In Gaza, autistic children are being taught the ancient Japanese art of Origami, as Tasneem Zayyan reports in AL Monitor:
Dardah al-Shaer, a psychology and sociology lecturer at Al-Aqsa University, underlined the importance origami can have to helping children with autism. He said, “Special schools must be established to invest in autistic kids’ mental capacities and release the stress inside by creating shapes from paper.”
He noted that there are difficulties that face some autistic children, including trouble with social interaction. He said, “Origami can help children with autism reduce aggressive behavior, which worsens when they sit alone at home without any interaction. Origami is a good way to show the hidden side of their character.”
Shaer indicated that practicing origami is a treatment and an art. Some children even use it to earn a living. He added, “All autistic children can practice origami, whether it is an innate or acquired skill through enrolling in active training centers that specialize in talent development.”
While it’s interesting to see how autistic children can excel at this art form, I’m a little concerned at the tone of lecturer Dardah al-Shaer. It’s always been my understanding that autistic people, when they have a talent, it’s not the same for all. For some, it’s various mathematics, others it’s music. This person seems to imply all autistics should be able to do origami. This sets up expectations, and when some autistic children prove inept, then what will be the consequences?
(Or is it bad translation?)
