Autism, Asperger Syndrome and related conditions newsletter

Welcome to the JKP Autism, Asperger Syndrome and related conditions newsletter, a monthly update of relevant news and events, entertaining interviews and articles.

You can find details on how to contribute or give feedback, as well as opt out of these emails, further down the newsletter.

Exclusive Interview with Robbie Woliver

Robbie Woliver is a New York Times best-selling author and an award-winning journalist and editor. He is currently the editor- in-chief of the Long Island Press, where he also helms the newspaper's award-winning series "Our Children's Brains".

How did you become interested in Autism Spectrum Conditions?

First and foremost, there are a couple of children in my family who are on different levels of the spectrum, and the spectrum aspect of the disorder has always fascinated me. I've seen one high-functioning girl go misdiagnosed, while her cousin, a boy who has more classic autism, make remarkable progress because of very early intervention. Girls on the spectrum is a very interesting topic to me, because they are very often misunderstood and misdiagnosed.

I am the editor of a newspaper in New York and I started a series called "Our Children's Brains" that included stories on autism, and the series started getting a lot of attention, and I became more involved in the world of autism as I researched ASDs.

What inspired you to write "Alphabet Kids?"

My daughter. We had several concerns about her development when she was younger, and it became a long, complicated journey for us. We started getting these alphabet-soup diagnoses, and even as I became more expert on the subject, it was still a confusing maze to me. I wanted to write a book to help other parents and those professionals who work with them, that would provide a roadmap that would make their journeys easier. This is really the book I wish I had when I started my research almost two decades ago. My daughter is doing really well now, by the way.

As a journalist how do you feel about the media’s coverage of autism?

I think that the media covers the topic enough; some people, in fact, think it's become the subject du jour. But I don't think they are always covering the right aspects of the subject like: what do the prevalence numbers really mean and how were they determined; how do girls manifest the disorder differently than boys; how some symptoms can contradict themselves (e.g., an ASD child can have no eye contact, or can have intense eye contact); the borders of behaviors of high-end and Asperger kids, the comorbidity of other disorders, etc. These are all topics I felt I had to cover in "Alphabet Kids" because the information isn't really out there. There's a lot for the media to cover, and it has to move beyond newspapers and magazines into TV and movies--real-life portrayals. While there is always the fear of over-exposing the subject, my feeling is, you can't write or read about it enough.

What are your hopes for the future?

I think there are a lot of great advocacy groups out there doing amazing work, so I know awareness will not be a problem. But what people are aware of might be a problem. They need the right information. Also, better diagnostic tools must be discovered and employed so that these kids get earlier diagnoses and intervention. Whether vaccines are a cause of ASDs or not is still a raging debate, and no matter what the reality is, conventional doctors have to become more sensitive to the topic. I am not advocating against vaccines, but children should not be bombarded with them, and parents need a compassionate, knowledgeable doctor who will discuss all aspects of the subject. One recurring theme I got from parents whom I interviewed for the book was that doctors HAVE to listen to parents' concerns and not dismiss them, whether it is about vaccines or just general (or specific) concerns about development. Doctors have to look at these interconnected, concurrent Alphabet Disorders holistically. Another big concern of mine is the educational system. I hope educators become better educated about every single subtlety regarding autism syndrome conditions, and parents need to advocate strongly for their children regarding their child's individualized programs and plans. These are all subjects I cover in my book to help parents along their way.

Mostly, I hope that we come closer to determining the cause.

What are you reading at the moment?

I am rereading Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals, the book about Abraham Lincoln choosing his former rivals to work with during his presidency. I first read it when it came out a couple of years ago, and it was fascinating then, but now that Barack Obama seems to be using it as his playbook, it gives the book a new resonance. Working with rivals or former enemies is a very interesting concept.

Copyright © Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2009

Alphabet Kids was released in December and now available for purchase. See the below link for more details.

More details of the book

JKP News

A review of JKP Book Reaching and Teaching the Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder has recently been posted on TES Connect.

An article on Homeschooling by JKP author Ross Mountney has been posted on The Times Online.

An article on JKP author Helen Beaumont, author of Losing Clive to Early Onset Dementia, has recently been posted on The Mail Online.

Autism in the news - some of the articles in the media this month

A third of secondary schools in England are not ready for tough new regulations on provision for children with special needs.

The Guardian newspaper reports a link between Autism and high levels of testosterone in womb.

Anya Ustaszewski has posted an article on her autism, I don't want to be 'cured' of autism, thanks.

Developing Intention Among Children on the Autism Spectrum, an article by JKP author Arnold Miller

One of the troubling aspects of many children on the autism spectrum is their apparent disinterest in exploring their surroundings and in making human contact with others. Often they become "captured" by a salient aspect of their immediate setting and repetitively engage with it – whether this involves opening and closing doors, flushing toilets, etc. What these children seem to lack is the ability to spontaneously detach from their immediate involvement with an object or event so they can relate to other aspects of their surroundings. Another way of describing this behavior is to say that these children seem to lack intention.

Critical to the development of intention among all children is the body-world relation. This relation concerns both awareness of the body as well as the body's relation to people and objects. Both kinds of awareness are often lacking or much impaired among children and adults on the autism spectrum. If a child is unaware of his/her body, the child cannot use the body to initiate action or to detach him or herself from the "capturing" object or event. At times the child will have enough body awareness to initiate action toward objects but lack awareness of the distinction between his/her own body and the bodies of others to initiate action involving other people.

This may show itself in the child who can, when asked, refer to his/her nose, mouth, etc. but be unable to refer to corresponding body parts on another. The impact of this difficulty is profound both in terms of social functioning and in the ability to communicate. In terms of social functioning, such a child lacks a basis for grasping the concept of "mine" vs. "yours". Food on the plate of the child nearby is taken and eaten without hesitation. Such a child may respond to the sign for getting up by responding appropriately, but be quite unable to use the sign to require someone else to get up. Such children simply do not understand that the sign or word may be used to influence the other person just as it influences them. Instead when using the sign for get up, they get up, and when making the sign for sit down, they sit down. It takes considerable work before they begin to understand that the signs they make relate to the other person and not just to their own behavior.

This lack of body-world awareness often shows itself in tantrums. A child in a full blown tantrum often screams, kicks and pounds hands without any notion that his/her body is performing these actions. At times, such a child finds the noise being emitted so distressing that he/she presses hands against ears – not realizing that the noxious sounds are coming from his/her own mouth.

The emergence of body-world awareness shows itself in subtle ways: For example, the child who – while previously going down the slide sitting up – begins to experiment by going down head first on his/her stomach, on the side or on the back, demonstrates awareness that the body may be used in a variety of ways…On a social level, the nonverbal child who is able to tease another by first doing what was expected but then – with a furtive smile – doing exactly the opposite, is demonstrating awareness of the other and of the impact of his or her behavior on that person. Parents are sometimes startled when their previously compliant child suddenly rebels with a vigorous "No!" when told to put away his/her toys. Such typical 2-year old behavior indicates that the child has achieved sufficient awareness of the distinction between his/her body/self and the other, that true choices become possible. Recently, a parent asked for help to deal with her 5-year old autistic boy because he now – after a year in our program – "always argues with her". She was dismayed when I congratulated her until I explained the important level of self-other awareness that he had achieved. It is out of such awareness that initiative, exploration and spontaneous play becomes possible. While limits on a child's newly discovered initiatives are, of course, necessary, it is sad to see such initiatives squelched in the interest of being the one in control.

Sometimes, parents eager to socialize their child, press for "sharing" the child's things just as the child is beginning to understand the joy of owning something – a doll or a favorite toy. A far better procedure is to protect the precious things that the child is invested in. A policy in which the parent or caregiver protects the child's precious things from other siblings and, at the same time, requires the child to respect the things that belong to others, does much more to encourage self and social development than prematurely insisting that the child share. As one professional put it, prematurely telling a small child that he must share his precious toys is like having someone tell you that you must share your bank account…Once a child feels that his/her precious things will not be "stolen" the child may feel secure enough to permit a friend to play with his special things.

Copyright © Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2009

Arnold Miller is the author of The Miller Method ®. See the below link for more details.

More details of the book

Content links

• Interview: Robbie Woliver
• Autism Books
• News
• Article: Developing Intention Among Children on the Autism Spectrum
• Useful dates
• Unsubscribe info

JKP Autism books

Alphabet Kids - From ADD to Zellweger Syndrome:
A Guide to Developmental, Neurobiological and Psychological Disorders for Parents and Professionals
Robbie Woliver

Click for more details

Asperger's Syndrome and Mindfulness:
Taking Refuge in the Buddha
Chris Mitchell

Click for more details

Helping Children with Complex Needs Bounce Back:
Resilient Therapy(TM) for Parents and Professionals
Kim Aumann and Angie Hart

Click for more details

Basic Pathfinder Mind/Body Techniques for Asperger's Syndrome
Ron Rubio

Click for more details

Girls Growing Up on the Autism Spectrum:
What Parents and Professionals Should Know About the Pre-Teen and Teenage Years
Shana Nichols

Click for more details

A Book About What Autism Can Be Like
Sue Adams

Click for more details

Hints and Tips for Helping Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders:
Useful Strategies for Home, School, and the Community
Dion E. Betts and Nancy J. Patrick

Click for more details

Asperger Syndrome and Employment:
What People with Asperger Syndrome Really Really Want
Sarah Hendrickx

Click for more details

Quick, Easy and Effective Behaviour Management Ideas for the Classroom
Nicola S. Morgan

Click for more details

Learning without School:
Home Education
Ross Mountney

Click for more details

The Lovable Liam Books
Jane Whelen Banks

Click for more details

Dietary Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorders:
Why They Work When They Do, Why They Don't When They Don't
Kenneth J. Aitken

Click for more details

The Asperger Couple's Workbook:
Practical Advice and Activities for Couples and Counsellors
Maxine Aston

Click for more details

Useful Dates for your Calendar

Email us with your news, events or feedback at news@jkp.com or visit our website for more on our books.

Please feel free to forward this message on to anyone who might be interested, or want to join our mailing list.