Curemark LLC, a drug research and development company focused on the treatment of neurological diseases, announced that the company has begun enrolling patients in Phase III clinical trials for CM-AT, its autism treatment, at three additional clinical trial sites.
Autism
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Medical News Today: Autism
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Curemark Opens Patient Enrollment For Autism Treatment At Three More Clinical Trial Sites
20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am -
Scientific Link To Autism Identified
19 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amDuring its research into the application of neuroscience in business, a New Jersey based think tank, The Center for Modeling Optimal Outcomes®, LLC (The Center) made an inadvertent and amazing discovery. The Center examined the neuroscientific dynamics of logic and emotion in decision making while researching neuroscience in business. They found unique corollary relationships between various brain chemicals (neurohormones, neurotransmitters, etc.). -
Study Links Genetic Variation To Individual Empathy, Stress Levels
17 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amResearchers have discovered a genetic variation that may contribute to how empathetic a human is, and how that person reacts to stress. In the first study of its kind, a variation in the hormone/neurotransmitter oxytocin's receptor was linked to a person's ability to infer the mental state of others. Interestingly, this same genetic variation also related to stress reactivity. -
David Cameron Responds To UKAF's Call On Public Services
16 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amThe Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron, has responded to the call of the charity the UK Autism Foundation urging him to protect the vulnerable from the 'savage cuts' to public services. Ivan Corea CEO of the UK Autism Foundation had written to Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg urging the three political leaders to shield parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome from the cuts to public services. -
Local Congressman Eliot Engel And Easter Seals New York Work Together To Help Individuals With Autism And Other Special Needs In Our Community
14 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amEaster Seals New York, the leading provider of autism services nationally, honored Congressional expert on autism and disabilities, Representative Eliot Engel, last night at the 2009 Easter Seals New York Annual Meeting in Westchester, New York. Congressman Engel's tremendous track record of supporting children with disabilities was recognized by Easter Seals New York on behalf of those who receive disability services in our community.
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AspieWeb.net
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Videos To Never Be Seen
20 Nov 2009 | 8:10 pmToday I did something I felt I had to do, make three videos I hope will never be seen as well as send a friend instructions I hope she never has to follow. I made three videos, one for my daughter, one for Katelyn and one for her parents in case I attempt suicide and [...] -
Seinfeld Confronted By Autistic
20 Nov 2009 | 9:45 amJerry Seinfeld, a supporter of Autism Speaks was recently confronted by an Autistic Person outside a Autism Speaks fund raising event. It was caught on video. Jerry Seinfeld seems to be blowing off the person with Aspergers Syndrome who is asking him not to support Autism Speaks. The person recording the video repeatedly tries to [...] -
Better – NOT!
20 Nov 2009 | 12:36 amA poem I wrote about how I feel right now. I’m sitting here crying I keep staring at the letter I hurt my love, lost my daughter She thinks I won’t get better Now that my mind is clear My heart aches in agonizing pain I hurt my love, lost my daughter Its just driving me insane I try to keep going Hoping she will [...] -
To Write Love On Her Arms
19 Nov 2009 | 8:50 pmWhen I was in the hospital I was in a lot of emotional pain, I had started cutting again using plasticware. While I was in the hospital I was listening to WAYFM, a local christian radio station and they had a segment about ‘To Write Love On Her Arms’ a campaign to raise awareness of [...] -
Time To Get Serious
19 Nov 2009 | 2:38 amSo Katelyn has been making some allegations and threats again. So I figure its time to get serious and quit trying to deal with this like two civil adults. Shes been making the allegation that I purposely got her pregnant – which is not true, as I’ve talked about before. So this morning is going [...]
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Autism Twins
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Red Behavior
27 Oct 2009 | 7:12 pmThere's a new sheriff in town and her name is The Color Chart. Employed in kindergarten classrooms across the region, she is an imposing tower of color blocks that rewards children by bestowing her color goodness to the um, behaved.BLUE for the exceptionally well-behaved, You went beyond the call of duty.GREEN for fair to middling behavior, You are doing a good job sitting still.YELLOW for poor -
Glasses
25 Oct 2009 | 6:27 pmI have always had perfect vision — that is until I entered my forties and found it increasingly difficult to read small print. Funny how all text everywhere suddenly seemed to get smaller and lighter. It was a revelation when I put on my first pair of glasses: I could see!Hearing that I needed them came as a shock and trying on pair after pair was an out-of-body experience. None looked right, the -
Spelling Bee
21 Oct 2009 | 6:52 pmTired after a long day at school, a day that began at 3:30 a.m., he crawls into my lap, seeking a place to unfurl. His limbs are heavy and I hug him, breathing in the softness of his hair. "H… U… G…," I say, "spells HUG," I say and squeeze him again. He cocks his head to the side and studies my mouth. "K. I. S. S.," I try. "What does it spell?""KISS!" he says. I shouldn't be surprised, Sam did -
Potty Redux
19 Oct 2009 | 6:32 amLast night John came running to our room at 2:30 a.m. There's nothing new about this, he's been doing it (again) for months. Usually the impetus is a flooded bed and like robots we haul our leaden bodies out of bed and tag-team the changing of him and the sheets. Maybe 4 out of 10 times he will fall back asleep, but the norm is a cacophony of noises, laughter and silly talk — followed by the -
A new way to look at it...
6 Oct 2009 | 7:36 amSeveral weeks ago, I was the lucky winner of a beautiful poster from the Rugh Family Workshop via Autism Vox. Jamie and Jeffrey Rugh are a New Jersey couple with two children on the autism spectrum and artistic talent to spare. Their posters are vibrant and unique and are being produced to promote awareness, support and compassion for people with autism. They plan to add new posters every few
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AGE OF AUTISM
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Winner: Sean's Food Allergy Friendly Muffins
21 Nov 2009 | 5:14 pmThe contest winner is Andrew Kahan. Managing Editor's Note: I had to add Katie Wright's comment on this post: You name it I have tried it. I have followed the recipes, read the books, etc but NOTHING I have done... -
Autism Recovery Revisited: Tell the Chicago Tribune They Are Wrong
21 Nov 2009 | 8:30 amThe Chicago Tribune is running another series of articles stating that "risky" treatments are of little use to children/people with autism (HERE). (Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics, in their backyard, will tell parents to use powerful psychiatric drugs with... -
Never Tried Biomedical Treatment for Autism? Apply for a Generation Rescue Grant.
21 Nov 2009 | 2:49 amOur sponsor Generation Rescue has opened its grant application window for families who have NOT YET BEGUN any biomedical intervention. If you are already a biomed family, our sponsor NAA offers the Helping Hand Grant program, which opens in January.... -
Winner: One Hour of Nutritional Consulting for Autism/ADHD
21 Nov 2009 | 2:44 amCongrats to Rosemary Arnone won the contest for a one hour phone consultation with Kathleen Reily of Autism Help at Home, a Certified Holistic Health Counselor and Nutrition Consultant with a degree in Natural Health Sciences. Here's what she does... -
Age of Autism Comment of the Week: 11/21
21 Nov 2009 | 2:42 amCathy R. is our commenter of the week. Please email me at KimStagliano@gmail.com with your T-shirt size (M-XL) and mailing address. Congrats! Didn't win but still want a T-shirt? Taking a page from public television, we'll happily send you one...
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Blisstree
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Walls Don’t Have to Stay There
21 Nov 2009 | 2:53 pmWhen they buy a home, most people think walls and doorways are there to stay. They’ll spend years griping about how much better it would be if that door was just over two more feet or if the wall between two rooms was moved just a little. But, even if the wall in question isn’t a load bearing wall, they’d never dream of actually moving it. That’s because they never worked on a university campus. Sometimes, I thought people made up walls and doorways that needed moving just to amuse themselves. They’d say they wanted a window where a door was, they wanted the original window closed… -
Stocking Stuffers for Your Dog
21 Nov 2009 | 12:24 pmWe don’t usually buy any extra holiday gifts or treats for the dogs, though we may sneak an extra snack to them in the morning while we’re opening presents on Christmas (admittedly, that’s more for our benefit than theirs — they don’t know the difference!). Talk To Me Treats would make a great stocking stuffer for your pooch, even if they’re the only thing in the stocking! Talk To Me Treats are mint chew treats for dogs made with real dill, parsley and mint. Not only are they great tasting but are also low-fat and provide fresh breath. The treats are the… -
My Boyfriend is Busy & Stressed Out
21 Nov 2009 | 10:57 amThere are a million reasons these days why your boyfriend might be unusually stressed out and busy…new job, new school, new financial situation, etc. With the country’s financial situation the way that it is, lots of people take on more responsibilities than they did before just to make ends meet or create opportunities for the future. Men and women are taking on more hours at work and are forced to take on even more responsibilities as co-workers get laid off. Many are heading back to school to focus on higher education until the job market turns around. All around me I… -
10 Tips for Reducing Cancer Risk
21 Nov 2009 | 7:12 amWhile we can’t always prevent cancer, we can do things to help reduce the risk of developing it. Of course, we always hear: eat healthy foods, exercise, don’t smoke. But the message doesn’t seem to be getting through because people still eat junk or high fat foods, still don’t exercise and still smoke. The Mayo Clinic published 10 tips to reduce cancer risk in their most recent issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource. Here are the tips and below there’s more explanation: Stop smoking Limit alcohol intake – some alcohol is okay, too much is not… -
Repurposing with Your Youngsters
20 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmRecycling has become known as “repurposing” to many people. Finding another purpose for items you might otherwise throw out. This can become a game with your youngsters. How can they use items around the house and from daily living in other ways once these are empty or no longer good for the original purpose? Youngsters might see how many uses they can discover for a single item, such as a margarine container, whipped topping container, peanut butter jar, plastic grocery bags, greeting cards, boxes and more. This is a great way to get them to use their imagination and…
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About.com: Autism
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Stress and the Autism Mom
21 Nov 2009 | 12:02 amLast week, a study came out in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders which said, in essence, that in many cases mothers of teens and adults with autism are under tremendous stress. The blog DisabilityScoop cites the study as saying: Mothers of adolescents and adults with autism experience chronic stress comparable to combat soldiers and struggle with frequent fatigue and work interruptions, new research finds. These moms also spend significantly more time caregiving than moms of those without disabilities. Intriguingly, though, the abstract of the study also states: However,… -
Marijuana as a Treatment for Autism?
18 Nov 2009 | 11:25 pmIn the last few days, quite a few pieces have appeared in the media about the use of marijuana as a treatment for autism. In fact, our own About.com Guide to Addictions has written a blog post on the subject and received some interesting responses from parents and, notably, from adults with autism. Her questions and concerns grow from articles on sites such as Opposing Views, Autism-PDD.Net, and the New York Times' MomLogic blog which cites a blog from a mom who writes about "Why I give my 9 year old pot." Each of these pieces is very similar. They begin with a personal story of an individual… -
What Do People with Autism Have in Common?
15 Nov 2009 | 12:38 pmPeople on the autism spectrum may be verbal or non-verbal, brilliant or mentally challenged, passive or aggressive, physically healthy or physically ill. They may have "savant" skills - or not. In fact, people with autism spectrum diagnoses seem to have very little in common. So what do people on the autism spectrum really have in common?What Do People with Autism Have in Common? originally appeared on About.com Autism on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 20:38:30.Permalink | Comment | Email this -
Autism and Bullying: How Bad Is It?
13 Nov 2009 | 1:11 amThe answer is - it's very bad indeed. According to an article in the Boston Herald: A shocking new online survey has found that nearly 90 percent of autistic children in the Bay State have been targeted by bullying so violent and ruthless that a state lawmaker says teachers and school systems must be held accountable. The survey conducted by the Massachusetts Advocates for Children includes painful testimony from parents of autistic children who felt so tortured they stayed home from school for extended periods and even considered suicide. This information isn't brand new. Most families are… -
Handwriting and the Child with Autism: Don't Sweat It
12 Nov 2009 | 4:33 amA new, small study came out the other day linking autism with bad handwriting. To be honest, I intended to ignore the study, since it seemed on the one hand to be rediscovering the wheel (bad handwriting and autism go together? surely you jest!) and on the other hand it didn't seem terribly important even if true. But I see that a number of major media outlets including the Washington Post have picked up the story... so I thought it might be a good idea to at least nod in its general direction. Yes, kids with autism typically have bad handwriting. There are a number of reasons for this, most…
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Topix: Autism
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves ABILIFY (aripiprazole) for ...
20 Nov 2009 | 7:31 pmU.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves ABILIFYA for the Treatment of Irritability Associated with Autistic Disorder in Pediatric Patients Submitted by admin on 11/20/2009 @ 5:50 PM Companies mentioned in this article: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company & Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. -
Curemark Opens Patient Enrollment For Autism Treatment At Three More Clinical Trial Sites
20 Nov 2009 | 11:11 amCuremark LLC, a drug research and development company focused on the treatment of neurological diseases, announced that the company has begun enrolling patients in Phase III clinical trials for CM-AT, its autism treatment, at three additional clinical trial sites. -
Scientific Link To Autism Identified
19 Nov 2009 | 9:31 pmMain Category: Autism Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience ; Biology / Biochemistry Article Date: 19 Nov 2009 - 3:00 PST rate article During its research into the application of neuroscience in business, a New Jersey based think tank, The Center for Modeling Optimal Outcomes, LLC made an inadvertent and amazing discovery. -
Autism support is now available
19 Nov 2009 | 2:41 pmRaising a child with autism can present parents and family members with unique daily challenges to overcome, but families of children with autism in Pahrump now have a new community resource they can employ -- the Support Group for Parents of Children with Autism. -
Autism Attacked Alternatively
19 Nov 2009 | 6:41 amThough no one knows exactly why, it's pretty clear that more kids are being diagnosed with autism these days than ever before.
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ScienceDaily.com
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Pushing the brain to find new pathways
19 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amUntil recently, scientists believed that, following a stroke, a patient had about six months to regain any lost function. After that, patients would be forced to compensate for the lost function by focusing on their remaining abilities. Although this belief has been refuted, an occupational therapy professor believes that the current health system is still not giving patients enough time to recover. -
Genetic variation linked to individual empathy, stress levels
17 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amResearchers have discovered a genetic variation that may contribute to how empathetic a human is, and how that person reacts to stress. In the first study of its kind, a variation in the hormone/neurotransmitter oxytocin's receptor was linked to a person's ability to infer the mental state of others. -
Love and envy linked by same hormone, oxytocin
13 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pmA new study has found that the hormone oxytocin, also known as the "love hormone," which affects behaviors such as trust, empathy and generosity, also affects opposite behaviors, such as jealousy and gloating. -
Why Can't Chimps Speak? Key Differences In How Human And Chimp Versions Of FOXP2 Gene Work
12 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amIf humans are genetically related to chimps, why did our brains develop the innate ability for language and speech while theirs did not? Scientists suspect that part of the answer to the mystery lies in a gene called FOXP2. When mutated, FOXP2 can disrupt speech and language in humans. Now, a new study reveals major differences between how the human and chimp versions of FOXP2 work, perhaps explaining why language is unique to humans. -
Language Support In Schools Vital For Children With Autism
12 Nov 2009 | 2:00 amTeachers and parents must be vigilant in observing difficulties with language comprehension, reading and spelling in children and young people with autism, Asperger's syndrome and ADHD.
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Google News: Autism
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Autism Recovery Revisited: Tell the Chicago Tribune They Are Wrong - Age of Autism (blog)
Chicago TribuneAutism Recovery Revisited: Tell the Chicago Tribune They Are WrongAge of Autism (blog)The Chicago Tribune is running another series of articles stating that "risky" treatments are of little use to children/people with autism (HERE). Autism treatments: Risky alternative therapies have little basis in scienceChicago TribuneSuccess stories more persuasive to some than hard dataChicago Tribuneall 5 news articles » -
The drug Abilify has been approved to temper the symptoms of autism - Examiner.com
The drug Abilify has been approved to temper the symptoms of autismExaminer.comReuters announces UPDATE 1-FDA OKs Abilify for child autism irritability It has been approved tp treat aggression, self injury, tantrums and that the drug UPDATE 1-FDA OKs Abilify for child autism irritabilityReutersFDA OKs Abilify for autism-linked irritabilityForbesUS Food and Drug Administration Approves ABILIFY® (aripiprazole) for the WELT ONLINERTT Newsall 24 news articles » -
IAN survey: Indiana medicates more for autism than nation - The Bloomington Alternative
IAN survey: Indiana medicates more for autism than nationThe Bloomington AlternativeIndiana citizens with autism are five times more likely to be medicated than their counterparts are nationwide, according to an ongoing Parent training boosts medication effect for autismLos Angeles TimesStress and the Autism MomAbout - News & Issues (blog)Parent training complements medication for treating behavioral problems in EurekAlert (press release)OmniNerd (blog)all 11 news articles » -
Author to discuss raising an autistic daughter - Buffalo News
Author to discuss raising an autistic daughterBuffalo NewsEustacia Cutler, who wrote a book about raising her autistic daughter, will be the keynote speaker today at the third annual Northtowns Family Agency Fair KEN-TON: Special needs fair expandsTonawanda Newsall 2 news articles » -
Beth David concert to support new autism school - MiamiHerald.com
Beth David concert to support new autism schoolMiamiHerald.comBeth David Congregation in The Roads will hold this Sunday a concert to benefit its new program for children with autism -- The Tikvah Center: A Place for
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Autism News Beat
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The wisdom of the mob
4 Nov 2009 | 9:15 amJames Rainey of the LA Times examines the abuse hurled at Amy Wallace for her excellent coverage of vaccine rejectionism, and laments the rise of the Google scholar. “Readers who brush up against expertise believe they have become experts,” he writes. “The common man rebels against the notion that anyone — not professionals, not the government and certainly not the media — speaks with special authority.” Without the internet, America’s anti-vaccine movement would be kept in check, with periodic flare ups related to political climate and disease… -
Olmsted Lied, People Laughed:The “Amish Anomaly” hoax
29 Oct 2009 | 11:10 amBy David N. Brown This is a PUBLIC DOMAIN document (dated 10/17/09). It may be copied, forwarded, cited, circulated or posted elsewhere. The author requests only that it not be altered from its current form. Dan Olmsted’s “big break” for coverage of the vaccine-caused autism coverage was a series of stories about two claims: that the Amish do not vaccinate, and that they do not have autism. He wrote at least six articles on this subject between March and October 2005. To this day, he continues to defend his work. Yet, his critics have long since demonstrated 3 facts: The… -
Dr. Paul Offit given AAP President’s Award
23 Oct 2009 | 2:29 pmNobody has done more to educate the public, and the news and entertainment media, about vaccines and autism than Dr. Paul Offit. He’s granted scores of interviews, spoken at dozens of conferences, and still finds time to see patients, all while enduring the slings and arrows of an unhinged minority of anti-vaccine zealots. His book, Autism’s False Prophets, almost single-handedly changed the media narrative from “vaccines might cause autism” to “vaccine rejectionism is dangerous.” So it’s fitting that the American Academy of Pediatrics, an… -
More editors think disease is bad
21 Oct 2009 | 7:50 pmVaccines have been moving up a notch or two recently on the national news agenda, due in part to the slow building panic over an impending H1N1 epidemic. As a result, more news editors have been green-lighting some hard-hitting, reality-based articles. You know, journalism. Most notable is Epidemic of Fear in Wired Magazine, an unapologetic, take-no-prisoners report by Wired newcomer Amy Wallace. Most of the story centers on a profile of Dr. Paul Offit, the man whom vaccine rejectionists love to hate. What makes the story exceptional is an absence of false balance that dilutes most vaccine… -
Press not likely to fall for latest anti-vaccine ruse
14 Sep 2009 | 10:50 amThe fallout from NBC Dateline’s report about a disgraced UK physician continues. One of the anti-vaccine groups to feel the pain was the National Autism Association, whose major asset is its legitimate sounding name. Don’t let that fool you. One week after the episode appeared, the NAA issued a press release claiming that Dr. Paul Offit hid his financial interests from Matt Lauer and NBC Dateline, thus jeopardizing the nation’s swine flu vaccine program. Yet Lauer very clearly says in the interview: “Dr. Offit is a target. Not just for supporting vaccine safety, but…
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Skinnykids
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WAR!!!!
30 Oct 2009 | 9:07 amIt's an olive monster vs. a swordsman in the battle to the death...or bedtime (whichever came first). -
A day in October
27 Oct 2009 | 9:45 pmThis morning I got the breadmaker out to make gluten-free bread for the kids. Michael loves to watch it work, so I sat him on the counter and he peered down through the clear top while the machine mixed and mixed. I got busy frying Laurel a couple eggs, and when I turned back to Michael I saw a wet glob of something on the clear lid."Michael, what is that?""Ummm...my booger.""Honey, you can't just put your boogers anywhere. You need to get a tissue.""No, I like putting it there."Later this morning Michael asked to play with some scissors and glue. Since he had already… -
Foreshadowing
27 Oct 2009 | 5:28 pmI still have some loose ends to finish (like I don't think Mickey ever wore frog boots) but even if I didn't these won't be the kids' official Halloween pictures if for no other reason than we have TOO MANY PICTURES IN FRONT OF THE FENCE. Stay tuned... -
Showdown
27 Oct 2009 | 5:15 pmWhen Michael was around 2.5 years old, all of his little girl pals suddenly clued into the Whole Princess Thing. It didn't seem to matter if the parents were anti-princess and had actively encouraged more gender-neutral play. The princess wave hit, and it hit HARD.So I've been a little confused about Laurel. Granted, she isn't the most feminine girl: she refuses to wear hair clips, and if she isn't busy wrestling Michael she's trying to lift the kitchen table into the air. It wasn't until this summer that she grudgingly agreed to wear a skirt, but even then I'd watch… -
A bit dense
23 Oct 2009 | 8:00 amYesterday I spent a good chunk of the afternoon neglecting the kids blogging and while I heard some loud noises, I didn't hear any cries of pain...so I figured everything was OK.And it was, except that when I emerged from the computer I found they had dumped ALL NINE bins of toys onto the floor. The NINE BINS that were SORTED and LABELED. The kids had turned the bins upside down and were using them as "rocks" to leap over the "river" of toys.And since this morning I'm once again holed up in front of the computer neglecting the kids blogging, it's obvious I haven't quite learned my…
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Theoria cum Praxi » Autism
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Autism and the “helicopter parent”
4 Nov 2009 | 10:01 pmEvery now and then someone will write an article – or a comment on an article – that pins the cause of autism on “overprotective” parents. These parents – also known as “helicopter parents” – are so involved in their kids lives, the argument goes, that they warp them into being autistic. (Almost the opposite of the old “refrigerator mother” theory, since this new “cause” is the result of too much – not too little – love and affection.) Before I go any further here, let me say emphatically and without… -
Enjoying the scenery
14 Sep 2009 | 3:08 pmOccasionally I’m asked what I think about being the parent of an autistic son. Over the years (about 16 now) I’ve had the chance to give it some thought, and I have to say that although my opinions on quite a few things related to autism have evolved – and some have outright changed - there is one thing that I’ve always believed: Parenting an autistic child is, first and foremost, nothing more – and nothing less – than parenting a child. Yes it is different, and sometimes (OK, much of the time) more difficult than being the parent of a “normal” child,… -
What is your language?
29 Jul 2009 | 4:35 amAnother of my posts from the past, on a similar theme as my re-post last night of Knowledge in translation. This time, the translation in question is that between the language of autism and the language of the non-autistic. WHAT IS YOUR LANGUAGE Everyone has their own path to follow through life. Easy to say, somewhat harder to believe because most of our daily experiences involve others who live incredibly similar lives to ours. This sometimes gets in the way of us realizing that there are differences in this world, and that the path that we’ve chosen for ourselves – or that has… -
Technology makes it easy to ‘remember,’ the trick is learning how to forget
26 Jun 2009 | 4:16 amAs a follow up to my last post, The importance of forgetting, it seemed appropriate to republish the following, which I originally posted in March 2007. A blog post I wrote a year ago. Playing around with David Allen’s Getting Things Done. A recent article in Fast Company. Reading Steven Johnson’s book Mind Wide Open over Thanksgiving. Autism. All of these things came together in my mind over the past few days. (If the internet is a global cocktail party, and blogs are its conversations, I’m the guy who takes it all in and thinks of something to say as he’s driving home from the… -
The starting gun
7 Jun 2009 | 9:00 pmWith high school and college graduation season in full swing, and as my son’s 18th birthday quickly approaches, it seems a fitting time to repost this blog entry I wrote for Left Brain/Right Brain back in October 2007. There was quite a bit of discussion when I first posted this, so visit the original post to read the comments too. One of my high school philosophy teachers (at a Jesuit high school here in St. Louis) used popular music of the time (70’s and early 80’s) as a tool in classes. I mostly remember using Supertramp (Crime of the Century) and some Pink Floyd (”Welcome to…
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Action For Autism
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Political abuse and the abuse of autism
5 Nov 2009 | 2:12 pm“Political autism” has emerged again in a row within the European Union (EU). Despite taking Britain into the EEC (the forerunner of the EU) in 1973, the Conservatives have always been vulnerable to disputes between their pro-European wing and the euro-sceptics who are mistrustful of European federalism and keen to defend British independence. The Labour [...] -
Mitochondrial disorder and autism
1 Nov 2009 | 11:48 pmWhen Hannah Poling won her claim for an adverse vaccine reaction that triggered a pre-existing mitochondrial disorder and caused her to develop autistic symptoms it created quite a flurry in the autism world. The strange thing was there were at least 5000 families in the Autism Omnibus Proceedings who believed that vaccines had caused their child’s [...] -
Congratulations to Dr Offit
24 Oct 2009 | 2:41 amLiz Ditz at I speak of Dreams has just blogged the news that Paul Offit has been recognized with an award from the American Association of Pediatrics. Congratulations to Paul Offit, M.D. Paul Offit was one of the co-inventors of the rotavirus vaccine, Rotateq. He has written a number of books relating to vaccine issues, most [...] -
Autism Act 2009
22 Oct 2009 | 5:42 amYes! The House of Lords gave The Autism Bill its third reading today. It now becomes The Autism Act 2009. I have posted the full story on LBRB. It is also up on the National Autistic Society site. -
Don’t Write Me Off
13 Oct 2009 | 11:21 amThis is the slogan of the latest campaign from the National Autistic Society. It launched today at a reception in Parliament where over100 MPs heard NAS Council member Thomas Madar talk about his experience as an autistic adult and saw the latest campaign video. The campaign addresses the lack of support adults with autism face when looking for [...]
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Alien in a Foreign Field
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Who are you?
20 Nov 2009 | 3:23 pmTake the Quiz here! -
A sporting chance
9 Nov 2009 | 9:19 amLet me just say from the get go that I know nothing about sport, with the exception of Tiddly Winks, nor have I ever coached anyone to play any kind of sport, which is probably just as well. That said, I would guess that being a coach is akin to being a teacher, but I’m happy to be corrected on that score. I have the opportunity to observe a coach working as we walk along the edge of the fence that surrounds the playing field, towards the dog park. Although we walk along a clearly delineated path, I have each boys’ hand in one of mine, just in case a squirrel or some other distraction… -
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - a movie review
13 Aug 2009 | 10:02 amA long time ago I read "this" book by "F.Scott Fitzgerald." At that time, in my youth, I deemed it both ‘a bit soppy’ and ‘highly improbable,’ because I read it as a ‘story’ and not as a literary critic. For "one" reason and "another" when the movie debuted I failed to connect the book to the film. I wanted to watch the film but there was a lot of "stuff" going on at the time. By happenstance, as is so often the case, my "daughter" borrowed a copy from the library, watched it and suggested that I do likewise. It was a nudge. I was reminded of "This Mom’s" project and… -
Evensong – I’ll have the nutty version
11 Jul 2009 | 6:11 pmOn Sunday Evening my jolly good neighbour hands me a plate of cookies with a warm and beaming smile. “And here’s a pack of diabetic cookies but they’re still frozen.” She has taken pity on me after enduring 30 minutes of my moaning about my catering woes. We chat about families, hers and mine, special diets and special needs. As she turns to leave she adds, “anyway, I have to get back now as I still have a bit of cooking to do.”“Always cooking to do it seems.”“Yes…….just enough time for divinity.” A string of words bounce up in a blue ribboned silk banner in my brain… -
Never trust a skinny cook*
8 Jul 2009 | 6:52 pmJust before four in the afternoon, I put away the last clean, dry plate and pause for a cup of coffee, black. A couple of hours ago everyone was full of barbeque, salads, bread and cake, which took the edge off the hunger pangs after breakfast of pancakes, in-between morning snacks and afternoon snacks. Because I am so badly organized, I haven’t managed to squeeze in a trip to the supermarket as the prospect of dinner looms. Some time between now and 6 in the evening, I am doomed to hear those fateful words “what’s for supper?” Right on cue, my husband appears, “so how can I help…
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Andrea's Buzzing About:
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We live interesting (albeit grungy) lives
15 Nov 2009 | 1:10 pmMy daughter just remarked, “Swords, teapots and rubber duckies — wow, that Bon Ami is great stuff!” -
Thieves!
12 Nov 2009 | 4:14 pmGrocery stockers are well-familiar with the sight: random empty boxes that are the hidden leftovers to stolen goods. Cold medicine. Hair coloring. Condoms. Diapers. Candy. A couple days ago I found a different wrapper stuffed behind the tidy stacks of soap bars, a small cylinder of fish food, with the plastic lid missing and the foil [...] -
What a great combo
29 Oct 2009 | 8:39 pmADHD + fussy baby: “See? There’s Bouncy Lady. We call her Grandma.” -
The Catch
24 Oct 2009 | 3:52 pmI’ve been having intermittent bouts of vertigo (some severe), along with worsening tinnitus and resulting difficulty understanding what people are saying. My GP said I got poor results on the tympanogram, and is sending me to an ENT, whom I see next week. I’m no longer driving on the highway, and take extra care if [...] -
What you want
19 Oct 2009 | 10:48 amI still feel queasy when I remember the words. Children have a certain disempowerment simply because they are young — they are naïve, less learned, and lack perspective. But this transcended childhood. It sank past the boundaries of adult to child, or parent to child, and trampled my self-identity and self-determination. My mom had found a way [...]
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Asperger Square 8
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Square Talk: The Social Model
27 Oct 2009 | 7:44 am -
A Job Interview
21 Oct 2009 | 10:22 pm -
Instead
14 Oct 2009 | 8:31 pmYou want to be helpful. Really. Useful. You were surprised, recently to find yourself finally seeing it, the harm that is done by groups like Autism Speaks. That video, that disembodied voice, Big Scary Voice and its claims of destruction, you saw this time how these omnipresent repetitions build a world where autistic people and people with other disabilities are shunned, marginalized, treated in so many ways as less than human. Less than real. You get it now. But what about that walk coming up? What about that inbox filling with walks and runs and bake sales and pledge drives and other… -
The Daily Squawk: Redefining Canines
6 Oct 2009 | 8:51 amCanine Advocates Urge Removal of Pomeranian, Shih Tzu, Others from the Dog Spectrum Should all dogs be considered equally doglike? Well known canine advocate Darrell Hogarty doesn’t think so. “People who live with some of these smaller breeds have become too vocal,” he explains. Hogarty believes that the enthusiasm of small dog aficionados obscures the problems of real dog owners. “They claim they can live in apartments and condos. The general public is starting to think that dogs like my Rotweiller don’t need large fences to keep them from bolting.” What’s worse, Hogarty says,… -
For You
29 Sep 2009 | 8:10 amFor BruceYou said, "Here's your mirror and your ball and jacks."But they're not what I came for, and I'm sure you see that too.-For YouSo many times, there were no words, but swirls of emotion, pattern and image. Thoughts and feelings demanded saying, but I was mute. The other looked on with anticipation, then curiosity, then pity. Finally, I’d disappear from view. The other would move on to other others, those who communicated freely the complexity of longings within them. Sometimes there would be someone more patient, more able to see. When I had spent the few words I could muster, I…
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Aspie Home-Education
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Children, Schools and Families Bill — Home education
20 Nov 2009 | 5:24 amYou can find it here. -
Testing times for home educators
19 Nov 2009 | 3:56 amFive months after Graham Badman's report was published, the inclusion of some of his findings in the Queen's speech makes it clear that the system faces changes.Read more... -
Declaration to Parliament - Notice of refusal to co-operate
18 Nov 2009 | 3:07 pmThe following notice has been going round...TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERNWHEREAS the recommendations of the GRAHAM BADMAN REVIEW OF ELECTIVE HOME EDUCATION have been accepted in full by the Secretary of State.AND that these grossly disproportionate recommendations hold serious implications for the civil liberties of parents, children and families in this country.AND that these recommendations place primary responsibility for assessing the suitability of education and the welfare of the child on the state, rather than the parent - with no prior evidence that either is unsatisfactory prior to this… -
Declaration to Parliament - Notice of Refusal to Co-operate
18 Nov 2009 | 1:47 pmHere, there and everywhere...To find out more, go to:Home education forumsFreedom in educationMaire StaffordshireBlogdialkelly green and goldRenegade Parent (more here)AHEDBillysu'sNineteenthlyLearning Freely NetworkThen UKEnsino Doméstico - Educação Domiciliar -
Unprecedented access to family homes
17 Nov 2009 | 4:39 amnow given to health and safety inspectors to ensure that parents are protecting their children from household accidents.Read more...Also worth reading is this article, about the way Britain - "the most punitive nation in Europe" - continues to breach children's rights.
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thoughts from a spectrum dweller
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one step at a time
20 Nov 2009 | 4:56 pmmy computer (laptop) died last week, tuesday. been online off for brief snatches, over to friends’ house twice to use her spare macbook (such as today), and brief fragments to quickly check email at job search centers. i owe too much in overdue fines at the local libraries to be able to use [...] -
aesthete
10 Nov 2009 | 3:31 amSensitive peeps might not want to see this. Dark, twisted people, however: -
Feeling grumpy ‘is good for you’ (uh, no)
9 Nov 2009 | 10:20 pmAn Australian psychology expert who has been studying emotions has found being grumpy makes us think more clearly. In contrast to those annoying happy types, miserable people are better at decision-making and less gullible, his experiments showed. While cheerfulness fosters creativity, gloominess breeds attentiveness and careful thinking, Professor Joe Forgas told Australian Science Magazine. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8339647.stm hunh? [...] -
met with the case worker
9 Nov 2009 | 9:29 pmfinally got to meet with the case worker today. turned out to be a very deep conversation, and possibly the most in-depth counseling/psych intake session i’ve ever been part of. she took highly detailed notes, got my entire family history, dates, education, year by year, what i’ve been doing my entire life. [...] -
your latest post is not appropriate
9 Nov 2009 | 8:15 pmAutism Hub Admin to me Hi, Sorry, but I have temporarily removed your blog from the Autism Hub listing. You are as free as always to write and post what you like, but your latest post is not appropriate for the Hub. I hope thing get better for you soon. - Dave Seidel yes, autism-hub, [...]
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Autism Street
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Halloween Treat
31 Oct 2009 | 3:40 pmNo trick here Autism Street readers. It’s a Halloween treat for all to enjoy (from one of my kids). Fear The Spongebob Zombie Pirate! -
Unmitigated Anti-Vaccination Idiocy
11 Oct 2009 | 12:39 amOver at Age Of Autism (the self-proclaimed “Daily Web Newspaper of the Autism Epidemic”), chelation expert, J.B. “autism is a misdiagnosis for mercury poisoning” Handley, brings us more typical anti-vaccine nonsense. In his most recent (and David Kirby-like) post, Hepatitis B Vaccine: An Unmitigated Disaster, J.B. trots out the sciency. As most readers of AoA know, the Hep B vaccine was added to the CDC’s childhood immunization schedule in the early 1990s, requires four doses before a child is eighteen months old, and is the only vaccine on the CDC’s schedule that… -
David Kirby - Still A Douchebag
10 Oct 2009 | 9:43 pmIn a recent article at his Huffington Post blog, David Kirby comments on recent word that the HHS would revise it’s estimates of prevalence for autism spectrum disorders, based on new data for the 1996 birth year cohort. Not surprisingly, Kirby had questions. Also not surprisingly, even though he essentially discards Thimerosal and MMR, his question boils down to vaccines. From his post (a question he apparently attempted to ask on a conference call with the NIMH director, Dr. Thomas Insel). Note: there are now two very different versions - David Kirby apparently revised his post after… -
No “Sympathy” For Jenny McCarthy
17 Jul 2009 | 8:45 pmThe James Randi Educational Foundation’s TAM7 meeting took place in Las Vegas last week. This year’s meeting included a panel discussion entitled, “Anti Anti-Vaccination”. As scienceblogger, and panelist Orac notes in a recent post about “Enablers of the vaccine-autism manufactroversy“: One of the issues that came up over which there was somewhat of a disagreement is exactly how to deal with prominent antivaccine activists, people such as Jenny McCarthy. The majority opinion seemed to be that being too blunt or hurling insults is ineffectual if we want to… -
See? Different IS Dangerous!
28 Jun 2009 | 9:30 amWow, these two brave journalists barely escaped with their lives! As usual, The Onion adeptly spotlights the absurd with absurdity.
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Social Skills for Kids
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Holiday Advice
20 Nov 2009 | 7:54 amThe holidays are coming up and for a lot of people that means getting together with extended family and relatives you haven’t seen in a while. This can be a great chance to connect, feel supported, even show off a bit with all the progress your child has made. But it can also mean unwanted advice. Your parents, your sister-in-law, your best friend from high school probably mean nothing but the best for you and your family. But they also may not have a special needs child and they may not understand what it is that your family is going through, or what your child needs.So often I’ve heard… -
Contra Costa Country Annual Transition Conference
17 Nov 2009 | 8:22 pmA few posts ago, I talked about transition planning for teens and how important it is to start planning early. At that time, I wasn’t sure when the Transition Conference for Contra Costa County was being held. But now you can download a copy of the Conference Brochure. It’s being held at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California on Tuesday January 5, 2010. This conference is a great resource for adults and parents of teens, with a full day of presentations on living options, employment, financial needs, sexual issues, disability services at community colleges.There is also a… -
What Happens After High School?
2 Nov 2009 | 1:12 pmThe transition from high school to adulthood is a crucial time in the lives of many young adults on the Autism Spectrum, and it requires careful planning. I encourage the families I work with to start the planning process early. Many local resources, schools and supports groups may offer information, but frequently these events are only offered annually, so parents need to start gathering information early in the high school years. Get on those email lists!As an example, here in San Francisco’s East Bay, The Orion Academy holds a post secondary transition seminar annually in March. The… -
Local Bay Area Special Education Resource
22 Oct 2009 | 2:27 pmSpecial education and the legal issues surrounding it are very complex topics. Parents need to know their rights and responsibilities, and what their child is entitled to. For parents in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Leigh Law Group is presenting a workshop for parents and professionals on Special Education: Rights to Related Services in the Public Schools. The training event is November 14th, 2009, in San Francisco, and it’s only $10.00. I’ll state right up front that I’m not familiar with this group, and I don’t know the presenters, but the topic is so crucial, I’m guessing… -
Book Review: No More Meltdowns by Jed Baker, Ph.D.
8 Oct 2009 | 10:18 amNo More Meltdowns by Jed Baker, Ph.D. is an excellent resource for parents trying to deal with their child’s out of control behavior, whether the kids have a diagnosis or not. This book is straightforward, with a simple step by step plan for dealing with tantrums and meltdowns. At the same time, there are plenty of detailed examples that show how to fit the simple plan to complex situations.Certainly parenting is tougher when children have special needs, like an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger’s or Attention Deficit (ADHD or ADD). And frequently these parents have to also deal…
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LBnuke
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All Drupal All The Time – Too Bad I Can’t Breathe
6 Nov 2009 | 8:46 pmWriting on the iPhone. Hard to breathe. Shaky. Strangely okay besides that. Sometimes writing helps. Been very busy lately. All Drupal all the time. Besides from the insane learning curve and non-intuitive UI, I am in awe of its power and flexibility. After more than 15 hours of video tutorials and reading tons of docs, I am finally understanding how it works and how the code is organized. I am learning while building a site for an awesome organization. Will link to it when it is done. If all goes according to plan, it will launch around Jan. 1st, 2010. Not mentioning the org. because there… -
Letter in Response to Autism Speaks’ Exploitative Practice
1 Oct 2009 | 9:54 amThe Autistic Self Advocacy Network and other organizations representing the Cross-Disability Community are distributing this joint letter to the sponsors, donors and supporters of Autism Speaks following the organization’s latest offensive and damaging Public Service Announcement, “I am Autism“. If you are an organization that would like to sign on to the letter, please e-mail ASAN at info@autisticadvocacy.org before Close of Business Tuesday, October 6th, 2009. If you are an individual who would like to join ASAN’s upcoming protests of Autism Speaks in Ohio, New… -
I’m Autistic: Another Awesome Video Response To Autism Speaks’ “I Am Autism”
27 Sep 2009 | 1:10 pmResponses to the the Autism Speaks’ “I Am Autism” video have been growing quickly. Here is another awesome video response to the tune of “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy. More Responses: ABFH has posted a list of video and blog/article responses here. Turner and Kowalski are collecting pictures with captions for their parody video. Send some in! Related posts:Letter in Response to Autism Speaks’ Exploitative PracticeProfessional Frontend Engineering VideoDon’t Speak For Me -
Don’t Speak For Me
24 Sep 2009 | 12:42 pmCheck out this awesome response to the exceptionally horrible “I Am Autism” video by Autism Speaks. Link leads to Mike Stanton’s Action For Autism blog with video and commentary. This video is just one part of Autism Speaks’ crusade to educate the world about how horrible autistic people are and how they will destroy the happiness of anyone who crosses their path. If you haven’t seen the Autism Speaks video, it is exactly the same as this one except for the audio, which is almost the complete opposite. Lyrics are below. A list of responses to the Autism Speaks… -
Tech Support Cheat Sheet
3 Sep 2009 | 9:57 pmTech Support Secrets (click to enlarge) From xkcd. Thanks to Joni Mueller for the link No related posts.
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Normal Is Overrated
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The spaces in my résumé
25 Oct 2009 | 8:36 am(This is my post for Disability Blog Carnival 59: Disability and Work.) I’ve never applied for a job in the traditional manner. Sure, I’ve done some work for my father’s office, and I’ve done some freelance work for organizations owned by his friends and associates. But this has all been through connections, through friends, family, and friends of family; I’ve never actively sought out a job on my own in the traditional way. But it’s not that I don’t want to— in fact, I would absolutely love to find a job that suits me well. It’s just that the… -
Autism Speaks Hits A New Low
23 Sep 2009 | 11:04 amIf you’ve been reading my blog, you probably know my stance toward Autism Speaks by now. It’s an organization I’ve always had my share of issues with; see my past posts on the subject for some idea of why. But this time, they’ve really outdone themselves. Before I explain what they’ve done to make me say that, I have to provide a bit of background information. You see, back in early August, Autism Speaks sent out this press release encouraging people to submit videos of autistic individuals for use in an upcoming film project. This project had huge names behind… -
Assumptions, Assumptions
1 May 2009 | 10:35 amSo it’s Blogging Against Disablism Day once again. I’d been thinking for the past couple days about what precisely I want to blog about today… and then it hit me yesterday. Assumptions. People tend to make assumptions of a person’s abilities and general nature based on that person’s appearance. But sometimes these assumptions turn out to be incorrect. Some people adjust their personal stereotypes to adjust for their errors; others cling to their assumptions and classify these cases as exceptions to the rule. You’re all probably familiar with this sort of… -
Noodly executive functioning
12 Apr 2009 | 2:08 pmSo, at my Aspie support group meeting last week, I finally learned how to cook spaghetti on my own. It was actually a lot simpler than I thought it’d be, and there was very little room for me to accidentally scald myself (something that has happened before in other attempts at cooking). And I was ready to cook some for myself tonight, since I figured most restaurants would probably be closed for Easter. I’d already gotten spaghetti noodles and sauce at the store; I’d already checked to make sure I had a pot to cook it in; I thought I was ready. Some of you probably see the… -
A bit late, but still a worthy link…
7 Apr 2009 | 5:27 pmI’m a day late with this, but I just can’t go without linking Cara from The Curvature’s post “Things That Pain Me“. It’s about Yoko Ono’s partnership with Autism Speaks, and it links to my own post about said organization. I’m glad to see that those of us on the autism spectrum aren’t the only ones who have issues with Autism Speaks’ tactics and approaches. Thanks, Cara, for getting this out to an even wider audience.
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The Rettdevil's Rants
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10 Hz lights.
3 Nov 2009 | 11:52 pmThey're everywhere. But they don't need to be. It's actually probably illegal for them to be as many places as they are.Yeah, I get that I can't go clubbing. I don't care that I can't go clubbing, particularly. But I do care that walking through downtown is fraught with hazards. Not just being chased down the street by aggressive panhandlers (true story) or someone taking a stoplight as a suggestion or thinking they've got right of way on a right turn because they're bigger (that happens too), but 10 Hz lights.Everywhere.They're on emergency vehicles, which I don't really get. You're going to… -
You aren't autism. We are. Shut up and listen.
23 Sep 2009 | 10:46 am**Profanity ahead. It's well earned,**I saw the new Autism Speaks video shortly after finding out they've got a fundraiser in my stay-weird-pride-and-hippies-and-nonconformity city. And all I have to say to that is:Autism Speaks, shut the fuck up and get the fuck out. There are a number of bridges here. You like driving off bridges, right? Go pick one but leave us the hell alone. And do the right thing, the responsible thing, and leave your children with a responsible adult (you are neither of these things, either as individuals or a collective) while you do so.The vast majority of the… -
Wow. Best. Post. Ever. And some other stuff.
29 Jul 2009 | 11:11 amThis post from Asperger Square 8 is pretty much one of the most important posts ever. Read it. Now. Are you back now? Ok. Because the reactions people have to it seem pretty distinct. Autistic people I know have reacted with recognition, and if they see it like I do, think it's pretty fucking sweet that people are putting it in words and pointing it out. I'm about at the point of wanting to print this shit out, make copies, and leave it at all the whiney-autie-mommy groups around my city. It's that powerful. It spells out the power dynamics that concretely, that clearly. In spite of all the… -
Latest Mercury Malicia Target: Ari Ne'eman, ASAN president.
10 May 2009 | 7:31 pmIn an act of true and desperate crazy, the Mercury Malicia have truly outdone themselves.Not to be content with threatening doctors and their children, libeling them, and calling them extraordinarily derogatory names behind their computers, they've moved on to an ultimate act of BATSHIT INSANE: "Let's get Newsweek to assassinate Ari Ne'eman!"What. The. Fuck.People. Get the hell off my planet if you think this is ok. Now. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. AoA, this isn't acceptable. You know that you're associated with John Best, and either he knows he is so far in the wrong he has gone to… -
Our protests may be symbolic, but they will reach someone nonetheless
9 Mar 2009 | 2:01 pmBeen away from the blog for a while. Life happens.But this is important.As most of you know, Lindt partnered with Autism Weeps to fund eradicating autism. They're having an unsung heroes of autism contest thing, in which they are taking essays nominating "unsung heroes who've made personal sacrifices in the name of fighting autism".Well screw the whole fighting autism thing. But we should--no, in the name of Nothing About Us Without Us, MUST--nominate our own, nominate autistic advocates who've fought the bigotry that they're spreading, autistic advocates who fight the systemic impossibility,…
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Ballastexistenz
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This is not the post I started out writing.
16 Nov 2009 | 8:15 pmThe next disability blog carnival’s topic is intersectionality. Intersectionality is one of those words that does not slide completely off my brain, the way ‘monotropism’ does, but slides partially off my brain and is not a word I would ever use except in paragraphs like this one. It is a word normally used by people within a very particular way of looking at oppression. And among people who may not be exactly within that category, but who take the word from those who are. I don’t even know the word for that category, although I can usually recognize it by the sorts of… -
Blueberries
2 Nov 2009 | 3:53 pmAll of these articles are from one blog, flip flopping joy: berries. blue. The ABC Report about blueberry field abuse up close through others’ eyes Read those before responding to this post. This is the first time in my life that MY community has been highlighted on national television. I mean…the place I worked. The place I have memories of. The place my body has memories of. Not just “community” that I count myself a part of. ~has that ever happened to you? It changes how you see things. Because you see yourself for the first time through the eyes of others. Up close. You can… -
Stuff I’ve been reading.
23 Oct 2009 | 4:09 pmI am still in a mode where my brain is prepared to take in much more than it is prepared to spit out in the form of useful words, and I am still unaware of when this is going to change. However, I have for once been doing some reading of other blogs (including some fairly old stuff people have written), and therefore have links to various posts I find especially good or interesting: At The Perorations of Lady Bracknell, there is a post called Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. If you’ve ever been tempted to think, “the social model of disability says that impairments aren’t… -
Breathtaking to behold: talking back to dismissal
24 Jul 2009 | 5:03 pmOne of my biggest interests is the study of how oppression plays out, and how it is resisted, among communities that most people would consider minorities. (Note: Minority in amount of power, not in amount of numbers. So yes, women count.) Not some sort of study of victimhood the way some people would paint it, but rather how people resist becoming victims. It is breathtaking to behold communities where enough people have worked out the way things work, that when they are hit with the usual forms of sexism, racism, ableism, heterosexism, etc., they are ready for it. They have answers to the… -
“Intentional” communities… not.
31 May 2009 | 3:15 pmI wrote part of this in response to a post on the change.org autism blog called Down on the Farm, about “intentional communities” (which aren’t really) built for autistic people (but not by us or with our meaningful input) along with some non-autistic people (who have much more choice and power than we do) in ways where the power structure screams institution even if the shape of the walls doesn’t (some people believe institutions are defined by their shape and number of residents, which is neither the sociological definition nor my definition — the definition I…
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Natural Variation - Autism Blog
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False Despair
10 Nov 2009 | 11:50 amWhat would be the value of telling a parent of a recently diagnosed autistic child that the child will never be able to hold a job, if this is unlikely to be true for a good majority of autistic children diagnosed at present? Is there any? I just don't see it. In fact, I think this would be at least as harmful as telling a parent that their child will grow up to be just like Dr. Temple Grandin.I was recently told that I shouldn't divulge data that could be interpreted as painting a "rosy picture" of autism. It's not only rude to tell people what they should or shouldn't write about, but this… -
Jonathan's Completely Dishonest Attack on My Latest Posts
4 Nov 2009 | 11:04 amDear reader: Please go read Jon Mitchell's utterly dishonest attack on my two latest posts. It's titled Some neurodiversity potpurri.First of all, I'd like to inform Jon that even though I've said this blog is pro-neurodiversity, I'm not a leader of neurodiversity proponents or anything of the sort. All my opinions are personal and should in no way be seen as opinions put forth by something called neurodiversity. It's very uncool to try to use what I say (or what other bloggers say for that matter) as a way to attack the neurodiversity philosophy as a whole. Now, the most outrageous… -
Marriage Among Autistics, Or Why the NHS Study Obliterates CADD
2 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amIn the previous post I discussed data that contradicts the common belief that autistic adults are largely unemployed.In this post I want to discuss marriage. Marriage, again, is something that is considered very rare among autistics. It's a stereotype like any other stereotype, of course, but it's not an entirely unjustified one.Of all the autistics Leo Kanner wrote about, I believe only one (Robert F) is known to have married. Said Kanner:The contacts thus established led to the discovery that the boy-meets-girl issue was paramount in the talks of the companions. Again, there was a vaguely… -
Unemployment Among Adult Autistics in the UK
27 Oct 2009 | 6:25 amI've previously criticized estimates of the "costs of autism" to society. The whole rationale of coming up with such estimates is objectionable to begin with, but I've also criticized what appear to be exaggerations in the figures that form the basis of these analyses.One key component of such estimates is "lost productivity" due to lack of employment and related metrics. I've pointed out that old data on the employment rate of adult autistics no longer applies. If you want to come up with cost estimates based on an ASD prevalence of 0.6% or 1%, you have to know the employment rate that… -
Is It More Like 1.2% to 1.5%?
8 Oct 2009 | 2:01 pmOver two years ago I wrote a post titled Moving Toward a New Consensus Prevalence of 1% or Higher. At the time the prevalence of ASD was generally considered to be 0.6%. If you Google it, you'll find this figure is still the one that's cited most frequently. At present, no one has come out and precisely said the consensus prevalence has been revised to 1%, but I think that's pretty much where we're at. Consider what Roy Richard Grinker said recently to Time Magazine."It provides what scientists call convergent validity: no matter how you shake the bushes, you come up with this 1%," says…
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AutismParents.NET!
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Food Inc.
21 Nov 2009 | 6:28 amIn Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Link Autism
16 Nov 2009 | 6:30 pmLink Autism Leadership website [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
“Green Vaccines” Ballot Initiative
16 Nov 2009 | 6:35 amMake a donation to this cause here. Oregon has been selected as the first state for attempted passage. Source: AofA: A Simple Plan by By Kent Heckenlively, Esq. Proposal Ideas and Areas for... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
CDC: No clear GBS link to H1N1 Vaccine because WE SAY SO
11 Nov 2009 | 6:26 pmThe following was in the news today and makes me wonder exactly what has to happen before the CDC would consider a case of GBS related to the vaccine? Va. teen suffers rare illness after swine flu... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Teaching a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder to read
6 Nov 2009 | 6:40 amTeaching Reading to Children with ASD. What’s The Best Way? There is no one way to teach reading to children with ASD. Learning styles vary between children so a range of strategies should be... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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THE NEW REPUBLIC
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The Week In Autism - TWTWTWIA ii
21 Nov 2009 | 11:17 amWelcome to the New Republic's That Was The Week That Was In Autism (ii)John Best reacts in anger to his worst nightmare made flesh: an angry, queer, Autistic threatening to kick his ass:an angry, queer, autistic"Along with allowing him to suffer with Asperger's Syndrome, his parents screwed up and let him become gay too...his parents screwed up and let him become gay tooLetting them turn into -
A Message to Autism Speaks
21 Nov 2009 | 5:41 amWhile Socrates is busy completing That Was the Week That Was (ii), please view a simple and heartfelt message from an anonymous Autistic, to Bob Wright: -
Autism Speaks - Bob The Bullshitter
20 Nov 2009 | 11:59 amTerror Returns to the Streets of New York as Militants Stage the Biggest Single Atrocity Since September 11Osama Bin Ne'eman (far right)Bob 'the Bullshitter' Wright, CEO of The Speak lashed out last night at the protesters he claimed were trying to 9-11 the $2million fund-raiser in New York.some comic that was never really very funnyThe event was headlined by Bruce Springsteen and some comic -
I Am Autism - Seinfeld Confronted
20 Nov 2009 | 4:21 amJerry Seinfeld was the headliner at the 2009 Concert for Autism Speaks. Hours before the show, an autistic self advocate, opposed to the stigmatizing message broadcast to the public by Autism Speaks, including "I Am Autism", "Autism Everyday" and other PSA's and literature asks Jerry Seinfeld not to support stigmatization. -
The Village By Number 6
19 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pmThere are many kinds of hell. Some are Quite Unusual.The village sits on a small clay and gravel shoal, not more than a few feet above the level of the Diluvian Flood that 10,000 years ago, swept over the plain, heralding the end of the Ice Age.It's first inhabitants, a small group of very large and very hairy elephantoids, quickly realised in the sweltering heat of a 52 degrees Fahrenheit spring
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The Art of Being Asperger Woman
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Time to love & learn about love and life
11 Nov 2009 | 7:41 amFirst of all let me tell you everyting is doing fine. Being used to be single, it is quite strange to be involved in a relationship now. He is very caring, sweet, smart, understanding and we have quite some common interests. His life during the last 5 years was quite different than mine, but that is OK. We can learn a lot from one another. And besides that, love is now and to love one person is to life with his present life. I must learn to deal with typical relationship things. In a way he has more experience with this as he has been member of a family with children. We are doing fine and… -
Glossy Magazine Fotoshoot Part 2
30 Oct 2009 | 1:17 pmFAQ 1: What is the LINDA magazine about? The magazine is called 'LINDA' and is a production of Mrs. Linda de Mol, a very well known Dutch tv presenter and actress. I have never met her personally. ShWe is one of the leading TV personalities in The Netherlands. FAQ about my contribution to this magazine. The magazine is now Holland's best selling glossy magazines with 110.000 editions sold each month. FAQ 2. What was the subject to talk about? A. Loneliness. FAQ 3. How did they find you? A. A journalist had posted a request on a internet message forum. In a kind of way this message board… -
Update! Autism and Travel, Love.
29 Oct 2009 | 8:34 amBeen away for a while. I apologize if you came here to find there had been no update. The Love thing is doing well, LOVE gives much energy and adds a golden touch at Life I think. He is so caring and sweet and has much to offer me.I slowly come down to earth and realise that normal life continues... You might be interested to find out that- after such a long time of hesitation where and how to go on vacation- I finally choose Vienna, the city in which my grandmother was born, to be my destination. I booked a complete group bus tour with Half Board. The group counted about 40 other persons,… -
It was fine...
28 Sep 2009 | 1:21 amThe first date in years has resulted in a very nice meeting between two people. Yes, the magic click was there. We had plenty to talk of and afterwards there were another 1000 questions to ask him. So, we decided to take things slow and become good friends... After a week of intense emotions it feels good life returns to normal, however I must say my daily structure and inner rest has been disturbed in a strange way by all this. No one will take away yesterdays experiences, whatever the future might bring. Between butterflies and both feet on the ground. Yes, he knows about my ASD and… -
Yes, I am Dating again! HAPPY
26 Sep 2009 | 4:24 amMany many times I read and heard people talking about romance telling me that things will come upon your path as you do not expect them to do so. So, here I am now, telling you what the others already knew, Yes, the love thing "could happen" if you are not digging for love too hard.Yes, I am dating again. This could be the first serious relationship after I got diagnosed some years ago. Things went very fast. Must tell you I do not know him in real life yet, but that will change this weekend. Execited but nervous. He is cute and understanding and has a life of his own and does understand what…
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Reports from a Resident Alien
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Good-bye to Asperger's
11 Nov 2009 | 8:37 amThere’s a fairly arbitrary split between people diagnosed “Asperger” and high-functioning people diagnosed “Autism”. The big difference between these two categories is that the people with Asperger’s had speech before three (though it was probably unusual speech), and the people categorized Autism usually did not. In the HFA group, they almost universally catch on to speech by age five–after which they are, especially in the teen and adult years, functionally identical to Asperger’s. The problem is that this difference in speech acquisition… -
Wild Violets
10 Nov 2009 | 7:44 pmMrs. Johnson's garden was overrun with wild violets. Violets, if allowed to grow and given their way, will quickly turn into a tenacious weed, spreading to cover the entire area with their heart-shaped leaves and small blue blossoms. Mrs. Johnson, who grew exotic roses, did not like wild violets.First, Mrs. Johnson tried pulling the violets. Long hours she spent on her knees, trying to clear those violets away; many a sunburn she blamed on the little blue-flowered plants. So involved was she in pulling those violets that she nearly forgot to fertilize her roses."But,… -
Why be proud of a disease?
5 Nov 2009 | 11:15 amWell, for one, it's not a disease; it's a developmental disability (and some of the milder cases, you can make an argument for it not even being a disability). Autism is atypical development, not a dysfunction of some pre-existing order. Just like you couldn't say that someone with dyslexia or a learning disability has a "disease", you couldn't say it about autism. Second reason: Autism, by its nature, changes the way you learn and the way you process information. That changes your life and your experiences of the world to a great degree--and it affects your personality, too. Autism… -
A Highly Recommended Skill
1 Nov 2009 | 8:34 pmI've just noticed that I've gained a new skill: I can now do schoolwork or read while listening to music--IF the music is familiar.Music without words is best. Music with words has to be so familiar that I can predict not just the words but the different instrumental parts. But I've apparently learned, now, not to be distracted by music if the music is very predictable.Why is this so beneficial?Well, when I wear an mp3 player (they can actually be had for pretty cheap), I get a better effect than I do from earplugs. Earplugs only muffle noise, and in some odd situations… -
Safe Place
29 Oct 2009 | 8:44 pmOne of my cats, Christy, is a little calico I'm fostering because she was so stressed at the shelter that her health started to suffer. She's always been nervous. Other cats make her nervous. Changes in schedule make her nervous. Sounds make her nervous. She doesn't relax anywhere.When she first came, after she came out of isolation she spent all her time hiding; so I gave her more places to hide--little cubbyholes, boxes, tunnels, and places where she could have a high vantage point, and her back to the wall. She spent a lot of time in these cubbyholes. I made sure she had a cubbyhole in…
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drive mom crazy
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Post coming soon about how every one can be more humble
19 Nov 2009 | 4:17 amThings are tough now, but every one needs to be more humble than ever before. We need to continue to work hard and feel happy to pull through tough times. I understand there are people in this world who are not genuine and humble, but these people will soon feel they need to [...] -
What does it mean to be Human
17 Nov 2009 | 5:09 amHuman vs. other creatures! Human beings are one of the most persuasive and talkative creatures the world has ever known. Humans are conscious talking individuals. They think, they draw, they create inventions to use things, they talk, and there are many different types of Human beings in the world. All of our [...] -
How better to serve our patients in Ultrasound Technology
16 Nov 2009 | 4:42 amPost coming soon… Should there be Standardization in Ultrasound Technology? Every place which does Ultrasound Technologies specialties such as Echo, Vascular, and/or General Ultrasound seem to be doing their own thing and not doing Standard Protocols. Is this the right thing to do? Inter-societal Accreditation Commission seems to think so as well as the U.S. Government… Ultrasound Technology [...] -
How we need to better relate to other people and every body’s needs
15 Nov 2009 | 6:56 amTiming is everything. We don’t know what are timing will do for us, but we do know timing is being patient. When we are not patient, we feel our life is on overload where nothing comes naturally. We never get our significance and life moves on to the next person who is more patient. [...] -
My opinions of the changing Autism Spectrum Diagnoses for DSM V
12 Nov 2009 | 4:01 amAn Autism Spectrum Diagnosis is important for someone on the Autism Spectrum because individuals need to get the right treatments in order to function properly in society. The Autism Spectrum label should be something for a person to look beyond at, but at the same time use it to get better treatments. I [...]
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Wrong Planet - Asperger / Autism News
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Michael John Carley and Autism Speaks: The Collaboration Thickens
Although (as far as I know) Michael John Carley of GRASP and Alison Tepper Singer of Autism Speaks are not literally in bed together, they have had such a cozy relationship over the past two years that the expression seems quite apropos.Most of us know Singer from her appearance in the Autism Every Day film, in which she attained worldwide infamy (and, if I recall correctly, a visit from child protective services) for saying, in front of her autistic daughter, that she had fantasized about driving off the George Washington Bridge with her daughter in the car. Carley's sordid history of… -
Review and Video: Autism's False Prophets by Dr. Paul Offit
Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Medicine, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure is a well-referenced, historical work that explains the dangerous and unnecessary controversies that have put the lives of autistic children at risk. Offit sets up his book by explaining how he has become a major player in the field of immunology. He then explores the process by which the autism/vaccine controversy has been given so much attention. He describes how parents and physicians worked together to create treatments that when put under scientific scrutiny, have no real efficacy. Offit sets the tone of… -
Tell PETA to Stop Exploiting the Autistic Community (Got Autism Billboard)
Recently, the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) launched a new ad campaign entitled, "Got Autism?", misleadingly implying that the consumption of milk is associated with the cause of the autism spectrum. PETA is misinforming the public about autism and thus joining a long line of unscrupulous groups that have sought to try and spread fear about autism as a means of pushing their particular agendas. -
Review: If You Could Say it in Words [Asperger Love Story] - October Premiere
If You Could Say it in Words is a great new film about an autistic protagonist Nelson and his experience with love. The film is premiering at the Derby City Film Festival on October 8, 2008 at 9:00 PM. I wrote about my initial impressions of the movie and conducted an interview in February. You will also find clips from the movie in my previous article. The film explores Nelson's Asperger's Syndrome without mentioning the diagnosis. The choice is intentional because many individuals with Asperger's remain undiagnosed. A recent documentary, Billy the Kid, similarly did not mention the… -
Claire Danes to Play Temple Grandin in New HBO Biopic
Autistic Dr. Temple Grandin, a designer of livestock handling facilities and a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, is an icon in the Autistic Community. Her life has been a beacon and an inspirational story and after a long negotiation is getting her biography brought to HBO. Claire Danes is in negotiations to star as Grandin in the film which is currently moving forward after nine years. "I made a commitment to Temple that I was going to make it and make it right," said Emily Gerson Saines, one of the executive producers, who has a son with autism. "I never pushed…
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Club 166
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Stars and Rain
28 Oct 2009 | 8:42 pmI recently had occasion to visit China (I was invited to give a couple of lectures there), and took the opportunity to arrange a visit to a school for autistic children, Stars and Rain. Strictly speaking, Stars and Rain isn't so much a school for autistics as much as it is a school for their parents, who come (with their children) for 12 week courses in how to educate their child. There are very few resources for either diagnosis or treatment of autism in China, and Stars and Rain may have been the first school in China for autistics and their parents.The first person I met when I got there… -
Dear Mr. Springsteen
27 Sep 2009 | 11:48 amphoto credit-uchiuskacreative commons licenseBelow is the letter that I just e-mailed to Bruce Springsteen's publicist at mlaverty@shorefire.com . I encourage others to also write him and express your opinions.------------------------------------------Dear Mr. Springsteen,I am writing you regarding your upcoming concert that you are doing in conjunction with Autism Speaks.I have been a great fan of yours for years, and must admit that I got a little teary eyed when I read a story of how your music helped an autistic child learn to talk. My own son (who is autistic) also went through a stage… -
When Will They Listen?
22 Sep 2009 | 8:06 pmOne would have had to have been living in a cave in the greater disability community two years ago not to have noticed the Ransom Notes Campaign and the furor that followed it. In that campaign the NYU Child Study Center put out an ad campaign that implied that autistic individuals (as well as those with a number of other conditions) had been kidnapped. This imagery was (not surprisingly) extremely offensive to many in the greater disability community. After an intense counter campaign by disability advocacy groups, including ASAN, the Ransom Notes Campaign was stopped.The above video takes… -
But At Least It Would Be a Graceful Death
21 Sep 2009 | 5:50 pmphoto credit-mcvejacreative commons licenseSweet Pea tends to worry about the future. She'll come up with all sorts of things to worry about. Usually these are easily countered, and she is (temporarily) reassured. It's gotten that many of the same things come up over and over again, so I've developed almost automatic responses:"What if I don't like the job I get when I grow up?""Then you'll get another. I had a lot of different jobs before the one I have now"."What if a bad person breaks in our house and kidnaps me?""The doors and windows are all locked. And the police drive around all the… -
Dogged Perseverence
17 Sep 2009 | 7:22 pmSome people may remember the story of the 5 year old Columbia, Il boy who had a service dog prescribed for him by his doctor, and had to fight a court battle in order to have the right to take the dog to his school. The Kalbfleisch family won a court order to have the dog allowed to accompany their son to school, after spending about $50,000 on attorney's fees fighting the school district, and another $10,000 for training the dog, which was trained by Wilderwood Service Dogs of Tennessee. The school district, which originally was willing to let Carter Kalbfleisch attend his home school,…
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Whose Planet Is It Anyway?
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Ending Waitlists
17 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pmCommunity services and supports for people with developmental disabilities in the United States often have extremely long waiting lists because the states have not provided sufficient funding for these programs. After a person finally starts to receive services and supports, which can take years, they will be lost again if the person moves to another state. Federal action is needed as part of the health care reform effort to put an end to this inexcusable situation.One group that has been active in lobbying to keep federal lawmakers' attention focused on the waiting list problem is NOEWAIT,… -
Eradicate Autism Speaks
13 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pmApparently in today's America, you can be hailed as a philanthropist if you are seeking to "eradicate" a minority group. Of course, it helps if your husband recently was the CEO of the media entity responsible for publishing this Goebbels-esque propaganda. Many of us already knew what a genocidal loon Suzanne Wright is, but just in case anyone needs more proof, here it is:Philanthropist wages fight to eradicate autismIn the interview, this was her response to a question about how long Autism Speaks plans to host celebrity fundraising events: "Hopefully until we eradicate autism. Once we… -
Community and Respect
10 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pmIn the military, as Clay describes in the first post of an excellent series on leadership training and respect, officers salute not only other officers but also enlisted personnel. This is not simply because of regulations and tradition, but because the salute signifies mutual respect between people working together toward a common goal. There is, however, a considerable difference between the rote show of respect for the uniform and the more meaningful respect that must be earned throughout the career of the person wearing it.Applying this point more broadly to groups other than the… -
Protesters Attacked by Flying Burrito Wrap
3 Nov 2009 | 5:37 pmThe ASAN members and cross-disability activists who protested at the Autism $peaks walk in Washington DC on Saturday, October 31st, resisted the temptation to dress in ghoulish Halloween costumes. Not everyone at the walk showed their level of maturity, however, as reported by a protester named Stan:"I was watching the first large group of Autism Speaks walkers, and one guy looked at us and threw a burrito wrap sandwich at us. It looked like he was throwing a burrito at us. It was like watching a Monty Python burrito attack."When I mentioned that I thought this deserved a blog post, another… -
Segregated Workplaces
31 Oct 2009 | 5:19 pmI've seen many blog and forum posts and articles about Specialisterne, the Danish company that recruits autistic workers for software testing positions, and similar enterprises that seek to hire autistics for jobs thought to be especially well suited to their talents. Quite often, these companies are described in glowing terms, along the lines of, "Look, wow, there's a business that actually hires autistics!"Well, okay, it's good that these companies have hired autistic workers who had been denied jobs elsewhere. But should it be seen as a fabulous, wow-inducing event when an employer simply…
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Haddayr's Blog
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Autism treatments: Risky alternative therapies have little basis in science
21 Nov 2009 | 10:52 amFrom the Chicago Tribune: "Therapies amount to uncontrolled experimentation on children, investigation finds:"http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/chi-autism-treatments-nov22,0,1396079.story?page=1It's nice to see reporters actually DOING THEIR JOBS. The article underscores a few things:Some parents are desperate enough to try anything "doctors" tell them to try.Some "doctors" are evil, greedy M.D.s quite willing to capitalize on this.From the article:"They really should be seeing treatment of patients with unproven therapies as dangerous experimentation," said pediatrician Dr. Steven… -
YESSSSSSS
18 Nov 2009 | 6:06 pmI was SO afraid I would be Emma! Take the Quiz here! -
GleeFail. Oh. My. God.
17 Nov 2009 | 7:27 pmEDITED TO ADD: if you are a random stranger who shows up to basically tell me to lighten up, or if you are on my friendslist and you use the phrases "overly sensitive, easily insulted," or the laughable "PC," I am no longer going to respond to you except globally with this: if you are too stupid to understand the point of cultural criticism, please do not read this post. If you want to genuinely discuss my points, post away.I hated the Wheels episode of Glee so, so, SO much.WOW what a bunch of offensive, inaccurate, feel-good AB liberal bullshit.WOWWOWWOW._0WOWFor the record:When an old folks… -
Hmmmmm
17 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pmhttp://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article6917212.eceEDITED TO ADD: As always, DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS. You think dumbfuck bigots only exist in the U.S. of A.? Oh, no no no contraire. -
We interrupt the Boomer-bashing for this squee
15 Nov 2009 | 5:49 pmI keep forgetting to post this!A while back, cissa posted about a St. Brigit's cross she made that was hella hard to make and that she would never make that way again. It was for sale, but I do not have a lot of extra income for jewelry. But it was GORGEOUS. And she was NEVER making one AGAIN.So I wrote her and twisted her arm into a layaway plan. And it's here! It is SO DAMNED PERFECT!!!!So I have to squee, and to tell you that if you are in the market for beautifully made (and researched, I might add) jewelry for Christmahannukwanziyulisolstica, and especially if you are of a Celtic or…
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Liv's Journey...
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How About Calling Everyone a Train Wreck?
21 Nov 2009 | 7:11 amAndrea Peyser of the New York Post, one of my favorite ::dripping sarcasm:: papers because it makes Fox News look like CNN (the Cuban News Network that is), posted this blurb about protests at the Autism Speaks benefit concert on Nov 17 in NYC:Bruce Springsteen sang. Jerry Seinfeld joked. But former NBC/Universal CEO Bob Wright had harsh words for protesters who tried to muck up the A-list benefit concert he put on at Carnegie Hall on behalf of autistic kids."The protesters are lucky," said Wright. "They're well off enough, healthy enough, to do it. I wish my grandson were able to join… -
A Push To Bring Change 2 Mind
14 Nov 2009 | 10:30 amI was watching flicking through channels last night and I stopped on a commercial that was halfway through, but struck such a resonant chord I had to stop and look to the internet to see it again. The organization is called Bring Change 2 Mind and it is pushing to removed the stigma of mental illnesses like Bipolar, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Schizophrenia and Depression.View the largest of the pictures to see the PSA (Directed by none other than Ron Howard and also poignantly featuring Glenn Close and sister). I saw so many parallel to what many of us are trying to push about the… -
Playing "Beat the Friggin Clock"
12 Oct 2009 | 8:30 pmI'm sure I'm dating myself, and I'm sure I'm being a little too esoteric with this, early 70's, young lad addicted to daytime TV reference, but does anyone remember "Beat the Clock"? The show that had people trying to complete stunts within 60 seconds, that at first, seemed somewhat difficult but doable in the time frame, until the announcer pulled out the crazy twist, like doing the stunt in scuba flippers? Even if you never saw the show, you get the idea; but I think that God was a fan, fancy's Himself a game show host, and it seems I am the latest contestant.Or maybe He thinks he's… -
Oakies
4 Oct 2009 | 8:30 pmI crossed paths with a Texan today, who was looking to relocate to the NY/NJ area to find better schools for her autistic teenage son. It disturbed me that I had no good answers for her; and it was somewhat heartbreaking to hear of the tribulations she needed to go through to even get a district to give information, let alone, let her view their school.It struck me driving home, how much we have in common with the Okies during the Great Depression of the 1930's. For those of you unfamiliar, people from Oklahoma during the period, we fleeing a decade-long drought in search of a new home and… -
Autism Sells
23 Sep 2009 | 8:59 pmI originally thought that I could write a thoughtful, serious parody of the new Autism Speaks PSA, giving it a more reality and less of an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" feel. But after I realized my biggest beef with it was it's blatant use of fear to 'sell' it's product; I just turned it in upon itself. If you compare the original transcription (Thanks Cody, for making my life easy), you can see how eloquently simple the needed changes were and how eerily fitting it becomes:man: I am Autism Speaks. I'm invisible to your autistic children, but if I can help it, I am visible to all you with…
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Whitterer on Autism
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Hole in one
15 Nov 2009 | 10:26 pmI watch him hit Bukugan balls across the kitchen floor with a plastic light saber with quite an alarming degree of accuracy. “How many balls are there in bill birds?” “I have no idea. Is this one of your new jokes luvvy?” “No. I’m askin. How many balls are there in bill birds?” “I don’t think I know what a bill bird is?” “Bill birds is dah English game which is being called Pool properly.” “Ah! You mean billiards!” “O.k.” “Super. Glad we sorted that one out then.” “So?” “So what?” “How many balls is there?” “Oh, I wouldn’t know, I’m not… -
Proceed with caution
8 Nov 2009 | 10:59 pmOne of my many duties as Head Cook and Chief bottle washer of this joint is to tackle the accumulation of miscellaneous stains that have recently appeared around the premises. Although we are in the midst of a heavily armed, hand-washing campaign, nevertheless I find I have been remiss in my vigilance. Whilst I can think of many other things that I should prefer to do, there comes a time when the graffiti can no longer be ignored. Armed with my trusty scrubber, soap and several gallons of elbow grease, I make a start. The first one is an ominous brown smear but it passes the sniff test, so I… -
Hands free hair washing
1 Nov 2009 | 10:58 pmThe hygiene of my children is very much a hands on affair. Having overcome the seasonal changes from baths in the winter, to showers in the summer and then back again, I can honestly say that the painful transition period has shortened considerably over the last decade, from months to a mere few weeks, testimonial to the fact that they continue to grow. I’m uncertain if I’m there in the bathroom to prevent escape, provide entertainment or minimize carnage, but in any event I consider that I could probably be using my time in a more constructive manner, elsewhere. That said it comes to my… -
Do We not Bleed?
25 Oct 2009 | 11:59 pmThe great thing about growing up is that life becomes so much more calm, relatively speaking. The bad thing about growing up is that the cues become more subtle, or at least they are for complacent, half witted parents, such as myself. Both the boys have gradually acquired a wide variety of coping mechanisms which they’re able to access more frequently these days. Since their outward behaviour is more conformist, I’m apt to forget that it’s still all there, just a scratch beneath the surface. Luckily for me, a little reminder here and there helps keep me grounded. The reminder arrives… -
Blood Hounds
18 Oct 2009 | 11:55 pmI dry my hands carefully so I can put a fresh plaster on my finger, post washing up and then nip upstairs to bed down the smalls. I whip up the ladder to start with the smallest one on the top bunk. “Night, night luvvy.” “Agh!” “What’s the matter dear?” “Dat is dah worstest.” “What is?” “Dat smell?” “Hmm sorry about that. I was a bit heavy handed with the garlic tonight.” “Not food smell.” “Which smell?” “Yur finger stinks.” “My finger?” “Dah one wiv dah band aid.” “Can’t, I’ve only just washed them. Is it the soap? Doesn’t smell much…
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Left Brain/Right Brain
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Boyd Haley brings the weirdness
19 Nov 2009 | 5:30 amOn 12th Novemeber, Vueweekly featured the second part of an interview with Boyd Haley during which Professor Haley contradicted so many of the basic tenets of the autism/vaccine hypothesis – and also of good ol’ common sense (remember her?) that I was left wondering if he was in fact an Evil Neurodiversity spy sent to make himself look like an asshat. “What about the argument that autism rates haven’t declined since thimersoal has been removed from vaccines?” I pose. “It’s a total deception,” he says. “We don’t actually know the… -
The Rising Rates of Autism in the Age of Modern Medicine
15 Nov 2009 | 7:47 amMost people who are not on a mission to prove inoculations are the sole cause of autism would very easily concede that a large portion of the increased diagnostic rates of Autism Spectrum Conditions is due to increased recognition of the conditions, a broadening of the basic definition of “autism”, and better public awareness. Prior to the 1990s, autism was not considered a spectrum nor were Asperger’s Syndrome or PDD-NOS included in this now ever-broadening category. And even further back than that, Autistic Disorder itself was considerably more narrow, targeting mostly the… -
Thoughtful House acknowledges that chelation can be dangerous and not effective
14 Nov 2009 | 11:02 amIV Chelation could cause death, and Thoughtful House acknowledges it: From a recent story in the Austin Statesman: Thoughtful House’s IV chelation consent form, which Juli Martinez provided to the American-Statesman, includes a long list of possible side effects that include intestinal disorders, joint pain and, in rare cases, “allergy, anaphylaxis, arrhythmia and even death.” It adds that the treatment offers no guarantee of success. Wow, Thoughtful House admits that IV chelation, even as performed by them, could cause death. I have read so many apologists for the doctor… -
Parents in lawsuit over Thoughtful House treatement
13 Nov 2009 | 11:32 pmFather takes ex-wife to court over son’s autism treatment is the title of a recent story on Statesman.com. The subtitle: Mother says intravenous treatment at Thoughtful House is unproven and too dangerous.. Yes, it’s about chelation. The kid has been undergoing chelation (suppository), but the father wants to do IV chelation. From the Statesman: Mario Martinez wants his wife’s consent to let their 7-year-old son, William, undergo intravenous chelation — the use of chemicals to remove metals, such as lead and mercury, from the body. Martinez, 39, said he thinks his son… -
Another example of irresponsible blogging by David Kirby
13 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pmAutism Speaks recently put out what I consider to be a rather irresponsible press release. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) added a new objective, and Autism Speaks chose to frame it as “IACC includes vaccine research objective in strategic plan for autism research“. I’ve discussed that already, so I won’t go into more details here. Instead, I want to take a look at how David Kirby treated this story. He blogged this as Top Federal Panel Endorses Autism Research That Includes Vaccines – Dueling Press Releases Ensue. Mr. Kirby takes on the role…
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Susan's Blog
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Comfort Zones
21 Nov 2009 | 5:16 amBeing Jewish is a way that I get to understand what it's like to be different from the majority. This is the time of year when Christians begin their holiday rituals and it is so interesting to observe apart from it all!There are all sorts of feelings I experience this time of year: excitement, anticipation, the loosening break from routine, along with a sprinkling of wistfulness, envy, and feeling left out. And I wonder: is this what it's like to feel autistic in a neurotypical world? Black in a white world? Gay in a straight world?My students -- who are freshmen -- are getting so excited… -
Stop the Bleeding
20 Nov 2009 | 10:11 amMassachusetts readers:This plea came in from the ARC of Massachusetts. The Legislature is bailing on its responsibilities again. They have ended the year's session without resolving the budget!!!Ask Legislators to reconvene -- unfinished business can't wait. Take Action!People with Disabilities need help now!The state House of Representatives adjourned formal sessions for the year last night, having failed to address important business. Those matters that it didn't address could have helped stave off further damage to the lives of thousands of people with disabilities and their families.As a… -
Autistic Vs. "Normal" Downtime
20 Nov 2009 | 9:20 amSometimes I wonder if Nat feels freedom the way I am feeling it today. It is my day off, and I drove downtown and looked for a book to read. Found nothing, bought a hot chocolate and just sipped it, allowing the creamy sweetness surround my tongue and shoot into my brain, and continue on wherever it goes. I felt free.I was light, not burdened as I often am by a day off. So often I see the day off as this expanse of time, a road with a vanishing point almost invisible, it is so distant. I have to walk on that road, in the hot sun, just walk. Today there was warm sun, steamy air, and a false… -
Who Speaks For Whom?
18 Nov 2009 | 11:07 amIt's fascinating and frustrating to me that people on both ends of the spectrum -- from "High Functioning"/Aspergers to "Low Functioning"/their caregivers -- sometimes cannot get along. Both tend to be dissatisfied with the kind or degree of attention they get. I want the infighting to stop.From what I can tell, it appears that the HF autistics, those who can fairly readily communicate, whether by keyboard or verbally, feel that they ought to be given a seat at the table -- or in fact, the head of the table -- of mega advocacy organizations like Autism Speaks. This group feels that… -
Be Loved
17 Nov 2009 | 12:54 pmI must remind you that after all this is my blog and if you came here today for autism, you will be disappointed. Or maybe, take it as a reminder that regardless of your struggles, life is still here, to be grabbed up and embraced.Be LovedEveryone thinksBut no one knowsThey only see that love is freshWhen skin still glows.They tell their childrenThe t.v.s saythat all of that mellowseven goes awayYet we keep the secretWrapped in blankets tightIt smoulders, not smothersIn darkest nightI think I know nowWhy some things come when oldWhy we're warmed by their powerand rarely feel coldFor maybe the…
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Mother of Shrek
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Being complacent
20 Nov 2009 | 7:30 amAn easy trap to fall in and we all do it. When our children have high levels of support and thrive staff can become complacent (and of course funding issues can play a part) support is reduced and then people wonder why they are not coping so well. Crystal Jigsaw’s daughter is doing well with support as is my 4 year old nephew with his early intervention; they are threatening to reduce both their hours.Even as parents we do it. C recently gave me a sharp reminder of this. I’ve been taking him on the London Eye for a while now which he loves. A couple of months ago on our way to the Eye… -
Challenging Behaviour
20 Oct 2009 | 2:57 amFor me what has been the toughest - C’s Autism or his severe learning disability? Neither it’s his challenging behaviour that has shaped both our lives.What struck me very early on in Cs life was the injustice/stigma he has had to face on so many levels because of his behaviour that has challenged and people don’t see that he is a person first doing the best he can.I found this recently that I had written describing C’s early years. By C proofing the house, early specialist intervention and continued support, C has come a long way since then. It hasn’t been easy for either of us but… -
Celebrating 21 years!
27 Sep 2009 | 8:30 amI want to bounce into C’s room singing ‘happy birthday’ giving him a big hug and showering him with kisses and presents. But I know what would happen if I did. And it is not about me.So I walk into C’s room, he spies me with his peripheral vision. And then he looks at me, head tilted upside down, fingers pressed into the corner of his eyes. C hums loudly to drown out anything I might say. So I whisper in short sentences not directed at him but to the birthday present I am holding. His humming becomes quieter as if he is straining to hear what I am describing. I don’t give C the… -
Liberty Festival 2009
6 Sep 2009 | 1:00 amLiberty Festival; celebrating the contribution of Deaf and disabled people to London’s culture, in Trafalgar square. A lovely afternoon out with lots to see. I took C last year, but this year I went on my own which meant I could stand around and watch things – which I can’t do with C (unless its trains or feet!) There was much going on...From comedy to music.To aerial street art from Blue Eyed Soul and dance. The story Swan for children and talented Mouth and foot painters.Marc Brew showed a very touching performance ‘Nocturne’ which if C had been there I had visions of him… -
Touch wood
14 Aug 2009 | 7:05 amI still can’t quite process the fact that C’s new home is working really well!!Learning from all the negative things the last home did, I talked at length with this new home - they have listened and put everything into practice.It hasn’t all been plain sailing – but it is positive. The last home C refused to let them take his helmet off. This time C is refusing to let them put it on him. Rather worrying for me, but his head banging has been minimal, and the staff have been learning fast. So he was obviously telling them he didn’t need it.Apart from listening to both C and I. The…
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Runman
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Charlottetown Olympic Torch Community Celebration
21 Nov 2009 | 4:30 pmWe took in the Olympic Torch Community Celebration in Charlottetown tonight....Alex spotted the Olympic torch in the distance and just about jumped out of his skin!If that's any indication of how incredibly excited he'll be tomorrowwhen he spots it coming to himfor himwe're all in for a treat!More Photos -
Alex on CBC Compass News - Olympic Torch Run
21 Nov 2009 | 11:47 amFriday, November 20th, 2009CBC Compass News -
Olympic Torch touches down on Island soil today - Time to Shine
21 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amhttp://www.journalpioneer.com/index.cfm?sid=304922&sc=118Olympic Torch touches down on Island soil today The Journal PioneerSUMMERSIDE - The Olympic torch arrives at the Wood Islands ferry terminal this afternoon, the same mode of transportation it used the last time the relay came to the Island in 1987, prior to the Calgary Olympics.Prince County residents will get their chance to see the flame during the 22nd day of the 106-day relay.About 250 people were selected to run a leg of the torch run across the province. Summerside’s segment will feature two Olympians – city native Heather… -
Recycle Run 2009
21 Nov 2009 | 8:31 amIt was cloudy and 7 degrees and windy.The Recycle Run at Montague Station.The course on out and back at Confederation Trail.Mark McCosham won the 10K race and Rebecca Pike for the top female and pacing with me.Luke Reeves-Rollins won the 5km race and Kelly McCosham for the top female.I finished in 43:24 and came in 5th out of 30 runners.Tomorrow at 9:38am I am a torch bearer at Winsole from Petro Canada station to Jim Perry's Auto Upholstery formerly Irving station. I saw orange sticker where I start on street sign across from Petro Canada.The Olympic flame arrive province of Prince Edward… -
CBC Compass News - Torch Run Interview
20 Nov 2009 | 9:21 amSally Pitt from CBC interviews me about torch run for Compass news tonight. Filming in my yard I show practicing to run slow.Allan Callard will be on Compass tonight too he running in Victoria Park Saturday night. Shelley Simmons-MacLeod is running in Summerside Sunday at 6:20pmon MacEwen Rd starting at Lefurgery Ave and finish at Athena School.Alex Coffin in Saint John November 25 at 8:30am. I very excited!I'm so proud that Coca-Cola picked meto represent and celebrate active and diverse Canadians.This will be the most exciting run of my lifeWatch Compass Live Online at 6pm Atlantic…
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Odd One Out
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I Has An Egg (or two or three)
14 Nov 2009 | 6:11 pmAnd it might turn into a dragon provided that you click on it. *nods* – I disabled the link on this one because it doesn’t need too many more clicks. The one above is pretty good too, but look at my poor little egg below. *sniff* -
Rhetorical Questions
18 Oct 2009 | 7:01 amIn my ongoing and disjointed attempt to help other people understand Asperger’s Syndrome, I have decided to discuss the problems I have with rhetorical questions. Via UsingEnglish.com: A rhetorical question is one that requires no answer because the answer is obvious and doesn’t need to be stated . The speaker (of the rhetorical question) is not looking for an answer but is making some kind of a point, as in an argument. Now, I also have some difficulty with certain types of sarcastic statements, but that’s largely because I’m not only somewhat gullible, but I have… -
In Comparison . . .
6 Oct 2009 | 4:23 amThe reticulated python is positively cute. -
I Like Mutants
4 Oct 2009 | 2:59 pmOr perhaps just abnormally large/bizarre things. Either way . . . So like a few posts ago, I’ve got another couple of key words you ought to shove into Google; only this time, you can pick whether or not you want to look at images or text. “Titanoboa cerrejonensis.“ Sounds fun; don’t you think? I thought so. I even linked a couple of articles for you. Aren’t I nice? I linked them in the name itself. Click on of the two words above and you’ll be sent to one of the two articles. Personally I like the second of the two best, but that might just be… -
Say It With Me
22 Sep 2009 | 4:12 amGotta wake up!!! It’s homework time and I have to stay awake to do it (at 6:03 am). I don’t think my state of wakefulness this morning was helped much by those really whacked out dreams I had last night. The little woman from Norway or Iceland, or wherever she was from, running around with a smoking American flag (the pole was smoking) was odd enough, but the fact that the flag was actually just a triggering device for all of her bombs was truly bizarre; and let’s not forget that odd cackling sound she kept making either. And then there were the two cops that followed…
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Marla Baltes
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Baboo Bear Modeling my Knitmasterpiece and A VENT
18 Nov 2009 | 5:17 pmHere is my Baboo Bear dressed in my new creation for Alex. She loves Build A Bears. It should fit a couple of them. Making this little sweater was fun. It even has a little pocket. Every stitch was made with love, even the pom pom. My sister Melissa insists I have to make one that will fit her. Yeah, I'll get right on that Melissa!Yesterday my divorce was finalized! J texted me with the news. It was surreal. We were together since I was eighteen years old. Wow. I seriously thought we would be together forever. When I married I was all about the "until death" part of the vows. I even remember… -
Just Not Feeling It or Feeling Too Much. So I Knit.
16 Nov 2009 | 7:31 pmI finished my first knitting project last week. A cozy blue and brown scarf. Soon I take a class to make a matching blue hat. This weekend I began making a doll blanket for my sister Melissa's little girl Alex. Since I don't know how to read a pattern yet I am making it up as I go in a totally relaxed way. This is called "grunge" or "flow knitting". Thankfully, I don't expect Alex to be too critical of the finished product.Life is moving along and I feel as if I am moving forward at a snails pace. This is not necessarily a bad thing but it can be uncomfortable. Rebuilding my foundation,… -
Mentally Retarded....the term is changing?
10 Nov 2009 | 10:52 amEveryone who knows me is aware that I do not like the word, "retard". I especially don't like to hear someone call another person a "retard". I can't stand it when people say, "That is so retarded!". It is rare that I will say anything when an adult swears or uses a hurtful term. I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to having a potty mouth. I see some value in swearing and expressing myself verbally. But this word is one I do not use. This word has been known to make me speak out immediately.Where does my dislike for the word retarded come from?My sister had a stroke when she was six years… -
Knitting and Perfectionism
9 Nov 2009 | 2:23 pmI wanted a new challenge recently that would be relaxing and keep my hands busy. I decided to try knitting again. Years ago a friend in New Jersey taught me how to knit a blanket. She is from Latvia and knitted a bit different than Americans. I learned her way but when we moved I totally forgot what I was doing. Not to mention the blankey I knitted for Maizie was somewhat of a lopsided mess. She loves it and still uses it despite its unique appearance.I found this awesome knitting store where you can drop in and learn to knit a scarf. I returned there almost every day the first week to get… -
On A Medicaid Paperwork Phone Calling Binge
3 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pmOr something like that! I have been working hard the last few days to get Maizie's Medicaid Waiver stuff from hell finished (if there is such a thing as being finished), Respite Care Provider has been chosen and will be met with soon and Maizie was squeezed in for a last minute psychiatry appointment. Whew! I have been working on these seemingly simple tasks for weeks...no...months.I signed and mailed my divorce settlement papers today. I will be divorced in a few weeks! Wahoo! Writing this settlement has taken months. It is well written and takes Maizie's long term needs into account. J is…
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The Voyage: life with autism in Northern Ireland
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For your viewing pleasure...
16 Nov 2009 | 1:37 amIt's Duncan's most recent production. The music is by his current favourite singer, Michael Jackson. He likes to listen to his CD in the car and prefers track 1 from Off the Wall. Sadly my friends in Germany will be denied the joy of watching this random video as Sony Music have blocked it there, boo hoo. -
Burping and Swearing
12 Nov 2009 | 12:52 pmDuncan has been working on some important skills. His current favourite video is shown below. He's watching it right now beside me and just cracking up. He keeps saying it's a "TV Burp" thinking about the TV show we watch together sometimes.His ambition it appears, is to emulate the burpability of Buddy the Elf, and he's been practicing hard. It's such a delight to hear him burping or, to use the terminology of my childhood, rifting, when we're in the car together. I suspect that if I stay stoic and blandly keep telling him to be polite he'll get tired of this soon enough.Like many nine year… -
Accentuate the positive
21 Oct 2009 | 5:23 amLife is stressful now more than ever. But something wonderful has been happening and my inability to blog lately means I have not focussed on it as I usually would. My boy Duncan is doing really well. He is happy, settled, more focussed, talks loads, understands speech more and can carry out more complex instructions. His reading ability continues to improve. He has played lots of computer games and uses YouTube instruction videos (which have occasionally increased his vocabulary in less than optimal ways) when he gets stuck since he knows I'm no help. He also gets his brother Thomas to help… -
Forge ahead
1 Oct 2009 | 5:16 amI've neglected to blog much over the past 2 months, and have been thinking about what I want to write here. I feel like I share too much sometimes, but also that there's much that I keep hidden. The past few months have been a time of personal reflection on what it is I need and want and how I can raise my children in an atmosphere of love and possibility. In recent years I have reconsidered many of my values and ideas about the world and with new insight, have discarded many assumptions and taken new notions on-board. This is the real voyage, it's scary and exciting but it will continue as… -
Flipping and cycling
9 Sep 2009 | 4:55 amWe had a sporty weekend. Thomas and Lady had their jujitsu class after which Lady tried out to join the new competition squad set up by her cheerleading group. Thomas and I watched and she was great. Afterwards one of the coaches I didn't know asked if she'd like to join 2 other squad classes, in tumbling and acrobatics. Hell yeah! She is so keen on her gymnastics and has for ages been hoping that a time may come when she could join a squad. She is very happy and I am proud of her. She will be doing over 7 hours a week of gymnastics and would happily do twice that. Flipping ace!Gordon got…
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MOM - Not Otherwise Specified
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Every smile a memory: Cassidy, Dierks, and the transformative power of friendship
7 Nov 2009 | 7:50 pmHave I got a story for you.You need to sit down, for two reasons:First, it's a long story.And second, if you've been reading this blog for a while, then my opening line is going to knock you off your feet.Okay, are you ready? Are you sitting? Here it comes:Bud met Dierks Bentley.I know. I KNOW!Bud!!!Dierks Bentley!!!I know!!!But it's so, so, so much cooler than that.So, let me back up.Bud had a -
The purplest
19 Sep 2009 | 6:23 pmI keep thinking about Barbara Joosse's book I Love You The Purplest. In it, two brothers ask their mother which one she loves the most. She explains that she loves one of them the reddest and the other the bluest. Together, she loves them the purplest.Why has that been on my mind?Well, today is Bud's tenth birthday. Ten years old. A decade. He understands the significance of this milestone. Last -
The summer of so much
23 Aug 2009 | 4:21 pmIt's a funny thing: when I go for long stretches of time without posting much on the blog, it's rarely because there is nothing going on. More often, I'm quiet because there is so much - so much to do that there's no time to blog; so much to say that it's hard to know where to start; so much that's complicated or sensitive that it's hard to know how to choose words and edit well; so much I need -
Dream until your dreams come true
5 Aug 2009 | 5:18 pmOkay, folks, it's time to rally.A fellow autism parent sent me this link to a "Most Deserving Fan" contest on Aerosmith's website, where Sandy I. has submitted an entry on behalf of her fourteen-year-old son Jamie, who has autism and wants to be a rock star. If Jamie gets the most votes in his area, he'll get the chance to meet his heroes, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.I know the kind of power that -
This lovely woman, this lovely book
25 Jul 2009 | 8:10 pmIt seems that everyone I know is reading Vicki Forman's newly-released memoir This Lovely Life. Actually, it seems that everyone I know has already read This Lovely Life. I keep hearing, from person after person, that Vicki's writing is so forcefully engaging that once they started the book, they were unable to put it down. It is that good.This Lovely Life has had the opposite effect on me.
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Life With Joey
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Secrets, secrets
21 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pm"Andy is going to go to Grandma's and make something special for Thanksgiving." "Really? What?" "Apparently it's a secret." "It starts with P!" "Oooo... umm... parsnips?"*giggle* "No!""Peppers?""No!""Potatoes? Parsley?"*giggle* "Nooooo! It's pie!""Pie?""Yeth! A P pie! Pie that starts with p!" "Oh. Pumpkin? Are you making pumpkin pie?""Aaaa! You guessed it! Daddy, don't tell, its a secret! You're not supposed to guess!" "Oh. I forgot already what kind of pie...""Pumpkin! Pumpkin pie!" -
Goldfish Lessons
20 Nov 2009 | 8:52 pmSo we have our goldfish, Chris and Quille. And they are still alive, thank you very much. Unfortunately, goldfish was not what I was planing to have. I was thinking of some smaller, less territorial fish. But goldfish is what we have. And goldfish get big, they are highly territorial, and if they get pissed off at each other, they tend to chew each other's fins off. So I woke up one morning to discover Quille basically had no tail fin, and his dorsal fin severely munched. I made some changes. I don't have a second tank. I have been keeping the water superlatively clean, and I re-arranged the… -
Entrance, Exit
15 Nov 2009 | 7:23 pmThis time of year, I am often holed up on the weekends working, scoring essays for the GRE. One of the perks of the work is that occasionally boys saunter in for kisses. Andy pops in. He is bearing a number of small pieces of paper he has colored for me. "I'll put them here, mom," he assure me as he gingerly tucks them into frames of pictures in the room. "There! Now don't lose them!" He pops out. Joey wanders in. He looks sad, and he sprawls on the bed. "Are you OK?" I prompt. "Daddy says I have to stay in my room one hundred years." "Wow, thats a long time. What happened?" "Andy sat on my… -
Wordless Wednesday: Harvest Concert
11 Nov 2009 | 8:51 pm -
A Day in the life.
8 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pmA little boy comes creep-creeping into my room. Beside me, JoeyAndyDad snores lightly. My feet are covered by a warm kitteh. The boy crawls up onto my bed and flops in the narrow gap between me and JoeyAndyDad, created when I rolled to see who was creeping in- as if I didn't know. I cover him with the quilt, and he snuggles down with the half-dozen stuffed toys he has brought with him, and his beloved and now-repaired Blankie. I can feel his ribs. He's just grown again, so he's thin as a rail. He sighs. He's asleep. Its three in the morning. Or maybe two. I have to get up, or fall off the…
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Interverbal: Reviews of Autism Statements and Research
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What I Have Learned
17 Nov 2009 | 9:43 pmA few years back when I was still a Masters student, I found myself in discussion with a mother of a young child diagnosed with autism. She predicted that when I had begun my professional career that my opinions on a variety of topics such as the vaccine etiology of autism and the value of Neurodiversity would change dramatically. I did not find her suggestion to be dismissive. In fact I found it worthwhile as an evaluative exercise. Well, I have spent several years now in a professional capacity. The time seems ripe to engage in a full analysis. In short, some of my opinions have certainly… -
The Hub and Ideas
19 Sep 2009 | 8:28 pmI am going to start by offering a bold premise; there are other good autism information groups, but nothing else that blends science and advocacy as well the Hub. I say this not to assign a “good job”, gold star to the hub, but simply to recite a fact. I feel comfortable recommending others to the hub when searching for basic or advanced autism information. This is not a privilege I extend to other places or groups; even one’s who claim good science or advocacy.So, it is an honor to write a blog included in the hub and yet…. It also is not. I think the “honor” is in the quality of… -
Happy Birthday Interverbal
15 Sep 2009 | 8:08 pmThis blog is four years old today.I am going to reprint one of my favorite posts for this occasion. Way back from Nov 2006:Shall I compare thee to a norm referenced score?Thou might just be two deviations from the mean.Rough charting makes it hard to know for sure.And lack of data may create a lean.Sometimes, too great the fallacy exists.And often is the reasoning post hoc.And in irrationality the issue mists.By natures design we are fetter’d; such is thy lot.But by this, thy reasoning, good data shall not fade.Nor lose possession of great virtue, epistemological.Nor shall any reliable… -
Bullying: II
8 Sep 2009 | 6:46 pmFrom what I can tell, different situations lead to different types of bullying. Maybe some of these are not really bullying, but they are grey areas and still a concern.Age discrepant rough-and-tumble playThis occurs when an older child plays too roughly with a younger one. This may not be true bullying per se; in fact we probably wouldn’t consider it as such if both children were the same age. Understand that there are probably not bad intentions here, just a case of the older child not understanding his/her strength. Often just a reminder to both children about what the expectations are… -
Bullying: Part I
7 Sep 2009 | 10:42 amIntroductionA few years back I was supervising an afternoon recess. I was watching Mike, a young man with various disabilities (not autism), playing American football with some other boys his age (about 10). The boys were practicing hiking the football (the initial quick pass backwards that officially begins each play), when rather suddenly Mike jumped forward and called out “hike!”. The ball was passed, but another young man rather roughly pushed him back and took his place and the other laughed.I was angry; this smacked of bullying, and the young man who had done the pushing had a…
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Hard Won Wisdom
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Does a mother "know" things?
8 Nov 2009 | 10:19 amIt seems things have changed so much since Ben was small. When he was first diagnosed as PDD at age 3, I read ALL I COULD about autism, and actually had a deal with the library to increase the size of their "autism" books from about 10 to about 30.They were very kind to pay for it all, and never turned down a request. In those days, I read so much about hypersensitivity, and not so much about behavior.In fact, when I suggested ABA because of Catherine Maurice's voluminous book pages regarding teaching language I was told it was "cruel'. My, my, my, how things change. I guess the dying art of… -
Wond'ring Aloud
8 Nov 2009 | 8:02 amI have started this post many times...created long diatribes of discussion within my own psyche...do you love your child as he is, or not? He can be a pain in the rear, but so can I! I pick on him mercilessly and he does the same to me, because if I can make him laugh it is like music to my soul. Magic, pure magic.You understand, I don't want to change that part of him. At all. If autism is what makes him so funny, I'd rather he kept it. All of our kids, whether they speak or not, have a personality that transends all that. It transends even the disability label...we love… -
Autismspeaks:
4 Nov 2009 | 7:03 am -
Self-injury and affect regulation.
24 Oct 2009 | 11:33 amI am currently obsessing on self-injury---especially among studies that doen't neccessarily include autism or intellectual disabilities. Abfh is right. There's a lot out there. It is a very common phenomena. I thought the following gave a logical reason for it--to ease bad feelings (negative affect). With a synopsis of 18 other studies, the author concludes that it helps them feel better (aka affect regulation function). 1: Clin Psychol Rev. 2007 Mar;27(2):226-39. Epub 2006 Oct 2. LinksThe functions of deliberate self-injury: a review of the… -
Empathy or Evil, I don't know.....
23 Oct 2009 | 5:30 amWatch out...I am putting it out there. I may tick some of you off. I will try not to make an ass of myself! I'm just trying to understand.I was so worried about Aspie-Web-Net. At least we know he is alive. What he was going through was horribly hard on him. I have been so depressed before I could have cut my wrists, in fact, I was thinking the yesterday that know I know why people cut their wrists. Not because of the depression, per-se, but because your blood feels so thick, like it might be suffocating you. I've only been that depressed once in my life, and it…
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Autism Spectrum Disorders @ BellaOnline
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Kids with Autism Can Help Around the House
15 Nov 2009 | 2:35 pmThis is a review of a step-by-step chore system to teach children life-long skills. -
Gluten Free Snack Options
8 Nov 2009 | 4:14 pmHere is a listing of ten hits and misses of gluten free and gfcf snacks that our family has tried over the past year. -
California Services to Disabled Community
25 Oct 2009 | 5:51 pmInformation from the Office of Client's Rights Advocacy in relation to how Regional Center services have changed due to California budget issues.
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Send Chocolate
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Help for Anissa
18 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pmFor those of you who read on Feedburner, I wanted to be sure you get this info. I will update with the address of where to send stuff...but I have to run. Still, DONATE HERE for Anissa! T, who is still praying -
Prayers for Anissa
17 Nov 2009 | 10:17 pmShe helped me eat kittens on Fridays. Well, we didn't actually eat them, we just discussed it. You see, we were annoyed with Follow Friday on twitter, and wanted to come up with something else. Anissa is a trip. There is no other way to describe her. When I hang with her, I feel like I have been on vacation. On twitter she makes me laugh out loud. I can't drink anything when we are tweeting one another, lest I bathe my monitor! At Blogher she made me snort. Ask her about sex toys. In short, she's awesome. In September, I had the great pleasure of having dinner and drinks with her, Heather,… -
You want fries with that? Oh wait, I thought I was somewhere else...
13 Nov 2009 | 11:29 pmTomorrow, Nov.14th, our church is doing a special Serve Day...about 2,000 of us are fanning out into our community and taking part in various projects throughout the day. My family has signed up to plant vegetation at Brea Olinda high school, to replenish the plants that were there before the big fire last year. We are especially concentrating upon a slope, hopefully to get some anchor for the soil before the rainy season comes. It is so easy to say that we don't have time to serve. Sure, we are all busy, I know our family is! But to my way of thinking, we don't have time not to serve..if not… -
Happy Veteran's Day
12 Nov 2009 | 1:45 amIt's not just family that misses deployed soldiers. In honor of the veterans who have served and are serving... Here are some reunions that may be just as important: T, who says maybe I want a dog -
Coffee is good, but good coffee is great!
9 Nov 2009 | 1:49 amThis Friday night was date night with my husband and we found ourselves in a little-known coffee house in Fullerton. Down a small alley on a not-well-traveled side street off Harbor Blvd. is Max Blooms Cafe Noir, a newly opened treasure. Entering into the store is like going back in time. Part museum, part coffee house, the love of 1940's era is everywhere: from the vintage photos of Fullerton, the antique typewriter as well as the antique piano that is still played in the establishment today, the joint oozes atmosphere. You expect Mickey Spillane to step out of the shadows any minute. Mixed…
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autism sucks
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Supermom vs. Autism
18 Nov 2009 | 2:47 amI was standing in line at the grocery store, waiting to pay for the basket full of groceries I had amassed on my once a month grocery stock-up. I hate grocery shopping, especially with kids, but I had procrastinated too long and the bread had molded and we were out of milk. My children were trying valiantly to hold it together; it was late in the afternoon and had been a long day. Grocery shopping is a break from the Routine that basically rules our lives, so often there is a difficulty in this endeavor. But today the children were on their best behavior. They were helping put groceries on… -
Informative Booklet for Parents of Newly Diagnosed Children with Autism
12 Nov 2009 | 11:04 amWhen my husband I walked out of the doctor's office with a diagnosis of "autism" for our middle child, I wish the doctor had handed me something like Same Child, Different Day, a booklet I've recently learned about. The author Jon R. Gilbert writes on the back cover, "This booklet was written by the family of a child with autism. It is meant to provide a little insight into what you could expect during the first year after the diagnosis, based on our own experiences. Your results will vary." My husband and I were driving past past the mailbox on our way to "date night." I… -
Calling All Siblings
10 Nov 2009 | 8:32 amSo much time is spent trying to understand and help our autistic children. And rightfully so. They're road is not an easy one. But, for Just one moment, I'd like to step away from needs of my autistic child and focus on the needs of his brother and sister. Today, I would love -- and need -- the perspective of siblings. I have four equality beautiful, yet uniquely different children. Two have special needs. Part of me hates that description because to be honest -- all children have special needs. But back to my point -- I have one child with… -
Bet you didn't know you were a writer!
7 Nov 2009 | 12:35 amIt's been a bit since we have posted, but we are still around. If you have experience with autism, consider writing here. All you need is your story. Email sendchocolatenow AT gmail DOT com Together, we can get through life with autism. Tina -
Is the CDC quietly revising autism numbers behind our back?
26 Sep 2009 | 1:29 pmI don't normally do this, but I am linking to the article on new autism rates I wrote at Examiner.com simply because I am still reeling at what I found out. I am having a hard time believing it but the CDC appears to be trying to bury new numbers as to the rates of autism in the US. The rate is now 1 in 100, or 1% of all kids in the United States will be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. WHY isn't this all over the news? Your guess is as good as mine. Read the article. What do you think? T, who is NOT a Conspiracy Theorist, but is searching for an explanation Tina Cruz is a writer,…
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I Speak of Dreams
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The ADHD Medication Bias | ADDitude - Attention Deficit Disorder Blogs
21 Nov 2009 | 3:49 pmThe ADHD Medication Bias | ADDitude - Attention Deficit Disorder Blogs. I don’t think there’s a parent alive who wouldn’t struggle with the decision of whether or not their ADD child should take medication. I know that when I took that leap and decided to start my daughter, Natalie, on Ritalin, I cried off and on for a week! This decision is not something parents take lightly. -
Fascinating Interview With Stanislas Dehaene and the neuroscience of reading
20 Nov 2009 | 8:51 amOn the shapes of letters: In the case of reading, the shapes of our writing systems have evolved towards a progressive simplification while remaining compatible with the visual coding scheme that is present in all primate brains. A fascinating discovery, made by the American researcher Marc Changizi, is that all of the world's writing systems use the same set of basic shapes, and that these shapes are already a part of the visual system in all primates, because they are also useful for coding natural visual scenes. The monkey brain already contains neurons that preferentially respond to… -
Learning Disabilites --The Myth of “Waiting to Fail”
20 Nov 2009 | 3:53 amThe Myth of “Waiting to Fail” « UVA Reading – Richmond. How many times have we heard, “just give it some time, he/she will catch up”; or “there is not enough of a discrepancy between potential and achievement, so they won’t qualify for anything”; or how about this one, “we don’t really do anything until third grade, then we will begin to intervene”. Huh? There is a paradigm shift happening in education, and we all need to get on board. It is not enough to wait until our students “catch-up” with their peers. We do not want to wait until failure is the only option. In… -
Home News
19 Nov 2009 | 3:55 pmSpent most of the day with Jumper Girl.Her 21st birthday is a little more than 14 days ahead. We had planned a celebratory dinner at Restaurant A, which was undergoing renovations. However, said restaurant was rather unresponsive to emails about their planned opening, when they would be open for lunch so we could sample some menu items, and so on.So we made a site visit and peered through the windows. No change from 14 days ago. Scratch that venue. Found another promising one. With possibly even more charm. -
I Am So Making This Meat Hand Next October
19 Nov 2009 | 3:34 pmIt's called "Meat Hand" and full instructions are at Not Martha, at http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2009/10/27/meat-hand/ Of course I could make it before next October....if I had some ghoulish little boys on hand.
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Look Me In The Eye
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Some fall flowers . . .
15 Nov 2009 | 6:51 pmA famous writer once said, "You can lead a Horticulture, but you can't make her think." How true that is. And it makes you wonder who grows plants like these . . . .The closer we get to winter, the more the New England countryside reverts to black-and white. It's like the saturation dial gets turned down, day by day. But you can still find spots of color. One place I look is the greenhouses at Smith College. When I was a kid the Smith girls were superior and snooty, and they sneered at the likes of me. Now, though, they admit me to their institution and are even friendly, especially when I… -
John Elder Robison - upcoming appearances
9 Nov 2009 | 5:58 amIn the interest of keeping stuff together and up to date I have set up a new blog for my appearances. If you follow the Look Me in the Eye blog I'd suggest following the appearances blog too. It has one post - the calendar - which I edit whenever I add or change a date.You can go to it directly at:http://johnelderrobison.blogspot.comYou can subscribe to the feed here:http://feeds.feedburner.com/JohnElderRobisonI mirror this blog on my Facebook and elsewhere. I add events every month, and if you follow, you'll know where they are. I hope to see you on the road . . . .(c) 2009 John Elder… -
What is Smart? Is intelligence like beauty, merely in the eye of the beholder?
6 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm"He's such a bright little boy!" My mother and her friends said stuff like that all the time, as they pointed to me when they thought I wasn't paying attention.Now that I'm grown, I can let them in on a secret: There was never a time when I didn't pay attention to grownups as a kid. I watched them really close, all the time. I may not have understood everything I heard, but I surely took it all in.But what did it mean? I got a new bike, and my mother said, "What a pretty red bicycle!" Everyone who saw it said the same thing. It was a nice, red bike. The attributes didn't change. It was always… -
Looking through the window at holidays
2 Nov 2009 | 11:47 amMost of the time I feel like I’ve blended in to nypical society pretty well, but the holidays always come to remind me that I’ll always be an outsider in certain ways. This Halloween was no exception.One problem with holidays is that it produces millions and millions of images, many of which by the poses and expressions serve to remind me of my own differences. I’d like to pose and smile like the people in the photos, but I can’t quite do it. Most of the time, I hardly notice how I look and carry myself relative to others, but at times like this I can’t miss it, and it kind of… -
A few book reviews . . .
31 Oct 2009 | 4:30 pmTwo Tankers Down: The Greatest Small-Boat Rescue in U.S. Coast Guard History by Robert FrumpMy rating: 5 of 5 starsI really enjoyed this well-researched story of the breakup and loss of two WWII-surplus oil tankers off Cape Cod fifty-some years ago. It gives a real insight into what rescue service was like before the advent of helicopters and electronics, but after the end of the age of sail.View all my reviews >> Twenty Million Tons Under the Sea by Daniel V. GalleryMy rating: 3 of 5 starsThe author of this book commanded the US Navy ship that drove U505 to the surface during World War II,…
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Whose Planet Is It Anyway?
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Ending Waitlists
17 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pmCommunity services and supports for people with developmental disabilities in the United States often have extremely long waiting lists because the states have not provided sufficient funding for these programs. After a person finally starts to receive services and supports, which can take years, they will be lost again if the person moves to another state. Federal action is needed as part of the health care reform effort to put an end to this inexcusable situation.One group that has been active in lobbying to keep federal lawmakers' attention focused on the waiting list problem is NOEWAIT,… -
Eradicate Autism Speaks
13 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pmApparently in today's America, you can be hailed as a philanthropist if you are seeking to "eradicate" a minority group. Of course, it helps if your husband recently was the CEO of the media entity responsible for publishing this Goebbels-esque propaganda. Many of us already knew what a genocidal loon Suzanne Wright is, but just in case anyone needs more proof, here it is:Philanthropist wages fight to eradicate autismIn the interview, this was her response to a question about how long Autism Speaks plans to host celebrity fundraising events: "Hopefully until we eradicate autism. Once we… -
Community and Respect
10 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pmIn the military, as Clay describes in the first post of an excellent series on leadership training and respect, officers salute not only other officers but also enlisted personnel. This is not simply because of regulations and tradition, but because the salute signifies mutual respect between people working together toward a common goal. There is, however, a considerable difference between the rote show of respect for the uniform and the more meaningful respect that must be earned throughout the career of the person wearing it.Applying this point more broadly to groups other than the… -
Protesters Attacked by Flying Burrito Wrap
3 Nov 2009 | 5:37 pmThe ASAN members and cross-disability activists who protested at the Autism $peaks walk in Washington DC on Saturday, October 31st, resisted the temptation to dress in ghoulish Halloween costumes. Not everyone at the walk showed their level of maturity, however, as reported by a protester named Stan:"I was watching the first large group of Autism Speaks walkers, and one guy looked at us and threw a burrito wrap sandwich at us. It looked like he was throwing a burrito at us. It was like watching a Monty Python burrito attack."When I mentioned that I thought this deserved a blog post, another… -
Segregated Workplaces
31 Oct 2009 | 5:19 pmI've seen many blog and forum posts and articles about Specialisterne, the Danish company that recruits autistic workers for software testing positions, and similar enterprises that seek to hire autistics for jobs thought to be especially well suited to their talents. Quite often, these companies are described in glowing terms, along the lines of, "Look, wow, there's a business that actually hires autistics!"Well, okay, it's good that these companies have hired autistic workers who had been denied jobs elsewhere. But should it be seen as a fabulous, wow-inducing event when an employer simply…
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A life less ordinary?
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Hey! Pseudoscientists! Leave them kids alone!
20 Nov 2009 | 4:02 pmThe name alone makes no sense: "Scientific Link to Autism Identified." What does that even mean? As opposed to a "nonscientific link"? A "religious link"? A "philosophical link"? A "chain link"? And it simply gets worse from there. First of all, if you can find a worse example of a news release, please direct me to the link. I used to write these things as a public information officer. This...thing...is...not news and should never have been released.But I'm here to talk pseudoscience. First, I refer you to one of my favorite rundowns on what constitutes a pseudoscience. It's great, and I use… -
A new nonsense afoot
19 Nov 2009 | 8:09 pmRead this one today. It starts with several paragraphs of garbage masquerading as science-speak (e.g., "By looking at extensive scientific literature they discovered a cascade of hormones that emanate from the brain (hypothalamus)." Really? Gee. That'll be a huge surprise to all those endocrinologists out there.Then it gets to the "point," which appears to be that some vaccines contain gelatin and that gelatin is 21% glycine. It goes on to state the following, quoting a guy identified as "not a member of the scientific community" (clearly; he's actually someone who once had oversight of an… -
Empyting the grudge bucket
19 Nov 2009 | 6:47 amI don't like to hold grudges. But as a woman (and I am one, in spite of my lack of girly-girlness), I apparently tend to process experience through my emotional centers more than men, which means that I have excellent emotional recall of my experiences. I didn't just make that up. There are studies. It seems that this is the explanation for why women allegedly remember every detail of an argument and men don't. I'm not saying that these stereotypes and generalizations are true. I'm just paraphrasin' the science and news media types.In spite of my distaste for grudges, some physiological… -
Follow-up on Thoughtful House suit
17 Nov 2009 | 8:33 pmThe Austin mother in the Thoughtful House-related chelation suit has made available a statement regarding her situation, which you can find here at no2chelation.org (correction!...should never post late at night). Feel free to drop off some dollahs while you're there.She notes that:On this waiver Dr. Jepson also refuses to make any statements as to the purpose or expected goals of the treatment.And:IV Chelation treatments and the drugs used are not covered by insurance. Dr. Jepson sells these treatment packages to hopeful and desperate parents for as much as tens of thousands of dollars,… -
The wrong math for autism?
17 Nov 2009 | 7:36 amWe've been living with Everyday Math now for a few years. I detest this math program for many reasons. 1. It asks us to use household goods that cost money, such as shaving cream, flour, vegetables, and rice.2. It requires us to own/assumes that we own household goods that cost money, such as magazines with advertisements.3. It is packed with jargon specific only to Everyday Math and not translatable without a code book.4. It often requires the parent to spend more time looking for the crap needed to do the homework than it requires to actually do the homework, including rulers, tape…
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Adventures in Autism
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Vaccine Choice Supporter Chris Christie Wins NJ Governors Race
3 Nov 2009 | 8:23 pmNew Jersey, highest autism rate in the nation, no philosophical exemption for vaccination, and a governor that has been less than helpful to our community.Exit Corzine, enter Christie.Let's hold Governor Christie's feet to the fire. From Life Health Choices:MEDIA ADVISORYLouise Kuo Habakuslouise@lifehealthchoices.com917-553-4634Citizens Demanding Vaccination Choice Carry Republican Chris Christie To New Jersey Governorship November 3, 2009, Middletown, NJ – In an unprecedented and historic move, Chris Christie put pen to paper last week and made an official campaign promise to citizens of… -
Chris Christie Supporing Parental Choice in Vaccination in his Bid for Governor of NJ
30 Oct 2009 | 3:18 pmWelcome news as Corzine has admitted that the only thing he gets more calls about than autism is tolls, yet has failed to follow through on the committements he made to our community. Corzine needs to go. From Louise Kuo Habakus of Life Health Choices:A PERSONAL APPEAL TO VOTE FOR CHRIS CHRISTIEI'm making a personal appeal to our community. Please join me in voting Chris Christie for Governor on Tuesday, November 3rd.Whether you live in New Jersey or not, this e-mail is for you.I'm asking you to forward this to everyone you know. This is a bona fide "get out the vote" from someone who… -
The Dangers of Mercury in the H1N1 Vaccine
26 Oct 2009 | 7:36 amLast night I attended a SAD 75 (a Maine school district) public meeting on the H1N1 response and school vaccine clinics. It was a strange experience for me, as I feel like I had stepped back in time to a day ten years ago when giving mercury to children was no big deal, perfectly safe, just like candy really.I pointed out a number of problems with doing so, which I assumed were common knowledge, that proved at the very least that mercury containing vaccines were not desirable and I will list some of those here for those of you who watched the meeting on TV and wanted references to my points. -
Child Vaccinated at School Against Parents Wishes
25 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pmThat didn't take long. -
The Sparkle Effect
22 Oct 2009 | 10:56 amI need to post more beautiful little stories like this of people loving our children:Cheerleaders Welcome Special Needs to the Squad
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The Family Room
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Can Magic Help Us Understand Autism?
10 Nov 2009 | 9:11 amFor those of you who don't know, I work with news media in my regular job, so I have a pretty good sense of how stories are shaped, from initial idea to final result. And because I am very concerned with the way autism is portrayed in said media (can you hear me, Autism Speaks?) I try to offer some POV when asked (okay, even when not asked :-) So I was happy to speak with Susan Donaldson James of ABC News about a research study conducted at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. The study is concerned with the joint attention of people with autism, and uses magic (yes,… -
Yes, my friends, this is a pep talk
19 Oct 2009 | 11:32 pmYet another study showing that children on the autism spectrum have roughly the same mercury levels as those without; a family, for their 15 seconds of fame, pretends their son floated off in a makeshift balloon (I'm not even going to bother linking this), and H1N1 continues to send chills up the spines of everyone I know, parents or not. The truth is, we're in a good groove. "Mommy's happy," Isaac told me today. And then, "You look better." This because I have spent the last week fighting H1N1, trying by turns to rest, get some work done, and wipe down… -
Autism is a color
23 Sep 2009 | 9:35 pmThere is something about autism that taps into the most primal beliefs we have about the nature of consciousness, of intelligence, of humanity. There's a fairytale quality to the way the media portray autism, and I mean this in two diametrically opposite ways: both the happy/quirky/technicolor and the clammy/dread-inducing/Grimm's tales sense of the word.Depending on who you believe, autism is an epidemic, a scourge, a pathology, a condition, a series of genetic variations, a difference, an asset, or all or none of these things. There are as many autisms as there are people with… -
I'm baaack!
23 Sep 2009 | 8:30 pmIt's been a long summer, and an all-consuming one, but I'm back now. I'll save you the lengthy explanation: it was a combination of real life, of wanting just to be rather than say, and of wanting to spend every spare minute (of which there were precious few) with my boys. Here's what we did this summer: Isaac turned six, lost his first tooth and learned how to do a "forward roll" in gymnastics I learned how to make fried chicken J. started on a long-contemplated book project Oh and there was reading, and IEPs, and trips to the beach, and seeing old and new… -
Vocational services for adults with autism
14 Jun 2009 | 6:02 pmI spent the earlier part of this week in Phoenix, where I attended the dedication of a room at a brand-new vocational center for adults with autism. It's part of the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC), and it gave me a peek into what's possible when people think broadly and imaginatively about what it takes to serve our community. The center, called the Opus West Vocational and Life Skills Academy, provides training in daily living skills, vocational skills, as well as job readiness and placement services for adults with autism. Everything was conceived to support…
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Hyperlexicon
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Anything is possible: two stories
10 Nov 2009 | 10:10 pmMany of you regularly read the same special needs parenting blogs that I do, so it won't be a surprise when I say that I found myself stopped in my tracks, wiping away tears, and pumping my fist in the air all at once while reading two of my favorite writers recently.For those of you who have not yet discovered the wonderful MOM-NOS or Drama Mama at Like a Shark, I direct you to these two stories and implore you to stop whatever you are doing and read them. Every smile a memory: Cassidy, Dierks, and the transformative power of friendshipabilityThese are stories about friendship, and about… -
non sequitur
3 Nov 2009 | 5:03 pmAs Ben runs down our sidewalkMe: What's wrong? Do you want to run away? Ben: Yeah. Me: Why? Ben: All you need is caffeineNot on my birthdayBen: Mommy, it's your very last birthday. Me: Why? Ben: Because you're the only one who gets a present. Ben: Daddy took me to the doctor and the doctor said that one day you went to the doctor and said that you used to take a bath in the morning.Ben: I have a question for you. What if you open six packages and one suitcase? Me: I don't know. What?Ben: It will turn into dollars. Me: Why? Ben: Because you forgot to put dollars into it.Me: Can I have a kiss? -
I'm going to my room (post script)
28 Oct 2009 | 10:52 amI realized, after corresponding with a few of you about my last post, that I'd left out an important bit of nuance.We aren't "sending Ben to his room" in the traditional time-out sense. In fact, it's been really important that we don't treat this as a punishment.Again, thanks to Jordan at Communication Therapy for framing it this way. We suggest to Ben that he go to his room the way a helpful but deadpan maitre'd at a fancy restaurant would offer a very important, stinky cigar-smoking patron a booth far from other customers."Sir, I believe you would be much more comfortable in our private… -
Discrete Trials of Frustration (or: Thank you, Wii)
25 Oct 2009 | 11:50 pmWe have a Wii at our house. Wii is this Nintendo video game where you move around like you're really doing stuff and these characters in the game really do what you're doing and, well... (So, okay. If you are Amish, or have been backpacking for the better part of two years, or are able to be blissfully unaware of popular consumer culture and you don't know what I'm talking about, it's a little hard to explain. You can go here to find out what Wii is.)Anyway, we have one and Ben really enjoys it.He likes the standard Wii games that come with the whole console-controller-thingy: like bowling,… -
Dispatches from Kindergarten (and a blatant fundraising appeal)
6 Oct 2009 | 10:48 amA few weeks ago, Ben started Kindergarten in a big public school. It's the kind of school where there are bells for each period, and students line up on the blacktop before school starts, and everyone has an assigned desk with his or her name on it, and the hallways have shiny linoleum floors.At Ben's new school, the students call the teachers "Ms." or "Mr." rather than by their first names, and the principal comes to work in a neatly tailored suit every day, even when the temperatures climb into the 80s. Families are encouraged - but not required - to send their children to school in a…
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Kim Stagliano
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21 Nov 2009 | 8:53 am
21 Nov 2009 | 8:53 amChicago Trib Wants Autistic Kids to Remain SickFrom www.ageofautism.com: The Chicago Tribune is running another series of articles stating that "risky" treatments are of little use to children/people with autism (HERE). (Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics, in their backyard, will tell parents to use powerful psychiatric drugs with little to know knowledge of how they work or their long term effects on kids. Talk about risky.) We'll be sharing more info with you about the interview process these journalists followed and what did and did not make their final article. In the meantime,… -
19 Nov 2009 | 8:46 am
19 Nov 2009 | 8:46 amNot Not Your Daughter's JeansI'm half horrified. One quarter secretly pleased. One quarter just plain depressed. I haven't tackled the laundry since we got back from Cleveland, except for the kids' clothes. So my jeans are mostly in the hamper. I'm sick to death of wearing Levi's. Day in. Day out. Bootcut. Straight leg. Boring.Today I realized I had almost nothing to wear. My choice of clothing these days resembles the car selection in the USSR in 1970. "Do you want the black or the so dark gray it's black Trabant, Comrade?I slunk (slink, slank, slunk, right?) into Mia and Gianna's closet and… -
13 Nov 2009 | 9:12 am
13 Nov 2009 | 9:12 amWe're Off To Cleveland Again.Tomorrow we're driving to Cleveland (500 or so miles) so we can do lab work at The Cleveland Clinic on Monday morning. We see a neurometabolic geneticist there (Dr. Natowicz) who is tops in the country and a living doll to boot. I calm down just sitting near him. First off, he's brilliant. Second, he has a twinkle in his eye and a real scientists desire to investigate plus a clinicians need to help his patients. The lab tests are so sensitive, we need to do the work there. So off we go.Mark is going to connect with some old friends he hasn't seen them in 25! And… -
11 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pm
11 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pmSmith Island CakeI love to bake. It's therapy. I am determined to make a Smith Island cake for Christmas. We have a houseful going to my parents' in Massachusetts. My brother and his partner and my sister and her husband and son plus two bonus family members will be together this year! My sister's stepsons, who are now men in their 20s, wanted to come to Grandma and Grandpa's too for a New England Christmas. They live in Texas, who could blame them for wanting to trade cowboy boots for Bean boots for a few days?I learned of the Smith Island Cake in Cook's Country Magazine. It is the offiicial… -
9 Nov 2009 | 5:20 am
9 Nov 2009 | 5:20 amBrooke Shields Promotes Rx to Grow Eyelashes.I saw an ad last night for this new prescription product (which to me, makes it a drug) called " Latisse ." In 4 months you can have longer lashes.Jumping Jiminy on a stick, what crap will women fall for next and is there nothing some doctors won't sell to their patients? Brooke Shields is the spokesformermodel hardly needs more hair on her eye area, aren't the eyebrows enough?In the meantime, the side effects include:1) Eyelid skin darkening which MAY (ha ha!!!) be reversible. Sweet. Please consult with Bobbie Brown or Estee Lauder to make sure…
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like a shark
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in no particular order
13 Nov 2009 | 7:52 pmRoxie has been wiggling her front tooth around for some time. Its partner, Other Front Tooth, left some time ago, and feeling lonely, it's decided that It's Time to Fall Out.I'm in the middle of a production. Those of you who have known me a while know that it doesn't get any more stressful for me than these busy production times- at last count, I worked 91 hours last week. Last Saturday, I had two hours -count 'em! -before I had to go into the salt mines. I bustled around the house, then, tornado-like, looked at the girls. "You guys? I've got to pick up some last-minute props before… -
ability
26 Oct 2009 | 8:26 amThe other day, I brought Ted, my number-one-all-time-greatest student - my most incredible actor and thinker - to a special meeting with the top theatre educator in the country. (Drama Mama pulled a few strings) They had an hour long one on one to talk about colleges, auditions, and future plans.Ted, as I've mentioned before, is one of ours.Ted has played every substantial role I've thrown him effortlessly. His vocabulary and astute understanding of literature has played a huge role in his understanding of text and dramatic structure. His comic timing is genius. Like, someone who has studied… -
No pressure.
11 Oct 2009 | 6:01 pmThe tribe has spoken.You need to know what is going on with The Fabulous Miss M.I have been remiss - tending to my umpteen duties at work - and I've been ignoring your needs.I'm sorry.You know I could never quit you.You had me at hello.Anyhoo, let's catch up. When last we met, Miss M was entering the rough and choppy seas of NT tween girls in a world-renowned chorus. Talk about drama for the mama.Oy.For those of you flooding my email, yes, she is doing splendidly; she loves singing and is thrilled by music theory lessons (I shit you not).She organizes her two looooooong rehearsal days -… -
independent leave
8 Sep 2009 | 8:53 pmTo my teammates...my sisters in parenthood...I felt you with me every moment of this very long day. Thank you. I think our girl did it for us.I spent most of the day in knots, looking at the clock.I haven't done that in a long, long time.When I picked up Miss M at school, I nervously made my way across the yard, telling myself to keep calm at all costs. I knew that we would have a brief ride to her chorus rehearsal, and I couldn't get her worked up.Her teacher stopped me. "Drama?" she started, as my heart began to sink, "Miss M is having a hard time focusing back to school. I know it's only… -
okay, so i'm begging
7 Sep 2009 | 8:00 pmI know what you're thinking.So I hardly ever call. I post rarely.But I'm positively begging for your help.You see, tomorrow? Miss M becomes the member of a world-class chorus. She will run with some of the most talented and typical girls in the city.She auditioned. She was accepted.She waited for a soprano slot to open.She starts tomorrow.Listen.I hear you. Don't think I can't hear you over here.I know she's been working her ass off. She controls herself, she regulates herself, she is appropriate.I know all this.On Saturday, Roxie started her first day at a world-class ballet school. Again,…
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speak softly....
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Scenes from a visit
16 Nov 2009 | 6:14 pmThe two-day conference in London was intense and, well, intense. Of that I’ll report more soon. For now, here are some images of the one hour I found to sight-see (yes, pathetic, but at least I found the hour) on the last day of my trip. That day had me on all known forms of transportation, as I started with a trip on the Underground to the Embankment, then a stroll along the Thames to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, a taxi cab to Paddington, and finally the Heathrow Express to the airport, where I boarded a jet for the 10 hour flight home. Tube, taxi, airplane, car. … -
Leaving, on a jet plane
7 Nov 2009 | 5:24 pmTomorrow I head to London, England for a conference of neonatologists, pediatricians and fellow parents, to discuss the issues surrounding extremely premature infants. The trip promises to be intense and very informative and I’m sure I’ll have much to report when I return. I present a shot of my “Must Pack” pile. Chewing gum, pounds, eye mask, hand sanitizer, passport, journal. Tonight there’s also a lovely pot of black bean soup on the stove, and some Top Chef in my queue for a bit of pre-travel nourishment and relaxation. Back later… -
I’ve been gone
6 Nov 2009 | 7:12 amLiterally, and figuratively. Gone with life and school and events for The Book but also gone with the same kind of vague malaise that came over me last fall. Living in Southern California, I forget that my East Coast body is wired for fall to be a time of restlessness and ennui, and that I am meant somehow to be walking paths covered in fallen leaves, thinking about the previous year, the winter to come, the spring ahead of that. I’ve always felt a kind of synchronicity with the Jewish High Holy days traditions of taking stock in the fall, and making atonement. I received a lovely… -
The Debutante Ball
17 Oct 2009 | 6:27 amI first became aware of The Debutante Ball when fellow writers Gail Konop Baker and Kristina Riggle introduced me to the site. Both Gail and Kris were in the process of publishing their first books (Cancer Is A Bitch and Real Life and Liars, respectively) and on The Debutante Ball they mused on the internal and external processes that take place in the months before their books were published. The insights were fascinating, and just the kind of details a writer craves when she herself is the midst of writing: what will it be like, what will it look like, what does it feel like? I have… -
Rebecca Steinitz on This Lovely Life and books in general
5 Oct 2009 | 12:24 pmI have had the great pleasure of knowing Rebecca Steinitz for a while now, although we have yet to have the even greater pleasure of meeting in person, despite a flurry of text messages last winter in NYC that nearly had us getting together on the Upper West Side, somewhere near Gray’s Papaya I do believe. Today, Rebecca has a fantastic interview in Between the Lines, about reading, her books (check out her color coded shelving system that will make you woozy with envy) and yes, This Lovely Life. Head on over, read and comment and share the joy of an avid book reader and lover. …
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Squidalicious
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Goodbye and Good Riddance to the R-Word
19 Nov 2009 | 6:12 pmOur culture is finally starting to clue in: "retarded" is increasingly off-limits as a casual pejorative. This mindset shift is the result of activism like The R-Word campaign, and as evidenced by last week's epsiode of Glee, it's taking hold. As I wrote for BlogHer:The word "retarded" was never mentioned once, not even with regards to Becky [who has Down syndrome], even though Glee's writers sub-specialize in creative taunting. I don't know if the writers sidestepped the term because of anti-r-word activism or because it is increasingly simply not done, but it was noticeably absent. Let's… -
Obsessive Compulsive Denial
13 Nov 2009 | 1:55 amWe had a Leo team meeting today. Me, Supervisor M, Supervisor E, Therapist V -- and Leelo, because I couldn't find anyone to watch him. Having him at our table was fine -- he was willing to do activities during the meeting's first 45 minutes as long as I kept replacing them, and let him count out and eat occasional goldfish.I received a lot of careful and welcome reminders regarding interaction with Leo --backing off on verbal prompts for activities where the goal is independence (eating slowly, post-toileting hand washing), no verbal interaction during self-injurious behavior but, after a… -
I Wish We Didn't Know a Flu Victim
12 Nov 2009 | 12:08 amSeymour and I took all three kids in for flu shots this morning. I love our medical office -- they are masters of the BAM - DONE! injection. Leo barely had time to freak out, though I was certainly glad Seymour was there to help hold and reassure our boy. That was the first of many errands. We also had the pleasure of visiting Kristina's gracious mom, and fetching a bag of puzzles freshly couriered from the East Coast. Leo was a patient and good-natured visitor, in contrast to his couch-vaulting and -submarining baby sister.Then we were off to lunch at our favorite Eritrean restaurant, where… -
Review: Liking Myself, and The Mouse, The Monster, and Me
11 Nov 2009 | 12:12 amThe good people at BlogHer Ads (what a fine, fine crew) let me back on board even though I jumped ship three years ago. Times have changed, and spare blog ad change now seems like a fine idea. But hosting ads means no more reviews on this site, as they could dilute the perceived value of purchased ad space. The way I see it, I've sold my soul, so I might as well fracture it too. All future reviews will be sequestered in my bloggy horcrux, SquidRosenberg.wordpress.com. My opinions will remain honest, and I won't be reviewing anything I wouldn't purchase for myself or my family. I've posted a… -
Turning Nine on a Ninth in 2009
10 Nov 2009 | 12:53 amLeo had such a busy, fun, indulgent, and productive birthday that he asked to go to bed right on time. We even had him declaring that he was nine- rather than eight-years-old by day's end. But before that...Seymour and I woke him up and presented him with his new Catbus! He was not as immediately overjoyed as I'd hoped, mostly because he didn't want to wake up. But once he realized what we were shoving at him, he was pleased.Every seat had a cute little butt in it during carpool this morning, which meant that six people sang Leo Happy Birthday while we made the morning drop off rounds. Our…
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The Karianna Spectrum
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Project Runway: Intriging Irina and Kind Kalyn
20 Nov 2009 | 4:37 pmIn mid-September, not only was I deep in work, but I also took a mid-week trip to New York City to meet the Project Runway Season Six designers, then watch a screening of that week's episode sitting alongside the designers and models in attendance. I knew I'd be meeting the designers even before the season officially started at the end of August. I memorized the designers' names and hoped I would recognize them appropriately just a few weeks after their season premiered. (Although, the events... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Be Careful What You Wish For
19 Nov 2009 | 8:38 pmAwhile ago I accidentally hit my own mailbox. It was "thanks" to some creative parking by people essentially blocking my driveway, and rather than confront them, I wimped out and tried to maneuver backwards. I've been frustrated by the scratched bumper ever since - a reminder that I made a poor choice, and yet that it was another person being inconsiderate that created the situation in the first place. (Ironically enough, I was hit on the opposite side not long thereafter, but because the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Pitter Patter and Prayers for Anissa
18 Nov 2009 | 5:19 pmThere are a lot of things running around my head today, most not worthy of a blog post, except it is . Something that is worth a mention is Anissa Mayhew. My particular corner of the Twitterverse has been ablaze with #prayersforanissa, so every moment in this rather hectic day that I've wanted to cry or I've felt overwhelmed, I remember Anissa and thank God that I'm healthy and that my boys are healthy. (Husband on the other hand has a nasty cough and has for about six months, so he's totally... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Collision
17 Nov 2009 | 7:02 pmWe always hear about how children laugh so much more than adults. And yet today Splig remarked to me that he thought it was exactly the opposite. "Why is it that adults laugh all the time?" he asked, and then admitted, "I can't wait until I'm an adult so I can laugh a lot." I pondered how serious things have been recently for me, and yet how many smiles Splig has. Of course I told him that he should just keep smiling and laughing. Not even five minutes later, we came across an accident. It... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
A Puzzling Situation.
16 Nov 2009 | 7:58 pmSeriously, the sitcom writers should come to my house. It has been one of those days. I coordinate interviews for my college alma mater. I pair applicants with interviewers, and pray that both will follow through. All too often, an interviewer will have some sort of schedule problem (or complete mind fart) or an applicant will be surprisingly uncooperative. (I have plenty of stories to tell about bizarre situations where an applicant will cancel an interview because they heard from their buddy... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Home
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Welcome
8 Nov 2009 | 8:59 amLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin tempus velit vitae ipsum porttitor sodales. Nullam nibh nisl, placerat non pellentesque in, luctus porta elit. Aliquam quis mauris lectus, ut pellentesque magna. Morbi nec ante a risus condimentum hendrerit nec sit amet odio. Suspendisse potenti. Suspendisse volutpat porttitor erat eget condimentum. Cras pretium, mauris a fermentum consectetur, felis enim consectetur erat, convallis gravida odio nisi eu velit. Nam felis mi, pretium eget porttitor sit amet, lobortis ut nisl. Nunc congue nibh vel metus viverra aliquet. Vestibulum…
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motherofconfusion
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Something About Fresno: Episodes 4 & 5
20 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amEpisode 4: Interview with Roque Rodriguez about Swede Fest. Episode 5: Interview with Christopher Allen Poe, band member of Insect. Share and Enjoy: No related posts. No related posts. -
A Mother of a Birth Story: part 7
17 Nov 2009 | 6:19 pmThe magnesium didn’t hit like a Mac truck. Instead it wound lazily through my veins radiating warmth. OK, I could handle a flush of heat and a bit of weirdness. This wasn’t so bad. At 30-weeks pregnant and in antepartum with outrageously high blood pressure, I needed something to work. My baby needed more time [...] Related posts:A Mother of a Birth Story: Antepartum Panic (part 4)A Mother of a Birth Story: No longer in control (part 5)A Mother of a Birth Story: Going from bad to worse (part 2) -
Tantrum Tuesday: Turning 1 is hard to do!
17 Nov 2009 | 6:18 pmOh the joys of a first birthday. The presents, the cake, the glamor and the screams! This insanely cute tantrum photo was submitted by Adventures in Juggling. Check out her blog and a year of her granddaughter (pictured above) here. If you have some fave photos and belong to Flickr, please join and add them to [...] Related posts:Tantrum Tuesday -
Tantrum Tuesday
3 Nov 2009 | 9:03 amOh, that’s right. Cry your eyes out — it’s Tantrum Tuesday! Some of my all-time fave photos are of my kid’s throwing big ones. Yes, my melon is a bit tweaked — but it is what it is. If you have some fave photos and belong to Flickr, please join and add them to the [...] Related posts:Tantrum Tuesday: Turning 1 is hard to do! -
Something About Fresno, episode 3
1 Nov 2009 | 10:30 amInterview with Keith Kelley about Fresno West Coalition of Economic Development and Risk Takers, Dream Makers. Share and Enjoy: Related posts:Something About Fresno, episode 1Something About Fresno, episode 2: The Ronald McDonald HouseFresno Flair past & present Related posts:Something About Fresno, episode 1Something About Fresno, episode 2: The Ronald McDonald HouseFresno Flair past & present
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Stimeyland
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On Peanut Butter and iPhones
20 Nov 2009 | 2:33 pmSo. Recycling.A couple of you wanted some further information on my bold statement that you don't need to wash out your peanut butter jars before you recycle them. Now you should remember that I am often a little hit or miss when it comes to "facts" and "truths," so you should take what I'm saying with a grain of salt. (Or a dab of peanut butter, if you prefer.)What happened was that I asked the guy about things like mayo jars and peanut butter jars and if I needed to clean them out. And he said, "Rinsing them out usually doesn't do a lot of good, so use a spatula to clean them." And then he… -
I Tried Hard to Come Up With a Good Title About Recycling the Recycling Center Field Trip, But Nothing Worked. Clearly.
19 Nov 2009 | 5:37 pmYou probably don't remember this......but I took it when Jack's four-year-old class went on a field trip to the recycling center and Quinn missed the tour because he wouldn't wear the earplugs. Well Quinn is now in the same four-year-old class and today was the field trip to the recycling center.Look familiar?I'm pretty sure that Quinn has some sensory issues, and based on his consistent weirdness about things that go on or in his body, I wasn't entirely sure he was going to agree to wear the earplugs. But everybody was going in to the tour and I told him that he couldn't go in if he didn't… -
Thank You!
19 Nov 2009 | 5:12 pmSo, you guys are awesome. Thank you, each and every one of you, for your comments on my last post. They were not only supportive and wonderful, but many of them had very practical, specific advice. How am I so lucky that you guys frequent this little spot and interact with me? Seriously. I'm a really lucky person. Thank you.(Also, so you know, I'm trying to respond to all of your thoughtful comments via email, but sometimes I let my email inbox go for three or four days and then it seems weird to email you back, because by that time you've probably not just forgotten your comment and my post,… -
This Could All Drive Me Into Therapy. If I Could Afford Therapy.
17 Nov 2009 | 3:10 pmAs much as I bitch about waiting rooms and the gajillion dollars a week we pay out in copays, I am so grateful for the therapies we're able to take Jack to.But last winter the SLP who ran our social skills group left her practice and we lost social skills. And then a couple of weeks ago we got letters saying that our occupational therapist's practice won't be taking our insurance anymore, so as of this week we've lost OT.So now we're down to a half hour of speech therapy a week for Jack. Period. That doesn't seem like a lot of therapy for a kid who so clearly needs it. But who can afford $90… -
Come to Think of It, Art Has Always Been Kind of a Problem
14 Nov 2009 | 10:24 pmI left my kids unsupervised with some paint for a few minutes yesterday. Then I walked into the kitchen to find the following:Quinn's idea of art:Jack's idea of art:This took me back to the days when Jack was in his two-year-old class at his preschool. He was a sensory seeker even back then. His teacher was a saint and regularly gave Jack's class of ten two-year-olds paint to go crazy with.Inevitably, Jack's painting would metamorphose from brush painting to finger painting. Then the paint would edge up his arms until it covered him from finger tips to elbows. Then he would rub his hands all…
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My Life As It Is
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Do You Know The Story About The Boy Who Cried Wolf?
5 Nov 2009 | 6:27 amI'm beginning to feel like that boy.I'm busy, but I'll post. But then no post.I'm still busy, but I'll post. But then no post.But, I really am busy. Busy enjoying life as it is. And it's different from last year.Working full time is kicking my butt. Teaching the Adapted TKD is kicking my butt. Being on my son's school PTA Board is kicking my butt. But I love it all.And why, if all this is kicking my butt did I find myself checking out the PhD programs at GMU and UMD again, for the umpteenth time? Especially when I post on Facebook that there is just not enough time and where does it go?In… -
Waving a Small Hand Hello (again)....
12 Oct 2009 | 5:58 pmUmm. Hello out there (waves hand). If there is anyone out there still....I'm still here, although I know it's hard to believe with all this lack of posting. But it's a good lack of posting. Not a too-much-to-say, lost-at-words, stuff-I-can't/shouldn't-write-about lack of posting. It's more like a I'm-busier-than-ever, but it's all-OK-busy.Loving my job - which I knew I would as I subbed this position 3/4 time last school year. Switching to full time has been everything I expected - loving the challenge and hating trying to find that right balance. I'm on the PTA Board at Adam's school. One of… -
On Monday
11 Sep 2009 | 5:36 pmI start my new job. After several interviews with no offers, teachers reporting back to work, and kids going back to school, I finally got an offer.The best part - it's a position that I did last year but now I'm contracted. A position I absolutely loved. A position that uses everything I learned in the ABA/BCBA coursework from the past 2 years.Summer may be over, but I'm not sad. I'm excited to start this new adventure :) -
The End Of Summer
5 Sep 2009 | 7:40 amI haven't been around much this summer.At least here on this blog.But maybe in real life too.It's been a long summer. Happy, stressed, frustrating, upsetting, relaxing, learning, and hopeful times.I think I'll be ready to start writing again soon. -
"The Dangerous Days of Daniel X: Watch The Skies"
27 Aug 2009 | 6:19 pmOnce again, MotherTalk has offered me (well, actually Adam) a book to enjoy. Adam loved The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, and now James Patterson has written the second novel in the series.And here's the scoop from Adam:What did you think of the book?I thought it was a really good book and it had a really interesting plot to it. I think that Number Five sounded really cool and I really want to have the powers and surgical operations that he had.Who was your favorite character?Daniel X - because he is so awesome at crime fighting and he knows all these martial arts and rocket launchers. What was…
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Bringsmejoy
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Twelve Tips for Helping People with Autism and Their Families Have a Happy Holiday
19 Nov 2009 | 7:04 pmWhile many happily anticipate the coming holiday season, families of people on the autism spectrum also understand the special challenges that may occur when schedules are disrupted and routines broken. Our hope is that by following these few helpful tips, families may lessen the stress of the holiday season and make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved. The following tips were developed with input from the Autism Society, the Indiana Resource Center for Autism, Easter Seals Crossroads, the Sonya Ansari Center for Autism at Logan and the Indiana Autism Leadership Network. -
Part Three: Third Piece, Brandon scares us beyond measure.
14 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pmImagine this, one morning you and your family wake up on a warm Saturday morning in July and decide to pack the kids in the car and go for a drive. You decide to take the kids to a special event at Cabelas. You get to Cablelas and you and the family go inside to look around the store. Your kids admire the large aquarium and the huge animal displays. You then take the kids outside to take part in a special event that Cabelas is doing where the kids can fish in a small pond and win prizes. You and the family decide you have had enough fun and decide to go out for lunch. After lunch you decide… -
Part Two: Second Piece, Brandon therapist notice something about his development
13 Nov 2009 | 2:24 pmOnce Brandon was home from the hospital he needed to have several types of therapies done at the house to help him recover from the damage that the seizures caused him. Brandon was delayed on many levels, speech, motor skills both fine and gross motor skills, at one time I think we were up to three therapist coming to the house sometimes twice a week for an hour each visit. As his therapist began to work with Brandon they began to notice that he exhibited may traits of an Autistic child. So we had Brandon tested to find out that Brandon did indeed have Autism. He was diagnosed with Autism at… -
Our Autism Puzzle, One Piece.
29 Oct 2009 | 7:49 pmMany people ask me to tell our story of how we came to know that Brandon was diagnosed with Autism. So I thought I would do a series of posts to tell you more about the story of Brandon. On March 14th 2004 a beautiful baby boy, Brandon was born to two very proud parents. He was premature but he was perfectly healthy. Brandon left the hospital and went home. A few weeks went by, when we began to notice something not normal with Brandon. He would stiffen up, his eyes would go back and to the left, and he would stare for about 20 seconds. This went on for a couple days and we asked our doctor… -
From Haircuts to Movies, Autistic Families Get Welcome From Businesses – ABC News
22 Oct 2009 | 3:52 amIt is great to see as more and more people become aware about Autism how business are responding to meet their needs. Whether it be getting a haircut or watching a movie at the theater both are not easy for an Autistic child to process but businesses are helping. Read this story from ABC news it shows how businesses are helping. Posted in Autism
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from here to there and back
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Feed a cold?
18 Nov 2009 | 6:59 amMy son’s been home sick for the last two days, and since the school requires kids to be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school, he’ll be home tomorrow too. And probably even Friday, just to be sure. I can’t remember the last time he’s suffered more than the common cold, or the common cold [...] -
A little bit of give
16 Nov 2009 | 9:04 amThere are aspects of my son’s autism that used to be so much more predictable. The perseveration, the tenacious holding on to of ideas and things and even, yes, people. The obsessiveness of it all. I used to be able to predict when something would become a problem. When his interest in something or someone [...] -
On again, off again
13 Nov 2009 | 7:58 amIt’s windy and cold and the rain is on again, off again. A day to curl up on the couch with my laptop and a cup of chamomile tea laced with honey. I’m addicted to honey lately. I crave it. The writing this week has been slow—maybe because I’m not actually revising at this point, but [...] -
Where would I be?
10 Nov 2009 | 8:06 amSometimes I forget that not all special needs parents use the internet in the same way we do. I forget that they haven’t embraced social media or other forms of online networking. And once in a while, I’ll make a comment or mention a book or suggest a website only to be met with a [...] -
The road taken
8 Nov 2009 | 7:09 amI’ve hit a wall on the work in progress. The rewrites I’ve done in the second half of the novel have taken me to a point where I’m asking myself, what now? I know how I want the book to end, know where I need to be, but from where I am—I have no clue [...]
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The Quirk Factor: Resistance is futile...
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'Cuz life keeps getting awesome-er. er. er. er. er.
18 Nov 2009 | 5:35 pmI am going completely batshit insane.The temporary housing agency called this afternoon, to give me my move out date.Yeah. Any guesses?December 31st.Well Happy Holidays and get.the.hell.out.For those of you new to my blog, my house burned down in June, and we've been living in a temporary house until mine can be rebuilt. My house hasn't even been demolished yet, let alone starting a rebuild.Perfuckt.So... it's contest time!All you have to do is leave a comment, and I will pick a lucky winner.The winner gets...my family!Yes! We will move in and take over your very own house.We don't eat much. -
What is it with the damn bus?
17 Nov 2009 | 5:35 pmYes... we're having issues with the bus again.Ugh. The bussssss.What is it with fricken busses?When school started, I was so geeked that Jaysen had the same bus driver from last year. I'll call him Cleatus, because well, he just looks like a Cleatus to me. Sure he was a little rough around the edges and interacted totally inappropriately with my child- but once I talked with him, he was a gem. An old, crotchety, softhearted gem. And he became awesome with my son.Two weeks into school, they changed his driver.The transportation department said I would love the new driver. She's been driving… -
True love...again.
5 Nov 2009 | 5:53 pmMy kids were not invited to my sister's wedding.What?!? You didn't know my sister got married?Hmm... must've forgot to mention it.ANYway...We have 2 parties this weekend for the newlydreads, and I had to prepare Jaysen.I knew he was going to have difficulty understanding that yes, Sissy is now married, and sorry, but nobody told you."Who is Sissy marry?""She married DB.""Mommy... who did you married?""I married... your Dad.""My Dad? My Daddy?*shiver* "Yes, your daddy.""Mommy... why did you married Daddy?"*oh.my.buddha.on.a.half.shell- choke back the bile, choke back the bile.* "Well, I… -
10 inches!
5 Nov 2009 | 5:39 pmNOT what I am talking about, you pervy little pervertons...Better late than never, but I gots me a spiffy new haircut. And yes, I really did get ten inches lopped off.Midlife crisis? Diversionary tactic? Crazy? I dunno. You decide.Pardon the phone, but seriously how else so you take a pic of your own hair?The back looks kind of funky in this one- was not happy...I conned Jaysen into taking that one. Not too shabby for a kid who'd rather be playing Mario. -
Halloweenies 2009
1 Nov 2009 | 4:38 amI love Hallowe'en. It's my absolutely favoritest holiday of the year. Every year, I look forward to the possibility that Jaysen has gotten over his costuming phobia - costumes are cool, as long as there's nothing on his face, and as long as Mom doesn't dress up. See here.But this year, seemed different.This was the first year my sensory-evasive son, conquered his issues and actually touched the pumpkin guts.Not only did he touch them, he actually got in there and dug around in the pumpkin!Granted, he only used one hand, but still- he was covered in pumpkin yuck, fingers to elbow, and was…
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Elvis Sightings
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A Visit to the Dentist
19 Nov 2009 | 4:12 amDental issues and autism spectrum issues are a touchy combination.When I put "dentist" into the search box in my Google Reader, searching the autism-related blogs that I regularly follow, I get over 100 hits. Some are nightmare-ish. Many tell tales of hard-won gains, works in progress, dentist experiences that have -- over time -- become productive and tolerable.I've not written about Joy & the dentist before, partly because our challenges are significantly less than some. Her sensory needs generally swing sensory-SEEKING, so we don't have that incredible mountain of sensory defensiveness to… -
Elvis Wants a Cookie
17 Nov 2009 | 6:19 pmAnyone for some positive stories?We've heard so few words from Joy, for so long -- other than the "more" sign, some photo-choice-making on her Go-Talk, and the occasional "uh-oh". But tonight at dessert time, she echoed the word "cookie," clear as clear. Just once. JoyDad and I both did a double-take. And gave her one with chocolate chips.Speaking of the "more" sign. The other day at breakfast, JoyDad came swooping past to distribute kisses to his breakfasting ladies. Joy giggled at him, and tilted her face up. And then after receiving her kiss, she signed a great big "more"!And still more… -
"Every NO is One Step Closer to a YES"
14 Nov 2009 | 4:31 amHad another amazing seminar day in my LEND program yesterday. One of the (many) components of the course is policy advocacy, and that was yesterday's theme.We were privileged to have a panel composed of a parent activist who's been involved in many organizations and policy campaigns on behalf of children with special needs; the executive director of the state's disability rights organization; and a state senator who co-chairs one of the most powerful committees in the state capitol, the Joint Finance Committee.Together the three of them told an ongoing story of a decade-long effort on behalf… -
Photo Wednesday: Jackson Pollock Edition
11 Nov 2009 | 3:30 amBehold, the aesthetic force of a single handful of butternut bisque!At least I haven't heard her singing "threedy boogie college"... not yet, anyway.Update: As requested in the comments, here's the recipe for the "paint"/butternut bisque. It's from a lovely cookbook called Simply in Season. -
A Dream
10 Nov 2009 | 3:59 amThe women of our congregation met at the church for women's retreat this weekend.One of the women at the retreat went home afterward and dreamed about my daughter Joy.In her dream, there was a man sitting and speaking to a group of people. He was speaking in long, complex, difficult-to-understand constructions.Joy was with him, maybe on his lap or next to him. And she was translating for him. He'd say some long wordy something, and then she'd say just a few simple words that distilled it down and made it understandable.My friend said that in the dream she was motioning to me, "JoyMama, come…
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Coach for Asperger's
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Is It Autism or Asperger’s?
10 Nov 2009 | 6:28 pmIt’s all over the news lately: Will the newest DSM revision, DSM-V which is expected in 2012, get rid of the Asperger’s category, merging everything into an autism spectrum disorder? There are good arguments for both sides of the debate, but you can read a very well written opinion from researcher Simon Baron-Cohen, in the New York Times, November 9, 2009. -
Anger Management and Asperger’s, Part II: The Feeling of Anger
4 Nov 2009 | 2:06 pmAnger management skills are important for everyone, not just those with Asperger’s and autism. But for those on the spectrum, managing anger may be especially difficult. In my post of 10/1/09, I discussed understanding anger. In today’s post, I’ll be discussing the actual physical sensation of anger. Like all emotions, anger comes with a physical feeling. And that’s important, because often that physical feeling is the first subtle clue that the emotion is present. Many individuals experience anger as a tightness in the hands, arms, and jaw. Some people may get a stomachache or a… -
Transitioning to Adulthood
2 Nov 2009 | 1:20 pmThis blog is aimed at teens and adults with Asperger's and autism, and my other blog, Social Skills for Kids is really written for the parents of younger kids with ASDs. However, frequently the two areas overlap, and I'm not sure where to best post material. (In fact, I'm thinking about combining both blogs into one with more info.)If you're a teen or parent of a teen, please check out my latest post on Social Skills for Kids on the importance of transition planning for the post high school years . -
Thinking About Other’s Minds
22 Oct 2009 | 9:47 pmRebecca Saxe is a neuroscientist at MIT, studying Theory of Mind. Theory of Mind is the understanding about how we think about ourselves and others, or as Simon Baron-Cohen phrased it in Theory of Mind in Normal Development and Autism, (2001), “to be able to reflect on the contents of one’s own and other’s minds.” This is an important concept from the viewpoint of autism and Asperger’s, because many researchers attribute deficits in Theory of Mind to some of the struggles those on the autism spectrum might be having. Rebecca Saxe has been researching the brain using fMRI, and… -
Book Review: Mother in the Middle by Sybil Lockhart
9 Oct 2009 | 5:08 pmMother in the Middle is a fascinating book, a moving and personal memoir of a woman’s experience with raising small children while at the same time caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s. But the author is also a neurobiologist, and she beautifully interweaves her own technical perspective into the work. It’s this unique juxtaposition that makes this memoir stand out from others.Usually, I review books about careers, business, social skills or autism and Asperger’s on this blog. And this is not a book about any of those topics. But I think it’s appropriate for this blog anyway. Human…
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Disability Scoop
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Paralympics To Vote On Inclusion Of Athletes With Intellectual Disabilities
20 Nov 2009 | 10:35 amAn international committee will decide this weekend whether to allow athletes with intellectual disabilities to compete in the 2012 Paralympics. -
Drug Could Be Key To Treating Down Syndrome
20 Nov 2009 | 8:41 amTreatment for the cognitive decline experienced by individuals with Down syndrome could be on the way, scientists reported this week. -
If Down Syndrome Cure Discovered, Most Parents Might Decline
18 Nov 2009 | 2:51 pmAs science comes closer to a cure for Down syndrome, most parents of children with the disorder say they aren't sure they would take advantage of one, a survey finds. -
Top Bowler Credits Asperger’s For Success
18 Nov 2009 | 10:11 amCassandra Leuthold is one of the best college bowlers in the country and she says having Asperger's syndrome is one of the reasons why. -
Senators Propose Replacing ‘Mental Retardation’ With ‘Intellectual Disability’
17 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pmThe federal government would replace "mental retardation" with "intellectual disability" throughout health, education and labor policy under a bill introduced Tuesday in the Senate.
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Morgan Autism Center
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our 40th anniversary
11 Nov 2009 | 4:14 pmWell, we did it. With a lot of help from a lot of wonderful people, we managed to throw a pretty spectacular shindig at the stunning San Jose City Hall last Saturday night. With visits from a host of VIPs, including our very own Mayor Chuck Reed, and many families and old friends of Morgan Autism Center, the night was indeed special. The art work of the students was, as always, unique and intriguing, and some, magnificent, but the highlight of the evening( for me anyway) was when one of our adult clients, Wanda, and her older sister, Renay, came up to speak. Renay very briefly spoke of how… -
the mystery of nuance
5 Oct 2009 | 6:55 pmLast week, one of our adult clients, Wanda, was very distressed because of her confusion about when and where its okay to touch others, particularly giving hugs. Wanda wants desperately to hug people. Because of her inability to distinguish circumstances of when a hug or arm around another is appropriate, she's been told various things to help her, such as its okay on a special occasion or when you see a friend after a long time. But what constitutes a 'special' occasion?Social occasions are an enigma for her, and it is impossible to explain every situation that might occur, because there… -
Morgan Autism Center's 8th Annual Autism Conference
28 Sep 2009 | 11:37 amThe Morgan Autism Center's Eighth Annual Conference this last weekend of Friday, September 25, Saturday, September 26, and Monday, September 28 was a resounding success. Friday, we were treated to an electrifying presentation by the brilliant Dr. Sophia Colamarino of Autism Speaks. Dr. Colamarino spoke encouragingly of the latest updates in biomedical research to a spellbound audience. Although she is speaking of very complicated and involved information, Dr. Colamarino presents in such a way that even non-scientific listeners can understand.Saturday, we had the very engaging and informative… -
13 Sep 2009 | 7:22 pm
13 Sep 2009 | 7:22 pmAs one who has worked in the field of autism, I have made many assumptions about 'group homes' and the impact such a move can have on a family. Twenty years ago, there were not many homes that seemed worthy of being rated as even moderately good, and most were well below. I remember visiting a home of one of my students along with another teacher where the staff so clearly did not like the student, it was painful to watch. They did very little to hide their feelings even as we observed them. As my co-teacher and I, driving in separate cars silently parted ways, our eyes met in my rear view… -
Vaccines, yet and still
24 Aug 2009 | 11:26 amAlthough there have been a multitude of studies that suggest that vaccines are safe, among many parents of children with autism, the jury is still out. And now with the H1N1 virus and concerns of this public health crisis causing a possible pandemic, parents are being advised to add yet another vaccine to the many already given their children. Parents are encouraged to give their children the flu vaccine at 6 months of age and then annually until five years of age. But do we know yet if these vaccines are safe, let alone effective?Children are now routinely given 48 doses of 14 vaccines by…
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Spectrum Siblings
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What really happens when the blind lead the blind?
10 Nov 2009 | 9:42 amThink back for a moment and consider if you’ve heard either of these phrases for a moment: “When the Blind lead the Blind, both fall into a ditch.” “In the land of the Blind, the one-eyed man is king”. Likely that exercise wasn’t too difficult, if you’re anything like me, you’ve heard these phrases an innumerbale number of times in your life. And because you’ve heard them so many times, you’ve come to accept them as fact, likely without ever really considering the situations they describe. Think for a moment about “the blind… -
Rough Week comes to Promising Conclusion
8 Nov 2009 | 8:45 pmThis week with the boys started out very rough. It was a full moon, the weather was changing, and day lights savings was coming into play. To add onto this both boys are having their medication dosages changed. I was crushed by last Sunday’s experience, when Lawrence recoiled from my touch and hid from my presence, not producing a word the entire six hours I was there. But I went back this weekend and things had significantly changed. Lawrence managed a “Hi, Cale” when prompted, and used his new words throughout the afternoon to express wants. He smiled and… -
Asperger’s and College Parties
31 Oct 2009 | 7:58 amAfter staying at a house notorious for its parties this summer and becoming good friends with the people who live there, I have begun to attend parties this semester, an activity I had never done before. There were many reasons I didn’t attend my first two years: too many strangers very loud and unexpected noises close space with a ton of jostling all of which can be very irritating to the Aspie. My first plan for this semester was to arrive two hours before the party (note that the holders were good friends of mine), and then leave after a half-hour of partying because the environment… -
Ask an Aspie: Autistic Adolescents at College
26 Oct 2009 | 6:41 amThis question was recently asked in Ask an Aspie, and it’s a topic I wanted to talk about anyway, so here goes: My 18 year old aspie son left for college in August and has not initiated any sort of communication with any of his friends or family. Is this a usual aspie response to a new situation and should I be frequently checking up with him. I almost have to say I will show on his doorstop to get a response and then it is extremely limited. First, I’d like to tell the reader that she’s not alone. Almost all of my friends have had arguments with their parents about how… -
Help Make This Blog Better
23 Oct 2009 | 7:37 amWith my blogoversary only a week away, it is time to start considering my goals for my second year of blogging. So if you are a relatively consistent or veteran reader, please answer any/all of the following questions in the comment section: Which features do you find most useful on this blog? Which do you find most interesting? Which features do you find least useful/interesting? What topics would you like to see discussed in year two of Spectrum Siblings? What other changes would you like to see made to this blog? If you can recall, name (or describe) a few post which you found to be…
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Social Skills for Kids
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Holiday Advice
20 Nov 2009 | 7:54 amThe holidays are coming up and for a lot of people that means getting together with extended family and relatives you haven’t seen in a while. This can be a great chance to connect, feel supported, even show off a bit with all the progress your child has made. But it can also mean unwanted advice. Your parents, your sister-in-law, your best friend from high school probably mean nothing but the best for you and your family. But they also may not have a special needs child and they may not understand what it is that your family is going through, or what your child needs.So often I’ve heard… -
Contra Costa Country Annual Transition Conference
17 Nov 2009 | 8:22 pmA few posts ago, I talked about transition planning for teens and how important it is to start planning early. At that time, I wasn’t sure when the Transition Conference for Contra Costa County was being held. But now you can download a copy of the Conference Brochure. It’s being held at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California on Tuesday January 5, 2010. This conference is a great resource for adults and parents of teens, with a full day of presentations on living options, employment, financial needs, sexual issues, disability services at community colleges.There is also a… -
What Happens After High School?
2 Nov 2009 | 1:12 pmThe transition from high school to adulthood is a crucial time in the lives of many young adults on the Autism Spectrum, and it requires careful planning. I encourage the families I work with to start the planning process early. Many local resources, schools and supports groups may offer information, but frequently these events are only offered annually, so parents need to start gathering information early in the high school years. Get on those email lists!As an example, here in San Francisco’s East Bay, The Orion Academy holds a post secondary transition seminar annually in March. The… -
Local Bay Area Special Education Resource
22 Oct 2009 | 2:27 pmSpecial education and the legal issues surrounding it are very complex topics. Parents need to know their rights and responsibilities, and what their child is entitled to. For parents in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Leigh Law Group is presenting a workshop for parents and professionals on Special Education: Rights to Related Services in the Public Schools. The training event is November 14th, 2009, in San Francisco, and it’s only $10.00. I’ll state right up front that I’m not familiar with this group, and I don’t know the presenters, but the topic is so crucial, I’m… -
Book Review: No More Meltdowns by Jed Baker, Ph.D.
8 Oct 2009 | 10:18 amNo More Meltdowns by Jed Baker, Ph.D. is an excellent resource for parents trying to deal with their child’s out of control behavior, whether the kids have a diagnosis or not. This book is straightforward, with a simple step by step plan for dealing with tantrums and meltdowns. At the same time, there are plenty of detailed examples that show how to fit the simple plan to complex situations.Certainly parenting is tougher when children have special needs, like an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger’s or Attention Deficit (ADHD or ADD). And frequently these parents have to also deal…
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Asperger Square 8
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Square Talk: The Social Model
27 Oct 2009 | 7:44 am -
A Job Interview
21 Oct 2009 | 10:22 pm -
Instead
14 Oct 2009 | 8:31 pmYou want to be helpful. Really. Useful. You were surprised, recently to find yourself finally seeing it, the harm that is done by groups like Autism Speaks. That video, that disembodied voice, Big Scary Voice and its claims of destruction, you saw this time how these omnipresent repetitions build a world where autistic people and people with other disabilities are shunned, marginalized, treated in so many ways as less than human. Less than real. You get it now. But what about that walk coming up? What about that inbox filling with walks and runs and bake sales and pledge drives and other… -
The Daily Squawk: Redefining Canines
6 Oct 2009 | 8:51 amCanine Advocates Urge Removal of Pomeranian, Shih Tzu, Others from the Dog Spectrum Should all dogs be considered equally doglike? Well known canine advocate Darrell Hogarty doesn’t think so. “People who live with some of these smaller breeds have become too vocal,” he explains. Hogarty believes that the enthusiasm of small dog aficionados obscures the problems of real dog owners. “They claim they can live in apartments and condos. The general public is starting to think that dogs like my Rotweiller don’t need large fences to keep them from bolting.” What’s worse, Hogarty says,… -
For You
29 Sep 2009 | 8:10 amFor BruceYou said, "Here's your mirror and your ball and jacks."But they're not what I came for, and I'm sure you see that too.-For YouSo many times, there were no words, but swirls of emotion, pattern and image. Thoughts and feelings demanded saying, but I was mute. The other looked on with anticipation, then curiosity, then pity. Finally, I’d disappear from view. The other would move on to other others, those who communicated freely the complexity of longings within them. Sometimes there would be someone more patient, more able to see. When I had spent the few words I could muster, I…
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AspieWeb
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Videos To Never Be Seen
20 Nov 2009 | 8:10 pmToday I did something I felt I had to do, make three videos I hope will never be seen as well as send a friend instructions I hope she never has to follow. I made three videos, one for my daughter, one for Katelyn and one for her parents in case I attempt suicide and [...] -
Seinfeld Confronted By Autistic
20 Nov 2009 | 9:45 amJerry Seinfeld, a supporter of Autism Speaks was recently confronted by an Autistic Person outside a Autism Speaks fund raising event. It was caught on video. Jerry Seinfeld seems to be blowing off the person with Aspergers Syndrome who is asking him not to support Autism Speaks. The person recording the video repeatedly tries to [...] -
Better – NOT!
20 Nov 2009 | 12:36 amA poem I wrote about how I feel right now. I’m sitting here crying I keep staring at the letter I hurt my love, lost my daughter She thinks I won’t get better Now that my mind is clear My heart aches in agonizing pain I hurt my love, lost my daughter Its just driving me insane I try to keep going Hoping she will [...] -
To Write Love On Her Arms
19 Nov 2009 | 8:50 pmWhen I was in the hospital I was in a lot of emotional pain, I had started cutting again using plasticware. While I was in the hospital I was listening to WAYFM, a local christian radio station and they had a segment about ‘To Write Love On Her Arms’ a campaign to raise awareness of [...] -
Time To Get Serious
19 Nov 2009 | 2:38 amSo Katelyn has been making some allegations and threats again. So I figure its time to get serious and quit trying to deal with this like two civil adults. Shes been making the allegation that I purposely got her pregnant – which is not true, as I’ve talked about before. So this morning is going [...]
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OTPlan.com
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Matching Color Cups
Work on forearm pronation, supination and grasp -
Dot Dot Paint
Develop your child's fine motor skills and strengthen grasp and manual control. -
Colorful Bookmark
In this activity the child will work on developing his fine motor skills through drawing, cutting, and pasting stickers as he creates a colorful bookmark. -
Snack Time
This activity assists in improving the child's functional performance with snack preparation and encourages self feeding. -
Sensory Salad
In this activity the child gets to use his imagination as he works on promoting his fine motor skills and his ability to process tactile input. This is a fun activity to do in a small group for social interaction and promotion of language.
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Facing Autism in New Brunswick
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Autism Rising in Chicago: Tribune Investigation Determines Autism Increase is Real
21 Nov 2009 | 8:46 amFor the most part the article Autism treatments: Risky alternative therapies have little basis in science goes over old ground in attacking alternative autism therapies. At times it appears that the article is actually going to send current autism knowledge back to 1999 when Teresa Binstock outed the medical establishment for insisting that only genetic based autism research receive scarce funding dollars and that , by implication, environmental factors played no role in causing autism. All of a sudden, almost out of the blue, the Tribune investigative report answers in the affirmative a… -
Homeostasis Model of Autism Causation - Is Autism Triggered By Glutamite and Glycine Imbalance?
19 Nov 2009 | 12:00 amIn a press release from PR Newswire, a New Jersey based business oriented think tank, The Center for Modeling Optimal Outcomes®LLC, outlines what it believes is a model of autism causation discovered while researching neuroscientific principles in business. The think tank members themselves are not scientists but had the assistance of various scientists at different stages of developing their model which they believe has widespread applicability to other disorders and to other areas of science.The model appears to be focused on a concept called "homeostasis" and views autism disorders as… -
Adult Autism Care in New Brunswick Is Our Top Autism Priority
17 Nov 2009 | 1:56 amThe Daily Gleaner makes brief mention of the Oscars for Autism event held Saturday Night at the Delta Fredericton.Neil Lacroix and Kim Gahan of Autism Connections Fredericton, and Brian Jones of TD Waterhouse, deserve applause for their hard work in making the Oscars for Autism event a huge success. Stan Cassidy Centre developmental pediatrician, Dr. Tara Kennedy, a great asset for New Brunswick's autistic children, gave an excellent overview of autism disorders. Psychologist Paul McDonnell was recognized for his outstanding contributions to autistic children in NB. Parents of autistic… -
Saskatchewan Still Canada's Autism Wasteland
16 Nov 2009 | 1:33 amMore than two years since I described Saskatchewan as Canada's Autism Wasteland the government of Saskatchewan is still dithering, and delaying instead of putting a quality system of autism services in place to help that province's autistic children. In all fairness to Saskatchewan's political and public service elite they may not know much about autism disorders, or the importance of timely early intervention in helping autistic children live fuller, richer lives. Their failure to provide an autism intervention system with quality and integrity for autistic children across Saskatchwan… -
An Autism Honor I Truly Value
15 Nov 2009 | 11:13 amLast night I was honored with an award, for autism parent advocacy, as part of the Autism Connections Fredericton fundraiser and autism awareness event Oscars for Autism. I have in the past expressly avoided such recognition for fear it would be a distraction that would prevent me from doing what had to be done in advocating for autism services in New Brunswick. Last night's award though originated with people whom I have stood beside for many years in fighting for better lives for New Brunswick's autistic children and adults; people for whom I hold the highest regard and respect.... and it…
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Everyday Adventures
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Halloween 2009
11 Nov 2009 | 9:47 pmThanks again for your thoughts and prayers on Bearhug's behalf. We've also gotten some good suggestions... we're going to get this figured out. So far this week has been pretty good (yay!).On a lighter note, here are some pictures and a recap from Halloween :).I couldn't figure out how I was going to make a Salamence (Pokemon) costume, so we tried taking the boys to the Halloween store to see if they could find a costume there. No luck. I asked Cuddlebug what his second choice would be, and he named another Pokemon. Third choice? Another Pokemon. None of which are readily available as… -
Veterans Day
11 Nov 2009 | 7:45 pmA heartfelt thank you to those who have served or are serving in our military (which includes many of our family members). Freedom isn't free, and I am eternally grateful for the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces who defend freedom here and abroad.~~~~~~~~~~~And for my favorite veteran...(that's my dad for those who don't recognize him, this was taken in Iraq during Desert Storm)... here's a cool video I found online that I thought you'd enjoy :) If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.Thanks for reading my feed! Feel free to stop by and leave a comment to let me… -
Still here... and an update
8 Nov 2009 | 6:49 pmI feel like I've kind of gone AWOL from the blogosphere for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to say thank you for your kind words, suggestions, and encouragement in response to my last post.Bearhug is still struggling and we have no idea why. It feels like we are in new territory here... at first I thought it was a result of sensory overload / stress but now I'm thinking it may be more than that.Whatever it is, it has really escalated in the last few weeks. We're seeing a lot of anger, rage would be a better description really. Aside from that he seems kind of sullen, even sad. I spoke with… -
Sensory stuff
25 Oct 2009 | 9:05 pmSo I just wrote a long, rambling post (in draft mode) trying to sort out my thoughts about the sensory challenges we've been having lately, mostly with Bearhug. When it comes to classic autism, his is the mildest of my three boys (with Bitty the most affected and Cuddlebug somewhere in the middle), but Bearhug's sensory challenges are the most severe of my three. He is really struggling lately - at home, school, even church. It seems to be a combination of overstimulation, various changes in the routine, difficulty focusing, and somehow just general out-of-sync-ness (to borrow the term from… -
Magic Marker Monday: Flowers
25 Oct 2009 | 9:03 pmBearhug brought this home from school. It looks like it may be of the same vase that Cuddlebug painted at school but it's interesting to see how different Bearhug's interpretation of it was :).For more Magic Marker Monday, visit 5 Minutes for Special Needs.If you enjoyed this post, get free updates by email or RSS.Thanks for reading my feed! Feel free to stop by and leave a comment to let me know what you think :).
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Fickle Feline
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November? Really?
8 Nov 2009 | 4:42 pmWhen Fickle Feline gets quiet, you can safely assume that I am completely overwhelmed with life and just trying to hang on for the ride. I wish I could tell you I was out crusading against Autism, brunching with Dalton McGuinty to get him to see the light, but most days, I am just trying to keep my head above water and be a good mom. But I do need to update more, because there is a lot to say. -
Disappearing Act.
26 Oct 2009 | 5:47 pmOne of the hardest things for any parent to do is look at his or her child and say "my child is not like the other children, something is wrong". Even harder is picking up the phone, and calling a doctor to schedule an appointment, telling a nurse why you are in to see the doctor, and then having a doctor examine your child to confirm your suspicions. And so starts the journey for many parents -
The Journey.
13 Oct 2009 | 6:27 pmI was speaking with blueballoon's Director of Behaviour Therapy tonight, about Max, Autism, the journey, my frustrations. I have been feeling really anxious about Max lately. Wanting answers. To know where we are going. What's the plan? What about junior kindergarten? Is Max getting everything he needs? Are we doing absolutely everything we can for him? How does he stack up next to other -
Video Killed Radio Star.
10 Oct 2009 | 5:50 pmIt's been a while since I posted a bunch of videos, so I thought I'd show everyone what we were up to on this beautiful fall day. Cam & I discussed Obama being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize (we think he will absolutely do something to deserve it - other than being the 1st black president, but we question the timing of it). We also seem to agree that the Ontario Government really, REALLY -
The Things I Wish For.
6 Oct 2009 | 8:37 pmI've been feeling a lot of mixed emotions lately. Excited when I witness tangible displays of Max's progress, contrasted with moments of clarity where I see just how different my little boy is from all of the other little boys. Earlier this week, when I picked Max up to take him for his usual afternoon of therapy at blueballoon, I noticed that there was a note taped to his cubby at daycare. On
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The Bon Bon Gazette
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My GFCF adventure : Thanksgiving Feast for One
18 Nov 2009 | 5:30 pmA memo came home from school that the kids were going to enjoy a Thanksgiving Feast. Since I knew that the foods that they would be eating would be loaded with gluten and dairy, I asked my son's teacher for a menu and stated I would be sending my son in with his own food. By some miracle, she gave me a list of the foods that they'd be eating and not surprising it was the usual thanksgiving fare of Turkey, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, etc. The festivities were slated for next week. I had begun to research and ask my gluten free peeps on twitter for help with recipes… -
So, my kid is getting glutened at school
18 Nov 2009 | 5:06 pmA little birdie let me know that they had some problems with my son's teacher last year with regards to their GFCF child. I considered myself warned and approached it head on. My son has a whole section in his IEP regarding diet and instructions that he is not to eat any food that has not been provided from home. I am "that mom" that gets up and makes a hot lunch in the morning for my son every day. On a very rare occasion my son gets a rice cake sandwhich but that may be only about 2 days in the month or on days they are taking a class trip and won't have access to heat up his food. I met… -
thoughts on thanksgiving and my ASD child.
17 Nov 2009 | 1:37 pmI wrote these posts last year regarding Thanksgiving and my son's limited food preferences.GFCF & Gluten Free Thanksgiving Tips, Menus, and R...On Thanksgiving, and my now GFCF childSo, last year - my son had a thanksgiving meal that was separate from the rest of the family. I didn't jump thru hoops or cook separately. We made him food he'd like and served him that and we ate our regular thanksgiving.A year later and we are entering Thanksgiving in a whole new place. Alex is still gluten and casein free - but he has expanded his food repertoire and has become very receptive to trying new… -
Brick Special Needs Ice Hockey League
14 Nov 2009 | 1:23 pmAlex has been actively involved in the Brick Challenger sports program for a few years now. He especially likes the bowling and for the most part he enjoys Baseball. The Brick Hockey Clubhas put together a pretty fantastic Ice Hockey program for special needs children between the ages of 5 and 17. I had hoped to enroll Alex in it but he has absolutely put his foot down on attending. "I don't like sports", he says, "Only bowling - and baseball". I'm not going to push it and make him attend or do something that he doesn't want to do. But, a part of me wishes he would at least try it. In the… -
Alex goes UP
10 Nov 2009 | 12:59 pmAlex, in his worship of all things PIXAR, loves the movie Up. So, of course on the day that the movie came out we needed to get him a copy of the movie. He had been counting down til the release date for days, weeks, months even. Since the release date (November 10th) we have watched it too many times to count. I don't know how he can watch the same movie over and over and over and it never seems to get old for him.The movie makes me cry. Perhaps it is the timing of the movie and when we saw it in the theatres. We saw this the day before my dad passed away and watching it opens up the…
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Autism Science Foundation
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The Decade’s Most Overblown Fears
18 Nov 2009 | 11:42 amBy Alison Singer Newsweek has just posted a special “end of the decade project” in which the editors attempt to recap the last ten years. They have produced twenty different top 10 lists, including one on overblown fears; threats that fortunately didn’t materialize or were later debunked. Topping this list are Y2K, and the threat of shoe bombs (and frankly nothing is more annoying than having to take off your shoes at airport security, especially in winter when the floor is cold. Number 3 on the list is “Vaccines and Autism”. More than a dozen studies done over the past… -
Judging vaccines and diagnosis: Autism takes the hit
13 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pmBy Robin Hauman Morris Truth in advertising is hardly a novel approach. The mantra for Syms discount stores: “An Educated Consumer is Our Best Customer” rings provocative. Everyone wants a bargain, but do we gamble with our health in the process? Does a diagnostic label bring us to our knees? How so, does the public manage to skew scientific research or concrete data in favor of speculation? What bias alters the classification system admitting or denying diagnoses into a spectrum disorder? Michael Specter’s new book Denialism, as reviewed in the NYTimes tackles the recent… -
Autism Science Foundation Agrees with Decision to Keep Vaccine Research Out of the IACC Autism Plan
11 Nov 2009 | 5:12 pm(November 11, 2009—New York, NY) Autism Science Foundation President and Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee member Alison Singer joined her colleagues on the IACC in voting to eliminate references in the autism strategic plan that could imply that vaccines cause autism or that call for additional vaccine research. “Draft materials submitted to the IACC suggesting vaccines and/or vaccine components were implicated in autism were rejected by the committee because the IACC determined that they were not based on good science,” said Singer. In addition, the two research… -
NIH Awards More than 50 New Autism Grants
4 Nov 2009 | 7:55 am(From the NIH) The National Institutes of Health has awarded more than 50 autism research grants, totaling more than $65 million, which will be supported with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. These grants are the result of the largest funding opportunity for research on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to date, announced in March 2009. Awards were based on the quality of the proposed study and how well it addressed short-term research objectives detailed in the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee’s (IACC’s) Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research. -
Paul Offit Recieves AAP Outstanding Service Award
24 Oct 2009 | 7:03 amDr. Paul Offit The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) presented Paul Offit, MD, FAAP, with the President’s Certificate for Outstanding Service at the National Conference and Exhibition of the AAP earlier this week. The award recognizes an individual’s outstanding service and long-term, personal dedication to the mission of the AAP and to the health, safety and well-being of children. Dr. Offit is a pediatrician, chief of infectious diseases and the director of the vaccine education center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He serves as a board member of the Autism Science…
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Autism Jabberwocky
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Dr Offit may not like basements
21 Nov 2009 | 5:45 pmFlickr Photo from nic0I am starting to think that Dr Offit doesn't like basements. That must be the reason why Dr Offit doesn't like to publisize his relationship with the Autism Science Foundation (ASF). You would think that it is a match made in heaven. Dr Offit knows that there is no relationship between vaccines and autism and the entire mission of the Autism Science Foundation is to fund all autism research except that which has anything to do with vaccines. And as a matter of fact, Dr Offit is on the board of directors for the Foundation.Yet Dr Offit… -
Newsweek panders to Dr. Offit
18 Nov 2009 | 8:07 pmDr. Offit has written a short blurb for Newsweek's Top 10 list of "Most Overblown Fears" of the decade. It is filled, as would be expected, with half truths and distortions. And of course, like most major media outlets, Newsweek has failed to mention the fact that Dr. Offit has made a fortune from his patent on the Rotateq vaccine. So, if you care to read yet another version of the classic "asked and answered" line, have at it.For me, there are two lines from the piece that stand out. The first is -As is true with most pseudoscience, hypotheses shift,… -
Bad science might be genetic
12 Nov 2009 | 8:16 pmFlickr Photo from Chemical Heritage FoundationIf you give a kid a new toy they are going to want to play with it. Never mind the heaps of older toys they they have, those are yesterday's toys and not worth even considering. In a similar vein, scientists now have the tools to look at a person's genetic code more closely than they ever have in the past, and they have just got to play with them. As a case in point, consider the article "Bad Driving May Have Genetic Basis, Study Finds" on Science Daily. A group of researchers looking at a genetic variant that may play a… -
Damaging DNA without touching it
11 Nov 2009 | 4:26 pmPhoto from berkeleylab (flickr)This post is going to be somewhat off-topic from autism but this is something that I thought was interesting and could potentially one day have implications for some of the mysterious health problems like autism.There is a study entitled "Nanoparticles can cause DNA damage across a cellular barrier" in the November 5th issue of Nature Nanotechnology that demonstrated that nanoparticles could, under laboratory conditions, cause damage to the DNA of cells that they couldn't touch. Now, if you are like me and have only a rudimentary understanding of… -
Mercury in the Blood
28 Oct 2009 | 7:43 amMercury in bottle via usepagov (flickr)Mercury and autism. These two words go together as well as matches do in a dynamite factor. For more than the a decade, a controversy has raged about whether exposure to mercury can cause autism. Some think that the mercury that used to be contained in vaccines played a role in the rise of autism while others think that mercury is completely harmless and would drink it like Kool-Aid if they could.Regardless of your opinion about mercury, you have to admit that it is a health risk and it is concerning that our exposure to it from the…
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AutMont
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Event Summary for the Week of November 16, 2009
15 Nov 2009 | 11:20 amCheck out all of the amazing events on the AutMont Calendar for this week!Monday, November 16:Parent Academy Workshop: Bullying Hurts—How to Prevent ItTuesday, November 17:JSSA Family Support GroupWednesday, November 18:Parent Advisory Council MeetingWorkshop: Exploring Guardianship IssuesLecture: Disability Support Services at Local CollegesThursday, November 19:MCASA Annual MeetingSaturday, November 21:Sensory Friendly Film: Planet 51Workshop: Supporting Special Needs Children and Youth at Church*****Do you know of another event? Leave details in the comments! -
Support Group for Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities
15 Nov 2009 | 11:06 amThe Jewish Social Service Agency offers a free, ongoing monthly support group for parents and family members of children with disabilities.The group is non-sectarian and open to all. Family members of children with disabilities share their joys and sorrows, hopes and fears, coping mechanisms, and strategies for living for today and planning for the future.The support group meets the last Tuesday of each month (upcoming dates include: November 24, December 29, and January 26) from 10:30-11:30 a.m.Pre-registration is required by calling 301-610-8357. The group mets at JSSA (200 Wood Road in… -
Supporting Special Needs Children at Church
15 Nov 2009 | 10:46 amThere are so many places that kids with special needs need extra support. Help your religious institution learn how to give that extra support by inviting them to an Involve Workshop at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring on November 21.The purpose of the workshop is to train religious educators, ministers, and lay leaders to minister to children with special challenges and insure their successful inclusion into Unitarian Universalist congregations. (Although I'm guessing the information could be useful for other faiths as well. Get in touch with the contact people at the email… -
Disability Support Services at Local Colleges
15 Nov 2009 | 10:22 amIs your child headed to college soon? Attend the next Adolescent Transition Lecture on November 18, which is all about disability support services at local colleges and universities.Panelists will include disability support staff representatives from Howard Community College, Anne Arundel Community College, and Community College of Baltimore County.The lecture will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. at Kennedy Krieger Institute's Greenspring Campus' Bowles Building board room (3825 Greenspring Avenue in Baltimore).Please RSVP to Kennedy Krieger's Resource Finder at 800-390-3372 or… -
MCASA's Annual Meeting
14 Nov 2009 | 10:10 pmThe Autism Society Montgomery County will be holding its annual meeting this Thursday, November 19 from 7-9 p.m. All are welcome at this free event, held at The Arc of Montgomery County's Bachman Room (11600 Nebel Street in Rockville).Presenters will be speaking about AT:LAST, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on breaking down barriers that might prevent an individual from acquiring and using assistive technologies.
