Aspergian Pride
Jun 21
Eric Duquette gave the commencement address as the salutatorian of Smithfield High School in Rhode Island, graduating with the second highest average in a class of almost 200. Diagnosed with autism as a young child, he did not speak until age five but now speaks both English and Spanish fluently. He plans to attend Rhode Island College as [...] [...more]
Posted: under Academic Success.
Eric Duquette gave the commencement address as the salutatorian of Smithfield High School in Rhode Island, graduating with the second highest average in a class of almost 200. Diagnosed with autism as a young child, he did not speak until age five but now speaks both English and Spanish fluently. He plans to attend Rhode Island College as a biology major and to become a pharmacist.
In his commencement speech, as reported by ABC News, he spoke of his scholarship offers and college acceptances. Giving advice to his fellow graduates, he told them “do not allow yourself or others to be defined by your limitations but rather abilities. Never underestimate yourself.”
Apr 07
Tyler Hurford, a 15-year-old high school freshman in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received a prestigious All State Speech Honors award from the Iowa High School Speech Association for a humorous presentation on dating tips. Tyler, diagnosed with autism at age two, did not speak until he was five years old. He developed his speaking ability by repeating lines from television shows. [...] [...more]
Posted: under Arts and Music.
Tyler Hurford, a 15-year-old high school freshman in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received a prestigious All State Speech Honors award from the Iowa High School Speech Association for a humorous presentation on dating tips. Tyler, diagnosed with autism at age two, did not speak until he was five years old. He developed his speaking ability by repeating lines from television shows.
He enjoys theater, and he would like to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and become an actor. His coaches and fellow students have been very supportive of his efforts.
Mar 26
Sports fan Alex Hermann, a Chicago teenager, accomplished the difficult feat of picking every game through the first two rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament correctly on the CBSsports.com site. Although his predictions did not remain perfect throughout the entire tournament, Alex’s accomplishment was nevertheless quite impressive. [...more]
Posted: under Hobbies and Interests.
Sports fan Alex Hermann, a Chicago teenager, accomplished the difficult feat of picking every game through the first two rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament correctly on the CBSsports.com site. Although his predictions did not remain perfect throughout the entire tournament, Alex’s accomplishment was nevertheless quite impressive.
Jan 17
After being selected as a winner of his school district’s book-writing contest, 12-year-old Dyllan Rafail had the opportunity to have his book published. In “Super Senses,” he compares his autistic sensory experiences to being a superhero who has abilities others do not share and who struggles with the resulting difficulties and misunderstandings. According to an article in [...] [...more]
Posted: under Speaking Out.
After being selected as a winner of his school district’s book-writing contest, 12-year-old Dyllan Rafail had the opportunity to have his book published. In “Super Senses,” he compares his autistic sensory experiences to being a superhero who has abilities others do not share and who struggles with the resulting difficulties and misunderstandings.
According to an article in Ann Arbor.com, Dyllan wrote his book because he wanted to explain his feelings and to help others understand his experiences. In response to the idea that autism should be cured, Dyllan said, “They’re not taking mine away.”
Dec 17
Ari Ne’eman, who heads the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, has been nominated by President Obama to the National Council on Disability (NCD). The White House issued a press release yesterday announcing his selection and describing the NCD positions as key administration posts. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is a nonprofit group that seeks to advance the principles of [...] [...more]
Posted: under Government and Politics.
Ari Ne’eman, who heads the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, has been nominated by President Obama to the National Council on Disability (NCD). The White House issued a press release yesterday announcing his selection and describing the NCD positions as key administration posts.
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is a nonprofit group that seeks to advance the principles of the disability rights movement with regard to autism by empowering the Autistic Community to take control of its own destiny, working toward the goal of a world in which those on the autism spectrum enjoy the same access, rights, and opportunities as all other citizens.
Edit, June 23: While his confirmation was pending in the Senate, Ne’eman also was appointed as a member of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. He has now been confirmed for his NCD position.
Nov 05
Doctoral candidate C.S. Wyatt, who is himself autistic, is conducting research for his dissertation at the University of Minnesota on the use of online courses by autistic students. This research may help to persuade university administrators that providing accommodations to improve educational access for the autistic population makes both ethical and financial sense. If you have a [...] [...more]
Posted: under Research.
Doctoral candidate C.S. Wyatt, who is himself autistic, is conducting research for his dissertation at the University of Minnesota on the use of online courses by autistic students. This research may help to persuade university administrators that providing accommodations to improve educational access for the autistic population makes both ethical and financial sense. If you have a moment, please consider completing the survey described below.
Survey to Assess Needs for Improved Course Designs
As colleges and universities offer more courses online, it is important that we consider how students with autism spectrum disorders approach online communities, especially online classes. My experiences as a diagnosed high-functioning autistic student and instructor have led me to question how online courses could be designed to better serve students with autism spectrum disorders. I am conducting a survey, seeking to determine if there are characteristics of some online communities ASD individuals prefer. I am also interested in learning what qualities of online communities might be disliked by individuals with ASDs.
If you are an individual with an officially diagnosed autism spectrum disorder interested in offering opinions about online communities, I hope you will consider completing this brief online survey. You do not have to be a student. However, you should have some experiences with online communities so you can explain what design qualities are or are not appealing in various communities.
This will be an anonymous survey. Only your answers to interview questions will be saved and referenced during the study.
If you are interested in participating in these interviews, please visit the following survey link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=6hUN2HISyDpNYnlwPpLkxQ_3d_3d
Thank you,
Christopher Scott Wyatt
Doctoral Candidate
Rhetoric; Scientific and Technical Communication
Digital Literacy and Pedagogy
Dept. of Writing Studies
University of Minnesota
wyatt050@umn.edu
This study is referenced by University of Minnesota IRB Code Number 0909P72516.
Oct 27
Ten-year-old Kyle Forbes of Houston, Texas, was alone in his classroom with his teacher Sheri Lowe when she choked on an apple. As reported by a local TV station, Kyle, who is autistic and has a passion for learning, had been taught the Heimlich maneuver in Cub Scouts, and he immediately performed it as he had practiced. He [...] [...more]
Posted: under Caring Acts.
Ten-year-old Kyle Forbes of Houston, Texas, was alone in his classroom with his teacher Sheri Lowe when she choked on an apple. As reported by a local TV station, Kyle, who is autistic and has a passion for learning, had been taught the Heimlich maneuver in Cub Scouts, and he immediately performed it as he had practiced. He is now being honored as a hero for saving his teacher’s life.
According to the report, Kyle’s father is quite proud of his son and says that this is proof that children with autism can do anything others can do.
Oct 19
Elesia Ashkenazy, a community partner of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE) and chair of the Portland, Oregon chapter of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), is familiar to many in the autistic community because of her leadership of the ASAN-Portland protest at an Autism Speaks walk, after which she was interviewed on the TV [...] [...more]
Posted: under Research.
Elesia Ashkenazy, a community partner of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE) and chair of the Portland, Oregon chapter of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), is familiar to many in the autistic community because of her leadership of the ASAN-Portland protest at an Autism Speaks walk, after which she was interviewed on the TV news. She is distributing the following announcement about AASPIRE’s Gateway Project, which is currently seeking participants for community-based research studies:
Be Included in Autism Research
The Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE) believes in research WITH autistic adults, not just ABOUT autistic adults.
The AASPIRE Gateway Project is an online gateway to research that fulfills AASPIRE’s mission to
encourage the inclusion of autistic adults in matters which directly affect them;
include autistic adults as equal partners in research about autism;
answer research questions that are considered relevant by the autistic community;
use research findings to effect positive change for people on the autistic spectrum.
The AASPIRE Gateway Project needs your help, whether or not you are on the autistic spectrum.
If you are at least 18 years old and have access to the Internet, you can participate in a series of continuing online research studies that help AASPIRE achieve its mission. Upcoming studies address topics such as healthcare, Internet use, and problem-solving.
To participate in the AASPIRE Gateway Project:
1. Register online for an AASPIRE Gateway account starting at www.aaspire.org/gateway.
2. Take the online AASPIRE Gateway Survey. The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete.
3. You will be notified by email when new studies for which you are eligible become available.
Completing the survey entitles you to a 1 in 25 chance to win a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
If you would like to learn more about AASPIRE or the Gateway Project, you can
Go to the Gateway home page at www.aaspire.org/gateway.
Send an email to Dora Raymaker at dora@aaspireproject.org.
Make a telephone call to Dr. Christina Nicolaidis at 1-503-494-9602.
OHSU IRB # 3762; UW IRB# SE-2008-0749
Principal Investigators:
Christina Nicolaidis, MD, MPH, Oregon Health & Science University
Morton Ann Gernsbacher, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Katherine McDonald, PhD, Portland State University
Dora Raymaker, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
Please pass this information along to your friends!
Sep 25
Since Autism Speaks released its appalling video “I Am Autism” earlier this week, to widespread global condemnation from parents and autistic self-advocates alike, British blogger Socrates of The New Republic has taken a leading role in organizing resistance to this latest atrocious effort to demonize autistic people. He has taken the top Google spot from Autism Speaks [...] [...more]
Posted: under Internet Activism.
Since Autism Speaks released its appalling video “I Am Autism” earlier this week, to widespread global condemnation from parents and autistic self-advocates alike, British blogger Socrates of The New Republic has taken a leading role in organizing resistance to this latest atrocious effort to demonize autistic people. He has taken the top Google spot from Autism Speaks with a parody of the “I Am Autism” video. To show your support for his efforts, go to his blog and leave a message in the comments! And if you have a blog or other website where you can express your views, please write your own post making clear why Autism Speaks does not speak for you. It’s past time to put an end to their hatred.
Sep 13
The video games created by Jack Booth, an 11-year-old autistic boy living in Swindon, UK, are so difficult that even the most experienced gamers have been unable to complete some of them. Jack is now taking on a larger challenge; he seeks to change public perceptions of autism. Interviewed for a local newspaper article, Jack said, “I would like to show [...] [...more]
Posted: under Speaking Out.
The video games created by Jack Booth, an 11-year-old autistic boy living in Swindon, UK, are so difficult that even the most experienced gamers have been unable to complete some of them. Jack is now taking on a larger challenge; he seeks to change public perceptions of autism.
Interviewed for a local newspaper article, Jack said, “I would like to show people they shouldn’t be scared to be friends with me.” Some of the children at his school, perhaps frightened by sensational media stories, thought that autism was a disease they could catch from him.
Jack’s mother, Tracey, has always supported his focused interests and his keen desire to learn. “There is definitely not enough understanding about autism,” she said, “from children and adults. I used to apologise for the way he was but now I don’t – why should I? He’s a joy to have as a son and I’m very proud of him.”