State: Maine
Country: USA
Member since: Jan 23, 2007
Last logged in: Oct 12, 2008
My name is Shannon and I have a great husband and 2 amazing kids.
My oldest, Wynn, has autism and still struggles, after all these years of treatments and therapies, with anxiety and aggression. At his best, he is funny, intuitive and sensitive.
My daughter, 11 year old Haley, is strong and independent, creative and musical. She has been a shining example for Wynn and taught him many of his first words and skills by sheer example.
Steve is my husband of 19 years and partner in this endeavor to be a family in this crazy world of autism. Out of a need we had to have better communication with Wynn's team members, he created a web application called iAbida.com. It has been a project from his heart, and he makes it available to all families, around the globe, for free.
And me? In spite of being a terrible klutz, I have learned the fine art of juggling....motherhood, advocacy, household management and working from home. Foggyrock is my latest project--to fulfill my own need to be associated with other fantastic folks, like you, who I knew were out there.....Thank you for allowing me into your life through this community.
Favorite Compositions (6)
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By stevej on 01.01.70
Comments(4) My son Wynn has autism. As a result, his social skills are stunted. Neverl...Read more
By shannonj on 01.01.70
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By shannonj on 01.01.70
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By shannonj on 01.01.70
Comments(13)
shannonj's Compositions
by shannonj on 07.23.08 - public - 158 visits
Michael Boll has just posted the latest podcast--an interview with John Robison. If you have never heard of him, you might recognize the name of his recent book, Look Me in the Eye. He has shared his unique story of growing up on the spectrum but not being diagnosed until he was in his 40s.....and how the diagnosis helped him piece together and bring meaning to his world....So, he talks a lot about that during the podcast, but he also shares about a very exciting research project that he is involved in with Harvard. It involves the use of TMS (transcranial Magnetic Stimulation), which is a way of using magnetism to somehow stimulate neurons in the brain that have previously been inactive (at least that is my layman's understanding)....What is so exciting is that, even in his 50's, John is experiencing amazing results with this treatment. He shares in the podcast about being able to look into people's eyes for the very first time in his life. Also, about losing the anxiety that has been with him his entire life...about feeling more comfortable in social situations and how even his verbal affect and his facial expressions have expanded and normalized...Fascinating stuff!!!!
We plan to talk to him again in a few months to learn more about this research...
Tune in:
www.autismpodcast.org
Comments(5)
momof4
Posted on Mon, 4 Aug 2008
It is always nice to hear that there may be a helpful resource out there. Thanks for sharing this news.
Mrs.H.
Posted on Wed, 23 Jul 2008
One of the many things that struck me in one of Dr. Steve's (Gutstein - RDI) lectures was that he addressed the early intervention piece. It wasn't that he did not value the importance of early intervention, it is, in my understanding, that intervention is possible at any point in time. He disputed the myth of: if intervention doesn't acheive success by X age, there is no hope. He asserts that those neurological pathways can be "activated" at any point, there is no ceiling. Clearly, Mr. Robison is point in case. I look forward to giving Amazon more of my business, and getting that book. (I'm a big Michael Boll podcast fan. :)
