PARENTING AUTISM & ASPERGERS NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 18
APRIL 2008

This is Dave Angel and Welcome to the eighteenth edition
of “The Parenting Autism & Aspergers Newsletter”…

Inside this edition you will find:

1. Thanks for your input and adults with Aspergers …

2. Hot Topic of Discussion - Is the Autism Epidemic a Myth?

3. In the News – Breaking Through with Music

4. Parenting Tips - Walking

5. Famous Autistic Person -

Best Wishes

Dave Angel

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1. Thanks for your input … and adults with Aspergers

Just a quick word to all of you who contributed to the blog
last week with suggestions for articles.

I have a lot of work to do now … but that’s a good thing as
it keeps me out of mischief!

But one thing that surprised me was a number of people who
wanted information about adults with Aspergers.

This blog has always been about children and I have tended to
leave issues on adults to the adults themselves at popular
forums such as Wrong Planet.

However maybe this is an area that needs more exploring.

So if this is something that you need more info. about can you
take the time to post about particular issues that interest
you with regard to adults and Aspergers and I’ll put my
thinking cap on.

I have put up a separate page for you to do this:

http://parentingaspergers.com/blog/2008/04/20/adults-with-aspergers/

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2. Hot Topic of Discussion - Is the Autism Epidemic a Myth?

I came across a really interesting and in some ways
controversial article in Science Based Magazine.

I must admit it’s written in pretty “scientific speak” so I
had to read it several times to get my head around the subject
fully.

The article is basically offering a critique and alternative
to the theory of vaccinations being a significant cause of
autism.

The author Steven Novella is in agreement that autism is
on the rise - as he quotes a study by M. Rutter (2005) that
revealed autism diagnosis to be historically around 4 in
every 10,000 people and it is now more like 15-20 in every
10,000 people.

The major 2 theories behind this increase are:

1. A new environmental factor (i.e. vaccines).

2. A greater awareness and changes in diagnosis techniques.

Steven notes that in the 1990’s the diagnosis of autism
widened to autistic spectrum disorder (which clearly will
add lots more people as for example Aspergers will now be
included in these numbers).

He also argues that society and professionals on the whole
are much more aware of autism and are looking out for it much
more.

Finally Steven cites several studies where people who would
previously had a non-autism diagnosis are now being given a
diagnosis on the autistic spectrum (so again he is indicating
a change in the way things are done rather than an actual
increase in individuals who have autism).

Although like any good scientist he will not come out and say
that the autism - vaccine link and apparent autism “epidemic”
we hear so much about, are simply 100% not true…

That is the conclusion that he leaves with his article - that
any apparent increases in autism are due to the way that
autism is now seen, treated and diagnosed - not because more
people “have it”.

Like the good Dr. Steven I am not in a position to say what
is definitely true or untrue - in fact no one is with any
great authority.

But I am a big believer in that fact that modern day media
and the instant communication society we live in play a
big part in how we “see” things.

To give an example is to see the hysteria in the UK (and
I am sure in other parts of the world too) about the need
to protect children from being harmed and abused.

High profile cases of child abusers in the media 24-7
have without doubt made a great deal of this hysteria
happen.

Now of course we all have a duty and need to keep our kids
safe, that goes without saying.

But is it really more dangerous for them nowadays than it
was 20 years ago… to be honest I very much doubt it.

I think the threat of a child being harmed by a stranger
is still about the same now as it was 20 years ago.

I know this is slightly off-topic but I just wanted to add
a little parallel information as to how I believe modern
day society can hugely influence what we “see” and think
about the world.

So that what can so often appear to be presented to us as
“Fact” in the media can often be nothing more than opinion
when looked at a little closer.

To read Dr. Steven Novella’s full article go to:

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=95

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3. In the News – Breaking Through with Music

This month’s news story is of David and Daniel Militello who
are two boys living in Atlanta, USA who are diagnosed on the
autistic spectrum.

Both have huge musical talents and can play the piano by ear
(i.e. they can hear a tune and then play it).

But the great thing is that music seems to have had a key
therapeutic role in their lives too.

David also likes to sing and according to his parents he was
happily singing on the school bus for months before they ever
got to learn of these talents!

Once they did and they asked him to do it at home he was soon
singing and then talking (for the first time ever) at home.

David has a diagnosis of Aspergers and according to his mum:

“”When he first started speaking he was quoting scripture like
he had been reading the bible forever. It was just like it was
there waiting. Maybe it was waiting for us to ask him. I
don’t know but it was all right there.”

Now David has gone on to perform at churches, civic events and
even at several Atlanta Hawks games.

Quite an inspiring little tale I felt and also showing the
importance of always being clear to a child with ASD that it’s
OK to do the same things in different places.

As you probably know many kids will do a certain behavior or
skill at school but not at home, based on the perfectly logical
autistic view “that’s my school behavior, so why would I do it
at home?”

But by asking and encouraging your child, it can help to
encourage him/her to take on a new rule that “it’s Ok to do that
behaviour at home and at school” (providing it is something
positive that you want in your home!).

If you want to read more of the Militello’s story go to:

http://www.11alive.com/news/health/article_health.aspx?storyid=114240

To learn more about David and to hear him sing you can check
his Myspace account at http://www.myspace.com/davidmilitello

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4. Parenting Tips - Walking

This month’s tip comes from Christine (in
Victoria, Australia) so thanks Christine … and here’s the
tip …

Our 16 year old daughter has Asperger’s and, in common with
some adult Asperger’s in the region, she loves to walk.

She walks about two to eight kilometres a day.

Fortunately we live in a very safe area, and we have put in
a lot of time teaching her road skills.

She always wears a flouro orange vest.

We find that if she doesn’t get to walk in the neighbourhood,
she walks in the kitchen.

That is, she paces around and around the kitchen for anything
up to an hour.

She knows to do this when no one is using the kitchen.

Because this is obviously the way she offloads so much sensory
over stimulation we do not stop her now.

We used to, because we found it very irritating, but also found
she would get quite withdrawn and depressed.

Since her diagnosis we understand her behaviour and are much
more tolerant.

I would suggest that if your Asperger’s teenager is exhibiting
repetitive behaviors that are not offensive, to let them do
them, as it seems to be important for their mental wellbeing.

Our daughter also no longer attends school because she found
it physically too challenging being jostled in the corridor,
etc, and mentally not stimulating enough as she was well ahead
of her age level.

In the end it was not a difficult decision for us because she
does not enjoy the company of her peers at all, and I only
work occasionally as a casual relief teacher.

However, it has meant that we have to work on creating a
fulfilling life for her.

We joined her up to the local library at twelve months old and
she reads three to four adult books per week.

She loves to write for several hours a day. We never go into her
room without knocking and waiting for her to invite us in, and
we do not interrupt her when she is writing.

We believe it is even more important for her with her Asperger’s
to have her own creative space and time than for non-Asperger’s
teenagers.

She loves music of all genres and art in all forms, so although
we live two hours drive from the nearest city, we make sure we
take her to quality cultural events at least once every three
months.

It is possible for Asperger’s teenagers to have fulfilling lives
outside of school, especially since in Australia they can receive a
disability support pension, which our daughter receives and is
learning to budget, use EFTPOS, etc.

But it does take effort on parents’ part.

It’s definitely worth it, though, as our daughter has blossomed,
learnt heaps of life skills, and is much happier than when she was
trying to attend school which she described as “torture”.

I hope this helps anyone in the situation we were in, who might be
agonising over their Asperger’s teenager being utterly miserable at
school.

Christine Grayden, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia.

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5. Famous Autistic Person - Richard Wawro

Richard Wawro was born in Scotland in 1952 and diagnosed with
significant learning disabilities (later the diagnosis was changed
to autism).

He did not talk until aged 11 and was also classed as legally
blind.

But despite such significant challenges in his life Richard was soon
being written up as an artistic genius and had his first exhibition
in Edinburgh when he was only 17.

Richard’s abilities were first picked up by his teacher Molly Leishman
who said:

“It is difficult to describe the emergence of his first picture:
so unexpected it was.

I went to see how his drawing was progressing and to give the usual
praise and encouragement. What I saw was magic.

It was impressionism and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was afraid to
believe them and said nothing to anyone.

It would not do to raise false hopes, but I had difficulty in
suppressing my excitement.

To look at his next drawing was agony, wondering if the first had
been a fluke, but no! There was another picture.

When I had several examples of Richard’s work, I took them for
professional advice, without mentioning handicaps (disability).

To my great joy my hopes were confirmed - here was a talent beyond
that of a normal child of his age.”

Richard drew in wax crayon and was able to draw amazingly detailed
images from picture he had seen once before with an amazing
savant-like ability to recall.

During his career he sold over 1000 paintings and displayed in
over 100 exhibitions both in the UK and USA.

In 1983 a documentary entitled “With Eyes Wide Open” was made about him.

Sadly Richard died in 2006 but he was rightly recognised as a
very influential and significant person in an obituary in the
UK national newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

To learn more about Richard and view his art please go to his
website at:

http://www.wawro.net/
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Well that’s all for this edition and I hope you
enjoyed it.

The next edition of the newsletter should be due in
mid-May.

And as ever … please send in any inspirational stories
that you know of, any questions that you would like our team
of experts to answer, any topics that you wish to be discussed
and news stories that you want to share VIA THE BLOG.

We will publish as many as we can.

Until next month………

Best Wishes

Dave Angel