The goal of teaching writing led me to scholarship on technology, design, disability, and economics within composition and rhetoric. Years ago, when I entered graduate school, I imagined helping students and teachers connect via technology. I wanted to study “writing across the curriculum” and online writing labs. These interests led…
The Autistic Me
Driving has been causing back pain, which leads to headaches, and some of those headaches become migraines. A migraine is not merely a bad headache, either. I don’t mind driving on fairly flat, smooth, un-congested routes. The problem is that the roads where we live go over and around hills.…
If I could, I would write full-time. That is what I want, and what I have dreamed of since first grade: to be a professional writer. Teaching seemed like a good way to support writing. But, no luck with that approach. I’m a good teacher. My reviews state this. My course…
Companies, non-profits, and educational institutions should hire me as a consultant (or others with expertise in accommodations and supports for cognitive difference) because too many organizations do not know how to hire, support, and develop talented people with personality traits outside the accepted norms. Readers of this blog know that…
April compels me to offer my standard reaction to Autism Awareness (Day | Month) and a short thought or two. Reaction: Blah. Thought: Great. We get to endure a month of “inspirational” (sarcasm quotes) stories on families raising autistic children, a few successful autistics will be profiled, and then people…
It is that time of the year when I check the job market with the goal of being employed after the school year ends. The anxiety is accompanied by the self-recrimination for not obtaining a STEM degree to qualify for the jobs I know I could do, including teach in…
As is often the case, I write a blog on a topic I’m not currently exploring in my research only to discover that I’m about to delve into the depths of that exact topic for an academic article or presentation. A few weeks ago, I confessed that I had not…
Since completing my doctorate, I haven’t had a compelling reason to read much about the psychology of autism. When I read scholarly articles in psychology, they tend to be connected to economics or politics. You might imagine that economics and policy, so connected to rhetoric and persuasion, would delve into…
For your consideration, a blog entry I found offensive in its delivery, yet correct in some of the points the doctor wished to express. The Neurodiversity Movement http://corticalchauvinism.com/2015/01/05/the-neurodiversity-movement-lack-of-trust/ Neurodiversity is a catastrophic movement for autistic individuals in general. It is reminiscent of the early religious accounts of Jewish people claiming…
Solebon Solitaire (http://www.solebon.com) has been my favorite game since buying my first HandSpring Visor, a PalmOS device. Another long-time favorite is Shanghai Mahjong Solitaire (http://www.mobileage.com/shanghai/). These games exist on my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro. Simple, elegant, and quick to play when I have a few minutes, these games are…