Posted: Apr 22, 2013 7:21 pm
Thanks to all for the notes of welcome! 
Thanks, CdesignProponentsist! The video sounds interesting, but the link is not working on my work PC. I'll have to wait until I get home to watch it.
What is most frightening about this article is that Kaya is the head of Adana’s Health and Education Associations for Autistic Children. Now, I don’t know anything about this group and the influence it holds over clinicians in Turkey; however, if this is, indeed, spewing from the mouth of authority, Turkey’s children and the country’s future must be in jeopardy.
Let’s put aside Kaya’s generalization of these symptoms of autism as though they are characteristics endemic to the entire population of people living with the disorder. That’s problematic enough. Let’s look instead at this:
Yes. This is passable. Therapeutic intervention at an early age is crucial to help individuals with autism better assimilate and adjust to societal conventions, and can help some become more independent (i.e. dress one’s self, fix dinner, etc.).
But then we have this:
I just don’t know what to say about it. I suppose these free “faith” therapy sessions would be given in conjunction with ABA, speech and occupational therapy? Will the point of the sessions be to induce the fear of god into those struggling with autism? Madness!
CdesignProponentsist wrote:Skate wrote:This is madness. Aren’t all children born atheists? And where is this “faith zone” in the brain?
Most likely the temporal lobe. Although I don't think you could call it a "faith zone", it is thought to be responsible for feelings of spirituality which may manifest itself in reinforced faith in some depending on the person's beliefs.
Here is an interesting video on seizures in the temporal lobe resulting in overwhelming feelings of spirituality...
Thanks, CdesignProponentsist! The video sounds interesting, but the link is not working on my work PC. I'll have to wait until I get home to watch it.
What is most frightening about this article is that Kaya is the head of Adana’s Health and Education Associations for Autistic Children. Now, I don’t know anything about this group and the influence it holds over clinicians in Turkey; however, if this is, indeed, spewing from the mouth of authority, Turkey’s children and the country’s future must be in jeopardy.
“The message I wished to give was not about autism and atheism, but to highlight that these children cannot communicate, cannot form empathy, live in their own worlds and are isolated.”
Let’s put aside Kaya’s generalization of these symptoms of autism as though they are characteristics endemic to the entire population of people living with the disorder. That’s problematic enough. Let’s look instead at this:
“I meant that we should take them out of their isolation with proper therapy methods,” he said.
Yes. This is passable. Therapeutic intervention at an early age is crucial to help individuals with autism better assimilate and adjust to societal conventions, and can help some become more independent (i.e. dress one’s self, fix dinner, etc.).
But then we have this:
Kaya also said they would turn autistic children into believers through sessions that would be offered for free at therapy centers in the future…
…When asked whether or not the houses aimed at turning autistic children into believers, a Culture House official confirmed the matter, but Kaya denied such objectives.
“Every child understands when you tell him or her to fear God, but an autistic child will not,” Kaya told the Daily News. “Once he starts to develop normally, belief will come in time. We do not have the idea of creating a section for faith in their brains.”
I just don’t know what to say about it. I suppose these free “faith” therapy sessions would be given in conjunction with ABA, speech and occupational therapy? Will the point of the sessions be to induce the fear of god into those struggling with autism? Madness!