kristin26rupertwhorse2_bc-7552743

Interview: Rupert Isaacson, author of The Horse Boy

Rupert Isaacson www.horseboymovie.com horseboyfoundation.org Rupert Isaacson and Kristin Neff were in crisis after their son Rowan was diagnosed with autism, because for Rowan autism meant constant distress, tantrums, and social isolation. His parents sought out the best help and therapies, but little helped ease Rowan’s dysfunctional autism symptoms until the family stumbled upon Rowan’s connection to horses and shamans, which then drew the three of them to Mongolia for “an epic quest for healing.” The Horse Boy is not just different from other autism books — in its depiction of a family who accepts their child for who he is while refusing to stop until they heal that which is causing his misery, it is unique.  I was very inspired by The Horse Boy, by the fact that you sought out your son with autism’s strengths and interests and affinities in horses, in shamans — and did your utmost to…

On Autism and Self-Compassion

Kristin Neff  Ph. D. www.self-compassion.org www.horseboymovie.com My field of study is self-compassion, it’s what I do all my research on, and I’m writing a book. One of the things that this practice has given me is that I’m really okay with being my honest, authentic self. It’s not that I like people judging me. It was kind of hurtful, some people really went after us because of the [Horse Boy] movie, they said that we made it all up, that we’re in it for the money, and people who didn’t know me were making all these assumptions about my character. It was really strange; I never thought I’d be in that position. But in terms of the stuff that is true about me, I’m really okay with it. I’m also okay with admitting my flaws and my shortcomings, and that it’s okay to be imperfect. In my book [on self-compassion],…