SPECTRUM CONNECTION

By Toni Lapp

My son has applied for a job as a sacker at Hen House. When he turned his application in, the clerk joked about his poor handwriting, quipping “were you born in 1443 or 1993?”
This is a bright, polite young man, but his handwriting looks like that of a 6-year-old.
Should Mom do some behind-the-scenes explaining or let the kid fend for himself?
Still awaiting a call for an interview.
Read on for responses..

By Toni Lapp
Behavior analyst Baker Wright vividly recalls the first time he was called in to consult on a child with Asperger’s syndrome. A school had referred a sixth-grader for behavioral services because of his disruptive behaviors – ranging from refusal to follow directions to crying and yelling in class.

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By Toni Lapp

No matter where you find yourself on the autism-vaccine debate, you’ll want to tune in to NBC Dateline tonight for an hourlong program, “A Dose of Controversy,” at 7 p.m. Eastern time on Dateline. Matt Lauer will interview British researcher Dr. Andrew Wakefield, whose 1998 medical study was the first in the world to suggest a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism.(In-depth Newsweek article examining the developments set off by Wakefield’s research can be found here.) Since then, many, many studies have attempted to refute or support Wakefield’s conclusion, and many, many parents have opted not to vaccinate their children as recommended by the government.

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By Kate Duffy

For many with autism, being self employed is the best way to make a living. A couple of weekends ago, I visited Poppin Joe’s Kettle Corn at the Overland Park Farmer’s Market, a prime example of small business ownership being the way to go for people on the spectrum.

Now an entrepreneur, Joe Steffy, who has autism and is nonverbal, was encouraged by his school district to live in a group home and work in a sheltered workshop. However, Joe is now thriving making popcorn at Poppin' Joe's.

By Jeanne Holverstott, M.S.
Question: I often arrange for my son to have play dates with other kids his age. Inevitably, his brother, who is two years younger, joins them, and my older son ends up getting left out. Or, the friend will dump my son when another child enters the scene. How can we (or should we) stop this from happening?

Answer: If only I could count the number of times a parent has shared, “We don’t get calls for play dates.” Each time, the sentiment saddens me and, at the same time, creates hope. When the call does come, jubilation is quickly followed by anxiety. What will they do? Should they play video games? How long? Where?
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By Jeanne Holverstott, M.S.

The setting: A cramped room in a local school building.

The cast: You, teachers, school therapists, the principal, other vaguely familiar faces, and many unknowns.

The mood: Dependent upon whom you ask. For you, the parent: Tense.

The plot: A yearly Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting for your son or daughter.

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By Kate Duffy
For many of our kids on the spectrum, schools are not always the friendliest of places. Often, high-functioning teens misbehave or tune out in high school because they get bored. So it’s especially important that you help your teen find a mentor in his interest area to keep him learning and plugged into life.
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By Toni Lapp

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the 2009 Autism Conference, organized by the Autism Alliance of Greater KC and the Autism Society of America Heartland chapter.

Keynote speaker Peter Gerhardt’s comments in particular provided food for thought. He noted that he prefers not to use labels such as high-functioning and low-functioning, instead using terms describing how verbal an individual is. He made the point that some folks on the spectrum who can hardly utter a word have learned to lead productive lives, in some cases supporting themselves through microbusinesses (more on that for another day). Thus, he categorizes according to verbal skills, i.e., highly verbal or not verbal.

The labels tend to divide us as a group, Gerhardt asserted. We might agree on issues 90 percent of the time, yet instead focus on the 10 percent of issues that we are divided on.
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