autism

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A new way to reach autistic students: through headphones and iPods!

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Filed under: ThemesAuties & Aspies

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Quoting blisstree.com/autismvox:

The Fraser Child & Family Center in Minneapolis found a new way to reach ASD students: through headphones and iPods. The devices play music and videos to teach these students how to fit in. Fraser staff came up with the idea of programming iPods to act as an electronic substitute for “that missing [inner) voice for those with Asperger’s, the voice that governs appropriate behavior.” Staff have helped students create short videos and slide shows on how to behave in different social settings: How to carry on a conversation; how to respect other people’s boundaries and think before they speak; and others. The Autism Society of America says similar projects are popping up around the country, and include adaptations for smart phones, Palm Pilots and other devices.

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Karen Putz interviews Kathie Snow

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Filed under: Themes, Deaf JamInterviews

disaboom_logoKathie Snow is a highly-acclaimed public speaker, trainer, author, filmmaker, and consultant on disability issues. In addition to being Benjamin’s mom, she also runs the excellent website disabilityisnatural.com.

Karen Putz is an insightful, talented and entertaining freelance writer. She provides early intervention services to families with deaf and hard of hearing children. She serves as a board member for Hands & Voices (www.handsandvoices.org) and runs Illinois Hands & Voices in her state. She’s also a deaf mom to three deaf and hard of hearing children, and her husband is deaf, too. Learn more at karenputz.com.

Karen recently interviewed Kathie for Disaboom.
Here are the highlights:

Click to continue »

Donna Williams’ One-Woman Rock Musical, Footsteps of a Nobody, goes to the USA in 2010!

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Filed under: Regular ContributorsDonna WilliamsThemesAuties & Aspies

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Quoting the Footsteps of a Nobody promotional flyer:

[Footsteps of a Nobody is] a powerful one woman rock-musical both written and performed by Donna Williams, author of the international best seller, Nobody Nowhere: Autobiography of an Autistic Girl. This is a unique opportunity to witness the author herself perform a story that has changed the lives of millions. Through vibrant song, characterisations, gestural signing, evocative spoken word, and musically supported by the band, The Aspinauts, Donna takes us on a journey from a seemingly deaf, psychotic, ‘feral’ child to life on the streets and ultimately on to her fight for equality among others.

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Quoting Donna Williams:

I’m really buzzed at the news that I’ll get to perform my one-woman-musical, Footsteps of a Nobody, in the US in Jan 2010. With musical support from a wonderful accomplished pianist, David Moscoe, it looks like I’ll be able to bring the show to Long Beach, LA and then I’ll fly on to New Jersey to perform it with the support of a second pianist. Whilst not musically supported by The Aspinauts this time around, it will be a great chance to bring the show to hundreds of people who’d otherwise not get to see it. I know the first performance will be on January 10th 2010 in Long Beach as part of a whole day conference hosted by Rita Rubin, the mother of Sue Rubin whose groundbreaking documentary, Autism Is A World, made it to the Oscars and broke down many myths about Facilitated and Augmented Communication used by people without functional verbal speech.

WHEN: Saturday and Sunday January 9-10, 2010

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TOPICS: “A Glimpse Into the Autistic Mind” – (People with autism describing their experiences & researchers explaining how & why these occur.)

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WHERE: Long Beach Memorial Medical Center 2801 Atlanatic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90806

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TIMES: 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

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ORGANISER: Greater Long Beach/ San Gabriel Valley Chapter Autism Society of America

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FOR MORE INFO: brubin698@earthlink.net or ca-longbeach@autismsocietyofamerica.org; 562 943-3335 or 1-877-AUTISM9; www.greaterlongbeach-asa.org

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PLEASE NOTE: There will also be a theatre show in LA on the 12th and 13th of Jan 2010 and a show at a conference in New Jersey which I think will be on the 16th Jan.

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Read all Irked posts by Donna

And…

Learn more at donnawilliams.net

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Young autistic programmer creates online games, becomes internet sensation

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
Filed under: ThemesAuties & Aspies

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A young autistic boy from Swindon is hoping to challenge perceptions of autism after he created a series of computer games online. Jack Booth, 11, of Beech Avenue, in Pinehurst has been busy creating games to challenge players around the world, reports the Swindon Advertiser. One of Jack’s games – which he says he can create in half an hour – City Of The Dead, is proving a real challenge for worldwide players as nobody has managed to complete the game in over 2,000 attempts. Now Jack hopes his achievements will help to challenge perceptions of autism. ”I would like to show people they shouldn’t be scared to be friends with me,” he told the news provider.

Read the whole article on craegmoor.co.uk >>

Play the games >>

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WONDERFABULOUS NEWS: Announcing the 2009 Recipient of the Trent University Award for Youth Leadership…Mr. Lewis Schofield!

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Filed under: Regular ContributorsLewis SchofieldThemesAuties & AspiesQuIrked Kids

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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:

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[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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Click here for all Irked posts by Lewis

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Autism: a boy’s essay

Thursday, September 10th, 2009
Filed under: ThemesAuties & AspiesQuIrked Kids

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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EXTREMELY GOOD CAUSE: The Lewis Schofield Benefit Concert and Silent Auction

Monday, September 7th, 2009
Filed under: Regular ContributorsLewis SchofieldThemesAuties & AspiesQuIrked Kids, Campaign Watch

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Saturday, September 12, 2009

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

336 George Street North in Peterborough, Ontario

Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.

Show Starts: 7:00 p.m.

Click to continue »

The 2009 Homeless World Cup starts TODAY! So why not watch this grassroots TV interview, commissioned by Irked last December and filmed at the Channel 31 studios in Melbourne, Australia

Sunday, September 6th, 2009
Filed under: Regular ContributorsDonna WilliamsThemesAuties & AspiesBum DealInterviews, Campaign Watch, Irked Videos

Screengrab_from_Donna_Williams_2008_Homeless_World_Cup_Interview

A doozy of an interview…after the jump!

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Rowan Their Boat Ashore: Meet The Isaacsons

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
Filed under: Themes, Auties & Aspies, QuIrked Kids, Irked Videos

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An astonishing spiritual journey…after the jump!

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A review of The Sunshine Boy: Fridrik Thór Fridriksson’s “incredibly inspiring” documentary about autism

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Filed under: Themes, Auties & Aspies

The Sunshine Boy has been playing in cinemas in Iceland since January. It will have its international premiere at the Toronto Film Festival next month. Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet has agreed to do the English narration for the film, and Icelandic musicians Bjork and Sigur Ros will also contribute. The film’s producer, Margrét Ericsdóttir, estimates that the documentary will be released on DVD by the end of the year.

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Iceland Review Online, written in January ‘09:

As my sister and I were waiting for the premiere of The Sunshine Boy to start, standing in the lobby of the cinema, we were approached by a young English-speaking man.

He greeted us and asked us what days we were born. It took him about five seconds to figure out that my birthday, July 12th 1976, was a Monday and that my sister’s birthday was a Saturday. We had no idea whether he was right or not and before we could speak, he had moved over to other premiere guests, asking them the same question.

That was my brief encounter with Taylor Crowe, one of the interviewees in the documentary The Sunshine Boy Click to continue »