Ned is a regular visitor of this blog and the author of the excellent starchamber bog. His son Jay is autistic and his wife Wendy has penned a note asking for people to support the Walk Now for Autism event. It is worth reading and considering as these kids and their families face serious challenges.
Louis Theroux of the BBC filmed a good introduction to autism in the US recently.
Louis Theroux travels to America again, where 1 in 100 children is diagnosed with autism. Louis takes a look at several families in which one or more children has this diagnosis, and how the family deals with this.
Visiting schools were the ratio student/teacher is 1 on 2, Louis looks how autism influences the kids and the problems it gives.
He visits the home of Nicky, a 19 year old student who is soon to go to a more regular school. As he is preparing for this Louis follows him and looks at his first day outside of the DLC warden.
He also visits Brian, who is severely autistic and set the house on fire when he was 8. This has led to him being placed in residential care, separated from his mother who couldn't control him anymore after he attacked her.
The school featured in the video is about three miles from where we live..
but read Wendy's letter...
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Our friend Jheri in Copenhagen helps a learning disabled teen. The approach being used is to get her as self-sufficient as possible and the approach is very positive, but requires work and support from parents, friends and the local schools and government.
Thanks for the note Steve! We appreciate it. Nobody wants disability in their life, but it's funny how disabilities help build the communities that we value so highly. Thanks for helping to tie people together.
Posted by: Ned Gulley | September 29, 2012 at 22:14