Exactly. If I’d been diagnosed at age 7, I easily could’ve been considered unable to function academically. I never finished anything, rarely responded to my name, didn’t speak much, didn’t understand or follow instructions, got sensory overload, spent much time staring at a wall rocking or wringing my hands, got lost on campus, etc. I guess no one mentioned autism because I was considered difficult, they speculated I had a hearing problem (though screening tests came back negatory), and I was quiet. Nevermind that I was far from quiet at home, with much screaming and self-injury, but at home I looked like a shy little girl with emotional sensitivities. I was also lucky in that my parents knew I understood complex things and had imaginary play (even if it didn’t look like it to most outside observers), so they didn’t try to get me evaluated for anything (which, while I could’ve used some more supports and understanding, I think it would’ve been very mixed in terms of effects).

Who would’ve guessed that now I’m going to go to college to study theoretical physics, and currently have about 30 college credits before graduating high school, and can follow MIT physics lectures without missing a beat? Not that the main point is that we’re all going to be “geniuses”, far from it, but the point is that, when it comes to the medical view of autism, many wrong assumptions and predictions are likely made.

For instance, I recently completed IQ testing, and my verbal range came out in the low normal (so I’m guessing 70-90), and my spatial part was about average to high average (though I have shown early and advanced proclivity for mathematics, such as figuring out how to find the sum of all numbers from 1 to 100 without adding them up individually at age 6 1/2). The verbal score was taking into the account that I was typing most of those responses that I could make rather than speaking them, so it would’ve come out much lower if I didn’t have access or ability to type. They didn’t find this out until I had spent four years in a creative writing program, with my work being read and critiqued by professional authors.

So while abilities range drastically, both within and across individuals, it is important to take any predictions with a grain of salt. Yes, if a person is significantly disabled there is a likelihood they’ll need assistance and accomodations throughout their life, but for any child, of any starting abilities, it’s important to not expect too low or too high for them, but to try to help them learn and grow as much as you can, and accept whatever place they’re at. That’s how my parents were with me and my NT sisters – they encouraged us to pursue academics and the arts, and supported us in whatever limited ways they could toward these ends with limited finances (fortunately school is free through high school, and there are scholarships and financial aid after that).

But if I weren’t going to college, if I find out that for whatever reason that I can’t handle college or need to take a break and live with them for awhile, that that’ll be perfectly okay. That’s the key – to have access to the resources to grow to your potential, regardless of whether society considers the end result to be on par with what they’d consider success, which too often has more to do with the car they’re driving than with the person they’re being.

It’s a great school. The kids do very well incompetitions with their peers. Many younger folks from the church volunteer at it, and quite a few have pursued careers in special education because of it. The staff has the credentials one would expect for a school which has special needs and NT children.

Last time was with a link to a story. Maybe a google search will bring it so my post goes thru

teacher provides structure

NWANEWS dot com

Teacher provides structure

http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/61779/

http://nwanews.com/bcdr/News/61779/

My church several years ago started the “Hope Technology School” http://www.bacc.cc/BACC/CommunityLife/HTS/index.htm

We had a fund raiser for it last Sunday as they are trying to expand it to include a middle school.

I haven’t mentioned it before as they use facilitated communications of which I’m highly skeptical.

However the school is well-staffed and provides an excellent inclusive environment.

The school is in Palo Alto, and we, the church, are hoping within the next two years to buy a building some where in Contra Costa county in order to establish one in the East Bay.

Agreed 100%

There used to be a bumper-sticker that read;

“Wouldn’t it be a great day if the schools had all the money they needed and the Pentagon had to hold a bake sale to build a bomber?