Communication is a lot like music; and like music, communication has multiple dimensions.
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Last summer, I had the opportunity to participate in a summer research program for minority students in the sciences. We had black, Hispanic, and disabled students (all of whom were white), as well as a few people from various miscellaneous places. Over the entire summer, as we interacted, I did not see a single piece of evidence that any of us ( Read more... )

It has been my firm opinion for some time that the fundamental issue facing the disabled today is the problem of access to communication.
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Yesterday at the library I was goofing off instead of doing physics homework, and happened upon the latest issue of Psychology Today. Lo and behold, an article on autism. It's a cute little story about an autistic kid who loves animals; and for a change said kid is in the majority who has got the hang of language. That's a good sign, in general, ( Read more... )

Humanity has come a long way since we learned to plant crops and domesticate animals. Evidence of disabled people participating in society comes from as far back as ancient Egypt, where they've found adult mummies with what would have been disabilities, prosthetic limbs (cosmetic, not functional, for the most part), and some early wheelchairs. ( Read more... )

I have a different sort of empathy ( Read more... )

Anybody know where I can buy a T-shirt that says:

"If I've been lecturing for a half-hour
And you are really bored
Please tell me to STOP
I won't get offended
(I promise)"

????

'Cause seriously, I need one.

When it comes to nonverbal communication, NTs are wonderful at "mind reading" by picking up on a lot of little cues from the person they're watching and listening to. A nonverbal communication deficiency is a big part of an autism diagnosis ( Read more... )

From a study in Pediatrics... hmm, last February, I think, maybe March:

Children with severe cerebral palsy have better emotional well-being, a better self-concept, a happier attitude, less bullying, and more acceptance than children with mild cerebral palsy. In fact, if you didn't count physical well-being and independence as measures of quality of ( Read more... )

I was a hyperlexic child and am currently quite talented in the use of language. Being verbal is considered to be a great boon if you are autistic. Yet I still have trouble communicating.

Communication, unfortunately, is more than just words.

I don't read people very well. I take language literally, though I take into account the standard ( Read more... )