The Encounter: A Path to Educating in Beauty and Wonder for Students with ASD.

Abstract

Our society operates at a frenetic pace, impeding our ability to perceive the world through the human capacity for wonder before beauty, placing more value on personal satisfaction than the truth. We must turn our gaze back to those aspects which guide our path in the world and allow us to discover truly the reality of things, with education being the point of departure. This capacity for wonder and beauty are a part of the essence of the human being and thus are independent of the abilities and disabilities of each individual because these particularities only serve to enrich us and make us unique. We can only engage with learning and perceive the world through our interrelation with others, through a culture of encounter. This encounter, when referring to persons with autism, demands more of the teacher than the child, given that it is they who must adapt to understand and accompany the child and valuing their particular manner of experiencing wonder and the beauty of the world.