A few pictures from my recent interviews with Tito and Soma Mukhopadhyay. We shot in Austin- such a beautiful city! I was blown away by how kind Tito and Soma were to welcome us into their home. Soma gave me a book of Tito’s poetry accompanied by photographs that she has taken. I will share some of Tito’s poems soon…stay tuned!
Check out this new soda company that is run by a 9 year old with autism and his dad. They are raising money for social development programs for kids with autism. I am a soda addict, so I can’t wait to order a pack. I usually feel guilty about my soda habit, but not this time! http://www.kentssoda.com/
I found this drawing on Pinterest. I can’t find a source, but that is one wise owl. I’m excited to be on a journey with my documentary to learn about how people with autism see the world, both literally and metaphorically. It is so energizing to learn how life can be perceived differently than the way I see it, which can be boring day after day.
Interview Announcement!
I am thrilled to announce that I will be interviewing Tito Mukhopadhyay for “Spectrum the Film.” I have written about Tito on this blog before and look forward to learning more from him about sensory perception and autism. I have read Tito’s book, How Can I Talk if My Lips Don’t Move: Inside my Autistic Mind and have just ordered another one of his books, The Mind Tree. Oliver Sacks (another popular figure on this blog) has called Tito’s book “amazing and shocking.”
You can find Tito’s books on Amazon.com. If you own a Kindle and are an Amazon prime member, you can borrow Tito’s books from the Amazon prime library.
An app that can see sound! →
Perry Hall, an artist with a form of synesthesia, has created an iphone and ipad app that can see sound as colors. I don’t have an iphone but this may be my reason to buy one so I can record footage and include it in my documentary!
Read more here:
http://blogs.plos.org/neurotribes/2012/02/06/inside-the-mind-of-a-synaesthete/
This fun, visual video is about the power of patterns. When I interviewed Temple Grandin, she told me that many people with autism are “pattern thinkers.” I am interested to learn more…
Poet & Author: Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay
Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay is a well-known autistic author and poet. I am reading his book How Can I Talk if My Lips Don’t Move? Tito is non-verbal and communicates by typing with a computer. He experiences a range of sensory overload and varied sensory experiences. I encourage you to read his books written in a prose/poem combination - they are enlightening and entertaining.
I found a great interview on Disability Studies Quarterly where Tito discusses his writing style:
Youtuber “WeirdGirlCyndi” recreates the feeling of sensory overload by editing together clips from the 80’s version of Transformers. “WeirdGirlCyndi” writes, “I am an autistic adult who is sick of so-called “experts” trying to explain what they think an autistic person is going through. They think they can “fix” autistic children by forcing them to act normal.”
Time Perception and Autism
Today, I began to think about the nature of time perception as related to autism. I know that time perception can be altered based on experiences (a boring day will feel long, an exciting day will feel short.) I also know that drugs which alter the chemicals in our brain can change how we experience time. Time is something we “sense” with our brain. I did some research and found an interesting forum on the the awesome autism community site www.wrongplanet.net. Check it out:
Check out the trailer for a new film called Mabul (The Flood), directed by Guy Nattiv. about a 13-year-old Israeli boy and his non-verbal autistic brother. This emotional film sparks conversation about how autism affects family dynamics. I saw the film at the Anchorage International Film Festival, and I expect it will be on Netflix or other streaming websites within the next year.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Tackles Sensory Issues: Watch Online!
You can watch the episode online at http://abc.go.com/watch/extreme-makeover-home-edition/SH559052/VD55150620/mcphail-family-part-1. The episode will give you plenty of ideas about sensory integration and home decoration! Temple Grandin makes an appearance on the show, and she brings her own ideas about how to make a home sensory-friendly.
You can also read more about the family from the mom’s blog at http://www.earthmonkeymoms.com/.
Watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition tonight at 8/7 central on ABC! The episode will feature a family who has two kids with autism. Dr. Temple Grandin will be making an appearance on the show! The build explores ways to make a home environment autism-friendly and sensory friendly! I work as a casting editor for the show, so I helped edit the casting tape which is essentially the “bus tape” at the beginning of the show.
Check out this trailer for The Horse Boy, an award-winning film about an autistic boy who connects with horses. This film won the SXSW audience award and was a selection at Silverdocs and Sundance. I am on a mission to see as many documentaries about autism as I can, and this is my favorite one so far. Even if you are an autism expert, this is a compelling family story.
You can watch the full-length film on IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi3856440601/
