Introduction

Intellectual Disability

Autism

Cerebral Palsy

Down Syndrome

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Autism

Many people are fascinated by the condition known as autism.  We see this in the popularity of movies like Rain Man and I am Sam.  The seeming contradictions, different behavior, and social isolation seen with this conditions seem to draw our imagination.  However, it is important to remember the lives of people with autism are not movies—they are real.  Reality comes with the daily humdrum of just getting by, moments of joy and sometimes with many tears. 

You need to be aware that the range of functioning seen in people with autism has led the field to beginning talk about autism spectrum disorder—a range of conditions.  However, you will know a lot more about this when you have finished pulling your notebook entry together.  The first five sites listed will give you a great deal of information about this condition.   You also will need to look at the information on savant syndrome and Asperger syndrome.  As you prepare your notebook entries and if you want even more information, the additional links give you plenty of good resources.

  1. NICHCY Fact sheet on General Information about Autism And Pervasive Developmental Disorder   As always, this site offers a good place to start in your search for information.
  2. The Autism Society of America Home Page
    This is the leading national organization in the field of Autism http://www.autism-society.org/.  It has a fact sheet that expands the idea found in the NICHCY document at  http://www.autism-society.org/whatisautism/autism.html (Use this link.  The link on the Society’s main site makes you think you need a password to access this information)
  3. The cover story for the May 6, 2002 issue of Time magazine was the Secrets of Autism.  It can be read at this link: http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020506.  There is a photo essay, three first-person accounts, the main articles, and two shorter pieces on the possible link of certain vaccines with autism and a section called “the geek syndrome” which primarily discusses Asperger’s syndrome.  Well worth reading.
  4. Ooops... Wrong Planet! Syndrome - Autism Spectrum Resources  This take different, personal, view of autism.  Lot of information, but make sure you click on the maze, the autism & autistry link, and symposium papers (some of the essays are by people with autism)    More Autism links than you can shake a stick at!  A very thorough site.
    http://www.isn.net/~jypsy/
  5. One Mom's View of Autism/PDD is for families of children with autism and PDD. Includes coping with the diagnosis, myths, communication, and behavior  The myth section alone makes the visit worthwhile.   http://www.challengenet.com/~onemom/

Savant Syndrome

Asperger’s Syndrome

Additional Links for additional information

The stories of other people with autism  and their families

  • Asperger's Syndrome & My Brother Timothy  ... My youngest brother, Timothy, is twelve years old and has Asperger's Syndrome. He attends sixth grade at a regular school, http://www.wpi.edu/~trek/timothy.html 
  • We the Siblings  http://www.angelfire.com/bc/autism/  This is a page for all sisters and brothers of kids with special needs. Written by Jamie, the sister of a boy with autism, this site offers several first-person accounts from individuals who have a sibling with autism.
  • University Students With Autism and Asperger's Syndrome  http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~cns/  A rich, first-person account by several university students with autism and Asperger's syndrome. The site also offers related links, and has an interactive mailing list for students with autism and Asperger's Syndrome to communicate online.
  • Ray's Autism Page  http://web.syr.edu/~rjkopp/autism.html  This page is meant to provide an insight to the world of autism, as well as a quick way of getting to some sites that a parent considers of value to him and to those seeking information and answers to people's questions regarding autism.

*ACTIVITY*  

Your assignment for each of these sections is to keep a notebook in which you will answer the following questions.  When you are done with this unit, show your notebook to your teacher.  You should be ready for the quiz.  The topics in you notebook should be:

  1. What are the essential elements in the definition of this condition? (Can you explain this condition to your parents or classmates in a way they would understand it?)
  2. How is it different from other conditions?  (What is unique about this condition; for example, how is spina bifida different from cerebral palsy?)
  3. Are there different forms of this condition? (What kind of variation will you see in people with this condition—do professionals have names or terms they use to describe this variation?)
  4. What do we know about what causes this condition?
  5. What are the difficulties a person with this condition is likely to encounter in school and in day-to-day life in the community?
  6. What are some supports that will assist a person with this condition?  (How would you answer someone if that person asked you to offer some ideas about things they could do to help a person with this condition?
  7. What is at least one major organization that is a good source of information about this condition?
  8. Can you list at least three major issues (problems, controversies, etc) related to this condition?
  9. Finally, what are the major myths or misconceptions (list at least 3) that people have about people with this condition and what are some things you could do to show others the error of their beliefs?

Link to next section: Cerebral Palsy

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