Archive for October, 2010

your dreams will be reduced down to breathing, and you will be grateful

The thing about not-being-a-person is: They will say those people and the price of being a person is to nod and agree that yes, those people aren’t people at all. They will have no idea who they are talking to. You yourself will start to forget, too. They will say a million small things that sow the seeds for violence done against you, and you will smile and let them. You will do math, constantly. How much do I want to be a person today? How much do I want this project to succeed? How much honesty can I afford? How much dishonesty will kill me? What is the cost of coming out? Is there a way to delay, soften, transmute? How long can I survive as half a person? Ever since the world ended ... I don't go out as much. People that I once befriended, just don't bother to stay in touch. Things that used to seem so splendid, don't really matter today. It's just as well the world ended -- it wasn't working anyway. Your dreams will be reduced down to breathing. [Read More]

on 03/5/12 | 2 Comments | Read More

Speak Up on November 1st!

On November 1st, people all over the world are being asked to stay off social networking sites as part of a Communication Shutdown.  This initiative is the brainchild of an Australian organization ca...[Read More]

on 10/29/10 | 2 Comments | Read More

I’m Right Here: Rudy Simone on Life as an “Aspergirl”

Rudy Simone is a writer, jazz singer, and stand-up comedian in San Francisco. She’s also a proud member of an often-misunderstood minority-within-a-minority: a woman on the autism spectrum — or as...[Read More]

on 10/29/10 | 2 Comments | Read More

From the Pro-Neurodiversity Trenches

Early intervention and treatment is important!  If caught early enough, negative attitudes toward autism and other disabilities can be minimized and even reversed! Read more below to see what happ...[Read More]

on 10/28/10 | 7 Comments | Read More

When a Line of Toys Is Just Playtime

There's lots about this parenting gig that I find delightful.  Toys, and watching the kids playing with them, has to be one of the more fun bits.  My kids line things up.  Even when I knew it wa...[Read More]

on 10/28/10 | 4 Comments | Read More

Coffee Casualty

My original plan for this post was to spend Monday evening reflecting on how today's social and physical environment can be stressful for our kids and writing a thoughtful article on that subject.  H...[Read More]

on 10/27/10 | 6 Comments | Read More

Sing Out Loud, Sing Out Strong

Before I continue telling you about the class presentation, I just want to thank you for the response that these posts are getting.  I'm a bit overwhelmed, but I'm also delighted that so many of you ...[Read More]

on 10/25/10 | No Comments | Read More

A Year Ago at Shift Journal

For all its charms, the weblog platform does also bury older content for no better reason than that newer material has come along.  While we all like to feel we’re improving, whether you are writ...[Read More]

on 10/25/10 | 1 Comment | Read More

The Intersection of Autism and Politics (not where you think it is)

“If we were a voting block, we could run the country.” That’s the phrase I kept coming back to eleven or twelve years ago now, when the full extent of autism’s unbroken spectrum first came ...[Read More]

on 10/22/10 | 6 Comments | Read More

Dreams and Growing Up

In her article Grieving the Dream and Living What Is, Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg described her feelings about realizing that there are some things she cannot do because of auditory processing issues and...[Read More]

on 10/20/10 | 3 Comments | Read More

Community over Cacophony: Navigating the Online Autism Community

Dictionary definition:  "Noun: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds: 'a cacophony of deafening alarm bells'; 'a cacophony of architectural styles'." The online autism community often feels like a...[Read More]

on 10/19/10 | 3 Comments | Read More

Meanings, Feelings, and Wacky Hair

It occurs to me that I left out a critical piece of information that you'll need if you want to have an accurate mental picture of the circle of children and teachers I faced in Bud's classroom last w...[Read More]

on 10/18/10 | No Comments | Read More

A Year Ago at Shift Journal

For all its charms, the weblog platform does also bury older content for no better reason than that newer material has come along.  While we all like to feel we’re improving, whether you are writin...[Read More]

on 10/18/10 | No Comments | Read More

Are Autistics More Honest? If So, What Then?

The placement of Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg’s Word of Honor immediately prior to this entry is intentional, as it makes for an opportunity to bring up some related observations about autism and honesty...[Read More]

on 10/15/10 | 2 Comments | Read More

Word of Honor

Over at Life in the House that Asperger Built, there’s been a great discussion about what happens in the minds and hearts of those of us on the spectrum when people don’t mean what they say.  On...[Read More]

on 10/15/10 | No Comments | Read More

Re-education: Why do we insist on speech therapy for “high-functioning” kids?

When my son was diagnosed with Autism, the assessment team gave us a detailed report of all of his “deficits” — mostly his communication style.  His eye contact was not typical.  His speech wa...[Read More]

on 10/14/10 | 8 Comments | Read More

Identity Politics and Neurodiversity

We've had some discussion here on Shift Journal recently about the extent to which characters and behaviors should be described as autistic.  Mark Stairwalt speculates that when people feel uncomfort...[Read More]

on 10/13/10 | 10 Comments | Read More

Grieving the Dream and Living What Is

When I first began delving into the words written by parents of autistic children, I found myself troubled by phrases like “the heartbreak of an autism diagnosis.”  At the time, I was just beginn...[Read More]

on 10/12/10 | 2 Comments | Read More

A Hair-Dryer Kid in a Toaster-Brained World

Okay, so:  the presentation. First, I should tell you that we orchestrated it with the stealth of CIA operatives.  We didn't want Bud to see me in the building, because we knew that my presence w...[Read More]

on 10/11/10 | No Comments | Read More

A Year Ago at Shift Journal

For all its charms, the weblog platform does also bury older content for no better reason than that newer material has come along.  While we all like to feel we’re improving, whether you are writin...[Read More]

on 10/11/10 | No Comments | Read More

Ari Ne’eman, Behavior-Modding the Lovaasians

The showbiz maxim “There’s no such thing as bad publicity” is one that was nicely illustrated less than a month ago at MTV’s Video Music Awards, when Taylor Swift gave over her entire spotligh...[Read More]

on 10/8/10 | 4 Comments | Read More

Katara & Holly

Sometimes, when life gets difficult it takes focusing on the simplest pleasures to help you take a step back and see progress.  Really, think about that word for a moment.  Progress.  We live our l...[Read More]

on 10/7/10 | No Comments | Read More

The Paradox of Changing the World with Words

Words and how we use them to relate to the world can be, as Andrew Lehman discussed in a post last year, somewhat paradoxical.  Although we use words to describe and frame our relationship to our sur...[Read More]

on 10/6/10 | 5 Comments | Read More

How I Feel About Those Who Want a Cure

Please be warned:  If you’re hoping for an anti-curebie tirade, you won’t find it in this post.  Likewise, if you’re hoping I’ll say that autism is a disease that must be eradicated, you als...[Read More]

on 10/5/10 | 2 Comments | Read More

Circle of Friends

It was incredible. I met with Bud's class today at lunchtime.  I was expecting it to go well.  I was actually expecting it to be great.  But, I'm telling you:  IT.  WAS.  INCREDIBLE. I c...[Read More]

on 10/4/10 | No Comments | Read More

A Year Ago at Shift Journal

For all its charms, the weblog platform does also bury older content for no better reason than that newer material has come along.  While we all like to feel we’re improving, whether you are writin...[Read More]

on 10/4/10 | No Comments | Read More

Versatile Blogger Award (and retrospective nod to Andrew Lehman)

It's hard to imagine anyone I'd rather have Shift Journal be tagged by for the Versatile Blogger Award than the grand old codger of autism blogging, early friend of the site, and man who's seen it all...[Read More]

on 10/3/10 | 3 Comments | Read More

Should We Label Characters?

I recently watched A Wrinkle in Time, a movie based on Madeleine L’Engle’s book of the same name. Watching this movie brought back memories of my childhood, when I fell in love with L’Engle’s ...[Read More]

on 10/1/10 | 9 Comments | Read More