Hello Everyone,
This month’s BLOG will begin with a chance to view my slideshow GALLERY of Books and focus on the offered Extended Book Reviews. The slideshow shows the book covers, divided into the following categories ~
AMAZING ADVENTURES
DIAGNOSIS, DOCTORS, DENIAL
SAVVY SOLUTIONS
SCHOOL ON THE SHORT BUS
Hopefully, these stories will help parents, clinicians, academics, and all people #Autism, in connecting with those who have gone before us on their Autism Journey. March's BLOGs give snippets of my Extended Book Reviews; find full reviews on website MENU; along with a LINK to purchase the eBook. You will find each Autism story to be engaging, compelling, and as different as each family's Autism journey.
From the Category – SAVVY SOLUTIONS. Read the full reviews, plus LINKs to eBooks, on www.sarasautismsite.com.
This month’s BLOG will begin with a chance to view my slideshow GALLERY of Books and focus on the offered Extended Book Reviews. The slideshow shows the book covers, divided into the following categories ~
AMAZING ADVENTURES
DIAGNOSIS, DOCTORS, DENIAL
SAVVY SOLUTIONS
SCHOOL ON THE SHORT BUS
Hopefully, these stories will help parents, clinicians, academics, and all people #Autism, in connecting with those who have gone before us on their Autism Journey. March's BLOGs give snippets of my Extended Book Reviews; find full reviews on website MENU; along with a LINK to purchase the eBook. You will find each Autism story to be engaging, compelling, and as different as each family's Autism journey.
From the Category – SAVVY SOLUTIONS. Read the full reviews, plus LINKs to eBooks, on www.sarasautismsite.com.
Excerpt from Forward by Margaret L Bauman, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Autism Research Foundation & Autism Society Board of Directors –
What makes this personal story so remarkable is that it comes from a young man whose verbal expressive language is profoundly impaired but who communicates almost exclusively by independently writing or typing his thoughts and ideas on a computer.Bauman continues – There is little doubt that Tito is who he is in large part because of the persistence and dedication of his mother and her ever-present and creative teaching and learning.
< My Thoughts > “There is little doubt…”
Tito and his mother had a connection which allowed for this unrelenting persistence, dedication and creative teaching.
One of my first thoughts when presenting this material was for parents and educators to hear Tito’s story. Hopefully through his words everyone will gain a greater understanding about how autism played a role in his life and that of his mother.
Whatever the future holds for Tito, he has already made a significant contribution to the field of autism…
Note: Update 2025, Tito has written several wonderful books and poems. The stories and poems were always there, as you will read in this Extended Book Review. Tito's mother, Soma has developed the well-known Rapid Prompting Method. Read more about that in Know Autism, Know Your Child with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker, UNIT 7 – 7 Who May Help? 8. facilitated communication.
Excerpts from the book – (13% indicates location in the Kindle version of the book, instead of page numbers).
13% One day I happened to realize that when people moved their lips, they made a talking sound known as ‘voice’.
For the next few days, I would go upstairs, and stand in front of the mirror, in the hope of seeing my lips move. I had every bit of patience with the mirror, and the mirror had every bit of patience with me.
I could see the green curtains move with the breeze… I could see the leaves of the Sal-trees move, and I could see the ceiling fan move.
Even my hands moved when I flapped them. Only my lips would not move.
18% I stood in the corner between two glass doors so that I could see many reflections of my flapping hands as possible through the glass.
I remember the voices of Mother and the clinical psychologist tempting me, asking me, prodding me to come to the table and start playing.
Mother brought me to the table once or twice, so that I could do something with those toys.
And each time I was brought near the table, I would go back to stand in front of the cupboards.
How could I tell them that the shadows and reflections made me feel secure?
I remember the clinical psychologist writing down or, rather, hearing her write down something in her chart…
One word: Autism! A fancy word.
I finally knew the reason why I would not talk. It was because I was autistic. I wished to tell the curtains and the leaves that they, too, were autistic.
19% When I grew older and learned to hold a pencil, Mother taught me how to trace the outlines of shadows.
I started seeing shadows in a new light. I could now trace the shapes within the boundaries of my tracing.
19% When I grew older and learned to hold a pencil, Mother taught me how to trace the outlines of shadows.
I started seeing shadows in a new light. I could now trace the shapes within the boundaries of my tracing.
20% I would seek out new stories in those shapes on the floor.
Although shadows did not have any story to tell, I consoled my mind that at least their chalk-mark tracings did.
…I leave my shadow story behind.
43% Mirror, mirror, on the wall.
Gather stories big and small.
72% Learning to write was the most important skill that I acquired because it helped me to be a storyteller.
I had my words and I had my stories, which flowed between me and the mirror.
Some stories were absorbed behind the secrets of my shadow, as I watched the shadow through the transparency of my flapping hands.
73% Many people do not have the patience to see me form words by pointing on the letter chart. Sometimes I pointed to those letters too fast, and sometimes I pointed too slow.
I needed a better way of expression. I did not want to be stuck within the boundaries of a letter board.
In the beginning of my first day, I continuously dropped the pencil.
…every time I held the pencil, I had to focus all of my concentration on the action. My senses were strained by practicing holding the pencil, resulting in discomfort…
Mother had to pick up the pencil every time I dropped it…
Did I want to write? Of course I did.
So why did I drop the pencil again and again…when my senses are overstimulated, there is no stopping them.
74% “This is not leading us anywhere,” Mother announced…she brought a rubber band from somewhere. She tied the pencil to my fingers in such a way that I could not drop it, even if I shook my hands.
Now that the pencil was secure, I needed to use it. I had to draw lines all across the page.
When pages were full, I practiced on newspapers.
I could feel the pencil as I moved my hands, holding it. Finally, my fingers were no longer tactilely defensive against the pencil. I no longer needed the rubber band.
< My Thoughts > “…my fingers were no longer tactilely defensive.”
It is so amazing that in spite of the mind and body disconnect, Tito was able to overcome his desire to throw away the pencil and cling to the need to tell his stories.
74% I began to understand my movements while drawing the line. Mother made me trace dots on a page…
Reference:
Soma Mukhopadhyay (2013). Developing Communication for Autism Using Rapid Prompting Method: Guide for Effective Language; Paperback
Thank you for reading and sharing my BLOGs. Comments are welcomed, to be viewed and answered privately. My goal is to assist families, clinicians, educators, and all people ‘autism’, to continue their journey on the Autism Highway. At the end of each website Extended Book Review, please find a source to have the whole book to read.
Regards,
Sara Luker
Paid Link Disclosure -
These Extended Book Reviews have an Amazon Link for actual book purchases. Please read this Paid Link Disclosure AKA Affiliate Links Disclosure:
Sometimes there are paid links, also known as affiliate links, used on this site. My website, www.sarasautismsite.com, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
I may earn or receive a small paid commission from referrals for book purchases made through posts, pages, and links on this site. But I try to remain unbiased and I do not accept paid reviews. All opinions expressed here are my own.
There is no extra cost to you when purchases are made using the provided links. By using the links I provide you agree that you’ve read this paid link disclosure statement.
Thank you!
Sara Luker
What makes this personal story so remarkable is that it comes from a young man whose verbal expressive language is profoundly impaired but who communicates almost exclusively by independently writing or typing his thoughts and ideas on a computer.Bauman continues – There is little doubt that Tito is who he is in large part because of the persistence and dedication of his mother and her ever-present and creative teaching and learning.
< My Thoughts > “There is little doubt…”
Tito and his mother had a connection which allowed for this unrelenting persistence, dedication and creative teaching.
One of my first thoughts when presenting this material was for parents and educators to hear Tito’s story. Hopefully through his words everyone will gain a greater understanding about how autism played a role in his life and that of his mother.
Whatever the future holds for Tito, he has already made a significant contribution to the field of autism…
Note: Update 2025, Tito has written several wonderful books and poems. The stories and poems were always there, as you will read in this Extended Book Review. Tito's mother, Soma has developed the well-known Rapid Prompting Method. Read more about that in Know Autism, Know Your Child with < My Thoughts > by Sara Luker, UNIT 7 – 7 Who May Help? 8. facilitated communication.
Excerpts from the book – (13% indicates location in the Kindle version of the book, instead of page numbers).
13% One day I happened to realize that when people moved their lips, they made a talking sound known as ‘voice’.
For the next few days, I would go upstairs, and stand in front of the mirror, in the hope of seeing my lips move. I had every bit of patience with the mirror, and the mirror had every bit of patience with me.
I could see the green curtains move with the breeze… I could see the leaves of the Sal-trees move, and I could see the ceiling fan move.
Even my hands moved when I flapped them. Only my lips would not move.
18% I stood in the corner between two glass doors so that I could see many reflections of my flapping hands as possible through the glass.
I remember the voices of Mother and the clinical psychologist tempting me, asking me, prodding me to come to the table and start playing.
Mother brought me to the table once or twice, so that I could do something with those toys.
And each time I was brought near the table, I would go back to stand in front of the cupboards.
How could I tell them that the shadows and reflections made me feel secure?
I remember the clinical psychologist writing down or, rather, hearing her write down something in her chart…
One word: Autism! A fancy word.
I finally knew the reason why I would not talk. It was because I was autistic. I wished to tell the curtains and the leaves that they, too, were autistic.
19% When I grew older and learned to hold a pencil, Mother taught me how to trace the outlines of shadows.
I started seeing shadows in a new light. I could now trace the shapes within the boundaries of my tracing.
19% When I grew older and learned to hold a pencil, Mother taught me how to trace the outlines of shadows.
I started seeing shadows in a new light. I could now trace the shapes within the boundaries of my tracing.
20% I would seek out new stories in those shapes on the floor.
Although shadows did not have any story to tell, I consoled my mind that at least their chalk-mark tracings did.
…I leave my shadow story behind.
43% Mirror, mirror, on the wall.
Gather stories big and small.
72% Learning to write was the most important skill that I acquired because it helped me to be a storyteller.
I had my words and I had my stories, which flowed between me and the mirror.
Some stories were absorbed behind the secrets of my shadow, as I watched the shadow through the transparency of my flapping hands.
73% Many people do not have the patience to see me form words by pointing on the letter chart. Sometimes I pointed to those letters too fast, and sometimes I pointed too slow.
I needed a better way of expression. I did not want to be stuck within the boundaries of a letter board.
In the beginning of my first day, I continuously dropped the pencil.
…every time I held the pencil, I had to focus all of my concentration on the action. My senses were strained by practicing holding the pencil, resulting in discomfort…
Mother had to pick up the pencil every time I dropped it…
Did I want to write? Of course I did.
So why did I drop the pencil again and again…when my senses are overstimulated, there is no stopping them.
74% “This is not leading us anywhere,” Mother announced…she brought a rubber band from somewhere. She tied the pencil to my fingers in such a way that I could not drop it, even if I shook my hands.
Now that the pencil was secure, I needed to use it. I had to draw lines all across the page.
When pages were full, I practiced on newspapers.
I could feel the pencil as I moved my hands, holding it. Finally, my fingers were no longer tactilely defensive against the pencil. I no longer needed the rubber band.
< My Thoughts > “…my fingers were no longer tactilely defensive.”
It is so amazing that in spite of the mind and body disconnect, Tito was able to overcome his desire to throw away the pencil and cling to the need to tell his stories.
74% I began to understand my movements while drawing the line. Mother made me trace dots on a page…
Reference:
Soma Mukhopadhyay (2013). Developing Communication for Autism Using Rapid Prompting Method: Guide for Effective Language; Paperback
Thank you for reading and sharing my BLOGs. Comments are welcomed, to be viewed and answered privately. My goal is to assist families, clinicians, educators, and all people ‘autism’, to continue their journey on the Autism Highway. At the end of each website Extended Book Review, please find a source to have the whole book to read.
Regards,
Sara Luker
Paid Link Disclosure -
These Extended Book Reviews have an Amazon Link for actual book purchases. Please read this Paid Link Disclosure AKA Affiliate Links Disclosure:
Sometimes there are paid links, also known as affiliate links, used on this site. My website, www.sarasautismsite.com, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
I may earn or receive a small paid commission from referrals for book purchases made through posts, pages, and links on this site. But I try to remain unbiased and I do not accept paid reviews. All opinions expressed here are my own.
There is no extra cost to you when purchases are made using the provided links. By using the links I provide you agree that you’ve read this paid link disclosure statement.
Thank you!
Sara Luker
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