Autism

After reading both articles, feelings of curiosity, confusion, and wonder went through my mind.  Is the information that the writers are writing about true?  Is this their opinion or do they have scientific research to back it up?  I felt like the writers did not give enough information about their view on how people with autism think.  Autism Spectrum Disorder has a "widespread of abnormalities of social interactions and communication."  Temple Grandin talks about the three different types of specialized thinking.  He believes that people who are both on and off the spectrum are either visual thinkers, music and math thinkers, or verbal logic thinkers.

I don't necessary agree with all of Grandin's findings.  In the past, I have worked one on one with Billy, a  nineteen-year old boy who has Asperger's.  He not only thought in pictures, but I would say he was a music and math thinker.  He often made relationships between numbers.  He was able to teach himself how to play the piano.  

Billy is a visual thinker as well as a music and math thinker.  I do not think that each person only thinks in one way.  Although this may be true for some but for others it may not be.  

   

  

THE ROLE ART HAS PLAYED IN MY LIFE

        I can honestly say that art has not always had a positive influence on my life.  I remember like it was yesterday.  I was in third grade when I learned about "The Art Enrichment Club."  To me, this club was for the above and beyond art students, the students who excelled in art.  All I wanted to do was be in this club.  Only twenty-five students were picked to be in this club and unfortunately, I was not one of them.  I remember feeling thoughts of anger, disappointment, and jealousy.  I was jealous of my best friends Michelle and Jillian.  They were "chosen" to be in this club.  As a third grader, I interpreted this club as the kids who were the best.  The kids who were better than all the rest.  That moment has definitely had an impact on my art career.  

        When entering Middle School, I was very nervous for the first day of classes.  In my eyes, I did not see myself as a very good drawer, so that meant to me that I was not good at art.  Little did I know that art is much more than drawing.  In this art class I got to paint, build objects out of paper mache, make collages, and a lot of other fun tasks that did not have to do with drawing.  This class helped me see that there are so many different aspects of art.  

        When I got to High School, art became a lot more competitive than it was in Middle School.  Their were many different kinds of art classes such as drawing, painting, photography, etc.  I never took an art class in High School simply because I was more interested in other things such as, violin, singing, dance, and clubs.  Now that I think about it, who says that art isn't playing the violin, singing a beautiful song, or dancing how you feel?  Art comes in many different forms.  Every person has some form of art inside of them.