The Joy of Autism has been in operation since 2005 with over 500 posts written.

because finding joy doesn't come without struggle;
because the point is to find it;
because if an autistic person calls autism their way of being, not an illness, then it is;
because every human has value and is a joy;
because despite inhumane acts, I believe in humanity;
but most of all, because of my son Adam.

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED TO www.esteeklar.com.







This blog's articles are only down temporarily as the site will be redesigned. This blog has been given numerous awards, as well as listed in the top 10 autism blogs as well as the top 100 health blogs. My hope is to refine the blog and you can help me do so. The old posts which have been used for academic purposes, will be up again in an archive.

Please, if you have some time, fill out the poll below to help me with the new format. I would also appreciate your comments if you have anything extra to add.

The Joy is Adam

The Joy is Adam

This blog is being redesigned. What did you enjoy most about The Joy of Autism blog?

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Naked

David Sedaris is coming to Toronto. I thought it was a good time to pick up Naked and read his wry take on humanity. Particularly entertaining was his story Chipped Beef:

“We give unspeakable amounts to charity, but you’ll never hear us talk about it. We give anonymously because the sackfuls of thank-you letters break our hearts with their clumsy handwriting and hopeless phonetic spelling. Word gets out that we’re generous and good-looking, and before you know it our front gate will become a campsite for fashion editors and crippled children, who tend to ruin the grass with the pointy shanks of their crutches…They’re hungry for something they know nothing about, but we, we know all too well that the price of fame is the loss of privacy. Public displays of happiness only encourage the may kidnappers who prowl the leafy estates of our better neighbourhoods.”

Now I should have put that quote into my essay The Economy of Pity I wrote a few years ago on the nature of philanthropy and it’s arms-length safety of giving in autism – the “if we give to it we don’t really have to face it,” type of giving.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Quote of the Month

Hi folks. We are still building the new site, and it's coming along nicely and you will be able to re-access old blog posts.

In the meantime, I thought you'd enjoy this quote -- applicable to women, to autistic people -- to all of us who possess our own set of unique differences to the proverbial "white man" or "normal" person.

"You may drive out nature with a pitchfork, yet she will still hurry back."

---- Horace.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

First Project of the Inclusion Initiative in Toronto

As part of our goal to give the tools for inclusion, Patrick Schwarz will be coming to Toronto this weekend. Please see the dates and locations below.

Also, we're still improving this site. Stay tuned for archived posts from The Joy of Autism and things that are new!


1. Date: Sunday Nov. 9 at 7pm
Location: Zareinu Educational Centre:
7026 Bathurst Street, Thornhill
Ph: 905 738-5542
Topic: COLLABORATION: TEAM BUILDING, ACTIVE LISTENING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING
Collaborative schools utilize processes to promote successful
instructional teams with all members actively involved. Tools for
success include team building, active listening and problem-solving. In
this dynamic workshop, participants will learn about each of these
processes and interactive application exercises will illustrate how
they can be applied to participants' own schools and individual learning
situations.


2. Date: Monday Nov. 10
Time: 9:15- 12:30

Location: Paradise Convention Centre
7601 Jane Street (Jane & Hwy 7)
905-669-4680

Topic:
UNIVERSAL DESIGN, ACCOMMODATIONS AND DIFFERENTIATION
Universal design is having curriculum planning, strategy and materials
in place in advance to meet the needs of all learners. Accommodations
are technology, materials, sequences and procedures to help a learner be
successful in the classroom. Differentiation is when all of these
strategies are applied to the instruction for all learners in the
classroom. In this session, planning processes and examples will be
provided and applied to participants' classroom, teaching and learning
situations.
Suitable for grades 3-6


3. Date: Monday Nov. 10, 2008

Time: 1:30- 3Pm

Location:Paradise Convention Centre
7601 Jane Street (Jane & Hwy 7)
905-669-4680

Topic: FROM DISABILITY TO POSSIBILITY KEYNOTE
Using real life stories - from womb to tomb - of individuals with
possibilities, Dr. Patrick Schwarz will illustrate what supports are
successful and what else is needed for effectiveness in education and
human services for all people. These compelling examples will motivate
participants to re-imagine and support individuals in new and inventive
ways. Be prepared for something fun and different!
Suitable for: Special Ed teachers Grades 3-7