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string(5994) "<div style="text-align: center;"><em>We must bear in mind, then, that there is nothing more difficult and dangerous, or more doubtful of success, than an attempt to introduce a new order of things in any state. N. Machievalli</em></div><br />In my world as a mother of a son with autism, even the smallest of changes can create havoc. Most people are aware that people with autism have difficulty dealing with change. Change has the potential to cause extreme anxiety and outbursts in the individual on the autism spectrum.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-nppPMxUO0/TyHWC59FxdI/AAAAAAAAAtY/r0YbDR-V5X8/s1600/Calvin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-nppPMxUO0/TyHWC59FxdI/AAAAAAAAAtY/r0YbDR-V5X8/s1600/Calvin.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son, now 13, was diagnosed with autism/pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified at age 6 under the DSM-IV.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Actually, though if you think of it, change can make <i>anyone</i> nervous. Try to change anything in any institution and see what happens. People will become "concerned" or "worried" and inevitably this concern will lead to an individual or a group of people opposing the issue.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />According to Machievalli, there will always be opposition to change, especially those who feel they have the most to lose if the changes go into effect. In this case, advocates in the autism community are casting a wary eye at the proposed changes to <i>Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, (DSM-IV).</i> The main worry is that the changes will make it more difficult for some children to receive special education and/or disability services. (There are other worries/controversies too as outlined in this <a href="http://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/the-4-main-dsm-5-autism-controversies/">post</a>.)<br /><br />This concern was highlighted in a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/health/research/new-autism-definition-would-exclude-many-study-suggests.html?_r=1">New York Times </a>article that was published January 20, 2012. The title alone is enough to to induce panic in the calmest of all individuals. What advocate wouldn't be concerned when reading the headline "New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggests"?<br /><div><br />Whether or not the worry is warranted, the study and related New York Times article has created a media avalanche and prompted a <a href="http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/12-03%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Disorders%20-%20DSM5.pdf">press release</a> from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), who publishes the DSM-IV. According to the release, "The proposal by the DSM-5 Neurodevelopmental Work Group recommends a a new category called autism spectrum disorder which would incorporate several previously separate diagnoses, including autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified."</div><div><br /></div><div>The new guidelines are currently being field tested and the decision, according to the APA, is months away. The new edition will be published in 2013. Supporters believe the changed guidelines for autism will lead to more accurate diagnosis and thus a better designed treatment plan for newly diagnosed individuals. </div><div><br />However, due to concern about what the outcomes of the new guidelines will be, it is likely there are far more opponents than supporters of the changes to the guidelines for autism. Before taking sides, it is important to get the basic facts first if one has not done so already. The <i>Washington Post</i> published an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-parenting/post/apa-considers-new-definition-for-autism-a-change-that-could-limit-kids-access-to-special-education/2012/01/22/gIQAb2rWJQ_blog.html">article</a> which quotes a representative from Autism Speaks extensively. I've scanned through several including <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-frances/the-autism-controversy-re_b_1222597.html">this</a> one and have found that out of all the articles out there about this topic, the<i> Washington Post</i> has the best basic question and answer article.<br /><br />That said, it will be a long time before we see whether or not there is truly anything to worry about. It could be that the supporters are correct in their assumption that this change will actually <i>benefit</i> individuals on the spectrum. 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string(5994) "<div style="text-align: center;"><em>We must bear in mind, then, that there is nothing more difficult and dangerous, or more doubtful of success, than an attempt to introduce a new order of things in any state. N. Machievalli</em></div><br />In my world as a mother of a son with autism, even the smallest of changes can create havoc. Most people are aware that people with autism have difficulty dealing with change. Change has the potential to cause extreme anxiety and outbursts in the individual on the autism spectrum.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-nppPMxUO0/TyHWC59FxdI/AAAAAAAAAtY/r0YbDR-V5X8/s1600/Calvin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-nppPMxUO0/TyHWC59FxdI/AAAAAAAAAtY/r0YbDR-V5X8/s1600/Calvin.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son, now 13, was diagnosed with autism/pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified at age 6 under the DSM-IV.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Actually, though if you think of it, change can make <i>anyone</i> nervous. Try to change anything in any institution and see what happens. People will become "concerned" or "worried" and inevitably this concern will lead to an individual or a group of people opposing the issue.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />According to Machievalli, there will always be opposition to change, especially those who feel they have the most to lose if the changes go into effect. In this case, advocates in the autism community are casting a wary eye at the proposed changes to <i>Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, (DSM-IV).</i> The main worry is that the changes will make it more difficult for some children to receive special education and/or disability services. (There are other worries/controversies too as outlined in this <a href="http://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/the-4-main-dsm-5-autism-controversies/">post</a>.)<br /><br />This concern was highlighted in a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/health/research/new-autism-definition-would-exclude-many-study-suggests.html?_r=1">New York Times </a>article that was published January 20, 2012. The title alone is enough to to induce panic in the calmest of all individuals. What advocate wouldn't be concerned when reading the headline "New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggests"?<br /><div><br />Whether or not the worry is warranted, the study and related New York Times article has created a media avalanche and prompted a <a href="http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/12-03%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Disorders%20-%20DSM5.pdf">press release</a> from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), who publishes the DSM-IV. According to the release, "The proposal by the DSM-5 Neurodevelopmental Work Group recommends a a new category called autism spectrum disorder which would incorporate several previously separate diagnoses, including autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified."</div><div><br /></div><div>The new guidelines are currently being field tested and the decision, according to the APA, is months away. The new edition will be published in 2013. Supporters believe the changed guidelines for autism will lead to more accurate diagnosis and thus a better designed treatment plan for newly diagnosed individuals. </div><div><br />However, due to concern about what the outcomes of the new guidelines will be, it is likely there are far more opponents than supporters of the changes to the guidelines for autism. Before taking sides, it is important to get the basic facts first if one has not done so already. The <i>Washington Post</i> published an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-parenting/post/apa-considers-new-definition-for-autism-a-change-that-could-limit-kids-access-to-special-education/2012/01/22/gIQAb2rWJQ_blog.html">article</a> which quotes a representative from Autism Speaks extensively. I've scanned through several including <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-frances/the-autism-controversy-re_b_1222597.html">this</a> one and have found that out of all the articles out there about this topic, the<i> Washington Post</i> has the best basic question and answer article.<br /><br />That said, it will be a long time before we see whether or not there is truly anything to worry about. It could be that the supporters are correct in their assumption that this change will actually <i>benefit</i> individuals on the spectrum. In the meantime, major autism advocacy groups like <a href="http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2012/01/20/the-changing-definition-of-autism-critical-issues-ahead/">Autism Speaks</a> and <a href="http://www.autism-society.org/news/the-autism-society-comments.html">Autism Society </a>are acting as watch dogs. As for the rest of us, according to the APA, they will be accepting comments for a third and final round in Spring 2012. The specific date was not listed. The date will most likely be posted at the <a href="http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx">this site</a> in the near future. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-897188019050886077?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(3433) "The headline of a recent <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-hidden-potential-of-autistic-kids">Scientific American articl</a>e grabbed my attention. When I read the words <i>The Hidden Potential of Autistic Kids</i> I thought 'Yes! The professionals are finally on the right track!' In short the article discusses how the tests overestimate disability in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder while they fail to acknowledge abilities that people with autism commonly posses (tasks that involve pattern recognition, logical reasoning and picking out irregularities in data or arguments).<br /><br />Many of us parents have known for years that the tests psychologists use to assess people on the spectrum are flawed. I know my own son could not answer questions unless they were phrased in a specific way. I remember sitting in with my son when he was being tested at age four and a half. I tried to rephrase a question for him in a way I knew he could answer and was immediately informed by the psychologist I could not intervene.<br /><br />The author also notes that the current belief that the majority of individuals with autism are cognitively impaired is wrong. The statistic of 70 to 80 percent of the autistic population being cognitively impaired appalled me, as a parent, because I thought that number was too high because many of the children I had met in my autism community were quite bright. I figured it was probably because the tests were not designed well enough to assess individuals with autism. I am grateful that a researcher agreed. Here is an excerpt from the article. <br /><br />"Researchers have long considered the majority of those affected by autism to be mentally retarded. Although the numbers cited vary, they generally fall between 70 to 80 percent of the affected population. But when Meredyth Edelson, A researcher at Willamette University, went looking for the source of those statistics, she was surprised that you could not find anything conclusive. Many of the conclusions were based on intelligence tests that tend to overestimate disability in autistic people. Our knowledge is based on pretty bad data," she says.<br /><br />The one flaw of this article is that readers that are part of the autism community might be offended because the author used the R-word (retardation) instead of writing "cognitively impaired" and did not use people first language ("autistic" instead of "person with autism.") Putting the political incorrectness aside, I am grateful that the author emphasizes that testing should put a higher value on the abilities and that certain factors (such as verbal processing) should be considered when an individual with autism is tested.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-3065683396020086196?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(3902) "<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Photo:</strong> C, the handsome son of Casdok. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YkYNCQZvLOU/TpXZVLmK-rI/AAAAAAAAAss/lFUBdrGcYB0/s1600/YayCasdok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YkYNCQZvLOU/TpXZVLmK-rI/AAAAAAAAAss/lFUBdrGcYB0/s320/YayCasdok.jpg" width="320" /></a> Faces. The beautiful faces of autism. There are many out there in this world, and will be many more. My friend Casdok, the blogger of <a href="http://motherofshrek.blogspot.com/">Mother of Shrek</a> started a <a href="http://casdok-facesofautism.blogspot.com/">blog</a> three years ago so that everyone could recognize the beauty of autism. I had a small part in it, by helping her choose among a short list of possible titles. We thought that the <em>Faces of Autism</em> best captured the spirit of the blog. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Recently, Casdok decided to give up her role as administrator and offered me the opportunity to keep this blog going. Obviously, I said yes. As the new administrator, I am hoping to publish at least one post a week, on Wednesday if possible. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The blog is simple and wonderful. Every post features a photograph of an adult or child with autism with a brief description of the person. The identities of the children are protected as much as possible, but the essence of who they are are still captured in the post. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div>To submit, please send a photograph and a brief description of the person and a notation of the country where he or she lives (exact location not necessary). Email your submission to me at julielorenzen [at] hotmail [dot] com. Links the blog of a parent or individual are accepted, but one doesn't not need to have a blog to submit. Click <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8202421924066976846#editor/target=post;postID=2264850755270584531">here </a>to see an example of what is publised at <em>Faces of Autism</em>. If you have already submitted to this site, but haven't done so for a year or more, please feel free to submit an updated photo and information. I hope to hear from many of you soon. Thank you!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-5937241175654738036?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-10-05T09:03:00.000-07:00"
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string(42) "Explaining Respect to Children with Autism"
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string(1703) "<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/DmqRNu_Wzbc/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DmqRNu_Wzbc&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DmqRNu_Wzbc&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>I love this video from you tube. Counselor Rob explains respect beautifully. He uses pictures, an expressive voice, and affirmation to explain to this somewhat abstract social concept. He covers respecting places, things and people. Counselor Rob's speaking style is also perfect for children on the spectrum who have some trouble with receptive speech. He speaks slowly and clearly. <br /><br />My son, C1, disliked Aretha Frankilin's song <em>Respect,</em> which I tried first when trying to teach him about respect. However, he liked and responded well to this video. He had no concept of what respect was until we covered it in home school last Spring. We just did a review this Fall after we got a new printer that he had trouble leaving alone. He is also nicer to one of his little brother's friends now too.<br /><br />Thank you Counselor Rob!!! <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-4781323942866668140?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-09-12T18:15:00.000-07:00"
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string(37) "Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Motivation"
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string(3111) "The other day while homeschooling my thirteen-year-old son with autism. I decided to cover the subject area of music by playing a little Mozart. I thought this was a good idea. After all, we had success with Beethoven as he can now identify a few of his works. Well, the Mozart idea didn't go over so well. Within seconds he was at our family computer putting in his own choice into the Google search box.<br /><br />He typed out 'fight songs.' He wanted to listen to university fight songs like the University of Michigan's "Hail to the Victors." '<br /><br />Ok, so you want to listen to fight songs.' I thought. So be it. So, he spent thirty minutes to an hour looking up and listening to various university fight songs.<br /><br />I had no problem with it. His choice led to a discussion of marching bands and instruments. There are marching bands in high schools. They are known to play fight songs.<br /><br />So, what does this have to do with Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation? According to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation">Wikipedia article</a> on the topic of motivation, intrinsic motivation is motivation driven by an interest or enjoyment in a task or subject. If someone is intrinsically motivated it means he or she really wants to do something. Something like, say, study fight songs.<br /><br />In contrast, extrinsic motivation comes from outside forces like educators, cheering crowds, employers, etc. Rewards, punishments, and good grades are all examples of extrinsic motivation.<br />This type of motivation is common in the public schools where topics of study are chosen for the students.<br /><br />My son is homeschooling with me in part because extrinsic motivation didn't work. Rewards? He had no interest in them. Good Grades? I don't think he cared what his report card said. Punishment? Well, he received plenty time outs and suspensions, but they didn't increase his desire to learn. In fact, he might have learned that if he acted out, he got to go home.<br /><br />OK, back to Mozart. Obviously he had no interest and was not intrinsically motivated to learn Mozart. I could have extrinsically motivated him (or at least tried) to learn all of Mozart's musical works. I do use extrinsic motivation such as grounding him from the computer or worse his Nintendo 3Ds.<br /><br />Yes, extrinsic motivation does work at home. However, I'd rather limit it use that, and call on the that strategy (if necessary) when covering a topic that he needs to know. Like how to add loose change. He'll need that skill in life. Mozart? Well, it would be nice if he could identify a few works, but I have to keep us moving forward.<br /><br />I want my son to enjoy learning again. So fight songs, it is. It took very little effort on my part to get him to listen to the half a dozen or so songs he researched. He's happy. I'm happy. He'll remember these songs for life. All is not lost.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-6603805004556028814?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(45) "Advocating for Educational Rights: Eight Tips"
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string(842) "This is just a mini-post, but one that I hope will help parents who have children with autism or aother special needs. Recently I came across a<a href="http://www.autismpundit.com/files/aeea814c790aecf0fe2a281f4fef9902-29.html"> blog</a> that provided eight tips for advocating for a child's educational rights. These are great.
<br />
<br /><strong>Bonus tip</strong>: Make sure you at least know of a lawyer who advocates for the needs of children with disabilities. Ideally, you probably should have one on speed dial, as the post I linked to suggests. All I can say, is that finding a lawyer at the top of my to do list. Just in case...
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2413371120393252209?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(70) "tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2709250388624091814.post-7435012017292221081"
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string(29) "2011-07-16T09:39:00.000-07:00"
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string(29) "2011-07-16T10:28:24.733-07:00"
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string(36) "Brain Research and Special Education"
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string(2136) "I just read an<a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2011/07/while_neuroscience_research_co.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2"> article </a>about how brain research can benefit special education and thought that I would share it here. Please note that this article is more about <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">possibilities</span> than current realities. The best part about this article is that the author notes a number of promising ways of how brain research (or the results of such research) can help students with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">disabilities</span>.<br /><br />These ways include a better understanding of dyslexia, autism, cognitive impairments, etc. Also, if scientists can improve brain imaging so that it can identify certain "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">bio markers</span>), this imaging could help ensure that most students with disabilities receive early intervention and could also help teachers more efficiently choose ways to help each <em>individual</em> in their classrooms. <br /><br />The usual words of caution were noted in this article. Stigma was mentioned as well as the the need for more more research on the topic. The only things that bothers me is that there is a need of research to show that brain research will benefit education. It seems like it should be common sense that it would be easier to help struggling students as a result of a better understanding of the human brain (especially an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">individual's</span> brain). How can anyone argue with that?<br /><br />Anyway, as one educator noted, "we are at the beginning of a revolution in human understanding." As for me, I can imagine looking back ten years from now and noting all the positive changes as a result of linking brain research to the area of special education. Let's hope the efforts continue.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-7435012017292221081?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(70) "tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2709250388624091814.post-3862863221777697276"
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string(29) "2011-06-15T07:27:00.000-07:00"
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string(29) "2011-06-15T22:49:48.063-07:00"
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string(36) "Getting Started: Homeschooling links"
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string(2065) "When homeschooling, as a novice, finding some general guidelines is a good place to start. As a mom of a boy with autism, I found this <a href="http://www.homeschoolingboys.com/hsboys/articles/6.html">link</a> to be helpful, and reassuring. The number one tip mentioned was <strong><em>not</em></strong> to do school at home. The author writes, "One of the main reasons families new to homeschooling struggle is that they try to duplicate the same structure, hours, course of study, curriculum and environment found in public schools. This is especially true if the youngster previously attended public schools and has been in special education."<br /><br />I found the aforementioned post on a list at Ann <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ziese's</span>, <a href="http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/">site</a>, <em>A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling.</em> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ziese's</span> site has tons of helpful links for parents with children of all abilities, including a few links with free lesson plans. <a href="http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/articles/061201.htm">Here</a> is an article she wrote titled "Just for the summer."<br /><br />Last but not least, here is a<a href="http://www.time4learning.com/homeschool/WelcomeToHomeschooling.pdf"> link</a> to a free guidebook, <em>Welcome to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Homeschool</span>, a Guide for Families</em>. I found the book to be filled with much of the same good advice (such as get to know your child, and know your regional laws) that I obtained while taking a course on homeschooling at a local community college.<br /><br /><strong>Author's Note</strong>: This is the last of my posts on this topic (well at least for awhile anyway). I wish all those families out there who are homeschooling the best! Have fun! :)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-3862863221777697276?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-06-01T09:28:00.000-07:00"
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string(27) "Autism Homeschooling Fears?"
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string(3926) "Over the past few months, I have found homeschooling to be a wonderful experience. My son is relaxed and is learning rather than spending all his energy resisting public education. As for me, the stress of worrying about his behavior at school is gone. More importantly, I have gotten to my son so much better and am find the experience to be incredibly enriching.<br /><br />That said, I realize that the general public might be skeptical about homeschooling. Recent news stories do not do much nullify that skepticism. The most recent <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1392367/Mother-face-truancy-fine-keeping-son-school-months--says-NOISY.html">story</a> involves a single mother in the United Kingdom who is facing truancy charges for keeping her son at home. This one is heartbreaking, because it seems she is truly trying to do what is best for her son. I'm also concerned that parents rule out homeschooling because they fear that they too will be faced with truancy charges.<br /><br />A more distressing news report is the <a href="http://www.kgw.com/news/neighborhood-news/vancouver/Vancouver-couple-accused-of-confining-mistreating-children-119785029.html">story</a> that involves a family in my home state of Washington. In April, a couple in Vancouver, WA, was arrested for keeping two non verbal children with autism in a room with a cage-like door. The apartment as a whole was described as filthy.<br /><br />The boys did not attend public school. Their step-mother claimed she was homeschooling the children, but their nine-year-old step brother told authorities that she hadn't made any attempt to educate any of them.<br /><br />This story dismays me, not only because the children were treated so horribly, but because it has the potential to negatively influence public opinion about homeschooling children on the autism spectrum. Also, it is quite possible that families may be discouraged from pursuing this option because of negative attitudes.<br /><br />Obviously, as in the case with that family in Vancouver, WA, homeschooling is not for everyone. The desire to home school should be there, as should the child's interest in being educated at home. The parent's ability and also the willingness to be held accountable for the decision should also be there. Most importantly though, the decision should be based on what parents think is best for the child.<br /><br />Ideally, if the home schooling parent can demonstrate teaching skills (or has the desire to acquire them), knows and upholds the regional law, keeps records, and has the resources to keep a decent home (clean, and with a nutritional stockpile of food), then he or she should be able to avoid being faced with truancy charges. I'm hoping parents whose children seem to need the home environment will not opt out of homeschooling because of the implied risks. There are at least five good reasons as listed <a href="http://www.homeschoolinged.com/HomeschoolingInfo/78.php">here</a> by another homeschooling mom which includes the reason of positive (versus negative) socialization.<br /><br />Putting fear of consequences aside, whether or not homeschooling is best for the child, is something that should be considered on a case-to-case basis. Some children with autism might thrive in an inclusive (mainstreaming) environment in public education. Others might do well in a special education room and private school with smaller class sizes.<br /><br />Despite the horror stories mentioned above, both the general public and parents alike should realize that homeschooling can be a wonderful option for the child with autism. Hopefully, recent news stories will not discourage parents or guardians from considering homeschooling.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-7217512908056143561?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(31) "Essay: Why We Are Homeschooling"
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string(4255) "Imagine what it would be like being in a environment where loud, obnoxious sounds constantly bombarded you. Imagine all your social skills disappearing, making you feel clueless. Imagine feeling extremely uncomfortable being in a throng of of people for hours on end with no way out.<br /><br />Imagine, being required to remember things even though your short term memory is a bit faulty. Now, imagine trying to deal with all I have described and having to focus on paperwork all day even though the muscles in your hands (and maybe even in the rest of your body) are weak. That is how I envision what school must have been like for my twelve year old son with autism.<br /><br />For years, we gave public education a good try. We've tried inclusion, mildly impaired classes, and even a life skills class with mild to moderately impaired students. I worked hard with two different school districts (we moved last year), in order to "make it work." I even participated in an <a href="http://www.autism-blog.net/2009/11/brief-overview-of-start.html">intensive program</a> designed to help train parents and staff to educate students with autism.<br /><br />Finally, it dawned on me that he'd probably struggle with any school environment. I realized that he needed a quiet environment, one-on-one attention, and a highly personalized curriculum designed to motivate him. The best (and really only) place set up to fulfill those needs is home, with a "facilitator" who knows him better than anyone else...his mom!! (That's me!).<br /><br />Anyway, the clincher was when my son made his own "declaration of intent" to file with the local district if a family plans to home school their child). My son said "I'm not ever going to school again!," We listened. Taking his recent "flight and fight" behaviors at school, it was clear that he had enough public school for awhile.<br /><br />People initially expressed concern for me and my mental health after we announced the decision to the district, health providers and friends, but I can honestly say I'm far less stressed than I was when he was in school. I no longer have to worry about getting distressing phone calls, or notes. Also, I have a much calmer child on my hands. He is far less stressed at home where his environment can be controlled at home (it's quieter and more predictable.)<br /><br />Even though I met the qualifications for homeschooling in the state of Washington, I still decided to attend a course on homeschooling which I have just finished. Being new in town, I figured it was a good way to get ideas, meet other moms, find some educational opportunities, and start networking. After a total of 24 hours of instruction, pretty capable of covering all eleven topics as required by our state. I also have a good grasp of our state laws on education as outlined <a href="http://www.washhomeschool.org/homeschooling/law.html#qual">here.</a><br /><br />We are still getting services from the school district. They sent us to <a href="http://www.connectionsslp.com/">this place </a>for Speech Therapy, and <a href="http://susanmcnutt.net/aboutus.aspx">this one</a> for <a href="http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/ill/occupational_therapy.html">Occupational Therapy</a>. It's been been going fairly well with more participation than what the public school providers were getting from my son. It helps that both places are ran out of converted houses and do not look anything like school.<br /><br />Also, I have found that another bonus of homeschooling is that I don't have to worry about scheduling doctor appointments around his school day. Further, we can alter the "school hours" to fit our needs rather than going at the designated hours. Finally, we can go on more field trips and have more fun while learning than what he would have had in public school.<br /><br />I have tons of ideas. A lot of my plans will be designed to make learning fun again. Some of them will be designed to give him skills to succeed and be more independent as he gets older. We will see how it goes. Wish me luck.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-8020742527262236406?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(70) "tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2709250388624091814.post-8764410233368941488"
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string(29) "2011-04-02T11:37:00.000-07:00"
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string(29) "2011-04-02T11:44:12.886-07:00"
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string(21) "World Autism Day 2011"
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string(1261) "<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZDa3xzJpmQ/TZduXcwq6bI/AAAAAAAAAsM/NtE8AGPD17g/s1600/world%2Bautism%2Bday.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 228px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591058811540138418" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZDa3xzJpmQ/TZduXcwq6bI/AAAAAAAAAsM/NtE8AGPD17g/s320/world%2Bautism%2Bday.jpg" /></a>Today is <a href="http://www.worldautismawarenessday.org/site/c.egLMI2ODKpF/b.3917077/k.186A/About_World_Autism_Awareness_Day.htm">World Autism Day.</a> I have friends from all over the world who have children with autism. These countries include <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Australia</span>, Canada, Nigeria (the child was born in the United States), and The United Kingdom. <br /><div></div><br /><div>Today in particular I am thinking about individuals with autism and their families who are living in Japan. I can't imagine how chaotic and stressful life must be in the aftermath of the earthquake. My heart goes out to them. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-8764410233368941488?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(70) "tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2709250388624091814.post-8123678102565282223"
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string(29) "2011-02-24T11:13:00.000-08:00"
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string(29) "2011-02-24T21:58:57.004-08:00"
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string(54) "Photo Essay: Pearl Harbor and King Kamehameha's Palace"
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string(5441) "<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a72DwaTq48Q/TWawCkHz-9I/AAAAAAAAAr8/Yxbz0gR1ws4/s1600/037.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577338746647608274" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a72DwaTq48Q/TWawCkHz-9I/AAAAAAAAAr8/Yxbz0gR1ws4/s320/037.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo:</strong> This is the one trip that eased my mind about pulling the boys out of school for a week for a five-day trip to Hawaii the first week in January. My husband and I both thought that taking them to see the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor would be a wonderful history lesson.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_Z-GBANJhw/TWav5LpbgvI/AAAAAAAAAr0/YGc1LkZxxXQ/s1600/035.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577338585458901746" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_Z-GBANJhw/TWav5LpbgvI/AAAAAAAAAr0/YGc1LkZxxXQ/s320/035.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo 2:</strong> It wasn't as easy as a trip as we had hoped. Our oldest son, C1 who autism, was more interested in having something to eat than posing for pictures like this one by the <em>USS Arizona's</em> anchor, or going out via a small boat to see the actual site. The hardest part was waiting for and enduring the short film about the Pearl Harbor attack. He did not want to see the movie, but it was a mandatory part of the trip. The movie is a way that the park manages the vast numbers of tourists that come to visit. They sell tickets by time slots available. Our son was fixated on getting a snack. We thought he'd have a meltdown and that we would not be able to go, but thankfully C1's dad helped him manage through it.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pEhZd8ZsNK4/TWavqyl3G4I/AAAAAAAAArs/7PuSDXv70-o/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577338338214878082" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pEhZd8ZsNK4/TWavqyl3G4I/AAAAAAAAArs/7PuSDXv70-o/s320/023.JPG" /></a><strong> Photo 3:</strong> Once at the site of the memorial, we gave him a disposable camera so he could take pictures for a report for school. He was calmer and more interested once we disembarked from the small boat that took us to the memorial site and taking pictures gave him something to do. I took the photo featured above, but he did take a similar one featuring the wall of names of the men who died on Dec. 7, 1941.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6lpniY4m5o/TWavhMFo0QI/AAAAAAAAArk/SFkA8dadIGA/s1600/027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577338173260353794" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6lpniY4m5o/TWavhMFo0QI/AAAAAAAAArk/SFkA8dadIGA/s320/027.JPG" /></a><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong>Photo 4</strong>: He also took a photo similar to this one of the American Flag. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577337925427493378" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_pcnhC_aM-E/TWavSw1regI/AAAAAAAAArc/FGVnDhSmIW8/s320/022.JPG" /> <strong>Photo 4:</strong> C1 also took a few photos like this...of rusted, but visible structures of the ship above water.<br /><br /></div><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HU31QsB8WQA/TWavBLwiUkI/AAAAAAAAArU/_qbEc-UIttQ/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577337623416033858" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HU31QsB8WQA/TWavBLwiUkI/AAAAAAAAArU/_qbEc-UIttQ/s320/025.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo 5</strong>: When, not taking pictures, he looked around the site some with his dad in tow. I was in charge of our youngest son. C2, who was also taking pictures. C1 did relax some after the movie was over (he might have been anxious about possible sensory discomfort in the theater), but probably didn't appreciate visiting the memorial much as he enjoyed seeing...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rT7FWb6f5_I/TWauWExe-ZI/AAAAAAAAArM/CirFgbnyZHw/s1600/041.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577336882806585746" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rT7FWb6f5_I/TWauWExe-ZI/AAAAAAAAArM/CirFgbnyZHw/s320/041.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo 6</strong>: King Kamehameha's Palace! It was all he talked about before we left via our bus tour. We didn't get to go inside, but thankfully, just getting a look from the outside was enough for C1. :)<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: C1 is really more interested in cultural history than mainstream history, so it wasn't surprising that he wasn't as geared up to visit the The <em>USS Arizona</em> memorial, and that we had more behavioral issues there than we did taking a look at the palace. </div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-8123678102565282223?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(70) "tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2709250388624091814.post-2373361561309311836"
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string(29) "2011-01-31T13:30:00.001-08:00"
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string(29) "2011-02-01T19:53:13.451-08:00"
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string(43) "A Turtle-phobic Boy Visits the Honolulu zoo"
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string(4537) "<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUiRKGvOFdI/AAAAAAAAArE/D_hD5FqmcMc/s1600/019.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568860542037005778" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUiRKGvOFdI/AAAAAAAAArE/D_hD5FqmcMc/s320/019.JPG" /></a><strong> Photo</strong>: C1 was more than happy to lead the way on our exodus from the Honolulu zoo. The walk back to our hotel was less stressful than our actual outing to visit the zoo. Read on for more.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUiI3R2rV4I/AAAAAAAAAq8/z8rl4cfqgP4/s1600/011.JPG"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568851422510536578" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUiI3R2rV4I/AAAAAAAAAq8/z8rl4cfqgP4/s320/011.JPG" /></strong></a><strong> Photo</strong>: Two tortoises can be seen here in the midst of their huge habitat at the Honolulu zoo. The reptiles might have been relatively far away, but they still terrified my son with ASD. My oldest son was more than happy to leave the zoo, and I'm sure this is why. </div><br /><div><div>Sometimes there is just no rationalizing with fear. My twelve-year-old son is scared, no absolutely terrified, of turtles and tortoises. The best explanation that he can give is that their shells scare him. I'm not sure why exactly and he cannot explain. I guess maybe it is because they poke their heads in and out in a unpredictable manner. He doesn't even want to look at them. We have explained that the shells are like helmets that people use, and are met to protect the animals. Our guy understands this to a degree, but still remains terrified of them.</div><br /><div>The good news, I suppose, is that we don't encounter turtles and tortoises very often. The bad news is that because we don't face the issue all that often, my son's fear of turtles isn't high on our long list of concerns. Unfortunately I had forgotten all about this phobia before we visited the Honolulu zoo, but it did not take long for it to become an sudden (and temporary) priority. In short, this concern basically bit us in the butt. (All I can say is that the "bite" didn't leave marks.)</div><br /><div>If I had to do it all over again, I would have visited the website to get a look at the <a href="http://www.honoluluzoo.org/tour.htm">map</a> to see how the facility was laid out. If I had done that, it would have become apparent that we would have to be very careful with our route because the zoo's rather large tortoise exhibit was right in the middle of the park. It would not have been easy to dodge the tortoises, but it would not have been impossible either.</div><br /><div>Of course we ended up walking right by the where the tortoises are kept, and of course my son noticed the reptiles immediately. I guess we can be glad he didn't have a huge meltdown. Instead, all it took was for my son to close his eyes and allow himself to be led past the tortoises as well as the turtles that were located in another part of the park.</div><br /><div>In the end, the trip was a little bit stressful, but not ruined by the unexpected hazard. We saw plenty of animals that C1 wasn't afraid of. He liked the spider monkeys and he braved going into the reptile/amphibian house so that he could see his favorite animal...a frog. </div><br /><div>As a result of this trip, I did learn a very valuable lesson. Next time we visit a zoo or aquarium we haven't gone to before, I will make sure to scout for tortoises and turtles ahead of time! This might involve calling the facility in question, because unlike tortoises, turtles aren't always marked on online maps. I have noted that sometimes they are added into informal displays like fish ponds...</div><br /><div>So yes, our trip to Hawaii was filled with ups and downs. Thankfully, this episode was just a small valley, which was relatively easy to navigate. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Happy note</strong>: Our youngest boy loved the zoo, and was delighted to find a shark tooth necklace at the zoo's gift shop. It was really affordable. He and the necklace have pretty much been inseparable since then. :) </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2373361561309311836?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-01-30T01:16:35.484-08:00"
["title"]=>
string(34) "A Trip, but not Exactly a Vacation"
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string(4108) "<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUUoJKi-p-I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/L_oLQjNMLsE/s1600/128.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567900652228487138" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUUoJKi-p-I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/L_oLQjNMLsE/s320/128.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo</strong>: A picture I took of the lagoon and buildings that are part of the Hawaiian Hilton Village where we stayed.<br /><br />Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to go to Hawaii. I've always heard of how beautiful it is, so when my husband decided to go to a conference in Honolulu and asked if I wanted to go too I didn't hesitate. In the Midwest it is far more rare than in the Pacific Northwest to find someone who has visited Hawaii because it is a lot more expensive to fly from Michigan than it is from Washington.<br /><br />Also, moving to the state of Washington ten months ago from Michigan cut our flight time to the islands by a little more than half. It takes about six hours to fly from Washington to the islands of Hawaii. Also, we were delighted when an airline started offering direct flights from a regional airport in our new home town to Hawaii just in time for us to fly back (more on that later.)<br /><div><br /><div>As far as anticipating the trip, my husband and I were excited about starting the new year (Jan 3-8) in the Aloha state, but also apprehensive. (Our two boys, however, were just plain excited.) We had never taken our sons, including the oldest who has autism, on a multi-day trip that required air travel to and from our destination. We worried a little about making it through airport security. We fretted about meltdowns in public, and wondered if we would regret attempting to go.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>Giving into our fear however would have meant not experiencing some of the best of what life has to offer...warm sunshine, beautiful scenery and the rich culture and history of the islands. So we prepared the best we could. We let the school system know we were pulling the boys for a week to go on on trip. I took my son to his psychiatrist the week before we went. The doctor gave me a note written on a prescription pad that explained my son had Autism Spectrum Disorder. He also wrote a prescription for a sedative to use during the plane ride, but we decided to not use it.</div><br /><div>My husband planned a rich variety of outings for us, and booked us in a room where his conference was being held. Fortunately, the hotel was located on a beach and had several swim pools, a must for most families with children. So, I packed swim suits, sun lotion and even after sun lotion in case one of us became sunburned. We also did our best to communicate our expectations of behavior to our son. </div><br /><div>Fortunately, we were able to go on all the outings my husband planned, but it wasn't easy. Every day had its challenges when it came to our twelve year old boy. We couldn't relax as the word vacation implies. But we did our best to enjoy our trip. We had our fun moments, but we also faced enormous challenges that we could have never anticipated. So yeah, I have some stories, which I'll share. All I'll write now is if I had of known exactly what was going to happen during our trip, I'm not sure I would have had the courage to have gone. </div><br /><div>That said, Hawaii lived up to my expectations. There is no place quite like it, and I'm so happy that I was able to fulfill a childhood dream and that my husband and I were able to take our children on a trip they are likely to remember for the rest of their lives. Hawaii is beautiful and we were able to enjoy five days of warm sunshine during the first full week of January...a novelty for this family who hails from the Midwest. Please stay tuned for more on our trip later. </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-7735523677188115416?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2010-12-20T23:32:51.151-08:00"
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string(42) "Wish list item: An Autobiographical Memory"
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string(5712) "<strong>Photo</strong>: Marilu Henner, of <em>Taxi </em>televison fame, has an <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TRBVBMcYnQI/AAAAAAAAAp4/iY2YWsHM7BQ/s1600/marilu-henner1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 210px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553031819556330754" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TRBVBMcYnQI/AAAAAAAAAp4/iY2YWsHM7BQ/s320/marilu-henner1.jpg" /></a>extraordinary ability to recall memories.<br /><br />I've been joking around here on this blog lately about being "super mom," in the sense that my tongue is usually in my cheek when I put those two words together...super and mom I mean. But wouldn't it be nice though if Santa Clause was real and could, if he wanted to, grant hopeful parents some <em>real </em>super powers?<br /><br />This super mom might be skeptical about Santa, but she does believe extraordinary powers/skills do exist among us mortals. There does, after all seem to be proof of this out there. For example, last night an episode about <a href="http://www.tvguide.com/News/Marilu-Henner-Memory-1026991.aspx">autobiographical memories </a>appeared on the CBS television show <em>60 Minutes.</em><br /><br />Having an autobiographical memory means one can recall just about every moment of their lives in minute detail. Ask an adult person with a superior memory about a day ten years back and it is likely that he or she will be able to say what day of the week it was, what the weather was like, and maybe even what they had for lunch. To that person, it would be like recalling something from yesterday. (Wow. To me, this ability seems like a super power!)<br /><br />Those of you familiar with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might already be be thinking about autism or Asperger Syndrome, because some people (but not all) on the spectrum are known to have extraordinary abilities to recall specific things when asked. However, when it was brought up that some people automatically assume they have ASD, the people featured on the episode all sort of laughed the idea off, though some admitted to having traits of obsessive compulsive disorder(obsessive hand washing and/or organization), a disorder that many people on the spectrum are known to have.<br /><br />It should be noted that the laughter that occurred when the topic of ASD came up wasn't offensive. In fact it was a reminder that one shouldn't assume a person has the disorder just because he or she can recall everything. Same goes for the notion of assuming that everyone on spectrum has this extraordinary ability.<br /><br />Another assumption is that this trait is one to envy. This may or may not be true. I suppose it depends on the person. Five out of the six people featuers seemed to enjoy having a superior memory. However, there seemed to be a downside to having this trait. Only one individual out of of the six was married and she admitted to being on her third marriage. Also, one of the six people featured refused to meet the other five because she finds having this ability to be painful.<br /><br />As for this "super mom" of a boy with autism and kidney problems, I think I would find this ability to be very handy. Although it wouldn't be pleasant to recall every single meltdown, it could be helpful to remember all details surrounding the event such as what my son ate and or what happened before the meltdown occurred.<br /><br />It also would help with keeping track of an extraordinary amount of medical details accumulated over the last twelve years. Last week I was drilled by a neurodevelopmental doctor for nearly an hour and fifteen minutes. As a whole I think I did a good job answering questions about my twelve year old son on the spectrum.<br /><br />However, there were times I was also a bit frustrated. An example of a frustrating moment was when the doctor asked me when we saw a geneticist. I couldn't remember exactly, though I knew where I could find the information. It is right <a href="http://www.autism-blog.net/2007/11/my-chromosomally-normal-male.html">here</a>, and I told them that, noticing that there was a computer in the room. The doctor asking the questions and the two others in the room weren't impressed, nor were they interested in moving toward the computer. At that moment, I really wished I could recall that information or at least to pull it from a highly organized file on my lap (unfortunately I am NOT a super mom when it comes to being organized.)<br /><br />Well, I guess I am not going to hold my breath in hopes that Santa will magically give me the ability to recall most details in my past. Instead, I will tell myself that only tiny segment of the population has the gift to remember everything. I'll also tell myself that not everyone has the super skill to be super organized. Though they would be helpful, one doesn't necessarily need these skills to be a good parent. I might not quite believe in Santa, but I do at least, recognize the need to believe in myself as a parent and a wife, and a caring person in general.<br /><br />So instead of making an impossible wish or giving myself a super kick in the rear end for not knowing it all, I'll hold my head high, be happy about what I could remember at that appointment and move on in a positive direction as a wife and a "super mom." I'll also be happy that I typed a report of all the important details of the appointment as soon as we got home. That will have to suffice. Merry Christmas Everyone. :)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2823954332420042289?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2010-11-22T22:02:00.000-08:00"
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string(51) "Review: 1,001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Boys"
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string(6593) "<div align="left"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TOtdrwItypI/AAAAAAAAApw/IhvTjfS3-Ts/s1600/1001_Tips_for_the_Parents_of_Autistic_Boys.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542626772646742674" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TOtdrwItypI/AAAAAAAAApw/IhvTjfS3-Ts/s320/1001_Tips_for_the_Parents_of_Autistic_Boys.jpg" /></a> Lately I've been joking around on this blog about being a "super mom." Around the time I started doing that (earlier this year) I'd often think to myself that when my "super boy" (my twelve-year-old son with autism and kidney ailments) was born, I should have been handed a hefty manual explaining how to raise him. After all knowledge is power.</div><br /><div align="left">So if one wants to be a super parent with a lot of power to raise a super kid with the often confounding diagnosis of autism, one has to acquire a lot of knowledge. This super mom gained a massive amount knowledge by reading tons of articles, blogs, and published books, such as <em>Thinking in Pictures</em> by Temple Grandin. </div><br /><p align="left">However, it would have been nice and even time efficient if a great deal of the knowledge this super parent acquired would have been nicely assembled and packaged back around the year 2000. Today's parents of newly diagnosed super kids are a bit luckier.</p><p align="left">An approximately 455 -page book, <em>1,001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Boys: Everything You Need to Know about Diagnosis, Doctors, Schools, taxes, vacations, babysitters, treatments, food and more</em> by Ken Siri has been published. It is one of books out there that most resembles the manual I have had in mind. (However a similar book, <em>1000 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder </em>by Veronica Zysk and Ellen Notbohm, was first published in 2004 and has been recently revised.)</p><p align="left">Obviously one book cannot reveal everything there is to know about autism, but it's nice to have a source on hand that can be consulted quickly. This super mom also suggests that this book be seen less as a "bible" and more of handbook of advice. The advice in this book should be viewed as well intentioned because this book was obviously designed to be helpful. But there <em><strong>are</strong></em> 1001 tips included in this book so not every tidbit will fit <strong><em>everyone</em></strong>. Further, some advice such as the three tips (788-790) on cutting finger nails may not suffice for those super kids with hypersensitive hearing, touch, and a sleep disorder that makes trimming nails while the person is asleep impossible. </p><p align="left">Despite that, this "super mom" does think this book is "super!!" because it was assembled with parents in mind and features tips from parents (a fun fact is that tips 974 to 976 are from a post I wrote and originally published on this blog). Other sources of tips include the likes of Grandin and Tony Attwood. One of the the best aspects is that the paperback book is affordable. At Amazon it is priced at $12.21 (U.S.).</p><p align="left">This super handbook is also organized by topic so that tips that may not apply (my child does not have problems sleeping, for example) can be easily skipped to more applicable chapters. As for me, I sped read through the diagnosis chapter and read chapters addressing puberty and sexuality much more closely. (My boy is 12, so yes I thought those tips to be most helpful). The book is also easy to read, which is a bonus for us "super parents" who are super stressed.</p><p align="left">On the downside, some parents may find parts of this book to be controversial. Others like this super mom writing this review might be merely wary. For example, one tip advises against using acetaminophen (used in products like Tylenol), but I have to avoid giving my guy who gets frequent headaches ibuprofen because of his stage 2 kidney disease. (Acetaminophen is processed through the liver, but ibuprofen is processed through the kidneys.) </p><p align="left">On the bright side,there is a responsible disclaimer by the author indicating that the book wasn't written to provide parents with medical advice and that all tips were meant to merely provide information. Siri also correctly noted in his Author's note that "Autism is a spectrum, and all children with autism are different. [...] What works for one child, may not work for another." </p><p align="left">That said super parents who embrace the biomedical approach to autism will be the most likely to readily accept this book because it has a heavy emphasis on biomedical treatments. Because aspiring "super parents" who are just starting to acquire knowledge about their newly diagnosed child's disorder will most likely be reading this book too, it should be noted that the author presents all tips matter of factly and does not make mention of the controversy surrounding the belief that vaccines cause autism. </p><p align="left">This blog author prefers to regard information about vaccines cautiously and examine the arguments of both sides, so it is important to me that parents realize there are a variety of beliefs about vaccines and other biomedical treatments. Although I endorse this book, I encourage aspiring (and established) super parents to keep reading about issues, treatments and other topics regarding autism. One can never learn enough about this complicated disorder. </p><p align="left">Siri's pro-biomedical beliefs are reflected throughout the book and are not confined simply to the chapters on treatments. However, this is not surprising considering that Siri is the co-author of <em>Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism</em>. Despite what a parent believes about certain issues, I believe it shouldn't be passed by because the bias reflected. This book and its counterpart has loads of useful information for all parents and should be given a chance. </p><p align="left"><strong>Note</strong>: This review is part of a blog tour for <em>1001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Boys</em> and its counter part <em>1001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Girls</em>. More opinions about this book (as well as the one written for girls) are available at the website <a href="http://1001autismtips.com/">1001 tips for Autism.</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-7485606575373606193?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(21) "Another School Change"
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string(2178) "C1, or super boy as I sometimes call him, has changed schools again. The school team and I have done our best to find a place where he'll feel more comfortable than where he was at. He started a Life Skills program on Monday, and he had a very good week.<br /><br />This is nice compared to the time not long ago when I felt like I had to wait around the house all day waiting for the inevitable call to come pick him up. Usually, I got the call before 11 a.m., which indicated something wasn't right since this happened almost daily.<br /><br />The school where he was at had a resource room, but it was not equipped to handle my son's level of need. They tried giving him an aide, but that didn't work out so well either. He was supposed to spend a lot of time included in the general education classroom, but it was evident by his behavior that he couldn't handle that environment.<br /><br />So we're trying a new school with a program that seems to be better designed to fit his needs. As far as transitions go, my son doesn't seem to mind big changes like changing schools. It's the smaller transitions like changing classrooms that can get to him.<br /><br /> I am glad and really relieved that my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">super boy</span> has done well with the change so far. His most difficult challenge was getting past his rigidity against starting a middle school housing grades 6, 7, and 8, as a fifth grader. Somehow we got him to change his mind and he agreed to go.<br /><br />My worry is that C1 usually has a grace period before his behavior falls apart at school. I'm hoping that this time it will be different. We have more supports in place for him as well as a <a href="http://projectstay.com/pdf/BehaviorInterventionPlan.pdf">behavior plan </a>that resulted from a <a href="http://cecp.air.org/fba/">functional behavioral assessment</a> that the autism consultant in our district completed. Please keep your fingers crossed for us.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-1064390756716514012?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(24) "Super Mom is Overwhelmed"
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string(2895) "It's been a while since this "super mom" has blogged. Mostly, it's because she has been completely overwhelmed. In other words, she's feeling less than super right now. I think all parents, especially parents of children with disabilities, get to the point when it's hard to keep up with everything. This super mom has been buried in an array of paper work for various doctors we're seeing, going to the resulting appointments, while also going to a series of meetings at my son's school because his current educational set up is not working for him.<br /><br />She's been doing all of this because things have been more than a bit rocky around here. A common saying is that actions speak louder than words. To this super mom's utter dismay, her super boy has not been behaving in a super manner at school. The culprit is most likely anxiety which is probably stemming from a entrance into adolescence (my son is 12), a change of location from Michigan to Washington, a change of schools, and a saddening realization that he's different from other students.<br /><br />Fortunately we have found a bevy of super sidekicks to help us in this very difficult situation. Besides the team at my son's school, these professionals include a therapist (whom my son really likes), a psychiatrist (who is excellent), a few moms (whose years of experience working with their own children and advocating for others can qualify them as professionals in my opinion), a neurologist (who'll we'll see in December), and even an allergist to determine whether certain foods are agitating his system. At the advice of the psychiatrist, we'll probably also add a behaviorist and some medication to our arsenal that we are assembling in order to help Super Boy cope with the world better.<br /><br />I found a <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Autism-Anxiety-Overload&id=369821">article </a>on autism and anxiety that I thought hit the mark pretty well. I liked how it mentioned that the best tools that parents can sue to help a child cope with a change are preparation and anticipation. The article also mentioned medications. Medication might not be for or endorsed by everyone, but I know of some families who have benefited from prescriptions prescribed by psychiatrists.<br /><br />My son has a single kidney so I've been avoiding considering medication up to this point due to concerns for his health. However, we're at the point where we need to try medication. It's called crisis mode. We're surviving so far, but are ready for things to get better. In the meantime, I'll try to blog when I can. Don't give up on the super mom yet. She still has a lot more to say and more posts will surely be coming in the future.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2415587631265006667?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(39) "The Ultra Modified Assignment on Heroes"
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string(4289) "<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/THwPT3PUOYI/AAAAAAAAAo4/oLw0zo_EpMg/s1600/290.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511296877914765698" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/THwPT3PUOYI/AAAAAAAAAo4/oLw0zo_EpMg/s320/290.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div><div>At the end of 2009/10 school year, this "super mom" and C1's Super teachers (general education and resource room) did their best last Spring to get C1 to do as much of a two part assignment on heroes as possible. The assignment came during a year when C1's behavior had been less then super.</div><br /><div>Super mom attended trainings all that year that taught school teams and parents how to help children on the autism spectrum succeed. She attended September through March, and then proceeded to move with her family across the country. By the time she reached this new school, where the hero assignment was given, she concluded that C1 needed to be included in a general education environment, and that the focus should be on good behavior rather than output. (C1 had been refusing to do school work for most of the year). </div><br /><div>For one part of the assignment, students were asked to research and report on either a historical hero or a public figure who is shaping current history. Figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Hellen Keller, and Albert Einstein were chosen. Finding a costume to wear while presenting the report was also part of the assingment.</div><br /><div>The second part was to choose a personal hero. Many chose their mom or dad. Then students created a book about their hero. The fourth graders then invited their personal heroes to the school so that they could hear see the student all dressed up as the respectively chosen historical figure while listening to the reports. The teacher and students also invited all the personal heroes to a reception in their classroom afterward. The kids then gave their books to their respective hero at the reception.</div><br /><div>To make a long story short, Super mom was delighted when C1 got up in front of a crowd to read a six page (the pages were small) report on Barack Obama. That was the good news. The not so good news was that she could tell that the school team wasn't as impressed (not that she blamed them, because they had not been in our shoes, so they really couldn't have known just how difficult the year had been). </div><div></div><div> </div><div>Super mom knew they weren't impressed because reading the report was the only thing C1 did. He didn't research the historical hero. He didn't dress up. And he didn't write a book on personal heroes. However, he almost also didn't read the report, and if he hadn't of done so then this exhausted mom's morale would have become completely deflated. </div><br /><div></div><div>Yes, I realize that we have a long way to go from that minimal success. However, at the time I really needed to rejoice in the wee bit that was accomplished and not the vast amount that went unfinished. In time I hope we can all expect more output from C1. Assignments for kids with autism often need to be modified, but maybe not so much to that extent. However, at the moment, the circumstances were extraordinary. Perhaps now that we have settled in more, maybe more can be expected from C1. </div><br /><div></div><div>So with my morale intact, I'm gearing up to face a new school year that begins in exactly one week. C1 one usually does great with compliance at the beginning of a school year, so there is some hope that the year will at least start out well. I'll also take time to see if addressing possible medical needs will help, because one's health can affect one's behavior. Hence we will see a few more specialists.</div><div> </div><div>That said, there probably won't be any more hero assignments in the near future, but let's hope that the journey of our"hero" (C1, the figure that seems to dominate this blog) will have much more success at school in the future.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2637604642370591114?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(51) "Cape Optional: the ten must haves of a super parent"
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string(4316) "Anyone can be a super parent. Whether it's of a special needs child or a healthy one who is developing typically. Don't despair, mind you, if you think you come up short with one or more of these attributes. After all, we're human, not supernatural. We shouldn't expect to be perfect parents. Aspiring to be as good as you can is enough. As long as you try. So here we go, capes or no...<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>The list</strong><br /><br />1. <strong>Love</strong>. Can't quite be a super parent without it.<br /><br />2. <strong>Compassion/Empathy.</strong> Being able to see a child's viewpoint from their situation helps a parent to react to their children in a more positive way. For example, that loud noise might not bother you, but may hurt a pair of super sensitive ears, therefore causing some behaviors in public.<br /><br />3. <strong>Adaptability</strong>y. Having children changes your life, whether these children have special needs or not. We all have to adapt...some of us more than others.<br /><br />4. <strong>A thick skin</strong>. This means not being over sensitive to what people might say about your child/children. Fortunately this skin is invisible and can be developed over time. A thick skin is especially important for those of us with children who have special needs. The more time that passes, the more likely you'll be to hear something painful from other people who do not understand. Try not to think of it, and focus on something more pleasant instead. After all, whose opinion is more important? Yours or theirs?<br /><br />5. <strong>A super sense of humor</strong>. Being a parent means having a few or more not so great moments with one's child. It's better to laugh than cry. I once took a knee in dog poo trying to help my child. It wasn't funny then, but can laugh about it now.<br /><br />6. <strong>Accountability.</strong> No matter what they do, we have to be accountable for our children. This means not making excuses, but taking action and responsibility for your child. Me to a school principal: "Yes, I know [leaving this part out for privacy purposes] is not acceptable behavior. He does have autism and doesn't understand the consequences of such actions, but we don't condone that type of behavior in any way. We'll work on it."<br /><br />7. <strong>Patience</strong>. I think all children can test a parent's patience. Some of us are born with more patience than others. It's possible that this might be the hardest skill to attain/maintain.<br />We're all human and have our breaking points, but if you want to be a great parent, patience is probably one of the most important skills to have.<br /><br />8. <strong>Organization. </strong>This skill can be a great asset to any super parent. I envy those who were born blessed with this skill. I'm still learning, but we'd miss a bunch of doctor appointments if I didn't have somewhat of a system. Fortunately keeping a calendar helps. Now if this "super parent" could be even more super by being able to make up and maintain a visual schedule for her child at home....sigh.<br /><br />9. <strong>Ability to solve most problems</strong>. Sometimes when you solve one problem involving a child, another pops right up. Problems, especially problems with children with special needs, seem to pop up like weeds, so it helps to have the ability to solve them.<br /><br />10. <strong>A good pair of feet clad with running shoes!</strong> These can come in handy when a small child or a child with special needs takes "flight."<br /><br /><strong>Note:</strong> If you have all these skills, then kudos to you. However<strong>,</strong> as I said, don't despair if you come up a bit short. I don't believe in the perfect parent phenomenom. Any one can aspire to be a super parent if they try. The bright side is that if you have at least six of these, you are more than halfway there into becoming a super parent...or maybe even further than that if you have skills not mentioned here.<br /><br />This list is just a starting point...<br /><br />What other skills can be attributed to super parents? Let me know! : )<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-8374195450032202075?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2010-07-26T11:06:00.000-07:00"
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string(29) "2010-07-26T11:22:36.392-07:00"
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string(55) "Update: Super C won't be Morphing into a Super Traveler"
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string(1411) "<strong>Note</strong>: This is part of a thread about the (inclusive) day camps that this blogger's son was signed up for. Please see the previous two posts if you are new to this blog. : )<br /><br />Super C was unable to maintain his super status at super hero day camp. This was evident on the fourth afternoon of a five day camp. Super C literally left the building and decided to go home on his own due to protests of those helping to maintain the safety of him and the other campers. After some thought and consideration and some input from the camp staff, Super Mom decided that it was best to cancel day camp number 2. So Super C will not be morphing into a super traveler this year for the Around the World day camp that is being held in August.<br /><br />Super mom is pursing leads to inspire and help Super C to pursue his super status once again. While she is currently avoiding the stress that comes with worrying about the behavior of her son in social settings away from home, she is determined that Super C will have some future opportunities. She just needs time to figure out how to help her son minimize some behaviors that make being in an inclusive environment rather challenging for everyone involved.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-487793960257043542?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2010-07-18T11:07:00.000-07:00"
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string(29) "2010-07-18T11:32:21.771-07:00"
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string(25) "Update: Super Hero Photos"
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string(2261) "<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TENDtwUXFjI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/dUFSVZGxJzQ/s1600/002.JPG"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495310423665612338" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TENDtwUXFjI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/dUFSVZGxJzQ/s320/002.JPG" /></strong></a><strong>Photo</strong>: Super C's Costume with SC at bottom. He modeled it at home.<br /><br /><strong>Update:</strong> Super C went Missing in Action by day the end of day four despite a promise that in the morning that Super C with his super behavior would stick around all day. Even though Super C promised in the morning of day four, Super Mom was hailed to come to the rescue by the end of the day. This resulted in Super Mom deciding that Super C should stay home for the last day of camp. She believed Super C disappeared because his alter ego (C1) needed a break.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TENDjlW4oeI/AAAAAAAAAoI/sxoaN-1hhhI/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495310248924717538" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TENDjlW4oeI/AAAAAAAAAoI/sxoaN-1hhhI/s320/003.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo 2:</strong> Super C's sidekick (his little brother) took over modeling duties because Super C didn't have much patience with posing in costume, which probably is not super comfortable to wear... Little C2 does look cute, but it doesn't look like either the hero or the sidekick will don the mask or cape anytime soon...<br /><br /><strong>Note:</strong> Super mom is hoping that day camp number two for C1 will go well, or at least that he'll have a good three out of five days. She'll consider letting C1 sit out day five again if necessary. A journey (going around the world) will be the focus of that camp, which is also put on by the parks and recreation department in our current city.<br /><div><div><div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-3952847379942020421?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2010-06-30T19:39:00.000-07:00"
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string(29) "2010-06-30T20:37:06.588-07:00"
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string(19) "Super Hero Day Camp"
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string(4119) "<strong>Note about Image:</strong> Plastic Man was chosen <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TCwJBbZXepI/AAAAAAAAAnw/Ba-p8hjY4Jw/s1600/Plastic_Man_17.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 224px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488771965996464786" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TCwJBbZXepI/AAAAAAAAAnw/Ba-p8hjY4Jw/s320/Plastic_Man_17.jpg" /></a> because this "Super Mom" has to "stretch" quite a bit to keep up with "Super C", her super kid on the autism spectrum.<br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Note</strong>: I am going to be exploring the theme of heroes in the next few posts. Most of the time, this author's eleven year old child is known here as C1, though for the time being he'll be "Super C!" Please stay tuned for more...<br /><br /><strong>Super Hero Day Camp!!!</strong><br /><br />Tomorrow is day four of Super Hero day camp in the community center at our local park. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is just on for this week. So far, so good. His behavior was great the first two days, though day 3 was a bit tricky at first.<br /><br /><br />"Super C" has an aide (assigned by the special needs specialist in the parks and recreation department). Todaywe decided it was important for her to stay in the background. "Super C" knows when he stands out as different, and he probably noticed that the aide made him stand out amonst the rest of the kids. Yesterday "Super C" transformed into the "Ring Man" who tried to put "Super Aide" in" jail" with a hula hoop. He was almost obsessive about it.<br /><br />It got "Super Mom" to thinking...Is "Ring Man" the villain we need to look out for? Maybe... Whatever the case, "Super Mom" is hoping "Super C1" will rule the week. The strategy is for Super Aide to lie low and to appear only when "the Meltdown Monster" threatens to emerge or when it is obvious that Super C needs a break to keep from getting overwhelmed.<br /><br />As stated previously, "Super C" had a little trouble this morning. Luckily "Super mom" was still in the playground outside with C2, a non hero participant when a ruckus errupted outside. Using her "super ears" she was able to identify the aggitated voice of her offspring immediately.<br /><br />It wasn't easy, but "Super Mom" and "Super Aide" managed to calm him down so that he was able to participate for the rest of the day. The young super heroes and their super staff took a tour of a park across the street which has a fish hatchery. Super aide told me that Super C enjoyed watching the trout being fed.<br /><br />Somehow "Super Mom" was able to take C2 out for errands and then on to picking strawberries five miles out of town. It wasn't easy for her to let go of the anxiety that the "Ring Man" or the "Melt Down Monster" might appear. The super cell phone was on hand and a quick stop at home between errands and strawberry warranted a check of the voice mail. The Super Subaru would have "flown" back to the park at any hint of trouble.<br /><br />At least the first two days went by relatively seemlessly, despite the brief debut of "Ring Man" on Day 2. The young super heroes made super hero masks out of paper mache. "Super C" came home yesterday with paper mache goop on his shoes and pants. "Super Mom" cleaned them off the best she could this morning using a scraping method with a handy super tool.<br /><br />The good news is that "Super C" managed to particpate and created a green mask, which is his favorite color. It looks a little small, but it might fit him. They are going to dress up in full super hero gear on Friday. A picture may or may not appear here, depending on a number of factors, such as whether "Super C" will be able to stay at Super Hero camp.<br /><br />In the meantime, if you so desire to create your own super hero, please check out this <a href="http://www.heromachine.com/">link</a>. Enjoy. : )<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-5249424414446801971?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2010-06-02T10:22:00.000-07:00"
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string(29) "2010-06-02T11:30:45.101-07:00"
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string(38) "This Blogger on "Square One" Awareness"
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string(5061) "<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TAafrqa4xzI/AAAAAAAAAno/ZiyeBPwBn0A/s1600/100_0427.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478241569213040434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TAafrqa4xzI/AAAAAAAAAno/ZiyeBPwBn0A/s320/100_0427.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>Photo:</strong> C1 participates (sort of away from the crowd) in a watermelon eating contest during a neighborhood party. He didn't really "race" but at least he joined the activity. : )<br /><br /><div>It's June 2 now and just two months past Autism Awareness month. April 2010 was the first time in a few years that I haven't helped my group in Central Michigan raise awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the community. Unfortunately I didn't blog too much either. I had a good reason. My family and I left Michigan on March 22 and arrived to our new home in Washington on May 29. </div><br /><div>Moving didn't mean I was totally excused from autism awareness. I've been actively involved in what I'm referring to as "square 1 awareness." What I mean by that is not so much explaining autism in general, but rather explaining how autism affects my oldest son. My ongoing mission has been to educate our neighbors and my son's playmates and teachers as well as our neighbors. Most people around here seem to know about autism in general, so mostly I've had to explain how autism and my son in general (for example, his quirky habits, what causes him to melt down, and what does and doesn't motivate him.) </div><br /><div>My first step was to talk to the educators at the local elementary school since my son was to start school about a week after we moved. Talking to adults about autism and my son is fairly easy for me and I felt that what I had to say about him in terms of ASD was well received. That took a few hours, but I enjoyed talking to them and my efforts seemed to have paid off as things are going as well as we can expect them to go. </div><br /><div>I found it to be harder to explain to the neighbor kids. Usually I don't say anything to children about C1 until something comes up. So on a sunny, warm day when my son kept insisting on everyone (two other boys and my younger son) playing inside instead of outside, I had a bit of explaining to do. My younger boy, C2, and I both explained that C1 has autism. That didn't change their minds about playing outside (I didn't expect it to), but they seem to still accept him to a certain extent. Eventually, my son did join them outside, but it took awhile. </div><br /><div>The kids I talked to on that day live on our street. There are also a few who live on the street behind us. My husband took up the job of "square one awareness" when a middle schooler mentioned that my son "was a little bit different." After my husband told him that C1 had autism, the boy said that "no one around here would give him a hard time." That made us feel pretty good. </div><br /><div>So yes, now the majority of our neighbors know. A lot of times we volunteered the information to the adults just in case they saw him running down the street screaming on a bad day. "Meltdowns aren't too pretty," is a line I use often when telling neighbors about how autism affects my son. </div><br /><div>When we told one neighbor at a recent neighborhood party, he addressed our tendency to volunteer information by asking us if we were concerned about prejudice. We said no, that it didn't happen too often. We didn't say it, but what we really fear is prejudice developing because we didn't do our job. Fear and prejudice often develops as a result of a lack of knowledge and/or communication. So far, we think we've done our job of "square one awareness" pretty well and feel accepted into our new community. </div><br /><div>However, our awareness work is far from over. The next step is educating an array of doctors, therapists and others (such as summer camp counselors) who will work with him in the future. As I have previously explained, it is not easy to get an intake (first) appointment with a doctor around here (much to my dismay) and we have to wait until July an appointment with his new pediatrician. However, our first appointment is with a therapist the third week in June. </div><br /><div>I spoke to the therapist, a psychologist, yesterday and disclosed some details about my son so that he will understand better to work with him. It seemed to go pretty well, but we'll know a little bit more about how it will work out after the first appointment. So, yep, this new phase of square one awareness has already begun. It will go full strength ahead through the summer. We have a lot of appointments and even a summer day camp in July. Wish us luck as we continue our mission of awareness! : )</div><div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-864762716732037697?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(59) "The Horse Boy: A free viewing co-hosted in Central Michigan"
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string(4404) "<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/S-meIMmBWBI/AAAAAAAAAnY/B_5AbLKSgbc/s1600/Horse+Boy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470077086075017234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 306px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/S-meIMmBWBI/AAAAAAAAAnY/B_5AbLKSgbc/s320/Horse+Boy.jpg" border="0" /></a> Having had my own child with autism enrolled in the <a href="http://www.autism-blog.net/2009/08/photo-essay-proud-of-proud-equestrians.html">Proud Equestrian Program </a>for years, I am hoping to one day get a chance to read <em>The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal his Son</em> by Rupert Isaacson.<br /><br />Further, I am a bit envious of movie goers in Central Michigan who will have the opportunity to see the documentary, <em>The Horse Boy,</em> for free tomorrow night, May 12, at Celebration Cinema in Mt. Pleasant, MI, 7 p.m. The event is being co-hosted by the cinema, WCMU, and the Central Michigan Autism Group (the awesome group that I was the secretary of before moving to Washington). A panel discussion will follow the one-hour film and free information about autism will be passed out. <div></div><br />The documentary was directed by a young filmmaker, Michel Orion Scott. Set in Mongolia, it is a travel adventure that provides insight into shamanic healing as well as a look into the autistic mind. The Isaacson's story was inspired by Rupert's experience with travel writing and their son Rowan's connection with horses. After trying several different treatments to help Rowan, his parents noticed that horse riding was the only thing that seemed to work. The Isaacsons realized that Rowan was calmer, expressed joy, and was able to give verbal directives while on horseback.<br /><br />This is perhaps one of the most creative methods of coping with autism that I ever have come across. In fact, Rupert Isaacson had such a creative idea that he had no trouble getting his story told (check out the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/books/15horse.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2">link</a> to this excellent NY Times article for information about Isaacson's proposal and its acceptance).<br /><br />I hope that there is a good turnout to see <em>The Horse Boy</em> in Mt. Pleasant. It seems to be a fascinating story and I'm sad that I won't be able to attend the event, which is the result of some of the fundraising activities I participated in for my group. That said, for those of you who live outside of Central Michigan, the book ($16.49 U.S.) and the documentary ($27.49 U.S.) are both available on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Horse+Boy">Amazon</a>. Of the book, Temple Grandin writes "This is a great book and everyone who is interested in autism, animals or different cultures should read it."<br /><br /><strong>Author's Note:</strong> I realize that some people may object to the notion of seeking out healing (Rupert Isaacson deliberately replaced healing with the word "cure" in his title.) However, as a blog author, I realize that people have different ways of coping with autism. I feel it is not up to me to judge what is the right and what is the wrong way coping because the method that people choose has to do with their circumstances, beliefs, and the individualized aspects that influenced those beliefs.<br /><p>So, some people accept their children with autism as they are. Some people seek out doctors and or various popular therapies such as Applied Behavioral Analysis. Some people (like me) embrace a mixture of therapy, experiences, and acceptance, and some people, like the Isaacsons, go on fascinating and extraordinary journeys. </p><p><strong>P.S.</strong> <em>The Horse Boy</em> is scheduled to air on CMU Public Television as part of the PBS series "Independent Lens" in May of 2010. This screening event is part of the ITVS (Independent Television Service) Community Cinema program. Free screenings of Independent Lens films are held at a variety of locations through June 2010. See <a href="http://www.wcmu.org/events.html">here</a> for more information about the film and/or the event being held tonight. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-3853731109153949545?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(5994) "<div style="text-align: center;"><em>We must bear in mind, then, that there is nothing more difficult and dangerous, or more doubtful of success, than an attempt to introduce a new order of things in any state. N. Machievalli</em></div><br />In my world as a mother of a son with autism, even the smallest of changes can create havoc. Most people are aware that people with autism have difficulty dealing with change. Change has the potential to cause extreme anxiety and outbursts in the individual on the autism spectrum.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-nppPMxUO0/TyHWC59FxdI/AAAAAAAAAtY/r0YbDR-V5X8/s1600/Calvin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b-nppPMxUO0/TyHWC59FxdI/AAAAAAAAAtY/r0YbDR-V5X8/s1600/Calvin.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son, now 13, was diagnosed with autism/pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified at age 6 under the DSM-IV.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Actually, though if you think of it, change can make <i>anyone</i> nervous. Try to change anything in any institution and see what happens. People will become "concerned" or "worried" and inevitably this concern will lead to an individual or a group of people opposing the issue.</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><br />According to Machievalli, there will always be opposition to change, especially those who feel they have the most to lose if the changes go into effect. In this case, advocates in the autism community are casting a wary eye at the proposed changes to <i>Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, (DSM-IV).</i> The main worry is that the changes will make it more difficult for some children to receive special education and/or disability services. (There are other worries/controversies too as outlined in this <a href="http://autismandoughtisms.wordpress.com/2011/08/15/the-4-main-dsm-5-autism-controversies/">post</a>.)<br /><br />This concern was highlighted in a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/health/research/new-autism-definition-would-exclude-many-study-suggests.html?_r=1">New York Times </a>article that was published January 20, 2012. The title alone is enough to to induce panic in the calmest of all individuals. What advocate wouldn't be concerned when reading the headline "New Definition of Autism Will Exclude Many, Study Suggests"?<br /><div><br />Whether or not the worry is warranted, the study and related New York Times article has created a media avalanche and prompted a <a href="http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/12-03%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Disorders%20-%20DSM5.pdf">press release</a> from the American Psychiatric Association (APA), who publishes the DSM-IV. According to the release, "The proposal by the DSM-5 Neurodevelopmental Work Group recommends a a new category called autism spectrum disorder which would incorporate several previously separate diagnoses, including autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified."</div><div><br /></div><div>The new guidelines are currently being field tested and the decision, according to the APA, is months away. The new edition will be published in 2013. Supporters believe the changed guidelines for autism will lead to more accurate diagnosis and thus a better designed treatment plan for newly diagnosed individuals. </div><div><br />However, due to concern about what the outcomes of the new guidelines will be, it is likely there are far more opponents than supporters of the changes to the guidelines for autism. Before taking sides, it is important to get the basic facts first if one has not done so already. The <i>Washington Post</i> published an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-parenting/post/apa-considers-new-definition-for-autism-a-change-that-could-limit-kids-access-to-special-education/2012/01/22/gIQAb2rWJQ_blog.html">article</a> which quotes a representative from Autism Speaks extensively. I've scanned through several including <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allen-frances/the-autism-controversy-re_b_1222597.html">this</a> one and have found that out of all the articles out there about this topic, the<i> Washington Post</i> has the best basic question and answer article.<br /><br />That said, it will be a long time before we see whether or not there is truly anything to worry about. It could be that the supporters are correct in their assumption that this change will actually <i>benefit</i> individuals on the spectrum. In the meantime, major autism advocacy groups like <a href="http://blog.autismspeaks.org/2012/01/20/the-changing-definition-of-autism-critical-issues-ahead/">Autism Speaks</a> and <a href="http://www.autism-society.org/news/the-autism-society-comments.html">Autism Society </a>are acting as watch dogs. As for the rest of us, according to the APA, they will be accepting comments for a third and final round in Spring 2012. The specific date was not listed. The date will most likely be posted at the <a href="http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx">this site</a> in the near future. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-897188019050886077?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(3433) "The headline of a recent <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-hidden-potential-of-autistic-kids">Scientific American articl</a>e grabbed my attention. When I read the words <i>The Hidden Potential of Autistic Kids</i> I thought 'Yes! The professionals are finally on the right track!' In short the article discusses how the tests overestimate disability in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder while they fail to acknowledge abilities that people with autism commonly posses (tasks that involve pattern recognition, logical reasoning and picking out irregularities in data or arguments).<br /><br />Many of us parents have known for years that the tests psychologists use to assess people on the spectrum are flawed. I know my own son could not answer questions unless they were phrased in a specific way. I remember sitting in with my son when he was being tested at age four and a half. I tried to rephrase a question for him in a way I knew he could answer and was immediately informed by the psychologist I could not intervene.<br /><br />The author also notes that the current belief that the majority of individuals with autism are cognitively impaired is wrong. The statistic of 70 to 80 percent of the autistic population being cognitively impaired appalled me, as a parent, because I thought that number was too high because many of the children I had met in my autism community were quite bright. I figured it was probably because the tests were not designed well enough to assess individuals with autism. I am grateful that a researcher agreed. Here is an excerpt from the article. <br /><br />"Researchers have long considered the majority of those affected by autism to be mentally retarded. Although the numbers cited vary, they generally fall between 70 to 80 percent of the affected population. But when Meredyth Edelson, A researcher at Willamette University, went looking for the source of those statistics, she was surprised that you could not find anything conclusive. Many of the conclusions were based on intelligence tests that tend to overestimate disability in autistic people. Our knowledge is based on pretty bad data," she says.<br /><br />The one flaw of this article is that readers that are part of the autism community might be offended because the author used the R-word (retardation) instead of writing "cognitively impaired" and did not use people first language ("autistic" instead of "person with autism.") Putting the political incorrectness aside, I am grateful that the author emphasizes that testing should put a higher value on the abilities and that certain factors (such as verbal processing) should be considered when an individual with autism is tested.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: georgia, times, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-3065683396020086196?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(3902) "<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Photo:</strong> C, the handsome son of Casdok. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YkYNCQZvLOU/TpXZVLmK-rI/AAAAAAAAAss/lFUBdrGcYB0/s1600/YayCasdok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" oda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YkYNCQZvLOU/TpXZVLmK-rI/AAAAAAAAAss/lFUBdrGcYB0/s320/YayCasdok.jpg" width="320" /></a> Faces. The beautiful faces of autism. There are many out there in this world, and will be many more. My friend Casdok, the blogger of <a href="http://motherofshrek.blogspot.com/">Mother of Shrek</a> started a <a href="http://casdok-facesofautism.blogspot.com/">blog</a> three years ago so that everyone could recognize the beauty of autism. I had a small part in it, by helping her choose among a short list of possible titles. We thought that the <em>Faces of Autism</em> best captured the spirit of the blog. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Recently, Casdok decided to give up her role as administrator and offered me the opportunity to keep this blog going. Obviously, I said yes. As the new administrator, I am hoping to publish at least one post a week, on Wednesday if possible. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The blog is simple and wonderful. Every post features a photograph of an adult or child with autism with a brief description of the person. The identities of the children are protected as much as possible, but the essence of who they are are still captured in the post. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div>To submit, please send a photograph and a brief description of the person and a notation of the country where he or she lives (exact location not necessary). Email your submission to me at julielorenzen [at] hotmail [dot] com. Links the blog of a parent or individual are accepted, but one doesn't not need to have a blog to submit. Click <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8202421924066976846#editor/target=post;postID=2264850755270584531">here </a>to see an example of what is publised at <em>Faces of Autism</em>. If you have already submitted to this site, but haven't done so for a year or more, please feel free to submit an updated photo and information. I hope to hear from many of you soon. Thank you!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-5937241175654738036?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(42) "Explaining Respect to Children with Autism"
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string(1703) "<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/DmqRNu_Wzbc/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DmqRNu_Wzbc&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DmqRNu_Wzbc&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>I love this video from you tube. Counselor Rob explains respect beautifully. He uses pictures, an expressive voice, and affirmation to explain to this somewhat abstract social concept. He covers respecting places, things and people. Counselor Rob's speaking style is also perfect for children on the spectrum who have some trouble with receptive speech. He speaks slowly and clearly. <br /><br />My son, C1, disliked Aretha Frankilin's song <em>Respect,</em> which I tried first when trying to teach him about respect. However, he liked and responded well to this video. He had no concept of what respect was until we covered it in home school last Spring. We just did a review this Fall after we got a new printer that he had trouble leaving alone. He is also nicer to one of his little brother's friends now too.<br /><br />Thank you Counselor Rob!!! <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-4781323942866668140?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-09-12T18:15:00.000-07:00"
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string(29) "2011-09-12T19:07:26.353-07:00"
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string(37) "Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Motivation"
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string(3111) "The other day while homeschooling my thirteen-year-old son with autism. I decided to cover the subject area of music by playing a little Mozart. I thought this was a good idea. After all, we had success with Beethoven as he can now identify a few of his works. Well, the Mozart idea didn't go over so well. Within seconds he was at our family computer putting in his own choice into the Google search box.<br /><br />He typed out 'fight songs.' He wanted to listen to university fight songs like the University of Michigan's "Hail to the Victors." '<br /><br />Ok, so you want to listen to fight songs.' I thought. So be it. So, he spent thirty minutes to an hour looking up and listening to various university fight songs.<br /><br />I had no problem with it. His choice led to a discussion of marching bands and instruments. There are marching bands in high schools. They are known to play fight songs.<br /><br />So, what does this have to do with Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation? According to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation">Wikipedia article</a> on the topic of motivation, intrinsic motivation is motivation driven by an interest or enjoyment in a task or subject. If someone is intrinsically motivated it means he or she really wants to do something. Something like, say, study fight songs.<br /><br />In contrast, extrinsic motivation comes from outside forces like educators, cheering crowds, employers, etc. Rewards, punishments, and good grades are all examples of extrinsic motivation.<br />This type of motivation is common in the public schools where topics of study are chosen for the students.<br /><br />My son is homeschooling with me in part because extrinsic motivation didn't work. Rewards? He had no interest in them. Good Grades? I don't think he cared what his report card said. Punishment? Well, he received plenty time outs and suspensions, but they didn't increase his desire to learn. In fact, he might have learned that if he acted out, he got to go home.<br /><br />OK, back to Mozart. Obviously he had no interest and was not intrinsically motivated to learn Mozart. I could have extrinsically motivated him (or at least tried) to learn all of Mozart's musical works. I do use extrinsic motivation such as grounding him from the computer or worse his Nintendo 3Ds.<br /><br />Yes, extrinsic motivation does work at home. However, I'd rather limit it use that, and call on the that strategy (if necessary) when covering a topic that he needs to know. Like how to add loose change. He'll need that skill in life. Mozart? Well, it would be nice if he could identify a few works, but I have to keep us moving forward.<br /><br />I want my son to enjoy learning again. So fight songs, it is. It took very little effort on my part to get him to listen to the half a dozen or so songs he researched. He's happy. I'm happy. He'll remember these songs for life. All is not lost.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-6603805004556028814?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-08-31T09:46:00.000-07:00"
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string(45) "Advocating for Educational Rights: Eight Tips"
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string(842) "This is just a mini-post, but one that I hope will help parents who have children with autism or aother special needs. Recently I came across a<a href="http://www.autismpundit.com/files/aeea814c790aecf0fe2a281f4fef9902-29.html"> blog</a> that provided eight tips for advocating for a child's educational rights. These are great.
<br />
<br /><strong>Bonus tip</strong>: Make sure you at least know of a lawyer who advocates for the needs of children with disabilities. Ideally, you probably should have one on speed dial, as the post I linked to suggests. All I can say, is that finding a lawyer at the top of my to do list. Just in case...
<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2413371120393252209?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(70) "tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2709250388624091814.post-7435012017292221081"
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string(29) "2011-07-16T09:39:00.000-07:00"
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string(36) "Brain Research and Special Education"
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string(2136) "I just read an<a href="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2011/07/while_neuroscience_research_co.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2"> article </a>about how brain research can benefit special education and thought that I would share it here. Please note that this article is more about <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">possibilities</span> than current realities. The best part about this article is that the author notes a number of promising ways of how brain research (or the results of such research) can help students with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">disabilities</span>.<br /><br />These ways include a better understanding of dyslexia, autism, cognitive impairments, etc. Also, if scientists can improve brain imaging so that it can identify certain "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">bio markers</span>), this imaging could help ensure that most students with disabilities receive early intervention and could also help teachers more efficiently choose ways to help each <em>individual</em> in their classrooms. <br /><br />The usual words of caution were noted in this article. Stigma was mentioned as well as the the need for more more research on the topic. The only things that bothers me is that there is a need of research to show that brain research will benefit education. It seems like it should be common sense that it would be easier to help struggling students as a result of a better understanding of the human brain (especially an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">individual's</span> brain). How can anyone argue with that?<br /><br />Anyway, as one educator noted, "we are at the beginning of a revolution in human understanding." As for me, I can imagine looking back ten years from now and noting all the positive changes as a result of linking brain research to the area of special education. Let's hope the efforts continue.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-7435012017292221081?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-06-15T07:27:00.000-07:00"
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string(29) "2011-06-15T22:49:48.063-07:00"
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string(36) "Getting Started: Homeschooling links"
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string(2065) "When homeschooling, as a novice, finding some general guidelines is a good place to start. As a mom of a boy with autism, I found this <a href="http://www.homeschoolingboys.com/hsboys/articles/6.html">link</a> to be helpful, and reassuring. The number one tip mentioned was <strong><em>not</em></strong> to do school at home. The author writes, "One of the main reasons families new to homeschooling struggle is that they try to duplicate the same structure, hours, course of study, curriculum and environment found in public schools. This is especially true if the youngster previously attended public schools and has been in special education."<br /><br />I found the aforementioned post on a list at Ann <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ziese's</span>, <a href="http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/">site</a>, <em>A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling.</em> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ziese's</span> site has tons of helpful links for parents with children of all abilities, including a few links with free lesson plans. <a href="http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/articles/061201.htm">Here</a> is an article she wrote titled "Just for the summer."<br /><br />Last but not least, here is a<a href="http://www.time4learning.com/homeschool/WelcomeToHomeschooling.pdf"> link</a> to a free guidebook, <em>Welcome to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Homeschool</span>, a Guide for Families</em>. I found the book to be filled with much of the same good advice (such as get to know your child, and know your regional laws) that I obtained while taking a course on homeschooling at a local community college.<br /><br /><strong>Author's Note</strong>: This is the last of my posts on this topic (well at least for awhile anyway). I wish all those families out there who are homeschooling the best! Have fun! :)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-3862863221777697276?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-06-01T09:28:00.000-07:00"
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string(27) "Autism Homeschooling Fears?"
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string(3926) "Over the past few months, I have found homeschooling to be a wonderful experience. My son is relaxed and is learning rather than spending all his energy resisting public education. As for me, the stress of worrying about his behavior at school is gone. More importantly, I have gotten to my son so much better and am find the experience to be incredibly enriching.<br /><br />That said, I realize that the general public might be skeptical about homeschooling. Recent news stories do not do much nullify that skepticism. The most recent <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1392367/Mother-face-truancy-fine-keeping-son-school-months--says-NOISY.html">story</a> involves a single mother in the United Kingdom who is facing truancy charges for keeping her son at home. This one is heartbreaking, because it seems she is truly trying to do what is best for her son. I'm also concerned that parents rule out homeschooling because they fear that they too will be faced with truancy charges.<br /><br />A more distressing news report is the <a href="http://www.kgw.com/news/neighborhood-news/vancouver/Vancouver-couple-accused-of-confining-mistreating-children-119785029.html">story</a> that involves a family in my home state of Washington. In April, a couple in Vancouver, WA, was arrested for keeping two non verbal children with autism in a room with a cage-like door. The apartment as a whole was described as filthy.<br /><br />The boys did not attend public school. Their step-mother claimed she was homeschooling the children, but their nine-year-old step brother told authorities that she hadn't made any attempt to educate any of them.<br /><br />This story dismays me, not only because the children were treated so horribly, but because it has the potential to negatively influence public opinion about homeschooling children on the autism spectrum. Also, it is quite possible that families may be discouraged from pursuing this option because of negative attitudes.<br /><br />Obviously, as in the case with that family in Vancouver, WA, homeschooling is not for everyone. The desire to home school should be there, as should the child's interest in being educated at home. The parent's ability and also the willingness to be held accountable for the decision should also be there. Most importantly though, the decision should be based on what parents think is best for the child.<br /><br />Ideally, if the home schooling parent can demonstrate teaching skills (or has the desire to acquire them), knows and upholds the regional law, keeps records, and has the resources to keep a decent home (clean, and with a nutritional stockpile of food), then he or she should be able to avoid being faced with truancy charges. I'm hoping parents whose children seem to need the home environment will not opt out of homeschooling because of the implied risks. There are at least five good reasons as listed <a href="http://www.homeschoolinged.com/HomeschoolingInfo/78.php">here</a> by another homeschooling mom which includes the reason of positive (versus negative) socialization.<br /><br />Putting fear of consequences aside, whether or not homeschooling is best for the child, is something that should be considered on a case-to-case basis. Some children with autism might thrive in an inclusive (mainstreaming) environment in public education. Others might do well in a special education room and private school with smaller class sizes.<br /><br />Despite the horror stories mentioned above, both the general public and parents alike should realize that homeschooling can be a wonderful option for the child with autism. Hopefully, recent news stories will not discourage parents or guardians from considering homeschooling.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-7217512908056143561?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(31) "Essay: Why We Are Homeschooling"
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string(4255) "Imagine what it would be like being in a environment where loud, obnoxious sounds constantly bombarded you. Imagine all your social skills disappearing, making you feel clueless. Imagine feeling extremely uncomfortable being in a throng of of people for hours on end with no way out.<br /><br />Imagine, being required to remember things even though your short term memory is a bit faulty. Now, imagine trying to deal with all I have described and having to focus on paperwork all day even though the muscles in your hands (and maybe even in the rest of your body) are weak. That is how I envision what school must have been like for my twelve year old son with autism.<br /><br />For years, we gave public education a good try. We've tried inclusion, mildly impaired classes, and even a life skills class with mild to moderately impaired students. I worked hard with two different school districts (we moved last year), in order to "make it work." I even participated in an <a href="http://www.autism-blog.net/2009/11/brief-overview-of-start.html">intensive program</a> designed to help train parents and staff to educate students with autism.<br /><br />Finally, it dawned on me that he'd probably struggle with any school environment. I realized that he needed a quiet environment, one-on-one attention, and a highly personalized curriculum designed to motivate him. The best (and really only) place set up to fulfill those needs is home, with a "facilitator" who knows him better than anyone else...his mom!! (That's me!).<br /><br />Anyway, the clincher was when my son made his own "declaration of intent" to file with the local district if a family plans to home school their child). My son said "I'm not ever going to school again!," We listened. Taking his recent "flight and fight" behaviors at school, it was clear that he had enough public school for awhile.<br /><br />People initially expressed concern for me and my mental health after we announced the decision to the district, health providers and friends, but I can honestly say I'm far less stressed than I was when he was in school. I no longer have to worry about getting distressing phone calls, or notes. Also, I have a much calmer child on my hands. He is far less stressed at home where his environment can be controlled at home (it's quieter and more predictable.)<br /><br />Even though I met the qualifications for homeschooling in the state of Washington, I still decided to attend a course on homeschooling which I have just finished. Being new in town, I figured it was a good way to get ideas, meet other moms, find some educational opportunities, and start networking. After a total of 24 hours of instruction, pretty capable of covering all eleven topics as required by our state. I also have a good grasp of our state laws on education as outlined <a href="http://www.washhomeschool.org/homeschooling/law.html#qual">here.</a><br /><br />We are still getting services from the school district. They sent us to <a href="http://www.connectionsslp.com/">this place </a>for Speech Therapy, and <a href="http://susanmcnutt.net/aboutus.aspx">this one</a> for <a href="http://kidshealth.org/parent/system/ill/occupational_therapy.html">Occupational Therapy</a>. It's been been going fairly well with more participation than what the public school providers were getting from my son. It helps that both places are ran out of converted houses and do not look anything like school.<br /><br />Also, I have found that another bonus of homeschooling is that I don't have to worry about scheduling doctor appointments around his school day. Further, we can alter the "school hours" to fit our needs rather than going at the designated hours. Finally, we can go on more field trips and have more fun while learning than what he would have had in public school.<br /><br />I have tons of ideas. A lot of my plans will be designed to make learning fun again. Some of them will be designed to give him skills to succeed and be more independent as he gets older. We will see how it goes. Wish me luck.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-8020742527262236406?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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["title"]=>
string(21) "World Autism Day 2011"
["atom_content"]=>
string(1261) "<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZDa3xzJpmQ/TZduXcwq6bI/AAAAAAAAAsM/NtE8AGPD17g/s1600/world%2Bautism%2Bday.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 228px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 234px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591058811540138418" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jZDa3xzJpmQ/TZduXcwq6bI/AAAAAAAAAsM/NtE8AGPD17g/s320/world%2Bautism%2Bday.jpg" /></a>Today is <a href="http://www.worldautismawarenessday.org/site/c.egLMI2ODKpF/b.3917077/k.186A/About_World_Autism_Awareness_Day.htm">World Autism Day.</a> I have friends from all over the world who have children with autism. These countries include <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Australia</span>, Canada, Nigeria (the child was born in the United States), and The United Kingdom. <br /><div></div><br /><div>Today in particular I am thinking about individuals with autism and their families who are living in Japan. I can't imagine how chaotic and stressful life must be in the aftermath of the earthquake. My heart goes out to them. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-8764410233368941488?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(54) "Photo Essay: Pearl Harbor and King Kamehameha's Palace"
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string(5441) "<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a72DwaTq48Q/TWawCkHz-9I/AAAAAAAAAr8/Yxbz0gR1ws4/s1600/037.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577338746647608274" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a72DwaTq48Q/TWawCkHz-9I/AAAAAAAAAr8/Yxbz0gR1ws4/s320/037.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo:</strong> This is the one trip that eased my mind about pulling the boys out of school for a week for a five-day trip to Hawaii the first week in January. My husband and I both thought that taking them to see the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor would be a wonderful history lesson.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_Z-GBANJhw/TWav5LpbgvI/AAAAAAAAAr0/YGc1LkZxxXQ/s1600/035.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577338585458901746" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s_Z-GBANJhw/TWav5LpbgvI/AAAAAAAAAr0/YGc1LkZxxXQ/s320/035.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo 2:</strong> It wasn't as easy as a trip as we had hoped. Our oldest son, C1 who autism, was more interested in having something to eat than posing for pictures like this one by the <em>USS Arizona's</em> anchor, or going out via a small boat to see the actual site. The hardest part was waiting for and enduring the short film about the Pearl Harbor attack. He did not want to see the movie, but it was a mandatory part of the trip. The movie is a way that the park manages the vast numbers of tourists that come to visit. They sell tickets by time slots available. Our son was fixated on getting a snack. We thought he'd have a meltdown and that we would not be able to go, but thankfully C1's dad helped him manage through it.<br /><br /><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pEhZd8ZsNK4/TWavqyl3G4I/AAAAAAAAArs/7PuSDXv70-o/s1600/023.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577338338214878082" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pEhZd8ZsNK4/TWavqyl3G4I/AAAAAAAAArs/7PuSDXv70-o/s320/023.JPG" /></a><strong> Photo 3:</strong> Once at the site of the memorial, we gave him a disposable camera so he could take pictures for a report for school. He was calmer and more interested once we disembarked from the small boat that took us to the memorial site and taking pictures gave him something to do. I took the photo featured above, but he did take a similar one featuring the wall of names of the men who died on Dec. 7, 1941.<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6lpniY4m5o/TWavhMFo0QI/AAAAAAAAArk/SFkA8dadIGA/s1600/027.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577338173260353794" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6lpniY4m5o/TWavhMFo0QI/AAAAAAAAArk/SFkA8dadIGA/s320/027.JPG" /></a><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong>Photo 4</strong>: He also took a photo similar to this one of the American Flag. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577337925427493378" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_pcnhC_aM-E/TWavSw1regI/AAAAAAAAArc/FGVnDhSmIW8/s320/022.JPG" /> <strong>Photo 4:</strong> C1 also took a few photos like this...of rusted, but visible structures of the ship above water.<br /><br /></div><div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HU31QsB8WQA/TWavBLwiUkI/AAAAAAAAArU/_qbEc-UIttQ/s1600/025.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577337623416033858" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HU31QsB8WQA/TWavBLwiUkI/AAAAAAAAArU/_qbEc-UIttQ/s320/025.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo 5</strong>: When, not taking pictures, he looked around the site some with his dad in tow. I was in charge of our youngest son. C2, who was also taking pictures. C1 did relax some after the movie was over (he might have been anxious about possible sensory discomfort in the theater), but probably didn't appreciate visiting the memorial much as he enjoyed seeing...<br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rT7FWb6f5_I/TWauWExe-ZI/AAAAAAAAArM/CirFgbnyZHw/s1600/041.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577336882806585746" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rT7FWb6f5_I/TWauWExe-ZI/AAAAAAAAArM/CirFgbnyZHw/s320/041.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo 6</strong>: King Kamehameha's Palace! It was all he talked about before we left via our bus tour. We didn't get to go inside, but thankfully, just getting a look from the outside was enough for C1. :)<br /><br /><strong>Note</strong>: C1 is really more interested in cultural history than mainstream history, so it wasn't surprising that he wasn't as geared up to visit the The <em>USS Arizona</em> memorial, and that we had more behavioral issues there than we did taking a look at the palace. </div></div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-8123678102565282223?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-01-31T13:30:00.001-08:00"
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string(29) "2011-02-01T19:53:13.451-08:00"
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string(43) "A Turtle-phobic Boy Visits the Honolulu zoo"
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string(4537) "<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUiRKGvOFdI/AAAAAAAAArE/D_hD5FqmcMc/s1600/019.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568860542037005778" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUiRKGvOFdI/AAAAAAAAArE/D_hD5FqmcMc/s320/019.JPG" /></a><strong> Photo</strong>: C1 was more than happy to lead the way on our exodus from the Honolulu zoo. The walk back to our hotel was less stressful than our actual outing to visit the zoo. Read on for more.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUiI3R2rV4I/AAAAAAAAAq8/z8rl4cfqgP4/s1600/011.JPG"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568851422510536578" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUiI3R2rV4I/AAAAAAAAAq8/z8rl4cfqgP4/s320/011.JPG" /></strong></a><strong> Photo</strong>: Two tortoises can be seen here in the midst of their huge habitat at the Honolulu zoo. The reptiles might have been relatively far away, but they still terrified my son with ASD. My oldest son was more than happy to leave the zoo, and I'm sure this is why. </div><br /><div><div>Sometimes there is just no rationalizing with fear. My twelve-year-old son is scared, no absolutely terrified, of turtles and tortoises. The best explanation that he can give is that their shells scare him. I'm not sure why exactly and he cannot explain. I guess maybe it is because they poke their heads in and out in a unpredictable manner. He doesn't even want to look at them. We have explained that the shells are like helmets that people use, and are met to protect the animals. Our guy understands this to a degree, but still remains terrified of them.</div><br /><div>The good news, I suppose, is that we don't encounter turtles and tortoises very often. The bad news is that because we don't face the issue all that often, my son's fear of turtles isn't high on our long list of concerns. Unfortunately I had forgotten all about this phobia before we visited the Honolulu zoo, but it did not take long for it to become an sudden (and temporary) priority. In short, this concern basically bit us in the butt. (All I can say is that the "bite" didn't leave marks.)</div><br /><div>If I had to do it all over again, I would have visited the website to get a look at the <a href="http://www.honoluluzoo.org/tour.htm">map</a> to see how the facility was laid out. If I had done that, it would have become apparent that we would have to be very careful with our route because the zoo's rather large tortoise exhibit was right in the middle of the park. It would not have been easy to dodge the tortoises, but it would not have been impossible either.</div><br /><div>Of course we ended up walking right by the where the tortoises are kept, and of course my son noticed the reptiles immediately. I guess we can be glad he didn't have a huge meltdown. Instead, all it took was for my son to close his eyes and allow himself to be led past the tortoises as well as the turtles that were located in another part of the park.</div><br /><div>In the end, the trip was a little bit stressful, but not ruined by the unexpected hazard. We saw plenty of animals that C1 wasn't afraid of. He liked the spider monkeys and he braved going into the reptile/amphibian house so that he could see his favorite animal...a frog. </div><br /><div>As a result of this trip, I did learn a very valuable lesson. Next time we visit a zoo or aquarium we haven't gone to before, I will make sure to scout for tortoises and turtles ahead of time! This might involve calling the facility in question, because unlike tortoises, turtles aren't always marked on online maps. I have noted that sometimes they are added into informal displays like fish ponds...</div><br /><div>So yes, our trip to Hawaii was filled with ups and downs. Thankfully, this episode was just a small valley, which was relatively easy to navigate. </div><br /><div></div><div><strong>Happy note</strong>: Our youngest boy loved the zoo, and was delighted to find a shark tooth necklace at the zoo's gift shop. It was really affordable. He and the necklace have pretty much been inseparable since then. :) </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2373361561309311836?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2011-01-30T00:21:00.000-08:00"
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string(29) "2011-01-30T01:16:35.484-08:00"
["title"]=>
string(34) "A Trip, but not Exactly a Vacation"
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string(4108) "<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUUoJKi-p-I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/L_oLQjNMLsE/s1600/128.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567900652228487138" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TUUoJKi-p-I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/L_oLQjNMLsE/s320/128.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo</strong>: A picture I took of the lagoon and buildings that are part of the Hawaiian Hilton Village where we stayed.<br /><br />Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to go to Hawaii. I've always heard of how beautiful it is, so when my husband decided to go to a conference in Honolulu and asked if I wanted to go too I didn't hesitate. In the Midwest it is far more rare than in the Pacific Northwest to find someone who has visited Hawaii because it is a lot more expensive to fly from Michigan than it is from Washington.<br /><br />Also, moving to the state of Washington ten months ago from Michigan cut our flight time to the islands by a little more than half. It takes about six hours to fly from Washington to the islands of Hawaii. Also, we were delighted when an airline started offering direct flights from a regional airport in our new home town to Hawaii just in time for us to fly back (more on that later.)<br /><div><br /><div>As far as anticipating the trip, my husband and I were excited about starting the new year (Jan 3-8) in the Aloha state, but also apprehensive. (Our two boys, however, were just plain excited.) We had never taken our sons, including the oldest who has autism, on a multi-day trip that required air travel to and from our destination. We worried a little about making it through airport security. We fretted about meltdowns in public, and wondered if we would regret attempting to go.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>Giving into our fear however would have meant not experiencing some of the best of what life has to offer...warm sunshine, beautiful scenery and the rich culture and history of the islands. So we prepared the best we could. We let the school system know we were pulling the boys for a week to go on on trip. I took my son to his psychiatrist the week before we went. The doctor gave me a note written on a prescription pad that explained my son had Autism Spectrum Disorder. He also wrote a prescription for a sedative to use during the plane ride, but we decided to not use it.</div><br /><div>My husband planned a rich variety of outings for us, and booked us in a room where his conference was being held. Fortunately, the hotel was located on a beach and had several swim pools, a must for most families with children. So, I packed swim suits, sun lotion and even after sun lotion in case one of us became sunburned. We also did our best to communicate our expectations of behavior to our son. </div><br /><div>Fortunately, we were able to go on all the outings my husband planned, but it wasn't easy. Every day had its challenges when it came to our twelve year old boy. We couldn't relax as the word vacation implies. But we did our best to enjoy our trip. We had our fun moments, but we also faced enormous challenges that we could have never anticipated. So yeah, I have some stories, which I'll share. All I'll write now is if I had of known exactly what was going to happen during our trip, I'm not sure I would have had the courage to have gone. </div><br /><div>That said, Hawaii lived up to my expectations. There is no place quite like it, and I'm so happy that I was able to fulfill a childhood dream and that my husband and I were able to take our children on a trip they are likely to remember for the rest of their lives. Hawaii is beautiful and we were able to enjoy five days of warm sunshine during the first full week of January...a novelty for this family who hails from the Midwest. Please stay tuned for more on our trip later. </div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-7735523677188115416?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2010-12-20T21:58:00.000-08:00"
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string(29) "2010-12-20T23:32:51.151-08:00"
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string(42) "Wish list item: An Autobiographical Memory"
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string(5712) "<strong>Photo</strong>: Marilu Henner, of <em>Taxi </em>televison fame, has an <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TRBVBMcYnQI/AAAAAAAAAp4/iY2YWsHM7BQ/s1600/marilu-henner1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 210px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 305px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553031819556330754" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TRBVBMcYnQI/AAAAAAAAAp4/iY2YWsHM7BQ/s320/marilu-henner1.jpg" /></a>extraordinary ability to recall memories.<br /><br />I've been joking around here on this blog lately about being "super mom," in the sense that my tongue is usually in my cheek when I put those two words together...super and mom I mean. But wouldn't it be nice though if Santa Clause was real and could, if he wanted to, grant hopeful parents some <em>real </em>super powers?<br /><br />This super mom might be skeptical about Santa, but she does believe extraordinary powers/skills do exist among us mortals. There does, after all seem to be proof of this out there. For example, last night an episode about <a href="http://www.tvguide.com/News/Marilu-Henner-Memory-1026991.aspx">autobiographical memories </a>appeared on the CBS television show <em>60 Minutes.</em><br /><br />Having an autobiographical memory means one can recall just about every moment of their lives in minute detail. Ask an adult person with a superior memory about a day ten years back and it is likely that he or she will be able to say what day of the week it was, what the weather was like, and maybe even what they had for lunch. To that person, it would be like recalling something from yesterday. (Wow. To me, this ability seems like a super power!)<br /><br />Those of you familiar with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might already be be thinking about autism or Asperger Syndrome, because some people (but not all) on the spectrum are known to have extraordinary abilities to recall specific things when asked. However, when it was brought up that some people automatically assume they have ASD, the people featured on the episode all sort of laughed the idea off, though some admitted to having traits of obsessive compulsive disorder(obsessive hand washing and/or organization), a disorder that many people on the spectrum are known to have.<br /><br />It should be noted that the laughter that occurred when the topic of ASD came up wasn't offensive. In fact it was a reminder that one shouldn't assume a person has the disorder just because he or she can recall everything. Same goes for the notion of assuming that everyone on spectrum has this extraordinary ability.<br /><br />Another assumption is that this trait is one to envy. This may or may not be true. I suppose it depends on the person. Five out of the six people featuers seemed to enjoy having a superior memory. However, there seemed to be a downside to having this trait. Only one individual out of of the six was married and she admitted to being on her third marriage. Also, one of the six people featured refused to meet the other five because she finds having this ability to be painful.<br /><br />As for this "super mom" of a boy with autism and kidney problems, I think I would find this ability to be very handy. Although it wouldn't be pleasant to recall every single meltdown, it could be helpful to remember all details surrounding the event such as what my son ate and or what happened before the meltdown occurred.<br /><br />It also would help with keeping track of an extraordinary amount of medical details accumulated over the last twelve years. Last week I was drilled by a neurodevelopmental doctor for nearly an hour and fifteen minutes. As a whole I think I did a good job answering questions about my twelve year old son on the spectrum.<br /><br />However, there were times I was also a bit frustrated. An example of a frustrating moment was when the doctor asked me when we saw a geneticist. I couldn't remember exactly, though I knew where I could find the information. It is right <a href="http://www.autism-blog.net/2007/11/my-chromosomally-normal-male.html">here</a>, and I told them that, noticing that there was a computer in the room. The doctor asking the questions and the two others in the room weren't impressed, nor were they interested in moving toward the computer. At that moment, I really wished I could recall that information or at least to pull it from a highly organized file on my lap (unfortunately I am NOT a super mom when it comes to being organized.)<br /><br />Well, I guess I am not going to hold my breath in hopes that Santa will magically give me the ability to recall most details in my past. Instead, I will tell myself that only tiny segment of the population has the gift to remember everything. I'll also tell myself that not everyone has the super skill to be super organized. Though they would be helpful, one doesn't necessarily need these skills to be a good parent. I might not quite believe in Santa, but I do at least, recognize the need to believe in myself as a parent and a wife, and a caring person in general.<br /><br />So instead of making an impossible wish or giving myself a super kick in the rear end for not knowing it all, I'll hold my head high, be happy about what I could remember at that appointment and move on in a positive direction as a wife and a "super mom." I'll also be happy that I typed a report of all the important details of the appointment as soon as we got home. That will have to suffice. Merry Christmas Everyone. :)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2823954332420042289?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(51) "Review: 1,001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Boys"
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string(6593) "<div align="left"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TOtdrwItypI/AAAAAAAAApw/IhvTjfS3-Ts/s1600/1001_Tips_for_the_Parents_of_Autistic_Boys.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542626772646742674" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TOtdrwItypI/AAAAAAAAApw/IhvTjfS3-Ts/s320/1001_Tips_for_the_Parents_of_Autistic_Boys.jpg" /></a> Lately I've been joking around on this blog about being a "super mom." Around the time I started doing that (earlier this year) I'd often think to myself that when my "super boy" (my twelve-year-old son with autism and kidney ailments) was born, I should have been handed a hefty manual explaining how to raise him. After all knowledge is power.</div><br /><div align="left">So if one wants to be a super parent with a lot of power to raise a super kid with the often confounding diagnosis of autism, one has to acquire a lot of knowledge. This super mom gained a massive amount knowledge by reading tons of articles, blogs, and published books, such as <em>Thinking in Pictures</em> by Temple Grandin. </div><br /><p align="left">However, it would have been nice and even time efficient if a great deal of the knowledge this super parent acquired would have been nicely assembled and packaged back around the year 2000. Today's parents of newly diagnosed super kids are a bit luckier.</p><p align="left">An approximately 455 -page book, <em>1,001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Boys: Everything You Need to Know about Diagnosis, Doctors, Schools, taxes, vacations, babysitters, treatments, food and more</em> by Ken Siri has been published. It is one of books out there that most resembles the manual I have had in mind. (However a similar book, <em>1000 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder </em>by Veronica Zysk and Ellen Notbohm, was first published in 2004 and has been recently revised.)</p><p align="left">Obviously one book cannot reveal everything there is to know about autism, but it's nice to have a source on hand that can be consulted quickly. This super mom also suggests that this book be seen less as a "bible" and more of handbook of advice. The advice in this book should be viewed as well intentioned because this book was obviously designed to be helpful. But there <em><strong>are</strong></em> 1001 tips included in this book so not every tidbit will fit <strong><em>everyone</em></strong>. Further, some advice such as the three tips (788-790) on cutting finger nails may not suffice for those super kids with hypersensitive hearing, touch, and a sleep disorder that makes trimming nails while the person is asleep impossible. </p><p align="left">Despite that, this "super mom" does think this book is "super!!" because it was assembled with parents in mind and features tips from parents (a fun fact is that tips 974 to 976 are from a post I wrote and originally published on this blog). Other sources of tips include the likes of Grandin and Tony Attwood. One of the the best aspects is that the paperback book is affordable. At Amazon it is priced at $12.21 (U.S.).</p><p align="left">This super handbook is also organized by topic so that tips that may not apply (my child does not have problems sleeping, for example) can be easily skipped to more applicable chapters. As for me, I sped read through the diagnosis chapter and read chapters addressing puberty and sexuality much more closely. (My boy is 12, so yes I thought those tips to be most helpful). The book is also easy to read, which is a bonus for us "super parents" who are super stressed.</p><p align="left">On the downside, some parents may find parts of this book to be controversial. Others like this super mom writing this review might be merely wary. For example, one tip advises against using acetaminophen (used in products like Tylenol), but I have to avoid giving my guy who gets frequent headaches ibuprofen because of his stage 2 kidney disease. (Acetaminophen is processed through the liver, but ibuprofen is processed through the kidneys.) </p><p align="left">On the bright side,there is a responsible disclaimer by the author indicating that the book wasn't written to provide parents with medical advice and that all tips were meant to merely provide information. Siri also correctly noted in his Author's note that "Autism is a spectrum, and all children with autism are different. [...] What works for one child, may not work for another." </p><p align="left">That said super parents who embrace the biomedical approach to autism will be the most likely to readily accept this book because it has a heavy emphasis on biomedical treatments. Because aspiring "super parents" who are just starting to acquire knowledge about their newly diagnosed child's disorder will most likely be reading this book too, it should be noted that the author presents all tips matter of factly and does not make mention of the controversy surrounding the belief that vaccines cause autism. </p><p align="left">This blog author prefers to regard information about vaccines cautiously and examine the arguments of both sides, so it is important to me that parents realize there are a variety of beliefs about vaccines and other biomedical treatments. Although I endorse this book, I encourage aspiring (and established) super parents to keep reading about issues, treatments and other topics regarding autism. One can never learn enough about this complicated disorder. </p><p align="left">Siri's pro-biomedical beliefs are reflected throughout the book and are not confined simply to the chapters on treatments. However, this is not surprising considering that Siri is the co-author of <em>Cutting Edge Therapies for Autism</em>. Despite what a parent believes about certain issues, I believe it shouldn't be passed by because the bias reflected. This book and its counterpart has loads of useful information for all parents and should be given a chance. </p><p align="left"><strong>Note</strong>: This review is part of a blog tour for <em>1001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Boys</em> and its counter part <em>1001 Tips for the Parents of Autistic Girls</em>. More opinions about this book (as well as the one written for girls) are available at the website <a href="http://1001autismtips.com/">1001 tips for Autism.</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-7485606575373606193?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(21) "Another School Change"
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string(2178) "C1, or super boy as I sometimes call him, has changed schools again. The school team and I have done our best to find a place where he'll feel more comfortable than where he was at. He started a Life Skills program on Monday, and he had a very good week.<br /><br />This is nice compared to the time not long ago when I felt like I had to wait around the house all day waiting for the inevitable call to come pick him up. Usually, I got the call before 11 a.m., which indicated something wasn't right since this happened almost daily.<br /><br />The school where he was at had a resource room, but it was not equipped to handle my son's level of need. They tried giving him an aide, but that didn't work out so well either. He was supposed to spend a lot of time included in the general education classroom, but it was evident by his behavior that he couldn't handle that environment.<br /><br />So we're trying a new school with a program that seems to be better designed to fit his needs. As far as transitions go, my son doesn't seem to mind big changes like changing schools. It's the smaller transitions like changing classrooms that can get to him.<br /><br /> I am glad and really relieved that my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">super boy</span> has done well with the change so far. His most difficult challenge was getting past his rigidity against starting a middle school housing grades 6, 7, and 8, as a fifth grader. Somehow we got him to change his mind and he agreed to go.<br /><br />My worry is that C1 usually has a grace period before his behavior falls apart at school. I'm hoping that this time it will be different. We have more supports in place for him as well as a <a href="http://projectstay.com/pdf/BehaviorInterventionPlan.pdf">behavior plan </a>that resulted from a <a href="http://cecp.air.org/fba/">functional behavioral assessment</a> that the autism consultant in our district completed. Please keep your fingers crossed for us.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-1064390756716514012?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(24) "Super Mom is Overwhelmed"
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string(2895) "It's been a while since this "super mom" has blogged. Mostly, it's because she has been completely overwhelmed. In other words, she's feeling less than super right now. I think all parents, especially parents of children with disabilities, get to the point when it's hard to keep up with everything. This super mom has been buried in an array of paper work for various doctors we're seeing, going to the resulting appointments, while also going to a series of meetings at my son's school because his current educational set up is not working for him.<br /><br />She's been doing all of this because things have been more than a bit rocky around here. A common saying is that actions speak louder than words. To this super mom's utter dismay, her super boy has not been behaving in a super manner at school. The culprit is most likely anxiety which is probably stemming from a entrance into adolescence (my son is 12), a change of location from Michigan to Washington, a change of schools, and a saddening realization that he's different from other students.<br /><br />Fortunately we have found a bevy of super sidekicks to help us in this very difficult situation. Besides the team at my son's school, these professionals include a therapist (whom my son really likes), a psychiatrist (who is excellent), a few moms (whose years of experience working with their own children and advocating for others can qualify them as professionals in my opinion), a neurologist (who'll we'll see in December), and even an allergist to determine whether certain foods are agitating his system. At the advice of the psychiatrist, we'll probably also add a behaviorist and some medication to our arsenal that we are assembling in order to help Super Boy cope with the world better.<br /><br />I found a <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Autism-Anxiety-Overload&id=369821">article </a>on autism and anxiety that I thought hit the mark pretty well. I liked how it mentioned that the best tools that parents can sue to help a child cope with a change are preparation and anticipation. The article also mentioned medications. Medication might not be for or endorsed by everyone, but I know of some families who have benefited from prescriptions prescribed by psychiatrists.<br /><br />My son has a single kidney so I've been avoiding considering medication up to this point due to concerns for his health. However, we're at the point where we need to try medication. It's called crisis mode. We're surviving so far, but are ready for things to get better. In the meantime, I'll try to blog when I can. Don't give up on the super mom yet. She still has a lot more to say and more posts will surely be coming in the future.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2415587631265006667?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(29) "2010-08-30T13:20:29.924-07:00"
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string(39) "The Ultra Modified Assignment on Heroes"
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string(4289) "<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/THwPT3PUOYI/AAAAAAAAAo4/oLw0zo_EpMg/s1600/290.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511296877914765698" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/THwPT3PUOYI/AAAAAAAAAo4/oLw0zo_EpMg/s320/290.JPG" /></a><br /><div></div><div>At the end of 2009/10 school year, this "super mom" and C1's Super teachers (general education and resource room) did their best last Spring to get C1 to do as much of a two part assignment on heroes as possible. The assignment came during a year when C1's behavior had been less then super.</div><br /><div>Super mom attended trainings all that year that taught school teams and parents how to help children on the autism spectrum succeed. She attended September through March, and then proceeded to move with her family across the country. By the time she reached this new school, where the hero assignment was given, she concluded that C1 needed to be included in a general education environment, and that the focus should be on good behavior rather than output. (C1 had been refusing to do school work for most of the year). </div><br /><div>For one part of the assignment, students were asked to research and report on either a historical hero or a public figure who is shaping current history. Figures like Martin Luther King Jr., Hellen Keller, and Albert Einstein were chosen. Finding a costume to wear while presenting the report was also part of the assingment.</div><br /><div>The second part was to choose a personal hero. Many chose their mom or dad. Then students created a book about their hero. The fourth graders then invited their personal heroes to the school so that they could hear see the student all dressed up as the respectively chosen historical figure while listening to the reports. The teacher and students also invited all the personal heroes to a reception in their classroom afterward. The kids then gave their books to their respective hero at the reception.</div><br /><div>To make a long story short, Super mom was delighted when C1 got up in front of a crowd to read a six page (the pages were small) report on Barack Obama. That was the good news. The not so good news was that she could tell that the school team wasn't as impressed (not that she blamed them, because they had not been in our shoes, so they really couldn't have known just how difficult the year had been). </div><div></div><div> </div><div>Super mom knew they weren't impressed because reading the report was the only thing C1 did. He didn't research the historical hero. He didn't dress up. And he didn't write a book on personal heroes. However, he almost also didn't read the report, and if he hadn't of done so then this exhausted mom's morale would have become completely deflated. </div><br /><div></div><div>Yes, I realize that we have a long way to go from that minimal success. However, at the time I really needed to rejoice in the wee bit that was accomplished and not the vast amount that went unfinished. In time I hope we can all expect more output from C1. Assignments for kids with autism often need to be modified, but maybe not so much to that extent. However, at the moment, the circumstances were extraordinary. Perhaps now that we have settled in more, maybe more can be expected from C1. </div><br /><div></div><div>So with my morale intact, I'm gearing up to face a new school year that begins in exactly one week. C1 one usually does great with compliance at the beginning of a school year, so there is some hope that the year will at least start out well. I'll also take time to see if addressing possible medical needs will help, because one's health can affect one's behavior. Hence we will see a few more specialists.</div><div> </div><div>That said, there probably won't be any more hero assignments in the near future, but let's hope that the journey of our"hero" (C1, the figure that seems to dominate this blog) will have much more success at school in the future.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-2637604642370591114?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(51) "Cape Optional: the ten must haves of a super parent"
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string(4316) "Anyone can be a super parent. Whether it's of a special needs child or a healthy one who is developing typically. Don't despair, mind you, if you think you come up short with one or more of these attributes. After all, we're human, not supernatural. We shouldn't expect to be perfect parents. Aspiring to be as good as you can is enough. As long as you try. So here we go, capes or no...<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>The list</strong><br /><br />1. <strong>Love</strong>. Can't quite be a super parent without it.<br /><br />2. <strong>Compassion/Empathy.</strong> Being able to see a child's viewpoint from their situation helps a parent to react to their children in a more positive way. For example, that loud noise might not bother you, but may hurt a pair of super sensitive ears, therefore causing some behaviors in public.<br /><br />3. <strong>Adaptability</strong>y. Having children changes your life, whether these children have special needs or not. We all have to adapt...some of us more than others.<br /><br />4. <strong>A thick skin</strong>. This means not being over sensitive to what people might say about your child/children. Fortunately this skin is invisible and can be developed over time. A thick skin is especially important for those of us with children who have special needs. The more time that passes, the more likely you'll be to hear something painful from other people who do not understand. Try not to think of it, and focus on something more pleasant instead. After all, whose opinion is more important? Yours or theirs?<br /><br />5. <strong>A super sense of humor</strong>. Being a parent means having a few or more not so great moments with one's child. It's better to laugh than cry. I once took a knee in dog poo trying to help my child. It wasn't funny then, but can laugh about it now.<br /><br />6. <strong>Accountability.</strong> No matter what they do, we have to be accountable for our children. This means not making excuses, but taking action and responsibility for your child. Me to a school principal: "Yes, I know [leaving this part out for privacy purposes] is not acceptable behavior. He does have autism and doesn't understand the consequences of such actions, but we don't condone that type of behavior in any way. We'll work on it."<br /><br />7. <strong>Patience</strong>. I think all children can test a parent's patience. Some of us are born with more patience than others. It's possible that this might be the hardest skill to attain/maintain.<br />We're all human and have our breaking points, but if you want to be a great parent, patience is probably one of the most important skills to have.<br /><br />8. <strong>Organization. </strong>This skill can be a great asset to any super parent. I envy those who were born blessed with this skill. I'm still learning, but we'd miss a bunch of doctor appointments if I didn't have somewhat of a system. Fortunately keeping a calendar helps. Now if this "super parent" could be even more super by being able to make up and maintain a visual schedule for her child at home....sigh.<br /><br />9. <strong>Ability to solve most problems</strong>. Sometimes when you solve one problem involving a child, another pops right up. Problems, especially problems with children with special needs, seem to pop up like weeds, so it helps to have the ability to solve them.<br /><br />10. <strong>A good pair of feet clad with running shoes!</strong> These can come in handy when a small child or a child with special needs takes "flight."<br /><br /><strong>Note:</strong> If you have all these skills, then kudos to you. However<strong>,</strong> as I said, don't despair if you come up a bit short. I don't believe in the perfect parent phenomenom. Any one can aspire to be a super parent if they try. The bright side is that if you have at least six of these, you are more than halfway there into becoming a super parent...or maybe even further than that if you have skills not mentioned here.<br /><br />This list is just a starting point...<br /><br />What other skills can be attributed to super parents? Let me know! : )<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-8374195450032202075?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(55) "Update: Super C won't be Morphing into a Super Traveler"
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string(1411) "<strong>Note</strong>: This is part of a thread about the (inclusive) day camps that this blogger's son was signed up for. Please see the previous two posts if you are new to this blog. : )<br /><br />Super C was unable to maintain his super status at super hero day camp. This was evident on the fourth afternoon of a five day camp. Super C literally left the building and decided to go home on his own due to protests of those helping to maintain the safety of him and the other campers. After some thought and consideration and some input from the camp staff, Super Mom decided that it was best to cancel day camp number 2. So Super C will not be morphing into a super traveler this year for the Around the World day camp that is being held in August.<br /><br />Super mom is pursing leads to inspire and help Super C to pursue his super status once again. While she is currently avoiding the stress that comes with worrying about the behavior of her son in social settings away from home, she is determined that Super C will have some future opportunities. She just needs time to figure out how to help her son minimize some behaviors that make being in an inclusive environment rather challenging for everyone involved.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-487793960257043542?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(2261) "<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TENDtwUXFjI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/dUFSVZGxJzQ/s1600/002.JPG"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495310423665612338" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TENDtwUXFjI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/dUFSVZGxJzQ/s320/002.JPG" /></strong></a><strong>Photo</strong>: Super C's Costume with SC at bottom. He modeled it at home.<br /><br /><strong>Update:</strong> Super C went Missing in Action by day the end of day four despite a promise that in the morning that Super C with his super behavior would stick around all day. Even though Super C promised in the morning of day four, Super Mom was hailed to come to the rescue by the end of the day. This resulted in Super Mom deciding that Super C should stay home for the last day of camp. She believed Super C disappeared because his alter ego (C1) needed a break.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TENDjlW4oeI/AAAAAAAAAoI/sxoaN-1hhhI/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495310248924717538" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TENDjlW4oeI/AAAAAAAAAoI/sxoaN-1hhhI/s320/003.JPG" /></a><strong>Photo 2:</strong> Super C's sidekick (his little brother) took over modeling duties because Super C didn't have much patience with posing in costume, which probably is not super comfortable to wear... Little C2 does look cute, but it doesn't look like either the hero or the sidekick will don the mask or cape anytime soon...<br /><br /><strong>Note:</strong> Super mom is hoping that day camp number two for C1 will go well, or at least that he'll have a good three out of five days. She'll consider letting C1 sit out day five again if necessary. A journey (going around the world) will be the focus of that camp, which is also put on by the parks and recreation department in our current city.<br /><div><div><div></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-3952847379942020421?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(4119) "<strong>Note about Image:</strong> Plastic Man was chosen <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TCwJBbZXepI/AAAAAAAAAnw/Ba-p8hjY4Jw/s1600/Plastic_Man_17.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 224px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488771965996464786" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TCwJBbZXepI/AAAAAAAAAnw/Ba-p8hjY4Jw/s320/Plastic_Man_17.jpg" /></a> because this "Super Mom" has to "stretch" quite a bit to keep up with "Super C", her super kid on the autism spectrum.<br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Note</strong>: I am going to be exploring the theme of heroes in the next few posts. Most of the time, this author's eleven year old child is known here as C1, though for the time being he'll be "Super C!" Please stay tuned for more...<br /><br /><strong>Super Hero Day Camp!!!</strong><br /><br />Tomorrow is day four of Super Hero day camp in the community center at our local park. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is just on for this week. So far, so good. His behavior was great the first two days, though day 3 was a bit tricky at first.<br /><br /><br />"Super C" has an aide (assigned by the special needs specialist in the parks and recreation department). Todaywe decided it was important for her to stay in the background. "Super C" knows when he stands out as different, and he probably noticed that the aide made him stand out amonst the rest of the kids. Yesterday "Super C" transformed into the "Ring Man" who tried to put "Super Aide" in" jail" with a hula hoop. He was almost obsessive about it.<br /><br />It got "Super Mom" to thinking...Is "Ring Man" the villain we need to look out for? Maybe... Whatever the case, "Super Mom" is hoping "Super C1" will rule the week. The strategy is for Super Aide to lie low and to appear only when "the Meltdown Monster" threatens to emerge or when it is obvious that Super C needs a break to keep from getting overwhelmed.<br /><br />As stated previously, "Super C" had a little trouble this morning. Luckily "Super mom" was still in the playground outside with C2, a non hero participant when a ruckus errupted outside. Using her "super ears" she was able to identify the aggitated voice of her offspring immediately.<br /><br />It wasn't easy, but "Super Mom" and "Super Aide" managed to calm him down so that he was able to participate for the rest of the day. The young super heroes and their super staff took a tour of a park across the street which has a fish hatchery. Super aide told me that Super C enjoyed watching the trout being fed.<br /><br />Somehow "Super Mom" was able to take C2 out for errands and then on to picking strawberries five miles out of town. It wasn't easy for her to let go of the anxiety that the "Ring Man" or the "Melt Down Monster" might appear. The super cell phone was on hand and a quick stop at home between errands and strawberry warranted a check of the voice mail. The Super Subaru would have "flown" back to the park at any hint of trouble.<br /><br />At least the first two days went by relatively seemlessly, despite the brief debut of "Ring Man" on Day 2. The young super heroes made super hero masks out of paper mache. "Super C" came home yesterday with paper mache goop on his shoes and pants. "Super Mom" cleaned them off the best she could this morning using a scraping method with a handy super tool.<br /><br />The good news is that "Super C" managed to particpate and created a green mask, which is his favorite color. It looks a little small, but it might fit him. They are going to dress up in full super hero gear on Friday. A picture may or may not appear here, depending on a number of factors, such as whether "Super C" will be able to stay at Super Hero camp.<br /><br />In the meantime, if you so desire to create your own super hero, please check out this <a href="http://www.heromachine.com/">link</a>. Enjoy. : )<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-5249424414446801971?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(38) "This Blogger on "Square One" Awareness"
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string(5061) "<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TAafrqa4xzI/AAAAAAAAAno/ZiyeBPwBn0A/s1600/100_0427.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478241569213040434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/TAafrqa4xzI/AAAAAAAAAno/ZiyeBPwBn0A/s320/100_0427.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>Photo:</strong> C1 participates (sort of away from the crowd) in a watermelon eating contest during a neighborhood party. He didn't really "race" but at least he joined the activity. : )<br /><br /><div>It's June 2 now and just two months past Autism Awareness month. April 2010 was the first time in a few years that I haven't helped my group in Central Michigan raise awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the community. Unfortunately I didn't blog too much either. I had a good reason. My family and I left Michigan on March 22 and arrived to our new home in Washington on May 29. </div><br /><div>Moving didn't mean I was totally excused from autism awareness. I've been actively involved in what I'm referring to as "square 1 awareness." What I mean by that is not so much explaining autism in general, but rather explaining how autism affects my oldest son. My ongoing mission has been to educate our neighbors and my son's playmates and teachers as well as our neighbors. Most people around here seem to know about autism in general, so mostly I've had to explain how autism and my son in general (for example, his quirky habits, what causes him to melt down, and what does and doesn't motivate him.) </div><br /><div>My first step was to talk to the educators at the local elementary school since my son was to start school about a week after we moved. Talking to adults about autism and my son is fairly easy for me and I felt that what I had to say about him in terms of ASD was well received. That took a few hours, but I enjoyed talking to them and my efforts seemed to have paid off as things are going as well as we can expect them to go. </div><br /><div>I found it to be harder to explain to the neighbor kids. Usually I don't say anything to children about C1 until something comes up. So on a sunny, warm day when my son kept insisting on everyone (two other boys and my younger son) playing inside instead of outside, I had a bit of explaining to do. My younger boy, C2, and I both explained that C1 has autism. That didn't change their minds about playing outside (I didn't expect it to), but they seem to still accept him to a certain extent. Eventually, my son did join them outside, but it took awhile. </div><br /><div>The kids I talked to on that day live on our street. There are also a few who live on the street behind us. My husband took up the job of "square one awareness" when a middle schooler mentioned that my son "was a little bit different." After my husband told him that C1 had autism, the boy said that "no one around here would give him a hard time." That made us feel pretty good. </div><br /><div>So yes, now the majority of our neighbors know. A lot of times we volunteered the information to the adults just in case they saw him running down the street screaming on a bad day. "Meltdowns aren't too pretty," is a line I use often when telling neighbors about how autism affects my son. </div><br /><div>When we told one neighbor at a recent neighborhood party, he addressed our tendency to volunteer information by asking us if we were concerned about prejudice. We said no, that it didn't happen too often. We didn't say it, but what we really fear is prejudice developing because we didn't do our job. Fear and prejudice often develops as a result of a lack of knowledge and/or communication. So far, we think we've done our job of "square one awareness" pretty well and feel accepted into our new community. </div><br /><div>However, our awareness work is far from over. The next step is educating an array of doctors, therapists and others (such as summer camp counselors) who will work with him in the future. As I have previously explained, it is not easy to get an intake (first) appointment with a doctor around here (much to my dismay) and we have to wait until July an appointment with his new pediatrician. However, our first appointment is with a therapist the third week in June. </div><br /><div>I spoke to the therapist, a psychologist, yesterday and disclosed some details about my son so that he will understand better to work with him. It seemed to go pretty well, but we'll know a little bit more about how it will work out after the first appointment. So, yep, this new phase of square one awareness has already begun. It will go full strength ahead through the summer. We have a lot of appointments and even a summer day camp in July. Wish us luck as we continue our mission of awareness! : )</div><div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-864762716732037697?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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string(59) "The Horse Boy: A free viewing co-hosted in Central Michigan"
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string(4404) "<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/S-meIMmBWBI/AAAAAAAAAnY/B_5AbLKSgbc/s1600/Horse+Boy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470077086075017234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 306px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_aswPumlNJWg/S-meIMmBWBI/AAAAAAAAAnY/B_5AbLKSgbc/s320/Horse+Boy.jpg" border="0" /></a> Having had my own child with autism enrolled in the <a href="http://www.autism-blog.net/2009/08/photo-essay-proud-of-proud-equestrians.html">Proud Equestrian Program </a>for years, I am hoping to one day get a chance to read <em>The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal his Son</em> by Rupert Isaacson.<br /><br />Further, I am a bit envious of movie goers in Central Michigan who will have the opportunity to see the documentary, <em>The Horse Boy,</em> for free tomorrow night, May 12, at Celebration Cinema in Mt. Pleasant, MI, 7 p.m. The event is being co-hosted by the cinema, WCMU, and the Central Michigan Autism Group (the awesome group that I was the secretary of before moving to Washington). A panel discussion will follow the one-hour film and free information about autism will be passed out. <div></div><br />The documentary was directed by a young filmmaker, Michel Orion Scott. Set in Mongolia, it is a travel adventure that provides insight into shamanic healing as well as a look into the autistic mind. The Isaacson's story was inspired by Rupert's experience with travel writing and their son Rowan's connection with horses. After trying several different treatments to help Rowan, his parents noticed that horse riding was the only thing that seemed to work. The Isaacsons realized that Rowan was calmer, expressed joy, and was able to give verbal directives while on horseback.<br /><br />This is perhaps one of the most creative methods of coping with autism that I ever have come across. In fact, Rupert Isaacson had such a creative idea that he had no trouble getting his story told (check out the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/books/15horse.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2">link</a> to this excellent NY Times article for information about Isaacson's proposal and its acceptance).<br /><br />I hope that there is a good turnout to see <em>The Horse Boy</em> in Mt. Pleasant. It seems to be a fascinating story and I'm sad that I won't be able to attend the event, which is the result of some of the fundraising activities I participated in for my group. That said, for those of you who live outside of Central Michigan, the book ($16.49 U.S.) and the documentary ($27.49 U.S.) are both available on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Horse+Boy">Amazon</a>. Of the book, Temple Grandin writes "This is a great book and everyone who is interested in autism, animals or different cultures should read it."<br /><br /><strong>Author's Note:</strong> I realize that some people may object to the notion of seeking out healing (Rupert Isaacson deliberately replaced healing with the word "cure" in his title.) However, as a blog author, I realize that people have different ways of coping with autism. I feel it is not up to me to judge what is the right and what is the wrong way coping because the method that people choose has to do with their circumstances, beliefs, and the individualized aspects that influenced those beliefs.<br /><p>So, some people accept their children with autism as they are. Some people seek out doctors and or various popular therapies such as Applied Behavioral Analysis. Some people (like me) embrace a mixture of therapy, experiences, and acceptance, and some people, like the Isaacsons, go on fascinating and extraordinary journeys. </p><p><strong>P.S.</strong> <em>The Horse Boy</em> is scheduled to air on CMU Public Television as part of the PBS series "Independent Lens" in May of 2010. This screening event is part of the ITVS (Independent Television Service) Community Cinema program. Free screenings of Independent Lens films are held at a variety of locations through June 2010. See <a href="http://www.wcmu.org/events.html">here</a> for more information about the film and/or the event being held tonight. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2709250388624091814-3853731109153949545?l=www.autism-blog.net' alt='' /></div>"
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