All In One Neurologist

We just got back a few minutes ago from an appointment with Princess #2's new neurologist and I'm floored. She's so much more than what we've been dealing with in a doctor for the past few years that I didn't even know what we were missing. She also has a specialty in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Behavioral Disorders that I wasn't aware of when I first made our appointment with her. This woman is just amazing and I feel like she landed in our lap. Princess #2  loves her already which in itself is amazing, especially since this doctor is very no-nonsense. It often takes Princess #2 quite some time, if not a couple of visits, to warm up to someone.  She even did her best to make eye contact with the doctor when the doctor requested it, but that was agonizing for Princess #2.  Eye contact is such a struggle and so uncomfortable for her, even when she's not thinking about it. 

Dr. K is already going to take control of  Princess #2's seizure disorder and we'll be getting blood tests to check the levels of Lamictal in her blood to make sure it's appropriate and therapeutic.  Even better or just as good Dr. K is going to be very, very hands on with our behavioral issues, sensory issues, and social issues. Dr. K already wrote a prescription for  Princess #2 to get occupational therapy at our local autism therapeutic center and she said that she can guarantee Princess #2 a spot there because she consults at that school/clinic.

Dr. K already made another appointment for the 22nd, and said that she's not only sending  Princess #2 for special therapies but she's going to do therapies herself in her office. We won't need the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician that we've been on the waiting list for. That we've been waiting literally years to see.  It's like we have this amazing new all-in-one doctor and she's willing to do it all with us, not only willing but stepped up and offered.  When Dr. K asked what I had in place for Princess #2 outside of school and I told her we were on a waiting list for a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician to help us with the sensory stuff and behavioral stuff, Dr. K's response was, "Why would you do that? You don't have to keep waiting.  You have me.  I can help you with all of this.  Not just refer you, but actually do this myself one on one with Princess #2." 

What in the HUH??? Is this woman for real? Is it already Christmas? Did Santa come early? Was there an angel sitting next to me this morning? Did God answer a prayer for me so directly and so precisely "to order" that if I were to call it a coincidence lightning would strike me?

She's going to be hands on and in frequent contact with our school. She wants to know literally everything about  Princess #2 academically, she wants current and past IEPs, she wants progress reports from the teachers before each and every appointment that we have.

And for the part that made my heart sink. She's going to evaluate Princess #2 herself, which in and of itself is not bad.  Nor did it make my heart sink.  I wish our last neurologist had done this, as our child psychiatrist had done in obtaining the diagnosis of PDD-NOS "with the likelihood of Asperger's Disorder."  But Dr. K believes that Princess #2 doesn't have Asperger's Disorder. Dr. K concurs that Princess #2 should have had the PDD diagnosis, that she undoubtedly has ASD but she has more developmental and sensory issues apparent even just during our meeting today that people with Asperger's Disorder don't typically have, and if they do not to the extent that  Princess #2 does.

A new way of thinking, even though when the new DSM comes out it "won't matter" since "autism will be autism no matter what type it is." In my head there are a lot of complications to this anyway that I can't really express, but they're there.  How do I digest all of this? Do I relearn what I know or think I know? Do I stop researching so much about Asperger's Disorder? What type of Autism, other than "typical" do I put my energy into researching? We'll have more answers after her next couple of appointments but now it feels like we've backtracked even though we're probably actually making headway that I didn't even realize we needed to make.  I've felt like I've been treading water, nearly drowning and in over my head, not knowing where the life raft is.  Maybe this explains why.  We were close to the right diagnosis but not quite there... the peg just needed to be shifted slightly.  Just how much it needs to be shifted won't be clear for a little while, but there are answers and help to be had and it's not just in spitting distance.  It's finally HERE. 

Inner Conflict Resolution

My middle daughter turns 8 years old in just a few days.  She's in second grade, and it's a been quite a journey for her to get there.  Every year she's progressed further than she did the year before.  Every year, she has new challenges.  She has Asperger's Disorder, as I've discussed at length before.  This is a form of  Autism. 

But this post isn't really about her this time.  I'm proud of my daughter.  I love her with all of my heart.  But that doesn't mean that I don't get frustrated with her, or that I don't get angry with her.  Yes, with her.  Because sometimes her behavior is age-appropriate and situationally appropriate.  Sometimes there are even misleading moments and periods of downright averageness.  Our house has it's own normal, probably different than your normal, so I try to refrain from using "typically normal" except when referring to what is "typically normal" for my own children specifically.

For a long time, friends and family have described how I'm handling Princess #2 with various descriptors.  Strong.  Bravely.  Well.  Loving.  Caring.  Gently.  Patiently.  Courageously.  Inspirational.  A great advocate.  Self educated.  Encouraging.  Helpful.  Understanding.  Open-minded.  Firm.  So many positive words, so many more than I can think of now.  My best friend gave me a wonderful compliment the other day, saying that of all of us in our group of friends, the one of us who has handled motherhood the best and therefore would be the best mother for a special needs daughter would have to be me.  Considering I try to model my mothering after her, and that I believe she's the best mother I know, I took that as a great and undeserved compliment. 

But what people don't seem to see or maybe refuse to acknowledge are the other adjectives that can be used to describe me as a mother to a child with special needs.  Sometimes sad.  Tired.  Swimming.  In over my head.  Unprepared.  Afraid.  Worried.  Anxious. 

Angry.  I've been living through it since her diagnosis, and not allowing myself to acknowledge that emotion, but I've been angry that it happened to my daughter and by extension to my dearest heart.  Autism has happened to our family.  Everything that Autism makes more difficult, more pronounced, more MORE, has happened to my family.  And I've been asking, without acknowledging that angry question, why? 

And why haven't I been able... or feeling like I'm allowed... to acknowledge those negative adjectives and feelings? Why does the world expect parents with special needs children to put on a special happy face? We can't admit to anyone who isn't actually living it that some days, we're just plodding through, that we're just existing and faking it simply to get through the day until the day is over.  That our patience isn't infinite, that we don't always like our kids as much as we love them, and that we don't always know what to do. 

I didn't even realize until recently that I had that Why stuck in my head.  But it's been there.  It's been persistent.  In fact, it's been the driving force behind my anger.  I didn't plan to have a child with special needs.  When she was small and we weren't sure what was going on and it was before we had even an inkling that she was special needs I distinctly remember saying a brief prayer, "Please God, let this be something we can fix with her diet or medicine.  Don't let her have Autism."  I think maybe I knew even then before I really even knew what Autism was and that there were different types and severities.  I didn't even know why the word Autism flitted through my head in that prayer and I remember that it surprised me that my brain jumped to it.  At the time I had no clue.  I just had no clue.  I wonder if God answered my own prayer as I was praying it.  That thought has crossed my mind more than once. 

I quickly reached a point where I desired answers more than I desired "don't let her have Autism."

Of course I never once wanted her to have Autism.  Her diagnosis was devastating even though it gave us answers, and even though it gave us a starting place and a map on how to proceed.  It opened doors for us with her education in getting her a proper PPT and IEP.  But it also opened doors for feelings I didn't expect.

I'm not angry with her for having Autism.  It's not her fault.  None of it is her fault.  I parent her as I do my other children keeping in mind her strengths and her needs, disciplining her as best as fits her personality and the situations.  I give her as much love as she ever needs and encourage her to learn and laugh.  Life isn't easy for her to navigate so there are many times that she's not happy.  There are many things that are difficult for her to grasp that seem easy for other children her age and younger, that when she realizes it make her sad.  She knows she's different and sometimes that makes her sad or angry while other times it doesn't bother her at all.  She knows that either way she's loved and she's special.  She's learning the language of Autism so that she can ask for things that she needs when she needs them, and that makes me happy that she understands and is figuring those things out, but it's made me angry that she HAS TO. 

And all of this leads me to ask WHY? Why her? Why us? WHY ME? Why me and my child? Why would God do this to us? Why would he allow it? These are questions I haven't allowed myself to vocalize or even acknowledge but have been there in the back of my mind unformed nevertheless.  And I know that I haven't been to Church as much as I should since we received this diagnosis because I've felt betrayed by that prayer.  That prayer was the turning point, even before I heard the words, "Your daughter has Asperger's Disorder.  Yes, it is Autism.  She has PDD-NOS.  Your suspicions were correct and the evaluation shows this is an accurate diagnosis" 

Now there's a conflict that I'm having a lot of trouble with right now.  I had a spiritual purging over the weekend at an event called Women of Faith.  It was amazing.  I've never had a questioning of God during all of these years.  If anything, my faith has grown stronger.  It's been my anger getting in the way, my disappointment getting in the way, of properly worshiping even though I pray for help and pray for thanks.  My heart hasn't been in it quite the same way.  At this convention, I was forced to acknowledge this entire mishmash of thoughts and emotions in a short period of time and kept coming back to WHY?

And then near the end of the second day, the answer came from one of the inspirational speakers, answering the question I'd finally put a voice to in my own  head the night before while listening to their music and their stories.  WHY?  and then... Why not?

Why not indeed.  My daughter is still my daughter.  I love her.  I'm proud of every accomplishment she makes because I know how difficult they can be for her.  I take pride in the things that she finds easy.  I take pride in her talents.  She's smart, she's beautiful, she's funny, she's sensitive.  We need each other.  She wouldn't be who she is without the Autism, and I wouldn't be who I am now without her.  So why not her and why not me?  Maybe there are some lessons in there I should be looking at more closely, and maybe even being thankful for. 

Autism And Vaccine Link Discredited Officially

This was several months ago, but it's still important to continue addressing this topic for a couple of reasons. The original article set up a false scapegoat to blame for the cause of Autism. It gave hurting, desperate parents something to be angry with. It gave new fearful parents something a bogeyman by forcing them to avoid something that was actually beneficial for them. It moved focus away from researching other possible causes, wasted valuable time, money, and resources figuring out if the claims in that article were true or something to be debunked. Time, money, and resources that could have been focused on researching genetic links, researching how Autism works, providing resources for people and families with Autism.


It's been the source of unnecessary controversy and drama in the Autism community dividing people who should have been able to support each other in the struggle to help their children find a new normal and live in a world filled with neuro-typical people. That's the worst of it. The division of a community, the controversy, the bitterness, and the diversion of support. It breaks my heart.


What am I talking about? If you're hazy on the details or if this is the first time you're hearing about the vaccine link to causing Autism being severed, here it is.


On February 2nd 2010 CNN reported:

Medical journal retracts study linking autism to vaccine
By Madison Park, CNN
February 2, 2010 1:29 p.m. EST

The medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday retracted a controversial 1998 paper that linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism.

The study subsequently had been discredited, and last week, the lead author, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, was found to have acted unethically in conducting the research.

The General Medical Council, which oversees doctors in Britain, said that "there was a biased selection of patients in The Lancet paper" and that his "conduct in this regard was dishonest and irresponsible."

The panel found that Wakefield subjected some children in the study to various invasive medical procedures such as colonoscopies and MRI scans. He also paid children at his son's birthday party to have blood drawn for research purposes, an act that "showed a callous disregard" for the "distress and pain" of the children, the panel said.

After the council's findings last week, The Lancet retracted the study and released this statement.

"It has become clear that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield et al. are incorrect, contrary to the findings of an earlier investigation. In particular, the claims in the original paper that children were 'consecutively referred' and that investigations were 'approved' by the local ethics committee have been proven to be false. Therefore we fully retract this paper from the published record."

Now, the so-called "research" had been discredited and debunked for quite some time. It was already widely known that Dr. Andrew Wakefield was unethical in how he carried out his research and presented it. It was known that he fudged the so-called facts and essentially made up the results of the research. The entire article was his imagination. It just took a couple of years after it was proven for The Lancet to retract that article. That little detail is missing from the CNN article.


The pain and anguish that this man put parents through is unforgivable. How many parents just in the U.S. alone have been killing themselves over thinking they caused their child's Autism because they allowed their pediatrician or family practitioner to give their child the MMR vaccine? Or even any vaccine at all? Are you one of those parents?


The fact is that if your child has Autism IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT IT. We don't know the cause, but it's very likely that it's genetically based. There's a lot of evidence showing that it's inherited. There's also some likelihood that there are multiple causes that can trigger it... perhaps it's in the genes plus environmental factors play a role.


In our case, when I look back on it, my daughter showed signs even before she was born. She showed signs as soon as she was born before she ever received her first vaccination or had her first meal. I didn't know why, that it was Autism, but I recognized right away that she had sensory integration disorder. I didn't know what it was called then, but I knew she had it. She would shy away from sound and outside movements when I was still pregnant with her, and her little fetal self spent a lot of time near my back. She's had sensory processing disorder since birth, although we didn't know that's what it was called. We only knew she was very sensitive to textures, touch, smells, and sound. All of her motor skills were late.


When she was around 4 years old we discovered that she falls on the autism spectrum with Asperger's Disorder. It took us a while to figure it out, but when we did it seemed so obvious in hindsight. She is currently seven years old and she's made great progress with therapies, excellent teachers, excellent schooling, and patience. Lots and lots of patience. She has an amazing team of specialists and teachers in her school and we work very closely together to help her learn coping skills and methods of learning.

It's not easy, and luckily she's very high functioning. She's an amazing child and we're very lucky. I see the traits in her that are autistic traits in other family members and myself, that separately are just personality traits or other types of disorders (such as anxiety, sensory, and others) but they all "come together" in her as autism. There's no doubt in my mind that genetics plays a role. That's not to say that I don't put any stock in environmental factors. She appeared more shy until several major life changes took place in a short space of time when she was 18-24 months old. She went from being an easy-going toddler to a stranger with high anxiety and so many things going on that we had no idea what to do or where to go.

On top of it she had other medical issues that we had to look at thinking those things were at least contributors. We minimized her HFCS intake, her food dye intake, and discovered that she was lactose intolerant. This was after researching that some food intolerances can mimic symptoms of autism. We hoped that the signs of autism could be blamed on food intolerances and allergies. It helped dramatically, but what we were left with was still a child with virtually all of the signs of Asperger's Disorder. Her speech was early and then regressed. She cried a lot. She had severe separation anxiety. So many things. I posted about them right here in this blog. Extensively. I posted about all of it.

That long road led us to having her diagnosed by a child psychiatrist at just about 4 years old. It's been three years and while some things are easier, many things are not probably due to the fact that she's a growing person with growing needs and she doesn't understand all of them herself. Things are changing naturally, and many of those things are typical cake with autistic icing. Many things are easier to tolerate, but that's out of knowledge or understanding that it might be due to the disorder. It's still a learning curve for me as a parent.

What's tough is being the main care-giving parent. My husband is the one working out of the home right now, so when he's home and issues crop up that he needs to cope with I have to teach him in a short amount of time how to deal with things. He can get frustrated because she doesn't respond to discipline and social interactions the same way as her sisters. She gets upset or happy or sad or frustrated for different reasons than they do... and I've stopped getting frustrated about those things and started going with the flow. I've stopped trying to fix her, but work with her and give her tools to work with so that we can achieve Normalcy.

One thing I've learned as a parent has been that it's been beneficial to let my daughter in on the fact that there's a name for her difference. She knows she's different than her siblings and her classmates, and having a name for it reassures her. She's learning the language for it and teaching me how to relate to some things that she needs me to know. It's not easy, because explanations and details aren't easy for her. Social contact and interaction isn't easy for her. She's very sensitive, but it's not easy to have a long conversation with full sentences let alone eye contact.

She does best on days that my confidence is high, or at least when it looks like my confidence is high. But when she has a bad day, everyone has a bad day. When she smiles the sun is shining. When she's sad, everyone around her wants nothing more than to see her smile again. She's a very special girl, and she's a happy girl. You can even forget that she has Autism for a while. You shouldn't forget, because reality can come crashing down and smack you in the face (literally). Maybe I'm the naive one for not looking for The Cause, but I think I know what it is already... for her. I know what triggered the symptoms to worsen to the point that it was undeniable to ignore. It wasn't anything she ate or had put into her so much as a series of emotional disruptions the year we moved and had her baby sister. We spent two long years trying to figure things out. During that time I worried that I broke her with vaccines but then I also have two completely typical children. If vaccines were so horrible, why didn't they have Autism too?


And now we're working towards maintaining.


Maintaining.

I will say one thing. I would rather know and accept the Autism than ignore it and be embittered. That's not to say I wouldn't kill to obtain a cure, but I don't believe that there is one. I believe that Autism is for life. I believe one is truly born with it. And I would rather spend my time with her as I do all of my children... teaching her to grow up to be a productive member of society. I just have to do it with a different set of skills and frame of mind. How am I going to do that if I'm angry and trying to find "blame" in the first place? There's nothing wrong with my child. It's just that Autism isn't the way you think.

Silent Seizures

So, my Frou Frou girlie girl might be having "absence" seizures or "silent" seizures on top of everything else.

We already know she has Asperger's Disorder, lactose intolerance, bad seasonal allergies, and vertigo. Apparently, they aren't enough. She spaces out a lot, and we thought it was the ASD catching up with her and her "detoxing." I never connected it with seizure disorder until the school nurse saw it happen (during kindergarten placement evaluations, she was attempting to perform a hearing test).

I took her to the pediatrician, who saw it happen right in the office. Now that we're paying more attention, I've noticed that it happens several times a day. We have an appointment with a pediatric neurologist this month, and then they'll probably do a sleep study for her to officially test her. But I'm fairly certain it's going to show she has them. I wish I'd connected the dots sooner. My niece has these, and Grace has them the same way Marina did. My husband's family has a history of cousins and siblings with seizure disorders. HOW could I have missed it?

Usually, they occur in children who outgrow them at puberty. They're considered to be very mild, almost un-noticable seizures. They look as if the person having them is "spacing out" and it can last anywhere from a few seconds to up to 3 minutes. The longest I've witnessed for Froufy is 30 seconds or so. When they last longer like that, she tilts her head because she's "not there." She doesn't blink, and doesn't seem to realize what's happening.

The problem is that when they happen several times a day, most likely several times per hour, it's a minimum of a few seconds each time. That means that all the seconds, when added up over the course of each day, are causing a loss of learning and experiences. For a child with global learning delays due to Asperger's Disorder, that means she's losing much more time than "neurotypical" children who have them. Otherwise, it's considered a very mild seizure and nothing to worry about. If she does have this, and again, I'm about 90% certain she does, then she'll be on a daily medication to minimize the seizures until she outgrows them. I'll also check out holistic treatments as well.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness

April is Autism Awareness Month. 1 in 151 children (updated from what used to be believed to be 1 in 166 children) and 1 in 92 boys (also updated) will be diagnosed with some form of Autism. We don't know what causes it. Rather, we have some theories and hypotheses, and it can vary from child to child. It may be environmental, or genetic, or a combination of the two. Or maybe there's something else that we just haven't figured out yet.

I am an Autism Awareness Advocate. I try to take the chance whenever I can to educate people on Asperger's Disorder, especially when there are situations that warrant educating people who don't know my child but come into contact with her. Those of you who are regular readers of my blog are probably already aware that my middle daughter, who is currently 5 yrs old, has Asperger's Disorder. Asperger's Disorder is a high-functioning form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and has it's own spectrum within Autism. I will be honest, there are some people who will dispute that claim, but anyone who has an Aspie child knows that's the truth, and not a fallacy.

For the month of April, I will be keeping this button at the top of my blog, and if you know someone with Autism then join forces and include this button on your blog too, and blog about Autism during this month of April. Even if you don't have a child with Autism, it's always good to be informed. Please check out the links at the bottom of this post.... they are all blogs that concern Autism Spectrum Disorder.

I'm just going to include some links to past entries of mine that have dealt specifically with our personal Aspie Journey. I do have an update, but will dedicate it's own entry shortly.

OT Evaluation Meeting Today

My "Different" Princess Frou Frou

For Children Diagnosed With ASD

Just Call Me Advocate Mom

What You Didn't Know About Autism

What You Didn't Know About Autism

There is inspiration out there in the world. For every hardship, there's someone who has proven that it can be overcome. For every disability or difference, there is someone who proves that those differences can be managed and coped with.

If you've read my blog over the past couple of years, you might be familiar with the journey that we've been on in discovering Grace's Asperger's Disorder aka Asperger's Syndrome. Briefly put, it is a disorder found on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and has it's own spectrum within itself as well. Typically, Aspies appear shy and socially awkward. They very often enjoy spending time alone. They may and do show other signs of autism, such as arm flapping when upset, obsessive attention to specific thoughts or objects, excessive emotional responses or responses that aren't appropriate to a particular situation, and many more.

Many Aspies engage in sensory seeking behavior. For Grace, that could mean playing in sand, water, or with finger paints and clay to satisfy the need to feel different textures. Most kids do that, right? But do most kids eat hot spicy foods even if they don't like it? Grace will eat super-hot salsa or jabanero peppers because of the heat. If it makes her tear up, so much the better. She will also drink straight, plain lemon juice, not because she likes it, but because it's an intense flavor that gives her a physical reaction. When she's upset, one trick to calming her down is finding a fabric on a toy or blanket that is soft and gentle and feels good, like a cloud, and asking her to focus on it. More often than not, it works!

Much of the time, Asperger's Disorder pairs with a diagnosis of Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD). That's a very generic term that essentially means "social, learning, and motor delays are present and significant."

Aspies have a much higher likelihood than other ASD's individuals to respond to therapies and treatments that are aimed to help teach them to cope with the world and help tailor their education so that their delays are worked through and hopefully eliminated. Through hard work, therapy and special services these children very often show no outward signs of their autism by the time they're in middle school.

To further help Grace, we'll soon be having her checked out by a genetecist who will do some basic neurological and genetic tests on her. I believe the goal is to help find out if there's a root cause for the Asperger's in Grace. Honestly, though, I think she just inherited all of the emotional anxieties and other crap from both sides of our family, and in Gracie, it showed up as Asperger's Disorder. I relate very much with a lot of the things Gracie goes through, but I also see certain tendencies in her that I see in other family members. Family members that don't have Asperger's.

I also want to make it very clear that Asperger's and Autism Spectrum Disorders DOES NOT MEAN that there is something wrong with an individual. It means that they think differently than the rest of us. That they have difficulty coping with social interactions and sensory stimuli.

As a parent to a child with Asperger's Disorder, it can be daunting trying to advocate for her and get her the services she needs. We're still in the process of figuring things out and getting special services through the school system, as well as her continued therapy with a child psychiatrist. After her genetic testing, we're hoping that will open the doors for more "play therapy." It can be overwhelming and stressful. Lately there are many more good days than bad, and I can see my daughter making efforts to overcome things that upset her and challenges she has that other children don't.

We have good days, but when we have bad days, they're very very bad. There are different triggers for the tantrum-like episodes, and usually we can predict what will trigger one, but sometimes... we can't. And those days are very difficult, especially if our usual soothing techniques aren't working. The good thing is that Grace does try most times now, because she's becoming aware that she needs help with certain situations. I'm quite proud of her for coming as far as she has.

I do wonder sometimes, and worry about what her future will be like. And then I hear something inspiring, like this and I know that she'll be able to do anything she chooses. These people below had/have uatistic traits including Asperger's Disorder.

Historical famous people
Jane Austen, 1775-1817, English novelist, author of Pride and Prejudice (see above)
Béla Bartók, 1881-1945, Hungarian composer
Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827, German/Viennese composer
AMENDED Alexander Graham Bell, 1847-1922, Scottish/Canadian/American inventor of the telephone
Anton Bruckner, 1824-1896, Austrian composer
Henry Cavendish, 1731-1810, English/French scientist, discovered the composition of air and water
Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, US poet
Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, US inventor
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German/American theoretical physicist
Henry Ford, 1863-1947, US industrialist
Kaspar Hauser, c1812-1833, German foundling, portrayed in a film by Werner Herzog
Oliver Heaviside, 1850-1925, English physicist
Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, US politician
NEW Carl Jung, 1875-1961, Swiss psychoanalyst
Franz Kafka, 1883-1924, Czech writer
Wasily Kandinsky, 1866-1944, Russian/French painter
H P Lovecraft, 1890-1937, US writer
Ludwig II, 1845-1886, King of Bavaria
Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1868-1928, Scottish architect and designer
NEW Gustav Mahler, 1860-1911, Czech/Austrian composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791, Austrian composer
Isaac Newton, 1642-1727, English mathematician and physicist
Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher
Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British logician
George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish playwright, writer of Pygmalion (see above), critic and Socialist
Richard Strauss, 1864-1949, German composer
Nikola Tesla, 1856-1943, Serbian/American scientist, engineer, inventor of electric motors
Henry Thoreau, 1817-1862, US writer
Alan Turing, 1912-1954, English mathematician, computer scientist and cryptographer
Mark Twain, 1835-1910, US humorist
Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890, Dutch painter
Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951, Viennese/English logician and philosopher

Historical people prominent in the late twentieth century (died after 1975)
Isaac Asimov, 1920-1992, Russian/US writer on science and of science fiction, author of Bicentennial Man (see above)
Hans Asperger, 1906-1980, Austrian paediatric doctor after whom Asperger's Syndrome is named
John Denver, 1943-1997, US musician
Glenn Gould, 1932-1982, Canadian pianist
Jim Henson, 1936-1990, creator of the Muppets, US puppeteer, writer, producer, director, composer
Alfred Hitchcock, 1899-1980, English/American film director
NEARLY NEW Howard Hughes, 1905-1976, US billionaire
Andy Kaufman, 1949-1984, US comedian, subject of the film Man on the Moon
L S Lowry, 1887-1976, English painter of "matchstick men"
Charles Schulz, 1922-2000, US cartoonist and creator of Peanuts and Charlie Brown
Andy Warhol, 1928-1987, US artist

Contemporary famous people
Woody Allen, 1935-, US comedian, actor, writer, director, producer, jazz clarinettist
Tony Benn, 1925-, English Labour politician
Bob Dylan, 1941-, US singer-songwriter
Joseph Erber, 1985-, young English composer/musician who has Asperger's Syndrome, subject of a BBC TV documentary
Bobby Fischer, 1943-, US chess champion
Bill Gates, 1955-, US global monopolist
Genie, 1957-?, US "wild child" (see also L'Enfant Sauvage, Victor, above)
Crispin Glover, 1964-, US actor
Al Gore, 1948-, former US Vice President and presidential candidate
Jeff Greenfield, 1943-, US political analyst/speechwriter, a political wonk
David Helfgott, 1947-, Australian pianist, subject of the film Shine
Michael Jackson, 1958-, US singer
Garrison Keillor, 1942-, US writer, humorist and host of Prairie Home Companion
Kevin Mitnick, 1963-, US "hacker"
John Motson, 1945-, English sports commentator
NEW John Nash, 1928-, US mathematician (portrayed by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, USA 2001)
Keith Olbermann, 1959-, US sportscaster
Michael Palin, 1943-, English comedian and presenter
Keanu Reeves, 1964-, Lebanese/Canadian/US actor
Oliver Sacks, 1933-, UK/US neurologist, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Awakenings
James Taylor, 1948-, US singer/songwriter

For Children Diagnosed With ASD

I posted this on my MySpace support group for ASD parents and on BabyCenter Feb 05, but thought I'd share it here too. The more people who can take advantage of this, the better for the child's sake.

This is legitimate. I got the web site from 2-1-1 through United Way on the Children's Health Info Line. If your child has been diagnosed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) then she is legally entitled to services through your town's education system, but she is ALSO entitled to apply for this grant.

The site goes into more detail, but essentially it would help cover medical expenses that are not covered by your primary health insurance (NOT dental). So the $25 copays we pay for each visit (weekly and biweekly to a child psychiatrist, so far) could potentially be covered and allow us to go as often as weekly. I just spoke with a rep from United Healthcare, and this application actually went live officially yesterday (8/27/07). I submitted an application for Grace (who has Asperger's Disorder on the ASD scale) this morning.

http://www.uhccf.org/