The latter part of our Q.-and A. with Ernst VanBergeijk, associate dean and executive director of the New York Institute of Technology’s Vocational Independence Program (VIP), a certificate program for adult students with learning disabilities.
Q: Do you know of any other programs like it in the country?
EVB: There are many great programs that provide transitional services to individuals with autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities. However, very few are college based, i.e., are a part of a college like VIP.
Q:How are these programs run?
EVB: Most are based in an apartment complex and affiliated with either a community college or a 4-year college. …read more

Among more responses to the forum question “What trait of your autistic child would you like to see more in yourself or in others?”
“Humility,” said one parent. “His honesty, and ability to forgive almost instantly,” said another. “His absolute innocence,” ‘responded one parent, ”trust and faith in the world around him. His honesty, and ability to forgive almost instantly.”
“The ability to think about nothing without being a Zen master,” said one parent. ” When I told my son that Zen masters practice their whole lives to block out the world and think about nothing, he laughs, because it comes naturally to him. …read more

Additional responses to “What’s the one thing you’d like to say to your relatives about your autistic child?”:
“Just love him and enjoy him.  Let me worry about the rest.”
“Thank you for loving him and treating him like the beautiful blessing that he is. We’re blessed and lucky to have family that ‘gets it’!”
“Sometimes (my wife and I) need your help watching him so we can spend some time on ‘us’.”
“How we live for the ‘us’ moments, and have learned not to feel guilty about it. If only our loved ones could understand.”
“Please don’t look at him for what he is not, but rather …read more

It is down to the last days of 2008: If you can remember back to January, what do you think have been the top autism issues—the most important, notable, significant, event(s) concerning autism— this year? I’ve my own thoughts and would like to know yours……….please leave a note in the comments or you can email me at autismvox@gmail.com.

Thinking about long-term housing and job needs for my son and also the matter of a special needs trust and a will and one has those moments of thinking (yes, ridiculously), pity one can’t live forever……..
Maybe you’d rather not know this, but you can take a Vitality Compass quiz over at Blue Zones to find out your left expectancy, your body’s age given your habits, and your healthy life expectancy. My score indicates that I’ll be around long around to see Charlie reach retirement age—-guess I’ll have to make sure I keep eating those fruits and vegetables and exercising regularly …read more

Charlie is in his last year of elementary school and will be moving onto middle school in a few months. A survey for the Fifth Grade Yearbook came home in his backpack with a list of questions and a request for a kindergarten photo. I’ve been looking through old computer files for a photo of 5 or 6 year old Charlie (who did not go to kindergarten; he was in an “elementary autistic” classroom). Yesterday, I read out the questions to Charlie—–favorite subject? favorite food? favorite singer? favorite band? favorite sport? favorite book? favorite thing to do?—-and he echoed …read more

What better way to start the new year than making your voice heard to the NIMH with your suggestions in response to a Request for Information (RFI): Research Priorities for the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Please send responses to iacc@mail.nih.gov no later than January 4, 2008.

Keep in mind that research does not only refer to scientific studies on genetics, the environment, neuroscience, and the like: Research also refers to research about the delivery of services and treatments. Some commenters have pointed out, for instance, that there are already resources about the use …read more

Ruth Kieffer, whose 21-year-old son has Asperger Syndrome, writes about his difficulties finding long-term employment in a letter in today’s Appleton Post-Crescent:
After many, many job applications, there were two places that seemed eager to hire him — until someone in higher management positions decided they didn’t want to hire someone with an autism disorder.
Do they not understand that this is discrimination? Is there a fear of what they don’t understand? [my emphasis]
Here is a young man with a genius IQ who wants to work, was never late to his job experiences, never called in sick, is honest to a fault …read more

Acceptance is the most important quality that a parent of an autistic child needs to have, according to Bryna Siegel, director of UCSF’s autism clinic at the Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute. Suzanne Leigh, the reporter who wrote the August 19th San Francisco Chronicle of Siegel, notes her surprise at this:
…… I ask her which parental qualities work best with an autism diagnosis, expecting persistence, advocacy and resilience to be on that list. But Siegel likes to surprise.
“Parents who do well just accept their child for who they are,” she says without pause. “That doesn’t mean you don’t try …read more

Says Tufts University philosophy professor Daniel Denett:
Words are “like sheepdogs herding ideas”
Prof. Dennett is quoted in the August 21st New York Times in regard to the “science of magic.” In noting the role of words on the brain Prof. Denett notes that “Learn a bit of wine speak — “ripe black plums with an accent of earthy leather” — and you are suddenly equipped with anchors to pin down your fleeting gustatory impressions.”
And what if language is not exactly the primary mode of communication, as in the case of my son Charlie?