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The original was written by G. H. Reavis, and published in 1937. Maybe it's about time we rethink education just a little bit.
Is it a Cheetah?
- Charles Schwab
Click here for more Inspirational Books and Quotations
If you've got a different kind of brain and, I submit, that most interesting people do that's great.
Never lose sight of those strengths, those talents, because that is what's going to take you to great places."
- Edward Hallowell, M.D.
Inspiring quotations
Kim Peek, mega savant who inspired the film 'Rain Man'.
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Inspirational Quotes
... by famous people with learning disabilities or differences
Welcome
Thought it would be so inspirational to link to quotes and articles by famous people who faced difficulties in their
lives like learning disabilities and other differences.
Many are coming forward to share their stories - hoping to encourage,
inspire, offer some advice and even resources. We were amazed by what we found online.
These highly successful people not only surmounted the obstacles in their lives, many are helping to make a difference
in the world.
Like the billionaire financier and founder of SCH, Charles Schwab.
He and his son both have dyslexia.
He provides a service ...
A Parent's Guide to Helping Kids with Learning Difficulties
http://www.schwablearning.org
offering support, guidance and resources to parents.
Then there's
Dr. Epstein - pioneer in pediatric brain surgery and patient-friendly hospitals.
You may be surprised to learn that this brilliant surgeon has a learning disability.
Have you heard of
Cosmologist: Emma King, The Mathematician Who Can't Add Up.
She's not alone.
FORTUNE magazine's May 2002 issue by Betsy Morris 'HEALTH Overcoming Dyslexia' examines some
'business leaders and artists who have gone beyond the limitations of dyslexia.
(pdf, requires Adobe Reader to view.)
Here is a quote:
Here is another article from
Tracing Business Acumen to Dyslexia - By BRENT BOWERS, Published: December 6, 2007, The New York Times
Ron Davis, author of The Gift of Dyslexia,
Unlocking the Power of Dyslexia.
Have you heard about Dr. Temple Grandin Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor of Animal Science, Colorado State University,
who credits thinking in pictures for her success.
As an autistic, she was almost institutionalized in childhood.
Another well-known autistic, international best-selling author Donna Williams, who holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Education,
offers counsel to parents and auties.
Read these testimonials.
The Guardian - Sept'06
Video on Autism
Hope from (J-Mac) Jason McElwain, an autistic hero, video from coniel
iRunman Alex Bain Autistic Celebration Run
On July 15th, 2006, Alex Bain reached East Point PEI and became the first autistic to run across PEI from tip to tip.
The goal was not only to raise awareness of autistics and their abilities, but also to raise funds for
Dennis Debbaudt's Safety Training and Education Seminars, which are to be held Sept. 27, 2006 on Prince Edward Island.
Dennis Debbaudt is an internationally recognized expert on law enforcement and safety for autistics.
He'll be talking about how to identify and respond to an autistic person, and how to keep autistic children
safe in the home and community. The seminars are free of charge.
Visit "Jypsy" (Janet Norman-Bain)'s site PlanetAutism.com to read more.. »
More Articles on Autism
Recently we found an article that offers a different perspective on autism, written by the parent of an autistic child - Morton Gernsbacher, Vilas Research Professor and the Sir Frederic Bartlett Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is President-Elect of the American Psychological Society.
[quote]
" ... research demonstrates that autistic traits are distributed into the non-autistic population; some people have more of them, some have fewer. History suggests that many individuals whom we would today diagnose as autistic - some severely so - contributed profoundly to our art, our math, our science, and our literature. "
-- Morton Gernsbacher, parent of an autistic child.
I am in awe of Mother of Shrek,
single mother of C, a 19 year old autistic young man. Read her
very powerful autistic rap.
Autistic Advocacy - Frank Klein
has articles, editorials and links on Asperger's Syndrome and autism.
He's written this excellent article But My Kid is Low-Functioning... You're Not...
that answers so many questions. I hope you'll take a look at it. Here is an excerpt:
What You Wrote Does Not Apply [quote]
" Autism itself is not the enemy... the barriers to development that are included with autism are the enemy. The retardation that springs from a lack of development is the enemy. The sensory problems that are often themselves the barriers are the enemy. These things are not part of who the child is... they are barriers to who the child is meant to be, according to the developmental blueprint. Work with the child's strengths to overcome the weaknesses, and work within the autism, not against it, to overcome the developmental barriers. "
-- Frank Klein, autistic
We also found
The Asperger's Express -- web site of the Vance Family and their daughter Katie, who has Asperger's Syndrome.
Their goal is not to force their daughter to look or act more like "normal" children,
but to help her develop to her full potential while adapting to our very social world.
They also give a warning about the
Restraints and Aversives used on autistics in some institutions, which can sometimes be fatal.
They also
link to articles written by some well known autistics:
Jim Sinclair, Frank Klein, Amanda Baggs and Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
arguing that the best "experts" on autism are autistics themselves. Wouldn't you agree?
And then there's Michelle Dawson,
Research Associate at the Pervasive Developmental Disorders Specialized Clinic at the University of Montréal,
and an autistic herself, who's written a very eloquent brief to the Canadian Senate Standing Committee
on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology:
THE WORD IS OUT ABOUT AUTISM - Canada in the Era of Autism Advocacy
She's also written this extraordinary article on the unethical treatment of autistics
and other human beings with differences, past and current, in the name of "science",
THE MISBEHAVIOUR OF BEHAVIOURISTS.
Is this an autistic trait?
Can you see the hexagon on the right embedded in the figure on the left?
Autism Diva announced she could
during a Distinguished Lecturer Series held at the UC Davis MIND Institute,
and was told by Dr. Frith that she probably has weak central coherence.
Omigosh!! - I can see the hexagon too! But then again, so can anyone paying close enough attention.
(If you can't, it just may be because the graphic isn't clear enough. I'll try to find one that's sharper.)
Children in fact love to be challenged this way, to find the hidden picture. That's why books like the series
I Spy ( Scholastic Reader)
are so popular with children.
Weak central coherence?!!
Looks more like a strength.
In fact, just discovered that something called the EFT - Embedded Figures Test -
is a standardized measure of cognitive style and analytical ability.
Also found the following:
THE PERFORMANCE OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS ON THE GROUP EMBEDDED FIGURES TEST
"The ability to disembed has been shown to be a necessary skill in problem solving and is consequently,
thought of as a necessary trait for individuals interested in engineering."
You can click here for more tests like the preceding.
So when are these so-called experts in the field going to figure out how to help autistics
reach their full potential, and contribute their strengths to society, rather than denigrate and discriminate against them
for being different.
Not all autistics are savants, but the following man is.
Visit Stephen Wiltshire's site, where you can see a video of him drawing his masterpiece -
a 10 meters drawing of the Tokyo landscape, completely from memory.
"Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant. He can perform mind-boggling mathematical calculations at breakneck speeds. But unlike other savants, who can perform similar feats, Tammet can describe how he does it. He speaks seven languages and is even devising his own language. Now scientists are asking whether his exceptional abilities are the key to unlock the secrets of autism. " Interview by Richard Johnson Saturday February 12, 2005
The Guardian
"Inside the Mind of a Savant" - May 2006 issue of Scientific American - by Darold A. Treffert, MD and Daniel D. Christensen, "Kim Peek, the inspiration for Rain Man, possesses one of the most extraordinary memories every recorded. Until we can explain his abilities, we cannot pretend to understand human cognition."
Video excerpt from Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain) featuring mega savant Kim Peek.
Windows Media file (6:00)
"I may be the star, but you are the heavens." - Dustin Hoffman dedicates his Oscar to Kim Peek.
Thank you for visiting. We hope that you'll enjoy your stay!
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