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On this date, 51 years ago, July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating NASA. This was only a small blurb in today’s paper but it is monumental in the history of our nation and in the exploration of space.
President Eisenhower and the US Congress of that era had a vision that is celebrated today and well into the future.
“Nothing happens . . . but first a dream.” Carl Sandburg.
Have a visionary-kind-of day!
ABA. My mother and speech therapy soul got lit on fire once again this morning with a wonderful comment left on my blog by an SLP who also has a grown son with autism. We, as mothers of grown children with autism have been there. We’ve done that. We’ve danced the dance. And we are here to say, WE’RE SOOOO GLAD THAT WE DID IT WITHOUT THE STRICT, REGIMENTED, ROTE, NON-DEVELOPMENTAL, ETC. ETC. ways of the ABA community. YES, ABA has a place in the field of autism. It’s place is strictly behavioral. The trainers (I refuse to call them therapists) are not developmental specialists, speech and language therapists, or any other kind of therapist. They work from checklists, in prescription style binders and go from one level to the next only if the “little robot” is performing. Is that good enough for YOUR child? For YOUR family life? For your child’s future? Well, it wasn’t good enough for me or for my Doug or for this SLP’s son.
The world of speech and language therapy has always been about applied behavioral analysis with dealing with language skills down through articulation. We drill, we apply, we change behaviors. The difference is, we, as SLP’s change those behaviors within sound developmental norms and expectations and with the benefit of social language ~ pragmatics.
ABA trainers and even SLP’s can make robotic speech and language out of anybody’s speech. I recently had this discussion with one of my SLP’s in my private practice in Las Vegas. You see,
PRAGMATICS SET LANGUAGE IN ACTION
Without the social aspects of language function, there IS no manipulating the enviornment. There is no reciprocity of communication. The content is flat and void of emotion. The “fun” of life is stolen. The figurative language of life is never to be realized. Language and the understanding of the world cannot bloom and grow.
My favorite book is not about autism or speech and language, it is about life and how to teach that experience to a child. Every SLP and parent should have to read Rachel Carson’s The Sense of Wonder. It will open YOUR eyes as to what you’ll miss if you do not help your child or those with whom you work to see the world as it’s set in action through social language not just ABA drills.
My Sense of Wonder book is frail now from all of the times I’ve read it and used it in speeches. I can open it to any page and find a memorable quote: “I am sure no amount of drill would have implanted the names so firmly as just going through the woods in the spirit of two friends on an expedition of exciting discovery.” Oh, don’t miss the function of life and living in it!
My new SLP friend who commented on my blog ~ the one who set me on fire once again said,
” I thank God that my son was too old to have been influenced by ABA in the schools! He is independent, can cook and clean, does his own laundry, landscaping and planting around the house, is sociable, and can carry on a conversation(about things that interest him), and is a very hard worker. All without ABA!”
You can read more about my son, Doug, on this site. These boys (men) have taught us so much and it is all fitting and proper that the word gets passed along. ABA, you have your place with the autistic population but it is not acting as a speech/language pathologist with our children.
Close but no cigar
A pharmacist would have been a very handy person to have as a mission specialist on any Apollo mission, at least that’s what My Tim thought back in the days of the Apollo space era. Perhaps everyone wanted to be an astronaut after the flurry of the moon landing on July 20, 1969. Imagine 40 years ago. Maybe everyone wanted to be an astronaut in the late ’60′s and early ’70′s but not everyone applied to be an astronaut. My husband, Tim, a pharmacist, DID!
Applying to be an astronaut is not an easy task. Attaining the paperwork, filling it out, getting it notarized, medical checkups and clearance, background checks, finger prints, and sheriff cards, financial statements, references, etc., etc., etc. were all part of the packet. Tim pursued it with zest and dreams sprinkled with stardust and soon became a full fledged astronaut in waiting.
During the years of waiting our family visited: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., NASA, Johnson Space Center Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, and any rocket or space site between the Atlantic and the Pacific.
When Tim Harrington, R.PH. turned 55 years of age, he received a letter from NASA that they regretted informing him that his applicaiton for admission into the astronaut program was not longer applicable. It was not a sad day for Tim or our family, however, it was a proud day. Tim was our Astronaut Pharmacist. He didn’t have to go to the moon to prove his value here on earth. He didn’t have to plant a flag in rock or conduct experiments in floating labs.
Tim served his country in the United States Air Force and he flies a flag on every holiday in the front of our home. He saved the lives of many by filling their prescriptions and consulting with their medical concerns. He distributes food at a food bank at our church pantry and he serves meals to the homeless on holidays. Tim buys school supplies for children who would not outwise have them and anytime he gets the chance he speaks about space and the men and women who pioneered it.
The ones who were lucky to go to the stars and see them up close. The ones who went faster and further than any other people on earth.
I say to my Astronaut Pharmacist, yes, those men and women who were selected to be astronauts did go further and fast and they saw the stars up closer but they are no nearer to the honor of a man than my Tim.
Tony Curtis was highlighted as actor, author, and artist at the Flamingo Library on July 19th in an Actors Studio,Vegas style interview by Norm Clarke. This in-depth Q & A session drew an overflow audience for autograph and photograph sessions. Mr. Curtis penned “American Prince: A Memoir that was released on October 2008.
Mr. Curtis presented from a wheelchair but had all the humor of his youthful days and the depth of his voice rang with familiarity as he related stories from Hollywood as well as from his WWII experiences.
He won an Oscar for his role in The Defiant Ones ~ 1958. (I just ordered it from NetFlix) Enjoy these pictures: his art and the way we all like to remember Tony Curtis. Thank you Mr. Curtis for all of the memories you gave us and continue to do so.
I want to share this with all of you because this on-line article that just came out today in ADVANCE for Speech Language Pathologists and is one of my proudest moments in all of my writing and mothering and speech “pathologing.” I didn’t know for sure if it would get into print and it has taken a while but the wait was worth it.
I want Jeff to how instrumental he was in our lives and particularly in Doug’s life when we lived in MO. Doug just now returned from his dental apt. and I handed him the article to read. He smiled and I smiled back. It felt so good.
Guest Editorial “The Heart of Autism” at ADVANCE for Speech/Language Pathologists
The good news is ~ it gets BETTER.~ I had the best doctor’s visit today that I’ve had in over two years. Cushie’s go to my Cushing’s page and read my story that started in January 2007 and surgically concluded with my second surgery on June 4, 2007. Since that time, I have been recovering.
I’m going to be writing articles about my recovery process and progress. I’m older than most of you so please don’t be discouraged.
One of the smallest but best recovery signs just happeded over the past two weeks: my finger nails no long PEEL. That’s right, they peeled for over two years regardless of the numerous kinds of strengthing polishes I used. I think it was just a matter of recovery.
And my hair is finally back to a nice texture. I’m loosing weight again and my face is less red. My mood is also less “shifty.” My emotions are still tender and I can cry easily but maybe that’s just me.
Hang in there “Cushies.” Recover ~ YOU WILL!
