Project ideas and requirements

Here is the update, which is also on the e-learning platform. It has some more details, but needs a bit more. We can take care of that on 4/11:

Group A (Shira, Jenny, Willy, and Sean)

Our group is reading Thinking in Pictures, which has eleven chapters. Shira is going to work on chapters 1-3, Jenny will read 4-6, Willy will read 7-9, and Sean will read chapters 10 and 11. Willy is researching Mozart, Sean is researching Beethoven, Jenny is doing Woody Allen, and Shira is doing Jane Austen. We will also each research the ALUT foundation in Israel and compile our respective notes on that for the PowerPoint as well. 

Shira: Thinking in Pictures: Autism and Visual Thought, The Great Continuum: Diagnosing Autism, and The Squeeze Machine: Sensory Problems in Autism. These are chapters one through three, pages 1 - 58. 

Jenny: Learning Empathy: Emotion and Autism, The Ways of the World: Developing Autistic Talent, and Believer in Biochemistry: Medications and New Treatments. Chapters four through six, pages 59 - 124. 

Willy: Dating Data: Autism and Relationships, A Cow's Eye View: Connecting with Animals, and Artists and Accountants: An Understanding of Animal Thought. Chapters seven through nine, pages 125 - 184.

Sean: Einstein's Second Cousin: The Link Between Autism and Genius, and Stairway to Heaven: Religion and Belief. Chapters ten and eleven, pages 185 to 222. 

Note: please provide the web site of the ALUT foundation. There should be a contact person in Taiwan.

Group B (Edward, Thomas, and Joseph)

Joseph: Born on a Blue Day (Chapters: 1, 2, 3, and 4), research on the Kanner foundation, and a mini-presentation on George Orwell.

Thomas: Born on a Blue Day (Chapters: 5, 6, 7, and 8), work on the book report, and a mini-presentation on Michelangelo.

Edward: Born on a Blue Day (Chapters: 9, 10, 11, and 12), work on the book report, and a mini-presentation on Charles Darwin.

Notes: for group B, everyone needs to work on his own “book report” and submit a written report with at least one reference to be separately and individually graded. This report will include everything you have done, including the chapters of Born on a Blue Day, the Kanner Foundation, or a famous person with autism or asperger’s. We also would like to see the titles of the chapters of Born on a Blue Day here, and the approximate number of pages, if possible. I also know that Edward is arranging a Skype interview with a person with autism for either himself or possibly with people in his group. Please also provide the web site of the Kanner foundation.

Group C (Henry, Maggie, and Tina)

-Book: Asperger’s from the Inside Out

      Henry: Ch1: What Is Asperger’s Syndrome?

            Ch2: Now I Know: What the Diagnosis Feels Like

                Ch3: Long Walks: Looking Back on the Past With a New Perspective

        Tina:   Ch4: Disclosure

                Ch5: The Right Toolbox: Coping Strategies

        Maggie: Ch6: Special Interests=Passion(+Future?)

                 Ch7: Happiness

-Foundation: American Autism Foundation (AAIF)

http://www.americanautismfoundationinc.com/Welcome.html

-Famous People with Autism:

        Henry: Bill Gates

 Tina: Thomas Edison

 Maggie: Hens Christian Andersen

-Meet someone with Autism: (still looking and talking to Edward’s group)

By Wednesday, April 6th, I expect each group to have a proposal for me about what they would like to do, and what each member of the group will contributing to the group effort. This is a process of negotiation between the class and me, and the group members and each other, and I have some suggestions to share here, and some of them are "strong suggestions." If anyone objects, please send an email with a better idea.

Each group will report on a book from received from me. Group members must read part of the book, and do a write-up and presentation (probably power point) on that part of the book. See below for book titles and which group I think should receive each book.

Each group should choose a autism foundation and do a mini-presentation on it: The Kanner Foundation in Taiwan, The ALUT foundation in Israel, and a foundation in the United States. Again, I have recommendations on which group should do which foundation here, so look below. Also, I will put a summary of the article where I got the information on the Kanner foundation and ALUT foundation below for everyone, and there is a link to the article.

Each group member should include information on one famous person who had autism (see link) and that person's achievements. These will have to be coordinated so that there are no repeats.

Aside from this, I really hope each group will make an effort to actually meet someone with autism and spend some time with that person, perhaps conducting an interview of some type. The Kanner foundation could probably help there, and it may be possible that our school has someone in it with Asperger's syndome. This part might be good for a short video - whether it is an interview, playing a game with that person, or doing some kind of activity or visiting the classroom, after getting permission.

Kanner Foundation of Taiwan – working to help autism awareness

Named after Leo Kanner, a psychologist who is known for his work on autism

At the end of 2010, 10,160 people in Taiwan had autism

This showed a 10% growth rate (annual?) because of the increased awareness of symptoms of the disorder of parents in Taiwan

The Kanner Foundation is modeling itself after an Israeli organization called ALUT, which strives to help families with autistic children. Among other services ALUT provides, autistic adults can apply to live in one of its 18 communities that give that person a farming or pottery job, and a place to stay after their parents are no longer in this world. This, they believe, is the biggest worry of parents of autistic children – who will take care of their kids when they are gone.

Thinking in Pictures – this book explains the thinking of someone with autism and is highly readable. It is written by the famous Temple Grandin, who has Asperger’s syndrome herself, and who you have probably seen speak on the link. This book, according to the third Amazon review, “will enlighten and expand your thinking about how minds work and what it means to be human.”

Born on a Blue Day – about an autistic savant, a person with autism who has incredible mathematical and linguistic powers. The person who wrote the book is real, but comparable to the main Character Christopher in the Curious Incident book. He loves prime numbers, does not like to be touched, and does not understand jokes easily, and cannot decipher expressions on people’s faces. He can, though, see numbers in his mind with colors, as each day has a texture and a color – like “blue Wednesdays.” Please go to Amazon.com and read the first review there about this book.

Asperger’s from the Inside Out - This book has suggestions on how to deal with Asperger’s syndrome as an adult. Most books written about autism are for parents and directed at children, but not this one. It is a practical guide with lots of tips on managing your adult life if you have found out you or a relative has Asperger’s rather late in life. This book is in Chinese, so whichever group gets it must translate what they learn into English.

Finally, here are the suggestions for which group should do what:

Group A with Shira: Thinking in Pictures and ALUT
Group B with Edward: Born on a Blue Day and the Kanner Foundation
Group C with Henry: Asperger's from the Inside Out (in Chinese) and a autism foundation from the USA

I have taken out my rationale for the above suggestions and ideas about grading the projects. We can discuss those things later. Email me if you have any burning issues you want to discuss.