Autism

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First, I agree that each person should do as God is calling.

God calls us in strange directions–often it seems like God has a wicked sense of humor, asking people with autism or Aspergers, who have social difficulties, to ministry.

A fellow seminarian liked to say that God usually called us to work on our weaknesses.

So, some with autism may be called to the heremitic life; others not.

It depends more on where God wants us to be.
 
Why would anyone be so short-sighted that they feel people who are autistic would prefer to be alone? As one who has experience with a loved one with autism, I can assure you that is not the case with all autistic people.
 
BlyssfulDreamer said:
Why would anyone be so short-sighted that they feel people who are autistic would prefer to be alone? As one who has experience with a loved one with autism, I can assure you that is not the case with all autistic people.
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As an autistic person, I can’t even imagine going one day in seclusion. The misconception about learning disabilities and lack of knowledge about it is disturbing. I’ve had some friends over the years who say “you’re autistic? But you’re really smart”. It troubles me
 
I’ll repeat the famous quote: If you’ve met one person on the spectrum, then you’ve met one person on the spectrum. I, too, am saddened by this suggestion. In my case, I wouldn’t have met my wonderful husband!!! And he’s not a hermit for sure!
 
Laudetur Jesus Christus!
I admit that my question might have been a bit weird to you. The reason for asking this question was not to state that people with Asperger/Autism should become hermits. Many of them are called to a married life or a single life outside the monastery. The people God call to the monastic life doesn’t have to be Autistic but they need to love Silence.
Some people here who have Autism/Asperger seem to be very upset with my question. Some people told I act as I have Asperger’s syndrome and even some doctors made a stuudy, some years ago, and they told me I have this syndrome.
I just told you I could say that people with this syndrome could love the hermit life. Some autistic pesons get vety intersted in something and they could use this ability when they become hermits.
The problem, as i seeit, is that their is no good solid definition of Aspeger’s syndrome.

my Catholic English teacher told me: Now I’m not keen on all this talk about Aspergers and autism. We all have different strengths and weaknesses - it’s the way God created us and it’s good.
I couldn’t care less what labels amateur psychologists assign to people who have different though patterns and behaviour.
Whatever you are now Henrik is not the same as you’ll be in 10, 20, 30 years time.
We grow and develop and at different times in our lives we will have different strengths and weaknesses.
If you can get out of bed and resist the urge to hurt yourself or other people, then you’re healthy enough - praise the Lord!
 
Old,

Thank you. I am sorry I misunderstood anything. I just wanted to be sure Asperger’s/Autistics/Disabled were not getting belittled nor misunderstood. I have had too many bad experiences just because I am a high-functioning autis5tic, blind, and still losing my hearing. I am a hermit and I hope the one lone being-founded Order that accepted me will have a convent soon. I have been rejected from all other Orders.

This forum has no real accessibility, so this is my final post on the matter. But I relaly do appreciate everyone’s love here and hope they can email me directly at
minnahwisdom@aim.com
or
seremina@gmail.com

I use the AIM one more often, as the Gmail one could use a lot of emptying. I am also available on messengers. I make the time for visitors and get back to prayers afterward.

Thank you so much for inviting me to reply to this topic. Love of Jesus and Mary be with you all! I am just sorry it is so hard to do anything on this forum without a lot of sighted assistance.

Mina
(or Sr. Mary Fatima, nv.erem.OLC if you wanted that too. Please no chain email nor spam. Love you all!)
 
henrikhank said:
Ave Maria!
Some people say that it may be good for Autistic Catholics to become Hermits. What do you think?
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I think Ausitics should do whatever God wants them to do. If it’s being a hermit, so be it.
 
I do not think anyone should class people with autism or any other learning difficulty/disability any differently to so called “normal” people.

They should make their life choices as we all do, on our own with God in our hearts as he would wish us to be x
 
I will say that, while I am Autistic and I am not offended in any way by this question, it does seem like a misunderstanding. If you have Autism and you enjoy being alone, then that’s alright; it may mean that you’re an introvert. However, that isn’t a general symptom of Autism. I enjoy being around others, and while I also like to have time alone, I wouldn’t really want to be a hermit at any point in my life.
 
I’m autistic and don’t see the big deal about this question. I’ve wondered several times myself since “normal” jobs all seem to drive me into a nervous breakdown anyway (it’s not the work, it’s the dealing with coworkers). Maybe hermit life wouldn’t be so bad. 🤷
 
i don’t think you should force autistics like us to go to mass the way you do because we often have sensory issues.
 
HDLSeanWileyTin said:
i don’t think you should force autistics like us to go to mass the way you do because we often have sensory issues.
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Just letting you know, this thread is 3 and a half years old and it was about autistic people becoming hermits, not about them going to Mass.

What do you mean by “force”, though? My son is autistic and I “force” him to go to Mass every Sunday. He’s only 6 and doesn’t talk, but he does well enough and never fights against going. If I never take him to Mass, how will he ever grow in his Catholic faith?
 
Being a high functioning autistic myself, I can see where this makes sense. I’m a borderline hermit in that my life consists of going to work and going home.
 
Joe_5859 said:
Just letting you know, this thread is 3 and a half years old and it was about autistic people becoming hermits, not about them going to Mass.

What do you mean by “force”, though? My son is autistic and I “force” him to go to Mass every Sunday. He’s only 6 and doesn’t talk, but he does well enough and never fights against going. If I never take him to Mass, how will he ever grow in his Catholic faith?
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This relates to another thread from this poster re the issues re going to mass with sensory issues and the word “forced” refers to the obligation placed on Catholics to attend mass on Sundays. As i said in that thread, I am in a similar situation and have gained total peace re not going to Sunday mass.
 
Bataar said:
Being a high functioning autistic myself, I can see where this makes sense. I’m a borderline hermit in that my life consists of going to work and going home.
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That is grand but is not being a set aside hermit. No such thing as borderline in the church;s definition of a hermit. A problem is that many see the need or desire to be alone as a weakness, a disability, psychologically suspect. I live as a hermit, a solitary, through the will of God and also as I am disabled and need to be alone. to function at all. It is a set aside life of great worth to me and to others as I work to raise funds for truly needy folk in my solitude. My rare times among folk are precious and a deep pleasure but my life is solitude and at my advanced age I care not what the world thinks. Many see hermit life as an unhealthy hiding. It is not. far from it. We face ourselves in ways others do not. If being among folk for whatever reason drains all your strength then time to think re less time among people.
 
Joe5859, your son is 6, you can’t expect a child who is 6 now to like going to mass for his whole life. at this point in his life, he’s allowed to bring toys and such, but once you take them away, he’ll hate the mass
 
I’m the one who wrote the sites that the OP has likely been reading, and which Seremina posted.

Being ASD myself, I had observed that some fellow ASD preferred solitude.

Since Division TEACCH, the UNC agency who does the majority of diagnoses here locally, advises building on the ASD person’s strengths rather than harping on their weaknesses, I was of the opinion that perhaps eremitism would be building on their tendency to solitude.

After being exposed to the ASD subculture, and having once belonged to a yahoo group dedicated to ASD women, I also observed that there were usually two distinct groups: religious and atheists. The religious were usually celibate or married. The atheists were partnered lesbians.

That being said, I believed the teachings of Our Holy Mother the Church when it came to God wanting a relationship with us, and began extending my own desert spirituality to those with ASD. As of right now, ASD and canonical eremitism has only one example that I know of. If they can do it, surely others could do it also. Hence the websites.

That being said, I ask that all charity be extended, and please do not beat me up. Thank you and God bless you.

Blessings,
Cloisters
 
HDLSeanWileyTin said:
Joe5859, your son is 6, you can’t expect a child who is 6 now to like going to mass for his whole life. at this point in his life, he’s allowed to bring toys and such, but once you take them away, he’ll hate the mass
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We’ve never let our kids bring toys to Mass. 🤷 Really, that’s one of the main reasons why. We didn’t want them to view Mass as play time and then find it boring when (inevitably) it can no longer be play time. That’s also why we don’t use the “cry room”. The kids would just be running around and not paying attention.
 
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