This site is dedicated to parents, therapists, teachers and family members who wish to develop a better connection with someone they care about who has autism.
People often ask me what kind of autistic child is most likely to benefit from this communication method; from learning to point, type or handwrite? I use the term "low-communicating" to describe the type of person who is most likely to benefit from this communication approach. I got the idea when I was reading about a condition known as "low-vision". Low-vision is a condition in which the individual has severe limitations in his ability to use vision in daily life. Many accommodations can be made that will help the low-vision person adapt to the environment, including his educational, work and social environments. These accommodations prevent the person with low-vision from becoming isolated and allows them to participate in the social community. People with autism who are nonverbal or who possess spoken language which they cannot use for communication, can be described as "low-communicating". These are the people who are most likely to benefit from the communication methods that will be discussed and explored on this web site.
I created the strangeson web site to help people share their knowledge and experience and to find information as they attempt to establish better communication with their children and others who have autism.
This site is still under construction but most of its important features and functions will become available over the next few weeks. I strongly suggest signing up on our mailing list ('alert') so we can keep you posted as the site becomes fully operational and as we add more content and features. The mailing list will also alert you to events such as book signings, radio interviews and other events related to the Strange Son book.
What I am most excited about is the social network which we are now building, which is called Autspace. You can sign up as a member right now and soon the social network (Autspace) will be fully functional. We will update you as the network becomes more fully operational. I patterned Autspace after Myspace - but this social network is for us --- for people who want to improve their connection to someone they care about who has autism. Right now, you can create a profile for yourself and your child on Autspace. Each member will soon have the option to create their own blog, upload photos, send and receive messages within the network and join group discussion forums.
But the most exciting feature of the Autspace social network is the capability for sharing videos. As people make progress they can share what works for them as well as seek out information on the network. I believe that this communication method is as significant as Braille or sign language and that we need to build a community to teach and share our collective experience and knowledge about it. I will be sharing my videos of Dov communicating, of our small school Cogwheels, which employees these communication methods and video of actual scenes from my book Strange Son. This video-sharing capacity will become available in the next couple weeks.
I encourage you to join our social network Autspace now and help us develop it. Your early feedback is essential.
Best wishes for a great New Year! See you soon! -Portia
