Keeping Busy--On a Budget

I got this adorable sock puppet activity in my inbox from Mini Boden!

GFCF Mashed Potatoes for Thanksgiving

From Kimmy Krocker:

Joel Kogen: Autism Hero!

Parents can sometimes be the unsung heroes in their children's lives. Especially parents of children with special needs--because even though children show us in many different ways how much they love us and appreciate what we do--we sometimes need to hear it loud and clear from the world around us.

Joel Kogen got to hear it loud and clear last Friday evening, at the Autism Speaks "Autism Heroes Ball" in Chicago, Il. Joel and his wife Amy both have learning disabilities, and together they are raising their son Timmy, who is has severe Autism. Joel is the brother of my partner, Soft co-owner Suzy Kogen Friedman, who says of her brother: "Even with his limitations, Joel sets the standard of what it means to be a loving and dedicated husband and father. His patience and adoration for Timmy touches everyone who knows them. Joel always does what is best for Timmy. Whether it's doing his own research or challenging the school board, Timmy's father is his personal superman."

Joel was chosen from an inspirational group of 11 finalists, and this special event raised over $50,000 for Autism research. Thank you to all of the Soft supporters who took the time to vote, and thank you Joel, for being such an inspiration to so many.

Autism and the Holidays

Here are some links to help you plan for a holiday season that is fun (or at least not un-fun) for you and your family, especially for your child that isn't so fond of change, transition, new foods, etc...

Holiday Tips for Families Living with Autism from the Autism Society of America.

Holiday Gifts and Autism from About.com.

Handling the Holidays with a Child on the Autism Spectrum. Questions answered by Dr. Cindy Ariel.

Holidays, Travel and Autism. A list of resources from neurodiversity.com including a letter to family and friends to prepare them for your holiday visit.

Grandparents perspective on how to help your grandchildren with Autism enjoy the holidays. From Self Help Magazine.

Autism/DD: Hollywood Still Doesn't Get It

by Christopher Connallon
Soft Blog Contributor

Actor and comedian Denis Leary's new book hasn't even hit stores yet and it's already causing controversy within the autistic advocacy community. Leary initially came under fire when a selection from the book that was reprinted appeared to question the legitimacy of autism and take aim at autistic kids and their parents. Leary has since released a statement claiming the incendiary excerpt was taken out of context and selectively edited. He went on to criticize trends in news reporting, claiming “everything gets reduced to simple sound bites and very, very often those sound bites are not truly representative of an author or artist’s point of view.”

The controversy surrounding Leary's forthcoming book is similar in nature to the outrage expressed by the developmentally disabled community earlier this year surrounding the film Tropic Thunder. In Tropic Thunder Ben Stiller plays a dopey, self-centered actor trying to make a Vietnam War action blockbuster. The offending material in the film centers around a referenced previous film of Stiller's actor-character called Simple Jack, in which Stiller attempted to win an Oscar by portraying a man with a developmental disability. In Thunder a conversation between characters played by Stiller and co-star Robert Downy Jr. includes liberal use of the 'r-word' as a punchline when discussing the critical shortcomings of Simple Jack.

Leary's quote is taken out of context, but the language and sentiments he expresses are nevertheless distressing and ill conceived. He ungraciously tries to use increased autism diagnoses as an example in order to criticize parents of 'non-autistic-but-dumb' kids for trying to shrug off their parental responsibility. His argument suggests that doctors would diagnose “stupid” and “lazy” patients with autism, implying that perhaps those symptoms he noted are close enough for the diagnosis. It's a backhanded insult if not an unintended direct one. In Leary's response to criticism he seems convincing enough in his apology, but the point has been made: He just doesn't get it. Neither does Stiller and Tropic Thunder. Stiller's insensitive dialog and portrayal of the developmentally disabled is meant to expose Tropic Thunder's characters as stupid people, but actually just manages to create a parallel between the characters in the film, and people with developmental disabilities as being worthy of mockery and ridicule. Stiller incriminated himself in the same way Leary did, both revealing their insensitivity and thoughtlessness in using the language of disability to point out perceived ills in society, inextricably tying them both together.

Sensory World Now Has Chat!

We now have an interactive chat function on the Sensory World network, where you can discuss your questions, problems, stories and anecdotes live with me, and other parents and members. Anyone who is logged on can participate. Check it out!

Learning in the Kitchen

I often recommend to the parents of the children I work with, to kill two birds with one stone by using their daily household tasks and routines to teach their children important skills. Easier said than done--but if you are the kind of parent that spends hours running your household, and hours individually working with your child--there are ways to combine the two. The trick is making it motivating. Cooking involves many skills that are applicable and can be generalized to both academic and other daily living skills (ADL), including sequencing, following 1-3 step directions without prompting, not to mention all of the sensory stimulation and work that comes through mixing, squeezing (dough), pouring, tasting, and so forth. To make it motivating, I have suggested these kid-friendly cooking tools by Head Chef, and parents have reported that they have worked wonders getting their kids engaged in the work of the kitchen.

Soft Tweets!

We are entering the world of Twitter! To get updates on our development, the latest in news and research related to Autism, SPD and more, follow our tweets on Twitter! Join by clicking "follow me on Twitter" in the sidebar under "Soft Twitter Updates."

Autism Literature: Part 3

By Katelyn McTague

Soft Blog Contributor

There is an older work, an autobiography written in 1996 by Temple Grandin, that to this day is an excellent resource. Temple Grandin was born in the late 1940s and was diagnosed later in life with autism. Despite difficulties with her perception and understanding of the world, Grandin was able to make it through college, earn a Ph.D. and revolutionized the slaughterhouse industry. She has written several books about her life and what it is like to be autistic. She explains the way in which she sees the world and the obstacles she has to overcome to live in the “normal” world. One of her personal narratives is Thinking in Pictures: And Other Reports From My Life With Autism. She explains with great depth, eloquence and clarity the struggles she has had to face to live in this world with autism. Reading her true first-hand account gave me much more insight into the thinking processes autistic people. Grandin understands the ways in which she is different and how to communicate these differences in a manner that non-autistic people will be able to comprehend. She explains that her thought process is primarily visual. Words and verbal language are foreign to her, and must be translated into a visual medium to fit her style of thinking. Grandin’s book was like a guidebook for learning about autism and learning more about my brother.

Grandin was the first child in her family, and she presented her mother with a series of unfathomable problems. She would shy away from physical contact, threw tantrums, and loved being left alone in her crib or carriage. Grandin showed signs of classic autism by the time she was two. She had, “no speech, poor eye contact, the appearance of deafness, no interest in people and was constantly staring off into space” (43). Autism was almost entirely unheard of, so young Temple Grandin was diagnosed as “brain-damaged.” Her mother was very concerned and worked hard to get her daughter all the help she needed, even though there were hardly any programs offered that would be of any help to autistic children. Grandin’s mother found the best teachers and schools that would work with her daughter. She refused to place her daughter in an institution during a time when this was the only course of actions suggested by the specialists. Grandin had to learn to control her behavior, while her mother and teachers had to learn to read the signs. Noise and too much sensory stimulation were too difficult for Temple to tolerate. Over the years Temple came to realized she was different and developed a series of coping mechanisms to help her function in society.

Grandin, like most autistic individuals, found personal relationships difficult. In order to help her understand human interaction she used visualization and personal experience. While at college she was washing bay windows as one of her jobs. In order to wash these particular windows she had to crawl through a sliding door and ease along the window. One day she became trapped between the panes of glass and had to ease the doors carefully to prevent the glass from shattering. While she was trapped it was impossible to communicate through the glass. Grandin explained, “begin autistic is like being trapped like this. The windows symbolized my feelings of disconnection from other people and helped me cope with the isolation” (36). She used the imagery to help make sense of the senseless.

This autobiography covers an array of topics, all of which are informative and interesting. Along with her own personal story, Grandin covers the different classifications along the autistic spectrum, possible reasons and causes for autism, and how it is treated. I would recommend this book to everyone from those who want to start learning about autism, to those who are already well versed on the subject. Temple Grandin is an inspiration and a real positive influence in the world of autism.

Skin Deep: An Online Database for Safe Personal Products

By Katelyn McTague
Soft Blog Contributor

It is so important for everybody to know what they are putting in and on their bodies. This is especially crucial for children with sensory disorders who are extra sensitive. I recently became aware of a website put out by the Environmental Working Group called Skin Deep. This website is a database of cosmetic and personal care products that works as a safety guide. The website evaluates all different types of products and scores them from 1 -10 depending on how hazardous they are. The government does not regulate companies to make sure that their products are safe for our health. The Environmental Working Group has evaluated over 40,000 products, including toothpastes, sunscreens, and lots of baby products. I’ve used this site to check on the products that my family and I use and it turns out that many of them have ingredients that have been shown to cause allergies, problems with the immune system, irritation for the skin and other organs, and may lead to developmental toxicity. I encourage everyone to give this website a look and make sure that the products we use are safe and do not create more problems for those with sensory sensitivity.

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php

Autism Literature: Part 2

         Another recent work that has been written about autism is the novel Daniel Isn't Talking by Marti Leimbach.  This novel portrays a disintegrating family and parents who are fighting over their son who shows clear signs of autism. Leinbach's novel is written from the point of the view of the autistic boy's mother Melanie, and Leimbach approaches the topic with great sensitivity as well as interest.  Unlike other novels that do not fully research autism and its effects, Leimbach's portrait really rings true.  She takes real pains to express the situation that exists when autism first enters a family.  She describes an accurate case of autism in a young child, includes real types of therapy that are used to work with autistic children, and provides some historical background for the disorder as well.  Leimbach appears to understand the situation and helps the reader to understand what living with autism is like.           

          Leimbach explains the difficulties that arise for a mother when one of her children is diagnosed with autism.  Melanie's situation creates internal and external turmoil in her life.  She must work through her own emotions that arise as her child is diagnosed with autism, and still exist in a public world that does not understand the disorder.  She finds it difficult to handle an autistic child, but she behaves stoically most of the time.  Melanie is faced with the rigor of going out into society with a child who behaves oddly and inappropriately for his age.  She is confronted with public scrutiny practically every time she leaves her house, whether going to visit her relatives, picking up her daughter from school, or in the supermarket.  She and her son are stared at by everyone around her, because she cannot keep Daniel under control.  Melanie must work extra hard to run errands and prepare for all types of eventualities.  She and Daniel are misunderstood by fellow shoppers and Melanie is left feeling embarrassed. 

            I think that this book does a good job at explaining autism to someone who wants to know what it is like to have an autistic child. It voices doubts, fears, and all the issues that come with the territory, but handles them well. I would not recommend it to parents of autistic children, because it is emotionally raw at times and may be a bit much for someone going through a similar situation, but overall I think that Leinbach has produced one of the better novels dealing with autism that are available today.

Soft Welcomes New Contributor: Chris Connallon!

Soft is pleased to welcome Christopher Connallon to our editorial team! Below is a message from Chris, who will be contributing monthly articles:



















"My name is Chris Connallon; recent college grad, musician, writer, and sometime archeologist. I'm incredibly happy to be working with such a worthy outfit as Soft. Half of my family works with developmentally disabled and autistic individuals, and I'm glad to use my abilities to help advocate for the community as well."

--Chris

This Is An Important Day