teach myself to not be too keen to tons of words all at once. It undermines the ability to understand. Before spelling I read my thoughts in my mind.  No small task. No one sees the struggle I have to write my thoughts. Ordering intentions in my swollen limited brain is tiring. I sometimes really want to be normal. I store too much information to peruse carefully now. I have to really work to retrieve my decided thoughts from swirling ideas going on under the talked  out thought. Not being able to stim makes it harder to focus on my thought to spell. I can concentrate better when I can stim and move around.  It is hard to stay on task bc I really get distracted easily.  I want to not like me going after my impulses so much.  I want to be in control of myself better.

I want to write about the need for sage wisdom to teach non verbal Autistics.  Methods of tedeous work such as ABA are ineffective in helping interests develop.  I am weak in learning skills for the real world.  One day each Autistic should decide to understand the neurotypical world.  I think going to school to learn to practice going out into the real world is so important.  We Autistics are not able to understand normal social rules without exposure to normal situations.  I need to monitor myself better.  I am sometimes really mean to people by lashing out at them in my anger and rotten anxiety.  I am immature in my emotions.  I kind of do not walk out my feelings.  They pour out instead.  I am beginning to understand myself better about pouring out my feelings better so that I won't hurt anyone.  I am not strong at controlling impulses.  Impulses to form other kinds of reaching out are strong.  No mention of escaping anxieties.  I have a strong desire for acting to obtain objects that kind of get my attention like leaves and strings.  I am active bc I learn best when I am allowed to move.  Day to day I am peaceful when I finish my writing about life.  Hearing my thoughts come out makes me mirthfully eager to stay in this world and not in Autismland.

 At Big Sis's high school graduation June 29, 2014

Letter to the President

Dear Mr. President,

My name is Philip.  I am writing to tell you that I am autistic and I want to change the way autistics are taught.  Time to listen to autistics.  No stopping us now.  Standard of teaching has to change.  There is too much senseless drills.  There are not interesting subjects fostered.  Sometimes I want to learn with normal kids.  I miss autistic classmates who don’t talk.  They can’t be at my school because they can’t communicate.  I need lots of support to spell thoughts.  Not having a voice is hard.  It is hard to be the only non-speaker in my class.  Not talking is geared to nothing.  Not having a chance to learn is cruel.  Please govern fairly.  We need you to protect our right to happiness too.  

I am really lucky to have learned from Soma.  I mean to help other autistics to learn RPM too.  To start RPM you learn to listen to normal lessons.  You learn to spell answers.  Then you learn to notably spell your thoughts.  I lower myself to help others.  Learning is so important for our success.  

                                                                                                           Yours truly,

                                                                                                           Philip Reyes

Lisa’s addendum:

The morning this letter was written, Philip spelled this request:  Will you look at understanding right gears for reaching out to president for registering RPM as academic model for autistics?

Philip has been able to make a breakthrough into full communication by Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) which he learned from its creator Soma Mukhopadhyay at her HALO Clinic in Austin, Texas.  Prior to RPM, Philip received an education based on Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) from ages 2-10.  At an early age he  was able to learn the building blocks of learning through ABA, but was only able to functionally make simple requests.  By age 4 he had maxed his capacity to progress in ABA and was stuck learning the same things such as letter and coin recognition year after year.   Philip has expressed his mind was intact all along and he has been soaking up knowledge like a sponge.  However, his inability to speak and to control his body well, made him appear as if he knew very little.  As Philip grew older, this only became more frustrating and lead to more difficult behaviors.  

As Philip  mentioned, RPM is a technique that begins with a regular education and presumes the person is intelligent and competent.  As the person becomes proficient in showing what he or she knows by choosing answers from choices, spelling is introduced, and eventually full communication emerges.  Philip now communicates on a letterboard and ipad (emerging).  He has been able to enter the local public middle school where he attends classes with both autistic (speaking) peers and typical students.  Philip is proud of his accomplishments but is not satisfied with being the only one to benefit.  He thinks often of the classmates he left behind at his old school and those around the world who have no effective means to communicate yet.  He has made it his cause to advocate for them so that they may experience the same benefits he has been so fortunate to receive.    

          Letter to President Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4