different but still the same. “be thankful for what we are!”

Different but still the same

“Be thankful for

what we are!”

“Reality better

than anticipation

(no reason for

apprehension).”

“I imagined them sad, but they

looked happy.”

“At first I was

disappointed by

their ignoring

me.”

“I was amazed of mothers’

dedication/commitment. They do not seem to

have another life”.

“Strange but understandabl

e.”

“I’ve managed to find new ways of communication

- a simple smile -.”

“I was a bit afraid at the beginning, but things came

naturally.”

“My initial thought was they were the same, but they had different responses to my offering them

juice.”

“Very detail focused/keen on similarities and differences.”

“Not sure of what I/we can do to help.”

“Some of them seem pretty smart and able

to solve problems (direction or easiest

way).”

“I didn’t know how to enter their

world.”

“They seemed to answer the

stimuli mechanically.”

“They simply

ignored me. I was

upset.”

“A big gap between

their emotional

response and their

age.”

“They seem to need activity.”

“They may

become

aggressive under

stress.”

“Able of artistic details.”

“Some of them were very happy with the

gifts.”

“Most of them

have no initiative

in interaction.”

“They are kids requiring more

attention.”

“While doing something they do

not like interference.”

“I felt rejected.”

“Parents look more

like teachers.”

“Blank eyes sometimes.”

“Younger children were more

communicative.”

“I felt useless.”

“They are not

aware of the

differences from

the other children.”

“They learn by

imitation.”

In conclusion, we believe that such action has opened our eyes to

the really important things in life, especially the need of every

human being to support, a helping hand, a smile ... It was a new

experience for us and we believe that those children deserve more. As Jim Sinclair said, "Being

autistic does not mean to be a foreign. But it means to be a stranger" and we are trying

to understand and get closer to them.