Comments on: Finding out http://humans.org.nz/2007/08/10/finding-out/ A website to advocate, provide a voice, stimulate policy debate and provide essential information to people on the autistic spectrum and their friends and families. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:23:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: John http://humans.org.nz/2007/08/10/finding-out/#comment-194 John Sat, 26 Jan 2008 13:14:12 +0000 http://humans.org.nz/2007/08/10/finding-out/#comment-194 Hi, the link 'jandi.co.nz' is coming up '404 Not Found'. Sad. Thanks for your useful link list, especially the locals like asplanet.info, etc. Hi, the link ‘jandi.co.nz’ is coming up ‘404 Not Found’. Sad. Thanks for your useful link list, especially the locals like asplanet.info, etc.

]]> By: cally whitham http://humans.org.nz/2007/08/10/finding-out/#comment-27 cally whitham Mon, 13 Aug 2007 22:58:43 +0000 http://humans.org.nz/2007/08/10/finding-out/#comment-27 I agree a book review section would be great. There are so many books to read, but it helps to be pointed to the best ones to read - and particularly the positive hopeful ones... I recently read The Jumbled Jigsaw: An Insider's Approach to the Treatment of Autistic Spectrum 'Fruit Salads' by Donna Williams. What a fantastic book, we now have a number of personalised strategies, therapies and remedies we can pursue as we are ready, based on where are son is at - which we were able to glean from this fantastic book. Further to your comments on discovering autistic qualities within yourself, I think if many of us looked into our families and family history we would find ASD in there somewhere. I am starting to worry less about the mercury and understand more about genetics. And more importantly questioning now what is 'normal'. I agree a book review section would be great. There are so many books to read, but it helps to be pointed to the best ones to read - and particularly the positive hopeful ones…
I recently read The Jumbled Jigsaw: An Insider’s Approach to the Treatment of Autistic Spectrum ‘Fruit Salads’ by Donna Williams.
What a fantastic book, we now have a number of personalised strategies, therapies and remedies we can pursue as we are ready, based on where are son is at - which we were able to glean from this fantastic book.
Further to your comments on discovering autistic qualities within yourself, I think if many of us looked into our families and family history we would find ASD in there somewhere. I am starting to worry less about the mercury and understand more about genetics. And more importantly questioning now what is ‘normal’.

]]> By: Lesley Maclean http://humans.org.nz/2007/08/10/finding-out/#comment-23 Lesley Maclean Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:40:30 +0000 http://humans.org.nz/2007/08/10/finding-out/#comment-23 Hi Andrew, Thanks for that. Yes I have not forgotten the value (or lack thereof) of books and articles. We have just done the information thing with websites so far but I had been wondering if it might be useful to compile a list here of reccommended ones and yes even a critique of some of those scary ones. Frightening to see archaic attitudes still there waiting for someone to pick them up. I read somewhere that in some small libraries of the world, copies of Bruno Bettelheim's 'The Empty Fortress' are the ONLY book on autism on the shelves. On the side of those useful books (and articles) of real interest and inspiration there have been some that have significantly shaped my outlook and way of understanding autism. I would like to hear of some of those that have inspired others. I will start up one of these lists very soon. Perhaps you can make some suggestions... Hi Andrew,

Thanks for that. Yes I have not forgotten the value (or lack thereof) of books and articles. We have just done the information thing with websites so far but I had been wondering if it might be useful to compile a list here of reccommended ones and yes even a critique of some of those scary ones. Frightening to see archaic attitudes still there waiting for someone to pick them up. I read somewhere that in some small libraries of the world, copies of Bruno Bettelheim’s ‘The Empty Fortress’ are the ONLY book on autism on the shelves.

On the side of those useful books (and articles) of real interest and inspiration there have been some that have significantly shaped my outlook and way of understanding autism. I would like to hear of some of those that have inspired others.

I will start up one of these lists very soon. Perhaps you can make some suggestions…

]]> By: Andrew http://humans.org.nz/2007/08/10/finding-out/#comment-22 Andrew Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:01:00 +0000 http://humans.org.nz/2007/08/10/finding-out/#comment-22 Thanks for the well balanced thoughts. One resource you haven't mentioned is the local library. Some of the books you'll find here are just as terrifying as the more extreme views on the internet. Some theories don't stand the test of time, but you'll still find them in the library (and if it's in a book it must be true). A trick that I've recently cottoned onto is that you can put in a purchase requestion for new books of interest. This can also be a form of low level advocacy by populating the shelves with more relevant material than older outdated books. Thanks for the well balanced thoughts.

One resource you haven’t mentioned is the local library. Some of the books you’ll find here are just as terrifying as the more extreme views on the internet. Some theories don’t stand the test of time, but you’ll still find them in the library (and if it’s in a book it must be true).

A trick that I’ve recently cottoned onto is that you can put in a purchase requestion for new books of interest. This can also be a form of low level advocacy by populating the shelves with more relevant material than older outdated books.

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