Autism & Buddhism Together

This session is about how Zen Buddhism helped me navigate the world as an Autistic Adult. In this session, I speak of my difficulty, challenges and suffering as an Autistic person and how eventually I discovered Zen Buddhism. Zen Buddhism assisted me in understanding myself and how I interact with my environment and other people. Zen taught me a new outlook and philosophy of life that helped me adapt to situations, communicate, process emotions and take a new perspective on thought and thinking.

Reviews

Very interesting for me who lately has thought that I could be autistic. I fit all that was said in at the beginning and will save this. I’m probably ADHD one of my daughters has said recently and that fits. Seems like there’s a lot of it about recently!

Interesting application of Buddhist principles. Food for thought! Thank you.

Thank you for your powerful, disarming words. I’m an adult coping without a diagnosis, and I believe that hearing this will be an integral piece of my path forward towards healing and treating myself and others better.

It's taken a lot of years and heartbreak to realise I'm not just a weirdo but probably autistic, this was very enlightening. The blessing to a "fellow traveller" made me cry...in a good way. Thank you 🙏🏻

Wonderful. Thank you for making time to share this.

As the mother of a non verbal, highly complex, autistic son it was very inciteful.
Thank you

Well said! I felt like I was listening to my own life story as an autistic who found Buddhism (and therapy). Thank you! :)

Thank you 🙏🏼, this was so helpful. I see a lot of myself in your earlier struggle. I don’t see autism or being on the spectrum though…

It did help that so much resonated with me, and also to listen to how Buddhism has helped you. Before I learnt I was on the spectrum too, I was already exposed to a lot of yoga philosophy (which shares essentials with Buddhism), and recently I also have been reading a lot of thich nhat hanh & Pema Chödrön, and Eastern Orthodox theology - they all do have a similar basis & have all helped to tamper down my anger, my rebelliousness etc.

Thank you again 😊

Thank you for sharing your insights. My child was recently diagnosed and I’m on the path there myself. I’ve long found the tenets of Buddhism helpful in daily life, so it’s wonderful to find content here on IT that connects these experiences. 🙏🏼

I have been working with autistic children and adults for a number of years and found Joe’s insights to be very clear and understandable. Loved how Joe connects autism with Buddhism and describes the rewards.

thank you for sharing your story. it resonates with me immensely.

This was excellent thank you.

I've been curious about Buddhism for a while & also thinking I have some autistic traits (never been diagnosed). Listening to this peaked both interests and resonated on multiple levels. Thanks, following and exploring in hope of finding more peace.

This was really helpful, I am a therapist and have been looking for ways to help adults who are finding out that they on the autism spectrum and need a way to manage thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

I learned so much from you

Very informative!

Thank yo so much..

I am also autistic and have been exploring Buddhism. I Loved this session + though my autism presents differently in some ways, I found the Buddhist stories + reflection very thought provoking. Thank you for sharing 💗💗💗

So insightful and helpful.
Thankyou for sharing your story