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The autism spectrum is being diagnosed more and more. Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome are not diseases, but rather a different way of seeing the world. It cannot be cured, the spectrum is life-long. Early initiation of therapy with experienced specialists often allows a person in the spectrum to function independently in society.
- Szymon Prokop is a boy with an autism spectrum. His perception of the world differs from that of his 12-year-old friends
- There is a place where this dissimilarity of Simon is his strength – this is the scene
- Szymon can be seen on April 1 at the Nowa Huta Cultural Center, where the Spring Charity Concert of Stars for Autism will take place.
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«When he heard the violin, it exploded»
When Simon was born, he was somewhat off-scale from the start. He was learning something too slowly, he cried more than usual, he liked to be squashed by his parents.
– Szymon was born on a very hot afternoon – recall the parents of now 12-year-old Szymon Prokop. – He got 7 points on the Apgar scale, but we didn’t really know what that meant at the time. He cried a lot, slept little, liked to be rocked, slapped, rocked, wrapped in a blanket, massaged and squashed. After a few months, my grandparents started to mumble something about the developmental stages, lifting the head and crawling, so we took him to a physiotherapist who diagnosed reduced muscle tone and recommended rehabilitation. At that time, Szymon was mainly lying and looking at the world around him, squinting – which we changed operationally and screaming at the head – which we tried to change with a cradle, a swing, a diet, rocking in a blanket – they add.
The breakthrough in the life of a tiny boy came relatively quickly, even before he was 12 months old. It was then quite by accident that the “key” to Simon was found.
– When he was eight months old, our cousin Kasia visited us and played Szymek on her violin. From that moment on, we knew that “he has something with music” – when he heard the violin, it exploded. He tensed even more than usual, like a string, he danced stiffly with his arms and legs, and his eyes flared with fire. He fired up all over. Several eye surgeries and several dozen visits to many specialists later we found out that Szymon is on the autism spectrum – he develops his own way, ignoring the scales, stages and savoir vivre.
The rest of the article is available under the video.
In the beginning, Szymon only dreamed of performing on stage. Today it is a fact
– I met Szymek at the end of 2019, when his parents were looking for a specialist who would help him develop his musical skills – adds Roman Głowacki, occupational therapist and vice president of the Association of Cultural Initiatives “Wieniawa”. – He was a volcano full of energy, interested in everything around. I tried to help him practice his attention span and develop his passion for playing instruments and singing. It was a great joy for me to observe his hits and the will to “conquer the world”. He dreamed of performing with many artists, which at first seemed to be “only childhood dreams”. Currently, I look at this young man with great humility and respect, with the baggage of various difficulties, who, with the help of his parents, makes his dreams come true and learns to function in our complex social reality, he adds.
Szymon will perform on the stage of the Nowa Huta Cultural Center on April 1 at 19.00 p.m. as part of the Stars’ Spring Charity Concert for Autism.
—The Charity Concert of Stars for Autism is, in turn, a dream come true: that the Wieniawa Orchestra, in which I have been honored to play since 2012, perform on the big stage with the stars of the Polish music scene, and help my students from the Special Center for Autism, where I have been working for nine years. In addition, this event promotes the knowledge about autism that is essential to approach people on the autism spectrum and their families with understanding and patience. I encourage you to go to a concert where you can also see our Szymek. You can also help by buying a donation ticket, even if someone fails to make it to the concert. Tickets are available here: https://biletyna.pl/event/view/id/226637.
Szymon found himself on the stage. There, its dissimilarity is an advantage
As emphasized by the boy’s parents, there are no social boundaries for him. It does not matter to him who a given person is, as long as they manage to transmit on the same wavelength.
– Szymon does not look at people through the prism of their surnames. He will be happy to talk to Mr. Krzysiek on the ground floor, as well as to Krzysiek Zalewski. If, of course, there is a common topic. Music is usually like that. What is wonderful and unique about these meetings with music stars is that Szymon does not want to meet them because they are famous and it’s nice to have a photo with them. He wants to be with them, to hear their voice live. It is very natural and probably because when he spontaneously asks for a joint “performance”, he usually succeeds (so far Szymon has sung with Katarzyna Nosowska, Natalia Przybysz, Daria Zawiałow, Krzysztof Zalewski or Lux Torpeda).
Music turned out to be the best path for Szymek. On stage, what may be difficult in everyday life ceases to matter.
—Our son undoubtedly stands out from his peers, does not develop typically, omits certain social processes completely, it does not make it easier for him to establish relationships with his friends. He found himself on a stage where his difference is perceived as an asset. Here he is himself and probably this is how he will make himself known to the world.
- It is worth knowing that the support of autism therapy is the use of a weighted blanket, which you can buy at medonetmarket.pl.
Also read:
- Autism is a disease, and “strange” people have Asperger’s syndrome? We debunk myths about the autism spectrum
- Parents are usually responsible for this common trauma in children. What is a nurse’s elbow?
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