DRZ%SJUVM.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Bob Zenhausern) (03/28/91)
Index Number: 14498 [Note from Bill Mcgarry: This and the next two articles are from the Alternative Approaches to Learning Discussion List. This article is by Bob Zenhausern and the following two articles are by Jim Sinclair.] Autism is one of the most intriguing and least understood developmental disorders. I have been fortunate enough to have met Jim Sinclair, a high functioning autistic who has given me new insights into the meaning of this disability. I had my first contact with Jim on the Disability Forum of Compuserve several years ago when he posted a message entitled "Invisible Disability". The message chronicled how various agencies refused to believe Jim was actually disabled because he is extremely high functioning and does not fit the "Rainman" stereotype of autism. At worst, he was accused of malingering and, at best, of mental illness. As I started writing to Jim, I was amazed not so much at the high quality of his writing, but at the way he describes the autistic experience as only one who has lived it could. Jim is now studying at the University of Kansas and has an email address of golem@ukanvm.bitnet. Jim is an advocate for autistics and has started a newsletter aimed at helping those afflicted with this disorder. Jim is also involved in a project to provide specially trained dogs to help both high and low functioning autistics and their caretakers. This file is available from Comserve and you can get a copy by sending mail to Comserve@rpiecs.bitnet with the message: send ssigdog sinclair. The following excerpt from my communications with Jim is a good example of how he can make the unusual mental processes of autism understandable to those who have never experienced it. >>>> An analogy I've used before: Imagine walking into a room in your house where someone has moved one of your books out of place on a shelf. (This is a scenario that could very well cause a screaming fit in an autistic child.) You probably wouldn't notice the change unless you happened to be looking for that particular book. If someone were to switch all the books on two entire shelves, you might have a vague sense that something was different, but you might not be able to pinpoint what it was without making a careful inventory of the whole room. You'd probably be surprised if you came home and found your furniture rearranged, but you'd recognize that it was still the same furniture. You might be startled to find unfamiliar furniture in your house, shocked to find that the layout of rooms wasn't what it used to be, and completely disoriented if you came "home" and found a strange house in place of the one you were expecting. Now imagine that you didn't know how to organize your perceptions to recognize which features of the environment were different and which had stayed the same, or which features were significant and which were insignificant. Every minor change would affect you as dramatically as the inexplicable replacement of your home with an unfamiliar building. You might have a screaming fit too! >>>>>> Jim is a relative newcomer to networking outside of Compuserve and is interested in sharing his ideas and helping others with his disability. He has been accused of fraud, mental illness, etc. and does not want to interact with people who have closed minds. But for those who want to learn, he can provide a unique experience in understanding human thought processes. Bob Zenhausern, Ph.D. Compuserve: 72440.32@compuserve.com Professor of Psychology Bitnet: drz@sjuvm St. John's University SB 15 Marillac Jamaica, NY 11439 718-990-6447 * A Jack of All Trades Looking for Masters * **