Comments on: April is National Autism Awareness Month - Volume I

By: melvin polatnick

melvin polatnick — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:39:25 +0000

Hello southerner
I have experienced SENSORY OVERLOAD in ordinary situations since I was a child.My behavior was not out of line enough to be labeled dysfunctional,I was seen only as a screw-up.Being a failure in almost everything I attempted was blamed on bad values.

By: melvin polatnick

melvin polatnick — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 21:38:27 +0000

Hi Southerner
My bizarre behavior was always thought to stem from poor values.Nobody including myself suspected that I was just shutting down due to SENSORY OVERLOAD.Most important things we do require the ability to support stess,without that ability the person becomes almost completely dysfunctional. Melvin

By: ChatterBlogging » Blog Archive » April is National Autism Awareness Month - Volume 2

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:40:14 +0000

[...] The first blog in this series gave you an idea of some of the statistics of autism and a more in depth look at the most complex area of symptoms, stereotypy. Even though I chose to focus only on this aspect of autism, it is crucial that parents and professionals evaluate the big picture of a child’s functioning when there are concerns about their development. The three main areas of development that are impaired in people with autism are verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and limited interests or unusual behaviors and routines. Being observant and informed about some of the developmental red flags is crucial because the earlier you intervene, the more favorable the outcome is. However, there is a great deal of gray area the younger the child is because these impairments can show up in several different forms in childhood. Some of the early warning signs of autism can also be confused with normal developmental pattern shifts. Since autism affects several different developmental areas, it is important to bear in mind that there are often isolated areas of development (i.e. speech/language, hearing, large or gross motor, and sensory) that require more specifically focused attention. The younger a child is, the more difficult it is to distinguish which end is up on the developmental scale. [...]

By: southerner

southerner — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 02:31:14 +0000

Melvin, You have my interest piqued. I’m always open to hear different stories and perspectives. Hope you stop back by.

By: Mo

Mo — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:11:24 +0000

Hi and thanks for writing this!

By: chefker

chefker — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:48:47 +0000

Thanks for doing this. Looking forward to your next piece–I hope you address AS too, as there are so many misconceptions floating around out there (quite a few of which I had too, before learning about it!)

By: melvin polatnick

melvin polatnick — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 19:29:09 +0000

Dear Southerner
Sensory-overload is key word in understanding AS.Your insight into it as being a way of coping is a creative one.But since the overload blackout is not voluntary,it must be chemically fostered.I have experienced this overload in performance situations and lost money because of that hated blackout.Think about it.I am willing give you more information about this meltdown if you request it

By: Catgirl1007

Catgirl1007 — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:36:25 +0000

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. This was very informative. I’m looking forward to your next two pieces.