Reading the News, Thinking about Charlie
Once upon a time, when I sat down to read the newspaper, I just read it: Front page, arts, book reviews, world news, skip the sports.
Now I sit down in front of my laptop to read, and get up mid-story if I hear Charlie calling—-and, inevitably, much of what I read is through the lens of Charlie, and of autism. For example:
Eating gluten-free in NYC has gotten easier. (Though I think Charlie, who is more or less on the diet at home, and less or more on it when we eat out, is quite content with his favorite New York food emporium.)
People are “most likely to become obese when a friend becomes obese“: Maybe it is not such a bad thing to have a differently functioning mirror neuron system, as some researchers say autistic persons do—imitation is not always exactly the best form of flattery, perhaps.
Charlie was never, ever, as hard on any of his toys as the Chinese product testers in Dancing Elmo Smackdown were on the fuzzy red monster in the chicken suit, or on Dora the Explorer. I have found him dangling his iPod by the headphones. Charlie is very circumspect about certain of his possessions—-his photos, said music-playing device, three of Jim’s coats (2 blue, 1 green), his picture calendar schedule that his ABA consultant puts together for him every month. (He also cannot seem to know wind the headphones into a twisted mass in a minute—maybe I ought to get him this!).
It is the case that I worry more about the rights of autistic persons than of animals—well, I am a vegetarian, Charlie is most definitely not—-Temple Grandin is quoted regarding the influence of animal rights activists on changes in how farm animals are housed and cared for.
How would Charlie fare in a round house, or rather, an octagon? (It would not, though, fit the four generations who live in our current household very well.)
This last item is not in any major newspaper; maybe it qualifies as a small scoop, autism news style: At Target, I directed Charlie to the sporting goods sections and poked at the boxes of roller skates. The ones with four sets of wheels only went up to size 4 and Charlie is a size 5 going on 5 1/2 if not 6. I pulled down a box of sizes 5-8 roller blades and pulled out one skate and had Charlie take off his shoe. He leaned against me as he put the skate half on, enough to determine that it fit, and I carefully pulled his foot out. “Skate!” said Charlie. “Yes, skate.”
We got knee, elbow, and wrist pads too.
Photo courtesy of St Stev via Flickr.
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POSTED IN: Charlisms, Food and Diet, Health, Living Arrangements, Neuroscience, Toys
7 opinions for Reading the News, Thinking about Charlie
mcewen
Jul 26, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Far be it from me to criticise your parenting skills - perish the thought! But I have no hesitation in predicting that you will rue the day of this extravagant purchase.
If that young man takes to skates, the way he has to swimming, you, my old pal will outclassed before you know it. May I politely invite you to invest in a motorized scooter to keep up?
Cheers
gettingthere
Jul 26, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Good for Charlie.
Club 166
Jul 26, 2007 at 8:43 pm
The obesity study bothers me on a number of levels. First, it gives people one more reason to avoid obese people (if I hang around with them, I’ll get fat!).
Secondly, this study is typical of many that I see that come out. As more and more databases are kept (mostly in medicine, but also other places) researchers mine these databases to come up with correlations that people then make a big deal about. As many of us are wont to say, correlation does not equal causation.
I just find these studies to usually overreach with their conclusions, and to not have much validity other than as passing causes of interest in the popular press. But these studies are easy to do (many of these type can be done by one or two people with a couple of research assistants), cheap (some one else has already collected the data), and again, don’t say much.
But they’re good for a publication, and if they cover something popular like obesity they’re also good for a little popular press coverage.
Club 166
Jul 26, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Oh, almost forgot-
Way to go, Charlie, with the inline skates! You go, buddy.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 26, 2007 at 8:54 pm
I did see a scooter (with motor, a used one) for sale as we drove around today—–I better get myself some good headgear too, and be prepared to lose a few more of that 6 1/2 lives I have left.
11 hours away
Jul 27, 2007 at 4:23 pm
[…] When I checked the weather at 5am I saw four straight days of storm clouds and lightning—-so I was not surprised when my plane was delayed, with the result that, after taking the CTA and a bus that stopped about every 2 blocks, I had to run down to the end of the Navy Pier. I was only some 17 minutes late to speak with other bloggers about the Revolution Health website (I guess I’ve kept my stamina up in keeping in step with Charlie—-maybe I will be ready to run with him when he learns to roller blade.) […]
Julia
Aug 6, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I’m the thin friend. :) Then again, if I don’t have sufficient prompts, I will forget meals. (Just realized I forgot lunch today, oops!)
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