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199 Comments
- benpattersonca, on 02/20/2008, -4/+108So encouraging - I spend time with autistic kids on a semi-frequent basis, and its breakthroughs like this that makes the tough days worth it.
- pingwax, on 02/20/2008, -3/+94Its hard to imagine a person living 13 years of their life unable to express their thoughts to anyone, largely because most people assumed she had no thoughts to express. Its incredible that she was able to find her voice. It would be fascinating to talk with her and try to understand her challenges.
- Clumber, on 02/20/2008, -4/+71About 20 years ago, I worked for a new (then) program that sought to help severely autistic adults live semi-independent lives. Apartments in "regular" complexes were rented, and staff were assigned one-on-one with most of the residents 24 hours a day. My charge was so severely autistic that she had nearly zero language skills aside from occasionally mimicking things that her non-autistic older brothers had said to her. For instance, let's call her Susan, she would suddenly yell out something like, "Susan you are going to be in so much trouble now!" or "No Susan! You can't have any coffee!". Occasionally she would cry out, or even more rare - laugh. I was pretty bran-spankin' newly out of college and pretty full of myself and thinking that I could help open the world for her some. Some may be surprised that the biggest obstacle to this was not Susan, but her parents, and to a lesser extent, the policies and rules of the program and the state. Her parents tended to treat all of us in the program as babysitters, not skilled assitants whose real boss was Susan (sorta... via the program...).
In my 2 years with her, I started to teach her sign language - which she took to very readily, despite her parents telling me it was a waste of time and they didn't want me to teach her because it was dangerous. (??) I also - with my own limited funds - bought her a paint set and brushes, and some big sheets of art paper. She loved this, and would spend a lot of her time (even when I was not on shift) very intensely painting. I recall one afternoon vividly to this day. She was painting and choosing colors very carefully, and totally intense about it - nothing else existed in her world. Then suddenly (everything about her was sudden. :-) ) she ripped the paper off the pad and pushed it at me while staring hard into my eyes - which was rare in itself. In a quieter voice than I had ever heard her use, she sais, "No Susan, you can't go to the merry go round." I asked her, "Sue, is this a painting of the merry go round?" and she SLAMMED HER HAND on the table and yelled YES! and then started hitting herself hard enough to bruise.To me, this felt like a big breakthrough for my charge, and I was really excited. Her parents forbid any of us from letting her paint again. At the time Susan was about 24 iirc. She begged all of us daily for the paints. It broke my heart, and was the straw on the camel for me... I found a new job and abandoned Susan to staff who didn't care as much about her, but instead would just do what her parents insisted was "all that can be expected of our Susan". The director of our program always backed the parents no matter what.
I think about her often, and reading this article is a fresh stabbing sensation in my soul. When I dropped by to pick up my last check (having not seen Susan for about 3 weeks) she apparently heard my car and then _broke the front door to her apartment off its hinges_ to come running and find me in the parking lot, where she clung to my legs yelling over and over, "Tracy gonna' take you away from this place. Tracy going to take you away..." and then crying. This is the only time I know of that anyone heard her speak fully in context. My heart is still broken by this, 20 years later, and now I no longer work in a people field as it was too hard on me. I work with computers now - and I never ever go home worrying about the zeros and ones. :-)
I am so glad to read that others are stronger than I was, and are fighting through the preconceived ***** notions that *anyone* has a permanent upper limit. Fight on. - inactive, on 02/20/2008, -2/+65Are you trying to say it'd be awesome if she started a blog?
- JPBimmer, on 02/20/2008, -2/+58"It is hard to be autistic because no one understands me. People look at me and assume I am dumb because I can't talk or I act differently than them. I think people get scared with things that look or seem different than them."
Amazing story. Amazing little girl. - vroom101, on 02/20/2008, -2/+50The excellent and encouraging article on one page: http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=4311223
From the article: ". . . I asked Carly to come to my work to talk to speech pathologists and other therapists about autism," said Nash [speech pathologist Barbara Nash]. "What would you like to tell them? She wrote, 'I would tell them never to give up on the children that they work with.' That kind of summed it up." - MikeCP, on 02/20/2008, -2/+43If she did, I would be a daily reader.
Great story. Autism is mind blowing to me. - MisterGnome, on 06/13/2009, -5/+43No jokes here. This is a great story.
- TwineHornet, on 02/20/2008, -2/+31She must feel trapped inside herself, I would go crazy. I'm glad she was able to get out at least through the computer, now people know that there is an intelligent person in there that you can act normal and talk normal with. This is very encouraging to other parents--and to autistic people out there trying to find their voice!
- inactive, on 02/20/2008, -1/+25I wouldn't call her little anymore.
- radink360, on 02/20/2008, -5/+27This is amazing and scary all at the same time. It's got to be horrible for someone to locked inside with a normal mind but can't control the shell. sad.
- luxxu, on 02/20/2008, -2/+23before anyone says facilitated communication, tammy's mother has made it very clear that it's not.
- Mootabolife, on 02/20/2008, -1/+20Knowing a lot of special education teachers, autism is very interesting. Against popular beliefe, autistic children aren't anti-social. They just have trouble distinguishing people from all the other elements they experience. They have trouble filtering out common distractions like normal people do.
- inactive, on 02/20/2008, -3/+22Calling all cars. Calling all cars. The Digg police are currently en route.
- omnivector, on 02/20/2008, -1/+19Superb story, thank you for sharing it
- Ghstfce, on 02/20/2008, -1/+18When I was younger, I used to help out with children that had autism and Downs. You'd be surprised the intelligence that an autistic child possesses. Most autistic children blow above average adults away when it comes to intelligence. I forget his name, seeing as this was about 13 years ago, but there was one boy that looking at him you'd think he was borderline vegetable. He's stare drooling most of the time, but would have moaning fits and have to wear protective gear as to not hurt himself. But what everyone thought was a shell of a child was actually one of the brightest mathematical minds I've still to this day ever seen. I've always excelled at mathematics but this boy was a prodigy. Ever since I met him I never look at those that have autism as lesser beings. Actually they have the ability to think on one track without outside interruption, which is how they can excel in music, art, mathematics and the like.
- inactive, on 02/20/2008, -3/+19Ask her a question right here:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4311562&page ... - NoData, on 02/20/2008, -4/+19Oh man. They don't describe how this breakthrough came about, or what methods they use, but I certainly hope it's not "Facilitated Communication" (FC)--an empirically discredited method developed by well-intentioned therapists that exploits people's implicit confirmation biases--seeing and hearing what they want. Basically, it works by "facilitating" autistic children in typing (giving them manual "support" to help them type), and it ends up projecting the facilitator's intentions and thoughts through the child's hand. It amounts to a highly sophisticated ouija board or "Clever Hans" set up. Except, of course, with very well-meaning therapist. But it is very dangerous, both in its false hope and its potential for misinterpretation. One father was prosecuted for allegedly sexually abusing his autistic child as "revealed" by FC. Please see: http://www.psychologymatters.org/facilitated.html
- LogicBomB, on 02/20/2008, -1/+15You do realise that now even the autistic are smarter and more articulate than some digg users?
- saisumimen, on 02/20/2008, -2/+15Oh, FFS.
- Blondenough, on 02/20/2008, -1/+12This article was amazing. My brother is autistic and just now at 13, he's learning how to read and write. At first I was skeptical of this article but my brother also made something of a breakthrough with his verbal communications, going from barely communicating to making jokes. Once the communication wall is bridged, development can be phenomenal.
I still can't imagine what it would be like to be him and understand what people are saying to (or about) you and have no way to communicate back. - Arbinshire, on 02/20/2008, -3/+14You sir, are an absolute ass.
- rkef, on 02/20/2008, -0/+10"she's not exactly horribly disfigured"
You smoother-talker, you... - mdgypsygirl, on 02/20/2008, -2/+12Maybe no one cares about your feelings (or yours, xsquirrel) because those feelings indicate you're an *****.
- Zaxcomp, on 02/20/2008, -1/+10Utilitarianism. Gross.
- nepawoods, on 02/20/2008, -0/+9"nor is it even noteworthy as a "breakthrough"."
True, but you'll be misunderstood for saying it. The bottom line is that there is a huge degree of variability in what is given the single label "autism" - that it may not even be a single thing, certainly not with a single cause, and certainly not all cases respond in the same way. There are countless different breakthroughs for individuals with autism, but so far none for all. - crapmatic, on 02/20/2008, -1/+9You mean the "Web Sheriff" is on the way?
- Spoomeister, on 02/21/2008, -1/+9Tears in my eyes, no joke. That was heartbreaking.
Good on you. And good luck to her. - radink360, on 02/20/2008, -6/+14Do the authorities know that you are a kid toucher?
- Olga1311, on 02/20/2008, -2/+10Very moving. Stories like this make you appreciate whatever abilities we've been given and admire people who get through without them.
- JLecker, on 02/20/2008, -0/+7This sounds like a great development. I am a bit skeptical, only because previous "breakthroughs" were in fact therapists (unintentionally) communicating for the autistic people--kind of like hypnotic suggestion, if you get what I'm trying to say. Still, as time goes on, treatments for autism get better and better, so I remain hopeful that this breakthrough will allow more autistic people to communicate with the outside world.
- UbIwerks, on 02/21/2008, -1/+8Congrats to you, Clumber! Your selflessness is an inspiration! Seriously, it takes an incredible person to go through that many obstacles! Thank you!
- alceria, on 02/20/2008, -1/+8I'm curious to know how she learned to read and write, I would imagine that being autistic she might not have had the same lessons as normal kids, and she would have been unable to ask questions. It's amazing she was able to finally break through her silence.
- Y2Krieger, on 02/20/2008, -1/+8This is a very touching story to me personally. As the older sibling of someone who has autism, it's wonderful to see a family being able to have a communication gateway with their daughter after 13 years of unknowing her potential.
And while I think it's great to see these inspirational stories hitting the news and that the awareness of autism has been increasing over the past few years, I think these "sensationalized" stories of what autism is gives a false understanding to those who are unaware. It's very bitter-sweet to me. People still have this "Rain Man" definition and impression of autism, where people consider them all to be savants that are just socially awkward. While there are these rare cases of individuals like that, the norm of autistics have mental retardation and severe behavioral disorders that dramatically affect the families associated with it. It's disheartening when I see comments on here like "Wow, I wish I had autism" or "I'm normal. I can do that. What makes this so special?" And I know those are just the ignorant Diggers that feel like they have to make a statement of some kind. And I'm very pleased with most of the comments on here overall.
I suppose my point is that if you are still unfamiliar with what autism really is (a neurological disorder, in short) you can do a lot of research and meet a person or two who has the disability, but you never truly understand it unless you you've met multiple autistics in your life, because no two cases are the same. I've been associated with it for 22 years and I still underestimate it, as well as overestimate it. But I think if you have any idea as to what autism is, you never look at the world the same or take what you have in life for granted. - pahool, on 02/20/2008, -1/+8There are lots of similar stories to be found here:
http://www.neurodiversity.com/ - mdgypsygirl, on 02/20/2008, -1/+8Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I'll guess you don't know much about autism, rather than you're just looking to argue. It's cool, not many people know the specifics of autism. My 15 year old brother is autistic and CAN speak, however CANNOT express his feelings. This is the biggest problem that autistics face, and why it's considered a social and developmental disorder - it causes social misunderstandings which leads to public and sometimes physical fights or "tantrums". In a normal child's development, preparing them for adulthood includes expressing their needs, both emotional and physical.
In terms of the cost of therapy, my brother's costs $250 PER WEEK. Not to mention the costs of having a one-on-one aid in school and later sending him to a school specializing in developmental and social disorders, which ranges in the $100,000's per year. Luckily our county in MD is a leader in special education, and has a policy where if they are unable to accommodate a student with traditional means, they will pay to put the child in an appropriate environment. The county we moved OUT of preferred to spend $500,000 on a team of lawyers to argue the case AGAINST giving my brother the proper environment, which would have cost them less than $30,000 for one year.
To directly answer your last question, for this young lady, there is NO WAY she could function in society i.e. hold down a job, use the Internet to pay bills, or communicate her needs if it weren't for this breakthrough. Now she can easily work and earn her own paycheck, rather than relying on her family or YOUR tax dollars. Maybe that'll make you happy. - mdgypsygirl, on 02/20/2008, -1/+8Just to clarify, you also wouldn't give your tax money to disabled veterans who can't work (remember that your tax money paid for the war that made them disabled). Maybe you should just stop paying taxes.
- mdgypsygirl, on 02/20/2008, -1/+7We used a system of flashcards that had the word of the object, place, or feeling on it along with a picture, and my brother was able to point to different flashcards as needed. It also helped him build vocabulary, which is the most basic form of language. From there we could tweek his grammar and he could ask questions. Great comment/question, thanks!
- oldhick, on 02/20/2008, -0/+6Actually, there is no single definition of autism. In fact many medical journals are fearful of over diagnosis. I'm proud of this girls journey to discover how to communicate, but I think this sheds very little light on autism.
- Blondenough, on 02/20/2008, -1/+7Because understanding one of the most complex neurological disorders to date wouldn't have substantial benefit for the rest of mankind....
- MacEnvy, on 02/21/2008, -1/+7Dugg for unique logic.
- brad3378, on 02/21/2008, -1/+7I've been a very active member of Digg for over 2 years and this is the first comment I've ever read that got me choked up.
Thanks - bitterbug, on 02/20/2008, -0/+6I've read about autistic kids who would hear the sound of fabric rustling when you walk as though it were a jet engines roar to us, or any sudden change in light or touch sensation being overwhelmingly painful. I can understand why those kids would have a difficult time communicating verbally. How would they filter out the useful information from the noise?
It's interesting that they've made a breakthrough that might help them understand the mechanical aspects of autism better. - CasaMan, on 02/20/2008, -2/+8Here is an interesting video about an autistic savant with extraordinary math and language skills.
The best thing is, he can tell us all about it.
http://video.google.nl/videoplay?docid=49131963659 ... - mdgypsygirl, on 02/20/2008, -1/+6So that she doesn't become a homeless person with a mental disability? I think we are "***** fixing" that problem.
I propose a "cognitive skills" test to be administered to people prior to signing up for Digg. You, sir, would clearly not make it. We'd be happy to have Carley in your place. - elementop, on 02/20/2008, -1/+6Are you *really* that frikken stupid, or do you just like to show your backside in public places?
A calculator is great at simple arithmetic. A mathematical prodigy, on the other hand, sees relationships between abstract mathematical concepts and uses those relationships to develop insights into mathematical concepts. A calculator can't write a geometric proof. A calculator can't invent a new way of breaking a mathematical code by discovering some property of large prime numbers that no one ever thought of before. These are, however, the kinds of things that math prodigies *can* do.
Now get up from your computer and go play in a busy street for a while >:( - msdluv, on 02/20/2008, -2/+7This story is so awesome that it gives me chills. Wow.
- mdgypsygirl, on 02/20/2008, -0/+5Honey, your family needs to sue. If your brother, like my brother, was formally diagnosed with autism or even has a simple IEP (Individual Eduction Program) which all special education kids must have, federal law states that the supervisors of his IEP must be made of a team of certified Special Needs educators, usually to include an advocate specifically for your brother that the county provides (she kind of acts like his lawyer). His IEP might state that he can be in a normal class, but have a personal aid that does NOT need to be certified as a Special Needs Instructor. However, the checks-and-balances of the system is your IEP team - if something is wrong, you are to discuss it in the bi-annual IEP Meeting. There are ways of getting what you need out of the system, but you have to FIGHT for it!
- elementop, on 02/20/2008, -2/+7And you are slightly *more* retarded. However, *her* disability was not something she chose to inflict on herself, and she is working hard to overcome it. You, on the other hand.............
- ncc74656m, on 02/20/2008, -1/+6Hell, I'd have thought she was kinda cute when I was 13! I mean, she has some odd facial expressions because of the autism, but she's not exactly horribly disfigured. It's sad to think that not only would she have trouble getting a date, but worse that she would likely be made fun of at school. 13 is already a tough age, and it's very clear from her writing ability that she has intelligence, and even more obviously, will power.
I hope she continues to improve, and maybe one day she'll meet someone who is willing to see through the outside. Hopefully her story will encourage people with the less extreme forms of autism to keep trying, and those around them to not give up on them. -
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