People just don’t make sense. They use language that has no logic behind it. They always want me to look at them. Can’t they understand that I can’t “read” their faces? It is so hard to get through a day ...
That’s what a person with one of the many autism spectrum disorders might say if they were asked about living with normal or “neurotypical” people.
To increase understanding, CAAR (the Center for Autism and Asperger Resources, Inc.) will sponsor “Life on and slightly to the right of the autism spectrum: An inside view towards promoting life long success for people with autism,” a conference featuring author Stephen Shore and Paul Hough, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Aug. 1 at 22703 Racine St., the former site of the First Baptist Church in Robertsdale.
The first conference, designed for professionals, (but organizers say it will be valuable to all) will begin at 8 a.m. and run to 3:30 p.m. Educators will earn continuing education credits for attending this session. A second program, designed for the general public, will begin at 7 p.m. and run to 9 p.m.
"This is important because individuals at the right side of the spectrum are average to above average IQ and have a lot of potential to be successful, with the proper supports in place." said Mary Thweatt, CAAR director.
Shore, who holds a doctorate in special education from Boston University, has an autism spectrum disorder. He’s very aware of the struggles most ASD youngsters go through.
“When I was in the public schools,” said Shore, “the teachers really didn’t know what to do with me. I recall hours spent reading my favorite books.”
ASD strikes about one in 150 children, according to a Centers for Disease Control Web site. Boys are affected more often than girls. The disorder has a number of names: Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder — Not Otherwise Specified), and a number of “alphabet soup” diagnoses. The big problem for educators is what to do with the increasing numbers of young people who need some extra, perhaps specialized, help.
Youngsters with ASD also run into difficulty with their classmates because children with ASD don’t always understand how they are coming across to others.
