About That Autism Biopic
I was a big fan of Claire Danes and My So-Called Life back in 1994. I was some years past the age of teenage angst, but Angela Chase's musings, grumblings, and yearnings still resonated with me. Ever since hearing that Danes would be playing Temple Grandin in an HBO biopic, I've been trying to get my … Read more
Another Curious Incident With Dogs
No, I could not resist that title—-read Mark Haddon's novel some five years ago, and still remember it down to its details. Dogs figure significantly for Christopher, the protagonist of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: The "curious incident" of the title is adolescent Christopher's discovery of his neighbor's black dog Wellington stabbed … Read more
A Myth (of the Greek kind) and a Legal Ruling (of a vaccine kind)
Jim went to Philadelphia yesterday to give a talk to an Irish lawyers group (last week it was the Celtic Medical Society or some such he spoke at—I guess the book isn't titled On the Irish Waterfront for nothing). Charlie and I cooled our heals at home in Jersey, making our usual rounds: driving in … Read more
A Myth (of the Greek kind) and a Legal Ruling (of a vaccine kind)
Jim went to Philadelphia yesterday to give a talk to an Irish lawyers group (last week it was the Celtic Medical Society or some such he spoke at—I guess the book isn't titled On the Irish Waterfront for nothing). Charlie and I cooled our heals at home in Jersey, making our usual rounds: driving in … Read more
What Is
I opened up Charlie's school notebook to read that he'd had a "wonderful day." He's been working well, talking and requesting. Lately, his teacher wrote in his school notebook, he's been asking her "up," pointing to her shoulders, trying to hold her hand, all with a huge smile. In doing this, I suspect Charlie's recalling … Read more
What If
What if—as in "what if Charlie were not……..Charlie?" On the autism spectrum. Able to talk a little, but not enough at all. At a separate school for autistic students after some eight years in the public schools, in effect (if you want to look at it this way) "downgraded from 'educably mentally retarded' to 'trainably … Read more
What If
What if—as in "what if Charlie were not……..Charlie?" On the autism spectrum. Able to talk a little, but not enough at all. At a separate school for autistic students after some eight years in the public schools, in effect (if you want to look at it this way) "downgraded from 'educably mentally retarded' to 'trainably … Read more
BAM the phone rings
On a January 23rd post on the City Brights blog on SFGate.com, Laura Shumaker wrote about "drive by phone calls" in describing her reaction after her autistic son Matthew called. Matthew is a student at Camphill California, a residential community. Matthew had had a great 3-day weekend at home; now back at Camphill California, he tells Shumaker "'Things … Read more
Off Season? Never Heard of It
Though Sunday was a grey day, we went, as noted above by Charlie, to the ocean. If you've read my blogging from the days when I wrote My Son Has Autism, Charlie is in his natural element at the ocean, near the water and waves and the sand and all that open space and sky. Hence for almost … Read more
Off Season? Never Heard of It
Though Sunday was a grey day, we went, as noted above by Charlie, to the ocean. If you've read my blogging from the days when I wrote My Son Has Autism, Charlie is in his natural element at the ocean, near the water and waves and the sand and all that open space and sky. Hence for almost … Read more
