NIKOLAAS TINBERGEN

I was not much interested in school, and both at secondary school and at university, I only just scraped through, with as little effort as I judged possible without failing.

I can do no more than characterise, and recommend, the Alexander treatment as an extremely sophisticated form of rehabilition, or rather of re-deployment, of the entire muscular equipment, and through that of many other organs. Compared with this, many types of physiotherapy which are now in general use look surprisingly crude and restricted in their effect - and sometimes even harmful to the rest of the body.

Proper stance and movement are obviously genetically old, environment-resistant behaviours. Misuse, with all its psychosomatic or, rather, somato-psychic consequences, must therefore be considered a result of modern living conditions - of a culturally determined stress.

The majority of autists - as well as their parents - seem to be genuine victims of environmental stress.

As a boy, I had two small aquaria in our backyard in which I watched, each spring, the nest building and other fascinating behaviours of sticklebacks.

Relatively many autists are first-born children. There is also a pretty widespread conviction that the parents of autists are somehow different - for instance, many of them are very serious people or people who are themselves under some sort of strain.

Whenever a gentle pressure is used to make a slight change in leg posture, the neck muscles react immediately. Conversely, when the therapist helps one to 'release' the neck muscles, it is amazing to see quite pronounced movements for instance of the toes, even when one is lying on a couch.

Relatively many autists are first-born children. There is also a pretty widespread conviction that the parents of autists are somehow different - for instance, many of them are very serious people or people who are themselves under some sort of strain.

As a boy, I had two small aquaria in our backyard in which I watched, each spring, the nest building and other fascinating behaviours of sticklebacks.

Whenever a gentle pressure is used to make a slight change in leg posture, the neck muscles react immediately. Conversely, when the therapist helps one to 'release' the neck muscles, it is amazing to see quite pronounced movements for instance of the toes, even when one is lying on a couch.

Proper stance and movement are obviously genetically old, environment-resistant behaviours. Misuse, with all its psychosomatic or, rather, somato-psychic consequences, must therefore be considered a result of modern living conditions - of a culturally determined stress.

The majority of autists - as well as their parents - seem to be genuine victims of environmental stress.

I was not much interested in school, and both at secondary school and at university, I only just scraped through, with as little effort as I judged possible without failing.

I can do no more than characterise, and recommend, the Alexander treatment as an extremely sophisticated form of rehabilition, or rather of re-deployment, of the entire muscular equipment, and through that of many other organs. Compared with this, many types of physiotherapy which are now in general use look surprisingly crude and restricted in their effect - and sometimes even harmful to the rest of the body.