Researchers who studied records of all births occurring in California in the 1990s found that the risk of having a child with autism was significantly higher when the mother was older, regardless of the father's age, except when the mother was younger, the risk was also higher if the father were older...
Autism
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Medical News Today: Autism
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Autism Risk Higher When Mother Is Older, Study
9 Feb 2010 | 2:00 am -
Brain Development And Toxic Chemicals
5 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amThe Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI) released the first-ever biomonitoring report identifying toxic chemical pollution in people from the learning and developmental disability community... -
Study Linking Autism And Vaccines Is Retracted By Medical Journal
4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amThe Los Angeles Times: "Twelve years after Dr. Andrew Wakefield published his research in the international medical journal the Lancet purporting that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine causes autism, the journal on Tuesday formally retracted the paper. ... the U.K. General Medical Council's Fitness to Practice Panel concluded that [Dr... -
Expert Comments On Lancet Retracting Major Autism Study
4 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amRae Sonnenmeier, clinical associate professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of New Hampshire and staff member at UNH's Institute on Disability, is available to discuss the announcement yesterday (Feb... -
Research Retraction Breaks Link Between Autism And Mmr Vaccine, Says Neurologist
3 Feb 2010 | 3:00 amThe Lancet, a premier British medical journal, retracted a study published in 1998 that drew a link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and increased incidence of autism. Alan Percy, M.D...
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AspieWeb.net
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All Good Things
8 Feb 2010 | 9:23 pmhttp://www.thezach.net/blog/its-over/ -
For Those of You
21 Dec 2009 | 9:40 pmWho keep emailing me asking me for updates on KateThe only updates I will provide will be on my personal website. AspieWeb is just for Autism related news from this point forward. If your a friend of Kate I suggest you contact me quick, i have not been told not to provide her friends with contact [...] -
Needing YOUR Help
18 Dec 2009 | 10:00 amSo this is going to be a time when I ask for YOUR help. A lot has been going on with me lately and I’m in a bit of a financial hurt. I found out my license is suspended and I need a car to go food shopping and other things. Its going to [...] -
Ne’eman Nominated To National Council on Disability
17 Dec 2009 | 1:42 pmThe White house has recently nominated Ari Ne’eman a leading autism advocate to the National Council on Disability according to the White House webpage. Ari Ne’eman heads the Autism Self Advocacy Network and assists those with Autism in in advoacting for their rights and needs. Seeing as I’m kinda busy right now and not wanting [...] -
Biggest Fears
17 Dec 2009 | 1:24 pmLately I think my biggest fear has been creeping back into my life. This fear often keeps me so hurt inside, and when Kate came around I was able to punch this fear in the face. I’m afraid because of my disability I will never be loved. Aspergers has quite a complex affect on people’s [...]
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Autism Twins
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A Post About Snow and Sanity
8 Feb 2010 | 6:48 pmOn this, the eve of Colossal Snow Storm #2, we pause to ponder how the shortest month of the year already feels like the longest. Last week we had a snow day for a mere six inches — can you imagine? Wimps. Well, no longer — the Blizzard of 2010 dumped 27 inches on us three days later. No school today, no school tomorrow, I dare say there will be no more school until March.This area of the world -
My Incredibly Bad Day
1 Feb 2010 | 8:28 pmSome days are harder than most and some days have nothing to do with autism. If you're really paying attention, you might notice signs that you're headed into a black hole of a day, but who has time to actually pause like that. You just put one foot in front of the other and cling to your routines. Monday? Wake up. Get boys up. Feed cat, make mental note she walked away without eating again. Make -
The Cycle of Life
25 Jan 2010 | 12:16 pmHe comes home chattering about bones. I'm only half listening, my mind is on other things. "What, honey?" I ask."We die and then we're all bones," he says."What?" I say again, my eyes wide. "Where on earth did you hear that? Did someone at school say that?""A- told me." I know A- to be a precocious little girl and I'm not surprised that it was her, only that this came up at all.I don't recall -
Scenes from a Play Date
21 Jan 2010 | 1:14 pmI wish that I were the type of mother who came by her mothering skills naturally, who knew instinctively what normal looks like and did not always wonder, when faced with one of her children's many quirks: Is that the autism or is that just quirky? Does quirky = autism?Well, take today — Sam was invited to a classmate's house for a play date. Because the other mom and I don't know each other very -
Teamwork
14 Jan 2010 | 5:50 pmI clutch John's hand as we approach his brother's school. We are here to pick up Sam after Week 2 of an after-school soccer program, a program I thought would be great after hearing that a few of his classmates were enrolled. In the five minutes it takes to find the gym, no fewer than three teachers greet us, see John, and say "Hi Sam!" Their faces are puzzled. I watch them trying to sort it out,
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AGE OF AUTISM
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Will the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Finally Get it (Katie, Bob and Suzanne) Wright?
9 Feb 2010 | 2:45 amBy Katie Wright A few months ago I wrote to the new Director of the NIH, Dr. Francis Collins, and asked to meet him with my parents, Bob and Suzanne Wright Dr. Collins graciously responded saying that he would very... -
The Cedillo Appeal - Mary Holland is a "Friend" to the Court and Autism Community
9 Feb 2010 | 2:43 amBy Kent Heckenlively, Esq. The autism community owes a great debt of thanks to attorney Mary Holland for putting together her excellent amici curiae (friend of the court) brief in the Cedillo appeal which can be found [HERE]. Ms. Holland... -
David Kirby's "Animal Factory" Is Back Up At Amazon!
8 Feb 2010 | 10:36 amOur friend David Kirby’s new book, “ANIMAL FACTORY – The Looming Threat of Industrial Pig, Dairy and Poultry Farms to Humans and the Environment,” was removed from sale at Amazon.com for over a week, because of fighting over the price... -
The Conflicting Views of Dr. Ben Goldacre and the Wakefield Affair
7 Feb 2010 | 11:54 pmThe conflicting views of Dr Ben Goldacre and the Wakefield affair: dumbing the public down. By John Stone Photo: Ben Goldacre receiving the 2003 GSK/ABSW award for his Guardian article on MMR,’Never mind the facts’, posing between Pallab Ghosh, science... -
Author of Children With Starving Brains Supports Dr. Andrew Wakefield in Letter & Petition
7 Feb 2010 | 2:46 amBelow is the letter attached to a petition from Dr. Jaquelyn McCandless, known to many in the biomedical world as a Grandparent/Physician Warrior. Her 2002 book Children With Starving Brains remains a valuable resource for parents seeking treatment information for...
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Blisstree
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Treat your garden seeds with care
8 Feb 2010 | 8:55 pmGarden seeds, if you think about it are pretty amazing. Just a few seeds can grow enough veggies for many summer salads, baskets of flowers, and enough seasoning for all your dishes year round. However, while seeds do have seemingly magical qualities they’re also fragile if not treated right. You need to care for your seeds carefully, not only to preserve the chance to grow a lovely garden but to save money and time as well. It’s much nicer not to have to buy new seeds each year. How to care for your seeds… Until you’re ready to plant or soak seeds for planting, always… -
Sony Ericsson Releasing Green Smart Phone
8 Feb 2010 | 8:50 pmSony Ericsson is on a serious roll this year. Just in time for Christmas last year they introduced two new green phones in their line-up of Green Heart products and now a few days ago they announced the release of another green phone, the Sony Ericsson Aspen. The Sony Ericsson Aspen is a windows mobile QWERTY phone primarily for heavy message and calendar users. This newest Green Heart edition is feature rich and allows for easy multi-tasking combining the touch experience and a real QWERTY keyboard. You can organize and adapt panels to change during the day and use a Slide View for quick… -
Animals Used in the Making of Avatar
8 Feb 2010 | 4:25 pmYes, the blockbuster movie “Avatar” used animals, but the animals weren’t used. They were treated nicely! The film received American Humane’s highest rating — Monitored: Outstanding / No Animals Were Harmed. “American Humane applauds ‘Avatar’ director James Cameron and the production for earning our highest rating by ensuring the safety of the animals used in the filming,” said Karen Rosa, vice president of American Humane’s Film & TV Unit. She added that PETA was apparently unaware that live animals were used in the film for motion capture. How… -
Donate for Free to Help Pets in Need
8 Feb 2010 | 3:13 pmAre homeless animals heroes? I think so. It takes a lot of courage to be a pet without a home of your own, but you can help in a couple of ways during the Purina ONE Tour for Heroes, ending on February 26. During the tour, Purina ONE will be helping pets in need with adoption events and temporary food banks. If the tour is in your area, please visit. Upcoming stops include HALO Animal Rescue in Phoenix on February 9, the Houston Humane Society on February 12 and the Humane Society of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale on February 16. Read the complete list of tour stops. And, since Martha… -
Maternal Age Linked with Autism Risk
8 Feb 2010 | 1:42 pmResearchers now say they’ve confirmed that maternal age is linked with a significantly elevated risk of autism in children. And the father’s age may not matter as much as previously thought. The research from the University of California – Davis was published online today in the February issue of the journal Autism Research. The study is important since it’s one of the largest to quantify how each parent’s age (separately and together) impacts the risk of autism in children. The risk of having a child with autism increased by 18% for each five-year increase in…
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About.com: Autism
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Mom's Age Associated with Rate of Autism
8 Feb 2010 | 11:25 pmA group of autism researchers at the University of California Davis conducted a massive records-based study analyzing "all the singleton births in California during the 1990s for which information was available about the ages of both parents, a total of about 4.9 million births and 12,159 cases of autism." The findings suggest that mothers giving birth over the age of 40 are significantly more likely to have a child with autism. Meanwhile, according to an article in the LA Times, "For men over 40, there was a 59% increased risk of autism if the mother was younger than 30, but virtually no… -
Lancet's Retraction of Wakefield Paper Like Gasoline on a Fire
7 Feb 2010 | 1:57 amLast week, the New York Times printed an editorial entitled A Welcome Retraction. The article lauds the Lancet for retracting the 1998 study by Dr. Andrew Wakefield which sparked public anxiety that the MMR vaccine might have a causal link to autism. The editorial goes on to share this quaint hope: What is indisputable is that vaccines protect children from dangerous diseases. We hope that The Lancet's belated retraction will finally lay this damaging myth about autism and vaccines to rest. In fact, of course, far from laying anything to rest, the retraction served as a galvanizing call to… -
Did You See Claire Danes as Temple Grandin? Share Your Review!
6 Feb 2010 | 11:03 pmI am unutterably frustrated to say that we don't get HBO. As a result, though I've read and heard plenty about last night's HBO presentation of the biopic "Temple Grandin," starring Claire Danes, I was NOT able to see it. I can tell you that, according to several interviews, Temple Grandin thought it was terrific. From the Star-Ledger, for example: "I just couldn't believe how she played me," Grandin says. "It was like going back in a weird time machine. Melissa Silverstein of Huffington Post raves: Claire Danes is revelatory as Temple Grandin animal behaviorist, best-selling author,… -
Who Is Andrew Wakefield?
3 Feb 2010 | 1:08 amIf you're new to the autism/vaccine debate, you may wonder who Dr. Andrew Wakefield is. You may also be puzzled as to why so much is being made of the revocation of a 1998 study including just twelve autistic children. If so, you may want to take a look at these short, non-technical articles on the subject: Who Is Andrew Wakefield? Medical Journal Retracts Paper Tying MMR Vaccine to Autism Introduction to the Vaccine-Autism Debate Autism and the Vaccine Court Join the Autism at About.com Community on Facebook!Who Is Andrew Wakefield? originally appeared on About.com Autism on Wednesday,… -
Does the Lancet's Retraction of Wakefield's Study Change Your Mind?
2 Feb 2010 | 11:44 pmYesterday The Lancet, Britain's premiere medical journal, revoked publication of a study by Andrew Wakefield. That study, completed in 1998, has provided a foundation for a whole movement which sees vaccines as the cause of an explosive rise in autism. What does all this mean? Opinions, not surprisingly, vary. Today's Slate.com features a rerun of an article by writer/research Arthur Allen entitled "Why There's No Dispelling the Myth that Vaccines Cause Autism." In it, he describes a mother testifying at a Vaccine Court trial: It is difficult to challenge a mother's knowledge of her own…
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Topix: Autism
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Film review: 'Dear John'
9 Feb 2010 | 2:56 amJohn is one hunky dude--broad chest, good head of dark hair. And Savannah , with her little round gerbil face and enormous turquoise eyes, is certainly a cutie. -
Autism and mother's age link
8 Feb 2010 | 6:56 pmThe older a woman is when she gets pregnant, the greater her chances of having an autistic child. -
Autism risks detailed in children of older mothers
8 Feb 2010 | 10:48 amA woman's chance of having a child with autism increase substantially as she ages, but the risk may be less for older dads than previously suggested, a new study analyzing more than 5 million births found. -
Experiments take aim at genetic learning disorders
8 Feb 2010 | 6:24 amA pill to ease a type of mental retardation? An experiment is under way to develop one, aimed at a genetic disorder that might unravel some of the mysteries of autism along the way. -
Investing to help autistic children
7 Feb 2010 | 10:23 pmHUNDREDS of thousands of pounds will be invested in a secondary school to equip it for Swindona s growing number of autistic children.
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ScienceDaily.com
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Link between advanced maternal age and autism confirmed
8 Feb 2010 | 5:00 pmAdvanced maternal age is linked to a significantly elevated risk of having a child with autism, regardless of the father's age, according to an exhaustive study of all births in California during the 1990s. -
Uncorrelated activity in the brain
7 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pmInterconnected networks of neurons process information and give rise to perception by communicating with one another via small electrical impulses known as action potentials. In the past, scientists believed that adjacent neurons synchronized their action potentials. However, researchers now show that this synchronization does not happen. -
Three brain diseases linked by toxic form of same neural protein
4 Feb 2010 | 5:00 pmResearchers have found that three different degenerative brain disorders are linked by a toxic form of the same protein. Elk-1 was found in clumps of misshaped proteins that are the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease. This suggests a molecular link between the presence of inclusions and neuronal loss that is shared across a spectrum of neurodegenerative disease. Identifying these links could open up novel avenues for therapeutic intervention. -
Distance education for parents of children with autism found effective
31 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmThrough the use of instructional DVDs, parents of children with autism can learn how to teach their child to communicate and improve their behavior, according to new research. -
Combined approach may be better way to treat autism
29 Jan 2010 | 5:00 pmChildren with autism would likely receive better treatment if supporters of the two major teaching methods stopped bickering over theory and focused on a combined approach, a psychologist argues in a new article.
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Autism News Beat
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2010 Doctoral Training Award Recipients Announced
8 Feb 2010 | 3:14 pmThe Autism Science Foundation has awarded $180,000 in grants to six pre-doctoral students who are pursuing careers in basic and clinical scientific research relevant to autism spectrum disorders. The money will be distributed to student/mentor teams conducting research in autism treatment, biomarkers, animal models, and epidemiology. The grants come after less than ten months of fundraising and operations for the once fledgling ASF. The organization is co-founded by Alison Singer, who very publicly left her post as executive vice president of Autism Speaks one year ago. “Too much time… -
Wakefield’s abuse of the legal system and media
29 Jan 2010 | 9:24 amBy David N. Brown As the GMC approaches a verdict on the misconduct of Andrew Wakefield, anti-vaccine sources are engaged in a concerted effort to make the “doctor” into a martyr rather than a sociopath. It is vital to ensure that the general public is not in any way lulled into sympathy for the “doctor”. In my judgment, the most important point to drive home is that, while Wakefield and associates play up the image of the “doctor” being persecuted for his ideas, he is the one who has persistently acted to suppress any discussion not entirely in his favor. To that end, I have… -
Lauer v. Wakefield, round two
29 Jan 2010 | 6:11 amLauer is still calling it a controversy, even after Dr. Nancy Snyderman tried to set him straight. But the rest of this Today Show segment shows Lauer is finally getting it about Wakefield. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Lauer’s hour-long Dateline report on Wakefield last August wasn’t TV journalism’s finest hour. The popular Today Show host stumbled through the story, and missed several opportunities to prove Wakefield wrong. Science blogger RangelMD put it best: Even though he “confronted” Dr. Wakefield with several of the… -
A tidal wave of misinformation at WTAE
26 Jan 2010 | 2:43 pm“The numbers are staggering,” says WTAE reporter Michelle Wright as she kicks off the first of five news reports on autism. What’s truly staggering is how the Pittsburgh ABC affiliate news department could get the numbers so wrong. “A few weeks ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new statistics showing that 1 in 110 children will be diagnosed with autism,” says Wright, trying hard to evoke anxiety and fear. “Ten years ago the numbers were one in 500. Fifteen years ago it was one in 10,000.” Wrong. The CDC, a source Wright… -
The Tribune hits the trifecta
16 Jan 2010 | 3:43 pmThe story sounds too lurid to be true – ignoring FDA regulations, a retired chemistry professor takes a chemical used to treat toxic waste, and repackages it as a dietary supplement for disabled children. Welcome to the world of autism quackery. The story in tomorrow’s Chicago Tribune is the latest in a year-long investigation into America’s anti-vaccine movement, and its spin-off treatment industries. Last May the newspaper introduced us to a Maryland physician who purports to treat autism with Lupron, a powerful castration drug also used to treat sex offenders. In…
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Skinnykids
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TMI
5 Feb 2010 | 2:03 pmIt's been exactly a month since my last post (sorry grandparents) and wow what a difference a month can make. Our house is now "under contract." We actually sold our house in four weeks during the worst housing market in recorded history. It could be because we priced it well or because it was ridiculously clean and staged, but I like to think it was the $4 St. Joseph figurine I buried in the front flowerbed, upside down, facing the For Sale sign. It is, after all, completely logical: before I buried it we'd had seven showings without a single offer. Two… -
It's official
5 Jan 2010 | 5:54 pmAfter three months of pure blood, sweat, and tears getting our home presentable, our realtor today used the word "immaculate" on the MLS to describe it. It made it all WORTH IT.Sell, baby, sell!And after three months of doing nothing but obsessively working on the house, I find I'm going to have some time now. Time to blog about the kids. Maybe even play with them. I'm pretty excited. -
Christmas rite of passage
24 Dec 2009 | 3:45 pmKen's:Mine:"Laurel, if you don't eat your breakfast right this minute I'm going to call Santa and tell him to not bring you any presents tonight." -
Sponges
18 Dec 2009 | 3:36 pmToday was the kids' last day of school before Christmas break. Michael's class had a holiday party to honor the occasion and we parents were invited to come make gingerbread houses with the kids. We each got a milk carton, eight graham crackers, white frosting, and a supply of various candies with which to decorate the house. Michael and I had great fun assembling our house, and I made a solemn vow to get it safely home so we could proudly display it.Unfortunately, the adhesive qualities of canned frosting are not as great as you'd think, and as I carefully placed the… -
Sleeping Beauty
17 Dec 2009 | 9:44 pmI cannot emphasize enough how HARD CORE the princess phase has hit our home. And just to give an example, here's a picture of Laurel sleeping right now. Mind you, two hours ago I put her to bed in a regular ol' diaper and footed fleece jammies. Now I find her asleep wearing a shirt, lace petticoat, tights, and black princess shoes. I guess a girl's gotta be prepared...after all you never know when that prince will appear.But even more impressive, she got those tights on all by herself. Course they're on backwards, but it's tough to pull those things up! I…
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Brett's Waste Blog » Autism
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Different, not less (or broken)
5 Feb 2010 | 3:55 pmTomorrow night HBO will premier the film Temple Grandin: Starring Claire Danes, Julia Ormond, Catherine O’Hara, and David Strathairn Temple Grandin paints a picture of a young woman’s perseverance and determination while struggling with the isolating challenges of autism at a time when it was still quite unknown. The film is based on two of Grandin’s books about autism, Emergence: Labeled Autistic (written with Margaret Scariano) and Thinking in Pictures, Expanded Edition: My Life with Autism. Given the typical Hollywood treatment of autism (Rain Man, anyone), I had my… -
You should write a book
29 Jan 2010 | 4:35 amLast week I had the pleasure of meeting Dan Pink when he spoke at a lunch event here in St. Louis. While we were eating lunch waiting for the main event, my friend Gene said to me, “You should write a book.” Like many people I know, my initial reaction was along the lines of, “Yeah, sure. What would I write about?” And yet… Over the weekend I gave the idea a bit more thought. Also like many people, I’ve often thought about maybe writing a book, and Gene’s suggestion got me thinking about it again. There are actually many things I could write about:… -
Compliance or engagement: Which do you prefer for your kids?
19 Jan 2010 | 4:44 amLike many parents, I always enjoyed taking my sons to their first day of school when they were young. One year in particular stands out. My elder son was just starting the second grade, his second year at this school. As we walked in on the first day of class, it seemed as if a party were going on. Kids were roaming the halls, teachers and staff were talking to each other and the kids, asking how them about their summer and telling them what a great year it was going to be. Amazingly, they even talked to me, asked me how my summer was, if there was anything they should try to get my son to… -
Happy Birthday, Dad
26 Nov 2009 | 9:04 amOn February 17, 1986, shortly after excusing himself from the ice for a breather from the hockey game he was playing with my brothers and some friends, my father collapsed and died from “massive coronary failure”. Had he lived, today would have been his 70th birthday. I usually refrain from writing anything that is overly personal here on this blog, but my dad deserves much of the credit for my interests and my direction in life. The things that make their way onto this blog are things that he and I would no doubt have spent many hours discussing over the years. My sense of humor,… -
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…
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Action For Autism
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Andrew Wakefield: The Honorary Consultant
3 Feb 2010 | 3:25 pmThere is a mighty blog storm surrounding the announcement last week of the General Medical Council’s “finding of fact” in relation to the Fitness To Practice hearing regarding Andrew Wakefield, John Walker Smith and Simon Murch. Liz Ditz is collating blog responses to the decision here: Andrew Wakefield: Dishonesty, Misleading Conduct, and Serious Professional Misconduct: Blog Posts Approving [...] -
Polly Tommey and the Autism File
7 Jan 2010 | 4:54 pmPolly Tommey is feeling the pressure. According to an article she wrote for The Age of Autism leading autism organizations in the UK, academics and celebrities are telling her that her continuing support for Andrew Wakefield is a liability. Even her advertisers are threatening to pull out. Specifically, I have been “warned” not to print any [...] -
Gary McKinnon - campaign update
7 Jan 2010 | 6:46 amGary McKinnon is an autistic adult and a UK citizen with an obsessive interest in UFOs. This led him to hack into US military computer networks looking for evidence of a cover up. As a result of his actions the US government is seeking his extradition. There is an account of the whole affair on [...] -
Happy Christmas
25 Dec 2009 | 4:40 amOn Wednesday my son, Matthew drove my wife and I into the Lake District. We were going to buy him his Christmas present, a specialist mountain jacket. He is a keen walker and conservation volunteer. He also has a foundation degree in countryside management and is seeking a career with the National Trust or a [...] -
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 [...]
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Andrea's Buzzing About:
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Distress Data Diary
7 Feb 2010 | 2:30 pmDear Diary, Wait a minute, this is a migraine diary; useful and important, but not such a “dear” topic. Dear Diary, Today I had another migraine. The symptoms included: As mentioned, I’m putting together a diary of migraine details for an upcoming appointment with a specialist. The other week I had one so bad that my son had to [...] -
Bird of Prey
3 Feb 2010 | 9:11 pmUncloaked! -
Naturally, I love chemicals!
31 Jan 2010 | 7:26 pmThis is a continuation on my previous post, “Attention, grocery shoppers!” So the other night my daughter was complaining of her ingrown toenail that’s been bothering her for the past month. “Why don’t you soak your foot in Epsom Salts?” I suggested. “What’s that?” she asked. “See that blue milk carton atop the fridge?” (That’s where we keep our [...] -
“Attention grocery shoppers!”
23 Jan 2010 | 10:09 pm“We have a special going on in our natural foods aisle, right now! You can get your specialty questions answered by our very own over-educated scientist-grocery stocker! That’s right, weekends and evenings only, over in our natural foods aisle! And THANK YOU for shopping your local supermarket chain grocery!” Oh, boy. It’s one thing to be helping [...] -
I can haz civil liberties?
18 Jan 2010 | 6:40 pmJust the other week, I finally got around to mailing an envelope off to Locks of Love, non-profit that makes wigs for children who have long-term hair loss for medical reasons. My son’s not keen on haircuts, so for a long time, he didn’t bother. By the time he finally got around to getting to [...]
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Asperger Square 8
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She will never
6 Feb 2010 | 2:40 pmShe will never have friends. She won’t fall in love. She will never be able to live on her own. She won’t go to college. She won’t get a job. She will never fit in with the others. She won’t be able to travel. She’ll never fulfill her potential. She won’t drive a car. She will never be happy. She will never be the daughter you dreamed of. She can’t even tie her own shoes. She can’t even blow her own nose. She can’t read a map. She can’t catch a ball. She doesn’t know whom she should trust. She can't cross the street. She can’t be allowed to stay home alone.Some of… -
By the book: The denial of difference in Alcoholics Anonymous
4 Feb 2010 | 7:27 pm1985-1992The back of the room is safe but the back of the room is forbidden. Isolating means fear and denial. Come to the front. Come to the table. At the table, I cannot function. The faces know. I cannot look. At the first opportunity, I will move to a corner. Lower my head so I don’t see the looks.The hardest part of it all is staying in the room. Some meetings are harder than others. You never know when the person chairing is going to be of the controlling type. Today, we will go around the room and say how we are powerless or what we are grateful for. Or worse, she will call on people… -
Curing Autism
29 Jan 2010 | 8:30 pmThough I made it through childhood without a formal diagnosis, there was never any doubt that something was wrong. I heard about it at home, at school, even from strangers who stared in stores and restaurants, somehow knowing. What I knew about the something, independent of the tellings and looks, was that while being alone was fine, loneliness grew in every attempt to join the others. I could not talk to people, and I did not like them looking at me, waiting.When I was 18, I found the cure. The cure came in bottles, 12 ounce amber ones and tall clear ones with Russian names. I found a voice,… -
Blaming Autism
28 Jan 2010 | 9:20 amFrustrated by an autistic student who had fallen down, Akron school aide Ingram Myers dragged the young man "50 to 100 feet" by his ankles through the school hallway. This is not the first time Myers has been investigated for harming a student. In 2004, he was accused of striking a high school student, and was subsequently transferred to his current position. He has been placed on paid leave pending investigation of the January 14 incident involving the autistic child."I really want to see that this aide is not only removed from the school district but from his place of employment,"… -
The Important Meeting
22 Dec 2009 | 4:43 amMeetings can be important. They can be overwhelming. Meetings can help solidify relationships in the workplace. They can serve as distractions from what some of us see as the "real" job. This is about how I sometimes experience meetings at work.
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Aspie Home-Education
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16 y.o. unschooler speaks out
7 Feb 2010 | 12:46 pmEmi is 16 years old and has been an unschooler for many years. Here she is, interviewed by her sister. -
This week's compulsory miseducation news
6 Feb 2010 | 11:58 amhere... -
Homeschooling: not for desperate housewives
4 Feb 2010 | 9:59 am -
What's on the news today
4 Feb 2010 | 7:27 amJayne, who educates her three children aged nine, 12 and 15, said: “A lot of us feel the proposed changes are not about benefiting the child but about control. As the current legislation stands we have a very free system and that is a good thing. We want to protect it for people who need to make that choice in the future.” Read more...Plans to force home-schooling families to register their children with local authorities are “not a good use of public money”, according to a member of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board. Read more...Rising numbers of… -
Homeschoolers excluded from laptop grants
4 Feb 2010 | 7:21 amAnother petition:We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to allow home educating families to apply for home access laptop grants.At the moment home-educating families are purposely excluded from the Home Access free laptop scheme for families on low incomes in England. We believe this to be discriminatory against families who strive to bring a nurturing and personal education to their children and at their own cost. Ed Balls said that children without access to the Internet at home are "...at a disadvantage to their peers..." yet is utterly at home leaving a tiny section of society in…
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Autism Podcast
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Episode 90 | Dr. Wilczynski of the National Autism Center
8 Feb 2010 | 6:56 amShannon Johnson and I speak with Dr. Susan Wilczynski of the National Autism Center. We cover a range of topics including evidence based practices. We pay particular attention to an educators' field guide the National Autism Center put together for educators of children on the autism spectrum. You can see a copy of that guide here.Here is some more about Dr. Wilczynski from her website:Dr. Wilczynski is the Executive Director of the National Autism Center. In her role as Chair of the National Standards Project, she has worked in collaboration with experts from around the country in order to… -
Episode 89 | Autism Ambassadors
11 Jan 2010 | 3:01 pmShannon and I talk with Max and Zak of Autism Ambassadors These two fine young man (along with others) have developed-- and are developing -- programs in schools around the world designed to help students with autism. Their program encourages autism awareness and promotes relationships between typical students and those with autism.Zak and Max hope to have well over 100 Autism Ambassador programs up and running before the end of 2010Contact information:zak@autismambassadors.orgmax.sauberman@autismambassadors.orginfo@autismambassadors.orgFor more information about songs for autism, check out… -
Episode 88 | Beth Maloney, Author of Saving Sammy
15 Dec 2009 | 5:15 amShannon Johnson and I speak with Beth Maloney, author of Saving Sammy.We discuss the relationship between strep infections and OCD.In Beth's words:"When my middle son was twelve, he was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and then Tourette Syndrome. Confined to our home by the horror of his illness, a lifelong placement seemed his likely fate -- until I learned that a strep infection might be the cause (a disorder known as PANDAS). Most doctors said I was wrong; but I was right, and two doctors helped me cure him. He is now fully recovered.Listen Now -
Episode 87 | Dr. Ross Greene, Author of the Explosive Child
30 Jul 2009 | 11:46 pmShannon Johnson and I talk with Dr. Ross Greene, author of The Explosive Child. We have a wide ranging conversation about "explosive" children and how best to work with children that do not easily transition from one activity to another. This podcast does not specifically apply to children with autism.Listen NowPermaLink -
Episode 86 | iPrompts Visual Communication App For The iPhone/iPod Touch
26 Jun 2009 | 10:37 pmI talk with Dan Tedesco of HandHold Adaptive about iPrompts, their new iPod Touch/iPhone application for people with special needs. In their own words "iPrompts: [is] the portable, customizable, visual prompting tool for those with special needs. Basically the app lets me put together a visual schedule (think Teacch )for my son on my iPod Touch. I can import pictures and customize it as needed. Great product. We also discuss HandHold Adaptive's other products they have in the pipeline. Listen Now
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Autism Street
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The “EPA Mercury Limit” Canard
5 Feb 2010 | 8:48 pmIf there’s one thing typical of anti-vaccination trolls on the internet, it’s that they are fairly predictable. Amidst tons of logical fallacies, they’ll persistently ignore evidence, cite things that don’t say what they think they say, provide supporting information in the form of links to conspiracy theory stories, repeat things that have already been pointed out as incorrect, and pretty consistently ask for proof of a negative wherever they can. In addition to all that usual fare, it’s fairly common, that they’ll jump right into something about… -
GMC On Wakefield - Blog Reactions
28 Jan 2010 | 10:32 pmLiz over at I Speak Of Dreams is keeping a list of several blog responses. Visit the following link for more: tinyurl.com/yz3vpor -
Autism, Influenza Vaccines, And The Nirvana Fallacy
24 Jan 2010 | 3:35 pmShould you be afraid of a Flu shot? If you’re a hard-working parent with school-aged children (perhaps even children enrolled in a couple of different public schools) who really can’t afford to have sick kids, let alone be sick and miss work yourself, the answer should be pretty straightforward. A nasty case (or cases) of influenza in the household can create a few to several days of real overall misery (and serious illness in severe cases). And, while not perfect by any means, it’s pretty much a no-brainer to most intelligent people that even a modest reduction in the… -
Animated Button For Hub Bloggers
23 Jan 2010 | 11:14 amI recently made a new Autism-Hub blogger button that appears in the sidebar here at Autism Street. I wish I could take credit for real CSS skills, but the truth of the matter is that I “borrowed” the animation technique from several other websites. The good news is that a technique like this is fairly easy to do - there is no javascript or anything like that, all you need is two images (link to zip file containing both provided below) and a little know-how to add the link to the html of your blog and add some styling to the CSS. Here’s how it works: When the Autism… -
Killing My Pharma Payday
14 Jan 2010 | 11:19 pmOver at AoA, Jake Crosby has written a rather lengthy piece about Kev Leitch for which the point seems fairly elusive. You can read a little more about it, or find a link to the post over at LBRB. Neither piece strikes me as really interesting (yes, including Kev’s note), but I did find this comment over at AoA somewhat amusing: Yeah, that “whole ND thing” is “so clearly” a “pharma front organization”, isn’t it? I mean really, isn’t it freaking obvious? The mere fact that most ND blogs pretty much lack any “pharma” advertising…
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Social Skills for Kids
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Online DIR® Floortime™ Training
2 Feb 2010 | 10:55 amI’ve written on several occasions about Stanley Greenspan, M.D. and the DIR® Floortime™ program. I really like this program for several reasons. DIR® Floortime™ can be done by parents, in the home, it doesn’t have to preclude the use of other therapies, such as ABA, and it is very much a social and relational based model, which makes sense to me as a psychotherapist. Of equal value, parents can get started pretty quickly, by reading books, joining an online group, or taking courses, even if they’re waiting for a diagnosis, or in a long line waiting for services. If money is tight,… -
Temple Grandin Movie on HBO: February 6, 2010
1 Feb 2010 | 8:51 amJust a reminder, the Temple Grandin movie is premiering on February 6, 2010 on HBO. Most of my readers are familiar with Temple Grandin, PhD, perhaps the most well known autistic person in America, as well as the designer of almost half the cattle handling equipment in North America. Dr. Grandin is inspiring because of her clear presentation and writing style, as well as the way she’s learned to adapt the strengths of her diagnosis to accomplish things she probably wouldn’t have been able to if she weren’t autistic. Dr. Grandin remains a free thinker, an individual who lives a life that… -
Book Review: The Only Boy in the World, by Michael Blastland
26 Jan 2010 | 4:59 pmThe Only Boy in the World: A Father Explores the Mysteries of Autism, by Michael Blastland (2006) is a fascinating, philosophical, and honest account of raising a child with severe autism. The book, unlike so many others, isn’t about treatments or the day to day struggles of raising a special needs child as much as it’s a look at theories and ideas behind autism, illustrated and brought to life through one small boy, Blastland’s then 10 year old son, Joe. This book is not a feel-good inspiring story of hope and triumph. Blastland can be quite pessimistic about his son’s prospects. -
Treatment Options: What is P.L.A.Y. Project®?
15 Jan 2010 | 1:12 pmThere are so many treatment options for children on the autism spectrum, it can be really confusing for parents. Different programs may sound like the same thing, other programs have trademarks, or they’re proprietary, or they’ve been developed in one location and not available elsewhere. What’s the difference? Is there one best treatment? Can different programs be used together? In the end, it all comes down to one question: how do you figure out the best treatment for your own child?In the interest of sorting this out, I try to provide specific information when I can find an… -
Girls and the Media
6 Jan 2010 | 11:32 amGirls with Asperger’s and autism seem to be more involved with TV, movies and the whole celebrity culture than neurotypical girls. For these girls, the restricted interests that are a part of the autism spectrum often fall into the realm of pop culture and celebrities. Add in the facts that these girls aren’t connecting as well with their peers, and often struggle athletically, and the result is that teen and tween girls on the spectrum can spend all their free time watching favorite TV shows, reading about celebrities and Googling them on the internet.One big concern about this is that…
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LBnuke
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Temple Grandin on AWN Radio Tomorrow
6 Feb 2010 | 10:55 pmTemple Grandin will be on the AWN Radio show tomorrow morning to give the Autism Women’s Network her first exclusive interview following the Premiere of HBO’s Original Movie which premiered a few hours ago. Radio show link is: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/autism-womens-network/2010/02/07/temple-grandin-gives-awn-first-interview-re-premie Interview time: Feb 7th, 2010 at 9am PST – 10am MST – 11am CST– 12pm EST (USA) Use the following link to calculate your time zone outside USA: http://www.worldtimeserver.com/meeting-planner.aspx Me and K watched part of it a… -
Computer History Museum
30 Jan 2010 | 11:51 pmI have been at the She’s Geeky conference this weekend at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. Got to go on a tour of the museum today. There are lots of old computers, some restorations, handheld video games, abaci, calculators, adding machines, and software. The conference has been very fun. It is well named. Definitely have never been around that many girl geeks before! Tomorrow is the last day. There is a session about asperger’s which I would never have expected, but it was subtitled “the geek syndrome”, so guessing that is the connection. I am very… -
Happy Birthday to Me
28 Jan 2010 | 11:03 amToday I am 43 and having an awesome birthday. Last night K took me to see Fiddler on the Roof with Harvey Fierstein at the Golden Gate Theater in SF. It was awesome! I think it is possible that he was born to play Tevye. Perfect. I was really wishing my family was there too. We used to listen to the 8-track of Fiddler on the Roof in the car all the time when I was younger. Not sure what I will do the rest of the day. Kind of happy not having a plan. It is nice getting to spend the day with K Going to She’s Geeky for the next 3 days at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. No… -
Autism Women’s Network
5 Jan 2010 | 11:10 pmAfter 3 months of complete immersion, the Autism Women’s Network site is live and open to the public. I am still adding features and fixing the occasional bug here and there, but for the most part, it is done. Autism Women's Network Website Building this site has been an amazing experience for me. I am happy to get to contribute something to the AWN, which is an awesome organization that “provides effective supports to autistic females of all ages through a sense of community, advocacy and resources”. This site is open to all supporters including men and non-autistic… -
Video: Autism Reality by Alex Plank
15 Dec 2009 | 2:36 pmAutism Reality is a 10 minute documentary film about autism by Alex Plank. The film features interviews with Dr. Temple Grandin, Alex himself, and a handful of others including Alex’s parents. This film shows a perspective not often seen in autism media by portraying autism as a reality which is neither good nor bad, just a different way that some people are wired. Alex is the founder of WrongPlanet.net, one of the earliest and largest online communities for people on the autistic spectrum. Related posts:Autism Awareness I’m Autistic: Another Awesome Video Response To Autism…
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A Photon In The Darkness
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Stem Cell Therapy for Autism
26 Jan 2010 | 12:57 pmSorry to have been gone for so long, but I wanted to take extra time on this topic because….well, because it needs extra time and attention to detail. In growing numbers, people are taking their autistic children to “clinics” - in Costa Rica, in Germany, in Russia - to get “stem cell” injections. I put “stem cell” inside inverted commas because it is not entirely clear that what these children are receiving are actual stem cells. And that might be the “good news” in this post - more about that later. Stem cells have been in the news a lot,… -
Is DMSA safe and effective?
26 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pmYes! For lead poisoning. And probably as a treatment for mercury and cadmium poisoning (but not for assessing the body burden of mercury). And possibly as a treatment for arsenic and antimony poisoning. But as a treatment for autism, it hasn’t been shown to be either effective or safe, despite the titles of two articles (or one two-part article) in BMC Clinical Pharmacology. These two articles, published by a diverse group of authors - including Professor of Materials Science and Engineering James B. Adams, PhD (lead author), DAN! practitioner Jeff Bradstreet, MD and Professor… -
A “Made for Court” Study?
24 Oct 2009 | 2:05 pmThis month, the journal Neurotoxicology published a study about vaccines, mercury and neurolgical delay: Hewitson L, Houser LA, Stott C, Sackett G, Tomko JL, Atwood D, Blue L, Railey White E, Wakefield AJ. “Delayed acquisition of neonatal reflexes in newborn primates receiving a thimerosal-containing Hepatitis B vaccine: Influence of gestational age and birth weight.” Neurotoxicology. 2009 Oct 2. [Epub ahead of print] The full text of this article has been thoughtfully provided by the folks at “Thoughtful House” in Austin, Texas. Normally, when I read a scientific… -
Deductive Mis-reasoning
16 Sep 2009 | 4:56 pmAt least once a day, I find myself confronting the aftermath of deductive reasoning gone wrong. Deductive reasoning is defined as “an argument (or reasoning) where the conclusion follows logically (or is a logical consequence) of its premises”. Many people - especially in ‘Blogland - are of the opinion that if their conclusions (or assertions) follow logically from their premises, that their conclusions must be true. Unfortunately, that is not so. Deductive reasoning (or deductive arguments) - according to the rules of Logic - can be either valid (if the conclusions are… -
Read this ‘blog or the author gets it!
4 Aug 2009 | 9:11 amIn Mel Brooks’ comedy film Blazing Saddles (1974), there is a scene where Bart (played by Cleavon Little), the newly appointed black sheriff of Rock Ridge, is surrounded by a lynch mob. Seeing no way out, he points his pistol to his own head and shouts “Hold it! Next man makes a move, the n****r gets it!” After a few moments of quiet confusion, one of the mob leaders says, “Hold it, men. He’s not bluffing.” and lowers his rifle. Classic comedy, but not so funny when, as so often happens, life imitates art. A few days ago, I had a commenter who made an…
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Ballastexistenz
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Cold.
29 Jan 2010 | 8:03 amI am writing this entirely submerged under a big pile of blankets. No part of me is sticking out. A few minutes ago, I heard Fey jump onto the bed. I lifted up the blankets, wondering if she would poke her head in and then rapidly pull it out, finding some other place to be. She didn’t. She went straight under the covers. Then she went over the lowest blanket and under the rest, down near my belly. I felt her paws scrabbling around while she turned around several times. Then she finally curled up, and is still lying there, one blanket separating her from me. I remember being the size of… -
Right here, right now.
23 Jan 2010 | 9:17 amIn my last post I talked about my tendency to have an automatic and instinctive assumption that dead people were still around. Again, regardless of my current religious beliefs at any given time — I am not talking about heaven hell or purgatory, not talking about ghosts, and not talking about living on in my heart. I mean the literal assumption that they are still living. Except possibly in another time period that I have no personal access to. But I process other time periods as “now” instinctively too, so it all gets very confusing and not conducive to the English… -
There’s something about death I don’t understand.
21 Jan 2010 | 12:54 pmThere have been two significant deaths to me recently. My grandfather died just before Christmas. And Judi Chamberlin (the first psych survivor I saw besides myself who challenged the leadership in that community by the likes of Szasz, Laing, Breggin, and other professionals who upheld many of the destructive power structures within psychiatry while claiming to be rid of them — she wrote a really good book called On Our Own) died this weekend. And yet again I am coming up against my instinctive responses to death, that don’t seem to be all that standard. (Note that these are… -
More Cat Photos
20 Jan 2010 | 11:54 pmStill taking awhile to write the cat posts, so more cat photos are happening: The first one is a photograph of Fey sitting on top of her PetPocket, which is on top of the couch. She sits on that thing all the time, when she’s not taking rides in it. Here is a blurry photo of her curled up in an interesting shape on the bed: Here the photo is in better focus, but is cut off in the middle of her eyes. Her tongue, though, is sticking out and curled up to one side, in the middle of a wash apparently: Here you can see part of her face, and part of my face, with the mattress taking up most of… -
A useful link
17 Jan 2010 | 9:35 amWhen Allies Fail Something I would add is that when these sorts of things come up for any group of people (autistic people are far from the only ones, there is much culture and class-based stuff in there as well) whose normal way of interacting has been considered by those with power to lack “proper” social skills… when we get angry at people who perpetuate some form or another of prejudice or oppression is NOT the time to start lecturing us on how our social skills are atrocious and we need to calm down and be polite before anyone can listen to us. That is just adding a…
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The Autism Crisis
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Very early autism intervention: the Early Start Denver Model
7 Feb 2010 | 6:36 amEarly autism intervention research carries consequences for all autistics, and for a lot of nonautistics as well. DawsonG et al. (2010) is a newly-published randomized controlled trial of a newly-developed manualized very early autism intervention and as such deserves a close look.Developed by Sally Rogers and Geraldine Dawson, the Early Start Denver Model has been the subject of a handful of previous papers, none involving anything approaching a major trial. ESDM is reported to combine the Denver Model with Pivotal Response Training, two interventions developed in the 1980s which… -
1 in 86: the prevalence of autism among adults
31 Dec 2009 | 8:43 am"Autism rate in children has doubled, say doctors" ... "Autism 'more common than thought'" ... "Autism in children '10 times higher' than first thought" ... "Autism at a record high" ... "autism is 25 times more common than what researchers thought"... This mess of headlines and claims was generated in response to one autism prevalence study, Baird et al. (2006), published in the Lancet. All 56,946 individuals comprising the targeted population cohort in this study are, as of today, the last day in the decade, 18 years of age or older. They were born between July 1, 1990 and Dec 31, 1991 and… -
Autistic people are persons: An anniversary
3 Oct 2009 | 5:02 pmThe statement that "autistic people are persons" is part of the 2008 decision by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in Dawson vs Canada Post Corporation. Today, this decision is one year old. Here is the relevant excerpt:[133] This said, there is no doubt for the Tribunal that autistic people are persons, that unfortunately they are not well accepted in society, that they are looked at often times as special creatures who are not part of society as a whole and that society would be better off without them. The Tribunal is further of the view that autistic people need to be better respected… -
An anomaly in autism intervention research
23 Jul 2009 | 1:04 pmPromotion first, science later, if ever. This pattern is near universal when it comes to autism interventions. In the absence of good quality research, autism interventions are loudly claimed to be effective. For those promoting ABA-based autism interventions, claims of effectiveness unfounded in good quality research were only the first step. The real triumph has been widespread agreement that fair tests of ABA-based interventions are unethical and bad for autistics. As a result, any experimental design carrying the risk of being informative about the benefits and harms of ABA-based… -
Alan Turing's brilliant essay
15 Jul 2009 | 8:50 amIn 1950, Alan Turing wrote "Computing Machinery and Intelligence." This one short paper, exploring what came to be called the Turing test, continues to influence research and thinking across multiple fields. Tyler Cowen and I have co-authored a new paper asking two questions. What does the Turing test really mean? And how many human beings (including Turing) could pass? Our premise is that some aspects of Turing's paper have not received sufficient attention:Turing’s paper is rich and multi-faceted and we are not seeking to overturn all of the extant interpretations. We do wish to suggest…
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Natural Variation - Autism Blog
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Wakefield is not Galileo
29 Jan 2010 | 11:05 amFor those who keep trying to invoke the "Galileo gambit" in order to defend Andrew Wakefield, let me explain something real quick. Wakefield is not Galileo for two key reasons:1. Galileo was right.2. Galileo did not engage in scientific misconduct.It's as simple as that. -
A Word About Hertz-Picciotto & Delwiche (2009)
24 Nov 2009 | 6:45 amThe recent Chicago Tribune Articles have resulted in a flurry of reactions, particularly from AoA. I'd like to discuss just one of them in this post. Kent Heckenlively was complaining that the Chicago Tribune reporters did not give weight to any of the documentation he had provided them. Specifically, to support the assertion that we are in the midst of an autism epidemic, Heckenlively cited a press release by the MIND Institute.Why cite the press release and not the paper? Well, that's because the conclusions of the paper said the following.Other artifacts have yet to be quantified, and as a… -
Chicago Tribune Articles
23 Nov 2009 | 11:54 amI'm just going to link to the Chicago Tribune Articles below.Autism treatments: Risky alternative therapies have little basis in scienceAutism treatment: Success stories more persuasive to some than hard dataQuestionable treatments for children with autismWhat do readers think? You can probably tell I "stole" those links from Orac. I'll also link to his post:The Chicago Tribune: Telling it like it is about the antivaccine autism "biomed" movementI noticed that "biomed" pushers have shown up in comments, and their primary counter-attack seems to be roughly this: "FDA-approved drugs also have… -
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…
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AutismParents.NET!
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Free Temple Grandin Coloring Book on Autism: My Life in Pictures
7 Feb 2010 | 11:21 amThe coloring book Temple Grandin: My life in Pictures a coloring book for children about autism is available for free, in preparation for the showing of the HBO special about Temple Grandin, Thinking... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Autism and the Dentist Office
7 Feb 2010 | 10:34 amAs kids, most of us were not too fond of going to the dentist. Often a scary ordeal even for “neurotypical” children, it can be downright terrifying to kids with autism. For one thing,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Rush Limbaugh Retard Summit
3 Feb 2010 | 8:49 pmRush is making a run at the most ignorant title. He joins the ranks of Michael (Alan Weiner) Savage and Dennis Leary with this one. Rush Limbaugh: ‘There’s Going to Be a Retard Summit at the White... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Kim Stagliano talks vaccines on CNN!
3 Feb 2010 | 12:19 pmRelated: Kim Stagliano Blog Age of Autism Kim Stagliano at Huffington Post [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Autism: Made in the USA Movie
11 Jan 2010 | 9:27 amPart 1: Part 2: Part 3: Part 4: Part 5: Part 6: Part 7: Part 8: Part 9: Part 10: Part 11: [[ 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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χασμωδία ή το τέλος?
7 Feb 2010 | 3:53 pmHiatus or The End?To SpringCome o'er the eastern hills, and let our winds Kiss thy perfumed garments; let us taste Thy morn and evening breath; scatter thy pearls Upon our lovesick land that mourns for thee. O deck her forth with thy fair fingers; pour Thy soft kisses on her bosom; and put Thy golden crown upon her languish'd head, Whose modest tresses are bound up for thee.William Blake I'm -
Texan Troll Slayer
31 Jan 2010 | 12:51 pm(edited 02.02.10 - added verified material and images) Texan Troll-Slayer Slamdunks Canadian Shit-stirrerTexan Mom - Deadly When Smiling Welcome to a somewhat long and forensically detailed post in which we strangle and then dissect a recently arrived Autism Troll... Strangle and then dissected Many of the New Republic's readers will be familiar with the case of Zakh Price , the 11 year old boy -
Wakefield Roasted By GMC
28 Jan 2010 | 9:38 amDishonest, Irresponsible, Unethical, Liar For the full text of GMC's Findings of Fact, please follow the link below. http://www.scribd.com/doc/25983372/FACTS-WWSM-280110-Final-Complete-Corrected pdf download - requires registration. and here - direct download http://www.rescuepost.com/files/facts-wwsm-280110-final-complete-corrected.pdf -
John Best and I
24 Jan 2010 | 1:55 pmJohn Best and I appear to be converging into a single, horrendous entity... click to enlarge -
Boobies! (Not Funny)
22 Jan 2010 | 1:15 pmPopular Autism drug causes massive breast growth in boys This post contains an image of breasts. If this is likely to offend you. Please leave now. Stephen Sheller, a lawyer in Philadelphia has filed 10 lawsuits on behalf of boys suffering from the side-effects of Risperdal (risperidone) and its near-identical metabolite Invega (paliperidone), two drugs often prescribed to Autistics whose
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Sheila's Posts
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How Odd
6 Feb 2010 | 6:19 amOswald Chambers states in his book The Moral Foundations of Life in the chapter Natural Growth in Supernatural Grace, “If you live much by yourself you become an oddity, you never see the quirks in yourself.” Most people want to be unique, but don’t want to be perceived as odd. By definition, there are no degrees of uniqueness. Either someone is the only one of his kind or he is not. On one level, everyone is unique, but superficially most people are not. Since most people have a social life, their quirks in behavior are not peculiar. They can’t be if they’re… -
Know About Knowledge
4 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pmGrowing up spiritually constantly reveals mistakes made from ignorance. Revelations affect one’s existing knowledge. If there is no spiritual maturing process going on, acquired knowledge is mainly used for regurgitation and/or is kept covert for gaining power. It doesn’t change the being of an individual. He may think he possesses an education, but in reality it’s him who is being possessed (controlled) by it. When there is a spiritual maturing process happening, the one whom it’s happening to cannot remain unchanged. Knowledge begins to have a metamorphic effect if… -
Leisure time for my heart.
3 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmExtracted from The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers, in his book The Moral Foundations of Life, under the chapter The Soul’s Awakening, were these words that spoke loud and clear to me about my being bothered over not being understood by neurotypical people: By heeding the reality of God’s grace within us we are never bothered again by the fact that we do not understand ourselves, or that other people do not understand us. If anyone understood me, he would be my god. The only Being Who understands me is the Being Who made me and Who redeems me, and He will never expound me to myself;… -
Spring Seeds
2 Feb 2010 | 2:00 amIf you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’d know by now that the titles for my posts can be misleading. In this case, the kind of garden I’m going to till this spring (pun intended) is for the roots of my soul. Gardening is getting back to the basics and I’m composting my soil with these nutritious books: The Simple Life: Devotional Thoughts from Amish Country is by Wanda E. Brunstetter. Her book offers sixty intriguing and encouraging lessons. Each reading features a brief story of the Amish, providing a “behind the scenes” insight into their culture; a… -
Excellent Toothpaste!
1 Feb 2010 | 12:00 pmI’ve been using Vicco toothpaste for some time now and I’m absolutely in love with this stuff! I must be or else my last order for this would have been less than nineteen 200 gram tubes (i.e., 8.378 pounds) for my household (of 3)! Read more about it at Vicco’s website. I stumbled upon while shopping in a Hannaford Supermarket. I was determined to find toothpaste without fluoride, glycerin, or silica in it. Vicco was the first one I found. Immediately after the first time I brushed with it, my teeth felt more clean than even how they’ve felt after getting them cleaned…
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Reports from a Resident Alien
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The Cure Question
2 Feb 2010 | 4:06 pmI've just come from WrongPlanet, and from yet another inevitable discussion--the repetitively posed, "Do you want a cure?" question.Most people on WP say no. Some say yes. The ironic thing is that it's a question we'll almost certainly never have to answer in real life.Autism is such a complex disorder that a cure would only be available once we become capable of physically modifying the microstructure and biochemistry of the human brain to the extent of changing any configuration to any other (at which point we will have bigger ethical problems to worry about than just… -
Medicating for Executive Dysfunction
21 Jan 2010 | 12:16 pmYou guys probably know that I'm not fond of taking pills; but neither am I against the use of medication. (What I am against is prescribing medication without knowing exactly what you're doing, at the lowest dose needed and for the shortest time needed. It's even worse when they are doing it while assuming that the person taking the meds doesn't need any counseling or education to solve their problems because the meds will do it for them. Any psychiatrist who says that to me gets dropped like a hot potato. Faster, probably, because I may not notice right away how hot the potato is.)Anyway,… -
Families of autistics sue over therapy
18 Jan 2010 | 7:29 amFamilies of autistic kids sue over therapy's eliminationI just read this article this morning. Apparently, some parents have been denied funding for Floortime for their kids. Budget cuts are hitting everyone hard, and autistic kids are no exception.Their reasoning? Floortime hasn't yet been subjected to a large-scale controlled study.Hello, Autism Speaks? You've got some serious explaining to do. Didn't you say you were going to spend all that money we sent you for scientific resarch? Why has Floortime--a well-known, logical, established therapy for autism--not even been… -
Murphy's Law
11 Jan 2010 | 7:30 pmAnything that can go wrong will go wrong, and usually in the worst possible way.Today, I was only just figuring out how to deal with the insurance issues associated with a minor car accident in the parking lot at church yesterday. The very narrow driveway had one van parked on the side of it, and I'd been trying to pass that car while trying to avoid another car passing me on the other side; so I miscalculated the distances, and my passenger-side mirror scratched the paint on the parked van I was passing. I'd got most of it squared away, and pretty sure I might be able to… -
Unacceptable
10 Jan 2010 | 7:30 pmMore intensively than I was taught anything else, the world has taught me one thing: As I am, I am unacceptable.It is unacceptable to be disabled if you're not glamorously disabled. You're supposed to be the cute Down's kid, or the courageous paraplegic, or the savant autistic science nerd. If you're disabled, you are unacceptable unless you are superhuman in some other way. You are not allowed to be simply disabled. The world has no room for people who have the gall to be disabled without being "inspirational". You have to inspire other people, you have to be a success…
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drive mom crazy
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Some people say I am weird, but I am just different!
8 Feb 2010 | 5:25 amPeople don’t really understand me sometimes when I say I am a Visual Thinker. When I saw the movie “Temple Grandin” on Saturday night, I realized how very similar I am to Temple. I think in pictures also! Different is not easy because other people either take advantage of different or push different around. Different [...] -
Good Vs. Evil
1 Feb 2010 | 4:48 amMore to come from my fiction story Gregarious Revolution!! OUT, J -
Don’t be afraid of who you are!
25 Jan 2010 | 4:32 amEvery one has goals in life in every part of themselves to create their own quality of life. A goal we set in our mind entraps our instinctive vision of the framework of our beliefs. Sometimes there are people who try and hurt us to get to the very inner core of all of this. [...] -
Favorite Echocardiographic View and soon more of my Favorite Ultrasonographic Views
19 Jan 2010 | 4:58 amMy favorite Echocardiographic View: (here is for people who want to know …) Can you guess why it is my Fave? Coming up later, more about Venous Reflux… posting soon enough, OUT, J -
Thinking of what contributions we can give
18 Jan 2010 | 5:05 amThere are many contributions we can give. We have to make some kind of sacrifices in life when we want to give. We can’t keep everything for ourselves. Yes, some things are ours to keep, but other things have to be shared too. We have expressions on our bodies for a [...]
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Wrong Planet - Asperger / Autism News
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URGENT ACTION ALERT: HR 4247 Going to Committee This Week
We have just been informed that H.R. 4247, the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act is going to be marked up by the House Education and Labor Committee this coming Thursday. In order to avoid amendments to the legislation that could potentially weaken the bill's ability to protect students, it is important we send a clear message to Congress to pass H.R. 4247 and to keep it strong. This is a crucial period for the legislation and we're urging all of you to call your Representatives before Thursday to tell them to co-sponsor and support the bill.WHAT YOU CAN DO: -
Tyler Cowen: Create Your Own Economy: An Economics and Autism Book Interview
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with economist Tyler Cowen, author of Create Your Own Economy: The Path to Prosperity in a Disordered World, an economics book that argues that the Internet is making our society more "autistic" and autistic individuals have a leg up in this new digital economy. Tyler talks to me about Economcis, the way in which autistic individuals approach concepts differently than non-autistics, and how the autistic mode of thought can be more beneficial in certain situations. Read on for my interview with Tyler Cowen and you'll find out what he thinks about… -
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.
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Club 166
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Murphy's Law
24 Jan 2010 | 6:20 pmAnyone that has children is very familiar with Murphy's Law, commonly stated as "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong".This morning, Buddy Boy started spinning around the kitchen, while holding his bowl of broccoli (yes, Liz gets both kids to eat vegetables and protein for breakfast). So Buddy Boy is happily spinning away, saying (while broccoli is flying from the bowl) "Look, it's Centrifugal Force! It's one of Murphy's Laws."Liz and I both got a big kick out of that.In the same vein of humor, here is a Rhett and Link YouTube video entitled "The Perfect Bathroom Trip". We showed it to… -
The Nail That Sticks Up...
15 Jan 2010 | 8:31 pmWill Be Hammered Down.So goes an old Japanese saying, meant to illustrate (as well as inculcate) a sense of conformity among the Japanese people. Westerners (especially Americans) are supposed to place much more value on non-conformity and individuality. But that idea only goes so far, and is noticably absent in the American public school system. When it comes to school kids, conformity is king. And if you step out of line, you will be hammered down, sometimes quite forcefully.Nowhere is this more evident then when it comes to kids with disabilities, especially those on the autism spectrum. -
Sleep
10 Dec 2009 | 6:56 pmphoto credit-Jun's WorldCreative Commons licenseSleep.One of the most common, natural things there is. Most of us never think about it much at all, until we (or someone close to us) has problems related to it. There are a multitude of disorders that can affect our sleep. Insomnia, sleep apnea (central or obstructive), narcolepsy, sleep paralysis, sleep walking, night terrors, etc. You get the idea. Sleep disorders of one sort or the other seem to be a lot more common in those on the autism spectrum.Buddy Boy has never seemed to require (or want) the same amount of sleep that most kids his age… -
Wow! The Trib Gets It Right
23 Nov 2009 | 10:04 pmphoto credit-Todd BakerCreative Commons licenseAlmost exactly two years ago I wrote two posts regarding how the Chicago Tribune was allowing non-factual gibberish to be published under its masthead thru the online in house blog of Julie Deardorff, and how it was abdicating its journalistic responsibility. I was afraid at the time that this was to be indicative of what would pass for "investigative journalism" at mainstream, formerly powerhouse, papers (and other media outlets).I am happy to say that I was wrong.In May the Tribune published very good investigative pieces on Dr. Mark and David… -
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…
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neurodiversity weblog
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U.K. General Medical Council Rules Wakefield & Co. "Dishonest," "Irresponsible" [7]
28 Jan 2010 | 12:25 pmToday, the General Medical Council (GMC), which registers doctors to practice medicine in the U.K., issued a decision in its inquiry into the professional conduct of Dr. Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues Dr. John Walker-Smith, and Dr. Simon Murch, co-authors of a study which concluded that a causal connection exists between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autism. The GMC determined that the three doctors failed to act in the best interests of the autistic children under their care, that Dr. Wakefield was dishonest, misleading and irresponsible in his descriptions of research, and that… -
Waist Deep In The Autism Fundraising Hole [3]
30 Sep 2009 | 11:30 amAn Update on the “Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation” & Its Telemarketing Campaign The Autism Spectrum Disorder Disorder Foundation (ASDF) — the subject of the report “Dialing for Autism Dollars,” published on this weblog in March 2009 — has filed its 2008 audit, tax return, revised telemarketing contracts, and fundraising campaign report with the North Carolina Secretary of State Charitable Solicitation Licensing Section. These documents reveal that the purportedly charitable organization, whose principals claim to provide educational services and… -
Federal Claims Court Dismisses Third MMR-Autism Appeal [1]
12 Aug 2009 | 3:30 pmIn a 59-page decision issued yesterday afternoon, August 11, Judge Margaret M. Sweeney of the United States Court of Federal Claims sustained the ruling of Special Master Denise K. Vowell dismissing the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program claim, Snyder v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Case No. 01-162V) — the last of the three Omnibus Autism Proceeding test cases in which petitioners sought to establish that a combination of the MMR vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines, acting in concert, are capable of causing autism spectrum disorders. Arguments raised in the… -
Another Autism "Test Case" Appeal Dismissed [9]
11 Aug 2009 | 9:30 amOn August 6, 2009, Judge Thomas C. Wheeler of the United States Court of Federal Claims affirmed the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program’s February 12, 2009 dismissal of Cedillo v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Case No. 98-916V), one of the three Omnibus Autism Proceeding test cases which sought to establish that vaccines can provoke the development of autism. In his original ruling, Special Master George Hastings found that the petitioners had failed to demonstrate that either the MMR vaccine or thimerosal-containing vaccines can harm infant immune systems, cause… -
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Seeks Feedback [1]
1 Aug 2009 | 9:00 amThe Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, responsible for developing the U.S. national strategic plan for autism research, is again seeking suggestions from the general public regarding autism research needs and priorities. The Committee’s official Request For Information (NOT-MH-09-013) is reproduced in its entirety below. For full consideration and official publication, responses must be received by by August 21, 2009, via the web interface at http://www.acclaroresearch.com/oarc/rfi. Request for Information (RFI) Updating the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic…
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Whose Planet Is It Anyway?
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Arthur Caplan's Rhetorical Plague
5 Feb 2010 | 11:09 amWhen I started reading this article on MSNBC.com, I saw the byline of a respected bioethics contributor and thought that I would find a well-written article detailing Andrew Wakefield's many ethical shortcomings. As I expected, the article focused on the widespread fear of vaccines caused in large part by Wakefield's false claims, as well as the "immeasurable harm" done to children by maladies that could have been prevented.I also found something that I was not expecting to find from an author who certainly should have known better: Language characterizing autism in melodramatic and grossly… -
Can you relate?
2 Feb 2010 | 8:38 amI've mentioned before that one of the advantages of the Internet is its diversity, which has the salutary effect of correcting misconceptions and prejudiced statements almost as soon as they occur. When someone posts biased or incorrect information about a group of people, it's highly likely that one or more readers will set the record straight.But sometimes such comments can get rather incongruous. In response to my last two posts, a few people seemed to think (1) that I might be prejudiced against poor whites, Southern whites, and/or hillbillies because I used dialect in describing… -
Ghost Dance
25 Jan 2010 | 6:25 amThe Native American tribes of the Northern Plains, forced onto reservations and near starving in 1890, were drawn in large numbers to a new religion called the Ghost Dance. Led by the shaman Wovoka, this mystical cult sought through ritual dancing to bring about a magical restoration of the world that they once had known. If they performed the dance with a pure heart, Wovoka assured them, it would bring their ancestors' ghosts back to life and bring the great herds of buffalo back to the plains.The Ghost Dance soon lost its popularity with the tribes when no restoration happened. The buffalo… -
Good Ol' Boys
16 Jan 2010 | 9:31 amThis town's for normal folks, see. You know, the good folks that look and sound and act just like the rest of us. Them others what ain't normal, or got kids what ain't normal, well—they don't none of 'em belong in this town. Let 'em keep to their own kind. And one thing's for sure, they ain't got no business putting their brats in our schools, right next to proper-acting kids. Fact is, them what ain't normal just need a good beatin' to teach 'em their place.'Course, we know they ain't never gonna be normal, however much we beat tar outta 'em. See, they ain't really human like us. But we… -
Behavior and Respect
8 Jan 2010 | 2:24 pmJust read an interesting post by Mark Stairwalt about the management of workers in fields such as information technology and library cataloguing, where an autistic cognitive style is prominent. He cites a Computerworld article by Jeff Ello, which points out that among such employees, a workplace culture has developed that places much more value on getting the job done accurately than on social pleasantries. Others who lack understanding of this culture often stereotype the workers in terms similar to those often applied to autistic people, calling them egocentric, antisocial, and so forth.
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Have a Heart of Fire; Have a Heart of Gold
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Guess What?
7 Feb 2010 | 2:04 pmIcanstillice skate!!!!!!! -
Dear idiotic motorists:
4 Feb 2010 | 4:55 pmWhen everyone has stopped ahead of you on a dark and icy evening, WE GENERALLY HAVE A REASON. We are not sitting there for our entertainment. If you zoom irritably and self-importantly around us, spinning your tires, you just might kill someone.Thank GOD I only know this because you ALMOST killed the little girl who was running and crying and screaming on Bloomington Avenue this evening, her sweet pink sneakers scattered across the road, as her hysterically sobbing, terrified mother chased after her.Wouldn't it be best if we all assumed that the people around us were doing seemingly… -
urbandictionary.com discriminates against weirdly-named people
4 Feb 2010 | 12:49 pmThis is an OUTRAGE!!Feeling left out of the urban dictionary name meme, I submitted one myself. They rejected it with no explanation.Fine; you at least get to see it, my loyal readers:HaddayrInexplicably sexually disappointing.Man, I was so excited about getting her in bed but it turns out she's a Haddayr.Dood that sucks. Haddayrs are the WORST. -
PLUCKY CRIPPLE DOESN'T LET LACK OF BINGO CARD STOP HER!
2 Feb 2010 | 8:30 pmOkay, kids. What did I miss? (probably crossposted, I imagine):VISUAL DESCRIPTION:HEADING TO CARD: Are you writing an article that profiles or even tangentially involves a disabled person? Make it easy on yourself: string together these words and phrases with a few voyeuristic references to the person's body parts, and call it a day!BODY OF CARD:She didn't let her disability stop her! BraveInspirationWill never see his children's facesCourageous battleConfined to a wheelchairThen tragedy struck/her dreams were shattered/the unimaginable happened Forced to use [mobility device]Can only… -
All they missed was: "He was an inspiration to us all."
2 Feb 2010 | 1:18 pmIs there some sort of contest among newspaper people I am unaware of in which they vie for a prize based on how many hackneyed disability phrases they can insert into an article?First yesterday (friendslocked out of respect for the family) and now this (not friendslocked because he was 84 and I am hoping his friends and family found this obit just as annoying).http://new.whtc.com/news/articles/2010/feb/02/disability-access-pioneer-dies/According to the obit, this guy was an enormously successful activist who who managed to get hired and work as an engineer pre-ADA, and he's served by these…
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Liv's Journey...
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Card Games
19 Jan 2010 | 8:23 pmI came across my two oldest kids playing Go Fish at the dining room table on Sunday, and found myself, a regressed 9 year old, thinking "geez, what a BABY game!""Hey why don't you play a REAL card game?" I taunted, almost hearing my voice go from adult to adolescent."What game SHOULD we play?" Aly said with intrigueWithout even remembering how to play, I reflexively said "Spit!"Spit is like a two player, highly competitive version of solitaire. Luckily, the extension of my brain, Google, was able to refresh my memory as to the finer points of the game. One of the recommendations on the page… -
Car Wrecks
14 Jan 2010 | 6:42 amNo, my car is fine. No, I did not witness something horrific on the road, a la the Bruce Springsteen song. I'm also not referring to the oft repeated idea that autism in all it's forms, is likened to a train or car wreck. It's more about the idea of the innate desire to look at something horrible, to see what's going on, to maybe want to help out. The big one right now of course, is the absolute devastation in Haiti. Before that, for me it was the situation with Zakhqurey Price in Arkansas where he is battling for his educational life and his freedom from being institutionalized.I know how… -
Too Many Moms
11 Jan 2010 | 10:00 amIf you have more kids than hands, you'll encounter this sooner or later."Jason, it's time to start cleaning up!""Alyson, you're supposed to be cleaning, not sitting down!""Dillan, are you supposed to be eating that ice cream?"You probably think these are standard parental phrases uttered by standard parental units. But, in our house, these are now part of the lexicon of a bunch of parent-wanna-be's, our kids. My phrases to counter this are "Do you really want my job?" or "Never mind what he/she's doing, what are YOU supposed to be doing?" or my two favorites for the boys, "Did you give BIRTH… -
The Christmas Rainbow
29 Dec 2009 | 9:40 am(I just updated the date on this to give people notice that I finally got the video up. So if you've read this already, just scroll to the bottom for the video, if not, just read on for the full effect)It's finally over, and we are all still alive and happy, the world did not end, governments were not overthrown, buildings are still standing, and best of all, we're happy! No, it's not the wrapping, that's still going on. Perhaps I should turn back the clock a few months and explain...It started sometime in September, the school year was just getting into gear and the school my two youngest… -
Pig Science
25 Nov 2009 | 7:41 pmSince scientific theories surrounding autism can fly as fast an often as planes over my house landing in JFK, Laguardia or Newark, I figured I can post some of my own personal theories to help explain occurances in my daily life:The chaos theory of multiple children:The theory that in controlling kids, one child can go it a couple of different directions; two children, a couple dozen; three can go in a couple hundred; and four or more will drive a couple crazy...A single sock will spawn others...none will match the original descendant...The difficulty in finding the remote is directly related…
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Whitterer on Autism
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Contractions can be tricky
7 Feb 2010 | 10:59 pmI nip upstairs to check progress, or lack there of. He stands in the middle of the bedroom, without stitches, surrounded by every shirt he owns, piled up on the carpet in heaps the size of earthworks, as well as his brother’s, a solid mass, indistinguishable, an impenetrable mountain range. But that’s only in my mind, an exaggeration, really there’s only half a dozen. It’s a metaphorical mountain and a distraction to the main event. The main event is to have my son dressed and sequenced through his daily routine in time for the school bus. However, this goal may be… -
Notable Quotes and a quickie
31 Jan 2010 | 10:59 pmMy daughter to her little brothers: ‘You guys are just impossible!’ ‘No! We’re not guys! He’s a cat and I’m an “Uglyworm.”’ My son – after a long, tortuous and circular argument: ‘I am Mister Understood.’ At breakfast, before I am truly awake: ‘You may wish to get some more cereal from the garage, the choice is a bit lean.’ He doesn’t move but continues to stare at the cupboard. I watch him and try again, with far too many words, ‘I’m sure there’s some new packets out there, pretty thin pickings in here.’ He remains rooted to the spot as he… -
The enemy of my enemy is my friend
24 Jan 2010 | 10:30 pmWe survive the drama of the ripped hang-nail and a micro bead of blood. His wounded hand hides in his pulled down sleeve for protection, as his other hand crushes the blood flow. “Which are you be likin betterer?” “What’s my choice?” “Anna….annanem….ammanemoni!” “Anemones, the flowers?” “Dey are be lookin like flowers but they are being dah sea creatures.” “Oh. Of course you’re right, Anemones are animals.” “So?” “Hmm?” “Which are you likin betterer?” “Anemones or what, what am I choosing between?” “Nude….nude…. Nudibranchs.” “Fancy… -
Children with Special Needs
18 Jan 2010 | 10:02 pmI shall be diplomatic now because this isn’t my story to tell. My son, the birthday boy and host is busy, occupied, as we order our drinks in the restaurant. His friend makes two strenuous attempts to request a beverage from the server. His voice is as clear as a bell and quite as piercing, but the message has failed to penetrate. I intervene:- “yes he’d like half Pepsi and half Sprite please?” The server is perplexed and distracted as he mines for information. From a distance we look like any other party of 12. Close up, it’s different. It takes a different format in each child. -
Perspective taking – Nice but dim
10 Jan 2010 | 10:14 pmI remember the festive season when I was small; my family confined together in cozy home with condensation on the window panes. My mother’s expression was one of displeasure with large blotches of annoyance – a message without any other clues. Being clueless, she added words – “why don’t you play in your room!” “O.k.” Lots more toys up there. “What do you think your bedroom is for?” Sleep? “Do you think you might do something to help?” Helping seemed like a good idea; I considered myself to be a helpful sort of a child. Given the choice between unhelpful and helpful,…
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Left Brain/Right Brain
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Why Do Scientists Commit Fraud?
8 Feb 2010 | 8:55 pmIt is a favorite assumption of the anti-vaccine movement that any opposition to their views is motivated by “pharma” dollars. In comments about Wakefield, I have observed a similar pattern in assumptions about his motivations. For example, a comment on “The Duty to Censor Wakefield” says in part, “He was angling to make money from a new vaccine, not helping autistic kids. Autism was the gambit he planned to use to achieve his monetary goal. He continues to use and abuse autistic kids and their parents in order to make money at thoughtful house… -
Wakefield’s research: from The Lancet to Medical Veritas?
8 Feb 2010 | 4:31 pmThe Lancet is one of the medical community’s premier journals. As such, tetting a paper into such a journal is a big accomplishment for any medical researcher. When Dr. Andrew Wakefield chose to submit his 1998 study to The Lancet, it is likely he wanted to put it in as high a profile journal as possible. One can speculate how the Andrew Wakefield of 1998 would have viewed publishing his work in Medical Veritas, a newer journal which, well, is not generally highly regarded. Somehow, this observer thinks Dr. Wakefield would not have welcomed a suggestion to submit to Medical Veritas had… -
The Duty To Censor Wakefield
6 Feb 2010 | 4:11 pmLetter to Neurotoxicology The GMC’s ruling against Wakefield was followed in record time (in fact, preceded by) a publicity stunt of a complaint to the GMC about his trial. But, it seems that this is not the only stunt he is pulling. Today, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy issued a statement announcing, “Dr. Andrew Wakefield is being discredited to prevent an historic study from being published that for the first time looks at vaccinated versus unvaccinated…” And what is this study? Why, the “monkey study” inexplicably accepted by… -
Letter to Jim Moody: Halt libels against GMC witness!
6 Feb 2010 | 3:43 pmIn my fiction, I have come up with the following line as a motto for a group of elite, heavily armored soldiers: “The best way to stop a bullet is to shoot the other man first.” It is more or less in this spirit that I am seeking to refute swiftly a publicized “complaint” by Wakefield to the GMC alleging “false testimony” in the trial which lead to multiple findings of serious misconduct. While there is no chance of this wretched, overlong document being taken seriously by the GMC, and good reason to doubt whether it was even intended as… -
Jim Carrey Jenny McCarthy Definitely not anti-vaccine
6 Feb 2010 | 2:12 amIn the recent statement released by Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy regarding Andrew Wakefield, the twosome made a number of references that clear up once and for all how they feel about vaccines. Because as we all know they’re not anti-vaccine. Dr. Andrew Wakefield is being discredited to prevent an historic study from being published that for the first time looks at vaccinated versus unvaccinated primates and compares health outcomes, with potentially devastating consequences for vaccine makers… Dr. Wakefield and parents of children with autism around the world are being subjected…
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Susan's Blog
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The Burden of the Spectrum
9 Feb 2010 | 3:15 amI am putting up an excerpt from The Autism Mom's Survival Guide today (Tuesday) rather than Friday. Fridays I tend to want to post about Nat. This piece is from Chapter Two, Surviving the Great Autism Therapy Chase. Remember, the focus of the book is not on the parenting of autistic children, but rather, finding happiness as a parent of an autistic child. Happiness, big and small, given the context of autism in the family. The solutions I have found range from large and philosophical, to focused and pragmatic. No solutions in today's excerpt, however; you'll have to wait for the book! :-)… -
Come to Papa (Gino's)
6 Feb 2010 | 8:10 pmHere is my latest Tab column about how Papa Gino's is coming to my tony little town, and I, for one, am glad -- Papa Gino's gave Nat a job. And a promotion. -
Paging Bob Dylan
6 Feb 2010 | 3:27 amI hear the ones who get residential as adults are not -- she shook her head.But you have to have a plan for when -- they don't say 'dead.'You have to go and visit a lot of placesWe should just start a house, all of us -- scared scarred facesWhat is he going to do? He's almost 21I see what he loves, what he thinks is funBut it was never something you could wrap up in a boxMore often it was the boxYou entered this place, beautiful and wholeBut we had to force you, perfectly square peg, into the world's dirty round holeIn the name of helping youWe had to change youEducate you, medicate you(I… -
A LOST Cake for Season 6!
2 Feb 2010 | 1:05 pmWatching LOST became a bonding experience for the family. Max has been obsessed with it for a few years, and so has my sister, so finally I decided to give it a try. I may not have been hooked if it hadn't been for the enthusiasm of Max and Ben. But soon, I, too, was part of the whole Oceanic 815 experience, where I was trying to remember who was whom and what did that mean. The best thing about the whole LOST thing has been the way we have been talking about it at dinner, offering theories and even drawing a timeline to connect all the events and characters.Today, LOST Season 6, The Final… -
Uncanny
31 Jan 2010 | 6:22 amThis week's Haiku prompt is "uncanny"Dark eyes see too muchYour mind gnaws, your heart breaks soft.You repeat my self
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Runman
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Olympic Torch Run Photobook
18 Jan 2010 | 5:07 amLook inside.... -
Season's Greetings!
26 Dec 2009 | 7:03 am -
My 22nd Birthday
17 Dec 2009 | 5:39 amBirthday PhotosI turned 22 on Tuesday. Dianne and Elaine get me a cake at the Roadrunner Party. They give me a gift card from Source For Sports and Rose give me a year of Canadian Running magazine.On the birthday I got a Wii game, new shoes, Olympic mug and $250.Tuesday night I went Wendys for supper, running group and bowling and then Death By Chocolate cake.Thank You for the gifts and all the "happy birthday" on Facebook and the TDISC blog.I had a very good year! -
Olde Charlottetown Christmas Run & Party 2009
12 Dec 2009 | 6:14 pmThe Road Runner Christmas Party and 5km run at Queen Charlotte Armories. The biggest turn out ever for the Christmas party and join by Tdisc 5 Santas raising money for Charlottetown families for Christmas. It was cold and windy and -9 degrees and wind chill of -20 degrees. The figure 8 course on Victoria Park and Old Charlottetown with Christmas lights along the way and back to the Armories for chili, and snacks."On December 12, all five members of Tdisc will participate in the“Ole Charlottetown 5k Christmas Run.”Each member will be dressed in a full Santa Claus costume (beard and all). -
CBC Interviews - Autism Search & Rescue, challenges & strategies
9 Dec 2009 | 4:16 pmOur deepest sympathies go out toJames Delorey's family, friends and communityCBC contacted me the morning of December 8th, after James had been found in thick brush and snow, two days and nights after following his dog Chance into the woods near his home in Cape Breton. James had been airlifted to the IWK Children's Hospital in Halifax in critical condition suffering from extreme hypothermia. They wanted to do a story on "the challenges or strategies that could be involved in searching for a lost person with autism" and because Alex and I had given a training session to PEI's Ground Search…
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Odd One Out
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You Know . . .
7 Feb 2010 | 4:32 amI’ve decided that Daniel Radcliffe kind of looks like a doll of himself when he’s all dressed up. -
Quick Aside
1 Feb 2010 | 6:09 amI am working on a new regular length post, but in the meantime . . . Go look at this blog: “The More I Meet People, The More I Like My Cat.” -
Weird Dreams
24 Nov 2009 | 5:37 amBut first, a message from our sponsors! My dragons produced an offspring, but I decided to give it up for adoption (so to speak). The problem is that the person who got it then gave it up again, and now I’m afraid it’s gonna die unless we all click on it!!! Okay, so back to my title. I had really weird dreams last night. First of all, I dreamed that I was in England. I’ve never been to England, although I’m sure some of my ancestors have . . . since some of them were born there. La dee dah. Then I dreamed that my mother had gone off with another friend and left me… -
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…
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Autism's Edges
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Gravity Pulls at Autism's Edges
2 Feb 2010 | 8:33 amOver here at Autism's Edges we're delighted to see that Gravity Pulls You In, the extraordinary anthology of writing by parents of kids on the spectrum edited by Kyra Andersen (thismom.com) and Vicki Forman (vickiforman.com), will be out this month (and is now available for pre-orders at Amazon)."Notes from Autism's Edges," an essay woven from blog posts you may have read at this site over the -
Change, Fast and Slow
18 Jan 2010 | 6:04 amChange comes fast and slow at Autism's Edges, which might also be known as PDD-NOS-Ville, or Expressive-Receptive Language Disorder Central. Sometimes it seems that things change overnight, and other times it seems to be an endless slog through language development, social skills faux pas, and battles for a free and appropriate public education.Yesterday was a "change is on the way day."Lately -
Pilgrim's Progress
29 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pmJust two weeks back you could have found me afloat in a pool that sported a water slide shooting out from a replica of the Mayflower and a jacuzzi embedded in a simulated Plymouth Rock.Yes, I was in Plymouth, Massachusetts, home of those pilgrims whose fall feast has morphed into the annual turkey-eating-fest that we've just finished celebrating. So what sort of pilgrimage would take me to -
Hearts Are Ungraded
18 Oct 2009 | 3:42 pmEven though Sweet M's most recent drawings have not show her embedded in a community as she was last year, one of last week's shows her surrounded by hearts. You've gotta love this girl, and apparently plenty of people do. Art may be graded, but it seems hearts are not. -
"Art Is Not for Grading"
10 Oct 2009 | 11:01 amSweet M had been holding up pretty well with the transitions that middle school has brought. There had been some tears, and there was the return to the image of the solitary flower, but she was mostly buoyant and enthusiastic, especially about the upcoming school dance and planning her birthday party.She was handling the two hours of homework each night. Yes, that was "two hours," not a typo. (
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marlabaltes.blogspot.com
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On All That is Dazlious has moved!
14 Jan 2010 | 8:39 pmAre you looking for me? I am sorry I left you without letting you know my new blog address. I was thinking out this whole blog moving process a little bit backwards and got all confused in the process.Please visit my new address at...On All That is DazliousPlease change my link on your Blog Rolls. I would greatly appreciate it!Love ya all!Marla Fauchier(previously known as Marla Baltes)
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The Voyage: life with autism in Northern Ireland
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We're NOT supporting Andrew Wakefield Facebook Group
30 Jan 2010 | 5:17 amI started a group on Facebook for everyone who wishes to record their opinion on the Andrew Wakefield GMC rulings. Anyone who is/is closely connected to an autistic person is especiallywelcome. Join here:Parents and autistic people supporting GMC rulings against Andrew Wakefield I want to show that we do not all support Andrew Wakefield who despite the damning verdict against him, is unrepentant and said in his recent statement "It remains for me to thank the parents whose commitment and loyalty has been extraordinary."The newspapers writing about the guilty man also refer to his support base… -
Andrew Wakefield Verdict- Guilty
28 Jan 2010 | 8:39 amGuilty The General Medical Council has ruled that Andrew Wakefield, one of autism's most notorious False Prophets and quintessential brave maverick doctor is guilty of having "showed a callous disregard" for the suffering of children and has "abused his position of trust." According to The Guardian's report:Wakefield also acted dishonestly and was misleading and irresponsible in the way he described research that was later published in the Lancet medical journal, the GMC said. He had gone against the interests of children in his care, and his conduct brought the medical profession "into… -
Watch out, autist about
28 Jan 2010 | 3:05 amWhat do people think of these as potential T-shirt/badge designs?Duncan worked on his own design; a version of Chuckie Finster's favourite shirt. He's put it on his own blog here.Edited to add:Here's the design Duncan came up with all by himself. I only typed the words he told me to.Cool eh?! -
Forest Tracks
27 Jan 2010 | 11:32 amWe took a walk through the forest. Duncan elected to ride in his wheelchair. It's just the right size for him and he's pretty comfortable in it, thank goodness. It's not really designed for forest tracks but as long as we kept on the bigger and smoother paths we were fine. He got out and ran about now and then too, and they all had a good splash about in the burn. Lady told me stories about all the forest residents; fairies, sprites and goddesses in the trees and water and the two warring werewolf tribes, the protectors and the flesh eaters. Apparently ivy and holly repel the flesh-eaters and… -
Dear passengers on EI121
26 Jan 2010 | 2:38 amSo you've all booked a flight from Dublin to Orlando and luckily, you've chosen to go at the same time as me and my family. Some of you will, like us, be heading off for a bit of a holiday and hoping for sun, heat, roller coasters and perhaps some time at the home of the world's most famous rodent. It's likely that some of you will be travelling for work and others may be visiting family or returning home. Whatever the reason, I hope it's all good for you.I'm sure you understand that this route attracts many families with young children who are incredibly excited to be going on holiday to…
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What are they thinking?
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PARENTING....Is Not For The Faint Of Heart....
3 Feb 2010 | 4:36 amWhen I became pregnant with Caitlin, over 19 years ago, I knew that I hadbeen given an amazing gift. At the age of 30, I was going to become a motherand I knew my life would change forever....I had NO idea of the journey thatwas about to happen in my life....19 years and 5 more children later....my journey continues.Caitlin will be 19 years old next week. So, for the last 19 years, I have parenteda child with Autism. Well, make that...I have parented 6 children...5 with autism.Was it easy.???NOPE...parenting is hard work.This morning, as part of my morning ritual, I read AoA and JB Handley's… -
Stay Tuned....
2 Feb 2010 | 8:32 pmToday, I received no less than 10 emails informing me about the Lancet retraction....frankly, I could care less !!! I went and looked on AoA and noticed that they have rebutted over and over again...kind of funny how they are protesting a bit too much !!! Then, I went on a few other "predictable" web sites and read "predictable" comments on how if it was not for this amazing doctor..their children would be in "AUTISM HELL".. I am the mother of 6 children...5 with some form of Autism. I think we know a thing or two about autism.Contrary to popular belief...they are all AUTISTIC.....!!! Without… -
GRADUATION CLASS OF 2010...
25 Jan 2010 | 8:39 pmToday, on my kitchen island, I found a packet Caitlin had put there. It was a packet showing different packages for graduation.Man...it dawned on me....my daughter was going to graduate high school this June. Not get a completion....a true, blue, graduation !!!!I always knew she would...even with the diagnosis of Autism!!We always expected this of her.I understand that there are people who question her autism...but, they have never met Caitlin. They saw a very edited version of Caitlin. I asked Caitlin if she was excited to go through Graduation.She said, "I can't....way too many people at… -
100 PERCENT PERFECTION.....
20 Jan 2010 | 4:09 amAt the end of this week, we are having our annual ARD (Admissions, Review and Dismissal) meeting for our 10-year-old son Patrick. He is being withdrawn from Special EducationServices that he has been in since he was 3-years old. HE NO LONGER QUALIFIES FOR SERVICES. Does that mean he is cured? I don't think so.Of course, you won't see this story in Age of Autism. Why? you ask....!!!!Because, we did not ever put Patrick, or any of our children in a position to be seen in any way that would diminish who they are.You see, we have never put a number on our children to as how much a percentage they… -
AGES OF AUTISM...
15 Dec 2009 | 7:50 pmYep...I went there...but, these are the ages of Autism in our home!!!Caitlin, 18 (almost 19).Deidre, 15.Erin, 13.Patrick, 10 this month.Kiernan, 8.Yep...we have many ages of autism.We have lived through the hypes and the myths of what autism is and isn't.The past month on the blog site AoA...their words, not mine...parent's have beenblogging about the horror of autism. About how their children have regressed and becameviolent over the years...all in the name of autism.A poem was written by a sibling of an autistic child. I write poetry, so I would nevertake away from that, but....my question…
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MOM - Not Otherwise Specified
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Full disclosure
2 Feb 2010 | 6:33 pmRemember a couple of years ago when I told you about the phenomenon in my life in which total strangers start disclosing personal details about their lives to me? Remember how I said I thought I just had "one of those faces?"Apparently, it's not my face.This evening, I called Capital One to close a credit card account that has been lingering for too long with a zero balance, adding nothing to my -
Forest for the trees
1 Feb 2010 | 7:37 pmYou know how it is sometimes. It's like how you don't notice that your child is growing in tiny increments week by week until the day you look at him and realize that all of his pants are two inches too short. Sometimes you just focus on the day-to-day, taking each presenting issue as it comes, reacting and responding to each incident as a stand-alone, not thinking about what it all means when -
Az it were
31 Jan 2010 | 8:06 pmI'm watching the Grammy's tonight, and in honor of the Best New Artist award going to the Zac Brown Band, I offer this story:One of the Zac Brown Band's smash hit singles is a song called "Toes." It's an infectious song that begs you to sing along to lyrics that go like this:I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand,not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand.Life is good today.Life is -
Upside down and backwards
30 Jan 2010 | 6:13 pmAt 5:00 this morning, I thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of the fact that it was Saturday and sleep in a bit. Bud had other ideas, though, and was up and about, checking in with me every four to six minutes to see if it was time for breakfast yet.We finally got ourselves up and moving (by which I mean, I finally got myself up and moving) and we had a nice morning at home. After -
Autism as adverb
29 Jan 2010 | 8:58 pmAs I've mentioned, I'm currently reading Lev Grossman's latest book, The Magicians. I'm bringing it up again because in the last couple of chapters, I've twice come upon adverbs that made me stop reading and start thinking.Here they are in context:"Penny could be defensive when he was under attack, but he was so autistically focused right now that even direct mockery bounced off him." (249)"Penny
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Life With Joey
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Snow snow snow snow snow
8 Feb 2010 | 5:11 pmWe have a saying here: if there is a high over New England and a Low in Atlanta, it is time to go to the Grocery Store. A Big Storm around here is six inches of snow. Twelve inches is Snowmageddon. KillStorm 2010 was about 15 inches here, about 20 down by my mom. So normally, tomorrow's storm would have caused raging panic. But on the heels of the Snowpocalypse, a prediction of 6-12 inches is now laughable. All the same, after having my mom just survive 53 hours without power and spotty heat through the coldest temperatures of the winter, I'm a bit on the nervous side about tomorrow. We've… -
No power yet at mom's
7 Feb 2010 | 5:43 pm33 Hours. No power yet. I managed to get out to her to get wood upstairs and stuff, but no power really, really sucks. Especially when the "estimate" was an hour ago, and there isn't even a truck in sight.Update: They are now scheduling her for 10pm February 9. That's right- tomorrow.Update: The trucks showed up at one, and the power was restored at 4. HALLELUJAH!!!! Really makes us wonder about getting her a generator, but then that could be just another bundle of troubles. :P -
Snowpocalypse: Final Assessment
7 Feb 2010 | 5:06 amThe snow lifted off about 5pm. Here's some pics from about 6pm. Waiting on word about my mom's power situation. -
KillStorm 2010: The Snowapocalypse
6 Feb 2010 | 6:44 am8 am of Saturday. We have 4-5 inches of very very very wet snow. It appears to be snowing more right now than all of yesterday.EDIT: WE've had 8 more inches of the fluffier stuff. Made me glad I went out and got the heavy stuff shoveled up. But now mom's without power, and that' s bad. -
Adventures in Grocery Shopping: Snowpocalypse, or KillStorm 2010, Edition
4 Feb 2010 | 8:13 pmThe DeathSnow is coming! AAAAAAAAA!!! We're all gonna DIE!!!!!!!!I had to go to the grocery store. It's going to snow pretty heavily here this weekend, and I am going to run out of my meds, so I had to have them refilled.*** Also, they called school pre-emptively, and I didn't want to take the guys into a crowded grocery store the day of a Snowtastrophe, so off I went to grab a few things in case we lose power, like marshmallows. Oh, and some stuff for mom to make a lasagne and some soup, in case she gets snowed in for a few days, which is far more likely than me being snowed in for a few…
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Hard Won Wisdom
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Extra Info on House/Senate Bill
21 Jan 2010 | 6:12 pm/Dear People:Click on link above, Extra Info on House/Senate Bill for some good stuff if you have time. I was reading an "examiner.com" homeschooling Atlanta area Mom whom I love...and a cross link was given to the Atlanta Special Education "examiner.com"If you want more info, please give her a visit. I have not even had time to read it entirely, but it seems like a gold-mine just from first glance. I don't even know her name, but the title of the post is 10 Minute Activist! Keeping disabled children safe from harm in school - Forgive me, sometimes I… -
Two Wrongs don't make a right: H.R.4247/S.2860 Contact Legislatures.
21 Jan 2010 | 10:56 amClick two wrongs above to get ASAN's message about the House/Senate bill for the "Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act".I just got finished calling. Luckily, the first Senator's education division person was not there so I spoke to the machine. It really helped me to chrystalize what I think the problem is, at least in this wee little mind.I have known all along that some forms of restraint are sometimes necessary, in a humanitarian way. To help a child avoid causing harm to himself or another child, I probably would be guilty of using a restraint that… -
tHiNk!
18 Jan 2010 | 4:51 pm"Without personal boundaries, there is no way to experience your own identity and no way to measure your worth... " Ed Ised Thanks Ed. -
Happy New Year!!!
31 Dec 2009 | 6:30 pmBen was busy looking up the words to a familiar song. I copy and paste it here for your pleasure! For those of you who choose to, raise a right guid willie-waught with us at midnight!!!!Robert Burns: AULD LANG SYNE CHORUSFor auld syne, my dear, [old long ago]For auld lang syne,We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,For auld lang syne.Should auld acquaintance be forgot,And never brought to min'?Should auld acquaintance be forgot,And days o' lang syne?We twa hae run about the braes, [hillsides]And pou'd the gowans fine; [pulled/daisies]But we've wander'd mony a weary foot,Sin auld lang syne.We… -
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…
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Autism Spectrum Disorders @ BellaOnline
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Temple Grandin Movie on HBO
7 Feb 2010 | 1:51 pmA review of the HBO movie covering the early years of Animal Scientist Temple Grandin. -
Communication Tools for Nonverbal Autism Community
13 Dec 2009 | 12:27 pmExploring a variety of products to help communicate with children and adults on the autism spectrum. -
Books for Men in the Autism Community
16 Nov 2008 | 8:30 pmBrief review of several books that are suited to the Dads and other males who know someone on the autism spectrum. Good choices for holiday gifts.
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Send Chocolate
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Why I am not mentally home yet from New Zealand
9 Feb 2010 | 1:20 amT, who is gradually coming back, at least the routine is normal again -
Aftermath
5 Feb 2010 | 12:57 amMy suitcase is heavy. It sits, crouched in my room, next to the closet. I haven't had the nerve to unpack it yet. It looms, pregnant with unrealized dreams, frustrations and what could have been. I try to ignore it. I don't do a very good job. Every time I walk into the room, there it is. Sixteen days. Seems like a lifetime ago. That's when I kissed plump cheeks goodbye, squeezed sticky hands with admonishments to "be good", and climbed into my father-in-law's car to drive to the airport with my husband. I had high hopes, but didn't really know what to expect. We hadn't been away together for… -
Islands in the stream..er sea
23 Jan 2010 | 1:58 pmDay 4 here in Wellington dawned overcast, but it quickly grew warmer as the sun came out. A short walk along the waterfront and we were at our destination: The City and Sea Museum. Ten years old, this museum boasts an extensive history of Wellington life and commerce. I know, sounds boring. But it was actually a really neat little museum. Here is a hobbit foot. You're welcome. My favorite was their Alice-in-Wonderlandish tribute for their anniversary. It was very Jules Verne/steampunk and a really clever medium to deliver information. After the museum, we boarded the ferry and headed for… -
The one where we go uphill...both ways!
21 Jan 2010 | 4:55 amDay 3 here in Wellington, New Zealand dawned warm and sunny. Just the kind of glorious day that makes you glad to be alive. The tour started out with a walk along the water front. We had a tour of the capital building, called the Beehive. See if you can figure out why! We had to go through security, and check all of our bags. There was no photographing of the building, so I missed out on some nice shots. Kiwis are very proud of their heritage. And symbolism is very high on their list of priorities. The artwork in the gallery area of the courtyard is fraught with meaning: the earth, the sky,… -
"Nothing beats Wellington on a good day"
18 Jan 2010 | 4:46 amI have so many pictures and cannot possibly do them justice. If you want to see, check my flickr. Let me tell you, internal body clock mess is weird. This morning I snapped awake, convinced I had overslept and missed the alarm. Turns out we were fine, and my body was responding to California time, thinking it was 10 a.m. It was actually 7 a.m. New Zealand time. So, once awake, we dressed and headed to the convention center. After some coffee and an amazing chocolate croissant, I was ready to play tourist with the rest of the group. We boarded a bus for a tour of Wellington, which was beyond…
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Look Me In The Eye
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Join me Feb 9 for an evening at Harvard Medical School
2 Feb 2010 | 6:07 pmIf you have followed my work with the TMS lab at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center you may find this evening fascinating . . .Brain Health—Body Wealth SPONSORED BY THE BOARD OF OVERSEERS Tuesday, February 9, 2010 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA Complimentary Parking Business Attire Additional Guests Welcome Kindly reply by February 1, 2010 to Kirsten Doyle at (617) 667-7331 or email kdoyle@bidmc.harvard.edu. 5:00 pm. cocktail reception and Brain Fitness Assessments Measure Up Assess your BMI,… -
Gravity Pulls You In
1 Feb 2010 | 6:56 amLast summer, my friends Kyra Anderson and Vicki Forman asked me to write a foreword for the anthology of autism stories they's been working on for the past few years. I'm proud to tell you that they completed the project, and the book goes on sale next week. You can order a copy here:Order Gravity on AmazonAnd now I'll share the foreword, to give you an idea what's coming in the book. I hope you enjoy it.Have you ever wondered what it would be like to raise a kid with special needs? I have. You’d think I’d know, since I was a kid with special needs myself. I have Asperger’s syndrome, a… -
The power of prayer
7 Jan 2010 | 8:58 amLast night I attended a very moving talk by Immaculée Ilibagiza, author of No One Left To Tell, a memoir of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.I didn’t know what to expect. Would this be a book signing kind of event? A talk? A Q&A? When I arrived I found a sold out crowd filling the auditorium at Cathedral High School here in Springfield. And the event itself was unique – Last night, I found the most real and convincing justification for forgiveness and the foundations of Catholic faith that I’ve ever heard. That’s not to say I accept Catholicism – I’m not a member of any formal church… -
Merry Christmas
23 Dec 2009 | 1:22 pmMerry Christmas, everyone.I'm not much of a holiday person but it's still a good time to think back on the year and consider everything that I (each and every one of us, really) have to be thankful for. I particularly want to recognize and thank all of you - readers and members of my online community - for making me welcome, and for giving me your support and encouragement. At the same time, I try and forget all the miserable stuff that makes me depressed . . . . and I hope for a brighter year in 2010 . . . .I was going to put up an online form where people could sign up and join my Christmas… -
A walk in the desert
18 Dec 2009 | 12:31 pmIt all started with an old airplane, baking in the New Mexico desert. It could have been a scene from a movie . . . crashed and presumed lost; miles from anywhere . . . I looked at the mountains in the distance and wondered if I could have crossed them on foot . . . Being what I am, I decided to try . . . As I got closer it didn't look so rough . . .But as I got into it, the ground got rugged fastMost alarming, everyone else walking the old mule paths had snake leggings and sticks. And of course there were warning signs . . . and I had sneakers and nothing else. You can see the leggings on…
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Whose Planet Is It Anyway?
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Arthur Caplan's Rhetorical Plague
5 Feb 2010 | 11:09 amWhen I started reading this article on MSNBC.com, I saw the byline of a respected bioethics contributor and thought that I would find a well-written article detailing Andrew Wakefield's many ethical shortcomings. As I expected, the article focused on the widespread fear of vaccines caused in large part by Wakefield's false claims, as well as the "immeasurable harm" done to children by maladies that could have been prevented.I also found something that I was not expecting to find from an author who certainly should have known better: Language characterizing autism in melodramatic and grossly… -
Can you relate?
2 Feb 2010 | 8:38 amI've mentioned before that one of the advantages of the Internet is its diversity, which has the salutary effect of correcting misconceptions and prejudiced statements almost as soon as they occur. When someone posts biased or incorrect information about a group of people, it's highly likely that one or more readers will set the record straight.But sometimes such comments can get rather incongruous. In response to my last two posts, a few people seemed to think (1) that I might be prejudiced against poor whites, Southern whites, and/or hillbillies because I used dialect in describing… -
Ghost Dance
25 Jan 2010 | 6:25 amThe Native American tribes of the Northern Plains, forced onto reservations and near starving in 1890, were drawn in large numbers to a new religion called the Ghost Dance. Led by the shaman Wovoka, this mystical cult sought through ritual dancing to bring about a magical restoration of the world that they once had known. If they performed the dance with a pure heart, Wovoka assured them, it would bring their ancestors' ghosts back to life and bring the great herds of buffalo back to the plains.The Ghost Dance soon lost its popularity with the tribes when no restoration happened. The buffalo… -
Good Ol' Boys
16 Jan 2010 | 9:31 amThis town's for normal folks, see. You know, the good folks that look and sound and act just like the rest of us. Them others what ain't normal, or got kids what ain't normal, well—they don't none of 'em belong in this town. Let 'em keep to their own kind. And one thing's for sure, they ain't got no business putting their brats in our schools, right next to proper-acting kids. Fact is, them what ain't normal just need a good beatin' to teach 'em their place.'Course, we know they ain't never gonna be normal, however much we beat tar outta 'em. See, they ain't really human like us. But we… -
Behavior and Respect
8 Jan 2010 | 2:24 pmJust read an interesting post by Mark Stairwalt about the management of workers in fields such as information technology and library cataloguing, where an autistic cognitive style is prominent. He cites a Computerworld article by Jeff Ello, which points out that among such employees, a workplace culture has developed that places much more value on getting the job done accurately than on social pleasantries. Others who lack understanding of this culture often stereotype the workers in terms similar to those often applied to autistic people, calling them egocentric, antisocial, and so forth.
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A life less ordinary?
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Speaking of brilliant autistics: Dirac
8 Feb 2010 | 7:36 amA few weeks ago, I finished reading a recent biography of Paul Dirac, a physicist and member of the pantheon that includes Einstein, Oppenheimer, Schroedinger, and Feynman. The book, called The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom, reminds me in some ways of Temple Grandin's story. They each in their own way had an idiosyncratic approach to sensing and reconstructing the world, and these sensibilities led to their ultimate success. What Temple Grandin is to cows, Dirac was to the atom. And, according to the author of this biography, Graham Farmelo, Dirac, like… -
Temple Grandin biopic review
7 Feb 2010 | 8:05 amAs usual, we did it by halves, backwards. We never do anything the "normal" way around here. The Viking and I had just re-watched 1.5 episodes of "Rome" (as good as ever), our usual relaxation involving DVD sets, a grabbed hour or so, the couch, and for the Viking, vodka. When it was over, we felt that as it was Saturday night and not quite our bedtime, we'd channel surf. The Temple Grandin biopic was already DVR'd, but when we stumbled across it in progress on HBO, we left it there and watched.And watched. And watched. And when it restarted from the beginning at the next time slot, we… -
My last word on Wakefield
5 Feb 2010 | 12:11 pmI know: Alert the media, right?I've read a few comments around the blogosphere (oh, say, from Kim Stagliano) in which people excuse Wakefield's behavior on a few grounds. These excuses include:--he's doing it for the children, so it's OK--I have a child and he's doing it for the children and I think it's OK, so it's OK--I have an autistic child and it's driving me nuts not having someone to blame and I think he's helping me with that, so it's OK.--he's the only one who's doing it (for the children), so it's OK--he's the only one doing anything to find out about the *real* cause of autism, so… -
Thanks, Simpsons and HBO!
3 Feb 2010 | 6:53 amOur middle son is seven years old, and I think it's taken me every day of his 7+ years to figure that child out. True confessions: He's been more difficult for me to unravel (figuratively, in my mind) than either of my other sons. With TH and Little, I got them--get them--without even thinking about it. It's like I've done a Vulcan mind-meld on them and share their thoughts and feelings without effort.But the mind meld has failed with Dubya so far. It's not because I love him less--I love that great little boy with all the loving power I've got. It's because he's...so damned complicated. With… -
And the collapse is complete
2 Feb 2010 | 7:02 amThe Lancet has now issued a full retraction of the notorious Wakefield et al. paper that kicked off the deep anti-vaccine hysteria that now pervades many countries worldwide. I am closely familiar with this paper, which, by the way, never stated that it had established a link between vaccines and autism--in fact, it said quite the opposite. But the reason I'm so familiar with it dates back to 2002, when TH was not yet in his first summer of life, had not yet celebrated his first birthday. He'd exhibited some...unusual...behaviors, and I had already asked his pediatrician twice if his…
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Adventures in Autism
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Wade Rankin Speaks Wisdom to the Trib
25 Jan 2010 | 8:42 amI wonder if Wade and I have ever disagreed on anything.AN OPEN LETTER TO THE TRIB I wish he would write more so I didn't have to as much. -
Scott Brown for Senate in MA, He Supports Those with Autism
18 Jan 2010 | 12:08 pmUPDATE: Scott Brown has won in MA. He has put himself out there in support of our kids... all you in Mass... get to know his staff, hold his feet to the fire and make sure he supports our kids with autism!A bit late to the game, however...Autism dad Doug Flutie is endorsing Scott Brown for Senate and so am I.Scott Brown, a tax cutter and one who advocates cuts in government spending, wrote publicly to ask his governor NOT to cut from Autism spending. From last May:Brown: cut to autism funding hurts the deepestPosted May 13, 2009 10:06 AMBy: State Senator Scott BrownGuest ColumnistGovernor… -
Chase The Hope
13 Jan 2010 | 6:39 pmVote starting Friday: -
Barbara Loe Fisher Sues Paul Offit, Amy Wallace and Conde Nast for Defamation in the Wired Article
8 Jan 2010 | 3:17 pmLast year Paul Offit was sued by JB Handley for lying about him in his book, "Autism's False Profits". Offit wrote an apology letter and had to donate money to Jenny McCarthy's favorite charity.This represents the second such suit in about a year, and stems from the claim that Offit made in the atrociously biased November 2009 Wired Magazine article, "An Epidemic of Fear: One man's battle against the anti-vaccine movement" in which Dr. Offit claimed that Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center "lies"."Kaflooey theories' make him (Offit)crazy, especially if they catch on. -
Down With the Bullies in Britain
7 Jan 2010 | 1:21 pmPolly Tommy sees no reason to bow to the threats being made by the establishment that she not only ignore Andrew Wakefield as a source of help for our children, but that she throw him under the bus along with the rest of the cowards that are carrying the establishments' handbags to save their place at the table. She has called out the bullies and the cowards who are bending to the bullies over at Age of Autism.They even threatened to shut her magazine down. Now how can they do that if the free market wants to buy it because they know that the Editor in Chief has bigger balls than most UK docs…
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The Family Room
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Claire Danes as Temple Grandin? Really? [Yes. Really.]
6 Feb 2010 | 8:45 amNot long ago I met a woman named Jovana Grbic, a biological chemist who has a cool little side-business consulting on science for the film industry. (You know: is it really possible for a volcano to engulf New York City? Could dinosaurs be cloned and raised as pets...and engulf New York City?) She invited me to do a guest post the next time a film about autism was released (possibly to stop my endless ranting), so I asked if I could take a look at Temple Grandin when I heard it was being released on HBO."Claire Danes?" I thought. "Really?" Yes, really. It's a… -
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…
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Hyperlexicon
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Steps. Maybe forward.
12 Jan 2010 | 3:26 pmLast week I told you about having a helpless feeling about Ben's recent struggles with aggression and impulse control.In the midst of that helplessness, a thought occurred to me. The first incident that was unusual in its intensity and duration (relative to his behavior in kindergarden so far) happened not long after Ben started taking some daily asthma medication. It's a corticosteroid called Flovent.After his hospitalization for an asthma attack, the doctor suggested that he remain on this daily low-dose preventative over the holidays when catching a cold - his asthma trigger - was… -
So this must be the one step back
5 Jan 2010 | 8:53 amI normally don't write when I'm in the midst of an emotional situation. This isn't designed to be my diary or a place for me to process my feelings in public view. I tend to write after I've had some analytical distance from an event, hoping to provide some Big Insight that might also help one or two of you, or maybe just validate some Big Insight you've had yourself.I tend to write after something good or funny has happened, so I can celebrate with a community who understands that a small step forward can feel like a leap. And I tend to write for that mom who is frantically googling… -
Pencil and paper
11 Dec 2009 | 11:32 amWhen Ben was about eighteen months old, he liked to color on a flip chart I brought home. He'd sit on the floor and fill up the entire thing with crayon scribbles over the course of several scribbling sessions. He used many different colored crayons and his strokes were big and bold and confident.Then around age two, the coloring stopped.Instead, he preferred Chris to draw characters and scenes from his favorite books. Chris' impressive drawing skills met Ben's intense need for verisimilitude. For awhile, we had drawing pads full of Chris' lovely sketches of Maurice Sendak characters, but no… -
Our asthma initiation
29 Nov 2009 | 4:38 pmSince he was less than a year old, when Ben got a bad respiratory illness, it usually manifested as croup.I'm not sure how many times he had it, but I know it was often enough that whenever Chris and I were awakened by the familiar seal bark cough, we could spring into SWAT team-like action without exchanging many words.One of us would gather Ben up in a blanket and bring him outside in the cool, damp night air. The other would fling open the doors and windows in the house, start the humidifier, and get a popsicle out of the freezer.Other times - fairly frequently actually - Ben would just… -
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…
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Kim Stagliano
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2 Feb 2010 | 3:35 pm
2 Feb 2010 | 3:35 pmFinally My Worlds Collide!This was a big dance, aerobics song in the 90s - Haddaway, "What is Love." My kids adore the Spot videos. So here's my life, in a nutshell circa 2010. Youth meets Motherhood. Now hold in your stomach and lunge! -
26 Jan 2010 | 7:43 am
26 Jan 2010 | 7:43 amSomething New from Ray Bradbury. JOY!Just got an alert from Harper Collins. He is my favorite author. The world's he's created. My gosh.. Check this out! Read more at Harper Collins.In We'll Always Have Paris—a new collection of stories gathered together for the first time—the inimitable Ray Bradbury once again delights us with prose that soars and sings. He imagines great things and poignantly observes human foibles and frailties. He enchants us with the magic he mastered decades ago and still performs flawlessly. Whether he's exploring the myriad ways to be reborn, or the circumstances… -
19 Jan 2010 | 9:50 am
19 Jan 2010 | 9:50 amRIP Robert B. ParkerWhen I left Boston for Ohio, I could always return home by reading a Spenser novel. RIP and thank you for decades of great reading. From Media Bistro Galley Cat. -
19 Jan 2010 | 6:27 am
19 Jan 2010 | 6:27 am -
19 Jan 2010 | 4:02 am
19 Jan 2010 | 4:02 amKim Stagliano Now on HuffPoWhen I began writing for Huffington Post in 2007, Fearless Voices was both the theme of the category in which I was published and the title of Arianna's book. I had a fearless voice, and was thrilled to chime in here. But now, I feel like an outcast. Everyone is talking about how to get to sleep. How to stay asleep. How to sleep well, deeply, restfully and many more adverbs all of which imply that sleep is an elusive dream.Not for me.I sleep like a rock within minutes of turning out the light. It's almost too embarrassing to share. No Ambien. No wine. No Lunesta. No…
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like a shark
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how do you manage your input?
12 Jan 2010 | 6:35 amAs many of you with loved ones on the spectrum know, the world often times offers too much sensory input for these humans to process. My child, as well as yours perhaps, has to find ways to adapt to life in an over saturated environment.My daughter likes to hug a body pillow when she gets home from school. Some kids jump on trampolines. Some rock, hum, or flap, and some, when they are out and about, need to block noise with something soothing and familiar.My venerable friend, Jess Wilson, has a brilliant master plan for outfitting folks on the spectrum with used iPods, so that everyone who… -
let your flag wave!
1 Jan 2010 | 11:06 amHappy New Year my doves!May 2010 be everything you wish for, and if it isn't, well, then, let's make it so, shall we?Easy for me to say, as I sit, squinting at the screen, hung over and clutching my Espresso Roast.What do I wish?For my children to feel loved. To be happy. To realize their potential. Wait a second.That last bit? The realize their potential part? Let's make this clear. I don't need my kids to make the honor roll, to play ten sports and volunteer at soup kitchens.I don't need them to be voted most popular. I do need them to be their most authentic, to-thine-own-self-be-true… -
power
23 Dec 2009 | 7:05 pmI would love to tell you how proud I was of Miss M at her Christmas concert at the symphony hall. How I puffed up with pride and took pictures, and how we went out for a celebratory ice cream afterward.It didn't happen.Three days before the concert, I picked Miss M up for her usual mad dash to rehearsal. Her schoolteacher pulled me aside. Miss M hadn't been herself. She was exhibiting some behaviors that were waaay out of character. Considering the schedule we'd been on, and the pressure of rehearsal, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. We agreed that I'd talk to her in the… -
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…
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speak softly....
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Gravity Pulls You In
3 Feb 2010 | 6:30 amSeveral years ago, my dear friend and fellow traveler Kyra Anderson came up with an idea for an anthology about parenting kids on the autism spectrum. She wanted to create a book that was full of true stories, humor, and just life in general. She wanted the book to be real, and to make parents of autistic kids feel included and part of a world they recognized as they read. She asked me if I thought people would want this book, and if it was possible. From my perch in the library, I said, “Yes, yes people would read this book and yes, yes it’s possible. Monday brings the… -
Remembering Howard Zinn
29 Jan 2010 | 8:30 pmOf all the thinkers of this century, Howard Zinn persists in my mind as one of the most lucid, influential, brazen and just plain full of chutzpah. In fact, he was the very best kind of thinker, because he was also a doer: an intellectual and activist, a prolific writer and speaker, a teacher. Today, I told The Husband that with Zinn’s passing I feel more committed than ever to making a difference. Is it any coincidence that Zinn came to rest as Obama prepared to deliver the State of the Union address, sounding to my ears like nothing less than a Republican, full of bombast,… -
First the fire, now the rain
22 Jan 2010 | 5:11 pmWinter has brought a five day storm of astronomical proportions here to Southern California. As of tonight, the snow level is at 2500 feet, low enough for us to see our mountains, white capped. On the road, just north of town. The mountains to the east, just beyond our view. We have had sandbags up for the duration, and candles and batteries at the ready. On Monday, when the storm began, our power went out immediately, and remained out for the next eight hours. We were the only block in the entire town to lose light, and a drive up the street at dinner showed us the tire store, grocery,… -
Is it really 2010?
30 Dec 2009 | 8:21 amAnd are New Year’s Resolutions for the Decade required to be ten year’s worth of self-improvement? If so, what are yours? As for me, I’ll be ringing in the New Year in Palm Springs with The Husband and The Girl, on a deliciously affordable Priceline getaway. That’s the lobby above–with more photos to come on the flip side. For now, for your reading pleasure, head on over to the newly-redesigned Literary Mama. It’s gorgeous. -
The Water Giver
18 Dec 2009 | 9:27 amOne of the more interesting aspects of having a book out is looking on Amazon to see what “people who bought this book also bought.” In this way, I’ve come to learn of memoirs like Alice Eve Cohen’s What I Thought I Knew (which I have not read yet, but plan to), and Christine Gleason’s Almost Home (another book on my To Be Read shelf). The one book that popped up and kept popping up as something I knew I had to read was Joan Ryan’s The Water Giver: The Story of a Mother, a Son, and Their Second Chance. Ryan’s story is a tough one, and…
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Squidalicious
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Our Five-Year-Old Gleek
8 Feb 2010 | 12:29 pmThere's no doubt that Mali, like me, is a third child. I watched the entirely inappropriate Fantasy Island and Stir Crazy (we had one of the first VCRs in town, with bootleg videos to match), she watches Glee and Lord of the Rings. But whereas I longed to be best friends with Loni Anderson and learned to swear like Richard Pryor, she (and her big sister) are learning to love music from multiple genres, and learning geek lore and cred that will benefit them forever.Here is one of Mali's latest bursts of enthusiasm: It reads, "My favorite Glee songs: Bust the Windows, Hate on Me, Defying… -
Medication Sea Change
4 Feb 2010 | 5:11 pmI took Leelo in for a fasting blood draw this morning. By "fasting blood draw" I mean our boy went twelve straight hours without food -- a real challenge for a kid who wants to eat the moment he awakes, cries real tears if that wish is not fulfilled, and who has recently resumed early waking.I was nervous. Which is the short version of, "By 7 PM last night, I had developed constant chest pain, as is not uncommon with an impending panic attack."Thankfully, our boy was brave, and the blood draw swift and smooth.The positive outcome was not entirely a matter of luck. We kept Leo up a bit late,… -
We Are Not Sparta: The Real, Justified Costs of Educating Kids With Special Needs
2 Feb 2010 | 6:21 pmI am posting this with permission from my smart, tenacious, Italian-from-Italy friend Lea. Our sons went to kindergarten together.Special Needs Children and Public Educationby Lea Cuniberti-DuranRaising and educating children with special needs is expensive. That's just a fact.I have attended many school district budget meetings in which officials blurted to their audience, "We cannot pay for XYZ because of our financial responsibility toward children with special needs: to educate one special needs student can cost the district $100,000 a year." I also hear about how the district has "an… -
A Formal Spanking for Dr. Andrew Wakefield, Vaccination Boogeyman
29 Jan 2010 | 9:56 amIf you're a follower of the never-ending vaccines/autism chronicles, then you probably already know that Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the researcher who sparked the "vaccines cause autism" panic, has been formally sanctioned by the UK's General Medical Council. After an investigative hearing lasting more than two years, the GMC reached their verdict [PDF]: Wakefield conducted his research "dishonestly and irresponsibly."There is so much to be pissed about when it comes to Wakefield: he was in a vaccine-injury lawyer's pocket when he conducted his original study. He had applied for a patent for a… -
Busting Someone's Windows Is Not a Logical Act
29 Jan 2010 | 12:18 amGlee was this morning's school carpool soundtrack, as per usual. Leo beamed all the way through his favorite song, Can't Fight This Feeling, which I tolerate since he loves it so much even though the original REO Speedwagon version wins my personal video award for Milquetoast 80s Guys With Long Bad Hair. Afterwards the violin intro to Bust Your Windows came on, and Iz started trying to analyze."Mommy, wouldn't she get in trouble for busting out his car windows? I mean, that's against the law, right?""Yes, but it's on private property, so she wouldn't be in trouble unless he called the police,…
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The Karianna Spectrum
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Standardized Tests
8 Feb 2010 | 7:06 pmLast May, my then-second-grader took his first STAR test. And then this autumn he took the OLSAT. He's also taken some other assessment tests here and there, and one recent exam prompted the teacher to say she didn't believe the results because so many of her otherwise high-achieving students seemed to have scored low. She then mentioned that the computer teacher who gave the tests provided heavy incentive to finish quickly. Rushing through an exam does nobody favors. I remember the whole... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Mold and Mud.
31 Jan 2010 | 10:33 pmThe start of last week was tough. It was really tough. Lots of work to do, lots of "extracurricular" hassle, and in general just a tiring time. (Plus it was raining - great for our drought, not great for the rapidly growing weeds in our too-fertile soil or for very energetic boys who appreciate the outdoors.) On Thursday the weather cleared a bit, so I went for a quick run. I joked to a friend that if I hadn't signed up for a 10K on Saturday, I wouldn't have allowed myself that break. After... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Project 2010k
26 Jan 2010 | 10:51 amIt has been rainy out. So rainy that if I didn't have a 10k on Saturday, I'd probably not consider running in the wet weather. If I hadn't already signed up for the race, I'd probably not. But I figured this would happen, so planned ahead. Presenting - Project 2010k. This year I plan to run at least a 10K per month. That's right, for 2010, I'm running at least 12 races 10K or longer. I include the "and longer" because I am currently signed up for two half-marathons (and thinking about a third... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Late to School
15 Jan 2010 | 8:33 amSplig forgot his shoes. Let's go home to retrieve them! Construction delay. Why was I the van chosen for such a privilege to lead up the line? STOP sign to stop me, long line of traffic behind. Let's just move this pole... Ten minutes later, finally back at our house, now where are the shoes? Splig seems sad but smug. He got to skip Spanish class. Plus, more time with Mom! [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
What I Did Last Night
13 Jan 2010 | 10:48 amYou know whose dress this is, don't you? [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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motherofconfusion
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Mamas: Know your baby’s care options too
13 Jan 2010 | 2:52 pmGrowing up in the Valley, I’ve always known, and taken for granted, that Children’s Hospital Central California (formerly Valley Children’s Hospital) was the best place for kids with serious, or emergency, health conditions. With the birth of my oldest son 16-years ago, I was comforted by the fact Children’s was just down the road. If anything [...] Related posts:The baby name game … can get uglyBorn at 34 weeks (and autism awareness bloggers update) -
Star Crossed: Teen novel series goes astro
31 Dec 2009 | 8:17 pm“No one need fear the stars. They don’t limit our destiny, only point out possibilities. Indeed, the stars, the planets, and the very study of the zodiac can transform our lives.” —Fearless Astrology Logan McRae is an ordinary high school girl who wants to change her sucky life until she finds an old astrology book. In [...] Related posts:Podcast: Hazel Dixon-Cooper, author of “Friends on a Rotten Day” -
6 holiday tips for parents of special needs kids, by Victoria Dalool
20 Dec 2009 | 11:57 amSpecial to MotherofConfusion.com & centralvalleyspecialneeds.ning.com The holidays can be very difficult for children with disabilities. Changes in their routine, both at home and at school and unexpected family and friends coming for visits can be the cause of stress and anxiety. Many children may not cope well in these chaotic social situations that can occur around [...] Related posts:5 cheap ways to get into the holiday spiritSeven-year-old piano prodigy featured on ‘Little Einsteins’Adoptive Parents: Not So Perfect -
9 months of wonder & joy
9 Dec 2009 | 9:41 amShare and Enjoy: No related posts. No related posts. -
Tantrum Tuesday: Tragic & Dramatic
24 Nov 2009 | 11:51 amHit the dog? No “Nemo” for you. This adorable, squinchy-faced little dude was submitted by OhByDod! — You can find more of her stunning and gorgeous photos here. Hey, it’s her party … she can, well you know. Love this mini-diva birthday cake meltdown. Share and Enjoy: Related posts:Tantrum Tuesday: Turning 1 is hard to do!Tantrum TuesdayThe dramatic, [...] Related posts:Tantrum Tuesday: Turning 1 is hard to do!Tantrum TuesdayThe dramatic, pregnant quest for caffeine
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Stimeyland
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The Eye of the Storm
8 Feb 2010 | 8:37 amI gotta tell ya', I'm ready to leave my house. There are only so many hours out of the day that we can play in the snow. We're running out of dry clothes. We're running out of hot chocolate. My kitchen floor has had dirty water tracked in on it so many times that I've just given up entirely.School has been canceled for today and tomorrow. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. It is supposed to snow again on Tuesday and Wednesday, which doesn't leave me a lot of hope for school at all this week. At first I heard that we were supposed to get a couple of inches. But it seems like every… -
Tenacity
6 Feb 2010 | 10:28 am -
Snowmageddon II: Snowmageddon*
5 Feb 2010 | 7:56 pmI am so entertained by the state of panic into which the DC area has been thrown by the threat of a blizzard. Team Stimey responded by building a Snow Bunny.It is possibly the greatest bit of snow architecture that Team Stimey (meaning Alex, Jack, and Quinn, in this case) has ever produced.I do question the fact that they created a snout, a carrot nose, and a raisin smiley face. (The snow bunny looks a little like a giant Pooh Bear.)The snow bunny was Jack's idea. He loved it. He hugged it. That kid makes me soft and gooshy inside.So now we have a snow bunny sentry. Complete with bushy little… -
RED
4 Feb 2010 | 6:46 pmI rarely do memes anymore, but I was actually sorta excited to do the one that Manic Mommy tagged me for yesterday. The meme instructs you to post photos of seven red things. Manic Mommy's were cool, as were Sue's at Laundry for Six, from whom Manic Mommy got the idea.So, in lieu of posting a lot of angst about therapies and Child Find and kindergarten readiness and all the drama therein—which is what is running through my head right now—I'm gonna give you...RED.Well, this first one here is my leather kangaroo pencil holder. Yeah, that's right. He wears some of my favorite swag from my… -
What's New With You?
2 Feb 2010 | 5:59 pm"Oh, hello! I didn't see you there! How are you doing?""No, not much new here. I'm still just swimming around here in the grunge of Team Stimey's Dagobah tadpole habitat."Oh, there is one thing."I did grow this awesome, entirely new APPENDAGE!"They are wee, ineffectual legs, but they are undoubtedly legs.So, yeah, I am entirely freaked out by this new development. The tadpoles have been getting bigger and lumpier and more froggy looking what with their buggy eyes and ugly visages, but I wasn't really emotionally prepared for the actual metamorphosis from tadpole to frog.Here's how the…
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Bringsmejoy
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Health Insurance Coverage For Autism.
1 Feb 2010 | 6:05 amThe discussion continues in the state of Virginia on forcing health insurance companies to cover Autism treatments. As a parent with a son with Autism I agree Autism should be covered but forcing insurance companies to provide coverage gets parents with kids with Autism imperfect coverage. For instance there is a bill before the General Assembly in Virginia that would force health insurance companies to provide insurance to children with Autism to age 9. What happens when the children turn 10? Autism currently does not stop at the age of 9. Continued treatment and therapy is needed in many… -
Brandon did a weird thing today.
26 Jan 2010 | 5:31 pmI went to pick the kids up at the bus stop today. I got them in the car and we drove home. We all got out of the car and went in the house. Once we were inside I had asked the kids to take off their shoes and coats, and then to wash their hands. This is the ritual when they come home from school. Well today Brandon took of his shoes, open up our black shoe tote, pull down his pants and underwear and preceded to pee into the black shoe tote like it was a toilet. So I yelled out “Brandon” he turned towards me with his pants down and preceed to continue peeing but now on me and the… -
Does Autism Impact Your Business?
14 Jan 2010 | 4:49 pmI was reviewing some of my Autism newsletters and found a business that caters to parents with kids with Autism. A hotel in New Jersey has created a suite in his hotel that caters to parents with kids with Autism. The furniture in the suite has rounded corners, all of the glassware is unbreakable, the doors have alarms on them in case your child decides to wonder away. This hotel even has a special-needs menu and complimentary in-room movie are also offered. In addition, 5 percent of the proceeds from guests in the suite go to the support organization Autism Speaks. Families who have children… -
What medication can help manage the symtoms of Autism
12 Jan 2010 | 4:35 pmAs Brandon is getting older, one trait in is Autism that is becoming more prevalent is his aggression. I have often thought and have it on my list of question for his next visit to his doctor is are there medications to help him cope with his aggression. I am still in the beginning stage of doing research on this and came across this video. Check it out. Posted in Autism -
Teaching the ABC’s of crucial social skills
13 Dec 2009 | 8:59 amThe middle school years, when nothing seems more important or more impossible than fitting in, are rough for nearly everyone. But they are particularly brutal for preteens such as Will Gilbertsen, whose mild autism makes him stand out. Read the full story at the Washington Post Posted in Autism
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from here to there and back
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A beautiful mind
7 Feb 2010 | 5:34 amAs we drove home from dinner last night, my son looked out the window to the west and sucked in his breath. “Look at that sky,” he said. And I couldn’t help but think of how truly blessed we are, to be raising a child who notices such things, who looks out the window and takes [...] -
It doesn’t matter anymore
3 Feb 2010 | 11:24 amI read somewhere that the seven stages of grief were originally written for the terminally ill, a grief cycle for those who know they are dying. It makes sense to me that this—shock, denial, bargaining, guilt, anger, depression, and acceptance/hope—was initially intended to explain the range of emotions one might feel upon learning that medicine could [...] -
Community, here and there
30 Jan 2010 | 6:46 amIt’s almost impossible to believe, but my son is already planning his summer in California. Yesterday he asked me what our “big” outing would be this year. Two years ago it was Disneyland. Last year, Sea World. I told him it’s early, five months early, too soon to make a definite plan. What he doesn’t yet [...] -
Ten years and a life
28 Jan 2010 | 4:46 amJanuary 28, 2000 I sat in the waiting room, trying on his death like a new sweater I could wrap around me to ward off a chill. I had to face the inevitable possibility of it, find a way to be prepared, but as I sat there, picturing my life without him, there was no comfort, [...] -
The writing
27 Jan 2010 | 6:26 amI feel more in control lately, aware of where I need the next couple chapters to go and yet, still, I write very little. On one hand, I am over the hump of uncertainty, but on the other, I am still questioning so much. I’ve been thinking about the ending. A chapter in the book that [...]
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The Quirk Factor: Resistance is futile...
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An open letter to the Supreme Being of the Universe.
8 Feb 2010 | 6:31 amDear Supreme Being,Usually, I am a firm believer in two things.1) Everything happens for a reason, and 2) What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.But this?Is killin' me.I'm starting to think my fortitude is being tested, and I'm writing a formal notice that you can stop now. My limit has been reached, if not surpassed.The house fire? Maybe I needed to start anew, with a quite literal, clean slate.King Attitude and The Red One? The ones I affectionately call my children? Let's just say it's a good thing you made 'em so cute, because I've halted trying to barter with Gypsies on their trade. -
Bully goat gruff.
5 Feb 2010 | 6:55 amJaysen has a bully.This bully has been on his case, and in his face, for the past two years.I have been accused of being overprotective of Jaysen, but this is not the case in this scenario.We'll call the kid Xander.Jaysen desperately wants to be Xander's friend.Xander wants nothing to do with Jaysen, except harass him.Last year, Xander would push Jaysen, shoot him dirty looks, talk about him behind his back and to his face. On one occasion, Jaysen told me to call him "Big Fat Jaysen" because that's what Xander calls him.The Sp.Ed teacher bucked up to Xander and really laid into him, but… -
Um...yeah.
26 Jan 2010 | 6:01 pmWhen I discovered just how literal people with Autism could be, I made a parental vow. I vowed that I would never lie to my son. I really just thought I would rather not confuse him, and keep things real.Sure it could get sticky with all the wondrous magic of childhood, but really? I grew up without Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, and I turned out okay. Alright, it's debatable.Anyhoo, I've managed to keep that vow by creative explanations and good ol' fashioned deception. Jaysen asked me this year if Santa was real. My response to him was "What do you think?" To which he replied "I dunno"… -
How all IEP's should go...
23 Jan 2010 | 5:04 pmAhh... Jaysen's IEP.Have I mentioned how much I lurve this school?Even my dad was amazed.He's been my "note taker" at Jaysen's IEP's since the beginning. When we left, he was shocked that he only had a half page of notes. He had turned back in his notebook, and counted 16 pages from an IEP at the crapalicious school.We did the MET and the IEP, and were out in 2 hours. I've had IEP meetings last 6 months.I honestly feel for parents out there, fighting these battles for their children's education. I was there. I fought a losing battle in vain. But this school's Team, is a team. And I am… -
Things my son says, part 3.14
21 Jan 2010 | 5:46 pmThe scenario: McDonald's playplace. Jaysen and I are ready to go. Rylan doesn't want to leave. "Okay Jaysen, we need a plan"."Kay.""Here's the plan. When Rylan comes down the slide, you grab him and I'll whip his coat on"."Yeah! And if Plan A fails, we're gonna bust out with Plan B!"Did my son just say "We're gonna bust out with Plan B?"Hahahahaaaa.....
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Elvis Sightings
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Hypothetically Speaking
8 Feb 2010 | 7:30 pmI had the privilege of attending an event the other weekend that gave community members a chance to hear various experts on autism. We heard reports on ongoing research (the science experts). We heard about community resources (the information experts). And we heard about everyday life from a panel of personal experts: three parents of kids on the autism spectrum, and three people who live on the spectrum themselves.The living-it-themselves experts had the opportunity to pick from a list of what questions they wanted to answer. I was especially interested in what the answers would be to the… -
Stim-Sense
4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amThis post is a cross-pollination between Barbara at TherExtras and JoyMama at Elvis Sightings –- co-authored by two bloggers who have never met in person, but hope one day they will. When we move ourselves our bodies are wired to feel that movement. We humans have beautifully intricate wiring (nerves) connecting feeling (sensory) with movement (motor). Some movement feels good. And with that basic understanding, seeing children who repetitively moved in (sometimes unusual) ways, charter psychologists called this behavior self-stimulation. Early in Barbara’s career, therapists commonly… -
First Day of School
3 Feb 2010 | 3:56 amIt was a beautiful winter day, temperatures just below freezing, a couple of inches of new snow making everything look very white again, just a few lazy flakes floating down.I got Joy all dressed up in coat, snowpants, boots, L-Bow mittens... and backpack! Joy and I showed up at 1pm at the back door of the school where the kindergarteners enter. Her occupational therapist was waiting for us, to take us just a few feet into the hall to Joy's new locker. It was all prepped with a laminated name-plate just for her, decorated with a dragonfly that matches the one on her new purple backpack.Have I… -
Hitting the Bottle
1 Feb 2010 | 4:06 amThis post is in the interest of parental self-protection.If Joy ever comes to visit you, and catches sight of a bottle similar to this in your home...... and starts excitedly making a hand-sign that looks like this:THIS is what she actually gets to have, when we celebrate a special occasion. Like last night for my birthday, when she saw the bottle & stem-glasses come out (she gets an open plastic cup now) and was "more"-signing so enthusiastically I thought she was gonna hyperventilate.Kristian Regale Apple-Lingonberry fizzy juice.Please make a note of it. Thank you. -
Easing Into Kindergarten
30 Jan 2010 | 5:05 pmLongtime Elvis Sightings readers will likely remember that we decided to have Joy wait an extra year before starting kindergarten. With her early-summer birthday, Joy won't be all that much older than others in her class, and we really wanted to see what additional communications gains we could make in the extra year.Well, we've got a school-district team that really helps us put the "Individual" in "IEP." When we put together the plan last year, we decided to do a mid-year modification to get Joy into the school building for at least some portion of her itinerant therapy during the second…
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Coach for Asperger's
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Temple Grandin Movie Premiers This Saturday on HBO
1 Feb 2010 | 8:58 amDon't forget, the Temple Grandin movie is premiering on February 6, 2010 on HBO! Most of my readers are familiar with Temple Grandin, PhD, perhaps the most well known autistic person in America, as well as the designer of almost half the cattle handling equipment in North America. Dr. Grandin is inspiring because of her clear presentation and writing style, as well as the way she’s learned to adapt the strengths of her diagnosis to accomplish things she probably wouldn’t have been able to if she weren’t autistic. Dr. Grandin remains a free thinker, an individual who lives a life… -
Mirror Neurons and Autism Spectrum Disorders
27 Jan 2010 | 2:01 pmMirror neurons, structures in the brain that fire not just when performing an activity, but also when watching another perform that same activity, are being researched by neuroscientists around the world. What is of interest here regarding mirror neurons is the theory that differences in the mirror neuron system may account for some of the symptoms seen in Asperger’s and autism.Many of my clients on the autism spectrum are very interested in learning about the technical and medical issues surrounding their diagnosis. I’m always excited when I find good, straightforward information on… -
Asperger’s, Sex and Sensory Issues
20 Jan 2010 | 3:23 pmAsperger’s and sex is the phrase most frequently searched for on this blog. I’ve written a bit on the topic of Asperger's, autism and sex, as well as posted an interview with a Bay Area sex therapist. But I suspect there’s a large group of current and potential readers looking for more information. I think a lot of readers want dating information, but even more are interested in help specifically about sexual relationships. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot published on the topic. One issue of concern to many adults with Asperger’s and autism is Sensory Processing Disorder, also… -
Book Review: Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight, by Sharon Heller, Ph.D.
15 Jan 2010 | 1:01 pmFor adults on the autism spectrum, including those with Asperger’s, sensory issues can be a major problem. Clothing textures are irritating, foods taste and feel unpleasant, lights may be glaring and noises and odors overwhelming. These issues can be a major contributor to problems with social interactions and managing work environments.Often, children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) like Asperger’s, autism, or PDD-NOS, as well as those with ADHD are under the care of a medical doctor who recommends Occupational Therapy as a part of treatment. OT can be invaluable in… -
PBS Series: This Emotional Life
30 Dec 2009 | 11:35 amPBS is airing a new documentary called This Emotional Life. It’s being shown January 4,5,and 6, 2010, at 8 p.m. I haven’t seen the show, but the previews talk a lot about emotional connection as it impacts our well being. A portion of the documentary looks specifically at Asperger’s and a young man named Jason who’s dealing with the issues surrounding Asperger’s and connecting socially. For those who follow this blog through the Autism Hub, you’re probably already familiar with Jason, but others might want to check out his blog, Drive Mom Crazy.
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Disability Scoop
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Mardi Gras To Accommodate Kids With Special Needs
8 Feb 2010 | 11:30 amMardi Gras will be extra special this year for a group of kids with disabilities who will get to watch the parades from a V.I.P. stand. -
Adopted Family Helps Man, 70, Become Oldest With Down Syndrome
8 Feb 2010 | 11:16 amAt 70, Edgar Call is believed to be the oldest man living with Down syndrome. But at home with his adopted family, he's just one of the kids. -
Autism Odds Double For Kids Born To Moms Over 40
8 Feb 2010 | 9:30 amOlder mothers are more likely to give birth to a child with autism, largely irrespective of the father's age, a new study finds. -
White House Chief Emanuel Signs ‘R-Word’ Pledge, Calls Effort ‘Important’
5 Feb 2010 | 9:27 amCapping more than a week of scrutiny, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel signed the Special Olympics pledge to end use of the "r-word." -
New Data Shows More People With Disabilities Out Of Work
5 Feb 2010 | 8:40 amThe unemployment rate among people with disabilities climbed back up in January after a two month decline, the Labor Department reported Friday.
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Morgan Autism Center
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Wakefield and the MMR vaccine
8 Feb 2010 | 7:08 amLast week the British General Medical Council (GMC) retracted the Lancet paper by Andrew Wakefield, M.D. that had stated there was a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jan/28/andrew-wakefield-mmr-vaccineAccording to the GMC, Wakefield's research had been done unethically and for profit, and this was the reason for the retraction, NOT vindication of the MMR vaccine. Although vaccines definitely are necessary for the general public health, the intense vaccine schedule infants and toddlers are recommended should be researched much more before assuming… -
Outrageous!!!
24 Jan 2010 | 11:33 amLast week, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned more than half a century of decisions on restricting corporate and union financing of election campaign contributions, essentially opening the floodgates for special interests to pour money into campaigns to persuade officials to vote their way or eliminate those who don't comply. Equating the average citizen's free speech with that of a corporation is almost ludicrous. In fact, when I first heard about this decision, I was on my way to work, and assumed I had misunderstood the radio announcer's words. When I realized I hadn't misunderstood, I can… -
18 Jan 2010 | 1:49 pm
18 Jan 2010 | 1:49 pmAs I write this, we are looking at a week of incessant rain; stormy, windy, can't-play-outside kind of weather. 'Heads-up, 7-up' doesn't quite cut it when we're trying to entertain a school full of students with autism and other neurological challenges!! But, wait - let's think of this as an opportunity to get creative. We always think we are following the lead of the students as we design our curriculum, but days like the next few really will challenge us to see if this is just our own perception of how we're doing - but is it the reality of what the students experience? If they aren't… -
As Time Goes By.....
31 Dec 2009 | 4:54 pmAs this decade draws to a close, I can't say I'm particularly sorry to see it end. What with 9/11, Enron, unnecessary wars, state and federal budget fiascos, the Wall Street mess, obscene executive compensations, political inertia, and terrorism lurking around every bend, I say good riddance to a miserable era. While the world was falling apart, this was a very eventful decade for me. I took over my position as Executive Director of the Morgan Autism Center in 2000, after 23 years working as both a teacher and program director. This was not a planned transition and took some time adjusting to… -
The Holidays with Autism
23 Nov 2009 | 8:34 amHolidays are the time we want to be with our families, even when it involves the trials of travel, traffic delays, and of course, the turkey. (If people really love turkey so much, why don't we eat it more often? I think maybe its symbolic of the holidays - if we did it any more often, we'd likely kill one another). And yet..... everyone loves the holidays, right? Stress and the holidays seem to go hand in hand and it all seems to be about this idea of getting together with our families. Why is that? What is it about our families that make us slightly (or maybe totally) crazy? Maybe its…
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Spectrum Siblings
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Role Reversal
8 Feb 2010 | 7:49 amLawrence has had a language explosion this week. His spontaneous functional vocabulary has literally doubled (from 6 to 12 words), and he’s willing to try words he’s always backed away from before. But the new willingness to talk has its drawbacks as well, namely in that if we tell him to do something he merely repeats the command rather than following through. “Larry shoes on” is responded to with “soo on”, but the shoes stay on the floor. We’re working on returning to actually carry out requests, but in the meantime, we’re using a ton of… -
Growing Pains
1 Feb 2010 | 9:18 amGood day blog readers, I’ve been so sporadically posting that you might think I’m disappearing. But that isn’t my intention. I would certainly like to write more and more often, and will when things calm down, but for the moment, I’m exerting most of my energy dog-paddling to stay afloat. This new semester has brought all sorts of new experiences for me, new social situations to learn to navigate, and new advocacy I need to keep going. For example, I have real co-workers for the first time. Not people with more education or age with a higher pay, but individuals with… -
Setting down to work
28 Jan 2010 | 8:17 pmThey say that in autistic individuals, learning seems to ebb and flow; there will be weeks where a great deal of progress is made and weeks where there is barely any progress and sometimes regression. November and December were not Lawrence’s best months. He reverted back to only eating two foods. He stopped pointing to pictures in books and repeating the names you gave him. We would go through 3-4week stretches without a single word added to his vocabulary. The week after Christmas break was the worst yet. All the progress Lawrence had made in learning to accept not having complete… -
Knowing My Limits
24 Jan 2010 | 8:06 pmOf all the activities I get to do with the triplets, my absolute favorite is swimming. They have a membership at a chain-hotel less than ten minutes from the house, so we get to swim almost every weekend. The indoor pool is nearly always empty, so Lawrence can switch every ten minutes from hot tub to pool and back, and Josh can run circles around the rim, swinging his arms and chasing his shadow. On Saturday, as usual, we went to the pool. But the weather was poor and we came later than usual, so instead of the quiet peaceful evening we were looking forward to, we encountered a group of a… -
My childhood food issues
20 Jan 2010 | 10:56 amFood has always been an issue of contention for me. I wrote in a recent post about the difficulties I’ve been having in politely declining food, and in another previous post about forgetting to eat for extended periods of time, and using Ovaltine as a nutritional boost. But my issues with food extend back into childhood. My grandfather used to take my mom, Carl, and I out to Friendly’s once a week when my dad worked late. During the seven years we did these weekly visits, I never once changed what I ordered: Root beer, chicken fingers (no sauce), Fries, and two scoops of cookie…
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Social Skills for Kids
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Online DIR® Floortime™ Training
2 Feb 2010 | 10:55 amI’ve written on several occasions about Stanley Greenspan, M.D. and the DIR® Floortime™ program. I really like this program for several reasons. DIR® Floortime™ can be done by parents, in the home, it doesn’t have to preclude the use of other therapies, such as ABA, and it is very much a social and relational based model, which makes sense to me as a psychotherapist. Of equal value, parents can get started pretty quickly, by reading books, joining an online group, or taking courses, even if they’re waiting for a diagnosis, or in a long line waiting for services. If money is tight,… -
Temple Grandin Movie on HBO: February 6, 2010
1 Feb 2010 | 8:51 amJust a reminder, the Temple Grandin movie is premiering on February 6, 2010 on HBO. Most of my readers are familiar with Temple Grandin, PhD, perhaps the most well known autistic person in America, as well as the designer of almost half the cattle handling equipment in North America. Dr. Grandin is inspiring because of her clear presentation and writing style, as well as the way she’s learned to adapt the strengths of her diagnosis to accomplish things she probably wouldn’t have been able to if she weren’t autistic. Dr. Grandin remains a free thinker, an individual who lives a life that… -
Book Review: The Only Boy in the World, by Michael Blastland
26 Jan 2010 | 4:59 pmThe Only Boy in the World: A Father Explores the Mysteries of Autism, by Michael Blastland (2006) is a fascinating, philosophical, and honest account of raising a child with severe autism. The book, unlike so many others, isn’t about treatments or the day to day struggles of raising a special needs child as much as it’s a look at theories and ideas behind autism, illustrated and brought to life through one small boy, Blastland’s then 10 year old son, Joe. This book is not a feel-good inspiring story of hope and triumph. Blastland can be quite pessimistic about his son’s prospects. -
Treatment Options: What is P.L.A.Y. Project®?
15 Jan 2010 | 1:12 pmThere are so many treatment options for children on the autism spectrum, it can be really confusing for parents. Different programs may sound like the same thing, other programs have trademarks, or they’re proprietary, or they’ve been developed in one location and not available elsewhere. What’s the difference? Is there one best treatment? Can different programs be used together? In the end, it all comes down to one question: how do you figure out the best treatment for your own child?In the interest of sorting this out, I try to provide specific information when I can… -
Girls and the Media
6 Jan 2010 | 11:32 amGirls with Asperger’s and autism seem to be more involved with TV, movies and the whole celebrity culture than neurotypical girls. For these girls, the restricted interests that are a part of the autism spectrum often fall into the realm of pop culture and celebrities. Add in the facts that these girls aren’t connecting as well with their peers, and often struggle athletically, and the result is that teen and tween girls on the spectrum can spend all their free time watching favorite TV shows, reading about celebrities and Googling them on the internet.One big concern about this is that…
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Asperger Square 8
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She will never
6 Feb 2010 | 2:40 pmShe will never have friends. She won’t fall in love. She will never be able to live on her own. She won’t go to college. She won’t get a job. She will never fit in with the others. She won’t be able to travel. She’ll never fulfill her potential. She won’t drive a car. She will never be happy. She will never be the daughter you dreamed of. She can’t even tie her own shoes. She can’t even blow her own nose. She can’t read a map. She can’t catch a ball. She doesn’t know whom she should trust. She can't cross the street. She can’t be allowed to stay home alone.Some of… -
By the book: The denial of difference in Alcoholics Anonymous
4 Feb 2010 | 7:27 pm1985-1992The back of the room is safe but the back of the room is forbidden. Isolating means fear and denial. Come to the front. Come to the table. At the table, I cannot function. The faces know. I cannot look. At the first opportunity, I will move to a corner. Lower my head so I don’t see the looks.The hardest part of it all is staying in the room. Some meetings are harder than others. You never know when the person chairing is going to be of the controlling type. Today, we will go around the room and say how we are powerless or what we are grateful for. Or worse, she will call on people… -
Curing Autism
29 Jan 2010 | 8:30 pmThough I made it through childhood without a formal diagnosis, there was never any doubt that something was wrong. I heard about it at home, at school, even from strangers who stared in stores and restaurants, somehow knowing. What I knew about the something, independent of the tellings and looks, was that while being alone was fine, loneliness grew in every attempt to join the others. I could not talk to people, and I did not like them looking at me, waiting.When I was 18, I found the cure. The cure came in bottles, 12 ounce amber ones and tall clear ones with Russian names. I found a voice,… -
Blaming Autism
28 Jan 2010 | 9:20 amFrustrated by an autistic student who had fallen down, Akron school aide Ingram Myers dragged the young man "50 to 100 feet" by his ankles through the school hallway. This is not the first time Myers has been investigated for harming a student. In 2004, he was accused of striking a high school student, and was subsequently transferred to his current position. He has been placed on paid leave pending investigation of the January 14 incident involving the autistic child."I really want to see that this aide is not only removed from the school district but from his place of employment,"… -
The Important Meeting
22 Dec 2009 | 4:43 amMeetings can be important. They can be overwhelming. Meetings can help solidify relationships in the workplace. They can serve as distractions from what some of us see as the "real" job. This is about how I sometimes experience meetings at work.
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AspieWeb
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All Good Things
8 Feb 2010 | 9:23 pmhttp://www.thezach.net/blog/its-over/ -
For Those of You
21 Dec 2009 | 9:40 pmWho keep emailing me asking me for updates on KateThe only updates I will provide will be on my personal website. AspieWeb is just for Autism related news from this point forward. If your a friend of Kate I suggest you contact me quick, i have not been told not to provide her friends with contact [...] -
Needing YOUR Help
18 Dec 2009 | 10:00 amSo this is going to be a time when I ask for YOUR help. A lot has been going on with me lately and I’m in a bit of a financial hurt. I found out my license is suspended and I need a car to go food shopping and other things. Its going to [...] -
Ne’eman Nominated To National Council on Disability
17 Dec 2009 | 1:42 pmThe White house has recently nominated Ari Ne’eman a leading autism advocate to the National Council on Disability according to the White House webpage. Ari Ne’eman heads the Autism Self Advocacy Network and assists those with Autism in in advoacting for their rights and needs. Seeing as I’m kinda busy right now and not wanting [...] -
Biggest Fears
17 Dec 2009 | 1:24 pmLately I think my biggest fear has been creeping back into my life. This fear often keeps me so hurt inside, and when Kate came around I was able to punch this fear in the face. I’m afraid because of my disability I will never be loved. Aspergers has quite a complex affect on people’s [...]
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Autism & Public School: My Experience
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What a Difference a Year Makes
26 Jan 2010 | 6:55 pmTonight was the second annual Family Fitness Night at DuckyBoy's school. Last year, we all went, but it was for us a flop. It was overall a great success, but that meant every classroom was crowded and LOUD, as were the gym and the cafeteria.This year, I marked it on the calendar but didn't mention it to DB. I figured, if he wanted to go, we'd go, but I wasn't even going to bring it up.When I picked him up tonight, he was very excited about going. So, we came home and ate dinner, worked out the logistics with Dad (who declined to attend this time), and headed back.Several things were… -
Why Not Make Him Class Pet?
13 Jan 2010 | 6:06 amWho could resist this face??This news story about an autistic boy whose dog isn't allowed to come to school with him has me wondering: Is there something the school district isn't, or can't say?Seems like a no-brainer; if having the dog makes the kid learn better, and it's documented, why not allow the dog? Is the dog not nice, is the principal's kid (or the principal or the teacher) just afraid of dogs? Does the dog make a mess? Is it disruptive? Does he have bad breath? Did the family refuse to join the PTA?The school district is hiding behind legalese -- that the dog is not officially a… -
Eww, Lice!
7 Jan 2010 | 6:31 pmWe escaped the Great Lice Outbreak in DB's class last fall, only to get a call this morning to come get him, he had nits. Three, he said the nurse said, and that it was clearly just starting.By the time we got home and I psyched myself up to do the thing (and read the directions 4 times), I could actually see a few squirmy buggers on his scalp. Yuck!The descriptions they give you on the health pages didn't really help. I couldn't see any nits at all, and the bugaboos I saw were yes, as long as sesame seed, but half a s wide, and more blackish than greyish.Eww.Amazingly enough, DB did really,… -
New Year, New Perspective
7 Jan 2010 | 6:09 pmI haven't been posting much this school year -- that's for a couple of reasons. The first is that DB has 2 terrific teachers this year for 2nd grade.The second is that I'm a little cowed by a little chat the principal had with me at the end of last school year, wherein she made sure to mention my freedom of speech and that she had not herself read my blog but she had staff members who were very concerned about it, well, basically, nobody likes a squealer, other parents mind find it, yadda yadda.If I'd had a day or so to prepare for the topic of the meeting I would have had snappy answers like… -
Good Behavior Is Relative
16 Dec 2009 | 5:58 pmThe holiday concert is Friday afternoon; so far there has been no drama about getting ready for it, no reports home of needing to promise rewards for good behavior during practice and during the concert.Maybe DB isn't in the front row this year; maybe he's standing next to girls; maybe he just lieks the songs better (who could be too upset about singing "Frosty the Snowman"?).At any rate, I've got high hopes. Of a reasonable amount of standing still, no outbursts, and something that looks like singing from time to time (lip synching is acceptable, since I won't know anyway).Fingers crossed…
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OTPlan.com
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Touch and Match
This activity provides the child with tactile input as he digs in the selected media to find matching objects. The goal is to have the child use an appropriate grasp while pulling the object out. -
Yarn Painting
This is a fun activity that helps to promote fine motor skills, such as cutting and grasping. It also provides the child with tactile input. -
Fall Trees
This is a fun and creative activity that works on tolerating tactile input and finger isolation. -
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.
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Facing Autism in New Brunswick
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The Time is Now to Redress the Autism Research Imbalance
7 Feb 2010 | 1:53 amAs with many complex disorders, causation is generally thought to involve some forms of genetic risk interacting with some forms of non-genetic environmental exposure. The balance of genetic risk and environmental exposure likely varies across the spectrum of ASD. .......... Researchers are working to better understand the interaction of genetic vulnerability with developmental experiences, such as a specific environmental exposure. While gene-environment interactions have been hypothesized to play a role in many medical disorders, these interactions have been difficult to prove… -
Discrimination Against Persons with Low Functioning Autism
4 Feb 2010 | 2:19 amMy identity is attached to being on the autism spectrum - Ari Ne'eman, Founding President, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Obama Administration Disability Appointee, New York Times, Nov 3, 2009 I am typically the only one on ASAN's board to interject the issues of the LFA, because my son is one. Whenever I do this, I am attacked by a few, including Clay Adams. Clay doesn't like it when I discuss the LFAs on ASAN's board. Neither do a lot of people. I wouldn't be surprised if I was eventually kicked off that board at some point. I'm the only one that I know of that has ever been put into… -
Autistic Halifax Teen Jennifer Graves-Smith Found Safe After Wandering For 10 Hours In Bitter Cold
3 Feb 2010 | 8:40 amAutistic children and adults are prone to wandering and becoming lost, sometimes with limited communication skills. Sometimes, it ends well as it has for Jennifer Graves-Smith in Halifax, Nova Scotia: As reported on the CBC : "An 18-year-old with autism is safe after she disappeared for nearly 10 hours in bitter cold. Jennifer Graves-Smith vanished after leaving her school, Halifax West High, at about 3:30 p.m. AT on Tuesday. She was reported missing when she failed to turn up for her bus ride home. Halifax Regional Police said the teen wandered near the school for hours and ended up in the… -
Autism Rising in the New York Times
3 Feb 2010 | 1:24 amThe New York Times has joined those who assert that rising autism rates reflect a real increase in autism and are not explained solely by changes in autism diagnosis definitions and increased awareness: "In the United States, anti-vaccine groups have advanced other theories since then to explain why they think vaccines cause autism. For years, they blamed thimerosal, a vaccine preservative containing mercury. Because of concerns over the preservative, vaccine makers in 2001 largely eliminated thimerosal from routinely administered childhood vaccines. But this change has had no apparent… -
Missing: Jennifer Graves Smith, Halifax Nova Scotia Teen With Autism
3 Feb 2010 | 12:46 amJennifer Graves-Smith The Halifax, Nova Scotia paper the Chronicle Herald reports that Jennifer Graves-Smith, an 18 year old Halifax girl with an unspecified autism disorder, is missing after she left her high school yesterday at 3:30 pm: Police say she didn't take her assigned school bus and was seen walking down a wooded pathway toward the Keshen Goodman Public Library on Lacewood Drive. Police describe Ms. Graves-Smith as five-foot-eight and 130 pounds with shoulder-length brown hair. She was wearing a slate blue Columbia jacket. She's known to usually have the…
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Everyday Adventures
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Anyone need their floors mopped?
7 Feb 2010 | 8:26 pmBitty is your man, as long as you don't mind puddles all over the floor. We have one of those Swiffer Wet-Jets that spray and then you mop. He LOVES the spray.He got the idea from one of his books (he likes to act out scenes from his books, not entire sequences but one little snippet repeated over and over and over). This time, it was a mopping scene.He grabbed the mop from the closet and went to work. At first, I was happy to let him. Who am I to argue with a child who wants to mop?But as I heard him spraying over and over, and realized he was going to use up the entire bottle of cleaning… -
2nd amendment, 3rd grade style :)
7 Feb 2010 | 7:48 pmThis past week, Cuddlebug was studying for his social studies test, which was on our form of government and the very basics of the U.S. Constitution. I take issue with some of what is in his textbook but I make a point not to contradict it (at least until after the test, lol) because I know that would just confuse him and not help him on his test.But I couldn't help myself when we got to the question about the Bill of Rights, because while it said "Bill of Rights" it really only mentioned the rights contained in the first amendment. Important as the 1st amendment is, that's not the only one… -
IEP's and other updates
6 Feb 2010 | 7:48 pmIt's been a crazy week. Crazy couple of weeks really... I think I've averaged about 4 hours of sleep a night. Finally got some rest last night but my brain is still fried, so here are some random updates:2 IEP's down, 1 to go... both Cuddlebug's and Bearhug's IEP's are done for the upcoming year. Not a whole lot of changes there. Bearhug's issues at school seem to have subsided for the time being and he is doing well although he still has the occasional blow-out at home. I think all kids probably go through things like that as they get older, but his difficulties expressing himself and… -
Christmas 2009
31 Jan 2010 | 1:19 pmStill catching up on pictures, lol. Here are some pictures from Christmas :).We let the boys open one present on Christmas Eve. Bitty actually fell asleep before that so he missed that part, but he made up for it the next morning :). (that's Bearhug on the left, Cuddlebug on the right). The presents are all spread out because they sorted them into separate piles... might as well be efficient and have everything ready to go for Christmas morning, right? ;).We had been telling Bitty for a month, "you have to wait until Christmas to open presents." He got a little confused on Christmas Eve and… -
Pack meeting
31 Jan 2010 | 1:12 pmBearhug and Cuddlebug had Pack Meeting this past Wednesday. They have each completed three achievements, which means they each earned a progress bead toward their Wolf badge. We convinced Bearhug to go to Scouts that night so he could get his award.You wouldn't know it from this picture, but it didn't exactly go well... Bearhug was so overstimulated I had to take him out, but we came back in long enough for him to get his award (and then had to take them both out). I missed Cuddlebug's award since I was out in the hallway, but he came up to help me with Bearhug's. Bitty actually managed to…
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Fickle Feline
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TMI Tuesday: From Bed-ruin to Boudoir in 1 Week.
8 Feb 2010 | 9:44 pmWith Valentine's Day under a week away, I am willing to bet that plans for romantic evenings abound. Those who dig the holiday are excited about their loved ones being forced into buying cheesy cards, overpriced flowers, and chocolate that your derriere probably doesn't need. I actually have no problem with Valentine's Day (or flowers or chocolate). I just wish that instead of spending a tonne of -
We Be Illin', Chillin'.
8 Feb 2010 | 3:06 pmAs it turns out, it wasn't only Cameron who got sick last night. After I got Cam to bed, I checked in on Max and he had also thrown up all over his bed. Ugh. This was the beginning of a very long night for all of us. Within a couple of hours I joined the ranks of the ill and succumbed to pukedom (and other wonderful blessings I will not share with you here but I'm sure you can guess).We called -
Great Food, Great Friend, Great Music.
7 Feb 2010 | 5:46 pmI had a terrific night in Toronto with my friend Christine. She made me dinner, we went to hear The Bad Plus, and we pseudo watched SNL, but mostly chatted and played with her dog Max (I know...). Then this morning, I slept in, she made me breakfast, and sent me on my way back home. As I write this, Cam is laying next to me on the bed, still sick (she just barfed all over both of us). Everyone -
The Best Laid Plans...
6 Feb 2010 | 8:10 amIt was, of course, too good to be true.Tickets purchased weeks in advance to see The Bad Plus tonight. Nana & Bumpa lined up to have Cameron sleep over. Plans for pedicures and dinner made. My bag packed (in my head) to stay at my friend Christine's place. Wine chilled. And as I opened the door to Cameron's room this morning, the smell hit me, and all those plans crumbled to the ground. There is -
Baby Got Mac.
5 Feb 2010 | 4:52 pmI want a macbook. And I want to shed some pounds. I want these things equally. The only way I can reconcile this is by merging these two desires. So, I need to save money for a macbook, and I need to eat less and exercise to lose weight. The cheapest macbook is $1100, let's say $1250 all-in, give or take, when you add in the tax. I have no extra money. What I do have is extra pounds. So, I
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The Bon Bon Gazette
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Kim Stagliano speaks out on CNN Re: Wakefield Autism/Vaccine Retraction
3 Feb 2010 | 1:35 pmYou know, its my daughter's birthday. If one more "helpful" friend points out to me the link on the Lancet article retraction - the Autism/Vaccine link being tossed out and Wakefield being lynched... Excuse me, but do you think I'm NOT following it all? I'm trying to enjoy my daughter's birthday but everywhere I turn I can't seem to get away from it.My son has autism and his story is very similar to many other children also on the Autism spectrum. My son was very much a healthy and happy child for the first year of his life - until he went to a well visit and received a toxic cocktail of… -
Happy Birthday Belle!
3 Feb 2010 | 6:06 amHappy 5th Birthday to Belle! -
Alex's finished movie - Ice Age Scrat visits Pixar UP!
18 Jan 2010 | 9:33 pmAlex really missed going to Small Factory since they had a bit of a holiday/winter break between lessons. This weekend he finally finished his creation in whice Scrat from Ice Age visit's Carl and the "Up" house from Pixar's UP.Enjoy! -
Louise Kuo Habakus to visit Brick SEPTA
18 Jan 2010 | 9:27 pmLouise Kuo Habakus, Age of Autism's 2009 Person of the year will be visiting Brick SEPTA in February. Please mark your calendars and plan on joining us for this informative (and FREE) event!Brick Township Special Education PTA presentsan introduction to Parenting For Wellness A Health Empowerment SeriesLouise Kuo Habakus, MA, HHPPlease join us for an informative and timely look at nutritional and perspectives on parenting and family wellness. We’ll discuss the “New Normal” of children’s health, and how to take back parenting and make our life health choices. Bring your questions about… -
Really Cool GFCF foods we've tried lately
18 Jan 2010 | 6:59 pmIt is so hard to believe some days that the Alex who stands before us today is the same child who was barely verbal and tantrum-ruled when he was diagnosed with autism. The same child who went from eating everything in sight to eating about 5 things and ate those same 5 things for years. Until, in first grade we switched him to the Gluten and Casein Free diet. The diet, which limits food ingredients and made things even more selective for him opened him up to a whole new world of eating. The same child who now will eat a turkey leg or a hamburger and not just chicken nuggets and pizza. Before…
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Autism Science Foundation
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ASF Pre-Doctoral Grant Recipents Announced
8 Feb 2010 | 6:23 pmThe Autism Science Foundation announced today that it had awarded doctoral training fellowships to six pre-doctoral students committed to pursuing careers in basic and clinical scientific research relevant to autism spectrum disorders. In all, $180,000 in grants will be distributed to student/mentor teams conducting research in autism treatment, biomarkers, animal models, and epidemiology. “We are thrilled to be funding grants after only ten months of fundraising and operations,” said Autism Science Foundation co-founder Karen London. “Outstanding research is the greatest gift we… -
Time to Regroup on Autism
3 Feb 2010 | 6:23 pmAutism Science Foundation President Alison Singer has an OpEd on CNN.com/Opinion about the medical journal The Lancet ’s decision to retract the controversial 1998 paper that first linked the MMR vaccine to autism and set off an unfounded fear of vaccination. Singer says new research has been overshadowed as some cling to the discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. She says research must move forward with science as the guide. Read the full story here. Filed under: autism, autism research, Autism Science Foundation, vaccines Tagged: Alison Singer, autism, Autism and… -
A Verdict on the Vaccination Boogeyman
29 Jan 2010 | 12:15 pmBy Shannon Des Roches Rosa, BlogHer Have you ever wondered why, exactly, vaccines are erroneously associated with autism? I’ll tell you: In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield held a press conference to announce that his research had revealed a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism. He published his findings in the respected independent medical journal The Lancet, and spent the next few years promoting his vaccine-autism “concerns” through media outlets like the TV news magazine 60 Minutes. The result was panic, a vaccination rates nosedive, and the resurrection of… -
Time to Put the MMR/Autism Myth Behind Us
29 Jan 2010 | 9:33 amBy Alison Singer President, Autism Science Foundation The week, the British General Medical Council (GMC) ruled that Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who first proposed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly” when he published his research and showed a ‘callous disregard’ for the suffering of children. The GMC decision came after the longest and most expensive hearing in its 148-year history. The hearing focused on a small study of a dozen children by Dr Wakefield and 12 doctors which linked the MMR with autism and bowel problems. It was published in… -
UK GMC Ruling: Wakefield “Acted Dishonestly and was Misleading” with Autism/MMR Research
28 Jan 2010 | 7:40 amUK Daily Mail Online The doctor at the centre of the MMR controversy ‘failed in his duties as a responsible consultant’, and went against the interests of children in his care, a disciplinary panel ruled today. Dr Andrew Wakefield also acted dishonestly and was misleading and irresponsible in the way he described research which was later published in The Lancet medical journal, the General Medical Council (GMC) said. In the late 1990s, Dr Wakefield and two other doctors said they believed they had uncovered a link between the jab and bowel disease and autism. Today’s…
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Autism Jabberwocky
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Comparing regressive to non-regressive autism
7 Feb 2010 | 5:04 pmI did not read this (yet) but it looks very interesting -Children with autism spectrum disorders: a comparison of those who regress vs. those who do not.Johnny L. Matson, PhD, Jonathan Wilkins, Jill C. FodstadObjective: While autism spectrum disorders (ASD) constitute a group of similar conditions, considerable heterogeneity in symptoms of these neurodevelopmental disorders have been noted. One of the most important, yet least studied, of these factors is developmental regression.Methods: One-hundred and twenty-five children were studied and broken down into the following three groups: ASD… -
Experts vs Bloggers
7 Feb 2010 | 8:45 amWhen it comes to health information online, who should you believe? According to a "study" reviewed on Science Daily in "Health Stories by Experts More Credible Than Blogs" -Health information written by a doctor is rated as more credible when it appears on a website than in a blog or a homepage, according to a study of college students.Makes sense to me. There is definitely something to be said for information that is written by a knowledgeable professional when compared to what is written by someone like me. Professionals, such as doctors, should have a more in depth understanding of a… -
Bias in research (and now a word from our sponsors)
3 Feb 2010 | 6:15 pmFlickr Photo by sflovestoryWhen I think of scientific research, a picture comes to mind of a person (women or man) standing in a laboratory performing some sort of experiment and carefully recording empirical results documenting the outcome of the experiment. They then sit down with the data and examine it with an impartial eye to see if it supports their theory. I know this is somewhat of a hokey image but to me it speaks of what a researcher should be - impartial, unbiased and disinterested. Science is meant to be a search for the truth (or as close to it as we can get) and we should not be… -
Who uses complementary and alternative medicine?
2 Feb 2010 | 8:13 amFlickr Photo by Auntie PIf you listen to certain people you would think that parents who use alternative or complementary medicine (CAM) with their children are uninformed, easily confused people who are so desperate to help their children that they would be willing to try anything.But is that really an accurate depiction? According to a study 1 published this month in Pediatrics in might not be.There seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding as to what exactly is meant by CAM. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Health (NCAM), a division of the National… -
Twitter
1 Feb 2010 | 3:15 pmIn case you didn't notice, I added an experimental feed from twitter on the top left of page. I have to confess that I am a bit of a Luddite when it comes to using newer services like twitter. I don't have any reason for being twitter-phobic, I just never really looked at it.Anyways, I bit the bullet and set up and an account on twitter and plugged the feed onto this site. My goal is to use it highlight things that I run across that are interesting but I don't have the time to write about. We will see how it goes. If you find it interesting or useful, please let…
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AutMont
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Event Summary for the Week of February 8, 2010
7 Feb 2010 | 12:51 pmPlease note: Due to weather conditions, please check to make sure that the events listed here are still happening. It is extremely likely that several of these events will be canceled.Check out all of the amazing events on the AutMont Calendar for this week!Monday, February 8:Parent Academy: Can We Talk? Speaking Up For Your Children to Help Them Succeed - CANCELEDTuesday, February 9:COPAA Webinar: Informed Consent and Meaningful Participation Under IDEAWednesday, February 10:Ivymount Webinar: Effective Strategies for Addressing Challenging Behavior in a Home SettingWebinar: Ins and Outs of… -
McTrans Meeting: After the School Bus Stops Coming
7 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pmSari Hornstein, author of the "After the School Bus Stops Coming" series, will be speaking at the next McTransitions meeting on February 11 from 7:30 to 9 p.m.She will be speaking about the transition process for her son, how she envisions his future, the kinds of jobs she entertains on his behalf, and the ways she tries to go about developing those jobs and opportunities for him.The meeting will take place at The Arc of Montgomery County (11600 Nebel Street) in Rockville. -
Webinar: Ins and Outs of Compensatory Education
7 Feb 2010 | 12:24 pmThe Advocate Academy will be presenting a webinar focused on the Ins and Outs of Compensatory Education for Students with Disabilities on February 10 from 2-3:30 p.m. ET.Presenters Jennifer Lowman, Esq., and Maura McInerney, Esq., will provide an overview of current case law governing compensatory education and will explore statute of limitation issues. They will also discuss the availability of compensatory education for young children and more. Time will also be provided for questions.The cost for this webinar is $50 and includes unlimited access to the webinar archive. You can register… -
Conference on Faith, Deafness and Disabilities
7 Feb 2010 | 12:23 pmThe Archdiocese of Washington presents its second annual Conference on Faith, Deafness and Disabilities: Creating Communities Where All Are Welcome.There will be both community workshops and parish workshops at this conference focused on disability opportunities. The conference takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on February 13.You can register online for the conference, which costs $15. Call Peg Kolm at 301-853-4560 with questions.The conference will take place at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament (6001 Western Ave, NW) in DC. -
Webinar: Effective Strategies for Addressing Challenging Behavior
7 Feb 2010 | 12:08 pmIvymount Outreach Programs is offering an educational web seminar outlining Effective Strategies for Addressing Challenging Behavior in a Home Setting, specifically designed to help families who are dealing with problem behaviors at home.This webinar will take place on February 10 from 12:15-1:45 p.m. and costs $75. Space is limited.Tamara Marder, PhD, BCBA-D, director of the IvyMount Autism Outreach and Consultation Services will be speaking during the webinar. There will be a Q & A session at the end of the seminar.You can register online for this event.
