Yo-yo and Top players with Special Needs kids...

[Sensei Dave]

Unfortunately a cure isn't ever a realistic possibility. Autism is kind of like a different wiring for the brain. Imagine you have a pro yoyo manufacturer and a novice yoyo maker. Give them both the same picture and tell them to make the yoyo. Both will make the yoyo and while the pros will make a perfectly balanced and machined skill toy, the novice will make a beautiful hand made one. The pro spins perfect, no vibe, and plays over-all nicely. The novice made may or may not have a slight vibe, and will be just okay at some things while really excelling at others. Its not perfect but its still a great throw.

Think of Autism as that hand made yoyo. Both achieved the same end, a yoyo, but each took a vastly different path to get to that end. The pro was faster and more efficient but with less "personality".

Autistics try to achieve the same things as neuro-typical people, they just have to take a very different path to get there. Looked at in the right light, Autism can be beautiful. Just like a nice hand made yoyo. It will never be perfect or "normal", but it is still a heck of a lot of fun to play.

To cure Autism would mean to change the way the brain functions, and that isn't something I ever hope to see. You are who you are, your challenges are unique to yourself and that shapes who you are. Autistic kids just needs some extra help is all. No parent would ever say there was anything wrong with them, just different - and beautiful.

[dcs937]

I used to have a more mild case of autism, I think I was diagnosed around three or four, but it went away. No one knows why, but now someone would have no idea of how I used to be. What's strange is that it started fading away around when I first picked up a yoyo...

You were 100% false diagnosed.

[CarlG]

I used to have a more mild case of autism, I think I was diagnosed around three or four, but it went away. No one knows why, but now someone would have no idea of how I used to be. What's strange is that it started fading away around when I first picked up a yoyo...

You were 100% false diagnosed.

actually, things like this do happen. someone i know was crazy autistic. after a while, (like, 7 or so years after diagnosis) was no longer autistic

[dcs937]

I used to have a more mild case of autism, I think I was diagnosed around three or four, but it went away. No one knows why, but now someone would have no idea of how I used to be. What's strange is that it started fading away around when I first picked up a yoyo...

You were 100% false diagnosed.

actually, things like this do happen. someone i know was crazy autistic. after a while, (like, 7 or so years after diagnosis) was no longer autistic

I know what you mean. It actually happened to me in a sense. if you want to say I had mild "Tourette's" you could because I had bad OCD and a couple tics. Grew out of all of it. Asperger syndrome is usually mistaken with Autism visa versa with children. I would think it's that. It's just a fact you cannot grow out of Autism. You can get better with therapy etc but you cannot grow out of it.

[Sensei Dave]

Hello everyone!

I promised a big update on the first of the month and here it is! The Eli Hops Foundation is holding bi-monthly raffles! Here is a chance for you to win some sweet swag all in the name of a good cause!

All the prizes are graciously donated by various toy/skill toy companies, local crafters, and businesses that want to be a part of the Eli Hops cause.

"How does it work" you ask? Well here is the really fun part! This is also the simultaneous release of the new Eli Hops Foundation Blog! Details on how to purchase raffle tickets will be found on the blog, as well as detailed information about the prizes up for grabs every other month! We already have amazing donations from some major skill toy companies and more are on the way soon!

The first raffle will be drawn at the end of September and will be awarded in October. The raffle officially starts as soon as the new EHB (Eli Hops Blog) posts the information!

The link to the new EHB is www.EliHops.WordPress.com and the first post is already up and running! Go there now and enjoy!

Dave Herrera
Eli Hops Foundation