Asperger's syndrome : a guide for parents and professionals PDF
Preview Asperger's syndrome : a guide for parents and professionals
A U T I S M – T H E E I G H T H C O L O U R O F T H E R A I N B O W TeamLRN of relatedinterest Asperger’s Syndrome AGuideforParentsandProfessionals TonyAttwood ForewordbyLornaWing ISBN1853025771 Multicoloured Mayhem Parentingthemanyshadesof adolescentsandchildrenwithautism, AspergerSyndromeandAD/HD JacquiJackson ISBN1843101718 Playing,LaughingandLearningwithChildrenontheAutismSpectrum APracticalResourceof PlayIdeasforParentsandCarers JuliaMoor ISBN1843100606 Giggle Time – Establishing the Social Connection AProgramtoDeveloptheCommunicationSkillsofChildrenwithAutism, AspergerSyndromeandPDD SusanAudSonders ForewordbyAndrewGunsberg ISBN1843107163 Parent to Parent InformationandInspirationforParentsDealingwithAutism orAsperger’sSyndrome AnnBoushéy ISBN1843107740 Snapshots of Autism AFamilyAlbum JenniferOverton ISBN1843107236 Running with Walker AMemoir RobertHughes ISBN1843107554 A U T I S M – T H E E I G H T H C O L O U R O F T H E R A I N B O W Learn to Speak Autistic Florica Stone Jessica Kingsley Publishers London and Philadelphia TeamLRN web: http://hope-tlc.autistics.org All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use ofthis publication) without the written permission ofthe copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions ofthe Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms ofa licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, England W1T 4LP. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part ofthis publication should be addressed to the publisher. Warning: The doing ofan unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution. The right ofFlorica Stone to be identified as author ofthis work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published in the United Kingdom in 2004 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers 116 Pentonville Road London N1 9JB, UK and 400 Market Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA www.jkp.com Copyright © Florica Stone 2004 Library ofCongress Cataloging in Publication Data Stone, Florica. Autism : the eighth colour ofthe rainbow : learn to speak autistic / Florica Stone. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-84310-182-3 (pbk.) 1. Autisticchildren--Language. 2. Autisticchildren--Family relationships. 3. Parentsof autistic children. 4. Autistic children--Care. I. Title. RJ506.A9S765 2004 618.92'89--dc22 2004005450 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN-13: 978 1 84310 182 6 ISBN-10: 1 84310 182 3 ISBN pdfeBook: 1 84642 070 9 Printed and Bound in Great Britain by Athenaeum Press, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear With deepest love to my patient, caring and loving children Sebastian, Alexander and Francesca and to my loving husband Chris who completed our lives with the other seven colours of the rainbow TeamLRN C O N T E N T S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9 LETTERFROMALOVINGMOTHER 10 WHYTHEEIGHTHCOLOUROFTHERAINBOW? 12 THEAIMOFTHISBOOK 14 1 An overview of the autism continuum 17 2 Grieving 28 3 Learning and adapting 30 4 Autism: A way of being 40 5 Is my child being aloof? 45 6 Creating a shared sanctuary 56 7 The autistic-friendly environment 69 8 Sensory ‘mis-wiring’ and behaviour 85 9 Other behaviours 93 10 Real friendship: Why is it difficult to form relationships with age peers? 108 11 Life before verbal communication 117 12 Premises for social communication 123 13 Interaction: The gateway to shared meanings 133 TeamLRN 14 Emotions, language, behaviour and social communication 144 15 Why perceive the language of autism as a foreign language? 153 16 Receptive language disorder 158 17 Self-exploratory exercises 165 18 Reasons behind repetitive behaviour: Facilitating change 175 19 Exploring emotions 187 20 Autistic communication and pragmatic learning style 199 21 Teaching to quantify 216 22 Converging parallel realities 219 23 Are social interaction and communication possible without a cure? 228 24 How to choose the right approach 235 25 Hope–TLC and the Year of Promise 248 POSTSCRIPT:ANOPENINVITATIONTOBETTERTHEINTERACTIONPROCESS 252 APPENDIXA:FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS 253 APPENDIXB:LINGUISTICBEHAVIOURASSESSMENTTABLE 266 APPENDIXC:PIERCE’SVOCABULARYAFTEREIGHTMONTHSOFPLAY 276 APPENDIXD:THEAUTISTICPERCEPTION 279 GLOSSARY 294 REFERENCES 298 Acknowledgements Withoutthecollectiveperceptionsandtheinvolvementof peoplefrom allwalksoflife,thisbookwouldhaveonceagaindescribedautismasa behavioural syndrome or perhaps would have tried to promote yet another curative therapy. All the concepts I use in this book – autism, autistic literal learning, literal memory, photographic experience and learning, as well as interaction with the autistic – evolved from understandingthatautismisawayofbeingandthattheautisticperson deserves respect. He or she must not be subjected to behaviour modificationprogrammes. AspecialthankyoutoDavidHowkins(theGiantFriend),founder and trustee of Hope–TLC, for his friendship to Alexander, continuous involvement and generosity towards the autistic cause, his words of wisdomandforbelievinginmydream. Heartfeltgratitudetoourteamofvolunteerfriends,David,Yvonne, Simon 1 and Simon 2, Pat, Ruth, Sarah, Rosie, Illa, Harleene, Norma, Joan,MaggieandPaul,fortheirpatience,imaginationandthehundreds ofhourstheyinvestedinAlexanderandme,andtoNadiaandMariefor showeringFrancescawiththeirlove. Myrespectandwishesforafulfillinglifegotomyautisticfriends, Feather,Muskie,Paradox,Seth,Ivo,Elise,Autie,Bexxy,Ian,Naomi,Vic, Alexander, Wolffy, Omy, Waspie and Whilly, for their friendship, patienceandextendedexplanationsasIwasattemptingtomakesenseof theirrealityandtheytriedtomakesenseof mine. ThankyoutoAmandaBaggs,JimSinclair,DonnaWilliams,Temple Grandin and many other autistic people who, through their written work, made it easier for me to visualise the autistic reality and thus empathisethroughunderstanding. Isharemyhopethatthisbookcanfacilitateabetterqualityoflifefor alltheautisticchildrenandtheirparentsintheworld,aswellasahuge hugforthosewhosharedaffectionwithme.Theiraffectionmotivated methroughoutmyjourneyof understandingautism. Unconditional love to my children for their patience during the writingofthisbookandtomybrotherIoan,sister-in-lawAuricaandmy niece Gabriela for helping me care for Alexander during our year of desperateneedandfortakingcareofusduringthewritingofthisbook. TeamLRN
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