CHICAGO — Seyfarth Shaw, one of the city’s largest law firms, occupies nine floors of a skyscraper at 131 S. Dearborn St. Shalonda Sanders is responsible for picking up and delivering packages on each of them, plus keeping certain areas clean. It is a job she cherishes. “I love my co-workers, all of them,” Sanders, 35, said of the 15-memberContinue Reading
Topic cards are similar to scripts in that they can help students engage in a variety of topics, beyond their own interests. They are different in that they include just a few words that describe a topic that launch a student or group students in a particular direction. A teacher had created a special lunch group to help a studentContinue Reading
The fact that special interests can serve as calming mechanisms is largely true for neuro-typical persons as well. Think of your favorite interests outside of your job and your family. What do you enjoy doing when left to your own devices? Some common interests include the following: Reading Gardening Sports Movies Music Photography Exercising Shopping Traveling Collecting Items Whatever yourContinue Reading
Artist, Writer, Director and college student Dwayne Dixon possess the talents of many diagnosed with Aspergers. Though Dwayne does not have Aspergers, he is a strong example of utilizing what talents/intense interests you do have into a passionate living! He and his production team from New York are always on the scout for voice talent (see contact info at endContinue Reading
Sensory Overload at School Guests: Malissa MacArthur This edition of Top of The Spectrum News looks into the potential sensory overload at school that is often associated with Asperger’s Syndrome. A classroom teacher discusses how these issues may impede classroom performance. Gabriela LemosGabriela Lemos was born in Porto Alegre, Brasil, and was raised in San Antonio, Texas. She is currentlyContinue Reading
The following is an excerpt taken from the documentary: Coping to Excelling: Solutions for School-age Children Diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism or Aspergers Syndrome. Medical reports reveal a profound discovery in the brain of those with High-Functioning Autism. Studies with MRI imaging document an actual physical difference in some areas of the autistic brain verses that of a neuro-typical brain. Neurological pathways fire differentlyContinue Reading
Triggers. Buttons. Those people. Those situations. You know — those things you react to in the blink of an eye. You’ve witnessed the crazy. Come on, you’ve done the crazy. Why all the crazy? Can’t everyone just stop, please?! You know better, yet find yourself doing the opposite of what you KNOW. What if the whole idea of buttons toContinue Reading
Aspergers101 Medical Vlogs is a series provided by the Autism Community Network. This is the first in a series on the topic of Sensory Processing. In this clip, Adrienne Gaither, OTR, C-SIPT , answers the question: What causes Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)? Jennifer AllenAfter an extensive career broadcast marketing, Jennifer and her husband searched for answers when their oldest son hit theContinue Reading
His name is as his mission: “Maverick”. He walked into my life with something to say, he wanted to write a series of blogs on Aspergers101 with so much pain to overcome that readers immediately related to the pain and his message of hope. He has overcome and watching him give to others, as does the Sea of Galilee sourcesContinue Reading
Breathing room or ‘alone time’ is good for anyone, but for someone on the spectrum it is crucial. When Sam was very young I found myself, as his mother, wanting to arrange play dates with other children who were not exactly knocking on our door for playtime. My reasoning was he must be lonely, so I did everything in myContinue Reading
How do we decrease neurological stress? The following is an excerpt from my recent book titled Visual Supports for Visual Thinkers: Practical Ideas for Students with ASDs and Other Special Educational Needs. A research team funded by the National Institutes of Health (2006) found that, in people with autism, brain areas normally associated with visual tasks also appear to beContinue Reading
So, how is Autism diagnosed? Until recently, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), including Aspergers Syndrome, have been understood as a range of complex neurodevelopment disorders—characterized by social impairments, difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Changes in definition have been proposed and accepted by different organizations and groups in the United States and otherContinue Reading
Notice: Aspergers101 is no longer being updated. The site will be maintained as a resource for those looking for more information. No new content will be published and comments will no longer be accepted. We hope this website continues to be a helpful resource!
