"A Plate Full of Expressions"

A random googling of the meaning of word "Expression" shows this result - "The action of making known one's thoughts or feelings". The action, yes, it's indeed an action. Like endless possibilities of approaching a task, expressing ourselves is also a form of action that has infinite possibilities.



Have you ever seen a baby giggling and smiling to tell he is happy and crying in pain when he wants something?

Have you ever seen a dog wagging his tail and rolling on ground to indicate its happiness on seeing the owner and at the same time wondering around with stiff tail when it senses a threat?

Have you ever heard singing pattern of birds- from cheerful happy state to state of threat, birds communicate via sounds and pitch of their voices? 

And then there are so many happy forms of expression - from writing letters showing the intensity and passion for your lover to being on stage and performing what you have in your heart all throughout.

Look around yourself- from protests to Banksy's street art, from a dance rehearsal to Shakespeare's book, from an online petition to the moment of silence, we are touched by expressions at every walk of our life. Voices, words, theatre and dance, pattern of tail, body language all are the forms of expression and cues that we take from our surroundings to understand what is going on, especially with creatures who are yet to develop the ability to speak or don't have one or even they have one want to express in another way.

Expressions form an important part of our daily life and help us to understand emotions of creatures around us. Expressions come in various forms and range- linguistics [words, sentences, writings], symbolic [art, architecture, mathematics], bodily [facial, emotional] and many more. We use all these forms to get by and express ourselves.

Each and every living being expresses their emotions and needs in one way or the other but for some really blessed people - like people on the spectrum expressing themselves doesn't come naturally. Remind you, that doesn't mean they don't have emotions, it just means that their way of expressing it doesn't conform to the way of neurotypicals. Maybe for them understanding body language or making eye contact doesn't come naturally or they might not get the tone of our voice and judge our state so easily. But that doesn't mean they can't express or they don't want to express.

In fact, lots of studies and research has made it easier for Neuro-Atypical, kids and adults on the spectrum and others to express themselves via methods, devices and other intervention. To name a few - Picture Exchange Communication System [PECS], Assistive devices, social stories, cards, therapies all are ways to help them develop emotional intelligence and learn how to express themselves.

As Judith Wright rightly says, "Feelings or emotions are the universal language and are to be honoured. They are the authentic expression of who you are at your deepest place." 

Leaving on this note, let's pledge to EXPRESS and let others EXPRESS, irrespective of their origin, colour, orientation and spectrum.

 


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