Seattle Schools Community Forum

From the Love What Matters Facebook page: "See this moment? I've never experienced a moment like this. Yesterday was the first day my 5 year old Autistic son met his new Autism Service Dog, Tornado. We are Americans that live overseas in Japan and have prepared for nearly two years to meet Tornado.

I heard about Theater of Possibility when I recently attended a Laurelhurst meeting.  They just completed a successful workshop with parents and staff there that was well-received.  Theater of Possibility helps teach social skills through acting and improv.

The Times has a great story about a student with Asperger's at Marysville Arts and Technology High School becoming valedictorian of his 50 student graduating class.  Chance Mair never told most classmates.  Good with math ( "I can count better than I can talk sometimes" ) and loving bowling, he went from special education classes in his beginning years in school to regular classes.  He will be attending WSU  on a full-ride scholarship.  In his speech to his classmates he said, "We choose whether we sink or swim, stand up or lay down, fight or fall, succeed or fail."   The Olympian is reporting that Governor Inslee will be signing a new state law to expand computer science in high schools by creating standards for teachers and students.  No word on where the money would come from to create these classes.  By popular demand, at least five people have sent me this article from the NY Times on kids and kindergarten.   I absolutely ag...

From Disability Scoop : In what looked like a puff piece about Jerry Seinfeld, NBC pulled an astonishing admission from Seinfeld: Seinfeld tells NBC News that he sees traits of autism in himself, indicating that he isn’t the best socially and does not always follow what others are saying. “I think on a very drawn-out scale, I think I’m on the spectrum,” said Seinfeld, 60. “You’re never paying attention to the right things. Basic social engagement is really a struggle. I’m very literal, when people talk to me and they use expressions, sometimes I don’t know what they’re saying.” “I don’t see it as — as dysfunctional. I just think of it as an alternate mindset,” he said. It would be interesting to find out what his K-12 school experience was.  FYI, Disability Scoop is a great resource on information on people with challenges.