The Rainbow Connection

I have a client who is an autistic child in Secondary 2. She is extremely good in English and Art. However she needs a lot of guidance in social etiquette and interaction. She can burst into tears and can be very distressed over minor irregularities and disturbances from classmates and her younger sister. Her classmates have been told and reminded to be tolerant and to treat her nicely. In fact she has a few buddies who take good care of her.

During our sessions I will get her to draw to share about her feelings and kind of guide her in responding to people she interacts with. Very often whilst drawing, say for instance cartoon characters she may create a storyline and enact the characters through speaking in different tones. Today she imitated Kermit the frog which really was so like Kermit that made me laughed. "Oh do you know the famous song which Kermit sang?" I asked her. "Yes, the Rainbow Connection" she replied.

Unfortunately she didnt know the lyrics, so I sang imitating Kermit's voice. The lyrics are as follow:

"Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me"

"The sense of being connected to something beyond the ego has a healing effect…. And that connection with the soul of the world is the source of wholeness and renewal."- David Tacey on thoughts of C G Jung

(Ego - centre of our conscious identity and selfhood)