Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Brain - super - Powers
A Few Amazing Brains: Geniuses with Savant Syndrome
11/28/2007
If you happen to meet Kim Peek, a man from Arlington, Texas, he'll probably ask you when you were born. Then he'll tell you the year, and the exact day of the week, that you'll turn 65, just in case you want to consider retiring. He can also tell you what zip code you live in, and which highways to take to get to your house, no matter how far you are from home. Peek, nicknamed "Kim-Puter," knows as much about the Revolutionary War as any history professor and has memorized all of Shakespeare's soliloquies. His knowledge of NASA could rival John Glenn's.
One thing he can't do? Drive a car.
If Peek's amazing abilities sound strangely familiar, they should: He was the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman's card-counting autistic character in the movie Rain Man. Like Hoffman's character, Peek has what's known as "savant syndrome" – a rare condition, generally found in people with autism and other developmental disorders, in which individuals have high levels of proficiency in certain fields. Many autistic people have some level of savant syndrome, but Peek has what's known as "prodigious savant syndrome," marked by seemingly superhuman abilities, which would be astonishing even in a person without disabilities.
Kim Peek has an extraordinary ability to memorize everything he comes across. He has read thousands of books, and has memorized every single word of them, along with huge amounts of sports trivia, directions, and much more. But he's not the only spectacular savant around – from music to art to math, here are a few other amazing individuals you may not know about.
The Musical Maestro
When Tony DeBlois plays piano, his fingers fly across the keyboard so fast that you can barely see them. DeBlois isn't just a piano virtuoso, though – he can play 20 musical instruments, everything from English handbells to the ukelele. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston's prestigious music school, the Berklee College of Music.
DeBlois has overcome incredible odds to get where he is today. He was born three months early, weighing only one pound, and blind. He stayed in the hospital for fifteen weeks, hooked up to tubes and monitors, his chances uncertain. Eventually, he was well enough to go home with his family, but it wasn't long before he was diagnosed with autism and mental retardation.
At the age of two, he showed his first flash of brilliance. His mother had bought him a toy piano, and at first, he simply banged on it as most kids would. After a few weeks, though, his mother recognized a familiar song: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Her little boy had taught himself to play. And he hasn't stopped ever since. Check out this video to see DeBlois in action.
An Astonishing Artist
Many autistic savants also excel in the world of drawing, using their photographic memory to recreate the scenes before them in amazingly accurate detail, down to the position of the hands on a clock. One of the most famous artistic savants is Stephen Wiltshire, a mute and autistic 22-year-old man from London. Ten years ago, Wiltshire was taken on a helicopter ride over the entire city of London. When he returned home, he pulled out a pen and paper. Within three hours, he had drawn an intricate landscape of the entire city, showing every single building, street, and car that he had spotted from the air. Watch an amazing demonstration of his talents here.
The Brain Man
Finally, allow us to introduce you to Daniel Tammett, otherwise known as the "Brain Man." Tammett, who has a mild form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, first came to worldwide prominence on March 14th, 2004 – otherwise known as Pi Day (3/14). To raise money for an epilepsy foundation, Tammett spent five straight hours reciting the numeric value of pi to the 22,514th decimal place, all from memory. Tammett, an epileptic, had picked up his remarkable memorization skills after a series of seizures as a child; he is one of the world's few "acquired savants," whose skills were sparked by some sort of brain injury or damage.
Ever since his childhood seizures, Tammett has been obsessed with numbers – his mathematics skills are prodigious. When asked to calculate 37 raised to the fourth power, he gave the correct answer within less than a minute. Tammett also has remarkable language skills, and learned the entire Icelandic language within a mere week.
These days, Tammett is sharing his skills with others, offering online tutoring courses in languages, math, and English at his website. To learn more about this ultra-intelligent young man, check out the amazing documentary about him, The Boy with the Incredible Brain, or read his memoir, Born on a Blue Day.
11/28/2007
If you happen to meet Kim Peek, a man from Arlington, Texas, he'll probably ask you when you were born. Then he'll tell you the year, and the exact day of the week, that you'll turn 65, just in case you want to consider retiring. He can also tell you what zip code you live in, and which highways to take to get to your house, no matter how far you are from home. Peek, nicknamed "Kim-Puter," knows as much about the Revolutionary War as any history professor and has memorized all of Shakespeare's soliloquies. His knowledge of NASA could rival John Glenn's.
One thing he can't do? Drive a car.
If Peek's amazing abilities sound strangely familiar, they should: He was the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman's card-counting autistic character in the movie Rain Man. Like Hoffman's character, Peek has what's known as "savant syndrome" – a rare condition, generally found in people with autism and other developmental disorders, in which individuals have high levels of proficiency in certain fields. Many autistic people have some level of savant syndrome, but Peek has what's known as "prodigious savant syndrome," marked by seemingly superhuman abilities, which would be astonishing even in a person without disabilities.
Kim Peek has an extraordinary ability to memorize everything he comes across. He has read thousands of books, and has memorized every single word of them, along with huge amounts of sports trivia, directions, and much more. But he's not the only spectacular savant around – from music to art to math, here are a few other amazing individuals you may not know about.
The Musical Maestro
When Tony DeBlois plays piano, his fingers fly across the keyboard so fast that you can barely see them. DeBlois isn't just a piano virtuoso, though – he can play 20 musical instruments, everything from English handbells to the ukelele. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston's prestigious music school, the Berklee College of Music.
DeBlois has overcome incredible odds to get where he is today. He was born three months early, weighing only one pound, and blind. He stayed in the hospital for fifteen weeks, hooked up to tubes and monitors, his chances uncertain. Eventually, he was well enough to go home with his family, but it wasn't long before he was diagnosed with autism and mental retardation.
At the age of two, he showed his first flash of brilliance. His mother had bought him a toy piano, and at first, he simply banged on it as most kids would. After a few weeks, though, his mother recognized a familiar song: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Her little boy had taught himself to play. And he hasn't stopped ever since. Check out this video to see DeBlois in action.
An Astonishing Artist
Many autistic savants also excel in the world of drawing, using their photographic memory to recreate the scenes before them in amazingly accurate detail, down to the position of the hands on a clock. One of the most famous artistic savants is Stephen Wiltshire, a mute and autistic 22-year-old man from London. Ten years ago, Wiltshire was taken on a helicopter ride over the entire city of London. When he returned home, he pulled out a pen and paper. Within three hours, he had drawn an intricate landscape of the entire city, showing every single building, street, and car that he had spotted from the air. Watch an amazing demonstration of his talents here.
The Brain Man
Finally, allow us to introduce you to Daniel Tammett, otherwise known as the "Brain Man." Tammett, who has a mild form of autism called Asperger's Syndrome, first came to worldwide prominence on March 14th, 2004 – otherwise known as Pi Day (3/14). To raise money for an epilepsy foundation, Tammett spent five straight hours reciting the numeric value of pi to the 22,514th decimal place, all from memory. Tammett, an epileptic, had picked up his remarkable memorization skills after a series of seizures as a child; he is one of the world's few "acquired savants," whose skills were sparked by some sort of brain injury or damage.
Ever since his childhood seizures, Tammett has been obsessed with numbers – his mathematics skills are prodigious. When asked to calculate 37 raised to the fourth power, he gave the correct answer within less than a minute. Tammett also has remarkable language skills, and learned the entire Icelandic language within a mere week.
These days, Tammett is sharing his skills with others, offering online tutoring courses in languages, math, and English at his website. To learn more about this ultra-intelligent young man, check out the amazing documentary about him, The Boy with the Incredible Brain, or read his memoir, Born on a Blue Day.
// posted by jazzofonik @ 8:09 AM 
How to Care for an Autistic Child
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditThere is no uniform diagnostic for identifying what every autistic child should or can do. Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means that some children have vastly greater abilities in some or all areas than "classically" autistic children while still having the symptoms of autism. Autistic spectrum disorders include Pervasive Developmental Delay (PDD), Asperger Syndrome (AS), and Kanner-type (or classic) autism. There is no single test to diagnose autistic spectrum disorders, and no single cause has been identified. For many families, coping with the behaviors and abilities of their individual child is the most practical daily approach to managing and remediating this disability.
Steps
- If you have concerns that your child may be autistic, you should seek professional evaluation.
- Start keeping a notebook or journal about your child. A diagnosis of autism will require a developmental history. You may be asked to fill out questionnaires which ask about behaviors and development. Writing things down on a regular basis will help you remember when you noticed things. Keeping track of what works and what doesn't will also come in handy when you're trying to modify behaviors. The journal or notebook may also help start to identify patterns for difficult times and triggers for problems.
- Have the attitude that you're in it for the long haul. There will be days when progress is made and days when things seem to be going in reverse. Don't be discouraged. Sometimes finding out what isn't working can be as beneficial in the long run as finding out what does so you know what to avoid.
- Establish and keep a routine. Many autistic children are very independent, but rely on routine for security.
- Understand fixations. This can include stimming behavior[1] (staring at turning wheels, making repeated noises, etc) and topical obsessions (Star Wars, whales, the weather). Opinions vary on whether these behaviors should be tolerated, but controlled, or discouraged entirely. Tolerating these behaviors within controlled parameters can be a powerful tool in connecting with the child for educational, emotional, and social instruction. Relating new information to the child's interests may help the child be more accepting of new things. Using time to focus on interests as a bargaining tool may help when it comes to school.
- Find support. It does not need to be the caretakers of other autistic children, though that can be an especial help. Have trusted individuals who can provide childcare, a willing ear, or mentoring.
- See if your state department of health has a department for children with special health care needs. They may provide services on a sliding fee scale based on income. You may qualify for free services or reduced charges. (In Utah this department is by the University of Utah.)
- Understand the use of visual stimuli. Many times autistic kids are visually oriented. Sometimes nonverbal children are able to communicate using sign language or by pointing to pictures in a special book put together to help them communicate. Even autistic kids who speak may benefit by making a visual chart for the schedule for the day. If you're trying to teach your child how to do something it may help to make a picture chart. (Some autistic kids can even repeat verbal instructions word for word but still lack the ability to turn those instructions into actions in their head. Pictures may somehow help them to do that.)
- See if there are any early intervention programs available where you live. As early as 3-years of age the school district should be contacted to determine whether they have special preschool programs. Ask them for an evaluation.
- When it comes time for your child to start school, contact your school and request to have your child evaluated for special education. Make the request in writing. If school personnel aren't helpful, contact the school district. Obtain a copy of the special education rules for your state from the state office of education. Qualifying for special education opens the door to more services like speech and occupational therapists. When your child is evaluated and qualifies for special education, make sure you have your school set up an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for your child. That document is very important for getting the services and education your child needs. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that children with special needs receive an education.
Tips
- Try reading "Daniel isn't Talking" by Marti Leimbach, it is a (99%) true story, her story, just with the names of people changed.
- There are many more books available about autism than there were in the past. Check out Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Start to educate yourself. You're going to have to find out what is going to work for you and your child. The more informed you are, the better decisions you can make.
- Read some good theory based parenting books. (Parenting with Love and Logic & Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) are a couple.) The strategies may need to be modified for your particular child, but it will be helpful to have a good understanding of some good principles for parenting.
- Some kids respond well to vestibular stimulation. (motion) Pulling the child on a scooterboard (put a helmet on the child) or swinging in a hammock may help to calm the child down. There are special swings you can buy which can be set up in a door jam. (Great for rainy days when you can't go outside.)
- Tactile stimulation may help calm a child down. Playing with water or sand are great developmental activities for any child. Clay works well. (As long as your child doesn't eat it.)
- Make sure you feed your child on a regular schedule. Nothing will make a child with developmental difficulties cranky like not getting lunch or dinner on time.
- Activity using large muscle groups helps regulate mood. My son was having a very difficult time with behavior issues in school until an occupational therapist suggested a break every two hours to do some pullups or running. (He was about 7 years old.) The outbursts dropped dramatically. When behavior started to improve, the lenght of time between breaks was gradually increased. When behavior was difficult again, the activity breaks were increased. Taking the kids for a walk or to the park may help behavior at home.
Warnings
- Professional help can be expensive, and will not deliver a magical cure. (Always evaluate the advice you receive no matter what the source. Allow enough time to see if something works. If you try it and it doesn't seem to be working, though, it may be time to make an adjustment.)
- Don't spoil your child. There are a lot of spoiled kids who have disabilities. Special needs kids learn to manipulate just like regular kids. (Read the parenting books!) Set appropriate limits with appropriate modifications. Finding the right balance is probably one of the most difficult parts of having a special needs kid. (Don't worry, you have time to evaluate what's going on and make adjustments.)
Related wikiHows
- How to Praise a Child
- How to Enhance Learning for an Autistic Child
- How to Communicate With an Autistic Child Using the Picture Exchange Communication System
- How to Make a Behavior Intervention Plan for an Autistic Child
- How to Deal with an Autistic Sibling
Sources and Citations
- http://www.utahparentcenter.org/
- http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/sars/ Utah State Office of Education - Special Education
- http://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com/blog/2006/09/19/coping-with-aggression/ - Useful article on coping with aggression in autistic children
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Care for an Autistic Child. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
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