Person with autism running for a seat in the NJ Assembly

[KamaAina]

as a Dem! No, it's not me, silly; I have not lived in NJ for many many years and have never even been to Englewood.

http://www.politickernj.com/matt-friedman/28858/autistic-man-seeks-assembly-seat-37th

(Christopher) Gagliardi, a 28-year-old Englewood resident, was born with infantile (sic) autism. Doctors would eventually advise his mother, Lynda Grace Monahan, to put him in a group home and medicate him with Ritalin....

Gagliardi caught the political bug at an early age, attributing it to his mother's involvement in Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in the 1960's. He wanted to run for governor, but didn't meet the minimum age requirements, and his letter to the Democratic Party expressing interest in being a delegate to the Democratic National Convention was ignored. So Gagliardi figured the legislature was in need of someone who will represent the mentally and physically challenged.

"During the time in the 80's and 90's, people who had challenges were either rejected in society or not recognized for their contributions to society," he said. "But with the recent breakthroughs in civil rights with the physically and mentally challenged, I thought it would be appropriate to stand up and take responsibility."

Gagliardi graduated from Ridgefield Memorial High School in 2002, where he was student council president – the first special education student to ever hold the position, he said.

The bit about the group home reminds me of a line I use when speaking on the subject: Dr. Leo Kanner, who first used the term "autism", told my mom when I was all of 4, "Mrs. KamaAina, your child is autistic. I recommend that you place him in an institution and get on with your life."

Years later, she would eventually heed the learned Dr. Kanner's advice -- but I'm not sure Yale was the sort of institution he had had in mind!

[Book Lover]

1. Amazing. Very encouraging news

K&R

[AndyTiedye]

2. kicked and Recommended!

:kick:

This is excellent news!

The bit about the group home reminds me of a line I use when speaking on the subject: Dr. Leo Kanner, who first used the term "autism", told my mom when I was all of 4, "Mrs. KamaAina, your child is autistic. I recommend that you place him in an institution and get on with your life."

I have long wondered if the difference between Dr. Kanner's view of autism and that of Dr Asperger was really more related to the kind of the therapy their patients received.
Nowadays the term, "Aspergers Syndrome" is used for a portion of the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum. Yet it is likely that Dr. Asperger and Dr. Kanner
were likely working with very similar patients. It is clear that Asperger's patients were encouraged to do a lot more than Kanners.

Years later, she would eventually heed the learned Dr. Kanner's advice -- but I'm not sure Yale was the sort of institution he had had in mind!

Maybe MIT. Worked for me.

[KamaAina]

3. Presently, the distinction between autism and Asperger's rests on IQ subscores

I should know; I did the data analysis for the Yale field trial that got Asperger's included in DSM-IV for the first time.

IQ tests are divided into two parts: verbal ("A train leaves Boston going 30 miles per hour...") and nonverbal or performance (the block designs). By definition, a "neurotypical" subject will score within a few points on both, since that is how the tests are designed.

But in autism, the nonverbal score is significantly (>10 points) higher than the verbal score. In Asperger's, the reverse is true: the verbal score is elevated.

Clinicians encounter difficulty when they run into someone like me, both of whose subscores are off-scale. :P

edit: caps

[tbyg52]

4. Wonderful!

:applause:

[mzmolly]

5. Fabulous!

Go Gagliardi! :toast: