Admiring Autism

Below is a blog I wrote for the FOCUS Center for Autism about a mother in the UK who started documenting her son's challanges and progress with autism. Sara Dunn's photos are celebritory and compelling. She is crowd funding to put on an exhibition next April.

Breaking Through Barriers/Dispelling Myths

A photographer from the United Kingdom is trying to bust some myths surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) through her photography. Sara Dunn’s quest began soon after her 23 month-old son was diagnosed with Autism. At first she started taking pictures to document the difficulties her son was having. She soon found there are many reasons for hope. Dunn is now photographing her son and other children diagnosed with ASD so people can gain a better understanding of what the ups and downs of life with an Autism Spectrum Disorder are like.

The first myth she broke was the belief by many that Autism does not exist. People were telling Dunn that these children were just behaving badly. She told reporter Tom Airey of BBC News, “Some people have said to me they don’t believe in autism, my son’s just a naughty child. I’ve been told autistic children don’t know how to love. They do.  Usually these children are having very complex sensory experiences and they’re in distress, with some adults perceiving it as misbehaving. It’s pretty scary.”

Awareness and Insight

The project may take on a much larger scale. Dunn is hoping to put her photos on display next year during Autism Awareness Month. So far, 15 families are participating in “Admiring Autism.” The UK’s The National Autistic Society has called it an “inspirational project”. Dunn is hoping to raise funds in support of her exhibition through crowd funding. She’s asking for funding through Patreon.  Dunn is also hoping to expand the scope of the exhibit to include older children and adults on the spectrum.

Find Out More

You can find out more by linking to Airey’s report: Admiring Autism: Busting ‘autism myths’ with a camera. There’s also a gallery of photos of Dunn and her son, Frank, available through the Chester Chronicle.  Mum’s project admires autism.

Eight Things You Should Know About Autism

Some Things You Should Know

Columnist Dan Tynan shares eight things you should know about Autism in YAHOO Tech in his article "Eight Things You Ought to Know About Autism (but might not)." Gaining understanding about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) can be an uphill battle. As a fundraiser for FOCUS Center for Autism I've run into roadblocks. But, when we get a chance to speak about ASD and share the stories about the children we treat at the Extended Day Treatment Program, those barriers often come down. FOCUS Center for Autism is Tynan breaks down some of the barriers and challenges other long-held "truths."

Controversial Comments

Four of his comments are controversial. I happen to think that's a good thing. The comments will further the discussion and cause those of us in the autism community to dig deeper for answers.

It’s kind of a geek thing. 

The saying goes, "If you meet one person with Autism, you've met one person with Autism. To be sure, some of the kids are geeky. Some of them are not. It would be just as valid to say that some of us not on the spectrum are geeky. If you've ever been to the Spectrum Unplugged Panel you are going to find children and young adults who love writing poetry, a proficiency in math and science, a love of reading, an interest in comparative religion, creating comics, playing instruments and song-writing.

But it’s not an epidemic.

If you look at the strict definition of Epidemic, Tynan is right.  Epidemic; a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time. This definition would be more appropriate to measles and polio. It might be more appropriate to say diagnosis of ASD has reached epidemic proportions.

It is not caused by vaccines.

The original report linking the MMR Vacine to Autism published in the Lancet was found to be a fraud. Since then the independent Institute of Medicine concluded in August 2011 that the use of vaccines — particularly the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine routinely given to children under the age of 6 — has no relationship to the rise in ASD cases. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a similar report in April 2013.

It can’t be cured.

This is sure to cause controversy certain circles. Major fundraising efforts are based on finding a cure. Tynan explains, "In fact, some autism advocates bristle at the notion that ASD is a condition in need of a cure. Others in the ASD community are desperate for a solution to the daily struggles of their autistic offspring. But while autism isn't a disease that can be cured, it is a disorder that can be treated."

What FOCUS Does

FOCUS Center for Autism’s mission is to help children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders achieve their full potential. Since becoming a nonprofit in 2000, FOCUS has developed a well-respected Milieu Therapy model of treatment that has now served over 600 children and families.
With an emphasis on planned environments (milieu), and relationship building, FOCUS helps address the many challenges children, and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders are confronted with every day.