Skip to main content

Featured

Posted by

My Fuel Bubble

  After years of traumatic experiences for my Autistic teen at physical schools, mainstream and specialist, and for us as a family, we have all greatly benefited from access to education from home. Recently, he teen tried to put into words why this was important for him and shared the idea of his ‘fuel bubble’. He explained that his fuel bubble has several components. It is the physical space, around his desk, as well as the desk itself, set up just the way he likes it. People coming into his space, especially without warning or preparation, use up his available fuel. Even familiar people coming within a certain distance can have this effect. The closer to the desk, the more fuel is used up. Meanwhile the items he chooses to have close, and the way his desk is organised, his way, gives him energy. When inside his fuel bubble he often connects to others’ fuel bubbles. This can be through virtual connections online, even YouTube videos, but also through real life interaction. Chattin...
Post a Comment
Read more
Labels
Posted by

The power of silence


SILENCE is often overlooked in the world of words as a communication right (Hackett et al. (2025) and is something that we need to value more as part of the many ways in which we language.

"We conceptualize ‘communication’ as the practice of using and making sense of language. We consider language to consist of an expansive range of multi modal resources including...non-lexicals such as SILENCE..." Bottema-Beutel et al. (2025).


In valuing SILENCE as both language and communication, we must also understand and respect its power:


"Silence is laced with power dynamics, it can be (but is not always) an act of resistance or a way to reassert/regain some control." (Hackett et al. (2025)


SILENCE in the face of genocide powerfully communicates many things:


Potential ideological beliefs, perhaps fear or even resignation. We may even be silent through not knowing, as the SILENCE from news givers and law makers stifles the truth from reaching far too many. However, in no sense should we be mistaken that SILENCE is neutral, for it underlines loudly our collective complicity. In SILENCE we may stand together but are miles apart in showing empathy for other humans who are suffering. In SEPARATION and in SILENCE we are instead active in our dehumanisation of others, pushing those who are suffering out of our daily narratives and thoughts, outside of the rhythm of what we call 'humanity'.


For me it is somewhat ironic that many who ignore the power of SILENCE as language and as a valid part of human communication, are also the same people who use SILENCE to powerfully communicate how some humans are more worthy than others. SILENCE is not just powerful communication, it is language that can be deadly. 


In being silent we should be mindful of all that is at risk, and not think for one moment that SILENCE ensures anyone's safety. We are one human race, and what is happening in the multiple and ongoing genocides across the world affects us all!


References

Bottema-Beutel, K., Zisk, A. H., Zimmerman, J., & Yu, B. (2025). Conceptualizing and describing autistic language: Moving on from ‘verbal’, ‘minimally verbal’ and ‘nonverbal’. Autism, 29(6), 1367-1373. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251332573 (Original work published 2025)


Chapman, L. (2025, December 22nd). Oneness. https://a-labour-of-moles.blogspot.com/2025/12/oneness.html


Hackett, A., Badwan, K., Dower, R. C., Ehiyazaryan-White, E., Farah, W., Flewitt, R., Karen, G., Holmes, R., Macrae, C., Nair, V. K. K & Shannon, D. B. (2025). The Rights of the Talker. In: Badwan, K., Dower, R. C., Farah, W., Flewitt, R., Hackett, A., Holmes, R., Macrae, C., Nair, V. K. K. & Shannon, D. B. (eds.). Language, Place, and the Body in Childhood Literacies. Expanding Literacies in Education Series. Routledge, 237-249. [Book Section]

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Feedback

Popular Posts