Article - Long but Interesting

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Dear All:

This article was sent to me by another parent. It is a bit long but very interesting. It provides a different perspective on autism. FYI - please share.

Sincerely,

Barbara C. YavorcikPresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.org Please note: This is provided for information purposes only. The ASO does not endorse or recommend any providers, methodologies or services. Providing this information should not be construed as an endorsement by the ASO, either explicit or impiled.

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Say it loud, autistic and proud For many, it's a condition which evokes pity and even fear. But a campaigning group of activists is determined to change the way we view autism by dealing not with its many downsides, but by focusing on its positives. Jerome Burne reports Sunday November 13, 2005The Observer

The stark black-and-white photograph shows a large, ungainly young woman with a shaven head, wearing shorts and a T-shirt and sitting cross-legged on the floor. Her face is hidden. 'The young woman in this picture has autism,' reads the text beside it, 'a debilitating developmental disorder that affects communication, socialisation and behaviour.' The next photo shows the helmet she has to use to stop her damaging her head when she bangs it on the wall, her adult-sized nappies and the picture board she has to use, because she can't speak. 'Sometimes she screams, and nobody knows what she's thinking,' explains the text, 'but she's clearly frustrated about her communication disorder.' More pictures show her lying on the floor staring at blocks of wood or sitting in a chair, unresponsive. 'If she had a voice, we wonder ... What is she thinking? What would she say?'