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

Inside this edition you will find:

1. Hot Topic of Discussion - Gamers Show Asperger’s Traits

2. In the News – John Schneider Promotes Asperger’s
Syndrome Awareness

3. Parenting Tips - Use an Exercise Ball!

4. Prominent People Linked with ASD - Carl Sagan, Astronomer

Thanks

Dave

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1. Hot Topic of Discussion - Gamers Show Asperger’s Traits

In an article written by Gary Bland, he states that people who
spend hours and hours playing video games exhibit many of the
same personality traits as people with Asperger’s syndrome,
according to researchers. The UK research creates concerns that
video games could further alienate players from peers and
increase mental health problems like depression.

In a research study, Dr. John Charlton, of the University of
Bolton, studied 400 gamers, asking how much time they spent
playing video games. These were not people with diagnosed
Asperger’s Syndrome. But, he found that the more time a
person spent playing video games, the more likely the person
was to show three specific traits: neuroticism, a lack of
extroversion, and a lack of agreeableness. He states that
people with Asperger’s may be more likely to become addicted
to playing video games, although playing them does not cause
Asperger’s.

He feels that since those with Asperger’s find social
interactions stressful, they may turn to video games to fill
time not used in spending time with peers. Unfortunately,
video games do not encourage social skill development or the
reduction of repetitive behaviours, which is not good for
Aspies.

To read the full article please got to: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/04/23/2225382.htm

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2. In the News –
John Schneider Promotes Asperger’s Syndrome Awareness

In this article by John Morgan, Spotlight Health, with medical
adviser Stephen A. Shoop, M.D., they discuss the fact that
John Schneider, who plays the father of teenager Clark Kent on
Smallville, is in real life, dad to an 11-year-old son, who
has incredible abilities. “My son has Asperger’s Syndrome,
which is part of the autism spectrum,” says Schneider, best
known for starring on the Dukes of Hazzard. “It’s likely
Albert Einstein had Asperger’s, and so did Thomas Jefferson.
Bill Gates I’m certain has it. With many highly motivated
successful people that have done something in an obscure area,
you’re going to find an ‘odd bird’ now and then.” “Ask Chasen
just about anything about baseball, and he can rattle off names,
dates, statistics, you name it,” Schneider explains. “He just
consumes everything he can about baseball. It’s his thing.”

To read the article go to: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlighthealth/2003-04-15-schneider_x.htm

John Schneider’s statements above are solely his and do not
necessarily represent those of the publisher of this
newsletter. People mentioned above as having Asperger’s may
or may not have actually been diagnosed with it.

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3. Parenting Tips - Use an Exercise Ball!

On May 25, 2008, Lorrie posted this tip on our website.

“My son has been diagnosed within the autism spectrum disorder,
he is 10 and loves being on the computer, but finds it hard to
just sit on a chair and sit still. He will twirl the chair on
one leg, rock back and forth, and whatever else he can find to
do with it. We have gone through a couple of chairs. I came up
with the solution to two problems. My son is also on medication
that has made him gain some weight which he is struggling with.
I was looking to buy an exercise ball for myself at my computer,
because I had read that by doing that you will strengthen your
inner core muscles. So I thought it would be great for me, but
then before I even got to use it I thought what a great idea
for a chair for my son. And it has worked out wonderful{ly}. He
can roll back and forth in the living room, the chair can move
all the time and not break anything and he is also getting some
great exercise and has lost a couple pounds just having the ball
for a month. I don’t know why I never thought of this before but
I sure wish I would have. So anyway, that’s what’s worked for me
to get rid of some of that excess energy that my son has.”

Thanks for a great tip Lorrie.

Please post any tips that you have and I will publish them.

You can post them at:

http://parentingaspergers.com/blog/parenting-tips-wanted/

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4. Prominent People Linked with ASD - Carl Sagan, Astronomer

Carl Sagan, astromomer, (1934-1996), was rumored to have had
Asperger’s Syndrome. Carl,an American of Jewish heritage,
was an astro-biologist, as well as an astromomer. He made
science popular with the mainstream and advocated a
humanist/scientific philosophy of life. His most famous
phrase was, “Billions and billions of stars.” He won a
number of awards including an Emmy and a Pulitzer Prize.
Carl was married three times and hosted a well-liked science
documentary, Cosmos, on television.

There’s a fascinating book by Norm Ledgin called “Asperger’s
and Self Esteem: Insight and Hope Through Famous Role Models”.
Ledgin discusses 12 historical figures and celebrities and
traits they had that are now identified with Asperger’s
Syndrome. People profiled include Orson Welles, Carl Sagan,
Albert Einstein, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

It’s important to remember that the people mentioned in this
newsletter, as well as those in the book, may or may not have
had Asperger’s Syndrome. Ledgin states that “because these
figures are all dead, we can never know whether all would have
met the classic definition of Asperger Syndrome.” The most
important message of the book is that these people exhibited
behaviors different from the mainstream, but succeeded in
life in spite of the challenges they faced.

To read the news article on Carl Sagan go to:
http://incorrectpleasures.blogspot.com/2006/09/referenced-list-of-famous-or-important.html
and http://www.aspergeratlanta.com/dan16.htm

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I hope the articles in this edition have given you much to think
about.

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

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