PLUK News feed

People with Asperger's Model Social Interactions on Second Life

Link: Second Life

University of Texas researchers are using the online world Second Life to help people with Asperger's syndrome practice social interactions. "Within the virtual world, they say they feel the emotion as they would in the real world, which role-play doesn't do. It's too artificial," said Sandra Chapman, chief director of the University of Texas at Dallas Center for Brain Health. "Once they begin to gain confidence in the virtual world, they can interact in the real world."

Colombian.com: Psychologist: Rush to diagnose can harm troubled children

Link: The Colombian

Autism. Asperger’s Syndrome. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Depression.

The rush to any of the dozens of diagnoses that label troubled children can actually foil efforts to help them, Steven E. Curtis writes in his book,

“Understanding Your Child’s Puzzling Behavior: A Guide for Parents of Children with Behavioral, Social, and Learning Challenges.”

Curtis, a clinical psychologist, has gathered examples from his Bainbridge Island practice. A child with explosive tantrums had been presumed autistic before the boy’s parents observed him in school and figured out that he had a learning disability. A child diagnosed with ADHD actually had trouble seeing and hearing, which made it difficult for him to pay attention in school.

Freep.com: Autism no longer an obstacle for students seeking college degree

Link: Detroit Free Press

Colleges and universities are reaching out to students like Cullen Kappel, 16, who has Asperger's syndrome and a high GPA, by offering peer mentors and explaining conditions to professors and other campus officials. Students with Asperger's syndrome may be brilliant academically and struggle primarily with the social aspects of college, says Jane Thierfeld Brown, who co-authored a book about college students with Asperger's syndrome.

BillingsGazette.com: Student meticulously crafts vision for school

Link: BillingsGazette.com

At his computer, 17-year-old Evan Fritz dreams of environmentally friendly buildings made of renewable resources and powered by alternative energy.

His teacher, Margo Haak, dreams, too.

Fritz is a student at the Billings Educational Academy, located on busy Central Avenue. The small private school serves students ranging in age from 6 to 17 in an old cinderblock storefront that is surrounded by traffic and parking lots.

Research: Asperger's Syndrome: A Primer

Link: NCLD

Asperger's Syndrome: A Primer
NCLD's Director of Professional Services, Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz, discusses the overlapping features of learning disabilities (LD) and Asperger's Syndrome (AS), and provides an overview of the unique characteristics of AS in school-age children.

Since children with LD and Asperger's Syndrome (AS) sometimes share characteristics, it is tempting to say that they meet the diagnostic criteria for either classification. But this is not the case-- learning disabilities and Asperger’s Syndrome are separate and distinct disorders, and different types of assessments and strategies for intervention need to be selected to address the distinct and sometimes overlapping features of each.

Blogs For 2007 U.S. Autism, Asperger Association International Conference

Link: Autism, Asperger Association
I am excited to be reporting to you from the 2007 U.S. Autism and Asperger Association International Conference at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center in Denver. As a sibling of a brother with autism, a student, and an observer here, I will be letting you know of the events and exciting happenings at this year’s conference.
This year’s conference has a great lineup, which includes 33 speakers with in-depth and great presentations, and over 70 exhibitors with new and exciting products. Of additional note, research data on treatment will be announced for the first time at this conference that demonstrates significant improvements for affected individuals.

Audio: Pulitzer-Winner on Living with Asperger's

Link: NPR.org
Tim Page, a Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic, describes living with Asperger's syndrome in his article "Parallel Play" in the Aug. 20 edition of The New Yorker. He talks with Robert Siegel about learning to live with Asperger's.

SFgate.com: college for students with Asperger's syndrome

Link: SFgate.com
I recently received a letter from a reader inquiring about college for students with Asperger's syndrome. The letter inspired me to investigate the college options for these students.

Online Asperger Syndrome Information & Support - OASIS

Link: OASIS
As parents of children who are diagnosed with AS, we understand how essential is it that families of children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and related disorders, educators who teach children with AS, professionals working with individuals diagnosed with AS, and individuals with AS who are seeking support, have access to information. Although recently reminded that there is no oasis or paradise for those with Asperger Syndrome, we sincerely hope that they, along with parents and professionals, will find a bit of shade and support via the information presented and links available at this site.

A long shadow is lifted on Asperger's in adults

Link: Asperger's
Ten years ago, Kathy Marshack, a psychologist in Vancouver, Wash., was unfamiliar with Asperger's syndrome in adults.
Asperger's is a condition on the spectrum of autism disorders that most people associate with children and teens, but Marshack has about 15 patients who are either adults with Asperger's or are the spouses or grown children of them.

Marshack, who says her late mother had Asperger's and her adopted daughter has it, believes the condition is widely undiagnosed. In many cases, it doesn't come to light until a spouse or adult child seeks therapy for depression or poor self-esteem that results from the coldness and egocentricity Asperger's adults demonstrate in relationships, she says.