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Hi, my name is Olivia Konell. This is my 6th year at Mar Vista Elementary. Like other kids, I am a different person leaving Mar Vista than I was when I started here in kindergarten. Unlike other kids, I had more challenges because of having autism. Everything to me seemed harder. Most kids in kindergarten know lots of words, but I didn’t. It was harder for me to communicate with people to ask them to play. It was hard to…
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By: Michael Sullivan 05/17/2012Original Article: VCReporter Calvin Nye, 23, of Camarillo, is the first CSUCI graduate to self-disclose that he had been diagnosed with autism. Calvin Nye, 23, is one of more than 1,300 students who will be graduating this weekend from Cal State University, Channel Islands (CSUCI). Actually, he graduated in December, but will participate in the commencement ceremony to officially commemorate his achievement. Calvin is a fine arts major, having spent most of his life drawing. His latest…
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Many parents are unsure of what the changes of ASD criteria in the DSM-V will mean. Catherine Lord, part of the committee drafting the new criteria recently gave a presentation at the HELP Group, which I was fortunate enough to attend. As a big part of FACT is being able to educate the community, and we’d like to shed some light and clarify what these changes mean for families living with ASD. While the proposal to group Autism, High Functioning…
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An account of how I found out about a pyramid scheme.by Cory Heads, as told to Linda Andron-Ostrow Editors Note: One of the most common fears expressed by parents of both children and adults on the autism spectrum, is that they are naive and will be taken advantage of. Cory’s story, while rife with humor, should help to alleviate this. My name is Cory Heads. I am a student at West Los Angeles College and have a paid internship in…
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