Page 1 of 1 [ 1 post ]
21 Dec 2007, 4:37 am
first Ari Ne'eman in an interview on a disabled-perspective kind of radio show in NYC.
http://archive.wbai.org/files/mp3/071220_110001tlm.MP3
He's in there about 10 minutes into the show, I think...
He did a great job.
I don't think Stephen Shore (he has a PhD or an EdD or ? in education) is doing that great of a job if he's going to invoke stigmatizing imagery like "tsunami of autism". 
if you go to the newspaper website you can see a photo of the young man with the 160 IQ and the problems with writing.
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 02/-1/NEWS
Quote:
Times Herald-Record
December 20, 2007
Loch Sheldrake — More than 80 people came to hear what Dr. Stephen Shore had to say about what he calls "Life on and slightly to the right of the autism spectrum."
Shore, who has autism, was the keynote speaker at Autism Awareness Day, held recently at Sullivan County Community College.
The author of "Understanding Autism for Dummies" used research, history and his own experiences to draw a picture of a disability that is little understood and hard to explain.
Autism, Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder all fall within the autism spectrum.
It's called a spectrum for a good reason. Impairment in communication skills, social abilities and repetitive behaviors range from severe — totally withdrawn, nonverbal and requiring lifelong social and medical supports — to mild — able to form relationships, succeed academically and pursue a career.
Within those parameters are baffling inconsistencies.
"As a child, I could take apart a watch and put it back together so it worked, with no pieces left over, yet I couldn't write neatly," Shore said. "People don't understand how someone can be so smart in some ways and not in others."
Kirk Summa, 18, of Hurleyville, understands. He faces the same challenge. "I hate writing problems. My hands twitch." Summa's IQ is estimated at about 160, but he just can't get the words out of his head, through the pencil and onto the paper.
People grow impatient with him, which adds to his frustration. As he describes it, his brows draw together and his hands clench.
Yet he's a whiz at video games, which also require fine motor skills. He grins and his body loosens up. "I finished the (video game) 'Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess' in half a day. It's rated as a 40-hour game."
According to Healthscout.com, such "splinter skills" appear in 10 percent of children with autism.
Denise Shaffer, director of the Special Education Training Resource Center at Sullivan County BOCES, explained, "An individual could be nonverbal and yet demonstrate incredible talent, often in math or music or memory."
Shaffer said Sullivan County's diagnosis rate increased 800 percent between 1993 and 2003. Shore called it a "tsunami of autism" that is driving a "developing culture of autism." He noted that, as this population ages, the need for more supports for adults will also increase.
That means more education through new, multidisciplinary learning models, often involving several providers.
The Hudson Valley Developmental Disabilities Services Organization offers service coordination, respite and grants such as the one that made Autism Awareness Day possible.
There is no known cause or cure for the disease, and each case is unique. It can usually be diagnosed by age 3, and early intervention and parental education are now considered crucial.
"I had to educate myself to my child's needs," said Rosemary Barile of Lake Huntington, whose 5-year-old son has autism.
For example, one of her son's rituals is to touch trees before getting into the car. When she tried to stop the behavior, he became extremely frustrated. Now she lets her son satisfy his compelling urge and he gets into the car willingly.
Barile said, "The more we changed and stopped trying to make him normal, the more normal he became, if that makes any sense."
Contact Melissa Rennie at mrennie@th-record.com.
December 20, 2007
Loch Sheldrake — More than 80 people came to hear what Dr. Stephen Shore had to say about what he calls "Life on and slightly to the right of the autism spectrum."
Shore, who has autism, was the keynote speaker at Autism Awareness Day, held recently at Sullivan County Community College.
The author of "Understanding Autism for Dummies" used research, history and his own experiences to draw a picture of a disability that is little understood and hard to explain.
Autism, Asperger's syndrome, Rett syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder all fall within the autism spectrum.
It's called a spectrum for a good reason. Impairment in communication skills, social abilities and repetitive behaviors range from severe — totally withdrawn, nonverbal and requiring lifelong social and medical supports — to mild — able to form relationships, succeed academically and pursue a career.
Within those parameters are baffling inconsistencies.
"As a child, I could take apart a watch and put it back together so it worked, with no pieces left over, yet I couldn't write neatly," Shore said. "People don't understand how someone can be so smart in some ways and not in others."
Kirk Summa, 18, of Hurleyville, understands. He faces the same challenge. "I hate writing problems. My hands twitch." Summa's IQ is estimated at about 160, but he just can't get the words out of his head, through the pencil and onto the paper.
People grow impatient with him, which adds to his frustration. As he describes it, his brows draw together and his hands clench.
Yet he's a whiz at video games, which also require fine motor skills. He grins and his body loosens up. "I finished the (video game) 'Legend of Zelda, Twilight Princess' in half a day. It's rated as a 40-hour game."
According to Healthscout.com, such "splinter skills" appear in 10 percent of children with autism.
Denise Shaffer, director of the Special Education Training Resource Center at Sullivan County BOCES, explained, "An individual could be nonverbal and yet demonstrate incredible talent, often in math or music or memory."
Shaffer said Sullivan County's diagnosis rate increased 800 percent between 1993 and 2003. Shore called it a "tsunami of autism" that is driving a "developing culture of autism." He noted that, as this population ages, the need for more supports for adults will also increase.
That means more education through new, multidisciplinary learning models, often involving several providers.
The Hudson Valley Developmental Disabilities Services Organization offers service coordination, respite and grants such as the one that made Autism Awareness Day possible.
There is no known cause or cure for the disease, and each case is unique. It can usually be diagnosed by age 3, and early intervention and parental education are now considered crucial.
"I had to educate myself to my child's needs," said Rosemary Barile of Lake Huntington, whose 5-year-old son has autism.
For example, one of her son's rituals is to touch trees before getting into the car. When she tried to stop the behavior, he became extremely frustrated. Now she lets her son satisfy his compelling urge and he gets into the car willingly.
Barile said, "The more we changed and stopped trying to make him normal, the more normal he became, if that makes any sense."
Contact Melissa Rennie at mrennie@th-record.com.
