diving with mentally handicapped person
- Thread starter gbray
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I'm just thrilled to see that so many folks would willingly dive with me!
:blinking:
:blinking:
People who are not directly involved with handicapping conditions on a regular basis have a tendency to slot all people with handicapping conditions into a category, slap a label on it, and assume they are all the same. That is far from the truth.
There is a very broad spectrum for all handicapping conditions, and the odds are you know people who have identified conditions, but you just don't realize it.
A good example is autism. If I said that someone was autistic, you might get an image of Dustin Hoffman from Rain Man. In truth, autism is professionally referred to as a "spectrum," and many people have gone most of their lives without being accurately diagnosed as being on this spectrum. One good example is Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. A recent TV show about a law firm, Boston Legal, had a lawyer who had Asperger's. It is extremely common in Silicon Valley, because people with this syndrome relate well to computers and programming. Much of the work inside the computer you are using now was designed by people on the autism spectrum.
A handicapping condition can be very specific. As in the case of the Rain Man, a person who is handicapped in one area can excel in another. I myself experienced a fascinating case. A student was diagnosed with reading and writing deficits at an early age, and throughout his entire education was not given anything to read or write higher than his tested level of 2nd grade. When he was old enough to be a senior, he started using a screen reading program to read the words to him that he was not able to decode visually, and he used a screen writing program to put his words into the sentences he himself could not write. He was thus able to read and respond to literature at a level comparable to the best Advanced Placement English students. In fact, he was one of the most brilliant "readers" I have ever taught.
In many cases we call this "twice exceptional." A student who is handicapped in one area may be gifted in another, and a broad label that precludes the opportunity to excel is simply wrong.
I myself have assisted in the certification of people with handicapping conditions, including autism. I would be comfortable diving with any of them--or else I would not have certified them.
There is a very broad spectrum for all handicapping conditions, and the odds are you know people who have identified conditions, but you just don't realize it.
A good example is autism. If I said that someone was autistic, you might get an image of Dustin Hoffman from Rain Man. In truth, autism is professionally referred to as a "spectrum," and many people have gone most of their lives without being accurately diagnosed as being on this spectrum. One good example is Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. A recent TV show about a law firm, Boston Legal, had a lawyer who had Asperger's. It is extremely common in Silicon Valley, because people with this syndrome relate well to computers and programming. Much of the work inside the computer you are using now was designed by people on the autism spectrum.
A handicapping condition can be very specific. As in the case of the Rain Man, a person who is handicapped in one area can excel in another. I myself experienced a fascinating case. A student was diagnosed with reading and writing deficits at an early age, and throughout his entire education was not given anything to read or write higher than his tested level of 2nd grade. When he was old enough to be a senior, he started using a screen reading program to read the words to him that he was not able to decode visually, and he used a screen writing program to put his words into the sentences he himself could not write. He was thus able to read and respond to literature at a level comparable to the best Advanced Placement English students. In fact, he was one of the most brilliant "readers" I have ever taught.
In many cases we call this "twice exceptional." A student who is handicapped in one area may be gifted in another, and a broad label that precludes the opportunity to excel is simply wrong.
I myself have assisted in the certification of people with handicapping conditions, including autism. I would be comfortable diving with any of them--or else I would not have certified them.
Exactly what I was thinking (about me)!
Ummm . . . I'm not sure, but weren't we talking about mentally challenged, not mentally unstable?
Instability IS a challenge!
Sas
Contributor
Yea this is a great point. I have Asperger's Syndrome but definitely do not consider myself 'handicapped' or disabled and it annoys me when other people assume autism disables you. If there was a cure today for autism, I would never take it given all the strengths it gives me.
I have dove with a mentally challenged diver before and would again. I diver gets on a boat has his certification has been diving 10years longer than me who am i to say he isn't god enough to dive with. In this case the guy did real good we were diving in Jupiter, which was a drift dive everyone on in the water kept an eye on him he stayed with the DM. that man did everything by the book including holding a 3 minute drift stop ( no line)
Yea.... we do get alot of Oklahoma immagrants down here...
Stoy D Dabbs
Registered
To me this is interested subject, I had a history of being handicapped, With speech impairment from infant age threw after age 9, I also had to attend special education in school for six years, At that same time I had high level of mechanical and electrical ability.
However it does not stop me from going diving.
However it does not stop me from going diving.
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