ASD
One of the best Professional Development sessions I attended this academic year was Professor Tony Attwood’s New Strategies to Understand and Help Children and Teenagers with ASD-Level 1 (Asperger’s syndrome) in October 2017. It was a great privilege to hear him share his insight and experience with regards to various aspects of ASD.
I think for many of us (I may be aging myself now) our first connection with ASD was through Dustin Hoffman’s character Raymond Babbit in Rain Man [1988]. I am acutely aware that our knowledge and understanding regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder has - fortunately - come a long way since then.
Professor Tony Attwood, a clinical psychologist, is one of those rare people who describes himself as a conduit between those experiencing Aspergers and those described as neurotypical. His fluency in ‘Aspergese’ allows him to translate between the two cultures. He is a strong proponent of defining those with Asperger’s by their strengths and not by their limitations. Chris Packham in a print interview, reiterates this point by stating that “We have to see this breadth of neurological difference as extremely advantageous to our species. There are many aspects of Asperger's which are enormously positive.” Some may perceive his comment, “There is no doubt at all in my mind that a great number of people in the past that have led advances in our civilisation have had autistic traits,” as a bold assertion. However, many cite famous individuals who have contributed greatly to humanity as being on (or likely to have been on) the autistic spectrum.
I particularly appreciate hearing about personal experiences from those who experience ASD. During a recent episode of BBC Radio 4’s Word of Mouth, entitled Autism and Communication, Alis Rowe (whom Professor Attwood referenced) spoke about her own experience of autism and stated "Don't expect me to have common sense, I don't have common thought." This quote especially resonated and is a gentle reminder for neurotypicals to be cognisant of other perspectives.
In looking to expand one’s knowledge base, these are some useful resources/articles pertaining to - inter alia - information, research, personal experiences regarding ASD:
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (audiobook) by Mark Haddon
The Reason I Jump (audiobook) by Naoki Higashida
How I use Minecraft to Help Kids with Autism [Stuart Duncan’s TED Talk]
Almost Everything I'd Been Told About My Son's Autism Was Wrong by David Mitchell
I invite you to move beyond the one dimensional understanding and expand your knowledge base with regard to ASD.