In one of the listserves I belong to (Apraxia-kids), one of the parents suggested that others considering AAC read the blog “Fighting Monsters with Rubber Swords”. As a professional, and a reader of blogs, I find it lovely reading. Mr. Rummel-Hudson has also written a book, called Schuyler’s Monster, which I am looking forward to reading soon. This summer’s focus may tend more toward augmentative communication, with an interest in those who may speak but still be interested in using other means of expression. Let me know if you think there is something I should be considering! Thanks.

SOCIAL THINKING VIDEO!!
Denali Montessori MultiPurpose Room
May 14, 6:30pm**

Has your child been working on social thinking in the speech and language program this year??  Do you know someone with good language skills who has difficulty being a social thinker?  Have you heard us talk all year about Michelle Garcia-Winner?  Does your student talk about what is expected and unexpected?  You may enjoy this DVD, which will introduce the rationale behind the lessons that have been given.

Denali Montessori will show the first hour of Michelle Garcia Winner’s DVD on Social thinking on May 14, at 6:30pm.

Social Thinking Across the Home and School Day (DVD)
Product ID: WIN04dvd

This DVD was produced by The Gray Center in conjunction with Michelle Garcia Winner. It is intended to assist parents and professionals in facilitating social thinking and related skills. It is a two-part video series: the first video consists of a workshop that Michelle presents to help define the ILAUGH framework (a six-point model of social cognition). (http://www.thegraycenter.org/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=30)
The skills discussed are geared toward students who have difficulty with social thinking due to autism, AS, ADHD, and a variety of other challenges.

****Sorry, no child care is provided for this adult oriented video.
Questions?:  Call Celia or Tamara at Denali:  742-4500.

If you scroll down from the Out of Sync Brain in the Eide Neurolearning Blog, which I have just discovered, there is a link to the following article:

M Just: Language representation and embodied meaning pdf

It will take me several readings to internalize this enough to talk about. It looks ever so interesting though. Let us know what it means to you!

I thank Tamara for giving me Born On A Blue Day . It is just a fabulous read about a Brit who grew up with Aspergers Syndrome. Daniel Tammet writes well. The savant part of his life is interesting, but not necessarily the most intriguing part to me. Check this one out if you have or know someone with autism! So much is possible.

This article, called

Autism: Why do more boys than girls develop it?

is from the National Autistic Society and is more what we cannot say than what we can say about why there are more boys than girls with autism.  Still, interesting.

I am interested in this idea of girls as underdiagnosed, so here (BBC) and here (New York Times: What Autistic Girls are Made Of) is more that is written on the topic.

This is a very well done series of articles in video format, with a focus on girls and autism.. Check it out here:

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=4177353&page=1

This book is published by Scholastic for grades 6 to 9, written by Cynthia Lord, and has won the Schneider Family Book Award, and is a Newbery Honor book. Written from the point of view of 12 year old Catherine, who has a brother with autism, I have it if you want to borrow it. Not finished yet, but won’t take long. I’ll let you know what the last 4-5-6 grade class at Denali thought about it after winter break.

From the New York Times again! What a great year for interesting reads about autism.

December 10, 2007, 11:40 am

Books: Seeing Yourself in Autism

See the review in the Times, here.

See reader reviews at Amazon, here.

This one is going on my winter break reading list!