Alexander Cheezem and Autism Acceptance Month

April 22, 2012January 31, 2022 by Shannon Des Roches Rosa

We’re featuring “Slice of Life” conversations with Autistics of all ages — kids through adults — throughout April’s Autism Acceptance Month Our goal is to help TPGA readers understand that autistic people are people who have interesting, complicated lives and who are as diverse and varied as any other population united by a label. We are the people in each other’s neighborhoods, and the more we know about each other — the more visible autistic people and children are — the more common autism acceptance will be. That is our hope. Today we’re talking with Alexander Cheezem of aspieperspective.blogspot.com. Do you have any autistic superpowers? What are they? No. I have a variety of abilities, many of which are related to my (autistic) cognitive style … but I think that regarding them as “superpowers” is silly and more than a bit immature. Besides, there’s a more sinister aspect to that…

Disability

Rina and Autism Acceptance Month

April 20, 2012January 31, 2022 by Shannon Des Roches Rosa

We’re featuring “Slice of Life” conversations with Autistics of all ages — kids through adults — throughout April’s Autism Acceptance Month Our goal is to help TPGA readers understand that autistic people are people who have interesting, complicated lives and who are as diverse and varied as any other population united by a label. We are the people in each other’s neighborhoods, and the more we know about each other — the more visible autistic people and children are — the more common autism acceptance will be. That is our hope. Today we’re talking with Rina, who realized she was autistic after she read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time — without knowing the subject matter — in December of 2006. Says Rina, “I had a major epiphany while reading the book, especially the realization of why I was bullied so badly in junior high. It was…

Disability

Cameron and Autism Acceptance Month

April 17, 2012January 31, 2022 by Shannon Des Roches Rosa

We’re featuring “Slice of Life” conversations with Autistics of all ages — kids through adults — throughout April’s Autism Acceptance Month Our goal is to help TPGA readers understand that autistic people are people who have interesting, complicated lives and who are as diverse and varied as any other population united by a label. We are the people in each other’s neighborhoods, and the more we know about each other — the more visible autistic people and children are — the more common autism acceptance will be. That is our hope. Today we’re talking with Cameron, who is 10 years old, and loves video games and superhero movies. Autistic since birth, diagnosed at 5 years old, has two NT younger sisters. [Notes Cameron’s mother: “Cameron’s Interview … had to be broken into three sessions, had to repeat questions multiple times, and was due largely to the Easter candy I bribed…

Disability

John Elder Robison and Autism Acceptance Month

April 16, 2012January 31, 2022 by Shannon Des Roches Rosa

We’re featuring “Slice of Life” conversations with Autistics of all ages — kids through adults — throughout April’s Autism Acceptance Month Our goal is to help TPGA readers understand that autistic people are people who have interesting, complicated lives and who are as diverse and varied as any other population united by a label. We are the people in each other’s neighborhoods, and the more we know about each other — the more visible autistic people and children are — the more common autism acceptance will be. That is our hope. Today we’re talking with John Elder Robison, author of the books Look Me in the Eye and Be Different, as well as the mastermind behind Ace Frehley’s light up guitar (and so hero to anyone who ever owned a KISS lunchbox). What is your name? John Elder Robison Do you have a website? www.johnrobison.com and www.robisonservice.com. What would you…

Disability

Lily & Meredith and Autism Acceptance Month

April 15, 2012January 31, 2022 by Shannon Des Roches Rosa

We’re featuring “Slice of Life” conversations with Autistics of all ages — kids through adults — throughout April’s Autism Acceptance Month Our goal is to help TPGA readers understand that autistic people are people who have interesting, complicated lives and who are as diverse and varied as any other population united by a label. We are the people in each other’s neighborhoods, and the more we know about each other — the more visible autistic people and children are — the more common autism acceptance will be. That is our hope. Today we’re talking with science-loving sisters Lily and Meredith. What is your name? Lily, Meredith What would you like a one-sentence description of yourself to say? L: Shark and Lego lover. M: Hot wing-eating computer genius. Do you have any autistic superpowers? L: I have a good sense of hearing and superior intellect. I have the ability to spin…

Disability

Matt Friedman and Autism Acceptance Month

April 10, 2012January 31, 2022 by Shannon Des Roches Rosa

We’re featuring “Slice of Life” conversations with Autistics of all ages — kids through adults — throughout April’s Autism Acceptance Month Our goal is to help TPGA readers understand that autistic people are people who have interesting, complicated lives and who are as diverse and varied as any other population united by a label. We are the people in each other’s neighborhoods, and the more we know about each other — the more visible autistic people and children are — the more common autism acceptance will be. That is our hope. Today we’re talking with Matt Friedman, whom some of you may know as the irreverent comic artist behind the blog Dude, I’m an Aspie. What is your name? Matt Friedman. Do you have a website? www.dudeimanaspie.com What would you like a one-sentence description of yourself to say? I’m a self-identified autistic who is the cartoonist and writer of Dude,…

Black-and-white photo of Anton Levey, a bald white man with a dark goatee, holding a snake. Meme-style text on the photo reads, "Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name!

Autism

I Don’t Know His Name, But His Face Rings a Bell

March 14, 2012November 2, 2022 by Allison Blazek

My particular form of prosopagnosia (facial blindness) includes inability to recognize faces and names. For example, every year I dreaded our family reunion and the inevitable awkwardness of seeing cousins and aunts and uncles and having no idea what their names were.

Disability

The DSM-V Changes From a Late-Diagnosed Adult’s Perspective

February 10, 2012January 31, 2022 by Shannon Des Roches Rosa

Charli Devnet Charli writes: In view of the firestorm surrounding the proposed changes to the DSM-V criteria for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, an open debate on the nature and scope of autism and what it means to be autistic might be in order. —- I’m not an expert, but I am autistic. All my life I searched for the answer to a seemingly inexplicable riddle, “Just what is wrong with me?” At the age of 54, I was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. The diagnosis, when I finally acquired one, was not a surprise, not to me nor to anyone who had known me for any significant time. I’m far from a borderline case. No one came up to me and said, “You? We just cannot believe it!” Instead, a number of people greeted my disclosure with the response, “We thought so all along.” Not content to simply have…

Disability

Undeniably Autism: The NY Times and Asperger’s Diagnoses

February 3, 2012January 31, 2022 by Shannon Des Roches Rosa

Sarah MacLeod quarksandquirks.wordpress.com The New York Times recently printed two op-eds questioning the existence of Asperger syndrome. The articles came soon after a flurry of media coverage about upcoming proposed changes to the DSM-V, the newest version of psychiatry’s diagnostic guide. These changes remove Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder — not otherwise specified) from the manual, instead creating one category for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Concerns abound. Will people previously fitting one of the three categories now fall into a diagnostic limbo? Will folks lose services because they don’t fit the definition? At least one study claims that these new criteria may greatly reduced the number of people diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum, although only time will tell. Two op-ed contributors to the New York Times seem to have the answer to this possible upcoming crisis: deny that Asperger’s exists and insist the only autism is the classic,…