MYTH: AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE VIOLENT.

FACT: Autistic people are no more likely to commit acts of violence than anyone else. This particularly damaging assumption was widely spread in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting.  Some autistic people do act out or have what are known as “meltdowns,” usually as expressions of frustration with themselves or situations, but this doesn’t equate to violence against other people; an autistic might throw objects in frustration, for example, without any desire or intent to hit people with them.

Mark your calendars for an upcoming brown bag presentation by Todd McDonald, vice president, administrative services, and Carmen Allen, professor, computer programming, entitled, “Exploring China – Touring, Food and Education.” The presentation will be held from noon-1 p.m. Thursday, April 21 in the R. H. Stephens. Todd and Carmen recently returned from a trip to China as part of their doctoral program. Bring your lunch and enjoy a look at this fascinating country.

MYTH: AUTISM IS CAUSED BY VACCINES.

FACT: There is no link between autism and vaccines. In 1998, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield published a paper that linked the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism and thereby created a kind of mass hysteria.  But further studies have shown absolutely no link between vaccines and autism.  In fact, Dr. Wakefield’s paper has been officially retracted and his medical license revoked.

Welcome to Shelly Smothers, admission and registration services representative. Shelly is located in Admission and Registration and can be reached at (78)6-3685 or shelly.smothers@llcc.edu.

Our sympathy goes out to Tamie Penning, project and web services manager, on the passing of her brother, Cliff Ehlert, Jr.  Services and burial will take place April 15 and 16. For more information, view the obituary.  In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made directly to the family for Mackenzie’s education.

MYTH: AUTISM CAN BE CURED.

FACT: There is no cure for autism – in fact, some in the autism community find it offensive to say that they need to be “cured.”  However, when children receive early and intensive behavioral therapy, they often develop the social and communication skills they lack, and can be so effective that the child will eventually move off the spectrum and function normally in almost every area of life.  But such treatment is still not a “cure.”

A BIG thank you to everyone who got their picture taken with our Reader’s Choice Award! Take a look at all of the great photos from this week! The contest for the gift certificate and prize basket ends on Friday, April 15 at 1 p.m. so please vote for your favorites by give them some “likes.”

Whether you had your picture taken or not, it is really all of us that make LLCC “the best.”

Dr. Jason Dockter recently spoke at the Annual Conference on College Composition and Communication in Houston, Texas.

Jason presented during the session, “Learning Re-abled Twenty Years Later: Re-Strategizing Ourselves, Our Teaching Practices, and Our Learning Spaces for Action.” In this presentation, he explored Dunn’s concerns of student generalization and limited methods of instruction (primarily through writing) increasing the risk for online student frustration and potential for online students to drop out of these courses.

We extend our condolences to John Mark Henry, professor, mathematics, on the passing of his father, Philip Henry. Visitation and funeral services were held Saturday, April 9. View the obituary.

Why is autism now called a spectrum disorder?

The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability in functioning that can occur in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some children and adults with ASD are fully able to perform all activities of daily living while others require substantial support to perform basic activities. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, published in 2013) includes Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) as part of ASD rather than as separate disorders.

Source: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm