The challenge and opportunity of autism from Medill at Northwestern University
A few weeks ago, Dianna Heitz of Northwestern University's Medill School drove up to film me for a story on Asperger's. She's got a brother on the spectrum, so she had a personal stake in the story, and she did a really nice job.
It's called The Challenge and Opportunity of Autism
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=93475
Here is a story about the making of the story . . .
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=89355
But there's another story in the background, and you'll have to watch several videos to figure it out. Watch me in the video link above. Then go to the links below, and watch me on television this past fall and winter. Look for the changes . . . what do you see?
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3317288n
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&rls=WDIA,WDIA:2008-22,WDIA:en&q=john%20elder%20robison&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&rls=WDIA,WDIA:2008-22,WDIA:en&q=john%20elder%20robison&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#
I'll tell you. All the links above were filmed before TMS. The Medill interview at the top is post-TMS
So you'll see the results of the TMS experiments, just as Kim Stagliano described on Age of Autism last month. Take a look at both and tell me if you see any changes. I think I do, but I'd like to hear what you all think.
So please let me know . . . . I'll hold my breath . . .
It's called The Challenge and Opportunity of Autism
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=93475
Here is a story about the making of the story . . .
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=89355
But there's another story in the background, and you'll have to watch several videos to figure it out. Watch me in the video link above. Then go to the links below, and watch me on television this past fall and winter. Look for the changes . . . what do you see?
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3317288n
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&rls=WDIA,WDIA:2008-22,WDIA:en&q=john%20elder%20robison&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&rls=WDIA,WDIA:2008-22,WDIA:en&q=john%20elder%20robison&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#
I'll tell you. All the links above were filmed before TMS. The Medill interview at the top is post-TMS
So you'll see the results of the TMS experiments, just as Kim Stagliano described on Age of Autism last month. Take a look at both and tell me if you see any changes. I think I do, but I'd like to hear what you all think.
So please let me know . . . . I'll hold my breath . . .
Comments
Here's my post from last month that John's references from Age of Autism:
http://www.ageofautism.com/2008/05/john-robison-ca.html
He's "top of the blog" today too. This research is too astounding for mere words. It gives a Mom hope, and really, who doesn't deserve hope?
Is it the TMS or simply a new comfort in your old skin with the public persona?
Either way, I am grateful for your customer who broke the rules for psychologists interacting with friends and I am particularly grateful for you for sharing it all with us.
Woof!
Helen
Moira - mom of 11 year old with Autism.
On a scale from 1 to 10, your body language increased from 2 to 8.
The inflection in your voice increased in range. The timing/rhythm/cadence of your voice has become more relaxed and expressive.
Before, your hands and arms were fairly motionless when emphasizing a point. Now you have meaningful gestures that are naturally timed and they compliment the expression in your eyes, in your voice, and on your face.
Your gaze is less penetrating (or locked) and more emotive.
Before, your mouth/lips/jaw were tense and the expression accompanying humor might easily have been mistaken as a snicker -- now you flash a more relaxed smile in those quick moments.
Overall, the before videos gave an impression that communication was laborious -- the after video shows that communication 'just naturally happens' while expressing purposeful thoughts.
It would be interesting to know if you experience sleep differently now too (change in dreams perhaps or level of restfulness), and whether you perceive your environment differently. I'm inclined to believe that many pathways have opened up at the same time as the ones responsible for improved expression.
Congratulations and thank you too for sharing your journey in order to help others.
Sherry
Evviva!
Ornella, from www.emergenzautismo.org
-cblakey
I am new here and look forward to hearing more about TMS. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I look forward to meeting you when you are at St. Charles, IL in the fall.
Dee - Grandma of 9 yr old with Aspergers
I have not only watched your behavior evolve over the past few months, I've commented on it on my own blog.
See http://www.mfw.us/rTMS-experience
I attribute part of your change to the practice you've gotten in public speaking; I know from my careeer on Wall Street that one can learn to fake it pretty well after enough experience.
But, I also noticed a dramatic difference in your ability to make eye contact after the TMS experience. I don't think that's something you can "learn" as quickly as you did just by practicing. I think some circuits in your brain were strengthened (if that's the right word) by the TMS.
I'm very excited by the research being done.
My brother (one of two) just had a stroke a few days ago, and lost his ability to speak. It's slowly coming back, but he remains paralyzed on one side of his body. If he has trouble recovering, I might see if he is eligible for TMS treatment/experimentation. This incident has made me appreciate the work being done at the TMS Lab all the more.
Cheers!
My god was I impressed. I can't believe all the things you've gone through. It was as if some kind of god saw all the troubles you went through with your mom and dad and decided to give you the best life any person with asperger's could live. I mean come on now, how many people are given the chance to be a roadie for those two unbelieveable rock bands? You're one heck of a lucky man.
Reading the final chapter where you talk about your father's death made me sting inside. I recently lost my father, but it seemed like i was unable to feel anything at all. You were very brave to deal with all the pain that was inside you during those final minutes. Something I felt that I should've dealt with when i saw my father for the last time.
I just want to sum this up by saying that when i grow up, I want to have similar success that you gain through the years. And if it means to deal with nasty people or to go through heartbreak or any of those things, then I'll face it and come out on top because after reading about your experiences with that, i know that even a person with asperger's could tough it all out. Thank You Mr. Robison
-Andrew
Kim
As a side discussion, do you often or have you ever had people say to you "I don't know how to take you" or something to that effect because you're too quiet or your facial expressions are not descriptive enough? If so how do you respond to that? I heard that recently and have from time to time over my life and I find it an annoying remark. Then I feel obligated to work harder to present myself more friendly and easy going and kind of resent that I can't just be my quiet(sometimes) self and sit and observe what's going on around me.
How do you handle so many public appearances? Don't you get into moods in which you really don't want to have to go out and socialize? Or are you able to just show up wherever you are told? How does that work?
Sorry if I'm prying too much I have no one else to ask these questions....
Theresa
I wrote to you recently about my husband and my dawning understanding of his Aspergers. I don't know if your writings will help him, still so very resistant to any self-assessment or exploration, but they certainly have helped me tremendously. I hope you will be speaking in Maryland some day. (Are Hopkins or U of MD doing TMS studies? Just in case my dear man comes around...)
Do you know of any current research about the genetic link between Geniuses and Aspergians?
Kellie