Comments on: Savant artists in New York - an interview with curator and autism advocate, Rosa Martinez. http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/04/06/savant-artists-in-new-york-an-interview-with-curator-and-advocate-rosa-martinez/ Ever the arty Autie Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:15:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: donna http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/04/06/savant-artists-in-new-york-an-interview-with-curator-and-advocate-rosa-martinez/#comment-19539 donna Sat, 03 May 2008 23:50:15 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/04/06/savant-artists-in-new-york-an-interview-with-curator-and-advocate-rosa-martinez/#comment-19539 Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have caused severely deprived/abused children in some Eastern Block orphanages to appear and function 'autistically'. There are As other causes of RAD. These can include when some infants born prem or with severe allergies, immune deficiencies etc are unable to be picked up, easily fed, have limited ongoing contact with carers or are so physically uncomfortable and overwhelmed in the early years that it significantly impairs early bonding necessary to optimal early development. Similarly, parents with addiction, mental illness or severe post natal depression may struggle to provide the safe, stable, relaxing atmosphere an infant requires, leaving the child with some impact of RAD. Any of these things can contribute to a child developing autistic traits or behaving autistically. However, unless the child already has the predisposition to neurologically be autistic, then these things won't make them autistic per se. But if they do have these predispositions it could make them more autistic than they'd otherwise be. There are several people on my father's side of the family (both on his mother's and father's side) diagnosed with Aspergers, more than one diagnosed with autism, several with bipolar, dyslexia, ADHD and Coeliac. The abuse in my background which you refer to has been part of mood, addiction and rage issues on my mother's side of the family. These other autism families on father's side, as far as I know, have no such rampant violence or abuse so it's clear that abuse alone did not cause autism issues in the others on my father's side. Feel free to visit my photo gallery on my website http://www.donnawilliams.net/ where my life is documented in pictures. Whilst one could read abuse into my photos, there are certainly others who recognise as much autism as they see in their own autistic children. The leading educational psychologist who diagnosed me could have, after 40 years experience and knowing my abusive background, been wrong in his diagnosis but that is far fetched. The health professionals who assessed me as psychotic at age 2 in 1965, those who assessed me as having a language processing disorder at age 9 and again in adulthood, the qualified doctors who diagnosed me with Primary Immune deficiencies, reactive hypoglycemia, B12 deficiency, magnesium deficiency, high Quinolinic acid, high Dopamine, low Seratonin, food and chemical allergies, gluten intolerance and mood, anxiety and compulsive disorders would also have to have been incompetent. The alternative is that I'm a person from an abusive background who grew up with mentally and emotionally challenged parents who may have had their own autism spectrum stuff and from which I inherited aspects from each with resulting health breakdowns causing a cascade of developmental differences which, in my personality package, manifested autistically enough to be assessed as psychotic at age 2, labeled disturbed through childhood and formally diagnosed with autism in my 20s. It's also possible that those who love conspiracies become very attached to them. As for whether Amanda has had similar experiences to my own, even if she finds my own experiences help her to talk about hers, I don't care one bit. I don't control anyone else's life, I don't want to, I don't assume to be judge, jury, hangman, in anyone else's life. I don't care if she's the Dalai Lama or Amanda Baggs or Mary Smith. I don't care what her reasons or motivations are for how she talks about herself, good, bad, otherwise. I'm me, she is her. That's my perspective. And the Jumbled Jigsaw, which is the book about autism fruit salads, is written so anyone can sort out and discuss their own fruit salads, so if she's doing that, no problem. And many have had similar experiences to me re finding that BPI Sahara and BPI Aviator Grey tints which are part of BPIs Autism Test Range, are usually the same tints in regular supermarket sunglasses. This is because BPI, run by OPTHAMOLOGISTS, are the largest sellers of lens tints to the industry. It happens that the most common sunglass tints are theirs and are 2 of the 8 in their Autism Test Range. So again, I'm not surprised Amanda has found supermarket sunglasses work for some people to reduce incoming visual information. Donna http://www.donnawilliams.net Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder have caused severely deprived/abused children in some Eastern Block orphanages to appear and function ‘autistically’. There are As other causes of RAD. These can include when some infants born prem or with severe allergies, immune deficiencies etc are unable to be picked up, easily fed, have limited ongoing contact with carers or are so physically uncomfortable and overwhelmed in the early years that it significantly impairs early bonding necessary to optimal early development.

Similarly, parents with addiction, mental illness or severe post natal depression may struggle to provide the safe, stable, relaxing atmosphere an infant requires, leaving the child with some impact of RAD. Any of these things can contribute to a child developing autistic traits or behaving autistically.

However, unless the child already has the predisposition to neurologically be autistic, then these things won’t make them autistic per se. But if they do have these predispositions it could make them more autistic than they’d otherwise be.

There are several people on my father’s side of the family (both on his mother’s and father’s side) diagnosed with Aspergers, more than one diagnosed with autism, several with bipolar, dyslexia, ADHD and Coeliac.

The abuse in my background which you refer to has been part of mood, addiction and rage issues on my mother’s side of the family. These other autism families on father’s side, as far as I know, have no such rampant violence or abuse so it’s clear that abuse alone did not cause autism issues in the others on my father’s side.

Feel free to visit my photo gallery on my website

http://www.donnawilliams.net/

where my life is documented in pictures.

Whilst one could read abuse into my photos, there are certainly others who recognise as much autism as they see in their own autistic children.

The leading educational psychologist who diagnosed me could have, after 40 years experience and knowing my abusive background, been wrong in his diagnosis but that is far fetched.

The health professionals who assessed me as psychotic at age 2 in 1965, those who assessed me as having a language processing disorder at age 9 and again in adulthood, the qualified doctors who diagnosed me with Primary Immune deficiencies, reactive hypoglycemia, B12 deficiency, magnesium deficiency, high Quinolinic acid, high Dopamine, low Seratonin, food and chemical allergies, gluten intolerance and mood, anxiety and compulsive disorders would also have to have been incompetent.

The alternative is that I’m a person from an abusive background who grew up with mentally and emotionally challenged parents who may have had their own autism spectrum stuff and from which I inherited aspects from each with resulting health breakdowns causing a cascade of developmental differences which, in my personality package, manifested autistically enough to be assessed as psychotic at age 2, labeled disturbed through childhood and formally diagnosed with autism in my 20s. It’s also possible that those who love conspiracies become very attached to them.

As for whether Amanda has had similar experiences to my own, even if she finds my own experiences help her to talk about hers, I don’t care one bit. I don’t control anyone else’s life, I don’t want to, I don’t assume to be judge, jury, hangman, in anyone else’s life. I don’t care if she’s the Dalai Lama or Amanda Baggs or Mary Smith. I don’t care what her reasons or motivations are for how she talks about herself, good, bad, otherwise. I’m me, she is her. That’s my perspective.

And the Jumbled Jigsaw, which is the book about autism fruit salads, is written so anyone can sort out and discuss their own fruit salads, so if she’s doing that, no problem.

And many have had similar experiences to me re finding that BPI Sahara and BPI Aviator Grey tints which are part of BPIs Autism Test Range, are usually the same tints in regular supermarket sunglasses. This is because BPI, run by OPTHAMOLOGISTS, are the largest sellers of lens tints to the industry. It happens that the most common sunglass tints are theirs and are 2 of the 8 in their Autism Test Range. So again, I’m not surprised Amanda has found supermarket sunglasses work for some people to reduce incoming visual information.

Donna
http://www.donnawilliams.net

]]> By: yellolr http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/04/06/savant-artists-in-new-york-an-interview-with-curator-and-advocate-rosa-martinez/#comment-19537 yellolr Sat, 03 May 2008 19:04:49 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/04/06/savant-artists-in-new-york-an-interview-with-curator-and-advocate-rosa-martinez/#comment-19537 Wouldn't it be awful if you are actually not truly autistic, but instead, the outcome of very unfortunate abuse? Is autism something you sort adopted to help you. Helping with your view of yourself, and the cause of your problems? Amanda Baggs seems to be using you as a role model. Even with her initial Irlen support, to now not supporting Irlen. Now, you can find posts by her on Wrongplanet where she steers people away from Irlen saying it's too expensive and other cheaper things like department store sunglasses are just as good, much like your change in your view of Irlen. Look at her title, and essay. Much like yours http://irlen.com/index.php?id=25 She also now talks about the "fruit salad" analogy on wrongplanet, like you do. Like it's hear own idea. Wouldn’t it be awful if you are actually not truly autistic, but instead, the outcome of very unfortunate abuse?

Is autism something you sort adopted to help you. Helping with your view of yourself, and the cause of your problems?

Amanda Baggs seems to be using you as a role model. Even with her initial Irlen support, to now not supporting Irlen. Now, you can find posts by her on Wrongplanet where she steers people away from Irlen saying it’s too expensive and other cheaper things like department store sunglasses are just as good, much like your change in your view of Irlen.

Look at her title, and essay. Much like yours http://irlen.com/index.php?id=25

She also now talks about the “fruit salad” analogy on wrongplanet, like you do. Like it’s hear own idea.

]]> By: Deborah I. Thorsos http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/04/06/savant-artists-in-new-york-an-interview-with-curator-and-advocate-rosa-martinez/#comment-19473 Deborah I. Thorsos Sun, 27 Apr 2008 05:45:30 +0000 http://blog.donnawilliams.net/2008/04/06/savant-artists-in-new-york-an-interview-with-curator-and-advocate-rosa-martinez/#comment-19473 Hi, Growing up in New York City, I got chances to visit all of the art museums and loved them very much. I with my family sometimes went to Greenrich Village that is known as good art community. Everywhere we went, people set up their art and wares on the sidewalks to sell. This is one of the most interesting places to visit in New York. We also went to other places that attract tourists. I visited the website for the exhibit you just mentioned and admire the works of all the artists included. Debbie www.dithorsos.wordpress.com Hi,
Growing up in New York City, I got chances to visit all of the art museums and loved them very much. I with my family sometimes went to Greenrich Village that is known as good art community. Everywhere we went, people set up their art and wares on the sidewalks to sell. This is one of the most interesting places to visit in New York. We also went to other places that attract tourists. I visited the website for the exhibit you just mentioned and admire the works of all the artists included.

Debbie
http://www.dithorsos.wordpress.com

]]>