I Speak of Dreams

Interview With Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite authors. While he writes fantasy, it is also rather pointed political commentary in the background. He recently published a young-adult novel, Nation, that is very fine indeed. There's a short interview with him in School Library Journal

What prompted you to write this story?

A question that is being asked these days is, "is Nation a fictional realization of your real battle with Alzheimer's disease?" which just goes to show that there is far too much psychology around these days! I wasn't diagnosed until about a year and a half ago, by which time I was at the late editing stage of the book, but the idea came to me several years previously, and I would have written it then had it not have been for the big Asian tsunami. After that, I thought it would be too soon for a book like Nation. As to its content, character, and philosophy, all I can say is that a lifetime of writing experience just seemed to open a big door and everything flowed into place. Nation very nearly wrote itself.

Dyslexia is a Public Health Issue

This documentary from  ThinkBright (a consortium of public television stations in New York state) is one of the best programs I've seen on dyslexia.  It is factual, science-based, and explains the remediation of dyslexia very, very well.

The point of dyslexia as a public health issue is strongly made (see the segment on )

Click here to open ThinkBright Media player The companion websight, DeMystifying Dyslexia, is http://www.thinkbright.org/dyslexia/about/default.asp

Remember Hinky Hincty Pastor Anderson? Now He's Threatening Others

Update: It is even worse than I thought.  Go to Orcinus and Chattahbox.  August 16 sermon actively preached for the death of POTUS.  I don't fear that Anderson

Remember the pastor from Arizona who was allegedly beaten and Tazed?

• Pastor Steven Anderson Allegedly Beaten and Tazed by Border Patrol Agents (April 17, 2009)
• Hinky Hinckty Steven Anderson (April 18, 2009)
• Things I Didn't Know Before Pastor Anderson Brought Them To My Attention: Eroding Civil Liberties Version (July 18 2009)

Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend reports that Pastor Anderson's recent sermons have called for "execution of gays, Barney Frank and the President".

Jeremy, at As Good As You have a few choice audiotapes

If you're a gay decent person, be prepared to be appalled. If you're Barney Frank, be prepared to prepare a defamation lawsuit:

How is this not sedition? Or "the use of ... threats to intimidate or coerce, especially. for political purposes."?

Why I'm Supporting James Perry for Mayor of New Orleans, 2010

Last week I wrote a bit about why I'm supporting James Perry.  This morning, Melissa Harris Lacewell explained some of Harris's foundational beliefs:

As part of our conversations with progressives James explained that his campaign is based on three foundational beliefs.

First is the belief that the people of New Orleans deserve better leadership. The spirit, resolve, and hard work of the citizens should be honored by having a competent, honest, visionary leader in the Mayor's office.

Second is the understanding that all of the all of the things that must be addressed by the next Mayor of New Orleans in order to move the city forward will require bold ideas and something just as important. Bold stands like the courageous stand James took this past Friday.

Third is the belief that New Orleanians and Americans all over this country still care about the future of New Orleans.

That third one is the one that gets me. Won't you contribute to the rebirth of New Orleans?

Looking for A New Dining Experience? Try The Mountain House.

If you are near San Francisco or San Jose, that is.  The Mountain House is in the Santa Cruz Mountains, on Highway 35 north of Woodside Road and South of Highway 92.

I had dinner there last night and it was great.   I had a poached salmon that was perfectly done, with a lemon hollandaise.  My companions had bison and skirt steak, respectively.  The setting is lovely and the service was very good.

When School and Special Education Fails A Child

Read Labgrrl's son's story.  He had a condition called Childhood Confusional Migraine, which was overlooked or misdiagnosed for years. 

Had he presented with head pain during these symptoms, or had demonstrated his symptoms while seeing his therapist, or been seen by a school psychologist with training in recognising ACM, or a gym teacher, most of whom are trained to recognise ACM as a result of a blow to the head, he would've been put on a beta blocker, and perhaps a tryptan, and a childhood of fighting and screaming at the school, being placed in classes with non-verbal students when he was reading at the college level and the like would not have happened.

Now I have a young man who is distrustful of school authority and has gaps in his education (for example, he can do upper level algebra, but never learned fractions in school) from being in classes where the focus was on life-skills and getting through the day.

Often, his teachers considered his problems a trial they were living through. His special ed teachers basically let him be and focused on the kids with the real problems, who my son loved helping. They all liked my son, and said they wished his attitude was better about school, but that he is a great kid, with a strong moral center and sense of justice that most people don't develop until after college...

It is no wonder that parents lose their patience with the schools.

New Orleans: Road to The Future: James Perry for Mayor in 2010

I want to tell you why I am donating money to  James Perry's campaign for the mayor of New Orleans in 2010.

There are a lot of things to be said about New Orleans, both pre-Katrina and post-Katrina. 

I am a white, middle-aged woman, a life-long Californian. I was born in California -- in fact, all eight of my great-grandparents were born in California.  I've moved exactly one county north of my birthplace.

But more than just being a Californian, I am an American.  I love my country with a deep and mostly inarticulate love. 

And I wept when New Orleans drowned, and did what I could.  But I was also angry and disgusted at the federal, state, and local responses to the Katrina challenges  ...sometimes wrong-headed, sometimes downright corrupt.

Even though I'm a long ways from Louisiana, I want to show that America can rebuild, and rebuild better than the lost city.

Over the next months, I'll be telling you more about why.  But I'll give you a hint: it may not be my city, or even my county, but California is going to shake, rattle, roll... and burn sometime in the next 30 years.  And we will need the support of the whole nation to come back.

SF Bay Area Parents: Meet With Special Education Attorney to Discuss July 2009 Changes to the Lanterman Act

Bonnie Yates is a special education attorney whose son has autism. Her practice is based in Southern California but she has clients up and down the state. On Monday, August 24, Ms. Yates will be in San Francisco to discuss the July, 2009 changes to the Lanterman Act. The meeting will be held at the Stanford Court Hotel, 905 California Street, in San Francisco, and will last from 5-7 p.m. Attendance is by reservation only. Make your reservation by emailing Jennifer Olson at Jennifer@bonniezyates.com or by calling her at 310-204-6624

The subject will be a discussion about very recent changes to the Lanterman Act and how it affects your child’s receipt of behavior therapy.

As amended July 1, 2009, Welfare and Institutions Code section 4648(a)(6)(D) requires the Regional Centers to choose the least costly available behavior provider. W.I.C section 4682.2 now prevents the Regional Centers from purchasing ABA to provide “respite, day care or school services.”

Parents, in order to insulate your child from these changes, you need a strategy for your next IPP.

Vocabulary for Developing Math Reasoning | Quisitivity.org

Vocabulary for Developing Math Reasoning | Quisitivity.org.

I believe it’s essential to require students to be precise when they communicate. Often when students don’t use the correct term, or use a valid term improperly, it is a sign they just don’t have the right words. I’ve heard teachers argue that young children just aren’t capable of such sophisticated language yet. My father, a retired professor of speech/language pathology, has often said, however, that if second graders can learn and correctly use terms like “Tyrannosaurus Rex” and “Diplodocus”, why on earth can’t we teach them to say “subtracted” instead of “minused”? Vocabulary instruction should be as much an integral part of mathematics as it is of reading, writing, and other content areas. Tomorrow I will tackle a more challenging vocabulary-related issue in mathematics: verbal and written explanations of a student’s cognitive process.

Why Ken Bruce believes the world would be a better place if every family had experience of a child with autism

Ken Bruce is a British radio personality.

Why I believe the world would be a better place if every family had experience of a child with autism

For all the challenges, there are plenty of moments of great happiness.

Each little milestone he passes is a cue for the kind of celebration more associated with a set of A-starred exam results. A well-timed visit to the bathroom is a cause for major congratulation and a few extra moments of eye contact or an unexpected hug are golden moments. The first time he responded to and delivered back a highfive was glorious.

Do I regret his autism? Yes, of course. I worry about his ability to cope once we're not around and who will provide any necessary care. As autistic children are often intelligent, they soon realise they are different, and that can lead to great upset. I hope he will turn out to be one of the many autistic adults who learn to cope with society and lead nearnormal lives.

Would I want him cured? Some parents have said they want their children to remain autistic and, in a way, I can understand why. They are open, honest and vulnerable, and they bring out the best in us. I firmly believe the world would be a better place if everyone had direct experience of an autistic child in the family.

But if the question is, would I want him to participate fully in society and have as complete an understanding of the world around him as the rest of us do, the answer is a definite 'Yes'. But if he could retain some of that lovely innocence, that would be a bonus.

Update March 8, 2010. Following a vile attack on Shannon, her son, and the rest of her family at a blog I will not name or link to, Shannon has given me permission to post this. It is hardly a secret that Squid is Shannon Rosa.  Shannon Rosa is an autism advocate not only for her son and her family, but for all parents of children with autism and all people with autism.  Read her blog at  BlogHer: Shannon Rosa's Blog