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Sue Scheff recently interviewed the great Jaylen Arnold for examiner.com. Their conversation was so engaging (and so important) that we are reprinting it here in its entirety.
Enjoy!
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This is Mr. Lewis Schofield’s latest painting. It’s entitled “Undersea Stroll” and it’s about to be exhibited at an autism conference…
Isn’t it totally awesome?!
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Click here to read the story behind the artwork >>
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The book Cowboy & Wills opens the day after critically-acclaimed author Monica Holloway’s adorable three year-old son Wills is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. She takes him to a pet store; and from her first impulse purchase of a full aquarium, Holloway quickly graduates to hermit crabs, hamsters, African dwarf frogs, and a rabbit. But like all children, what Wills wants most is a puppy. That Christmas, eight-week old Cowboy arrives and forever changes their lives.
Where Wills is cautious, fastidious, and tender hearted, Cowboy is rambunctious, affectionate, and impulsive. Soon, the boy who could barely say hello to his kindergarten classmates is going on playdates, learning to swim, and sleeping in his own bed. Through it all, Cowboy is there, dragging him toward other children and giving him the confidence to face his fears—with her by his side. But love is not enough to save the beautiful Cowboy from her fate, and the cruel world of puppy mills quickly catches up to them. When Cowboy is diagnosed with lupus, Wills and his family realize that they must be there for her, just as she was there for them.
Monica Holloway sat down with Simon Spotlight Entertainment (a division of Simon & Schuster) for a discussion of her life’s path as a mother and memoirist, and the unexpected trajectory this path has taken through her life. Here are the highlights:
Back in July, we introduced you to a very, very amazing young man named Jaylen Arnold—who has had Tourette’s Syndrome for most of his nine years. Jaylen’s on a mission to educate the whole world about bullying. (And he’s off to a fantastic start: even Leonardo DiCaprio is a fan!)
Watch this phenomenal video segment that aired last night on the CBS Evening News:
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For more, visit…
jaylenschallenge.org
twitter.com/Jayschallenge
youtube.com/user/jaylenschallenge
Then…
Read Irked posts tagged “bullying”
Read Irked posts tagged “self-esteem”
Watch more Irked videos
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“Lewis, I think you embody the spirit of Trent—you’re mighty, tenacious and very creative,” said Su Ditta, a selection committee member, in front of a crowd of about 60 people.
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Read Irked posts tagged “Lewis Schofield”
Read Irked posts tagged “creativity”
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Congratulations to Goodith Heeney, Norman Vandenberg, and Lewis Schofield. All three will be honoured TONIGHT at the 2009 Trent University Community Leaders Award Ceremony (invitation only) being held at Peter Gzowski College in Peterborough.
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Then…
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Thisislewis.net has been updated in a major way…
According to Monsieur Lewis, “there’s lots of new and interesting links and some files you can download such as Famous People with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Famous People with Myasthenia Gravis.”
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So…
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Then…
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CBC.ca:
A 14-year-old Regina native, now living in Ontario, is earning recognition for his efforts in dispelling myths about autism, a general term for neurological disorders that can impair development. Lewis Schofield is a Grade 9 student in Peterborough, where Trent University is honouring him with a Community Leader Award for Youth. Schofield is often online, using blogs, artwork, videos and podcasts, providing information about his health issues including Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. He also participates in a Family Autism Forum on Yahoo. ”I was just doing what I always do,” Schofield said in an interview with CBC News. “I always do my best. It’s just how I was raised.” ”He was very surprised and very shocked that he had been nominated, never mind had actually won this honour,” Elyse Bruce, Schofield’s mother, told CBC news.
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Then…
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Quoting trentu.ca:
The Trent University Award for Youth Leadership recognizes individuals under the age of 25 who play a leading role in their community. Lewis Schofield educates youth and adults globally about Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome and Myasthenia Gravis, a rare and complex neuromuscular autoimmune disease for which there is no cure. Mr. Schofield raises money for Autism organizations in Canada and the United States while promoting awareness, tolerance and acceptance of difference through his artwork, writings and videos in the classroom, in the community and on the internet. Mr. Schofield is 14 years old and has Asperger Syndrome and Myasthenia Gravis. To accelerate the establishment of the student bursaries in honour of the Community Leaders Award winners, donors can take advantage of the Ontario Trust for Student Support Program (OTSS). Established by the Government of Ontario in 2005, OTSS matches endowed donations on a dollar-for-dollar basis to provide bursaries and awards to Ontario students. On October 26 2009, Trent University will host a gala event to pay tribute to the 2009 winners.
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Quoting a recent article about Lewis, also on trentu.ca:
[Lewis] raises money for autism organizations in Canada and the U.S. by selling his Art Cards online. He is also a junior moderator on FAM Family Autism Forum on Yahoo groups, providing parents with insight and understanding from a kid’s perspective on living with what he calls “an alphabet soup of diagnoses.” Lewis is also a “SouperIntendent” and regular contributor to Irked Magazine, where he has attracted readers globally since 2006 for his writings, interviews, information and currently a series of humourous videos, “Wisecrackin’ with Lewis Schofield.” “I guess I’m just not afraid to say what I’m thinking when it really matters to me,” he explains. In his interview with the International Best-Seller, Donna Williams, Lewis is asked about the “extras” that he has been diagnosed with. “I understand that you’re a kind of burger with the lot, that your AS includes added extras,” Williams asks. To this Lewis replies, “Boy oh boy–do I ever have extras and it’s ketchup for sure. I have Anxiety Disorder, Sensory Integration Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Learning Disabilities, Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities, Severe Allergies and Asthma. That’s a lot of things to have on a burger, don’t you think?” Lewis was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis in 2008, a rare autoimmune disorder and neuro-muscular disease usually found in seniors that causes extreme fatigue and muscle weakness, slack jaw, semi-closed eye lids, face droop and trouble breathing. He created a video called, “Tell Me What Time It Is,” on You Tube describing his experience with the diagnosis and explaining the procedure of Intravenous Hemo Globulin (IVIG) treatment. The video includes text with facts about the disease, narrated with original music composed by Lewis. “He exhibits a startling and rare ability to take his pain and play with it, to communicate it to others and have them learn from it,” writes Sacha Vais, Managing Editor of Irked Magazine . . . Lewis describes how being the way he is makes him strive harder to get things right: “It makes me want to change things in the world so kids and babies feel safe almost all the time. It’s not enough to want to make things better for people. You have to really make things better…You don’t have to do something really big to make a difference. You just have to do something. Otherwise, nothing changes or gets better.”
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Learn more >>
Article in The Peterborough Examiner
News segment on CHEX Television
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The Colorado Springs Gazette recently asked a remarkable 11-year-old boy, Joshua, to write an essay on living with autism. Here’s what he came up with:
Autism is like a disease that you can never find a cure for. For me, it all started when I was born on June 11, 1998. When I was 3, I was diagnosed with autism. So, I watched the same movies constantly (such as “The Lion King,” which I absolutely LOVE!!!!!!), had scattered & disorganized language, & woke up constantly when my mom had already put me to sleep! My twin brothers Seth & Noah did the same things I did (except waking up when they’re put to sleep)! When I went to preschool, I was in the Special Needs class. I was also known for my runaways and escapes from the classroom. I also had some escapes when I was in second grade. I think I ran away because I didn’t want to do my work. In third grade, I never made escapes again, but I did have to have a para. (editor’s note: a paraeducator.) Now, even though I’m in middle school, I’m still very dependent on my para (I would rather be dancing, singing, & drawing than be doing school work!). Middle school, for me, is turning out harder than I thought it would. I have to arrive to classes in less than five minutes, solve harder problems, & do hard bell-ringers. When I am with my family, it feels much better than just being at school (except when I’m with my friend Isabella!!!!!!!). When people have autism, they don’t do anything to get it. They’re just born with it. Sometimes, if there’s too much for them, they can take deep breaths or do something else for a while to make them calm down. Even though autism can be a challenge in life, we people with autism can live complete and happy lives. People with autism can also be very opinionated. That means some things we like & others, we’ve always hated (Hey! I just made a rhyme with words that ended with the -ated sound!). For me, I love Disney and hate pirates and pirate movies. Some of us may have our likes and dislikes, but we are still regular people no matter what & autism is great because it makes us who we are!
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Read more great stories at colgazette.onset.freedom.com >>
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