The Girl Who Spoke With Pictures

Today I'd like to spotlight a very talented artist who has Autism. We talked about Kim Miller's art a lot last year as she and her mother, Eileen, worked to get their book, The Girl Who Spoke With Pictures, into bookstores and ultimately into your hands. (The bookstore story) I've had the chance to read this book and view numerous examples of Kim's art, and I am inspired.

Eileen has written the personal story of her daughter and her autism. She describes the way that Kim began to communicate by drawing. It began very young, age 3 or 4, and has not stopped. Kim is now an adult attending the community college and her art is very powerful. Although she is able to communicate verbally now, her art still speaks volumes. She can relay an incredible amount of thought, emotion, and issue in each of her pieces.

The book itself is a great reference about autism and the experiences that can be related to it. What I really liked was the insight I felt that I gained into Kim's mind. Although everyone is different, it opened my eyes to other ways of interpreting behaviors and situations that I have experienced with my students. I was also inspired by Eileen and her persistent support and advocacy for her daughter. Together this mother-daughter team are changing the face of autism... in their community and hopefully in the world.

The Girl Who Spoke with Pictures: Autism through Art by Eileen Miller and Kim Miller can be found on Amazon.com as well as many other online stores.

You can also take a look around their website.

Check out Kim on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyJtYU4tA3g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIk1KxEOF7c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9QCm7DdvyI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHf9yUSEFFs

April is Autism Awareness Month

I don't know if there is anyone left on the planet who is not aware of Autism. I think that we are all aware of it and how many people it affects (1 in 150). The question this month is:

Do we promote finding a cure for it? Or do we promote acceptance and neurodiversity and accomodation? There are many people who are quite offended by the idea that they or someone they love is "broken" in need of fixing or curing. There are also quite a number of people who believe that their loved one can't be who they truly are until we find a cure. The matter is deeply personal and very emotional for all who have autism or love someone who has autism.

Update on: "...Autism cannot wait until April to be discussed"

For those of you who have been following this story... Operation "Just One" begins tomorrow! Eileen and Kim are getting ready.

This is their current plan of action, as written by Eileen:

• First of all, we are doing a mass mailing to bookstores asking them to participate in our mission.
• We are going to canvass a local university about 2 hours away from our hometown with flyers regarding our book and autism. Spreading the word, making people aware of the existence of our book.
• Then we will be approaching bookstores to ask them to carry one book as a sample copy for their shelf. Because we are sensitive to the fact that in this economic climate bookstores may be reluctant to do so, we are offering a poster for stores to display that has the image of our book cover and stating that it is "available for order upon request."
• Then we are taking to the streets holding up signs that have our website, image of our book...now we will be lawfully doing so, but I have joked with people about it. When they ask if my husband is going to join us, I always tell them "no...he has to bring the bail money!!"We are hoping to get some media coverage out of this, but if it doesn't happen, we won't be disappointed.The purpose is for people to get talking about our book, about autism. If we have to talk to one person at at time, one bookstore at a time...we are making a connection and that is what this is all about.


• So Operation "Just One" will commence Friday in a city in Oregon. If one of your readers spots us along the road, give us a honk or a wave!!

Kim and Eileen are very thankful for any help you may be able to send their way. Wish them luck!

"...Autism cannot wait until April to be discussed"

Remember Eileen and Kim? They created the book: "The Girl Who Spoke with Pictures: Autism Through Art". They'd like you and I to be able to get our hands on a copy - in a bookstore. Unfortunately, bookstores don't have it. It is on Amazon, but that doesn't help people who'd like to see inside the book before purchasing. Eileen, Kim's mom, sent me a letter this morning. I thought I'd share it with you. Maybe if we all inquired about the book at our local bookstores, we'd be able to get bookstores to have a copy in stock. (I bolded certain phrases for you)

Good morning Lisa,

Kim and I thought it would be fun to go to a couple of bookstores (60 miles from our area) to scout out our book on the shelf. Much to our surprise, we could not find the title. We weren't expecting numerous copies, but it would have been nice to see just one. We went to the front desk to inquire. We were told that this particular book store does "carry" the book, but does not keep it in stock in their store. I asked if they would ever have it on the shelf, to which they replied, "no." I went to subsequent bookstores in this area and found that there were no books on the shelf, but they were "happy to order it." When I arrived home, I went online to check stores on west coast/east coast and found that the only stores that had our book in stock, were the bookstores that I had contacted in person weeks prior to publication.

I want your readers to know that if they want to buy our book in a bookstore, they will have to ask for it to order it.

I have contacted news organizations all over our state to make people aware of the existence of our book. We have heard nothing. (Many organizations, news and bookstores in the past have expressed that they want to wait until April which is Autism Awareness month.)

Plan of action: Kim and I have decided to take this directly to the people. We are going to go out into our state's community and meet with people to introduce ourselves and our book. Of course, we are going to do this in a creative and unorthodox way, but ever since Kim was born, my life has been extraordinary.

Our Mission: We want to kindly ask bookstores everywhere to carry a "sample copy", ONE COPY, on their shelf, so that customers can peruse to see if they would like to place an order. Our book is our voice, if our book is in a warehouse, it is not being heard. To let people of the community and news media know that autism cannot wait until April to be discussed. Parents and individuals with autism live with incredible challenges and experience victories every day, not just to be recognized during that certain month. If it takes just one person at a time, one handshake at a time, one community at a time, we are willing to be proactive to introduce ourselves. How can people request or order a book that might be helpful, if they have never heard about it? How can "The Girl Speak With Pictures" when her artwork is not seen? Her art is so unique, the context in which it occurs adds richness to her communication, it requires explanation.

Remember, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." author unknown

We want to start a bonfire!

Eileen Miller

Eileen and Kim have some "unorthodox" plans to accomplish their goals. I cannot wait to hear about their experiences. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime you can look at the book on Amazon and you can request to see a copy at your local bookstore.

You can read more about the Kim and Eileen here, and here. You can also visit their website.

Beautiful Autism and Powerful Words

Those of us who have had a personal relationship with a person who has autism, know that people who have autism are just as unique and beautiful as people who do not have it, sometimes more so.

I have recently found myself lost in the beautiful Faces of Autism. Casdok has created a unique blog where parents submit a picture of their autistic child and a bit of info about them. They usually all link to their own personal website about their child or their family. I think that some older individuals have submitted pictures of themselves and linked to their own blogs. This is a creative way to let outsiders in on the beauty of these children and also a way for parents and autistic individuals to find each other and connect.

Casdok is the author of Mother of Shrek, a personal website about her son, C, and their experiences together. I find their encounters fascinating and sometimes disturbing. This mother and son have run into some incredibly rude and ignorant people. I cannot imagine the same situations occurring here in my neck of the woods, although sadly... I'm afraid they may. In any case, she is an inspiring real mother who is tackling life one day at a time... like the rest of us. I think she is hoping that through her blog, she and C may help you and I to think differently. Check her out, and don't leave without clicking around in her sidebar for related issues and definitely take a moment to read C's autistic rap!

While we are on the subject of neurodiversity and rudeness... let's not forget the power of our words!

For more information about words, please check out the R Word Campaign and another strong video: Offense Taken.

The Girl Who Spoke with Pictures

Exciting news! The book is out and the website is up!! Remember when I told you about Kim Miller, an artist who has autism? She and her mother have collaborated on a book together that lets us into the mind of Kim as she communicates through her artwork. Well, the book has received a wonderful review from ForeWord Magazine, and is for sale numerous places, including Amazon.

"Kim and I were overjoyed when we read the review. The magazine considers nearly 1,000 pre-publication galleys and manuscripts submitted each month, and approximately eight percent of those titles are selected for review. To be considered was awesome, to get reviewed was glorious." - Eileen Miller

Also Kim and her mother have their website up, to keep us all posted on the latest and greatest from this mother/daughter duo. I just thought you might appreciate an update!

The Cake Decorating Song

One of my students decorated this cake last Friday and wrote a little song as she went. It is to the tune of "Peanut Butter and Jelly".

Baking My Cake

First you take the frosting and you spread it. You spread it, spread it spread it.
Baking, baking my cake. (yummy, yummy)
Then you take the colored icing and you squeeze it. You squeeze it, squeeze it, squeeze it.
Baking, baking my cake. (yummy, yummy)
Then you take the sprinkles and you shake them. You shake them, shake them, shake them.
Baking, baking my cake. (yummy, yummy)
Then you take the candles and you stick them. You stick them, stick them, stick them.
Baking, baking my cake. (yummy, yummy)
Then you take the candles and you blow them. You blow them, blow them, blow them.
Baking, baking my cake. (yummy, yummy)
Then you take the knife and you cut it. You cut it, cut it, cut it.
Baking, baking my cake. (yummy, yummy)
Then you take the cake and you eat it. You eat it, eat it, eat it.
Baking, baking my cake. (yummy, yummy)

Written by A. Baker

Get Service: kind of makes you stop and think

I found this over at Everyday Adventures, a great family blog about raising 3 sons with Autism.

Artist with Autism: Kim Miller

A while back I posted about a website that highlights and sells art that has been crafted by artists who have autism. I also posted an incredibly beautiful painting called "The Violinist" by Kim Miller. I told you a bit about her (after I had read her bio on the site).

Anyway, I did not have the rights to post that image (geez I'm causing a lot of trouble lately), and therefor I removed it. However you may still go look at it, and unfortunately it is still sold.

BUT here is the exciting thing... Kim's mother has very kindly given me permission to post this image of her glazed clay sculpture called "Serenity". I love the blue she used (the yellow is the watermark), of course, I love it - blue is my signature color ;)

Kim's artwork is displayed in her new book that will be released next month, called The Girl Who Spoke With Pictures Autism Through Art, written by Eileen Miller and illustrated by Kim Miller, foreword by Robert Nickel, MD. Release date September 2008, 208 pages, 90 illustrations, paperback, ISBN 9781843108894, Jessica Kingsley Publishers jkp.com

"For many years Eileen Miller's daughter Kim, was unable to verbalize her
experiences and emotions, but she was able to communicate using a less
conventional language:her art. The Girl Who Spoke With Pictures tells the
story of a young woman with autism, and how her enlightening drawings enabled
her to share her view of the world...." more on jkp website.

Available at jkp.com, Barnes and Noble, Powells, Target, and fine independent bookstores. Available in Canada, UK, Germany, Norway, Australia, South Africa...limited release in Japan and India. Do a websearch for a location near you.

Kim Miller has also illustrated a children's book, titled: Apples for Cheyenne, written by Elizabeth Gerlach, Release date: anytime, Sensory Resources publishing.

BTW Sensory Resources has many helpful books about sensory integration and sensory processing. I have used a number of them with my students. They also have other great products that address these issues.

I'll keep you all posted as more information is released. Kim and her mother will also have a website in September.

Thank you Eileen for sharing your daughter's talents with others.

Not about Autism... but definitely could have been. A must read.

Letter to a Baby Who Was Thrown from a Bridge
by Astra Milberg

Dazley's Dazzlers

Join me and Dazley's Dazzlers in supporting research for Autism. You can make a donation, join our team or make your own team! You can make a Team Donation or click any of the members' names for a donation to their personal page. The Utah Autism Walk is Saturday, May 3, 2008. We're walking with and for Robert.

Artists who have Autism

KindTree Productions, Inc. Autism Rocks features art shows and print products by artists who have Autism. These artists receive 50% of every sale. Here you can support artists with Autism from all around the world.

"...And now it is our favorite time, it's Signing Time..."

It is no secret that Andy, Fischer and I are huge fans of sign language for babies. We were sold on it as soon as Fisch signed his first words "all done". This was WAY before he started talking. He was a sponge by about 13 months and could pick up new signs really quickly. His vocabulary was quite impressive and he wasn't even talking yet! When he did start talking, he had a lot to say and could help us understand him by pairing his speech and signs. We had racked up a pretty hefty library fine and stopped getting the videos around December, by then he new approximately 250 signs (21 months old), we have just resumed watching the videos this month. Fischer still likes to learn new signs and practice old ones. He still loves to watch the Signing Time videos, and I love them too. Even though he can talk now, the videos help to expand his vocabulary. We love the music. Rachel (the woman in the picture above - that teaches the signs) writes all of her own music and it is really quite fun. We like to sing the songs and practice our signs in the car (probably not the safest idea when driving). The songs that I love the most are at the end of the videos during the credits. These are beautiful heart-felt songs about Rachel's daughters who both have disabilities.
This month Signing Time is highlighting the affects that their videos have had on children with Autism. Signing helps kids of all abilities and ages to communicate and that is a very powerful gift! Fisch and I went to the Signing Time concert this fall with some friends. The place was PACKED - actually doubly packed since most of the seats were occupied by a parent and a child. It was wonderful to see all of the little ones like Fisch and his buddies, and also all of the children with disabilities and hearing impairments. This series truly reaches everyone.
We borrow the DVDs from the library, but of course they sell them on their website. You can also watch Signing Time on PBS.
Here are a few articles about Signing Time and Autism:

Effective Communication with Children and Young Adults with Autism by Lisa Goldy

The Joy of Signing With an Autistic Childby Sheri L.

The Power of Sign Language Helps Children With Autism Create Meaning in Languageby Michele Ricamato, M.A. CCC

You may also be interested in a couple of American Sign Language (ASL) browsers on the Internet, both have videos demonstration clips for every sign:
ASL Browser
ASL Pro

Have you read this before?

WELCOME TO HOLLAND
by Emily Perl Kingsley.
c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go.

Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

Maybe we don't need a cure?

The Autism Awareness Project has a TOTALLY different take on Autism. They are looking for respect, acceptance, dignity NOT A CURE. Fascinating. It certainly has me thinking.

There are so many websites out there about Autism that are not looking at it as something to be cured, not an illness, not a bad thing. In fact many people are quite offended by the thought that they or someone they love need to be fixed.

Get another perspective... look at this: Asperger Square 8 , specifically this:
Also while on Asperger Square 8 look at this and this.

Another interesting issue, click on the graphic :

As a special education teacher, I've been able to love my students for their quirks, while their parents worry about what the future holds. I recall a moment many years ago, I was new to my school and had only been teaching a year before that. I was having my first IEP meeting with a particular set of parents. I was really excited because their daughter was so cute and funny, and I wanted them to know how much I loved her already (just 3 months into school). So I said something like, "OMG! Susie is sooo funny, you two must be laughing all of the time!" Their response? "Well, we're starting to, but we've spent the last 9 years crying." I'll never forget it. I was stopped in my tracks, I didn't know what to say, I hadn't ever thought about Susie from her parents point of view. Their baby was born and they had all of the hopes and dreams and aspirations that we all have for our children... those dreams changed with the diagnosis.
I think what some of the people on the sites above are trying to say is, yeah the dreams changed... but that's it... they just changed. They aren't gone. It isn't like there are no dreams to be had, just different ones. Susie is 16 now (that was 7 years ago), she has traveled all over the world, she's seen and done things that I will never get to do. She is a beautiful high school sophomore. She has a boyfriend. She is still funny, she still has Autism, she still loves Barney. She is every bit as entitled to this world as you and I, so what if she makes you uncomfortable?!

April is Autism Awareness Month

As I mentioned earlier, April is Autism Awareness month. This is a picture of one of my favorite people, Robert. He has Autism. His parents put together a pamphlet about him and about Autism to share with his church and his neighborhood. I am posting part of it for you.

Hello, my name is Robert T.
I live with my mom and dad, Raynola and Mark, in Utah. I have a big sister, her name is Madison. I also have special foster sisters, Sarah and Becca. I have a pet helper, her name is Dos the dog. They all love me and I love them.

I am thirteen years old and I go to Middle School. My favorite subjects are reading, spelling, computers and science. I do pretty good in math and other subjects, but they are not my favorites. I spend most of my days in a special classroom with other students that have Autism. I’m a smart boy. I like going to school, I try to do my best all the time. I don’t like to write on white paper, it hurts my eyes and makes me nervous, but sometimes I have to.

At home I like to read books, work on my computer and watch movies. I also like to jump on the trampoline, play on the swing set, ride bikes with my parents and ride motorcycles. I really love motorcycles! For special activities I like to go fishing and horseback riding. I also like spending time with my grandparents. I like big trucks, riding on trains, going to basketball games with my dad and going to the planetarium or aquarium. Mostly I just like to spend time with my mom and dad. (And I like pretty girls!)

Most of the time I am very happy, mostly I have good days, sometimes, every once in a while I have a bad day. Everybody has their bad days. Most of the time I do what my parents tell me to do, even though I don’t always want to. So, I guess I’m just like most other boys my age, in
most ways.

You might have noticed that I spend lots of time alone in church. I have problems with large crowds with lots of noise, I cover my ears, and I get nervous. My hearing is very sensitive. I tend to flap my hands when I am learning something new or taking new information into my brain. Sometimes I get really happy and I laugh a little loud, but I’m just being happy. I like to kiss and hug my mom and dad, because I am so happy and love them so much. Oh yeah, I may do all these thing because I have autism. I like coming to church, I pray just like everybody else.
This church feels like our home, everyone here has been so kind to me and my family.
Thanks for reading, with love,
Robert

P.S. I Have Autism, but Autism does not have me.

What is Autism?
(Otherwise known as Autism Spectrum Disorder)

Autism is an enigmatic and complex neurological disorder that afflicts 1 in every 150 children nationwide, (1 in every 144 children within the state of Utah). There are 67 children diagnosed every day, that means every 20 minutes a child is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Order.
Boys are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed than girls, but girls are generally more severe along the spectrum of characteristics. Autism is more commonly diagnosed in children than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups.

Autism affects each child differently (thus the spectrum), symptoms can range from very mild to quite severe. It impairs the ability to communicate and relate to others. It causes restricted and repetitive behaviors, combined with hypersensitivity and/or hyper-acute senses (hearing, tactical and light sensitivity). It is often associated with the need for rigid routines and obsessive behavioral characteristics.
Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors or failure to reach appropriate developmental milestones. Many parents are told to “wait and see”. And so they do……desperately hoping and praying that their child will “catch up”. There is no immediate cure, however with early intervention involving timely and cost intensive therapies, these children can lead full and active lives. Sadly most insurance policies will not cover the high costs of these many therapies. Many states have programs that will assist with the cost of therapy (this is recent), but with numbers rising so rapidly, children are often placed on waiting lists, missing their opportunity for early intervention. We are pushing and praying for legislation that mandates insurance companies to cover these desperately needed therapies.

Please join us in our prayers. Please do not look the other way or push these children and their issues aside. Look at them, embrace them for the innocent children of God that they truly are. Please know that what happens to a child today will surely have a direct impact on the rest of his or her life.

To learn more please visit : http://www.autismspeaks.org/ or read: Louder Than Words by Jenny McCarthy, The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz, and Songs of the Gorilla Nation by Dawn Prince Hughes.
Also join us at or donate to the Walk Now for Autism Utah to be held on May 3, 2008 at Cottonwood High School ~ 5715 So. 1300 East, Murray, Utah. 9:00 a.m. For more information visit: www.walknowforautism.org/utah or utah@autismspeaks.org

April is Autism Awareness Month

(Turn your volume up a little. I'm not sure why the first two frames are not very clear here)

Five for Fighting's charity, "What kind of world do you want?", works like this: everytime you watch this video or one of the many others you donate 49 cents to Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks provides money for Autism research, parent resources and helps to raise awareness. The videos have been made by people who are living with Autism - either a loved one or themselves. You'll learn just a little bit about Autism by watching this video and the many like it. You'll see the beauty in these children, the love in their families, and the desperation we all feel in finding a cure and getting proper funding for important therapies. Some of my very favorite people have Autism, and although they struggle with so much, they still live and love and play and share and give and teach and inspire.