MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'autism awareness'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:09:03 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028916&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2011%2F07%2F08%2Fautism-imagination-other-possible-misconceptions.aspx Earlier in the week, I linked to the amazing site Autism and Empathy , which already has several posts dispelling common myths about autistic individuals lacking a sense of empathy. Today, however, I'd like to focus on what I believe may be another common...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028916 Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:27:00 +0100 5028916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4997755&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2011%2F07%2F04%2Fempathy-autism-a-website.aspx A few months ago, I wrote an entry about Autism & Empathy in response to this Thinking Person's Guide to Autism post as well as Robert MacNeil's comments about autistic individuals lacking empathy . This post is now being featured on the new website...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4997755 Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:30:00 +0100 4997755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934685&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2011%2F06%2F15%2Fthe-wild-flower-girl.aspx A. is nearly twelve years old, and I thought she was a little old to be a flower girl. I wanted her to play a major role in my wedding, but I was preparing for her to be a Junior Bridesmaid, or perhaps even my Maid of Honor. However, A. wanted to be a...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934685 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 18:42:00 +0100 4934685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704713&cid=t_105160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F12%2F6-tips-for-living-with-an-autism-spectrum-disorder-in-college%2F As Autism Awareness month continues, April is a time of transition for many high school seniors, as they learn what colleges and universities they got into. So it seems like an ideal time to talk about autism and college, and some tips to help with the transition. The excerpt below is from the book, Living Well on the Spectrum by author Valerie L. Gaus, Ph.D. The book is a self-help book that helps a person with an autism spectrum disorder identify life goals and the steps needed to achieve them. Read on for the excerpt… April is the month when most high school seniors receive their college acceptance letters and begin to plan the next phase of their lives. The transition from high school to college can be very difficult for people on the spectrum. All too often I am referred a youn... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704713 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:05:05 +0100 4704713 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684431&cid=t_105160_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F06%2Fshould-you-tell-your-employer-you-have-autism%2F April is Autism Awareness Month, and in helping to promote awareness of autism, I’m pleased to provide an excerpt from the book, Living Well on the Spectrum by author Valerie L. Gaus, Ph.D. The book is a self-help book that helps a person with an autism spectrum disorder identify life goals and the steps needed to achieve them. One of the concerns I often hear from people with an autism spectrum disorder is about work and their career. In fact, just last evening while hosting our weekly Q&A on mental health issues here at Psych Central, the question came up whether a person should tell a potential employer about their Asperger’s (the mildest form of autism). While I am not a lawyer, my suggestion was that it probably wasn’t relevant for many jobs and not something tha... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684431 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 13:16:41 +0100 4684431 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664400&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2011%2F03%2F31%2Fapril-is-national-autism-awareness-month.aspx In the 1970s, the Autism Society began celebrating April as National Autism Awareness Month in order to help more people understand the condition of autism. Specifically, Autism Awareness Month was meant to help educate the public about autism and debunk...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664400 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:15:00 +0100 4664400 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361228&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=39137&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.advanceweb.com%2Fblogs%2Fot_9%2Farchive%2F2011%2F01%2F18%2Fopen-response-letter.aspx Joe Peacock is a writer and blogger I once met in Atlanta and had a great deal of respect for over the years. I even used his first book, Mentally Incontinent , as a textbook in one of my classes to help my students explore different modes of writing...(read more) (Source: From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism) From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361228 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:38:00 +0100 4361228 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699666&cid=t_105160_136_f&fid=36469&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fespeciallyheather%2FEH%2F%7E3%2F08lMJgr83bc%2F This is Emma in May at Tampa Gen. Inpatient Rehab: {she isnt crying, it is called a “Neuro Moan” from the swelling on her brain} Notice how she is holding her right hand and turning her head to the right and how she is taking really small steps. I am amazed at how much muscle mass she lost in her legs and upper body. Laying in bed for 3+ months will do that. ————————— This is her on Tuesday at Transplant Clinic: ————————— And yesterday morning still in her bed: ————————— This is Emma’s teacher yesterday at homebound school. At the end she uses her BIGmac appropriatley to tell us she wants to “stop&#82... Especially Heather blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699666 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:49:30 +0100 3699666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3182325&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2010%2F01%2Faspies-are-coming-aspies-are-coming.html Autie Kid T-Shirt by webcarveMake a custom t-shirt on zazzleBump and update: A lot more about the incestuous relationship between the school district and local news coverage appeared in the last couple of days.A disturbing issue arises from this email. Zakh is a juvenile, a minor. This anchor/reporter alleges that "very reliable sources" gave him federally protected, privileged medical and education information about this boy. Given this disturbing inference, I contacted the reporter myself... And a torrent of  "explanations" from said reporter (whom I presume to be Darren Bobb) ensues, including an abusurd statement that his "very reliable sources" amounted to Google. It's quite long and you should read the whole thing from the horse's mouth. But this part seized my at... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3182325 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:21:00 +0100 3182325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163988&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2010%2F01%2Faspies-are-coming-aspies-are-coming.html Autie Kid T-Shirt by webcarveMake a custom t-shirt on zazzleAutistics and small towns do not seem to mix well. I'd rather expect that some degree of plain old xenophobia is part of the reaction to Zakhqurey Price and his large family.I've seen similar things. Hell, I grew up as a similar percieved thing, which explains part of my interest in the case. Other parents and adult autistic-spectrum people are interested because they have gone through it on behalf of a child. We've gone through both. Don't Poke The Aspie! by webcarveMore Aspie T-Shirts With the grace of God and a good lawyer, it may soon be possible to move the whole family to a jurisdiction where the term Free and Appropriate Public Education is clearly understood. The following is cross-posted from the Southwest Times Record's ... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163988 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:28:00 +0100 3163988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912486&cid=t_105160_136_f&fid=36469&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fespeciallyheather%2FEH%2F%7E3%2FvHJ-6peUh9s%2F My Proud Emma Grace For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5M4M (Source: Especially Heather) Especially Heather blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912486 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:00:40 +0100 2912486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2865863&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2009%2F10%2Fplague-of-autism-charities.html Ask me why Autism Awareness T-Shirt by webcarveCreate a personalized tshirt online at zazzle.The central image is free for use by anyone, so long as it remains intact.I review ads for Graphictruth. I try to avoid things that might offend my readers and I reserve the right to refuse accounts that offend me. I blog about ethics, after all.I filter out make-money-fast links, anything of any sort that suggests in boldfaced text that you can make thousands working from home with little or no investment or effort, quack cures, patent nostrums, gambling sites, lotteries, sites advocating hate speech, sites that spread dangerous misinformation, promote unreasoning fear, conspiracy theories about black helicopters or vaccines. If I have reason to doubt the ethics of a site, I'll reject it out of ha... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2865863 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:36:00 +0100 2865863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2705290&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2009%2F08%2Funwarrented-assumptions-checklist-of.html Red I'm with Neurotypical T-Shirtby webcarveBrowse more Neurotypical T-ShirtsAsperger Square 8: Checklist of Neurotypical Privilege: New DraftOrdinarily I'd say something, or quote an excerpt but in this case, just go have a look. It's all of a piece, and developing. (Source: Graphictruth) Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2705290 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:45:00 +0100 2705290 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2453076&cid=t_105160_136_f&fid=36469&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fespeciallyheather%2FEH%2F%7E3%2FK-M4rMxu0UI%2F Where to begin. If you are just coming into this discussion, you will need to read this post first. So last night we (the parents of the autism children in our county) went before the School Board Members and pleaded our case. The majority of us (including myself) brought our autistic children so that the [...] (Source: Especially Heather) Especially Heather blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2453076 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:16:14 +0100 2453076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442557&cid=t_105160_136_f&fid=36469&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fespeciallyheather%2FEH%2F%7E3%2FIRjgRF5P080%2F ESE stands for Exceptional Student Education. Exceptional represents any thing other than “typical”. Emma is a ESE student because she is Autistic, among other things. For those of you who aren’t familiar with her story, you should read it. Anyways. We (the parents of autistic students in this county) have been battling talking [...] (Source: Especially Heather) Especially Heather blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442557 Thu, 21 May 2009 16:10:52 +0100 2442557 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2381086&cid=t_105160_136_f&fid=36469&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fespeciallyheather%2FEH%2F%7E3%2FlS16tZcOi48%2F Isn’t she beautiful?! We are so very blessed.. The daddy and Emma dance at the end..I knew it would make you cry! (Source: Especially Heather) Especially Heather blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2381086 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:11:25 +0100 2381086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2367966&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35124&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspergerwoman%2F%7E3%2F5E7o-scKBDg%2Fwomen-with-autism-4-reasons.html Women with autism are real women. They live, they give birth to babies, they study, they laugh, they go to the movies, museum, café. They travel, explore, read, talk, think, feed this world just as other women do. Women with autism need the world to show ourselves. The world needs them, with their special talents and gifts. The time has come for women with autism to step into the spotlights. The need, is growing for understanding about autistic women. Here are 4 Reasons Life is not always easy for women with autism. Actually, for women with autism life is more difficult then for men with autism. 1.NOT DIAGNOSED AS AUTISM MAKES WOMEN FEEL ISOLATEDThe difficulties woman deal with are simply not diagnosed as being autism. Many women feel they are different then other women, but have no clue ... The Art of Being Asperger Woman blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2367966 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:00:00 +0100 2367966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365334&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35124&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspergerwoman%2F%7E3%2F5E7o-scKBDg%2Fwomen-with-autism-4-reasons.html Women with autism are real women. They live, they give birth to babies, they study, they laugh, they go to the movies, museum, café. They travel, explore, read, talk, think, feed this world just as other women do. We need the world to show ourselves. The world needs us, with our capablities of being probalble more verbaleThe time has come for women with autism to step into the spotlights. The need, is growing for understanding about autistic women. Here are 4 Reasons Life is not always easy for women with autism. Actually, for women with autism life is more difficult then for men with autism. 1.NOT DIAGNOSED AS AUTISM MAKES WOMEN FEEL ISOLATEDThe difficulties woman deal with are simply not diagnosed as being autism. Many women feel they are different then other women, but have no clue wha... The Art of Being Asperger Woman blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365334 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:00:00 +0100 2365334 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349351&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35124&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspergerwoman%2F%7E3%2Fjo2M6KyGeBk%2Faspie-rap-video.html This is great! While surfing YouTube I discovered this autism rap made by Leeds Adults at Purple Pro Audio Studio in Leeds in 2006!Aim is to raise awareness of Asperger Syndrome in Leeds.As this is the 3rd song they have recorded, I will have a look for songs number 1 and 2.Click on the title of this blogpost to be forwarded. Enjoy the video! (Source: The Art of Being Asperger Woman) The Art of Being Asperger Woman blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349351 Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:32:00 +0100 2349351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2324216&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F04%2Freasonable-people-can-agree-to-differ.html As some of you may already know, "April" is "Autism" "Awareness" month. Whilst this is a "controversial" "matter" I would like to help people understand that an autism diagnoses does not mean that my ‘real’ children were not stolen nor is it worse than cancer nor death. These perspectives are a great dis-service to people, "parents and children" who struggle with those real tragedies. Autistic people and those with special needs deserve to be treated with the same dignity and respect that we offer everyone else on the planet.As I am now on "Etsy," I am offering this bowl, shipped for free anywhere in the World, as my small contribution. It's about six inches across and just over two inches high carved in forest green slip, my son's favourite.Some people are "autistic," "adults," "young... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2324216 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 06:59:00 +0100 2324216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2324237&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35124&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspergerwoman%2F%7E3%2Fqz9QiPuxQhg%2Fautists-and-autism-awareness.html Thank you for all your comments on yesterday's blog. It's time the world realises how much people with autism generally are aware of their own shortcomings. But I think we should not be too hard in judging the outdoor world. Besides, speaking of diabilities there are few people who really know what it's like to have impairments. Most people live a generally quiet life. What people might not experience in fysical or mental impairments, they might have to live with other unpleasant things. We all carry our luggage throughout life. Be aware of autism but do not live live as an autist, because you are more than just that!While typing this the sun shines, as I sit outside I can hear the sound of singing birds (it is busy in the air! sounds like several songs sung by different birds LOL)and the ... The Art of Being Asperger Woman blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2324237 Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:55:00 +0100 2324237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2306913&cid=t_105160_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fhealthbolt%2Fcelebrate-world-autism-awareness-day%2F April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day. (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2306913 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:16:45 +0100 2306913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2299081&cid=t_105160_136_f&fid=36469&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fespeciallyheather%2FEH%2F%7E3%2FUnpchoZUfcY%2F When you use the “R” word, it hurts families like mine… Families that love someone special and unique. Society may view her as “retarded”, but to our family…She is loved Take a stand and make a pledge to end the use of the “R” word”..For Emma and special children/adults like her. Then, spread the word: The new [...] (Source: Especially Heather) Especially Heather blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2299081 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:13:24 +0100 2299081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2296756&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Fpi-dish.html Get the code:-Cut and pastefrom this littleboxy thing below Autism awareness month is nearly upon us, so I have a new design, with "Daniel Tammet" in mind, for those of us ordinary folks without savant skills. Criticisms so far:-1. The numbers are too big2. The numbers are too small3. There are not enough numbers, 50 numerals is stingy4. The numbers are anti-clockwise5. It has to end with a zero or serious pain ensues6. The numbers are upside down7. Where are the fish?8. Why can’t we have negative numbers instead?9. Green is betterPlease feel free to add your own criticism and comments so that I can adjust and try to accommodate.Cheers dearsIf you like what you read, send it to someone in 'need.' (Source: Whitterer on Autism) Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2296756 Sat, 21 Mar 2009 06:52:00 +0100 2296756 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2276211&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FddwGybinyEI%2F We get Alex up for school at 6:15. I do this four days a week, and Jill sleeps in a bit before she has to rise to get Ned ready for school. So I’m alone with Alex. I have stuff to do for my day, plus make sure he gets dressed and brushes his teeth and gets his stuff together. (First I have to make sure he stays awake, as he’s often up in the middle of the night, and 0615 comes early.) One thing I like to do is empty the clean dishwasher so Jill doesn’t have to do it. So I’m just about done with the previous night’s dinner plates and the spoons when I notice that I haven’t heard anything from Alex for a few moments. “Alex?” Nothing. “ALEX?!” Nothing. I hear water running from the bathroom. I go in. There is Alex. The toilet is overflowing. There’s almost an inch of wa... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2276211 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:41:31 +0100 2276211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1976187&cid=t_105160_136_f&fid=36469&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2Fespeciallyheather%2FEH%2F%7E3%2F459484863%2F Edited To Add: The IEP has been rescheduled due to Emma’s Teacher having strep throat… The migraine inducing  IEP meeting for Emma. Although I am super confident in her school and she has an amazingly awesome teacher and nurses; none of things change the fact that she is such a unique child with unique [...] (Source: Especially Heather) Especially Heather blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1976187 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:00:43 +0100 1976187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1833186&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fwhat-would-you-have-done-what-would-you-do-today%2F What would you have done if a prenatal test for autism had existed when you were expecting, and your child had tested positive for autism?  More importantly, what would you do today, knowing what you now know about autism and being an autism parent, if you were expecting and learned that your child would be autistic?  A comment to my last post from Jen and an article from Susan Senator last year give some insight into the question from an autism mom’s perspective. From Jen: I can’t imagine my world without my children in it, but if prenatal testing had been available for autism at that point I probably would have aborted them, as the thought of autistic triplets would not have been one that I could have wrapped my mind around. (needless to say, I was also completely clueless abou... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1833186 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:10:58 +0100 1833186 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825641&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fmilitary-service%2F This article applies to those who live in the U.S. = = == === ===== If your autistic child is in an inclusion setting in high school, attending as a “regular” student, you will eventually encounter military recruiters. As part of No Child Left Behind, public schools are obligated to provide student information to the local recruiters. A recent story in the Oregonian (excerpted below) shows the problems that can occur. To help prevent this kind of problem, you can take the following steps: Have appropriate documents of diagnosis, treatment, IEPs, etc. for your child If possible, obtain a letter from the school district case manager, pediatrician and others Be proactive, and find out who the local recruiters are, for all services Be even more proactive, find out the chain of co... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825641 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:37:32 +0100 1825641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1809759&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fautism-and-the-tragedy-of-the-commons%2F Last summer, I put Cooperation and the tragedy of the commons, from the Anecdote blog,  in my “to blog” pile.  It seemed relevant, but I just couldn’t quite figure out how.  In his post about an Alliance for Autism, Mike Stanton raises the problem of reconciling the individual wishes and desires of parents and adults with autism with the long term goals of autism advocacy, which has helped me better understand the relevance. The problem Mike raises shows up in many different domains and is known as the tragedy of the commons.  Simply stated, tragedy of the commons is: a dilemma in which multiple individuals acting independently in their own self-interest can ultimately destroy a shared resource even where it is clear that it is not in anyone’s long term interest... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1809759 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:09:08 +0100 1809759 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806277&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fis-your-sen-or-rep-attending-rep-maloneys-vaccine-autism-meeting%2F As the folks at Age of Autism have pointed out, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) is hosting a special briefing next Wednesday (24 September 2008) for Members of Congress and their Staff to update them on recent developments in the vaccine-autism debate.  I took their advice (kind of) and sent my Senators and Congressman a quick note about the meeting: Dear …  , On Wednesday 24 September, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) is hosting a special briefing for Members of Congress and their Staff to update them on recent developments in the vaccine-autism debate.  As the parent of an autistic son, now 17, I’m asking that you not spend the valuable time of you or your staff at this meeting. As you may have guessed, I don’t subscribe to the belief that vaccines, or anything in them, cause... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806277 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:23:21 +0100 1806277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806278&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fthe-only-way-to-get-the-best-of-an-argument%25e2%2580%25a6%2F … is to avoid it. That is the first of 12 suggestions from Dale Carnegie on how to “win people to your way of thinking“. A couple of the others that I really like are: Show respect for the other person’s opinion. Never say, “You’re wrong”. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. Begin in a friendly way. Get the other person saying, “Yes, yes” immediately. Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view. Be sympathetic with the other person’s ideas and desires. In many ways, these remind of what I understand to be the basic attributes of diplomacy and negotiation. Obviously, there may come a point when these efforts fail and other, more drastic, approaches need to be taken. Some would say that we a... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806278 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:55:21 +0100 1806278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1802697&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2F%25e2%2580%259cmen-must-attend-iep-meetings%25e2%2580%259d-reprint%2F I originally posted this over two years ago, and like my last post thought it would be worthwhile to reprint it as many parents are preparing for IEPs. = = == === ===== “Men must attend IEP meetings.” This advice comes from Charles Fox at the Special Education Law Blog in a Father’s Day post discussing the role of fathers in the advocacy process. A short excerpt: Fathers and men too often fail to realize that sometimes just showing up at a meeting in support of the child can make an enormous difference. In my list of essential advocacy points, I list that “men must attend meetings.” [number 11] I was actually accused of being a male chauvinist for stating this position at a parent training.What was lost in translation was not that women are incompetent advocates because nothing c... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1802697 Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:11:37 +0100 1802697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1794404&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fdifferent-no-doubt-but-disabled%2F In a recent post suggesting the formation of an Alliance for Autism, Mike Stanton raised a few issues on which parents and adults with autism as a group may need to come to some sort of agreement.  One of those issues are the questions:  Is autism a disability or a difference? Can it be both? More than just an academic debate, the answers to these questions have very definite real world consequences.  Disabilities are covered by various laws, policies, etc. etc..  Differences, on the other hand, are not.  This was brought home to me when I read the aspie:talk post an adult trying to get accomodations. Although his issues were more related to not having an official diagnosis, the situation presents a good point of comparison. If treated as a disability, supported by the proper diagnosi... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1794404 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:01:40 +0100 1794404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1785914&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fautism-and-grief%2F I am not grieving, despite the concern (?) from CS in a comment on my most recent post.  (Nor am I simply in denial as I’m sure some will tell me about my thoughts on autism and raising an autistic child.)  I have written about grief and autism before, though, and this seemed like a good time to dust that post off and repost it. From April 2006, Autism and the 5 Stages of Grief: = = == === ===== For many families, a diagnosis of autism in a child brings about a profound sense of loss. Since most people don’t actively educate themselves about autism before the diagnosis - let’s face it, no one thinks it can happen to them - most of what they know comes from what they may see, hear, or read in the media. Unfortunately, the vast majority of stories about autism in the media are ab... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1785914 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:40:52 +0100 1785914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1779230&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F09%2Fscorn-not%2F It’s been a busy week or so, and I am still pulling together a review of The Speed of Dark, but I jotted a note to myself to blog this last weekend following the Republican National Convention and all the furor surrounding Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her newborn son with Down’s Syndrome. Over the weekend, and with the news about Gov. Palin still fresh and in rotation, my iPod mix shuffled itself to Sinead O’Connor’s version of Phil Coulter’s  “Scorn Not His Simplicity”, written about his young son with Down’s Syndrome. = = == === ===== See the child With the golden hair Yet eyes that show the emptiness inside Do we know Can we understand just how he feels Or have we really tried See him now As he stands alone And watches children play a... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1779230 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:37:07 +0100 1779230 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1750125&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fjust-the-way-it-is-but-dont-you-believe-them%2F Frequent readers of this blog know that in my attempt to understand autism better, I have a tendency to see connections in things that aren’t always directly related to autism.  A lot of times this will come in the form of a song, a TV show, or a main- or sub-theme in a movie (like the X-Men trilogy). My post yesterday brought to mind Bruce Hornsby’s (excellent) song, The Way It Is (from the album of the same name). They say, “Hey little boy you can’t go Where the others go ‘Cause you don’t look like they do” Said, “Hey old man How can you stand to think that way Did you really think about it Before you made the rules” He said, son That’s just the way it is Some things will never change That’s just the way it is Ah, but don... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1750125 Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:53:08 +0100 1750125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1746076&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F08%2Ftheyre-not-normal-whatever-you-say%2F This is the fourth of three posts of excerpts from Elizabeth Moon’s novel The Speed of Dark. (Part one - How normal are normal people?,  part two - What does it meant to be “me”?, and part three - Do I need to be healed?) Like any good story, The Speed of Dark has an antagonist that provides the main character his dilemma and challenge.  I thought it might be worthwhile to share some of Mr. Crenshaw’s thoughts on Lou and his co-workers. “Your guys are fossils, Pete.  Face it.  The auties older than them were throwaways, nine out of ten.  And don’t recite that woman, whatever her name was, that designed slaughterhouses or something —. “One in a million, and I have the highest respect for someone who pulls themselves up by their bootstraps... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1746076 Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:13:52 +0100 1746076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1742745&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fdo-i-need-to-be-healed%2F This is the third of three posts of excerpts from Elizabeth Moon’s novel The Speed of Dark. (Part one - How normal are normal people?, and part two - What does it meant to be “me”?) In this excerpt, Lou is considering what it might mean to be “healed”: If my self definition is limited and rule-dictated, at least it is my self-definition, and not someone else’s. I like peppers on pizza and I do not like anchovies on pizza. If someone changes me, will I still like peppers and not anchovies on pizza? What if the someone who changes me wants me to want anchovies…can they change that? … Asking if I want to be healed is like asking if I want to like anchovies. I cannot imagine what liking anchovies would feel like, what taste they would have in my ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1742745 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:37:50 +0100 1742745 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739129&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fwhy-are-we-so-intolerant-of-differences%2F One of the key sub-plots in Elizabeth Moon’s book The Speed of Dark involves some corporate intrigue and an almost stereotypical management vs. labor conflict.   At the heart of the issue is a question of the efficiency vs. effectiveness of the autistic workforce.   It’s probably because of my recent reading of the book that Jack Vinson’s post People still say these things? caught my attention.  (Attention, what attention?) In that post, Jack references a quote that “amazes me every time I see it used in real life”: Regrettably far too many executives remain firmly convinced that the only way to increase productivity is for their employees to work harder or faster. A chief executive in Northern Ireland was quoted in his company magazine as saying; “... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739129 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:46:46 +0100 1739129 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1739130&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fwhat-does-it-mean-to-be-me%2F This is the second of three posts of excerpts from Elizabeth Moon’s novel The Speed of Dark. (Part one - How normal are normal people?) In this excerpt, Lou is considering what it means to be “Lou”, and how he would be different as an adult if he had been different when he was younger. If I had not been what I am, what would I have been? I have thought about that at times. If I had found it easy to understand what people were saying, would I have wanted to listen more? Would I have learned to talk more easily? And from that, would I have had more friends, even been popular? I try to imagine myself as a child, a normal child, chattering away with family and teachers and classmates. If I had been that child, instead of myself, would I have learned math so easily? Would the ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1739130 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:37:33 +0100 1739130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1717161&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fthe-internet-doesnt-make-people-stupid%2F Over at Wired.com, David Wolman has posted an essay entitled The Critics Need a Reboot. The Internet Hasn’t Led Us Into a New Dark Age. The essay is a response to the numerous recent books and articles that paint “the internet and its digital spawn” as the cause of the growing shallowness and dumbing-down of society. I’ve been following this trend of blaming the internet as part of another interest of mine, Work Literacy, and that is how I came across this particular article. What caught my eye, in terms of relevance for this blog, was Wolman’s take on the role the internet (and its digital spawn) plays. It’s not the cause of these problems, it is an enabler of these things for people, and a society, that is already pre-disposed to this way of thinking. ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1717161 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:16:39 +0100 1717161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709108&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fa-meditation-on-individual-expression%2F A couple of weeks ago, I posted a meditation on censorship. In light of all the recent discussion surrounding the film Tropic Thunder, I thought I should post this companion meditation on individual expression: Emperors uphold censorship, But extreme repression leads to extreme reaction. Individualists believe in freedom, But extreme expression leads to extreme reaction. To answer the question I posed in my last post, “No, I don’t believe the creators of pop-culture have a responsibility for limiting their content to what is ‘acceptable’.” The nature of art is individual expression, and in that the ‘artist’ is responsible only to himself. As the meditation above states, though, this unlimited expression might result in “extreme reaction.&#822... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709108 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:02:25 +0100 1709108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1709109&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F08%2Fpop-culture-has-power-does-it-also-have-a-responsibility%2F In a previous post in which I discussed the power of pop culture, I wrote the following: As much as we may wish it were not so, we can’t ignore the power of pop-culture and the influence it has had, and will continue to have, on the public perception of autism. (You may have also seen a version of this post earlier this year, when I reposted it in the wake of the ABC Eli Stone story. And, no, I’m going to repost the whole thing again ;-) In the article Film comedy courts controversy; mental disabilities heart of issue, Jenny Goode, chief executive officer of the Betty Hardwick Center, has the following to say about pop culture:: “What we need to consider as responsible adults is that things that occur in pop culture, movies, television and books are things that people do use ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1709109 Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:14:34 +0100 1709109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1655455&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fwhat-can-parents-do-to-help-the-cause-of-autism-advocacy%2F My recent posts, and your comments to them, has got me thinking about the following question: Aside from being a good parent, advocating for our autistic children when they are young, and helping them learn how to advocate for themselves as they get older, what are some things that parents can do advocate for autistics in general? I know what the basic message is, but what I’m not sure of is how best to get that message out; to friends, family, local media, educators, etc etc. I’m going to be “off the grid” for the next 10 days, so I won’t respond to anything right away. But I’m looking forward to reading your ideas and suggestions. (Source: 29 Marbles) 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1655455 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:37:05 +0100 1655455 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1652327&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fjust-a-plain-ordinary-loving-proud-parent%2F I started writing about autism, specifically about being an autism parent, just over three years ago. One of my goals was to provide information that would be useful for parents who have recently received a diagnosis of autism for their child. This post is my attempt to give you, as a parent of a newly diagnosed autistic child, an idea of what you will likely find as you try to understand what that diagnosis means to you and your child. Parenting is a challenge, no matter who your kid is. No matter what you do, someone somewhere will tell you that you are doing it wrong. If you are already a parent, you know what I mean. How many times have you heard someone tell you that your kids should spend more time outside, less time on the computer or with their video games, more time reading, less... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1652327 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:29:23 +0100 1652327 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649011&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fa-meditation-on-censorship%2F The following meditation on censorship comes from 365 Tao (June 13). It’s been on my mind lately, and Kristina Chew’s recent post The R Word and Not So Nice Language has prompted me to share. Emperors uphold censorship, But extreme repression leads to extreme reaction. Individualists believe in freedom, But extreme expression leads to extreme reaction. The challenge, of course, is learning how to live and act in between these two extremes, and how to deal with those who inhabit the extremes. (Source: 29 Marbles) 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649011 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:20:09 +0100 1649011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1649012&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fsome-thoughts-on-advocacy%2F In our society today, autistic children and adults are publicly represented almost exclusively by non-autistic advocates; sometimes parents or other friends/family, sometimes medical professionals, sometimes others with their own particular reasons. There are, of course, an increasing number of autistic autism advocates, but they have a hard time gaining acceptance as “legitimate” advocates. In fact, there are several bloggers and commentators who decry the fact that the most vocal autistic autism advocates are those with Asperger’s Syndrome, and that these “high-functioning” autistics can’t (don’t) speak for those with classical (or “low-functioning”) autism. Which brought to mind something I read a couple of months ago in Richard Fars... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1649012 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:46:16 +0100 1649012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1637768&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fautism-neurodiversity-and-parenting%2F After over three years of blogging about autism, I’ve finally found the right words to express my feelings, as a parent, about autism and neurodiversity. I admire and appreciate the important and necessary work of Jim Sinclair for both autism, and in general for people with disabilities. It is an extremely well-written and concise expression of rights of those with disabilities, the folly of many parents in missing the individual beauty and development of their own child in the constant misguided comparison with an incomparable standard, and the need for public accommodation and acceptance of autism as a different way of being. I myself have used that expression, “a different way of being”‘ in conversation, and it describes autism well, without defining it as less-t... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1637768 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:06:21 +0100 1637768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1631045&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F07%2Fcomparative-studies-in-autism%2F I have an irritating (according to some) tendency to play “devil’s advocate” in discussions about many things. I think this dates back to my junior year in high school when I learned the pleasures of debate in a philosophy class (gotta love the Jesuits!). More than anything, it was the admonition that some things were beyond debate - for example, abortion (remember: Jesuits) - that got me hooked. Nothing, as far as I’m concerned, is beyond discussion or debate. Which has led me into a life of “comparison.” Comparative religion. Comparative politics. (It was, in fact, in a comparative politics class that I met my wife of 21 years.) My reading list over the years reflects this believe, as I make it a point to read books that discuss different aspects of a... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1631045 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:03:03 +0100 1631045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1553076&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F322221570%2F She Knows has a list of 11 Pro-Autism products; as some of these bear the light blue puzzle piece logo of a certain large autism organization that recently threatened an autistic t-shirt maker with legal action, I guess the “pro-autism-ness” of the She Knows products is open to a bit of debate. Especially around the time when my son had just been diagnosed and for some years thereafter, I appreciated the “statement” that comes with puzzle-piece decorated items (well not just any, but that’s me). There were a few occasions when Jim and Charlie would be in a store and Charlie would be hum-talking and jumping with great exuberance and persistence and some one would look at him and say “he’s nuts!”, whereupon nothing would seem easier than for Ji... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1553076 Sat, 28 Jun 2008 21:00:40 +0100 1553076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1543194&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fmissouri-creates-autism-commission-office-of-autism-services%2F I don’t have a lot of details, but heard this in the local headlines on KWMU this morning. Just a couple of links on Google News, I expect more over the next few days (weeks)? From the Joplin Globe: A statewide commission on autism spectrum disorders will be assembled and, by July 1 of next year, will produce a plan for Missouri to offer treatment, training and other services. [...] The commission will be made up of representatives from the General Assembly, health-related state agencies and autism-related organizations, and parents. Kinder was filling in for Gov. Matt Blunt, who is out of state. [...] Kinder spokesman Gary McElyea said members of the state commission should be chosen fairly quickly. As you might imagine, there is a lot of disagreement about what exactly the commissi... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1543194 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:37:19 +0100 1543194 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1543195&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fenjoying-the-scenery-redux%2F A consistent theme in my writing here is that parenting an autistic child is, first and foremost, nothing more than parenting a child. Yes it is different, and sometimes (OK, much of the time) more difficult than being the parent of a “normal” child, but that doesn’t change the fundamental nature of being a parent. In response to Steve D’s call to revisit a favorite post I am reposting Enjoying the Scenery, which I originally posted in February 2006. I don’t know if this is my absolute favorite, but it is right there at the top. = = == === ===== Sometimes our kids surprise us. We try and try and try to get them to do something, understand something, say something. They go for a long time, apparently ignoring (avoiding?) all of our best attempts. Then, all of a... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1543195 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:22:22 +0100 1543195 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1386869&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F04%2Ffour-seasons.html “Hey mum, I found this empty CD case for Vivaldi. I can’t get the tune out of my head. Do you know where the CD is?”I turn my peeved faced upon my eldest daughter. They’re all the same, completely useless. Whatever it is could be pinned to the end of their noses and they still wouldn’t see a thing. ‘Thing’ blindness. I’m sure it’s genetic.“Yes it’s in the office, right hand side on top of the drawers, somewhere in the stack of some 100 or more CD’s. None of them are in their cases.”“?”“They’ve all been digitized by your Dad.”“?”“It should be ‘digitalized’ don’t you think rather than digitized? Wouldn’t like to be fingered.”“?”“The word root! Digit. Finger! Never mind. Anyway don’t ask me anything else about digitization as that�... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1386869 Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:47:00 +0100 1386869 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1383725&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fwhat-if-they-had-been-diagnosed-autistic%2F In his book Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism, author Roy Richard Grinker mentions chess legend Bobby Fischer (p. 63) as someone who may have been an undiagnosed autistic. I’ve just started reading David Edmonds’ book Bobby Fischer Goes to War: How A Lone American Star Defeated the Soviet Chess Machine (P.S.), and have to say that I was thinking the same thing. (For more discussion on the subject check out the Bobby Fischer talk page on Wikipedia.) Which got me thinking: If Fischer were indeed autistic, how would his life - and the history of chess, among other things - have been different if he had been diagnosed when he was young? If he had been provided the treatment and services that are typically demanded today for Asperger’s diagnoses, would he have had... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1383725 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:58:34 +0100 1383725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1379398&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fmaybe-were-all-autistic-redux%2F While writing my most recent post, I found myself back 2 1/2 years to something I wrote on the subject of the genetic nature of autism. The following quote from the article I was discussing is quite likely the source of my opinion, expressed in The genetic basis of … everything (Or: Maybe we are all autistic), that the “autism spectrum” isn’t restricted to those with an autism diagnosis (emphasis is mine): Autism is not a “you have it or you don’t” disorder, Todd said. Instead, it is a highly inheritable continuum of traits, much like height or high blood pressure. The cutoff for being tall or short or having high or low blood pressure is somewhat arbitrary, he said. So is the diagnosis of autism. The measure of autism is usually the inability to cope in the r... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1379398 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:00:55 +0100 1379398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1377969&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fgenetic-engineering-and-autism%2F As far as I know, all of the arguments about the increase in autism diagnoses being too rapid to be purely genetic are based on an assumption of randomness in the process. From that perspective I must admit that it seems unlikely that you could explain the increase in autism diagnoses purely to genetics. But is this really a random process? This thought occurred to me yesterday when I heard a teaser for yesterday’s Talk of the Nation on NPR, on which they had a segment titled Genetically Engineering a ‘Perfect’ Baby. In the teaser, they played a quote from one of the guests in which he said something along the lines of: We’ve been engaged in genetic engineering for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It happens every night in bars and clubs and every where around ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1377969 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:29:50 +0100 1377969 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1371935&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fis-this-neglect-or-just-good-parenting%2F What would you think if your friend/neighbor/sibling told you that they had left their 9 year old son at a department store in mid-town Manhattan, by himself, because “he had been begging for me to please leave him somewhere, anywhere, and let him try to figure out how to get home on his own”? Would you call Child Protective Services, or would you say “good for you”? Would you ever do something like that? After you’ve had a chance to think about it for a second, check out the essay Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone by Lenore Skenazy (also available on her new blog, Free Range Kids). Was I worried? Yes, a tinge. But it didn’t strike me as that daring, either. Isn’t New York as safe now as it was in 1963? It’s not like we’re living in downtow... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1371935 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:43:07 +0100 1371935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1369680&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fhow-about-a-nice-game-of-chess%2F Remember at the end of the early-80’s movie, War Games, when Matthew Broderick’s character David showed the WOPR how to play tic-tac-toe, and then how the WOPR learned the futility of global thermonuclear war by comparing it to tic-tac-toe?  And how WOPR (or Joshua) then commented on the futility of a game that can not be won (except by not playing), and asked David if he would like to play a “nice game of chess”? I can’t help wondering if the whole vaccine / autism thing is an exercise in futility for both sides, a game of unwinnable tic-tac-toe, or if it is a game of chess, still in the opening phase with the middle-and end-games left to come.  And if it is a game that can be won, what exactly is it that the victors will win? (Source: 29 Marbles) 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1369680 Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:26:58 +0100 1369680 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1368772&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fthe-genetic-basis-of-everything-or-maybe-were-all-autistic%2F Maybe it’s because I’ve been around autism for so long now, but I can’t understand why anyone would find it so surprising that a possible “cause” of autism is a complex interaction of genes. Several recent stories (such as those documented by Kristina Chew and Mike Stanton) have made this point as if it is some new discovery. Granted, it may have only recently been scientifically validated, but this one seems to me to be common sense. You might as well ask questions like, “What is the cause of introversion? Extroversion? Natural athletic ability?” I can hear many people saying something along the lines of, “But those ‘conditions’ are normal.” Are they? I mean, in a statistical sense, are they really ‘normal’? I w... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1368772 Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:56:00 +0100 1368772 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1366677&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fthey-shoot-horses-dont-they%2F The anecdote The Family Doctor , published by Julie Obradovic on Age of Autism a couple of months back, is a well told story of how she finally succeeds in converting her brother, a pediatrician, to her understanding that vaccines are bad and likely a cause for autism. If you are new to the question of autism and its causes, and come across this story early on in your search for answers, chances are it might be pretty influential. But something has been bugging me about the story since I first read it. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, so I haven’t written about it until now. It was a discussion I had with Autistic Bitch From Hell in the comments to my recent post A View From the Middle that made me realize what was so troubling to me about the story. Here are Obradovic&#82... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1366677 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:51:00 +0100 1366677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1363716&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fjohn-robinson-on-an-autism-cure%2F This is kind of a follow-up to my most recent post. In responding to Some Asperger questions from the audience, John Elder Robinson - author of the book Look Me in the Eye and a blog of the same name - takes on the cure question: If there were ever a cure would you take it, or would you think it was like taking a piece away? At age 50, I am comfortable the way I am and I would not want to take any pieces away. As a teenager, though, life was a lot harder and I’d have had a different answer if you asked me this at age 15. I guess we become more comfortable with ourselves as we get older and hopefully wiser. If you’ve read the book, you know that Robinson’s life was anything but easy. Interesting, no doubt. But not easy, especially in a time when pretty much all kids - autisti... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1363716 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:10:07 +0100 1363716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1362421&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fwhose-decision-is-it%2F A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to give a short talk on autism. Here’s a rough transcript of what I said. A few years ago, a friend asked me the question: “If someone told you there was a pill you could give your son that would cure his autism overnight, would you give it to him?” Sounds like an easy question, right? (general murmur of agreement from the small audience) I hadn’t really thought much about it for some time, as it had been nearly ten years since his autism diagnosis, so I answered with a very non-committal, “I don’t know, I guess so.” That evening I gave the question some more serious thought, and was surprised by I learned. If the child study team that gave us the diagnosis had asked that question right after giving us the diagnos... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1362421 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:13:08 +0100 1362421 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1358552&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fhow-much-risk-is-too-much%2F In a comment to Lisa Jo Rudy’s brief examination of some of the issues in the autism-vaccine debate, Dadvocate had this to say: Rather, it is that some, in their zeal to promote public health may be erroneously accepting a level of adverse reaction risk that is too high (and possibly avoidable by reverting to a more conservative schedule)…. The obvious (to me) question from this is, “Given that the current vaccine schedule results in an unacceptably high risk of autism in vaccinated children, what level of risk is acceptable? If the current risk is 1-in-150 (which, I should note is actually the prevalence and not the odds of being autistic), what risk is acceptable? 1-in-500? 1-in-1000? 1-in 10,000? None?” This question is really for those who believe that vaccines ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1358552 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:52:05 +0100 1358552 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1352748&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F264639472%2F The latest post about a hypothetical vaccine-autism link by journalist David Kirby argues that the CDC has “lost control of the autism argument.” Kirby suggests that the CDC—a government agency—is “out of touch” with the real concerns of “anxious and alarmed” Americans who are worrying about their children receiving “5 or more vaccines in one sitting.” (Note that Kirby, who has written plenty about the dangers of thimerosal, the mercury-based preservative that used to be in vaccines, has now shifted his concern to how many vaccines children receive at one time.) Kirby describes some “nasty emails” that some few pediatricians have sent him; these doctors are (says Kirby) up in arms as, thanks to the repeated reports in ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1352748 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:47:05 +0100 1352748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349655&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F263834049%2F A few days ago I asked does your child know that he or she is autistic?—-and now, after Wednesday’s World Autism Day and April being Autism Awareness Month, here’s another question in the same vein: Does your autistic child know that Wednesday was World Autism Day and that this whole month is Autism Awareness Month? I don’t like to speak on behalf of Charlie but have a few thoughts on this particular topic. First, no, he’s not particularly aware that Wednesday or this month are focused on him or, rather, on what he “has.” Charlie hardly needs to be aware of autism. When I think about all the news reports, special features, talk shows, general media onslaught of stories about autism that have been circulating, I suspect that most would not hold his ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349655 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:09:25 +0100 1349655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1349537&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fa-world-without-autism%2F On one side of the autism debate are those whose mission it is to eradicate autism, remove it from the face of the earth. Which got me thinking, and brought the following questions to mind that I would like to ask those who would see autism disappear: If autism could be cured, and if we, as a society, chose to cure it, what would the world be like? How would it impact our lives, and the lives of our children (and descendants many generations down the line)?  What would society look like 50 years from now?  100 years from now, when autism (or autism-like traits) had stopped influencing things? If you can, I’d also like to know what you think would actually be removed from individuals and society by curing autism, in terms of behaviors, (dis-)abilities, etc.  In other words, what do... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1349537 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:47:25 +0100 1349537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1347372&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F04%2Fa-view-from-the-middle%2F I had lunch with an old friend recently, and the topic of conversation wound its way to autism. I, of course, am the parent of an autistic son. As it turns out, his nephew is also autistic. He wanted to understand autism, and I wanted to help him understand. But I didn’t know where to start. Sure, there are many angles from which to approach the question. I could start with: Vaccines cause autism, once they have it, it’s a long struggle to recover them. Or how about: Nothing “causes” autism, it is just another aspect of this neurodiverse world we live in. As far as treatment: Chelation, to get rid of the mercury and other metals. Or: A special diet that is almost impossible, and incredibly expensive, to adhere to. Or: ABA. Or: (add your favorite treatment here). To ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1347372 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:15:00 +0100 1347372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1311034&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fblog-maintenance-mostly-complete%2F Back in January I started the process of remodeling 29 Marbles, and today I announce the completion of that remodeling (to the extent that any blog is ever really complete). A couple of things you will likely notice: 29 Marbles has moved from its home on Blogger its own address at http://autism.gbrettmiller.com, and I’ve switched from Blogger to WordPress. I did this for several reasons, but mostly I was taking my own advice to “own my data”. The feed for 29 Marbles is still http://feeds.feedburner.com/29Marbles, so you should not lose your subscription. (I think you may have received a feed “refresh” of the last few posts, but that should be OK.) The left hand column is for information related directly to 29 Marbles, such as the search function, feed subscri... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1311034 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:41:38 +0100 1311034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1296069&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2Fautism.gbrettmiller.com%2F2008%2F03%2Faaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhh%2F (Source: 29 Marbles) 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1296069 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:41:33 +0100 1296069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1241904&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fblind-faith.html When was the last time you changed your mind about something related to autism? If you read back through my nearly three years of posts here you'll see that my own thoughts on the matter have fluctuated quite a bit. (Good thing I'm not a politician!). It's not that I have trouble making up my mind, it's just that I seem to learn something new everyday that influences my opinions.In a post entitled Nestor Lopez-Duran Ph.D on Autism, Science and Faith-Based Advocacy, Autism dad Harold Doherty, author of Facing Autism in New Brunswick, references the following comments from Lopez-Duran:what I believe doesn’t really matter, because “beliefs” rapidly turn into blind faith, even amongst scientists. Instead, good science only occurs when positions are flexible and reflective only of the sta... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1241904 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:42:00 +0100 1241904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1225289&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fautism-and-new-jersey-law-enforcement.html Over the weekend, Kristina Chew wrote about yet another tasing of an autistic teenager, and mentions a bill in New Jersey to promote autism training for first responders. While that bill makes its way through the New Jersey state legislature, first responders in Hillsborough, NJ are taking the initiative getting the training for themselves. From Cops learn about autism to help prevent tragedy:With more than 1,200 children and adults diagnosed with autism in the township -- and thousands more in neighboring communities -- Hillsborough police officers are reaching out to better serve those families during serious law-enforcement situations.Hillsborough police Chief Paul Kaminsky recently participated in a four-hour seminar, "Autism Shield Program for Autism Recognition and Response." Its goa... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1225289 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 04:55:00 +0100 1225289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1204659&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fautoimmune-epidemic.html While wandering the aisles in the local Borders book store, I saw Donna Nakazawa's new book, The Autoimmune Epidemic: Bodies Gone Haywire in a World out of Balance and the Cutting Edge Science that Promises Hope. This description is from the book's official site:Multiple sclerosis, lupus, Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and nearly a hundred other chronic autoimmune illnesses are part of this devastating epidemic, in which the human body, acting on misread signals, literally begins to destroy itself. Alarmingly, the occurrence of many of these diseases has more than doubled in the last three decades, signaling a disturbing trend that can be directly tied to environmental factors in everyday modern life—including our daily exposure to a dizzying array of toxic chemicals.With the con... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1204659 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:53:44 +0100 1204659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1199849&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Findulge-your-kids-passion-and-build-on.html Consider this opening paragraph from the book Strengths Finder 2.0:At its fundamentally flawed core, the aim of almost any learning program is to help us become who we are not. If you don't have natural talent with numbers, you're still forced to spend time in that area to attain a degree. If you're not very empathic, you get sent to a course designed to infuse empathy into your personality. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to our shortcomings than to our strengths.Any autism parent - any parent, for that matter - will likely recognize that this is exactly what we tend to do with our autistic children. In fact, it is what is expected of us, to try to make our autistic children into someone they are not. But that doesn't mean that is what we should be doing.The following ... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1199849 Mon, 04 Feb 2008 12:15:00 +0100 1199849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1187140&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fpower-of-pop-culture-redux.html A lot is being said about the pilot episode of ABC's new legal drama Eli Stone, in which the title character successfully sues a vaccine manufacturer on behalf of a family who believes their son's autism was caused by the vaccine (or, more accurately, an extra substance in the vaccine). Instead of discussing this show in particular, I decided to re-post this from last February. (The bold passages toward the end of the post were added for this re-post.)= = == === =====I will be the first to admit that I am a huge consumer of pop culture. I like to watch good TV (no, it's not an oxymoron) and film, I keep up with the latest in music (yes, some of it is awful), love video games, and read the occasional novel (though most of my reading these days is non-fiction). It comes through every now and... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1187140 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:56:00 +0100 1187140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1128697&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fautism-and-law-enforcement.html I've written about autism and law enforcement before, but in a time when it is becoming increasingly dangerous to be different it is worth mentioning again. The catalyst for this particular post is the NY Times article Helping Police Officers Understand Autism, which talks about the ongoing efforts of Dennis Debbaudt (who is an autism dad and, as it turns out, also provided the inspiration for my previous post on the topic).Some key points from the article:People with developmental disabilities, including autism, have up to seven times more contact with law enforcement officers than others, according to an article in the F.B.I. Law Enforcement Bulletin in April 2001.[W]hen Mr. Debbaudt asked whether any of the police officers, from departments throughout New Jersey, had received training o... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1128697 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:55:00 +0100 1128697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1124868&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F01%2Fideology-and-partisanship-of-autism.html In US politics, we've got Republicans and Democrats, also known as the Conservatives and the Liberals. (Please feel free to substitute the two main political parties from your country if you are not from the US.) I don't know if the following is accurate, but I remember hearing it somewhere in the seemingly constant barrage of US election year news: 30% of the population is Republican, 30% Democrat, and 40% Independent. Kind of makes sense if you think about it in terms of the "bell curve" and normal distributions in a population.I've come to think that the same may hold true in the world of autism ideology. I use the term ideology quite deliberately here. From dictionary.com, ideology is defined as:the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, inst... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1124868 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 04:38:00 +0100 1124868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1119250&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fautism-and-god.html Occasionally I have posted on the topic of autism and religion. These have been very general thoughts about how the Church, the religious, and God (whichever may be yours) view autism and autistics.Ginger Taylor, on the other hand, has written an in-depth discussion of autism from a Christian point of view in a series of posts she calls Autism in God's Economy. Originally posted last spring during Autism Awareness Month, she has re-posted them for the Christmas season.Here's how Ginger describes the series:Because so much is at stake, the autism discussion and debate grows louder and more fevered, often making it difficult for those involved to really take in various perspectives. Even when we do, they are all still flawed human perspectives. Even the best, brightest, wisest and most expe... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1119250 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:40:00 +0100 1119250 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1116697&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F12%2Fautism-book-clubs-on-shelfaricom.html One of the various reasons I finally got around to posting my review of Portia Iverson's Strange Son was my signing up for an account at Shelfari.com, a social networking site to connect those who still engage in the fading activity of reading. As I was adding books to my shelf I wanted to add a review of at least one book, so I dusted off that review and posted it to Shelfari, as well as here (where it would, admittedly, reach a bit larger audience).One of the other things that Shelfari provides is the ability to create groups, what seem to me to essentially be a virtual book club. I created one, Books by Autism Parents and Autistics, to provide a forum to discuss, well, books by autism parents and autistics. So far, the group is just me. I'd love to have some company. (hint hint ;-)On a... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1116697 Wed, 26 Dec 2007 04:16:00 +0100 1116697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1035588&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F11%2Ftale-of-two-mothers.html I wrote the early drafts of this review several months ago, when I first read the book Strange Son. For various reasons, I never completed the review. And for various other reasons, I finally have. So, here it is.- - -- --- -----Although I’m glad that I read Strange Son, I can’t say that I ‘liked’ or ‘enjoyed’ it. On starting the book, I gained an almost instant dislike for Iverson, or at least the Portia Iverson depicted in the book, that made it nearly impossible for me to read more than a few pages at a time.More than just a personal dislike, I found her attitudes towards other people, especially autistics and most especially her own autistic son, repugnant. I almost gave up trying to get through it several times (my wife stopped at page 26, it angered her so much), but I di... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1035588 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 05:42:00 +0100 1035588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=964563&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fautism-is-trait.html This is the third of four posts I originally published at LB/RB. I have included the text of the original comments at the end of the main body of the post.- - -- --- -----Driving yesterday evening, I passed a bus stop with a United Way advertisement with the slogan, "Autism is a trait, not a debilitation." Obviously, when I made my way back online, I tried to find out a bit more about this United Way Campaign.Through Google, I found a link to the campaign on the United Way website. Unfortunately, when I tried the link I received a 404 error. Hopefully it comes back up soon.There was also a link to a story in the Belleville (Illinois) News-Democrat about the spokesman of the campaign, Tyrin Rencher (pictured at right).He is on posters, pamphlets and television screens all around the St. Lou... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=964563 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:57:00 +0100 964563 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=964564&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Fwhat-autism-is-not.html This is the second of four posts I originally published at LB/RB. I have included the text of the original comments at the end of the main body of the post.- - -- --- -----As I mentioned in my last post, I am currently reading Steven Pinker's latest, The Stuff of Thought, an interesting (so far) exploration of the role language plays in human nature. In preparing to make an argument at one point, he starts off by saying the following: To truly understand what something is you must understand what it is not. (His emphasis.) This, of course, got me thinking about what autism is not. (It seems I can't read a book, or what a movie or TV show without finding some sort of connection to my thoughts about autism!) Here's a quick list, I"m sure I'll come up with more: What autism is not: Devastatio... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=964564 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:45:00 +0100 964564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=856865&cid=t_105160_134_f&fid=36049&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FDiabetesNotes%2F%7E3%2F154546412%2F Today kicks off National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week. It runs September 10th through the 16th. What is an invisible chronic illness? If you have an illness and it can’t be seen from the outside, you have it. That would include diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, autism, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic back pain, eating disorders, multiple sclerosis and mental illness, just to name a few. Actually over 95% of chronic illness is invisible. Laura from CFS Squared sent me a link to a great website that is officially hosting an area to come together and “feel that there is someone else that gets it”. Go check out all that it offers including… articles, things to buy, chat rooms and a very funny “10 things not to say to a chr... Diabetes Notes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=856865 Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:32:54 +0100 856865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=791317&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F08%2Ffor-what-its-worth-einstein-was.html ...not autistic, at least not in my mind. Alas, I do not have an answer of my own to offer to the question of "Does it matter?" If you were to press me, I would say that it doesn't matter if it matters to me, it depends on whether or not it matters to you.We all have our own point of view, and the answer to this question is - yes - relative to that point of view. Several people commented to my post Was Einstein autistic? Does it matter?. I encourage you to read those to get an idea of the answer from some diverse points of view (parents, autists, anonymous anti-autistic fundamentalists).Was Einstein aloof? Yes. Emotionally distant? He could be, but wasn't always. Obsessive? I'd say passionate.In the comments to that previous post, Joseph questioned Einstein's view toward his mentally ill s... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=791317 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:30:00 +0100 791317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=771601&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fwas-einstein-autistic-does-it-matter.html When I started reading Walter Isaacson's new biography of Albert Einstein, one of the first things I did was look in the index to see if autism or Asperger's was listed. No on both counts. As I've read the book, I've found myself unconsciously evaluating the information presented through a diagnostic lens, trying to decide if he was indeed autistic. (See this Google search for a lot of discussion about the topic.)I'll post my thoughts on the matter after I've finished the book and had the chance to digest it all, but in the meantime the following question came to mind:Does it really matter if Einstein were autistic or not?- - -- --- ----- (c) by Brett Miller 2005-2007 Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License . (Source: 29 Marbles... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=771601 Wed, 01 Aug 2007 03:21:00 +0100 771601 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=768937&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F07%2Fautism-dads-and-ieps.html Last summer in the post "Men must attend IEP meetings", I quoted Charles Fox of the Special Education Law Blog on the important role men can (should) play in the IEP process. With the beginning of the school year and IEP season looming, I felt it appropriate to reprint Fox's quote:Fathers and men too often fail to realize that sometimes just showing up at a meeting in support of the child can make an enormous difference. In my list of essential advocacy points, I list that 'men must attend meetings.' [number 11] I was actually accused of being a male chauvinist for stating this position at a parent training.What was lost in translation was not that women are incompetent advocates because nothing could be more untrue; rather, that the dynamic of the meeting can often go differently if the f... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=768937 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 01:07:00 +0100 768937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=645155&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35081&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmikestanton.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F05%2F28%2Fwhen-your-normalcy-gets-too-big%2F NTs who struggle with theory of mind. Last week I spent a very pleasant and productive two days attending a conference organized by Autism West Midlands and the Autism Awareness Centre. It was very well organized and the content was both interesting and practical. I also had the pleasure of meeting Maureen Bennie, one of the organizers, whom readers may remember from an earlier blog post of mine. My only regret was that I had to leave early to catch my train and so missed the closing presentation, “Understanding My Autism” by John Simpson.  The headline speaker was Temple Grandin. Having read her books and heard her speak before, I found little that was new in  her presentation. She did make it abundantly clear that she struggled with abstract concepts and had to be able to ... Action For Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=645155 Wed, 30 May 2007 14:33:13 +0100 645155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=580670&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fmotor-mouth-who-knew-speech-delay-could.html I most certainly am. Or usually I am, quite a chatterbox, but lately I’ve had my "jaws" strung together with elastic. 3 months now, and believe me, it’s no laughing matter, even if I could open my mouth to do so. Dis abled? What a politically charged term. But I have the medical charts to prove it. Has my quality of life been impaired? You bettya! Liquid diet and no bits, is about as boring as you can possibly get. My condition is a temporary one. Furthermore, I only have myself to blame, as the jaw surgery was a choice, self induced. Maybe I should have had brain surgery first to forestall such foolishness? For others, their circumstances did not involve an element of choice nor is it temporary. I could give you a list of my chums over the years who are categorized into this or that l... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=580670 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 02:52:00 +0100 580670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=559972&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwhitterer-autism.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fsuffer-little-children.html I snatch it away from her without ceremony, her latest prize from school. A neon yellow squishy ball. For some unaccountable reason, war has broken out between them for ownership, resulting in a mass outbreak of jelly legs. No-one appears capable of walking. [translation = positioning oneself in a vertical position to place one foot in front of the other in a regular sequencing pattern.] My children flap about the ground [translation = dirt] like so many landed salmon, but much noisier. I stuff it up my jumper, the squishy ball that is to say, so that I have both hands empty and available. I guide small people in the general direction of the car. I stand tall and attempting marching with my one new perfect breast in the centre of my chest, matched either side by my own pimples. I hold two ... Whitterer on Autism blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=559972 Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:48:00 +0100 559972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=530925&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fevent-notice-autism-101-in-st-louis.html Autism 101, a panel discussion about autism, will be at 7 p.m. April 18 at the Logos School, 9137 Old Bonhomme Road, Olivette. [Flyer (MS Word)]The panel will explore topics such as relationship development intervention, applied behavioral analysis, neurology and sensory and feeding issues associated with autism.Among speakers will be Dr. Garrett Burris of Child Neurology Associates, Colin Peeler of Behavior Solutions, Sheree Behrndt of Sensory Solutions and Sue Lindhorst of Speech Language Services. Autism Speaks and Missouri Families for Effective Autism Treatment will sponsor the event.Those who want to attend must register by Wednesday. To register, click on Upcoming Events on the website, www.autismwalk.org/stlouis. For more information, call 314-989-1003. (c) by Brett Miller 2005-20... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=530925 Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:48:00 +0100 530925 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=530208&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F04%2Fautism-awareness-elevator-pitch.html In her recent post Autism Speaks Now, Kristina Chew contemplates the discrepancies between the types of autism research actually being conducted and the types of autism research that are covered in the media (my emphasis):[A] study by Stanford University researchers published in the February Nature Reviews Neuroscience notes, brain and behavior research on autism accounts for 41 percent of research funding and published scientific papers and only 11 percent of newspaper stories in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. In contrast, 13 percent of published research was on environmental causes of autism but 48 percent of the media coverage was on this topic: When it comes to reporting on autism, there is a serious gap between scientific research and the mass media; in the case of some... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=530208 Mon, 09 Apr 2007 03:36:00 +0100 530208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486988&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fin-my-language-video-that-caught-cnns.html The spark that caught CNN's eye about Amanda Baggs (see my last post if you don't know what I'm talking about) was her video "In My Language" posted on YouTube. While it is easy enough to just go to YouTube to watch it, I would like to share it here as well.tagged as: Autism, Amanda Baggs, Anderson Cooper, Sanjay Gupta, Intelligence, Neurodiversity, Autism Advocacy (c) by Brett Miller 2005-2007 Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License . (Source: 29 Marbles) 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486988 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:50:00 +0100 486988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=486989&cid=t_105160_133_f&fid=35082&url=http%3A%2F%2F29marbles.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F02%2Fwhy-dont-more-people-understand-this.html One of the dangers of being too close to a topic like autism and autism awareness is that you sometimes forget that not everyone has caught up with you in their perception of that issue. Even people you think should know better by now.An example that recently struck me was how many people still don't realize that "low-functioning" autistics can be very intelligent.In her new book Strange Son, author Portia Iverson describes her initial reaction to the idea of an intelligent "low-functioning" autistic:“There’s a boy I think you should know about,” Francesca Happe began, gesturing for me to sit down. “His name is Tito.” The renowned psychologist from England, whose specialty was autism, continued: “He’s eleven years old and he lives in India. He’s quite autistic, but he can r... 29 Marbles blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=486989 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 19:57:00 +0100 486989