ProjecTheseus

Just as Theseus was able to solve the labyrinth of King Minos, ProjecTheseus will strive towards using culture to navigate the maze of autism.

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Batman's getting occupational therapy while undercover as a patient at Arkham.

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Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves

Proverbs 31:8

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“The only time you look in your neighbor's bowl is to make sure that they have enough. You don't look in your neighbor's bowl to see if you have as much as them.”

-Louis C.K.

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is reading books and articles by researchers who don’t seem to have bothered to consult with actually autistic people. And then, of course, reading texts by researchers who think they are doing positive things for the autistic community. So much of their work is exciting—sure, they’re focused on kids, but I’m following their lines of reasoning, intrigued by the questions their asking, eager to turn the page—until they drop that awful bomb: “suffering from autism.”

Now, I recognize that there are some autistic people who would say that they do in fact suffer because they are autistic. I understand that—those feelings are legitimate, though they don’t resonate with my beliefs about myself. But so many of us would argue that if we suffer from anything, it is not autism. Rather, it is from the social barriers we run into because of allistic folks tripping on their anxieties about fixing a diverse group of people who experience the world differently but are not broken. 

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Temple Grandin has such an amazing insight into the world of autism and how it takes such a variety of minds working together to accomplish real change.

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Ariadne's Thread: A different approach towards autism research

A key aspect of ProjecTheseus is the approach it takes towards autism research, awareness, and service. Its goal is to be as comprehensive as possible, hunting down all possibilities. The way to approach the vastness of autism spectrum disorder is through the use of the Ariadne's Thread Algorithm.

Ariadne's Thread is a different approach to solving a problem with multiple paths - like mazes or ethical dilemma - and applying logic to every possible route. The name is taken from the story of Theseus, the Greek hero who used a thread given to him by Ariadne to navigate the labyrinth and slay the minotaur.

The algorithm allows one to trace steps and discover all possible solutions, truths, and dead ends. It also permits backtracking, allowing one to reverse earlier decisions and try alternatives. It differs from trial-and-error in that it searches the space completely, finding all solutions and outcomes, while trial and error searches solely for any solution.

We at ProjecTheseus feel like this is the best way to work with the expansive yet delicate world of autism. By laying a thread down in every nook and cranny, we hope to deliver an inclusive look into the world of autism, its community, its culture, and its ongoing change.

-Billy H.

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"Who do you think made the first stone spears? The Asperger guy. If you were to get rid of all the autism genetics, there would be no more Silicon Valley."

-Temple Grandin

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"Don't think that there's a different, better child 'hiding' behind the autism. This is your child. Love the child in front of you. Encourage his strengths, celebrate his quirks, and improve his weaknesses, the way you would with any child. You may have to work harder on some of this, but that's the goal."

Claire Scovell LaZebnik

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https://www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films We Bring AMC Sensory Friendly Films to Families Affected by Autism on a Monthly Basis to Select Communities. The program provides a special opportunity for families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment. The auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and audience members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing! The idea for the program began with a request from a parent with an autistic child for a special screening at AMC Columbia Mall 14 in Columbia, MD. More than 300 children and parents attended the first screening. We are thrilled to now offer the program at many locations nationwide — please see below for a complete list of participating theatres. As a leading theatrical exhibition company, we are so proud to be making a difference in the estimated 1.5 million Americans living with an autism spectrum disorder by offering families a chance to see a movie together — often for the very first time.

[autisticadvocacy]

Qualtrics sophisticated online survey software solutions make creating online surveys easy. Learn more about Research Suite and get a free account today.

During the past five years, the Health Disparities Project at the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability has done research to identify why access to health care and health outcomes differ among people with different types of disabilities.

We are asking adults with disabilities to answer a brief health survey before the project releases its major findings in Washington, DC, this fall at the annual Research-to-Policy Roundtable meeting sponsored by the Disability Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC) (http://iod.unh.edu/Projects/StatsRRTC/about.aspx).  All individual survey results will be confidential and the aggregated results will inform our planning for presentations and discussion at the Roundtable.

Thank you in advance for your responses.

Charles E. Drum, MPA, JD, PhD

Principal Investigator, Health Disparities Project

Director, Institute on Disability &

Professor of Health Management and Policy

University of New Hampshire

Due July 25, 2014. 

Note: For the purposes of this survey, Autism is categorized under cognitive disability at this point.

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/10/high-unemployment-mentally-ill/12186049/ Eighty percent of people with mental illness are unemployed, a statistic that says more about the lack of support for this group of people than it does about the economy, according to a new study.

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The Little (and Incredible) Hulk: A Clinical Reflection

During my fieldwork in Dallas, I had a very special client. Let’s call him “Aadi” for the sake of privacy to him and his family. Aadi was a very interesting 10 year old, he was what we called verbally distracted. He would talk constantly to no one in particular, and trying to verbally direct him toward tasks would only make it worse. For example, asking him Aadi, will you please keep writing your name?” would lead him to ask “Why are you calling me Aadi? Is it because my name is Aadi? Aadi doesn’t want to write my name anymore. Is that why you gave me this pencil?” and the verbalizations go on.

After going to the movies to see the Avengers, Aadi spent a session talking about the Hulk. It was nearly impossible to get him to attend to any task without redirection every few seconds. So I decided to go with it. We went to the OT gym and did Hulk themed gross motor tasks. He “smashed” weighted balls into beanbags and jumped across the gym onto bases. He was able to attend to these tasks longer but the verbalizations were still keeping him distracted.

With his therapist’s permission, I chose to hold a role-playing session the next time Aadi came for a session. I printed out a paper Hulk mask and after numerous redirections Aadi finally finished coloring and cutting it out, to address his fine motor deficits. He was better able to attend once he realized what the mask was for, but was still highly distracted by his verbalizations. Before he could wear it however, there was one condition, he couldn’t talk. I explained to him that “since the Hulk barely talks, so should Aadi”. And that if he started to talk too much, he would have to remove the mask and become Bruce Banner, Hulk’s human (ergo talking) alter-ego. After ensuring Aadi understood this condition, he put on the mask and followed me to the OT gym. He walked and acted like the Hulk for the remainder of the session, but never said a word. This amazed every employee in the clinic and even Aadi’s family. His verbalizations were such a distraction to therapy that one of his primary goals was to attend a task in silence for a full minute. This had been a goal of all three disciplines for months, but with the mask during our role-playing session Aadi didn’t utter a word for 15 minutes. Even then, that was because the session was over, no telling how long he could have kept it up had we been given more time.

When it comes to the clinical reasoning used with Aadi, it is mostly narrative in nature. By focusing on the client and his particular circumstance, I was able to reason what was important to him and fit it into his therapy session. Examining Aadi’s lived experiences and human intentions allowed me to improvise and adapt the session to his needs. Role-playing proved to be a practical alternative to a more conventional OT session, and promoted active engagement and goal success. 

-William "Billy" Hatridge, OTR/L