This is the first of our Renaissance Interviews, which features the 2010 Irwin Siegel award for excellence as a direct support professional. Read more about this here:
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Episode 14
- New research explains autistic's exceptional visual abilities - Mapping data shows enhanced activity in the 'perception' part of the brain
- The temporal and occipital lobes are relatively more active in the brains of individuals with ASD. These regions are associated with perceiving and recognizing objects. This backs up findings that illustrate improved visual ability within the autistic community.
- This has huge implications in the way information is presented, tested for, and used in assessment of abilities among individuals with ASD.
- MyVoice is a new application that helps individuals with communication deficits overcome their disability and shows how technology is helping to facilitate this transition to a wider range of communication.
- 305k stolen from autism facility
- the money was taken bit by bit from personal and state accounts
- Mom withholds cancer meds from autistic son
- Guilty plea in attack on autistic teen
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Friday, April 8, 2011
Episode 13: Missing and presumed incompetent
Abusers are being shifted from one care-facility to another instead of facing the consequences of their abuse and neglect. This isn't only true in state-run facilities; not-for-profit and faith-based agencies do the same.
- Alfred J Caber was shopping when he was found by police officers after he went for a walk by himself in the Southwest area of Englewood. (Sun Times, march 26)
- His poor communication skills and diagnosis of autism means Mr. Caber is "at risk" and unable to pursue independent activities such as walking.
- Jacob McNeely went missing after he missed the bus from his vocational training center (Mike Rosenberg, Mercury News, March 23)
- Family says he's unable to care for himself and will likely approach strangers for help
- Family also cite possible depression for his behavior
- A 5-year-old boy was found barefoot by a neighbor and his godmother, who was watching him, was charged with reckless endangerment. (JJ Huggins, Eagle Tribune, March 20)
- The boy, dressed only in boxers and a t-shirt walked into the neighbor's house as though it was his own and went right to the refrigerator. The woman who lived there fed him pancakes, gave him a blanket, and called the police.
- He apparently unlocked the doors to his godmother's apartment while she was sleeping.
- The boy, who is diagnosed with severe autism, had gone missing before and the police were able to track his point of origin based on previous reports.
- Wandering and elopement is possibly getting its own diagnostic code. That means that there will be a disorder for wanting to go for a walk, be by yourself, or escape a toxic environment. (Robin Hausman Morris, examiner.com, March 24)
- The individual case study the author writes about is a man with autism who was arrested and brought to the psych ward just by walking to the local YMCA to buy a soda. His odd behavior was deemed erratic by police, who took him in for an evaluation.
I think it's interesting that these stories pop up only when the weather changes and things get warmer. These individuals are deemed too dependent to care for themselves, but are smart enough to only go for walks when the weather is appropriate and, most of the time, they're carrying on every-day activities such as shopping or just walking. That said, what can we do to enable independence while maintaining communication and overall safety? Cell phone training? Autistic-friendly software for smartphones?
- The capacity for high levels of personal responsibility is there. The only reason we would require ID badges is because we have failed to communicate with people diagnosed with autism and acknowledge that capacity.
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