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Wendy Lawson
Topic Started: Mar 2 2005, 09:55 AM (305 Views)
Minxy
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For any of you that have children on the autistic spectrum, if you get chance to hear a lady called Wendy Lawson speak, I would recomend you do. Wendy has Aspergers Syndrome, lives in Australia and spends her time traveling the world talking to parents about autism and how it affects her. I've seen her speak twice and was blown away both times. It's strange to sit there and watch her as she doesn't make eye contact with you and one or two times she got a bit jumpy because lights flicked or noises distracted her.

Wendy was able to answer questions for me that I was sure I know the answers to but Mark couldn't give me confirmation. She talks about monotropic thinking, single-channelled views on the world as opposed to neuro-typical people, who don't have autism and who are able to multi task.
It's an interesting theory and one which makes sense.


Wendy is also a poet and her poetry really takes hold of you and helps you see how difficult this life can be for our kids to live in.
I've posted a few of her poems here.

Autism is: being present in this world,
But not entirely of it.
I am one step removed and curled,
The switch just doesn't click.

I perform the role of my perception,
And play many parts so well.
But minus files for my redemption,
My part in life I cannot tell.

Life is like a video,
I watch but cannot partake.
My uneven skills are but an echo,
Of the frustrations which I hate!

However, my focused use of time and space,
I would not give away.
I know that I am especially placed,
For some developed career one day!


*******************************************************

I tried to climb the big oak tree
Scampered across and scraped my knee.
I walked for hours, picked some flowers.
If only I could just be me!

I watched the boy who lived next door.
He had a kite, I watched it soar
He had a bike, the boy next door
He had a car, I heard it roar.

The boy next door then moved away,
So did his kite and bike and car, they say.
I watched and listened, just in case
But they were gone and in their place
The boy next door just was no-more.

So did they really exist, or were they just a dream?
How can they be there and then be not?
Is it like something that I forgot?


************************************************************



Twiddle dee and twiddle dum,
How on earth have I begun?
I started out all right you see,
But now I question "who is me?"

Which of these I know so well,
How I wish that I could tell.
If only it could stay the same,
I'd work the rules out for this game.

They call the movie 'Life' you see,
But which is them and which is me?
I know for me the words serve well,
But as for others, who can tell?

I thought I'd got it,
But then came the shock.
You lot knew it,
But I did not!!


Check out Wendy's website!


Wendy Lawson
www.themazegroup.org
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:Testarossa
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Testarossa
What a great site. Makes my eyes go a bit squiffy though. Is that just me?
If you stay ready, you won't need to get ready!
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Minxy
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Maybe that's because Wendy built it herself. Maybe she likes all the colour. She's a wonderful lady though.
www.themazegroup.org
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Minxy
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I came across some of the UK dates for Wendy's talks this year. For any of you with kids on the spectrum she is a must.

Here are the ones I've found



Tour Dates - UK and Rest of the World 2005
Wendy will be available for personal consultation on some of the days not yet booked. All UK bookings can be made by contacting Bryan Craig at heg.hog@virgin.net or myself at lawson_wendy@hotmail.com Back in the UK available for bookings from March 5th 2005 to 30th April 2005.

* March 6-7th Guernsey, Contact Judith Pattimore jpattimore@cwgsy.net
* March 8th Manchester, contact Hanneke van Schelven h.van.schelven@notes.manchester.gov.uk
* March 9th evening 7.30pm, Hillingdon, West London. Contact Toni toni@hacs.org.uk
* March 12th 9.30am, Milton Keynes. Contact Peter Eastland peter@eastland99.freeserve.co.uk
* March 14th Islington London, for The Bridge School. Contact: Peter Imray peter@thebridge.islington.sch.uk
* March 15th Reading. Contact: contact@autismberkshire.fsnet.co.uk
* March 16th London Institute of Education Contact: Kate Upstone KateUpstone@nas.org.uk
* March 17th High Wycombe, Bucks. Contact Ann Barrett ann@autismbucks.co.uk
* March 18th GAP conference with BILD. Contact a.diprose@bild.org.uk
* March 19th Bedfordshire. Parent training with Autism Bedfordshire. Contact: autismbeds@btconnect.com
* March 21st Harrow. NAS Harrow Branch. Contact: Irene Lawrence nasharrow@hotmail.com
* March 23-26th Dubai. Contact: Tanuja give@emirates.net.ae
* April 5-6th Nottingham Parent and Professional talks. Contact: Linda Lynn Cook linda.lyn-cook@education.nottscc.gov.uk
* April 6th 5.30pm Children's Centre Nottingham. Contact: Joyce Judson joyce.judson@broxtowehucknall-pct.nhs.uk
* April 7th Nottingham. Conference for the NAS. Contact: Kate Upstone KateUpstone@nas.org.uk
* April 14th (morning) Hillingdon Staff Conference. Contact: Janet Norman jnorman@hillingdongrid.org
* April 14th (afternoon) London Institute of Education Contact: Kate Upstone KateUpstone@nas.org.uk
* April 15th-17th Web Autism Birmingham weekend.
* April 18th University in Aberystwyth. Contact Autism Cymru.
* April 20th Folkestone area Contact Liz Power, NAS South Kent, lizm.power@ntlworld.com
* April 22nd Glasgow seminar with Luke and Jacqui Jackson. Contact: Bryan Craig heg.hog@virgin.net
* May 4-6th British Columbia, Canada. Contact: Chris Rose Therapy for Autism crtca@ocis.net

Back in the UK available for bookings during mid-August - mid-November 2005.

* September 12th Bromley Kent. Bromley Autistic Trust. Contact: julia@bromleyautistictrust.co.uk
* September 15th Shared Care Network Reading Berks. Contact: Candy Smith C.Smith@bristol.ac.uk
* October 5th Sheffield. Details tba
* October 10-11th Lisburn, Northern Ireland. Contact: Claire Hughes clairehughes494@msn.com
* October 13 or 14th Derby City Headteachers Conference. Contact: Patrick Walsh admin@stgiles.derby.sch.uk
* October 15th County Durham Autistic Support Group. Contact: Helen Geldard CDASG@aol.com
www.themazegroup.org
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Minxy
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Wendy is coming to Nottingham this week and it will be good for us to go listen to her speak again as she really opens your eyes to the world our kids live in.

I have a couple of he books if anyone is interested in borrowing them.
www.themazegroup.org
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Minxy
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Living with Autism.


I thought some of you might find this interesting.
www.themazegroup.org
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:Testarossa
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Testarossa
Did you go and see Wendy? That site is interesting.
If you stay ready, you won't need to get ready!
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Minxy
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Ive been to hear Wendy Lawson speak a couple of times and I'm going to another of her speeches at the end of the month. I like the fact that she is able to tell me how my son thinks and feels. I was able to ask her about Mark only using one sense at a time and she was able to explain that this is the same for her often, especially when in stressful situations. It was really refreshing to have the chance to get validation to many of the theories I have about Mark and the way he thinks and feels. It was interesting to watch her as she spoke too as she had to work very hard to make eye contact and when someone switched on a florescent light she was visibly disturbed by it.

It was Wendy that described our kids as havung 'diffabilites' I like that.


www.themazegroup.org
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:Testarossa
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:lol: I like that too. What a wonderful woman!
If you stay ready, you won't need to get ready!
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Minxy
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It's a lovely use of words isn't it?!

To me it suggests that it's ok to be different, and of course thats the truth!!
www.themazegroup.org
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:Rustic
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Its interesting the mention of Wendy Lawson being distracted by fluorescent lights, I've got books on it but there's some info in an article at
http://www.mercola.com/2000/oct/22/full_spectrum_light.htm which has a section part way through on installing full spectrum lights in classrooms. Its something I am pushing for in our area, and I advise clients to change to them, it reduces the amount of environmental stress. Very useful in winter particularly. I have them in the main living areas, and my son's bedroom as its the darkest bedroom in the house. Will gradually change the whole house. They definately seem to reduce the stress caused by normal lights. I've got full spectrum (or daylight) tubes in the kitchen, and the bulbs everywhere else.

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