For persons with autism* and their care-givers, but relevant to all
Avatar is a personal development course that makes no claims with regard to autism. It originated in America 12 years ago and has since spread across the world. My conviction is that it can be of particular benefit to a person with autism, either directly or through their care-givers. This connection is based on my experience with my nine-year-old son who has Asperger Syndrome.
When I first took The Avatar Course I was run down, both physically and mentally, from caring full time for my “difficult” child. At the time I had no explanation for his challenging behavior, and I had no help with him apart from my husband and other children. My own health and well-being were turned around by doing the course. But there were also marked changes in the behavior of my son. He became a much happier child, and we were able to have a more enjoyable relationship than before.
We were so impressed with these results that my husband did the course, and subsequently our eldest children. I also went on to train to deliver Avatar myself. That was the most transformational moment for our son. When I returned from training I achieved full eye-contact with him for the first time. It was a moment I shall never forget. It is a great pleasure to me now to guide other people through The Avatar Course. It has been a privilege to watch them overcome all kinds of hurdles, both physical and emotional, to find a new outlook on life.
How is the child affected when a parent does the course? When the parent or care-giver has new and positive beliefs, this must communicate itself to the child and thus empower him or her. The autistic child may then access abilities previously hidden and show faster development than was thought possible.
There are other profound lessons on an Avatar course. If you resist the autism in your child because you judge it to be bad or cruel or a pity, then your child can feel that he is resisted. But when he feels fully appreciated he can gradually reduce his own resistance to the world. Learning to drop such labels is an exercise in appreciation, compassion and unconditional love. Many wise people, from saints to psychiatrists, agree that unconditional love is the basis for growth, change and even miracles.
My son is still too young to take the course himself, but I would love to see what is possible when adults or teenagers with autism do the course themselves.
I think they will gain a new outlook on life and on their very special circumstances; their fearfulness will diminish as they learn to appreciate.
I have nothing to offer by way of research or evaluation, only my own story. However I look forward to gaining experience with people with autism and their care-givers (and I would expect other handicaps also) and exploring and developing this helpful aspect of Avatar. I do not see The Avatar Course as a substitute for treatment of autism, but it is an aid to getting the best you possibly can from yourself for your child.
Terry and Shevaun Rafferty, Coleraine, North Ireland
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