The Autism Society has been honoring National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s. The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community.
1. Great Movies to Watch
As we look at the effects of Autism during the month,
check out some movies that feature actors in the
business delivering an extraordinary performance.
Rain Man (1988)
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise
Selfish yuppie Charlie Babbitt's father left a fortune
to his savant brother Raymond and a pittance to
Charlie; they travel cross-country. Raymond has
autism, he also has superb recall, albeit usually with
little understanding of the subject matter, and
extreme skill in mathematics.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Stars: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio
Gilbert Grape lives in a small town where nothing
much happens. The town's most interesting resident
is Gilbert's autistic brother Arnie.
Creating Diversity Awareness in the Workplace
DIVERSITY WORD SEARCH
Mercury Rising (1998)
April 2012 Newsletter
Starring Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Miko Hughes
Bruce Willis is an outcast FBI agent who is assigned ABILITIES ASPERGER AUTISM
to protect a 9 year old autistic boy who is the target AWARENESS CHALLENGE COMPLEX
for assassins after cracking a top secret government
code.
DISORDER GLUTEN-FREE PARENTS
PUZZLE STRENGTH UNDERSTANDING
Adam (2009)
Starring Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher
Adam, a lonely man with Asperger's Syndrome,
develops a relationship with his upstairs neighbor,
Beth. The writer was inspired to write the film after
he heard a radio interview with a man who had
Asperger's. Understanding Autism
Joyful Noise (2012)
Starring Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer
G.G. Sparrow faces off with her choir's newly
appointed director, Vi Rose Hill, over the group's Each individual with autism is unique. Many of
direction as they head into a national competition. those on the autism spectrum have exceptional
Vi Rose has a son, Walter (Dexter Darden),
who has Asperger syndrome. abilities in visual skills, music and academic
skills. About 40 percent have average to above
I Am Sam (1998) average intellectual abilities. Indeed, many
Starring: Sean Penn, Dakota Fanning persons on the spectrum take deserved pride
The story of an autistic man living independently and
functioning well in the real world until his life changes in their distinctive abilities and “atypical” ways
drastically when he becomes a father and is left to of viewing the world. Others with autism have
care for his small child.
significant disability and are unable to live
independently. About 25 percent of individuals
Autism is a complex developmental disability with ASD are nonverbal but can learn to
The Other Sister (1999)
Starring: Juliette Lewis, Dianne Keaton that typically appears during the first three communicate using other means. Autism
A girl with many autistic traits proves herself capable years of life and affects a person’s ability to Speaks’ mission is to improve the lives of all
of living independently when she moves into an
apartment and starts college. communicate and interact with others. Autism those on the autism spectrum. For some, this
is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a means the development and delivery of more
"spectrum disorder" that affects individuals effective treatments that can address
differently and to varying degrees. There is no significant challenges in communication and
The Staff Management | SMX DPIC includes: Kenyatta Draper, known single cause of autism, but increased physical health. For others, it means increasing
Lupe Gonzalez, Katie Smith, Jenny Reints, Roxanne Ramoutar,
Avery Yancey, Dayna Corona, Jessica Lewis, Justin Schwartz, awareness and funding can help families today. acceptance, respect and support.
Robert Cook, Maurice Proffit and Lloyd Weathers
APRIL 2012 NEWSLETTER DIVERSITY PROGRAM INCLUSION COUNCIL CREATING DIVERSITY AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE NEWSLETTER APRIL 2012
2. Bare Bones Facts About Autism Autism now affects 1 in 110 Celebrities Living With Autism
children and 1 in 70 boys.
1. Autism Is a 'Spectrum' Disorder
People with autism can be a little autistic or very autistic. Thus, it is possible to be bright, verbal, and One percent of the population of children in
Actress and Playboy model Jenny
autistic as well as mentally retarded, non-verbal and autistic. The most significant shared symptom is the U.S. ages 3-17 have an autism spectrum
McCarthy‘s son Evan was diagnosed with
difficulty with social communication (eye contact, conversation, taking another's perspective, etc.). disorder. Only 56% of students with autism autism; McCarthy is an outspoken activist
finish high school. against vaccines, believing that vaccines
2. Asperger Syndrome is a High Functioning Form of Autism are responsible for giving her son autism.
Asperger Syndrome (AS) is considered to be a part of the autism spectrum. The only significant difference More children will be diagnosed
between AS and High Functioning Autism is that people with AS usually develop speech right on time while with autism this year than R&B singer Toni Braxton‘s son Diesel was
people with autism usually have speech delays. People with AS are generally very bright and verbal, but with AIDS, diabetes and diagnosed with autism; Ms. Braxton is now
have significant social deficits (which is why AS has earned the nickname "Geek Syndrome"). an advocate for parents of children with
cancer combined
autism.
3. People With Autism Are Different from One Another Autism costs the nation over $35 billion per
If you've seen Rainman or a TV show about autism, you may think you know what autism "looks like." In year, a figure expected to significantly Sylvester Stallone’s son Seargeoh was
fact, though, when you've met one person with with autism you've met ONE person with autism. Some increase in the next decade diagnosed with autism after his father
people with autism are chatty; others are silent. Many have sensory issues, gastrointestinal problems, noticed that he was having speech delays.
sleep difficulties and other medical problems. Others may have social-communication delays - and that's it. 1 to 1.5 million Americans Stallone organised the National Society for
Children and Adults with Autism, a
4. There Are Dozens of Treatments for Autism - But No 'Cure' live with an autism spectrum foundation for research on autism.
So far as medical science is aware, there is at present no cure for autism. That's not to say that people with disorder.
autism don't improve, because many improve radically. Actress Holly Robinson Peete’s son RJ
Autism receives less than 5% of the
(Rodney Jackson) was diagnosed with
5. There Are Many Theories on the Cause of Autism, But No Consensus research funding of many less prevalent
autism; she and husband NFL quarterback
You may have seen or heard news stories about possible causes of autism. Theories range from mercury childhood diseases
Rodney Peete have set up HollyRod,
in infant vaccines to genetics to the age of the parents to almost everything else. a non-profit organization which helps
The cost of autism over the parents of autistic children.
6. Children Rarely "Outgrow" Autism lifespan is 3.2 million dollars
Autism is ausually lifelong diagnosis. For some people, often (but not always) those who receive intensive per person. Millionaire Bill Gates was diagnosed with
early intervention, symptoms may decrease radically. People with autism can also learn coping skills to Asperger’s as a child; many sufferers of
help them manage their difficulties and even build on their unique strengths. But a person with autism will There is no medical detection Asperger’s experience social awkwardness
probably be autistic throughout their lives. or cure for autism. but find comfort in focused hobbies such as
math and computer science.
7. Families Coping with Autism Need Help and Support
Even "high functioning" autism is challenging for parents. "Low functioning" autism can be overwhelming to Actor Dan Aykroyd, famous for
the entire family. Respite care (someone else taking care of the person with autism while other family Ghostbusters and his Saturday Night Live
members take a break) can be a marriage and/or family-saver! skits was diagnosed with Tourette and
Asperger’s syndrome. He has spoken
8. There's No 'Best School' for a Child with Autism openly about the struggles he faced as a
You may have heard of a wonderful "autism school," or read of a child doing amazingly well in a particular child because of his neurological
type of classroom setting. While any given setting may be perfect for any given child, every child with impairments.
autism has unique needs.
Actress Darryl Hannah, best known for her
9. There Are Many Unfounded Myths About Autism shy, yet demure demeanor in films such as
The media is full of stories about autism, and many of those stories are less than accurate. Since every Splash and Blade Runner, was diagnosed
person with autism is different, however, such "always" and "never" statements simply don't hold water. as borderline autistic as a small child.
To understand a person with autism, it's a good idea to spend some time getting to know him or her -
personally! Albert Einstein, renowned genius and
world-famous winner of the Nobel Prize
10. Autistic People Have Many Strengths and Abilities in physics, would undoubtedly been
It may seem that autism is a wholly negative diagnosis. But almost everyone on the autism spectrum diagnosed as a sufferer of Asperger’s
has a great to deal to offer the world. People with autism are among the most forthright, non-judgemental, had he been born today.
passionate people you'll ever meet.
APRIL 2012 NEWSLETTER DIVERSITY PROGRAM INCLUSION COUNCIL CREATING DIVERSITY AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE
CREATING DIVERSITY AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE NEWSLETTER APRIL 2012
3. Here are 10 popular iTunes apps which are marketed
towards parents and educators of children with autism:
What is Light It Up Blue?
Join Autism Speaks in celebrating World Autism
Proloquo2Go. Highly recommended for kids and adults with autism, Awareness Day on April 2 and Light It Up Blue to
cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental disabilities, apraxia, ALS, help shine a light on autism. Whether it's your
stroke or traumatic brain injury, this app-turned-AAC device utilizes colorful front porch or your local city hall, an office party or
stick-figure illustrations and features an up-to-date vocabulary, text-to- a banquet, the whole world is going blue to
speech voices and automatic conjugations. increase awareness about autism.
Grace. This innovative app allows special-needs children to communicate Light It Up Blue, in its third year, is a unique
through complete sentences by linking together colorful images and global initiative to help raise awareness about the
symbols in this fully customizable application. growing public health concern that is autism.
Iconic landmarks around the world will Light It Up
iCommunicate. Create pictures, flashcards, storyboards, routines, visual Blue to show their support.
schedules and record custom audio in any language with this versatile
program; incorporates pictures from your camera or Google images. Helps
to teach social skills for children with autism.
iConverse. An inexpensive program designed for iPhone and iPod touch,
this app functions as a picture exchange communication system (PECS) for
autistic children and autistic adults alike, as well as others with
communicative disabilities.
iComm. Children who have cerebral palsy or autism will appreciate this
fundamental communication system; iComm is an affordable alternative to
many of the pricier communication devices.
First Then Visual Schedule. Ease transitioning for children with
developmental delays such as Autism Spectrum Disorders by introducing
this easy-to-customize scheduler into your special-needs curriculum.
Learn the Signs of Autism
Research now suggests that children as young as 1 year old can show signs of autism. The most important thing
Stories2Learn. Illustrate your own social stories for children with autism, you can do as a parent or caregiver is to learn the early signs of autism and understand the typical developmental
using pictures, text and audio with this customizable program geared milestones your child should be reaching at different ages. Please look over the following list. If you have any
towards enriching the curricula of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder concerns about your child's development, don't wait. Speak to your doctor about screening your child for autism.
(ASD). While validated screening for autism starts only as young as 16 months, the best bet for younger children is to have
their development screened at every well visit with a highly validated developmental screening tool. If your child
does have autism, early intervention may be his or her best hope.
AutismExpress. This free app displays basic facial expressions in a way
which is comical and instructional; excellent for children who have difficulty (The following red flags may indicate a child is at risk for atypical development, and is in need of an
understanding emotions. immediate evaluation.)
In clinical terms, there are a few "absolute indicators," often referred to as "red flags," that indicate that a child
TapToTalk. Make your own AAC albums with this app, currently including a should be evaluated. For a parent, these are the "red flags" that your child should be screened to ensure that he/
library of 2,000 pictures. Children can tap on each image to hear fun audio. she is on the right developmental path. If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your pediatrician or
family practitioner for an immediate evaluation:
• No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
MyTalk Mobile. The MyTalk Mobile is an AAC device for iPad, iPhone and • No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or thereafter
iPod touch; it also boasts the “My Talk Workspace,” which saves all info on • No babbling by 12 months
a backup file in case of device crashing. • No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
• No words by 16 months
• No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
• Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age
For more information about recognizing the early signs of developmental and behavioral disorders,
please visit http://www.firstsigns.org or the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/actearly.
APRIL 2012 NEWSLETTER DIVERSITY PROGRAM INCLUSION COUNCIL CREATING DIVERSITY AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE
CREATING DIVERSITY AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE NEWSLETTER APRIL 2012
4. Satoshi Tajiri, Creator of the Pokémon franchise
NOTHING IS HOLDING THEM BACK Satoshi Tajiri is a Japanese video game designer best known as
Autism has always existed, says neurologist Oliver Sacks. But the condition wasn't the creator of Pokémon and the founder of development company
Game Freak, Inc. An avid fan of arcade games, Tajiri wrote for and
named until 1943, so it's difficult to know much about autism's place in society before
edited his own video gaming fanzine Game Freak with Ken
then. And more than 60 years after Leo Kanner described the developmental disorder,
Sugimori, before evolving it into a development company of the
scientists still understand relatively little about it. Awareness about autism, however, has same name. The game, which became Pokémon Red and
come a long way, thanks to researchers and a growing advocacy movement. Pokémon Green (Pokémon Blue outside of Japan), took six years to
complete and went on to spark a multi-billion dollar franchise which
reinvigorated Nintendo's handheld gaming. Tajiri has also been
diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.
Meet some fantastic people living with autism everyday: Laurence Kim Peek, Inspiration for Rain Man
Laurence Kim Peek (1951 – 2009) was an American savant. Known
as a "megasavant", he had an eidetic memory, but also experienced
Temple Grandin, Professor, Aauthor, and Consultant social difficulties, possibly resulting from a developmental disability
Grandin is a philosophical leader of both the animal welfare related to congenital brain abnormalities. He was the inspiration for
and autism advocacy movements. As a person with high- the character of Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman, in the
functioning autism, Grandin is also noted for her work in movie Rain Man. Unlike Babbitt, In 2008, a study concluded that
autism advocacy and is the inventor of the squeeze machine Peek probably had FG syndrome, a rare genetic syndrome linked to
designed to calm hypersensitive people. She knows the the X chromosome which causes physical anomalies such as
anxiety of feeling threatened by everything in her hypotonia (low muscle tone) and macrocephaly (abnormally large
surroundings, and of being dismissed and feared, which head). Peek died of a heart attack on December 19, 2009.
motivates her work in humane livestock handling processes.
Grandin is listed in the 2010 Time 100 list of the 100 most
influential people in the world in the category "Heroes". Heather Kuzmich, America's Next Top Model Finalist
Heather Kuzmich is an American fashion model, living in Chicago,
where she is studying video game design. Kuzmich was diagnosed
with Asperger syndrome when she was fifteen years old around the
Tony DeBois, Autistic Savant Musician time her father died. Kuzmich was one of the final five contestants on
Tony DeBlois was born blind and began to play piano at the age of two. At America's Next Top Model, Cycle 9. Living with Asperger syndrome,
first, DeBlois studied in the Perkins School for the Blind but in 1989 was Kuzmich has stated that she struggles with approaching people and
awarded a summer scholarship at Berklee College of Music in Boston, communication skills.
Massachusetts. Later he was admitted as a full-time student and graduated
magna cum laude in 1996. DeBlois specializes in jazz and can play just
about any other type of music as well. A blind US autistic savant, he plays 20 Matt Savage, Autistic Savant Musician
musical instruments and has held concerts worldwide. He can play about Matthew "Matt" Savage is an American autistic savant musician.
8,000 pieces from memory. Matt was a precocious infant who walked early and learned to
read by age 18 months. He was diagnosed with pervasive
developmental disorder, a form of autism, at age three. Matt did
Donna Wiiliams, Best Selling Author not like any noises or music during his early childhood. At age six,
Donna Williams is an author, artist, singer-songwriter, Matt taught himself to read piano music. He studied classical
screenwriter and sculptor diagnosed with autism after being piano for less than a year before discovering jazz, which became
assessed as a psychotic infant in 1965 at age two, tested his main focus. Despite his young age of 19 and his autism, and
even without formal instruction in musical composition, Matt is an
multiple times for deafness and labeled disturbed throughout
accomplished musician and composer. Matt has received many
childhood, before treatment for gut, immune and sensory
awards, including being signed in 2003 to Bösendorfer pianos.
perceptual disorders in adulthood. Williams' first book was the He is the only child to be so recognized in the company's
autobiographical Nobody Nowhere: The Extraordinary 175-year history.
Autobiography of an Autistic Girl, an international bestseller
with 15 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List.
APRIL 2012 NEWSLETTER DIVERSITY PROGRAM INCLUSION COUNCIL CREATING DIVERSITY AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE
CREATING DIVERSITY AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE NEWSLETTER APRIL 2012