It is time to reflect on my most recent class with Larry Welkowitz . I had a hard time relating to this class, as I did not understand some of the terminology like co-morbidity. However, through the support of my colleagues and their patience, I quickly gained the knowledge needed to understand the remainder of the lecture. For those of you who do not understand what co-morbidity is it means having two or more diagnosable conditions at the same time. One of the items discussed in class was topography (what the behavior looks like) and function (purpose of the behavior or what is causing the problem). Larry used the example beaten by a bully vs. cannot stand the fluorescent lights vs. academics are boring. He stated “same topography different function”.

Also mentioned in class as well as in his book, Asperger's Syndrome: Intervening in Schools, Clinics, and Communities , which he co-authored with Linda J. Baker , college students mentoring students with Asperger’s Syndrome or Autism. Keene State College has been a part of the peer-mentoring program, which has been funded by the The Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation . College life can be extremely difficult for anyone. Imagine what it is like for a person with Asperger’s. College life can be described as a social interaction mixing pot, which can spell disaster for the young adults on the spectrum. Having a peer on campus to assist with schedules, social interactions, class scheduling, and many more items can be nothing more than helpful and positive.

Later in the day, there was a speaker from Peterborough, New Hampshire by the name of Kathleen Seidel . She offered so much that day, she seemed to make everything start to solidify and make sense. Her website neurodiversity is a wealth of information about Autism as well as other disorders. Other information on her site ranges from family, everyday life issues, society, childhood, education, and many, many more categories.

Further, along in the afternoon, there was also another speaker Andy Sylvia who has Asperger’s . This diagnosis has not stopped Andy. He currently writes for the NH Insider which is a website containing information about New Hampshire politics.

I still find myself floundering in this great field of autism. There is still so much to learn even though we have made great strides. My next series of classes start on January 13, 2007. I can say that I am a bit nervous, but look forward to progressing forward so that I may better help our growing population of autistic individuals.

That’s all for now…

Thank you and see you later,
Nadia