B is for Beautiful Voice
One of the many unfortunate characteristics of autism is frequently the individual’s inability to speak more than a few words, if at all, if he or she is actually mute. This is especially distressing for parents who anticipate hearing their child’s first words, as well as for individuals as they grow older and suffer that inability to communicate as easily as their peers do.
Fortunately, advances in assistive technology have provided more ways to augment communication efforts for those individuals with autism who struggle to find ways to communicate with those around them. DynaVox is one such company with some amazing alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) devices – but that’s a post for another day (Wednesday, April 4th, to be exact, as the post will be “D is for DynaVox”). Watch for it!
Today, however, B is for Beautiful Voice – as in, the voice of one young man with autism who discovered he can sing – and do it beautifully! This young man, Kyle Coleman, has only spoken a few words in his lifetime of 25 years so far – but in the process of going through music therapy sessions five years ago, his mother and therapist were thrilled to watch Kyle blossom during therapy and all three were awestruck when Kyle discovered his voice as he began to sing! Not only that, but he has since recorded several individual songs and entire albums!
Just Listen!!
Now, just in time for Autism Awareness Month, Kyle’s newest album, Kyle, Therefore I Am, is available for purchase, with proceeds to go toward National Autism Society (NAS) and related charities. Here is more information:
“Kyle has recorded nine covers – including songs by Robbie Williams, Cat Stevens and Razorlight – plus one that was written especially for him about autism. The album is being supported by the National Autistic Society (NAS) and will be released to coincide with World Autism Day.
The album, Kyle, Therefore I Am, will be available on Amazon and iTunes on April 2 and any money raised will go to NAS and other charities.
The CD can also be bought directly from the website: www.kylecoleman.co.uk.”
A is for April & Autism Awareness
A is also for Apology – as in, my apology for neglecting this blog and its important topic for far too long!
I am participating in the A to Z Blog Challenge for this month, so on this first day, it’s only appropriate that I start with …
A is for April, which is Autism Awareness month!
On the subject of April – how has YOUR April 1st been? Did anyone pull pranks on you? As it turned out, my first day of April was quite productive and I look forward to continuing and improving on the positive aspects of this day throughout the rest of the month.
On the subject of Autism – I have written numerous articles, as well as conducted graduate research and written papers, on autism and related topics. My goal for this site is to share all that information, as well as new research, and invite experts to guest blog. I would like to ask such people to contact me to discuss this (please see my “Contact Me” page).
I look forward to learning together and doing my part, in some small way, to increase autism awareness.
“The Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbon is the most recognized symbol of the autism community in the world.“
–Autism Society.org
New Month – New Opportunities to Succeed!
[I apologize ahead of time to those of you who read more than one of my blogs, as I am posting this in each one as an update!]
Hello – yes, it’s really me!
After getting off to such a good start with blogging in 2011 – I have had three unusual months in a row and am NOW trying to get back into it, in this new month of August.
Brief summary with the major events of each month:
*May – I had a GREAT private writing client who paid me $100+ per article, PLUS bonuses! He kept me busy most of the month; one week, I had my first ever $1000 week – and ended up making over $2400 for the month.
*June – Good news and bad news!
The Good News:
My youngest daughter got married and I acquired a wonderful son-in-law!
My middle daughter also got engaged, and my oldest daughter was already engaged – so two more weddings coming up in the next two years.
Also, I got rehired to work as an online writing tutor for the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Smarthinking.
The Bad News:
My Mom, who had been in failing health, fell a couple times at home, and while in the hospital for x-rays, tests revealed a mass in her lung.
*July – My Mom passed away.
It has taken awhile to get back to even feeling like writing or doing any other kind of freelance work. Mom had been sick for quite awhile, and we thought she had beat breast cancer a couple years ago…
She was under hospice care and surrounded by family members during her final hours at home. Her final words and fervent prayer were that God would take her quickly, so she could finally see her Lord and her Ben (my Dad) again.
We’re glad she’s no longer suffering and we’re rejoicing that she has rejoined Dad in heaven – we lost him nearly nine years ago, to lymphoma.
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NOW … it’s a new day, new week, new month – representing new opportunities to succeed!!
People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive. It is as though they were traveling abroad. ~Marcel Proust
The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity. ~Seneca
Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generation. For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves on the tree of life. ~Albert Einstein
The death of someone we know always reminds us that we are still alive – perhaps for some purpose which we ought to re-examine. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic’s Notebook, 1960
**Quotes from 
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Autism Awareness Month Draws to a Close
April has been Autism Awareness Month, but as it draws to a close, I’m sure autism awareness will continue.
I received some encouraging feedback from one of my doctoral program mentors regarding my plans to concentrate on autism and assistive technology for my dissertation. I hope that my endeavor will likewise benefit all who choose to read and follow my blog, and especially those who have loved ones with autism and other developmental disorders.
I plan to create a separate page for this, but I thought I would introduce the topic now. In addition to the research papers I have completed for both my M.Ed. and Ed.D. programs so far, I have also written numerous articles on autism and other developmental disorders.
Here are a few examples:
*What Are the Causes of Autism? Are We Closer to Knowing?
*Families Affected by Autism Require Strategic Coping Skills
*Is It Non Verbal Learning Disorder or Asperger’s?
*Assistive Technology for Special Education Students
*Nonverbal Communication in Children
My plan for the page of resources is to provide a brief intro to each article, along with the link. I hope to work on that soon!
We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher
Children are one third of our population and all of our future. ~Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981
While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt
***Quotes from ***
Welcome to the Autism and Other Child Developmental Disorders Blog
Welcome to one of my newest blogs!
Between the years of 2006 to 2008, I pursued a degree in speech therapy, completed my practicum in the field, and worked briefly as a speech and developmental therapist. It was a career I thoroughly enjoyed, but the cost of traveling over 350 miles/week became prohibitive to maintaining that position.
Since I came home to work, I completed my master’s level graduate studies and received my M.Ed. degree in 2008, and am now on track to earn my Ed.D. degree by 2014 or so. The focus of my graduate studies has been on autism, related developmental disorders, and the role of assistive technology in special education.
I concluded that a blog on these topics may fill a need for discussion, information, and support among those families whose loved ones may have autism or another developmental disorder. I also hope to connect with other professionals in the field, especially those with many more years of experience, who may wish to write guest blog posts here.
My goal is to become established as an authority of these topics. I figured a blog to chronicle the journey would be helpful for more than just myself.
Thanks for reading and following my blog.
