Sunflower photo by Gabrielle Bryden (Sunflower planted by Michael Bryden)

Most people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) don’t like changes in their routines. It is all about rules, regulations, and order. This can be because they experience the world as confusing and chaotic, and it is their way of clawing back some sense of control. They like the predictability that a routine provides. If you know the end of the story you can relax and pay more attention to what is going on in the middle. People with autism call ‘normal’ people Neurotypicals (nt’s). Nt’s generally don’t like to know the end of the story – we like a surprise. You could say that I am the opposite of a person with autism – I don’t like routine and rules and will change my schedule at the drop of a hat depending on my mood.

My son Michael was diagnosed with autism a couple of months after turning three. He  was lucky to soon get into the AEIOU – an intensive early intervention program in Brisbane for young children with autism. This was very stressful for him – a new place, new routine, and having to deal with other children with autism (they were often noisy and upset).He went there for 5 days a week and I drove him from the suburb of Auchenflower to Moorooka (a trip that took about 40 minutes). You have to think carefully about how you do things with ASD children because once you do it one way, you usually have to keep doing it that way. For Michael this applied to the route taken to and from the AEIOU. It was very important to Michael that I drive the same way every day. Any deviations would result in a tantrum or meltdown; a situation that can be very dangerous in a moving vehicle.

A couple of weeks after he started at the AEIOU I was driving Michael home from Moorooka. My daughter Tessa was two and she was also in the car. I wasn’t concentrating, it was raining heavily and my head was in the clouds, and I missed the usual turn-off on the freeway. What followed could be described as the beginning of World War 3 – Michael went ballistic. He screamed and carried on for the whole trip home. In the car he took his seatbelt off and was attacking me while I was driving. Being a responsible and thoughtful psychologist I immediately lost the plot and was screaming at him to stop. Poor Tessa didn’t know what the hell was happening and was crying. I kept driving as it was too dangerous to stop in the rain and on a freeway.

We finally got home safely, I don’t know how we did it, and Michael was still tantruming. God knows what the neighbours thought was happening. I got Tessa into the house and had to drag Michael screaming and kicking out of the car. Once inside I locked the doors because Michael was trying to get outside. He was punching and kicking the doors. I took Tessa upstairs – we often had to escape from Michael in those days – and left Michael to calm down by himself. This was a strategy that worked most of the time but not this time. He kept screaming so I carried him upstairs, put him on the sofa and wrapped him up in a doona and squeezed him hard. Like many children with ASD he likes the feeling of deep pressure on his body and it has a calming affect on him. Eventually he calmed down and stopped crying. The tantrum had lasted for about 3 hours. All because I drove the wrong way home!

PS.     Michael turns nine at the end of this month and is doing extremely well. He certainly doesn’t tantrum like that anymore. This is partly because of the wonderful work done by the AEIOU. Thank you to all the dedicated staff of the AEIOU and founder Dr James Morton. The photo is of a sunflower that Michael grew from seeds provided by his learning support teacher Kerri at Holy Family school  in Indooroopilly.

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Note: This is a repost (Michael is now 11 and in grade 6 and doing even better)

Desk Treasures

Artist Rick Daddario from Hawaii has created a haiga (ie., ‘image with haiku as one work’) over at his blog that conjures up images about treasures found in a school desk.

This got me reminiscing about the things I used to keep in my school desk.

When I was a kid the desks were wooden two seaters. I loved those desks.

In primary school I had a collection of teeth (my own) – the tooth fairy must have forgotten to take some

I kept a few of these teeth in my desk, as you do. The teacher opened my desk one day and on seeing the pearly whites, groaned!

I had a thing about teeth (still do in fact) – my collection is quite large now (I’ve struck a deal with the kids tooth fairy).

I also had a really cool ruler that had a knife hidden inside it (a letter opener) – still have that as well. Mum bought it from a second-hand shop somewhere and gave it to me (or maybe I borrowed it ). No-one at school ever saw what was inside the ruler – just as well, I might have got in trouble (never thought about that at the time).

Throughout my school years the contents changed regularly but the desk always held an attraction as a place for hidden treasure.

Did you have anything exciting in your desk at school?

Thanks everyone who participated and everyone in the audience.

What a talented bunch of citrus fanatics from so many places around the world.

Cheers
Gabe xo

ps. I hope I didn’t forget anyone (my email intray is a disaster waiting to happen)

pps. If you still have something citrussy you want to post, I can always do a postscript.

pps. Will definitely do that again (any ideas for themes would be apreciated

Now on a completely different note, here is some information about the up-and-coming Aspergers Services Australia conference which is being held in Brisbane.

Sponsored by Dept of FaHCSIA Nova Employment Cross+Hamilton Printers Keynote Speakers Prof Tony Attwood (Qld) Dr Michelle Garnett (Qld) Dr Wendy Lawson (VIC) Ms Katharine Annear (SA) Dr Lisa-ann Gershwin (TAS)

EARLY BIRD BOOKINGS AND FUNDING REQUESTS CLOSE IN 3 DAYS 31 January 2012 Asperger Services Australia Ltd has received a small amount of funding from FaCHSIA through the National Disability Conference Initiative to financially support people to attend the conference. If you are a person on the Disability Pension or are unemployed please contact the office for more details. Email or phone us asap. ASA 2nd National Conference 2012 is the second event of this kind to take place in Australia with more than 500 people expected to participate. The three day National Conference will include an ASD servies EXPO and will be held at the Bardon Conference Centre, 390 Simpsons Road, Bardon (Brisbane, Queensland) from Thursday 16th February to 18th February 2012. This event includes the International Asperger Day (Sat 18th Feb). This year’s theme “Living side by side, connecting with people on the Autism Spectrum” will provide a unique opportunity for presenters with an Autism Spectrum to have their voice heard, exchange their views, support, and share their experiences. 2012 will see a greater understanding of Autism Spectrum Condition, a better understanding of the unique skills and benefits that people on the Spectrum can bring to their community. It is only through continual improvement in awareness that people on the Spectrum can have greater access to services, care and support they want and need. We would like to invite you to join us at this special event.

Photo by Michael Bryden 'great gardener'

Twisted Lemon

Please release me
from my glazed
confinement.

I’ve done my time
in this teacup excuse
for a residence.

There’s no room to move
my roots are convoluting
and indecently squeezing.

I’m over capacity
losing ferocity
my potential is capped.

Lacking in water supplies
gravely under fertilized
cracking up to boot.

I’m looking worn and weedy
the bugs are taking advantage.
I’m a twisted lemon with
the pot bound blues.

Set me free.

I’ll repay you generously
with flower, fruit and scent
and a thorny embrace.

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Here is a poem I wrote a while back which some of you may remember – I was inspired by my very potbound lemon tree which I ‘released’ into the citrus garden.

Michael took the photo of me and added the caption ‘great gardener’ – hahaha – he loves his Mum

Now if you want to read one of the funniest short stories about the dangers of too many things lemon, pop over to the wonderfully talented Selma in the City (Selma Sargent). She wrote the story especially for the Citrus Fiesta.

Thanks Selma

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Rick Daddario is a photographer, artist and poet from Hawaii who blogs at A 19 Planets Art Blog.

He is one of my favourite bloggers and the most wonderful creater of haiku, haiga and postcard art.

He will be guest blogging sometime soon (after he comes out of hibernation) so I won’t give too much away.

Thanks Rick

Aloha

photo by Aletha Kuschan

Artist Aletha Kuschan from a place near Washington DC (location top secret ) has begun work on some citrus paintings over at her art and writing blog for the citrus fiesta.

Here is a photo she has been working from and one of her paintings. You can find more citrus pictures at her blog.

She has this to say about the above drawing:

‘this drawing made using watercolor pencils.  I am searching for the edges of things.  Trying to find the character of these patient fruit that sit here “looking” at me.  They’re all so dignified.  Wish I could get to the essence of their gravitas.  The shadows are deepening.  Not a quality to be well captured by watercolor pencils.’

Aletha’s blog is full of her own art plus wonderful writing on the artistic process, liberally sprinkled with philosophical musings on life.

Thanks Aletha for jumping into the citrus fiesta (I know how busy you are at the moment).

Big hugs from Australia

Picture by opoetoo

Yellow ode / song of the lemonhearted

Contort my tongue in pressure points
Soon to come undone
To push my teeth right to the edge
And fall into the sun

Bring them back a smokin’
Bleached white like desert bones
Dry and tart and squeaking clean
Seeds of rebirth sown

Let my mouth remember
Every bitter thing
Let my heart soon forget
Every bitter thing

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I was very happy to receive a ‘hat full of lemons in hand’ from an old blogging poet friend of mine. He disappeared from the blogosphere completely one day (we’ve all thought of doing it, but he actually took the plunge) and I have wondered about him ever since.

You may remember him as opoetoo He has started to blog again over here.

Thanks Mark

orange peels ssp by tipota

Citrus Fiesta (tipota)

this is a silkscreen print i did called “orange peels”

and here is my story:

citrus is not just the sweet/sour juicy pungent fruits we all know. it is a color pallette, a pattern to say the least.
to say the most i’d tell you my childhood impressions of the citrus groves along the sunshine parkway in florida, where my family would drive every year at christmas holiday when i was a child, and we’d stop at the grove stands and buy bags of navel oranges (a rarity up in the north then) and pink grapefruits. this is all along the last leg of the yearly winter trips to miami to visit my greek grandparents. i am proud of my halfgreek heritage – have you ever met any greek who isn’t? because with every daily greek meal, i mean it, lemons are required, a staple item. my relationship with lemons goes back a long way. ok.

so, the thing about the citrus groves in florida is that the scent of oranges along the highway is like a perfume. it is everywhere, the breeze carries it, the clouds rain it, the ground is saturated with it, the most intoxicating scent a child could hope to imagine, so it was like a magic world of oranges, a place where the sun was a giant lemon, a place where the sidewalks are paved with orange rinds, offered along the way on gingham checked tablecloths blowing in the tangerine breeze were baskets of oranges, clementines, limes, orange popsicles, orange juice, orange soda not to mention lemon and lime aid and grapefruit, sugared. lazy lagoons with waters of citrus nectar, tangelo juice let’s say. i walked along the rows of trees amazed at how splendid the ripe oranges were and how plentiful. delighted in being able to reach and pick one and immediately press it to my nose. but that’s just the beginning, because when i peel the orange, the scent becomes bubblescent, it’s alive, it’s jumping, it stings my eyes, it seeps into my fingers, the juice is hard to keep from dripping when i take that first bite of a freshpicked orange, and we are all in the car and the car smells so sweet of citrus it puts me to sleep like dorothy in the poppy fields. and i dont wash my hands and they get sticky with orange sugars and finally someone hands me a napkin but its too late, the orange perfume is sealed into my hands. so i fold them and put my head over them and lean toward the window and when i wake up, we are pulling into grandmother’s driveway. the joys of citrus.

and even that is still the beginning because citrus as design motif and as art has also crossed my path many times. and gabrielle told you the story about my lemon tree. my grandmother often told me about the lemon groves on her home island of Kos. she described these lemons as being three times bigger than the lemons around here and sweet-tasting. it made me think, gabe, after i learned about your lemonade tree, that her childhood memories of sweet lemons may have actually been lemonade tree lemons, or a similar, related lemon tree.

my screen print “orange peels” was one of many citrus-based art things i have done. but it kind of tells the story, the peels left after the orange is eaten, still have the same fresh bright scent. later, they make the compost smell nicer. the day i did this piece, i was sitting after breakfast wondering what i’d do with this silkscreen project i had and looked over across the table and saw the orange peels designing themselves into a cool almost abstract image, so voila’, i did this print. you will notice, that yes, there is the color pink haha in there. i couldnt resist. selma knows what i mean.

and that’s it, over and out.

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tipota is a professional artist from Cape Code, Massachusetts, USA, who blogs her very own unique style of poetry, art and original music at spaces between trees.

thanks tipota

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naughty lemon by bb

LeMondegreen

I thought it really quite absurd
(and way too weird) when I heard
the 70s band Hot Chocolate sing
about the very strangest thing -
wild lemony love in Cadillacs,
the joys of lemons in the sack!

One day it dawned it wasn’t ‘lemons’
of which they sung, but rather ‘heaven’s’
and so the song proved less obscene,
and my mishearing, a Mondegreen

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Original lyrics here – http://www.mp3lyrics.org/h/hot-chocolate/heaven-is-n-the-back-seat-of-my-cadillac/

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Poet and blogger beeblue has presented me with a mondegreen citrus poem and picture – haha – which fits in nicely with a previous blog post.

Thanks beeblue

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