What are your Autism Experiences?

Question

Next Year I am doing a Informational Speech on Autism and I have been working on it for 2 years now and I need some Ideas I would put it on but it fit so put input I and do have Aspergers myself so I do have some personal experience

Answer 1

The positive of working with Autistic people, is they can and often do teach us, such as time constraints is not important to them, they don't care what people think about them, and tend to be honest, to name a few positives.

Sadly these people are labelled as being odd or eccentric, because they do not fit in to the "norm", but what is normal & what is abnormal?

You dont say how long your talk will be?

I have to give a talk in about 3 weeks on Aspergers, and this is how I set out my talk.
What Autism is.
The history of Autism, and famous people who either have Autism or thought to have had it. Quotes from any of them can be included (see below from Hans Asperger)
What are the charactistics of Autism, this may include some positives of having Autism.
How is Autism diagnosed.
How Autism impacts on both the childs life, but parents and siblings. You could put a personal slant on this, with your having Aspergers your self.
What services are there available to support the student, and their family and friends.

Quotes from Hans Asperger
“It seems that for success in science and art, a dash of autism is essential."

"Exceptional human beings must be given exceptional educational treatment, treatment which takes into account their special difficulties. Further, we can show that despite abnormality, human beings can fulfil their social role within the community, especially if they find understanding, love and guidance."

I hope that the above has helped, but I am quite sure you have set your talk out better than this, so if you have any input, that would help my talk I too would appreciate it.

Good luck

Answer 2

I am a parent of a child diagnosed with High Functioning Autism. My child was diagnosed a year ago when he was 8 years old, but has been receiving treatment for Sensory Integration Dysfunction and ADHD since he was four years old. When I received the diagnosis, my heart was broken because I had certain dreams for my child that I now knew he would not be able to achieve. In the time since, my dreams have changed. As a parent I can tell you that it's heart breaking to watch your child grow up and wonder why his peers think he's "weird" or have him come home from school in tears and tell you how he had a bad day at school because everyone makes fun of him. It's very frustrating dealing with the meltdowns that occur almost daily for little to no apparent reason and jumping through hoops trying to prevent a meltdown from occurring. But those are the negative things. On a positive note I get to come home every day to a child who is smart, funny, and sensitive. A child who I would walk through the flames of hell to help and protect. I would change nothing about the child I have today, even with all of his little idiosyncracies. Yes it's hard being a parent of a child with Autism, but my heart is so full of love and awe watching him grow and achieve even the smallest goal.

Answer 3

Some of us really hate having Asperger's syndrome seen as a "disorder", "syndrome" or a "disability." We do have strengths. However, neurotypicals(people without autism) are the majority so we are called disabled because we don't fit up to their idea of "normal" and they refuse to accept us.
Even neurotypicals can get tired of hearing about how autism is "awful" http://autism.about.com/od/inspirationideas/tp/besttraits.htm
Neurotypical syndrome can be seen as a disorder http://isnt.autistics.org/archived.html
Now, that might wake neurotypicals up to why some of us HATE!!!! when neurotypicals call us disabled it's awful etc.

Answer 4

read the top two books by Ellen Notbohm...Excellent.

Also, go to Discover magazine online and see the article just written about autism...http://discovermagazine.com/2007/apr/autism-it2019s-not-just-in-the-head