Communication

[sepheri]

In my searching for the article on alturistic behaviour today I came across a link to this:

"In My Language" is a youtube video in which a non-verbal person with autism "speaks in her own language" -- a combination of sounds and visual cues and gestures -- and then explains what this all means by means of a text-to-speech program. It's a

Comments

[faerierhona]

That is astounding and humbling. I intend to link the same

[sepheri]

Please do, I think a lot of people can learn something from it.

[azekeil]

I think the problem is the world is too caught up in progress. In order to progress people need effective communication. Effective communication is simply not possible if people do not have a standard means of communication. In terms of 'progression' it's simply not worth learning how to interact and communicate with everyone if they have their own way of communicating.

Sad, but there it is.

[sepheri]

Progress to what?
I think it has more to do with Capitalism and what that means to being a 'useful' member of society.

[azekeil]

Yes, that's kind of what I mean. I don't necessarily think progress is good. It gives the human race something to aim for (generally), but there are compromises and trade-offs along the way, some more unpalatable than others.

[sepheri]

I don't really understand. What do you think it is giving us to aim for? What are the aims? I see little to no 'progress' in the human race really.

[azekeil]

BTW I found the way she moved her hands in a rhythmic pattern right at the start absolutely fascinating.

[sepheri]

It was the sound that got to me more than anything, it was somewhat reminiscent of monks chanting.

[azekeil]

Hm, yes, that too.

I probably don't understand the video, but I don't think the person was trying to communicate as we understand it. I think they were interacting with their environment in whatever way they felt like but she herself said that her interactions didn't symbolise anything.

It was interesting that she could read and type, so presumably she 'thinks' in English (the closest analogy I can come to is you know you understand a foreign language when you start 'thinking' in it), just hasn't learned to vocalise her thoughts.

[azekeil]

I've watched some bits of it again. She claims to be communicating with her environment rather than with humans. I'd reduce that down to interacting and understanding her environment rather than communicating with it.

[sepheri]

I will watch the others too.

[azekeil]

I have started, but I haven't really got time to look at them now!

[serena_lesley]

I hope it's OK that I'm also going to link to this? Thanks for posting it.

[sepheri]

Absolutely, I want more people to see it.

[sepheri]

In fact, I'll switch the post to being public

[serena_lesley]

Ooh thanks. :)