One of my children has a form of autism- aspergers syndrome, addhd and bipolar disorder the symptoms of which in retrospect started appearing as soon as he could walk. My wife and I were so naive and innundated into TWI's form of child rearing/dog training that we handled his early behaviors according to our overseers "wise counsel" which was of course "The Rod Of Correction" instead of getting him evaluated and treated at a young age we followed the advice of our way corps overlords and shame on us for not having the brains and/or guts earlier on because it sure could have a made a difference in his young life. This is just one of thousands of examples of why TWI is not just a harmless well meaning bible organization. Thank God we did get out. We finally got help for our son after taking the advice of an "unbelieving" Buddhist daycare provider.
Isn't it strange with the way international and children that all they know is to club the child with a wooden spoon? Brilliant.
I am really happy you guys got your child the help he needs to have a better quality life. I can totally relate to the damage this ministry can inflict on people with children who have special needs. I am the proud father of a special needs child myself and let me tell you they are TOTALLY inept to counsel and, as you so aptly stated, are "not just a harmless well meaning bible organization."
Isn't it strange with the way international and children that all they know is to club the child with a wooden spoon? Brilliant.
I am really happy you guys got your child the help he needs to have a better quality life. I can totally relate to the damage this ministry can inflict on people with children who have special needs. I am the proud father of a special needs child myself and let me tell you they are TOTALLY inept to counsel and, as you so aptly stated, are "not just a harmless well meaning bible organization."
Yea
Yes brilliant! The only thing more brilliant is the way we accepted and acted on their advice. You know what the advice was when he didn't respond? That's right sports fans! Hit him harder!
It may not be much consolation, Goalie, but then again it might be...it wasn't anything aimed at you, nothing personal if you like. It was just part of their normal policy towards kids that were a little different. There are other posters here who had leaders say horrible things to them about how they should handle their special needs kids.
TWI leaders having no idea themselves of how to handle matters, they recommended their normal strategy - beat until submissive; if still not responsive (quiet and obedient), throw out.
The only thing more brilliant is the way we accepted and acted on their advice.
I have condemned myself till i am blue in the face for following them. Only I will condemn myself no more. I was a well meaning individual caught in a manipulating, mean spirited cult! So were you. That you made it out and reversed direction speaks of your caliber as parents and people. The damnation should rest squarely on the way international.
As someone that spent the first seven years of my life in a shell (completely autistic), and as a twenty-nine year old with Asperger's Syndrome, I can tell you that although there will always be little challenges in behavior and language. We are quite capable of learning everything we need to know, and in many areas we can easily surpass others as we become adults. Sure we may be a little bit "picky" and "quirky" and lack certain social graces, But we figure out ways to work around everything,.. ANYTHING! In order to continue we constantly are forced to learn to overcome and push on -- we never give up! It is a lesson some people never learn.
The Rod of correction though, will generally serve to push one such as I, back towards autism - but with a lot of love, we can become strongly stable in situations that would rock another's world to the core. We're rather feast or famine, and often brighter than your average bear.
As someone that spent the first seven years of my life in a shell (completely autistic), and as a twenty-nine year old with Asperger's Syndrome, I can tell you that although there will always be little challenges in behavior and language. We are quite capable of learning everything we need to know, and in many areas we can easily surpass others as we become adults. Sure we may be a little bit "picky" and "quirky" and lack certain social graces, But we figure out ways to work around everything,.. ANYTHING! In order to continue we constantly are forced to learn to overcome and push on -- we never give up! It is a lesson some people never learn.
The Rod of correction though, will generally serve to push one such as I, back towards autism - but with a lot of love, we can become strongly stable in situations that would rock another's world to the core. We're rather feast or famine, and often brighter than your average bear.
Wow Gen-2 thanks so much my boy is only 11 and having a real tough go of it. He's wonderful though as you must well know. I wouldn't want him any other way. Thanks for sharing
You know, when I was his age I had this little thing where if I was mad at my Mom, I wouldn't talk to her, as if to punish her. I particularily enjoyed setting her off. I also was quite aware of many things going on around me than I would let on to being. In short I was a very difficult kid, and I often meant to be. I can't say that I did it to be mean. It's more like she was my sounding board to relate to the world around me. I really put that woman through the mill. At times she really hated me, I'm sure, even though she loved me through all of it. "Don't want to",... "Can't" and "No" were some of my favorite words at 11. In short, I was quite rebellious and stubborn. Drove Mom nuts at times, I did.
Flash Forward to 2009: I'm admitted to a Post Grad Program for gifted students at Princeton University. Almost half the grad students are Aspergers kids. I went from feeling special to feeling ordinary <grin>.
I used to have a huge internal fear that other people would never like me when I was a kid, I zigged when they zagged. I was constantly called names, laughed at,... got beaten up a lot too. Somehow I've managed to make it through a lot of things that my Mom was worried I wouldn't make it through, and she's been gone a few years now, but I never would have made it without her. The things you do, they're all so important, and more noticed than you might imagine.
Flash Forward to 2009: I'm admitted to a Post Grad Program for gifted students at Princeton University. Almost half the grad students are Aspergers kids. I went from feeling special to feeling ordinary <grin>.
I got my undergraduate degree at MIT. I think most of the students there had Asperger's to some degree. The ability to focus is essential to success there, and who can tell if you have no social skills when you're all geeks? :lol:
thank you for thread and you who are so open. when i wanted to have a baby, i asked the one-eyed genius wierwille if he could recommend any books besides the bible (there's a thread somewhere i started once, i think). he recommended "Hunt Close" which is a book about training dogs. I kept trying to find the hidden spiritual frikkin message - never happened
thank you for thread and you who are so open. when i wanted to have a baby, i asked the one-eyed genius wierwille if he could recommend any books besides the bible (there's a thread somewhere i started once, i think). he recommended "Hunt Close" which is a book about training dogs. I kept trying to find the hidden spiritual frikkin message - never happened
thank you for thread and you who are so open. when i wanted to have a baby, i asked the one-eyed genius wierwille if he could recommend any books besides the bible (there's a thread somewhere i started once, i think). he recommended "Hunt Close" which is a book about training dogs. I kept trying to find the hidden spiritual frikkin message - never happened
A genius he is not. Just look at his own kids. How many of them are still involved in TWI? How many of them are involved with the attempted antithesis to TWI, CFFM?
One of my children has a form of autism- aspergers syndrome, addhd and bipolar disorder the symptoms of which in retrospect started appearing as soon as he could walk. My wife and I were so naive and innundated into TWI's form of child rearing/dog training that we handled his early behaviors according to our overseers "wise counsel" which was of course "The Rod Of Correction" instead of getting him evaluated and treated at a young age we followed the advice of our way corps overlords and shame on us for not having the brains and/or guts earlier on because it sure could have a made a difference in his young life. This is just one of thousands of examples of why TWI is not just a harmless well meaning bible organization. Thank God we did get out. We finally got help for our son after taking the advice of an "unbelieving" Buddhist daycare provider.
you aren't alone. I have Aspergers and so does my teen son. the first 5 years of his life he was whacked by a spoon for every infraction in spite of the fact that he was a VERY GOOD BOY! my ex, his dad, also flicked him hard on the ear, starting at around age 2, whenever he would cry. we're still undoing the damage... er, make that I'm still undoing the damage. my ex is out but not really into parenting.
As someone that spent the first seven years of my life in a shell (completely autistic), and as a twenty-nine year old with Asperger's Syndrome, I can tell you that although there will always be little challenges in behavior and language.
hey, a fellow spectrumite! I wonder at times if twi initially attracted me because it was supposed to be formulaic and there were supposed to be rules for social engagement that I thought would finally make sense of this confusing world. turns out it just made things really bad and even more confusing because it completely blurred right and wrong from a realistic point of view. took a while to figure out how people do things outside of a cult, then once I found out I have Aspergers it wasn't too hard to accept I'm just not going to get some people and I'm going to take a lot of things literally that weren't meant to be and I'm going to inadvertently offend some people by being too blunt.
but then, there are worse things than being literal, concrete, and honest, that's for sure.
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OldSkool
Isn't it strange with the way international and children that all they know is to club the child with a wooden spoon? Brilliant.
I am really happy you guys got your child the help he needs to have a better quality life. I can totally relate to the damage this ministry can inflict on people with children who have special needs. I am the proud father of a special needs child myself and let me tell you they are TOTALLY inept to counsel and, as you so aptly stated, are "not just a harmless well meaning bible organization."
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goalieredux
Yea
Yes brilliant! The only thing more brilliant is the way we accepted and acted on their advice. You know what the advice was when he didn't respond? That's right sports fans! Hit him harder!
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Twinky
It may not be much consolation, Goalie, but then again it might be...it wasn't anything aimed at you, nothing personal if you like. It was just part of their normal policy towards kids that were a little different. There are other posters here who had leaders say horrible things to them about how they should handle their special needs kids.
TWI leaders having no idea themselves of how to handle matters, they recommended their normal strategy - beat until submissive; if still not responsive (quiet and obedient), throw out.
I'm glad your son has the help he needs.
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OldSkool
I have condemned myself till i am blue in the face for following them. Only I will condemn myself no more. I was a well meaning individual caught in a manipulating, mean spirited cult! So were you. That you made it out and reversed direction speaks of your caliber as parents and people. The damnation should rest squarely on the way international.
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Gen-2
As someone that spent the first seven years of my life in a shell (completely autistic), and as a twenty-nine year old with Asperger's Syndrome, I can tell you that although there will always be little challenges in behavior and language. We are quite capable of learning everything we need to know, and in many areas we can easily surpass others as we become adults. Sure we may be a little bit "picky" and "quirky" and lack certain social graces, But we figure out ways to work around everything,.. ANYTHING! In order to continue we constantly are forced to learn to overcome and push on -- we never give up! It is a lesson some people never learn.
The Rod of correction though, will generally serve to push one such as I, back towards autism - but with a lot of love, we can become strongly stable in situations that would rock another's world to the core. We're rather feast or famine, and often brighter than your average bear.
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goalieredux
Wow Gen-2 thanks so much my boy is only 11 and having a real tough go of it. He's wonderful though as you must well know. I wouldn't want him any other way. Thanks for sharing
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Gen-2
You know, when I was his age I had this little thing where if I was mad at my Mom, I wouldn't talk to her, as if to punish her. I particularily enjoyed setting her off. I also was quite aware of many things going on around me than I would let on to being. In short I was a very difficult kid, and I often meant to be. I can't say that I did it to be mean. It's more like she was my sounding board to relate to the world around me. I really put that woman through the mill. At times she really hated me, I'm sure, even though she loved me through all of it. "Don't want to",... "Can't" and "No" were some of my favorite words at 11. In short, I was quite rebellious and stubborn. Drove Mom nuts at times, I did.
Flash Forward to 2009: I'm admitted to a Post Grad Program for gifted students at Princeton University. Almost half the grad students are Aspergers kids. I went from feeling special to feeling ordinary <grin>.
I used to have a huge internal fear that other people would never like me when I was a kid, I zigged when they zagged. I was constantly called names, laughed at,... got beaten up a lot too. Somehow I've managed to make it through a lot of things that my Mom was worried I wouldn't make it through, and she's been gone a few years now, but I never would have made it without her. The things you do, they're all so important, and more noticed than you might imagine.
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GeorgeStGeorge
I got my undergraduate degree at MIT. I think most of the students there had Asperger's to some degree. The ability to focus is essential to success there, and who can tell if you have no social skills when you're all geeks? :lol:
Congratulations, by the way.
George
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excathedra
thank you for thread and you who are so open. when i wanted to have a baby, i asked the one-eyed genius wierwille if he could recommend any books besides the bible (there's a thread somewhere i started once, i think). he recommended "Hunt Close" which is a book about training dogs. I kept trying to find the hidden spiritual frikkin message - never happened
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Gen-2
A Quote from the movie The Sound of Music:
"Whistles are for dogs, not children!"
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excathedra
i LOVE that movie and that sentence. thank you gen
i can't believe the advice i got for how to raise a child
sad sad sick sad sick
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chockfull
A genius he is not. Just look at his own kids. How many of them are still involved in TWI? How many of them are involved with the attempted antithesis to TWI, CFFM?
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potato
you aren't alone. I have Aspergers and so does my teen son. the first 5 years of his life he was whacked by a spoon for every infraction in spite of the fact that he was a VERY GOOD BOY! my ex, his dad, also flicked him hard on the ear, starting at around age 2, whenever he would cry. we're still undoing the damage... er, make that I'm still undoing the damage. my ex is out but not really into parenting.
hey, a fellow spectrumite! I wonder at times if twi initially attracted me because it was supposed to be formulaic and there were supposed to be rules for social engagement that I thought would finally make sense of this confusing world. turns out it just made things really bad and even more confusing because it completely blurred right and wrong from a realistic point of view. took a while to figure out how people do things outside of a cult, then once I found out I have Aspergers it wasn't too hard to accept I'm just not going to get some people and I'm going to take a lot of things literally that weren't meant to be and I'm going to inadvertently offend some people by being too blunt.
but then, there are worse things than being literal, concrete, and honest, that's for sure.
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