Hi,

This is Dave Angel.  Welcome to the thirty-second edition  
of “The Parenting Autism & Asperger’s Newsletter”

Inside this edition you will find:

1. Hot Topic of Discussion – Asperger’s Syndrome and Video Games: Can It Be Helpful or Dangerous?

2. In the News – Wales Schools failing to support children with Aspergers’s and Autism

3. Prominent People Linked with ASD – Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft Corporation

Thanks

Dave
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1. Hot Topic of Discussion – Asperger’s Syndrome and Video Games: Can It Be Helpful or Dangerous?

With all of the recent technological advancements, video gaming has become one of the latest tools that children with Asperger’s Syndrome turn to for social skills experimentation and entertainment. Researchers have shown that children with Asperger’s can make use of video gaming as a way to educate themselves about relationships and to expose them to different kinds of people. There are several video games that have been developed to cater to individuals with Asperger’s, teaching life skills and social networking.

However, although there have been significant studies that support video gaming in children with Asperger’s, several experts doubt the effectiveness of this tool. Experts argue that video gaming may result to over-dependence on the internet by children. They say that the things children learn from video games are never applied in real life. Video games also increase the child’s inclination to be isolated since their social exposure to real people is very limited. Concerns have also been raised regarding inappropriate communication skills over the internet and the risk for internet predators and other criminals. Experts weigh in that vulnerability of children with asperger’s will make them defenseless against internet harassments and other criminal offenses.

It is recommended for parents with children who have asperger’s to create a balance between the time spent in the internet or video gaming and in developing social skills in real life. Video gaming can be helpful to children with asperger’s as long as they limit its use to entertainment and a bit of social interaction. However, video gaming is not paramount to social interactions and life skills learned from the real world.
To read the full article, go to:  http://www.yourlittleprofessor.com/video-games.html

People mentioned as having Asperger’s Syndrome may or may not have actually have been diagnosed with it.

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2.  In the News – Wales schools failing to support children with Aspergers’s and Autism.

A report by the Welsh Assembly’s Cross-Party Autism Group shows that a great percentage of schools in Wales are lacking sufficient services to children who have Asperger’s syndrome and Autism. According to parents, the quality and availability of education for children who have autism or Asperger’s syndrome have children feeling excluded from the mainstream educational setting. Even individuals over 16 years with autism or asperger’s who want to pursue further education, fails to benefit from the services they need. This is because unlike in other learning disabilities, schools fall short on providing specialists for children with autism.

The National Autistic Society believes that there is a need for advanced specialist training for teachers to help transition children to further education. Also, schools need to be knowledgeable and aware of the conditions of autism and asperger’s to cater to the needs of children who want to excel in schools or universities.  

To read the full article, go to: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2009/05/21/many-schools-failing-to-support-autistic-children-91466-23675871/

People mentioned as having Asperger’s Syndrome may or may not have actually have been diagnosed with it.

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3. Prominent People Linked with ASD – Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft Corporation

William Gates, born Oct. 28, 1955 in Seattle, is the co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation, the pioneer in personal computer innovation. Bill Gates studied in Harvard University in 1973 but dropped out during his junior year to start the Microsoft Corporation with his friend, Paul Allen. To date, Microsoft Corporation is the largest computer software company in the world. Bill Gates is believed to have Asperger’s Syndrome.

Gates is married to Melinda French with whom he has 3 children: Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe. Bill Gates is also known as a philanthropist. Together, Bill and Melinda founded The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support organizations working on global health.

Bill Gates has also published two books- The Road Ahead and Business @ the Speed of Thought.
To see the full text of the article go to:  http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/bio.mspx

The person mentioned above may or may not have Asperger’s Syndrome.
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I hope this month’s newsletter has intrigued you and provided information new to you.

The next edition of the newsletter is due in July, 2009.      
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

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Articles posted this week at The Parenting Aspergers Community

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Is it possible to help my son improve his organizational skills?

Thanks to the treatment and management advances made in the area of Asperger’s Syndrome, children with Asperger’s Syndrome can expect to live successful, productive lives. Medications, therapies, and school support are proving to add confidence and skills in the lives of these children. It is common for a child with Asperger’s to have problems with organization. These skills normally begin to develop at a very young age. The simple act of sorting beads by color is a beginning organizational skill. As the child grows, these skills begin to advance. Children with Asperger’s Syndrome do not make these advances. However, this doesn’t mean they cannot learn. This just means that you’ll have to …

To read the full article go to: -

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/members/269.cfm

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My son has problems in school. The other students know how to upset him, what can I do to help him?

The parent-teacher relationship is always important, but is even more so when Asperger’s Syndrome is involved. Communication is essential since you cannot always rely on your child to convey the day’s happenings. Address any problems in a timely manner to avoid damage to your child’s self-esteem. He is already a high risk for …

To read the full article go to: -

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/members/270.cfm
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Public school versus Janus school. Which is the better choice?

Asperger’s Syndrome can be complicated when it comes to education. The combination of high intelligence and language/communication weaknesses, along with social skills struggles, present a need for an educational balancing act. How do you create an individualized program for a child who has above average intelligence while lacking the skills to follow multi-step directions? …

To read the full article go to: -

http://www.parentingaspergerscommunity.com/members/271.cfm
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Also the following 10 Special Reports and Ebooks have just been added to The Parenting Aspergers Community …

Aspergers Answer Revealed

Emotional Freedom Therapy and Aspergers

Grandparents Top Tips for a Child with Aspergers Syndrome

An interview with a Speech-Language Pathologist

The Best of ASD Parenting Tips

The Parenting Autism Resource Guide

An interview with Donna Williams

Real Life Autism Tips, Techniques and Stories

Ten ways to Cope when Caring for someone with Autism

Autism Resource Sheets for Working with Autism
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