In doing my research for this module, I found myself developing a few autistic characteristics myself; namely, ‘an unusual preoccupation with a specific area of interest,’ along with ‘obsessive behaviors, to the exclusion of others.’  I have spent many, many hours watching Youtube videos about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD.)  I’ve read articles and texts, attended workshops and lectures. 

What I personally found fascinating were the books written by individuals on the spectrum themselves, such as Temple Grandin and John Elder Robison.  I’ve found the discussion board on the website Wrongplanet.net to be particularly illuminating.

However, for all my time spent educating myself about autism, I feel I’ve only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg.  Because this diagnosis is relatively new to the timeline of formal education, we have not yet measured its depths. How best to address the unique academic challenges of ASD is a topic in its infancy, with so much more to be learned.

I ask for your indulgence, should it appear at times that I am romanticizing or sensationalizing the condition.  I recognize the information I have accumulated has been generated, either from 'neurotypicals' who are only observing autism from the outside in, or from people with ASD who are highly verbal.