zenemu Report post Posted April 8, 2010 (edited) I'm not sure if this has been posted before, I did a quick search and couldn't find it, so I thought I would drop in a link. Taylor Morris is a teenage girl who has Aspergers Syndrome and has decided to do a video blog about it with the help of her mother. It is a very interesting watch for people with ASD and for parents too. Have a look: http://www.meettaylormorris.com/ Zen Edited April 8, 2010 by zenemu Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted April 8, 2010 TBH I find this kind of thing confusing... There are loads of video blogs of people with autism talking about autism and I don't know what - beyond celebrity - the point is? Similarly, there are huge numbers of people who think that because they have autism that a book about their lives will be interesting, regardless of the fact that they're just living pretty ordinary lives. Hope that doesn't sound harsh - and I'm sure that this young lady is lovely (as are all the other autistic video bloggers out there) - but I honestly do think that 'first hand accounts' of autism, whether written from the perspective of an autistic person, a carer, a parent or someone who had a boyfriend ten years ago they've now decided with hindsight probably was 'AS' or whatever are pretty pointless unless there's something different and/or new to say... How many people would bother looking at a video blog of somebody who said 'I'm neurotypical and this is my life? Yet in real terms it would probably be just as interesting as a blog by an autistic person. Okay, so autistic people are a minority group, but would you watch a blog or read a book titled 'my life as a black man' or 'my life as a gay woman', 'living with ginger - the life of a strawberry blonde', or any other variation on a minority that was published/posted purely on the basis of that single factor? And the assumption that every autistic person can tell us something about autism is inherently flawed - would you read a book on human psychology written by Joe Bloggs, purely on the assumption that, because he is a human being, he has some sort of intrinsic insight into or expert knowledge of the human condition? As I say, no disrespect to Taylor or to you zenemu, and to anybody who does enjoy these kinds of videoblogs that's fine. And it's not just videoblogs about autism I'm confused by it's this whole concept of 'twittering' and 'facebooking' and 'blogging' generally... Probably just a generational thing, but I just don't 'get it'. L&P BD (BOF) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matzoball Report post Posted April 8, 2010 TBH I find this kind of thing confusing... There are loads of video blogs of people with autism talking about autism and I don't know what - beyond celebrity - the point is? Similarly, there are huge numbers of people who think that because they have autism that a book about their lives will be interesting, regardless of the fact that they're just living pretty ordinary lives. Hope that doesn't sound harsh - and I'm sure that this young lady is lovely (as are all the other autistic video bloggers out there) - but I honestly do think that 'first hand accounts' of autism, whether written from the perspective of an autistic person, a carer, a parent or someone who had a boyfriend ten years ago they've now decided with hindsight probably was 'AS' or whatever are pretty pointless unless there's something different and/or new to say... How many people would bother looking at a video blog of somebody who said 'I'm neurotypical and this is my life? Yet in real terms it would probably be just as interesting as a blog by an autistic person. Okay, so autistic people are a minority group, but would you watch a blog or read a book titled 'my life as a black man' or 'my life as a gay woman', 'living with ginger - the life of a strawberry blonde', or any other variation on a minority that was published/posted purely on the basis of that single factor? And the assumption that every autistic person can tell us something about autism is inherently flawed - would you read a book on human psychology written by Joe Bloggs, purely on the assumption that, because he is a human being, he has some sort of intrinsic insight into or expert knowledge of the human condition? As I say, no disrespect to Taylor or to you zenemu, and to anybody who does enjoy these kinds of videoblogs that's fine. And it's not just videoblogs about autism I'm confused by it's this whole concept of 'twittering' and 'facebooking' and 'blogging' generally... Probably just a generational thing, but I just don't 'get it'. L&P BD (BOF) the purpose of blogs is expression of ones opinion - and as we all know it's hard for people like us to express ourselves through the usual means(face to face, telephone, groups etc). i think vlogs(video blogs) like these are great- they might not be saying anything inherently interesting in of itself, but the fact that someone on the spectrum is able to relax and express themselves via this medium is not only interesting - but wonderful. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justine1 Report post Posted April 8, 2010 (edited) Hi I have not seen the blog yet,so cannot comment.However,at Baddad I do agree there are just so many books on "living with autism" from all sorts of perspectives and it is a bit much.It is also true that the people in the books seem to live pretty "normal" lives,a little boring I guess. This does not mean people should not write these books if they want to.Firstly I dont think every person who writes these books does so just to become famous,I truelly believe this will be a small percent of the population.I can guarentee they do it in the hope to raise awareness and understanding,as best as they can.They may also do it to focus on soemthing else if their lives are stressful,as a sort of "release." My brother has suffered three strokes,the first one happened when he was just 23 years old.When it happened we wanted to know how/why it happened,we wanted to read about how it was like for him etc.Guess what,we couldnt find any books on any young people who have suffered strokes.It was all people over 50,and usually people who had smoked and drank alcohol,lead stressful lives.My brother didnt fit in any of these categories,so none of us could relate/identify with these books.We did eventually find one book,a lady of 34 but again her stroke was mild compared to his. So if he decided he wanted to write a book,which he has thought about,then he should do it,just to let people know young people also suffer strokes.In fact he has recently started his own support group and is aiming to do talks to professionals,he is doing all of it for free,but of course he would love to make a living from it.He struggles to get work(he has just had to quit his job,where he was for three years,because of health problems) and if this makes him happy I think there would be no harm in him getting paid for it,its better than living on benefits! Going back to the examples you gave "a day in the life of a black man" I would find such a book interesting,I am not a black man and would be curious to know what struggles such a person would face,if I were a black man then I may find it boring or perhaps not relate because I may live a completely different life.It is just the same with autism,it is so different for everyone,out of 120 books I am sure I will find at least one I can relate to,to make me feel I am not alone and feel better about myself,is that such a bad thing???? Edited April 8, 2010 by justine1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted April 8, 2010 the purpose of blogs is expression of ones opinion - and as we all know it's hard for people like us to express ourselves through the usual means(face to face, telephone, groups etc). i think vlogs(video blogs) like these are great- they might not be saying anything inherently interesting in of itself, but the fact that someone on the spectrum is able to relax and express themselves via this medium is not only interesting - but wonderful. Sadly, I got round to following the link... Taylor is quite clearly a business. I've no objection to that per se and have been to see a small number of autistic speakers myself, but I am increasingly concerned about the fact that this is a 'growth market' and that the credentials for puplic speaking do more and more fall into the category of 'I'm autistic and can speak' rather than 'I'm, autistic and have something new/interseting to say'. As I've said, It's not just 'aspilebrity' that I have an issue with it's the whole concept of people being famous for being famous - people who have done very little other than be seen on TV/on a video blog etc. Good luck to Taylor, but she doesn't seem particularly 'relevant' to most autistic people I know, and the more models of autism we have out there like this one the more expectations people will have that all autistic people can achieve what she's achieved... if she becomes famous for doing something, then the fact that she has autism/aspergers is interesting and inspirational in the same way that i.e. Gary Numan's music career or Dan Aykroyd's acting career is inspirational. If her celebrity is only based on the fact that she was dx'd at two with autism (and I suspect if she joined forces with DAN or some group like that she'd be marketing a different line entirely) then I really am struggling to see why that's an 'achievement' - she's just who she is... And, yes, some autistic people - the vast majority - do find it hard to express themselves, but that doesn't appear to be the case for Taylor. So why hold her up as a 'model' of something she's not and possibly never has been? (NB - that's not a 'challenge' of her dx, btw, just a challenge to the assumption that she is an autistic person who struggles to express herself, which, while certainly being a part of the dx process does seem to be becoming an increasingly 'flexible' part of it.) L&P BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted April 8, 2010 (edited) Justine - just seen your post... The difference in your brother's case is that he does have something new to say - if strokes in the under forties are rare and there are no books on the subject then that's pretty unique. And yes, a book about the life of a black man might be interesting, but how far? 'I went to the shops today and brought a loaf of bread' interesting? There are thousands and thousands of books available written by and about black people, but they are not purely about the (day to day) experience of being black, and apart from self-publishing no publisher would take a book on that basis. Edited April 8, 2010 by baddad Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zenemu Report post Posted April 8, 2010 (edited) Sadly, I got round to following the link... Taylor is quite clearly a business. I've no objection to that per se and have been to see a small number of autistic speakers myself, but I am increasingly concerned about the fact that this is a 'growth market' and that the credentials for puplic speaking do more and more fall into the category of 'I'm autistic and can speak' rather than 'I'm, autistic and have something new/interseting to say'. L&P BD I wouldn't say it is a business, sure you can buy some of the songs used in one or two of the videos, and the "Webinars" are require a donation to attend and half goes to a autism chairity and the other half goes towards Taylors college fund. Given how much further education costs in the states, that seems like a reasonable goal to me. As a long time blogger myself, I can honestly say that most blogs try to make a small income these days. If you watch some of the video's Taylor actually explains how she has struggled with communication and how she and her mother approached and tackled those problems. Yes, she isn't exactly an introvert, but she still makes some interesting points and it is lways interesting to hear the perspective of someone else with ASD / Aspergers and they way they are affected and how they cope with it. Zen Edited April 8, 2010 by zenemu Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
justine1 Report post Posted April 8, 2010 Justine - just seen your post... The difference in your brother's case is that he does have something new to say - if strokes in the under forties are rare and there are no books on the subject then that's pretty unique. And yes, a book about the life of a black man might be interesting, but how far? 'I went to the shops today and brought a loaf of bread' interesting? There are thousands and thousands of books available written by and about black people, but they are not purely about the (day to day) experience of being black, and apart from self-publishing no publisher would take a book on that basis. Point taken Like I said I totally get where you coming from.Personally I dont have time to read anything nowdays,which is a shame but I wont grab any book just because its about autism I would research it first. The other point I was addressing is the fact people do it for financial gain.I think as you have said on this particualr blog,if she didnt have a dx would she still do a blog?I guess not.But there are people who had careers before their child (for example) had a dx and if they feel they helping others and are able to put food on the table at the same time who are we to criticise.Like I mntion my brother,yes its not the same thing but hey,he had a good job before the stroke and was heading for success thats all gone because of the stroke,but if he found success through having the stroke again who are we to judge?After all in his case he nearly died three times!!! I am not saying its right or wrong just pointing it out thats all.I wouldnt write a book about the fact that my son has Aspergers because thats exploiting him in my opinion but if he did write a book as an adult I wouldnt stop him,even if I thought it was boring cause thats what parents do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted April 8, 2010 I guess not.But there are people who had careers before their child (for example) had a dx and if they feel they helping others and are able to put food on the table at the same time who are we to criticise... Not sure if you mean health care professionals or psychologists etc or just people who had highly paid jobs, but I think the thing is 'who feel they're helping others'... I think there are many many people making a living from autism now who feel they're helping others - but i think many of them have very dangerous ideas. Quite often they'll point out people like Taylor as examples of how effective their treatments are, taking thousands from parents who hope their children will also benefit from the treatment. What they overlook is that there are also thousands of autistic people just like Taylor who haven't had the benefit of their expensive treatments! ...I wouldnt write a book about the fact that my son has Aspergers because thats exploiting him in my opinion... but if he did write a book as an adult I wouldnt stop him,even if I thought it was boring cause thats what parents do. yep - agree 100%, but on the latter point i would also try to dissuade my son from the notion that his book (and/or dx) was of itself a good enough reason to anticipate a lifelong career in 'autism promotion'. I guess i feel about it like this (rough analogy coming up): If there was a jumbo jet plane crash in the middle of the jungle and two years later a lone survivor walked out of the jungle there would be a book, a film and possibly a career in it. If a jumbo jet bursts a tyre on landing at Heathrow with three hundred passengers on board and no one gets hurt that's just about a news story, but 300 passengers writing separate books on their ordeal wouldn't be likely to start a feeding frenzy among the publishing houses and film studios... That said, my Ben is very eloquent, much more 'autistic-looking' than most of the bloggers I've seen and he's only twelve! perhaps I should be booking m'self a place on the ol' gravy train and training him up for poblic spooking And my autistic nephew is also more autistic looking than most of the bloggers but quite eloquent - they could do a double act! The inappropriate laughter brothers! To you to you... to me to me... Oh - and he's been at a Drama workshop this week in the hols and gave a wonderful performance as the foreman in a Victorian launderette. Perhaps i can get him on the next series of that C4 show Gordie mentioned! L&P BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baddad Report post Posted April 8, 2010 I guess not.But there are people who had careers before their child (for example) had a dx and if they feel they helping others and are able to put food on the table at the same time who are we to criticise... Not sure if you mean health care professionals or psychologists etc or just people who had highly paid jobs, but I think the thing is 'who feel they're helping others'... I think there are many many people making a living from autism now who feel they're helping others - but i think many of them have very dangerous ideas. Quite often they'll point out people like Taylor as examples of how effective their treatments are, taking thousands from parents who hope their children will also benefit from the treatment. What they overlook is that there are also thousands of autistic people just like Taylor who haven't had the benefit of their expensive treatments! ...I wouldnt write a book about the fact that my son has Aspergers because thats exploiting him in my opinion... but if he did write a book as an adult I wouldnt stop him,even if I thought it was boring cause thats what parents do. yep - agree 100%, but on the latter point i would also try to dissuade my son from the notion that his book (and/or dx) was of itself a good enough reason to anticipate a lifelong career in 'autism promotion'. I guess i feel about it like this (rough analogy coming up): If there was a jumbo jet plane crash in the middle of the jungle and two years later a lone survivor walked out of the jungle there would be a book, a film and possibly a career in it. If a jumbo jet bursts a tyre on landing at Heathrow with three hundred passengers on board and no one gets hurt that's just about a news story, but 300 passengers writing separate books on their ordeal wouldn't be likely to start a feeding frenzy among the publishing houses and film studios... That said, my Ben is very eloquent, much more 'autistic-looking' than most of the bloggers I've seen and he's only twelve! perhaps I should be booking m'self a place on the ol' gravy train and training him up for poblic spooking And my autistic nephew is also more autistic looking than most of the bloggers but quite eloquent - they could do a double act! The inappropriate laughter brothers! To you to you... to me to me... Oh - and he's been at a Drama workshop this week in the hols and gave a wonderful performance as the foreman in a Victorian launderette. Perhaps i can get him on the next series of that C4 show Gordie mentioned! L&P BD Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
puffin Report post Posted April 10, 2010 One thing that makes me a little uncomfortable about this type of site is that it seems pretty obvious that there are adults in the background behind the site - the professional layout the 'shop' etc that is 'presenting' her as an autistic person rather than the site being completely her own efforts I would feel happier if Taylor was saying what she wants to say - at 17 - herself and without adult input. It would be more empowering if she did her own videos and loaded them up on youtube IMHO than acted as the 'front person' for a site organised by her parents Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canopus Report post Posted April 10, 2010 Taylor is quite clearly a business. And so is Facebook. One thing that makes me a little uncomfortable about this type of site is that it seems pretty obvious that there are adults in the background behind the site - the professional layout the 'shop' etc that is 'presenting' her as an autistic person rather than the site being completely her own efforts A similar thing applies to the NAS. It's largely run by NTs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
