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A Documentary, Two Blogs and A YouTube Video

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arianezurcher's avatarEmma's Hope Book

The following is a trailer for Spectrum:  A Documentary about Autism and Sensory Perception.  This is the documentary I cannot wait to see when it’s finished!  It features Nick Walker, Martial Artist, writer of the single best description I’ve ever read answering the question  “What is Autism?” and all around amazing guy and Judy Endow, a terrific writer, speaker, talented painter and sculptor and friend.  The third person featured is Tito Mukhopadhyay, eloquent poet, writer and son to the woman I am filled with gratitude for on a daily basis, Soma Mukhopadhyay, who taught me how to communicate with my daughter.

http://vimeo.com/94476882

 

This is the first of two blogs you must know about, if you don’t already.  How to Talk to a Woman Whose Child is Dead the most recent post on Unstrange Mind.  It is so beautifully written by the multi-talented Sparrow Rose Jones, who also sells her fabulous art work in…

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‘Greyhound Therapy’ And America’s Mental Health Crisis

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Greyhound therapy, or patient dumping, is nothing new. But never has it been uncovered on such a wide scale. In the first episode of our new documentary series for AXS TV, Dan Rather Presents: One Way Ticket to Nowhere, we get to the bottom of the story with what happened and why. We found former hospital employees who were willing to go on the record for the first time, as well as patients who had the courage to come forward with their personal stories. The Nevada story proved a jumping off point for a greater examination of our system of care. What we found was disheartening: America’s mental health care system is in crisis. [Quote from the story]

Dare to Hope

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Many autistics have trouble articulating their thoughts, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have articulate thoughts! Emma demonstrates this in the video below:

arianezurcher's avatarEmma's Hope Book

Trigger Warning:  Parental despair

Five years ago I was in a bad, bad place.  Life felt unbearable.  The future loomed ahead shrouded in fear.  I could not imagine a life that was not bleak and filled with pain.  There were times when I could not bear the thought of another day.  There were times when I felt it was all too much.  People would make kind suggestions, but none of their words made sense to me.  I was sinking and saw no light.  I thought it was because of my specific circumstances.  I thought it was because I was the parent of a child who, I was told, couldn’t and didn’t understand most of what was said to her.  I was told she couldn’t comprehend this world.  I was told concepts like less and more, time, currency were beyond her ability to grasp.  I was told she was in her own world.  Despite…

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“Autism – What We Know” by Wendy Chung

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all about autism's avatarAll About Autism

For today’s blog, I originally planned to take a look back on the month of April and our activities.

However, I just watched a TED Talk titled “Autism – What We Know (And What We Don’t Know Yet)” by Wendy Chung, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) Director of Clinical Research. Dr. Chung’s presentation is a concise, informative review of what we know about autism, what we don’t know, and what definitely has been proven false.

Image Dr. Wendy Chung

Some of the information that I found fascinating included:

– Genes play a larger role in autism than they do in cancer, heart disease, or diabetes

–  25% of cases with autism are caused by a genetic mutation that was neither possessed nor transmitted by the parent but occurred in the egg, the sperm, or both

– There is not one gene for autism but 200 to 400 different ones…

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Singer Johnny Dean: I Was Diagnosed With Autism as an Adult

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British singer Johhny Dean wrote in the Guardian recently about his life as an adult with autism, particularly his difficulties getting diagnosed as an adult, and receiving support for his condition. The article pointed out that 70% of autistic adults in the UK feel they are not receiving the help they need.

Adults seeking diagnosis are often faced with a struggle. Not being taken seriously seems to be a common occurrence. I experienced more than just a few quizzical looks and furrowed brows when I asked to be assessed. Many people simply give up at this point. I was even asked outright, by a consultant psychologist, why I was seeking diagnosis when I was an adult. Apparently, this happens a lot. [quote from the article]

Antler Luggage: Worth Every Penny

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I own an Antler rolling computer bag. It’s definitely on the pricier side, but I’ve found it to be money well spent. For roller bags, you want to be sure the wheels don’t give up before the bag does. I’ve been rolling mine on pavements every weekday for months, and those wheels keep spinning. Why is Antler luggage so durable? Check out this video to find out.