{"id":135,"date":"2017-12-25T14:03:41","date_gmt":"2017-12-25T20:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tameri.com\/wordpress\/autisticme\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2017-12-25T14:03:41","modified_gmt":"2017-12-25T20:03:41","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tameri.com\/autisticme\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christopher Scott Wyatt became an autistic self-advocate out of necessity. His parents had advocated for his educational rights throughout his childhood, a responsibility that he assumed during college. The Autistic Me<\/em><\/strong> blog was launched in January 2007 when Scott began working on behalf of others with special needs.<\/p>\n

When speaking or writing about autism, Scott\u2019s primary qualification is that he is an individual diagnosed as autistic. He also has physical challenges, giving him unique insights into the experiences of students with special needs.<\/p>\n

Dr. Wyatt completed his doctoral studies in 2010 at the University of Minnesota. His specialty is literacy education and technology, as reflected by his dissertation project Online Pedagogy: Designing Writing Courses for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. While a doctoral student, Scott conducted two grant-funded research projects on autism and technology. Dr. Wyatt also holds a master of fine arts in film and digital technology; a master of arts in English composition theory and rhetoric; and undergraduate degrees in English and journalism.<\/p>\n

\n

The Autistic Me<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

With respect to high-functioning autism,
\nScott displays a number of salient characteristics.
\n\u2014 evaluation, 2006<\/p>\n

I love to learn. That\u2019s why I kept pursuing my graduate education and teaching credentials. Information is out there waiting to be converted into knowledge. Unfortunately, the journey to the doctorate was difficult. Not because I struggled with the work, but because I struggled with the norms and traditions of our educational system.<\/p>\n

With many academic pursuits, Scott is easily bored, frequently working ahead. […] Timed testing became problematic for him secondary to boredom, and behaviors ranged from impulsivity to obsessive answer checking. For the most part, Scott has had low tolerance for the illogical and unscientific.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Our schools, especially our colleges and universities, are not equipped to deal with varied learning styles. Only select university programs are equipped to deal with the challenge of teaching gifted students, which includes many students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).<\/p>\n

Evolving Definitions of Autism and Me<\/h2>\n

We are each a product of our time. I was born in the late 1960s. Until the mid-1990s, no student considered \u201cgifted\u201d would also be classified as having various learning disabilities. The diagnosis of \u201cautism\u201d was, in fact, countermanded by a high IQ during screening.<\/p>\n

Autism diagnoses are based on observable symptoms. The definition of autism is maintained by American Psychiatric Association within the organization\u2019s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).<\/p>\n

\u201cInfantile Autism<\/a>\u201d first appeared in the DSM-III<\/a>, published in 1980. In 1987 the DSM-III-Revised added the criteria for Pervasive Developmental Disorder<\/a>, Not Otherwise Specified. PDD- NOS includes children with \u201cmilder\u201d ASDs. The 1994 DSM-IV broadened the diagnostic criteria for autism yet again. By the turn of the century, Asperger\u2019s Syndrome<\/a> (AS) and high-functioning autism (HFA) diagnoses were becoming common.<\/p>\n

Throughout my life, various \u201cpersonality quirks\u201d had been attributed to everything from attention deficit disorder (ADD) to complex partial seizures. It wasn\u2019t unusual for doctors to suggest gifted people were simply eccentric by nature. In 2006, a neuropsychological evaluation concluded my traits were consistent with autism. Two separate evaluations by a total of four experts have supported this diagnosis.<\/p>\n

With respect to high-functioning autism, Scott displays a number of salient characteristics. Facility for social interaction is hampered with flat affect, limited eye contact, and compromises relative to the understanding of subtlety and nuance. Scott encounters difficulty with \u201ctheory of mind,\u201d understanding what others are thinking. He is literal in response, experiencing reduced self-monitoring skills, thus, at times, verbalizing impulsively. Concomitantly, cognitive rigidity is evident with a good deal of literalness, misunderstanding of the theoretical and esoteric, and a strong need for logic, structure, and clear patterns. Thus, \u201cgray\u201d situations at all levels can create uncertainty and anxiety. Paradoxically, at the same time, Scott can be highly creative, displaying strong writing skills.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Interests and Skills<\/h3>\n

There is a stereotype that gifted individuals with AS\/HFA diagnoses are drawn to the sciences and mathematics. Though I have pursued an interest in literacy instruction, I also cannot deny my innate abilities involve pattern recognition and mathematics.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, Scott displays numerous strengths, being most comfortable with concrete, clearcut, factual material. His long-term memory is excellent. Facility for numerical analysis is quite good, and he does especially well with arithmetic conceptualization. Generally speaking, he is more comfortable with logical technical pursuits, doing well in terms of visual detail, spatial processing, and abstract visual perception. Certainly, his general reading skills are intact, and he displays strong writing capabilities.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Computers have been an important part of my life because they are predictable. I enjoy experimenting with technology, from computer hardware to programming languages.<\/p>\n

Personality Quirks<\/h3>\n

Among the diagnostic criteria for autism are specific personality traits, particularly social interaction impairments. Although I recognize that a lack of social skills is at least an impairment in the workplace, I do not consider introversion necessarily negative. People are, in general, confusing and they tend not to communicate clearly.<\/p>\n

Clearly, the social\/pragmatic limitations associated with high functioning autism have impacted Scott emotionally. Coping skills, for purposes of allaying anxiety (secondary to misperceptions) have entailed a predictable, structured, and isolated lifestyle. Defensive responses related to control have become quite evident with perfectionism (including obsessiveness) and the need for clear, logical, literal, structured explanation. Thus, through time, Scott has engaged in significant self-criticism and personal questioning.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Educational Credentials<\/h2>\n

I earned a doctorate from the University of Minnesota; a master of fine arts from Chatham University; a master of arts with distinction from California State University Fresno (a.k.a. Fresno State); and undergraduate degrees from the University of Southern California. My doctoral research projects covered special education laws and regulations, special education theory, and language arts education with an emphasis on written communication. The submission report for my dissertation:<\/p>\n

\n

Online Pedagogy: Designing Writing Courses\u00a0for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders<\/em><\/strong> Dissertation \/ Final Research Categories:<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n