I wanted to write about vocalizations since these are the only sounds that my older brother has ever made. Mike has never spoken. He used to hum, but doesn’t do that too much any more, at least when I’m present. He sometimes sniffs rhythmically, and grunts. Who knows his motivations for doing this, if any? […]
When I was around my brother, I always tried to make contact. I never quite knew if I was successful, though. My older brother Mike has never spoken. He is autistic and very low functioning. I fault myself sometimes for perhaps requiring too much of a sign from him to indicate a connection. Mike had […]
Below are two pictures of my brother. Together they make a strong statement. In addition to being autistic low functioning and nonverbal, doctors diagnosed my older brother Michael with Tourette Syndrome (TS). However, he doesn’t seem to have a bad case of it. I understand that, like autism spectrum disorders (ASD), TS manifests itself in […]
Touching has always been an issue for me. I don’t exactly know why. I want to explore touching in the context of autism. My older brother has a diagnosis of autism and profound retardation he is also nonverbal. His hands are delicate. He often holds them in a position, not unlike the way some people […]
I’ve heard a lot about ‘stimming’ but have not taken the opportunity to read up on it yet, aside from looking up the definition. Stimming is short for ‘self stimulation’ and is manifested in repetitive movements, typically seen in autistic individuals. Like my posts on facilitated communication, I want to relate my personal impressions and […]
Facial expressions When I started visiting my brother more regularly, I tried to think of what I could do to help. Mike is low functioning, autistic and nonverbal, so he cannot contribute much to his own care. The only evidence of how he feels is through his behavior. I had been thinking about making a […]
Me as younger, younger brother Those of you who follow my blog are aware that my older brother Michael is autistic, low functioning (formerly known as retarded) and has never spoken. I don’t know how I came up with the notion that I needed him to tell me who he was. Maybe since I was […]
Mike always used to slap himself on the head and bite his hand. Mostly he did both at the same time. Other times he would raise his elbow and bring it down hard onto his side. Maybe he was frustrated. Sometimes he would hit himself on the chest and grunt. I think these were […]
