

Carol Sonnenblick, Ed.D.
Board of Directors
Freedom Fom Fear
Chubby Santa’s, twinkling lights, parties, the aroma of pies and cookies baking in the kitchen, champagne bubbles, family feasts and gifts piled high greet each year’s holiday season. Holidays are happy times, right? Not necessarily. The advent of the holiday season is not always a time of joy. It is a time when we mourn those whose presence is missed. It is a time when frenzied activity adds to the burden of life’s already hectic schedules. It is a time of excess—spending too much, eating too much and drinking too much. How can we put in the obligatory time with family which may prove toxic as old habits and unresolved issues resurface?  How can we enjoy the holiday season when coping with our usual stressors requires us to use all of our inner resources? Here are some.
Â
- *Develop a shopping list and spending plan. Resist impulse buying and extravagance.
- *Remember that there is no reason to expect that difficult relationships will have improved since last year—so why get aggravated.
- *Pace your activities. Accept invitations to those events that will not overburden your life and cause next day exhaustion. Feeling tired and frantic is not good for your physical and mental health.
- *If food and drink are an issue—try moderation (more easily said than done—think January when you will want to undo the results of binge indulging)
- *Choose parties and events you really care about, avoid day after day of obligatory activities.Â
- *Set aside some time just for yourself—do something that you enjoy, makes you smile and reduces your sense of being on a treadmill.
- *Chose someone you really care about and spend some quality time, even if it’s only a quick lunch somewhere.Â
- *Make plans for January and February to do something special—give yourself something to look forward to during the coldest, darkest winter months.
- *Buy yourself a gift, something that you really want that no one else is going to get for you.Â
“Have the freedom to change traditions, based on what works and what no longer works.â€-Constance Salhany, Ph.D.
Source:Â http://www.freedomfromfear.org/viewtopic.asp?topic_id=246

Christmas and ASD
Christmas can be an exciting and fun time, but it can also be stressful.
People with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) may be confused or
distressed by all the new activity within the household at Christmas and
this can be upsetting for the rest of the family. Hopefully this information
sheet will provide some tips which might help. The word ‘child’ will be used throughout however some of the tips will be useful for adults too.
Preparation
As Christmas approaches, you may want to highlight this holiday period on the household’s or child’s calendar. We would suggest that you check when the school starts work about Christmas, and perhaps you could introduce the idea at a similar time. This will help to ensure consistency. However, if this time frame does not leave enough preparation time for your child, then you should adjust it as appropriate.
You may only want to emphasise Christmas Day on the calendar. Or you might want to indicate when the school term ends and starts again, to show that the child will be at home during this holiday. You could name this period on the calendar: ‘Christmas Time’ might be appropriate. Highlighting this on the calendar will help your child to prepare for the time spent away from school, and therefore the change in routine. You can start talking to your child about ‘Christmas Time’ and what this means. This will differ for each family. You could produce a booklet on Christmas with pictures of relevant items, for example Christmas trees, the sorts of decorations you use and the food you might eat. However, remember that if your child is very literal you will need to be careful as they may become anxious if your Christmas does not appear exactly as the pictures.
On your calendar you can mark the days that you will buy and put up the Christmas tree and decorations, as well as any other changes which will occur. Do not forget to include the day when relatives or friends will arrive to stay. Although a lot can change during this time, it is important to continue your child’s routine to some extent. If you use visual timetables with your child (see our ‘Visual supports’ information sheet, available free from the Autism Helpline), continue to use them to show what they will be doing during this period.
You should include your child with an ASD in the Christmas process. You may want to take them shopping for the tree and decorations, or show them where they are kept in the house before you bring them out for the holiday. This will help your child to become familiar with these items, even if they saw them the year before. Your child should also be involved in putting up the decorations, even if they are just in the room when it occurs. This will hopefully prevent any negative reactions to these new items being placed in a familiar environment.
If your child does want to be included then you may like to give them a particular job to do which they can focus on. This may help them to feel included and less anxious about the changes around them. You may even want to decorate the house over a few days if your child finds change particularly difficult. For example, you could place the tree in position, leave it for a few days and then start to decorate it, adding any house decorations later on.
The Autism Helpline is often asked about suitable toys or gifts for a child with an ASD. These will vary from one person to another. However we would suggest that for some children with an ASD having a huge number of presents from friends and family might be too overwhelming. Perhaps a set amount could be given, maybe one from mum and dad and one from grandparents. Any other family members who would like to buy a gift could perhaps put the money in a trust fund to be used for the child at other times. Alternatively, perhaps giving the child one gift a day might help to reduce any anxiety.
Suitable gifts
The Autism Helpline is often asked what toys might be suitable for children with an ASD. Therefore we have compiled a list (in no particular order):
1) Trampolines
These come in lots of different sizes, but make sure it’s strong. They are good for using up energy.
2) Sensory toys
There are many types of these, some examples are:
- *bubble tubes/columns, all different sizes and colours
- *fibre optic plumes that change colour and can be safely brushed with the hand
- *bubble-making machines.
3) Board games
- *’The Socially Speaking Game’ is a social skills board game for seven-year-olds+ from LDAlearning (www.ldalearning.com)
- *Battleships/Guess Who? are both turn-taking games.
4) Music
- *on tape or CD
- *instruments.
5) Bikes/tricycles
6) Water toys
7) Books
Read-along ones, perhaps accompanied by a tape of the story; for example The Hungry Caterpillar.
These are just a few examples, there are many more. Please remember that every child is different so not every child will like the same toys.
The following website also has some advice about choosing toys for children with autism: www.insidethebubble.co.uk/toys.php
If your child is becoming obsessive about Christmas, you will need to try and set boundaries around this obsession. Please see the Obsessions, repetitive behaviours and routines information sheet for further information.
If you would like any of the information sheets mentioned in this article (Visual supports; Obsessions, repetitive behaviours and routines) please contact the Autism Helpline 0845 070 4004.
Useful contacts
Garden Adventure
Trampolines of all sizes and shapes
Tel: 01342 300146
Email: info@gardenadventure.co.uk
Website: www.gardenadventure.co.uk/Trampoline/index.php
Fledglings
A charity which helps parents and carers of a child with special needs of any kind to find simple, affordable solutions to practical problems.
Sells toys, trikes and other products for children with disabilities
Tel: 0845 458 1124
Email: enquiries@fledglings.org.uk
Website: www.fledglings.org.uk
KidsOut
National charity providing fun to children with special needs, including play equipment and grants
Tel: 01525 385 232
Email: kidsout@kidsout.org.uk
Website: www.kidsout.org.uk
Special Needs Kids
Some ideas for special needs toys
Email: enquiries@special-needs-kids.co.uk
Website: www.special-needs-kids.co.uk/toys-index.htm
LDAlearning
Resource catalogue
Tel: 0845 120 4776
Website: www.ldalearning.com
National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries
Tel London office: 020 7255 4600
Tel Scotland office: 0131 664 2746
Tel Wales office: 02920 566 333
Website: www.natll.org.uk
Rompathe 6th sense
Resource catalogue
Tel: 01246 211777
Email: sales@rompa.com
Website: www.rompa.com Â
SenseToys Ltd
Tel: 0845 257 0849
Email: info@sensetoys.com
Website: www.sensetoys.com
SpaceKraft Limited
Resource catalogue
Tel: 01274 581 007
Website: www.spacekraft.co.uk
TFH UK
Resource catalogue
Tel: 01299 827 820
Email: enquiry form on the website
Website: http://www.specialneedstoys.com/UK/Â Â
Winslow Resources
Resource catalogue
Tel: 0845 230 2777
Email: sales@winslow-cat.com
Website: www.winslow-cat.com
Please note the above organisations are not connected with The National Autistic Society in any way; we cannot recommend any of the above organisations.
References/recommended reading
Newson, J. and E. (1982). Top twenty toys for handicapped children in Living and working with autism. Section 5. The National Autistic Society.
This article is a little old-fashioned in its use of language. However many of their recommendations will still be applicable today. Copies are available from the Autism Helpline on 0845 070 4004.
If you require further information about autism and related issues, please contact the NAS Autism Helpline, open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm:
Tel: 0845 070 4004
Email: autismhelpline@nas.org.uk
Source: Â Â http://www.autismjersey.org/Â Â Â

NAS:Â Ten Ideas For A Happy Christmas
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/09/nas-ten-ideas-for-a-happy-christmas/
Grieving: 7 Tips To Get You Through The Holidays
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/09/grieving-7-tips-to-get-you-through-the-holidays/
Holiday Pieces: Getting Through The Holidays, Family Ties, Doing Right For Others & Holiday Blues:
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/22/holiday-pieces-getting-through-the-holidays-family-ties-doing-right-for-others-holiday-blues/
Holiday Shopping Tips, Christmas Stress Management, Why Holidays Don’t Have To Be ‘Happy’:
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/22/holiday-shopping-tips-christmas-stress-management-why-holidays-dont-have-to-be-happy/
NAS: ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly:
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/22/nas-tis-the-season-to-be-jolly/
Introverts: Party Survival Tactics, The Party Predicament, Introverts & Health:
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/22/introverts-party-survival-tactics-the-party-predicament-introverts-health/
LEGO NAS Charity Calendar 2010 & New LEGO Games:
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/22/lego-nas-charity-calendar-2010-new-lego-games/
Sensory Toy Warehouse(Please Note Comment For Name/Site Change):
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/22/the-novelty-warehouse-sensory-toy-shop/
Introvert’s Guide to Holiday Merriment:
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/01/22/introverts-guide-to-holiday-merriment/
Managing Holiday Stress, Alone For The Holidays, Families In Recovery:

ASAN President Ari Ne’eman on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal
Tomorrow at 9:15 AM
Yesterday was a historic day for the Autistic self-advocacy movement. For the first time, we had representation at a congressional hearing on autism. Although much of yesterday’s House Committee on Oversight and Government Affairs hearing focused on the same tired old questions on causation and cure, but thanks to your efforts, we had a seat at the table to offer another perspective for the first time.
Tomorrow, we’ll have a chance to continue having our voices heard. C-SPAN’s influential morning call-in program Washington Journal has invited ASAN President Ari Ne’eman to come on the show tomorrow morning from 9:15-10 AM to discuss federal disability policy, autism acceptance and the neurodiversity movement. And we want you to be a part of it.
To participate, you can call-in, email or tweet. C-SPAN has specifically urged Autistic people to participate, and has provided a dedicated call in line to help make sure we get on the air.
Call-In Numbers:Â Â
Democrats: (202) 585-3880 Â
Republicans: (202) 585-3881 Â
Independents: (202) 585-3882 Â
Autistic People: (202) 585-3883Â
Email: journal@c-span.orgÂ
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cspanwjÂ
Please follow us as we also livetweet from @autselfadvocacy with hashtag #AutismOnCSPAN.
You’ve probably heard from us before about the importance of the CRPD in affirming the rights of people with disabilities, both here and around the world. Today it is finally headed to the Senate.Â
Join us in letting our Senators know the disability community supports the ratification of the CRPD!
Tweet your Senators with the hashtag “#UNCRPD” voicing your support. You can find your Senator’s twitter handle here, or by scrolling to the end of this email.
Sample tweet: “@[Senator’s username] I support the ratification of the #UNCRPD! Will you support it with me?”
You can also choose to call both of your Senators. Their contact information can be found on the Senate website.
Let them know why it is so important that this ratification passes! For more information about the CRPD and why it is so important, please visit the USICD website.
Remember:Â Nothing About Us, Without Us!
Twitter handles for the Senators of all 50 states:
Sen. Jeff Sessions   Alabama   @SenSessions
Sen. Richard Shelby   Alabama   @SenShelbyPress
Sen. Mark Begich   Alaska   @SenatorBegich
Sen. Lisa Murkowski   Alaska   @LisaMurkowski
Sen. Jon Kyl   Arizona   @SenJonKyl
Sen. John McCain   Arizona   @SenJohnMcCain
Sen. John Boozman   Arkansas   @JohnBoozman
Sen. Mark Pryor   Arkansas   @SenMarkPryor
Sen. Barbara Boxer   California   @SenatorBoxer
Sen. Dianne Feinstein   California   @SenFeinstein
Sen. Michael Bennet   Colorado   @SenBennetCO
Sen. Mark Udall   Colorado   @MarkUdall
Sen. Richard Blumenthal   Connecticut   @SenBlumenthal
Sen. Joe Lieberman   Connecticut   @JoeLieberman
Sen. Thomas Carper   Deleware   @SenatorCarper
Sen. Chris Coons   Deleware   @ChrisCoons
Sen. Bill Nelson   Florida   @SenBillNelson
Sen. Marco Rubio   Florida   @MarcoRubio
Sen. Saxby Chambliss   Georgia   @SaxbyChambliss
Sen. Johnny Isakson   Georgia   @SenIsakson
Sen. Daniel Akaka   Hawaii   @SenAkaka
Sen. Daniel Inouye   Hawaii   @Daniel_Inouye
Sen. Mike Crapo   Idaho   @MikeCrapo
Sen. James Risch   Idaho   N/A
Sen. Richard Durbin   Illinois   @SenatorDurbin
Sen. Mark Kirk   Illinois   @SenatorKirk
Sen. Dan Coats   Indiana   @SenDanCoats
Sen. Richard ‘Dick’ Lugar   Indiana   @SenLugar
Sen. Chuck Grassley   Iowa   @ChuckGrassley
Sen. Tom Harkin   Iowa   @SenatorHarkin
Sen. Jerry Moran   Kansas   @JerryMoran
Sen. Pat Roberts   Kansas   @SenPatRoberts
Sen. Mitch McConnell   Kentucky   @McConnellPress
Sen. Rand Paul   Kentucky   @SenRandPaul
Sen. Mary Landrieu   Louisiana   @SenLandrieu
Sen. David Vitter   Louisiana   @DavidVitter
Sen. Susan Collins   Maine   @SenatorCollins
Sen. Olympia Snowe   Maine   @SenatorSnowe
Sen. Benjamin Cardin   Maryland   @SenatorCardin
Sen. Barbara Mikulski   Maryland   @SenatorBarb
Sen. Scott Brown   Massacheusetts   @USSenScottBrown
Sen. John Kerry   Massacheusetts   @JohnKerry
Sen. Carl Levin   Michigan   @SenCarlLevin
Sen. Debbie Stabenow   Michigan   @StabenowPress or @Stabenow
Sen. Al Franken   Minnesota   @AlFranken
Sen. Amy Klobuchar   Minnesota   @AmyKlobuchar
Sen. Thad Cochran   Mississippi   @SenThadCochran
Sen. Roger Wicker   Mississippi   @SenatorWicker
Sen. Roy Blunt   Missouri   @RoyBlunt
Sen. Claire McCaskill   Missouri   @McCaskillOffice
Sen. Max Baucas   Montana   @MaxBaucus
Sen. John Tester   Montana   @JonTester
Sen. Mike Johanns   Nebraska   @Mike_Johanns
Sen. Ben Nelson   Nebraska  @SenBenNelson
Sen. Dean Heller   Nevada   @SenDeanHeller
Sen. Harry Reid   Nevada   @SenatorReid
Sen. Kelly Ayotte   New Hampshire   @KellyAyotte
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen   New Hampshire   @SenatorShaheen
Sen. Frank Lautenberg   New Jersey   @FrankLautenberg
Sen. Robert Menendez   New Jersey   @SenatorMenendez
Sen. Jeff Bingaman   New Mexico   N/A
Sen. Tom Udall   New Mexico   @SenatorTomUdall
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand   New York   @SenGillibrand
Sen. Chuck Schumer   New York   @ChuckSchumer
Sen. Richard Burr   North Carolina   @SenatorBurr
Sen. Kay Hagen   North Carolina   @SenatorHagen
Sen. Kent Conrad   North Dakota   @SenateBudget
Sen. John Hoeven   North Dakota   @SenJohnHoeven
Sen. Sherrod Brown   Ohio   @SenSherrodBrown
Sen. Rob Portman   Ohio   @RobPortman
Sen. Tom Coburn   Oklahoma   @TomCoburn
Sen. Jim Inhofe   Oklahoma   @JimInhofe or InhofePress
Sen. Jeff Merkley   Oregon   @SenJeffMerkley
Sen. Ron Wyden   Oregon   @RonWyden
Sen. Robert Casey   Pennsylvania   @SenBobCasey
Sen. Patrick Toomey   Pennsylvania   @SenToomey
Sen. Jack Reed   Rhode Island   @SenJackReed
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse   Rhode Island   @SenWhitehouse
Sen. Jim DeMint   South Carolina   @JimDeMint
Sen. Lindsey Graham   South Carolina   @GrahamBlog
Sen. Tim Johnson   South Dakota   @SenJohnsonSD
Sen. John Thune   South Dakota   @SenJohnThune
Sen. Lamar Alexander   Tennessee   @SenAlexander
Sen. Bob Corker   Tennessee   @SenBobCorker
Sen. John Cornyn   Texas   @JohnCornyn
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison   Texas   @KayBaileyHutchison
Sen. Orrin Hatch   Utah   @SenOrrinHatch or @OrrinHatch
Sen. Mike Lee   Utah   @SenMikeLee
Sen. Patrick Leahy   Vermont   @SenatorLeahy
Sen. Bernie Sanders   Vermont   @SenSanders
Sen. Mark Warner   Virginia   @MarkWarner
Sen. Jim Webb   Virginia   N/A
Sen. Maria Cantwell   Washington   @CantwellPress
Sen. Patty Murray   Washington   @PattyMurray
Sen. Joe Manchin   West Virginia   @Sen_JoeManchin
Sen. John Rockefeller   West Virginia   @SenRockefeller
Sen. Herb Kohl   Wisconsin   N/A
Sen. Ron Johnson   Wisconsin   @SenRonJohnson
Sen. John Barrasso   Wyoming   @SenJohnBarrasso
Sen. Michael Enzi   Wyoming   @SenatorEnzi

On November 29th, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will be holding a hearing on autism. Invited witnesses include people from government agencies, parent autism advocacy organizations, AND Autistic self-advocacy organizations. We are pleased to report that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform staff have just reached out to us to invite Autistic representation to this Thursday’s hearing.
The journey doesn’t end there. Come join us in showing support to Autistic people speaking! We’ll be gathering together at the Rayburn House Office, Room 2154 on the day of the hearing. The hearing itself will begin at 2 PM, but as we anticipate a packed room ASAN will begin gathering besides the door to the hearing at 11 AM. RSVP via our Facebook event page.
You made this happen!
Regards,
Â
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Have you cast your vote in the current election?Â
The National Council on Disability, in collaboration with the National Disability Rights Network and EIN SOF Communications, is collecting information about the voting experiences of people with disabilities. In early 2013, they will release a report based on their findings.
Although it violates state and federal laws, many polling places across the country are inaccessible to people with disabilities. According to a Government Accounting Office report found in 2008, only 27% of polling places were fully accessible. This means that many disabled people are denied their fundamental right to vote in federal, state, and local elections.Â


The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) has issued a statement applauding the National Council on Disability (NCD) for releasing a new report on safeguarding the parenting rights of people with disabilities. On September 27, NCD issued “Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children.” The full text of the report is available on the NCD website.Â
“We hope Congress will create legislation as is laid out in this report. Parents with disabilities, including autistic parents, and their children have long suffered from discrimination. Whether it’s been untrained social services employees or disgruntled ex-spouses, there has been a very real danger of being stripped of parenthood for no reason other than one’s disability,†says Melody Latimer, ASAN’s Director of Community Engagement and an autistic parent.
Among the report’s key findings:
- *Estimates indicate 6.1 million children in the U.S. have parents with disabilities – Nearly 1 in 10, almost 10% of the population.
- *Parents with disabilities are the only community of Americans who must struggle to retain custody of their children.
- *Removal rates of parents with psychiatric disabilities is as high as 70 – 80 %
- *Removal rates of parents with intellectual disabilities is as high as 80%
- *Extremely high removal rates and loss of parental rights for parents with sensory or physical disabilities.
- *Parents with disabilities are more likely to lose custody of their children after divorce.
- *Prospective parents with disabilities have more difficulty when it comes to accessing reproductive health care such as assisted reproductive technologies.
- *Prospective parents with disabilities face significant barriers to adopting children.
Despite the numerous and pervasive obstacles faced by parents with disabilities, they remain a subpopulation that is frequently overlooked both in the popular consciousness and in national policy. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network stands with disabled parents, including our very own members. We urge state and federal legislatures and offices to take action, and to protect the rights of parents with disabilities.


- Delight: Gary Mckinnon, pictured yesterday with his mother Janis Sharp, after finding out that he will not be sent to stand trial in the US
- *Gary McKinnon is beginning delicate process of trying to regain mental health after ten years of living in constant fear
- *He says: ‘It still does not feel real but only now am I starting to feel as if a shutter has flipped up and lifted in my head’
- *Home Secretary blocked extradition on human rights grounds to protect him from inhumane or degrading treatment
- *Decision is extraordinary victory for the Daily Mail’s An Affront to British Justice campaign launched three years ago
By James Slack, Michael Seamark and Christian Gysin
|
American authorities are furious after the British Home Secretary announced that infamous hacker Gary McKinnon would not be extradited to the US to stand trial for the biggest military security breach in history.
Louis Susman, the American Ambassador in London, was left fuming when
he learned of Theresa May’s dramatic halting of Gary’s removal shortly before she rose to deliver her statement to the Commons yesterday lunchtime.
Critics drew pointed comparisons between the McKinnon case and that of
hate preacher Abu Hamza, who was recently flown to the US from Britain on terrorism charges following a long-running extradition battle.
Mrs May supported Hamza’s removal and the US administration had been convinced that she would approve the computer hacker’s extradition. Last night, the US State Department said the American government was examining the decision.
A spokesman said it was ‘disappointed by the decision to deny Gary McKinnon’s extradition to face long overdue justice in the United States’.
And lawyer David Rivkin, former White House counsel to President Reagan and the first President Bush, said the move would go down ‘very badly’.
He said: ‘It’s really deplorable. The justification by the Home Secretary is
laughable.
‘You have an individual who says he is going to commit suicide – American prisons and penal institutions have an excellent track record of stopping people who are trying to commit suicide.
Read in Full:
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Related Articles
Gary McKinnon’s Extradition “At last! A minister stands up to Uncle Sam”:
“Gary McKinnon Updates: May’s U-Turn on Us Extradition Treaty”:
“Calls for Overhaul of US Extradition Treaty”:
https://www.aspie-editorial.com/2011/06/22/call-for-overhaul-of-us-extradition-treaty/
“Gary McKinnon Update: David Cameron and Barack Obama’s Press Conference: The Main Points”:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the government agency that funds most disability service provision in the United States, has put forward a regulation that would set out requirements for how service providers receiving Home and Community Based Services funding can behave. CMS has proposed a wide variety of crucial protections, such as protecting people with disabilities from eviction from our homes due to refusing a particular service or treatment, requiring that community providers must respect the choice and autonomy of the people they support and many other important protections that will empower people with disabilities in interactions with their service providers.
But these regulations are facing severe opposition from many in the provider industry that believe that people with disabilities are “too disabled” to make these choices for ourselves. We have till this Monday to make our voices heard, before the CMS Public Comment period closes for good! Follow these simple instructions to make sure you’re represented:
- 1. Go to Regulations.gov. Search for CMS-2249-P2.
- 2. Click on the first result. A direct link can be found here.
- 3. Take a look at the regulation and click Comment Now! to share your thoughts (NOTE: the regulation text states June 4th as the deadline for comment – it has since been extended to July 2nd).Â
- 4. Take a look at the ASAN public comment for ideas – feel free to copy any points that resonate with you. Here are a few points you may want to consider including:
- *CMS should incorporate within the Final Rule a requirement that receipt of any particular service or support cannot be a condition for living in a unit.
- *CMS should require that any modification to the conditions placed upon provider-controlled or owned residential settings be supported by a specific assessed need documented in the person’s person centered plan and should limit the acceptable scope of any modifications to the requirements placed on providers owning or controlling residential settings.
- *CMS should shift from a rebuttable presumption of non-compliance with the HCBS program “for any setting that is located in a building that is also a publicly or privately operated facility that provides inpatient institutional treatment, or in a building on the grounds of, or immediately adjacent to, a public institution, or disability-specific housing complex†to an unequivocal requirement that said settings are not acceptable under HCBS funding authorities.
This is a critical opportunity for our community to be heard on a vital civil rights issue – but time is running out! Please help spread the word and make sure that you weigh in today to protect our rights. As always, Nothing About Us, Without Us!
Regards,
Ari Ne’eman
Autistic Self Advocacy Network

A geek – and a genius. Alan Turing’s reading matter marked him out at school and university. Cartoon courtesy of the Turing Centenary Year
Celebrations of Alan Turing’s life and work reach a peak this week with the centenary of his birth. The chair of the project, Professor S.Barry Cooper, continues his series for the Guardian Northerner with insights on the torment which the bright but unusual can still suffer at school
John Turing talks in the family’s reminscences about his younger brother Alan, recalling how the future computer genius was noted for:
bad reports, slovenly habits and unconventional behaviour
The ‘neurotypical’ John says that neither he nor his parents “had the faintest idea that this tiresome, eccentric and obstinate small boy was a budding genius.”
It is still very common for geekishly irritating little boys and girls to suffer misunderstanding and routine bullying at school. Nowadays Alan would probably have been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
Later, according to brother John:
Alan was first class at beating the system. He refused to work at anything except his precious maths and science, but he had an incredible aptitude for examinations, aided by last minute swotting.
As Turing’s centenary on Saturday 23 June approaches, all over the world people are celebrating the centenary of this odd and strangely inspiring British genius: the man who imagined the stored program computer before it was built, and who helped revolutionise our world with his thinking about the computer’s capabilities.
His visionary ambition led him to say in 1944: “I am building a brain.” Our continuing adventure with robots and artificial intelligence started with Turing.
But, as we honour the legacy of this great and enigmatic scientist, let’s spare a thought for today’s young geeks. There are so many schoolkids out there on the autistic/aspergers spectrum who could benefit from knowing more about Turing and his iconic achievements. I was invited to talk about Turing’s ideas to an audience of 300 high-school students in Beijing in May. It was an inspiring and moving experience.
“Will there be robots?” asked one bright spark before I started (yes, there were). Afterwards, I spotted one small lad in the cluster of questioners around me, and asked “how old are you?” When he replied “13”, I couldn’t help commenting: “But you can’t have understood much.” He looked fiercely serious and retorted “I understood everything!!”. Maybe another little Turing in the making, I thought, somewhat abashed.
Throughout his adult life, Alan Turing was befriended and protected by Professor Max Newman and his family. An Italian correspondent reminded me of this description of Alan, after his tragic death in Manchester, by Newman’s wife Lyn:
He was a strange man, who never felt at ease in any place. His efforts, mostly occasional indeed, to look like he felt a part of the middle upper class circles which he naturally belonged to, were clumsy. He randomly adopted some conventions of his class, but rejected with no regret and hesitation most of their habits and ideas. And unfortunately the academic world’s customs, which could have sheltered him, disconcerted and deeply bored him.
Lyn is remembering how much our country owed Turing, his role at Bletchley Park during the war, and how his last two years of life were made a misery by the British state which he had served so well. A while back I came on a response to Turing being “under-appreciated in his own time”. It was beautifully expressed (I Tweeted it and it is now all over the web):
In 2002, an American study found that 94% of school students with Asperger’s syndrome faced torment from their peers and commented:
Some of their behaviors and characteristics that others see as ‘different’ make these children easy targets for frequent and severe bullying.Having Asperger’s Syndrome means these children are part of a vulnerable population and are easy targets.
Read in Full:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/jun/20/alan-turing-geeks

Over the last few months, our fight against the Judge Rotenberg Center has heated up. The JRC, the only facility in the country to use contingent electric shock as a means of “treatment” of disabled children and adults, has been increasingly spotlighted in the news both locally and nationally. Public attention has grown due to Cheryl McCollins’s lawsuit on behalf of her son Andre, who in 2002 received over 31 shocks while restrained facedown for refusing to remove his jacket.
Yet for over twenty years, the Massachusetts legislature has failed to enact laws that would ban the use of electric shock as a “treatment†for developmental disabilities and behavioral challenges. The closest Massachusetts has come to restricting the use of electric shock was through Department of Developmental Services regulations implemented last year that prohibit shocks for any new students, but codify their use for students already receiving the shocks. It’s a step in the right direction, but we know it doesn’t go far enough.
This year, the Massachusetts legislature now has another opportunity to close the JRC for good. Senator Brian Joyce, whose district includes the JRC, has attached an amendment to the Massachusetts Senate budget that, if passed, would codify a complete ban on aversives – torture in the name of treatment. The State Senate passed Amendment #548, which bans all use of contingent electric shock and other aversives, but the Senate version of the budget has been passed to a Conference Committee that must reconcile differences between the Senate’s and House’s versions of a final budget.
A protest of the JRC last week in Massachusetts drew nearly one hundred supporters in the pouring rain, followed shortly thereafter by an ASAN joint letter to the Conference Committee carried thirty signatories from local and national disability, human rights, and youth empowerment organizations. It is critical to urge the Conference Committee members to pass Amendment #548. The JRC has already been lobbying throughout the Massachusetts Legislature in another attempt to stop any measure that would end their practice of abuse and torture, and it is imperative that the voices of those who support a future for people with disabilities free of these barbaric practices be heard.
Sign our petition to the members of the Conference Committee urging them to pass Amendment #548. Massachusetts has an opportunity to remove the shadow of the JRC from its reputation and to take an important step forward in supporting equal rights for all people, but your voices must be heard!



