Einstein for Aspergers Essay Example for Free

Einstein for Aspergers Essay Einstein a Case Study for Aspergers Christina Parker PSY 410 February 6, 2012 Dr. Melda Jones Einstein a Case Study for Aspergers Mental illness has existed as long as humans have, but only in the last hundred years or so have psychologist started to truly understand mental illness. There is still much, that is unknown about mental illness and human behavior. One mental disorder that was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994 is Asperger’s Disorder. This disorder is usually diagnosed in early childhood, but in Albert Einstein’s time Asperger’s Disorder was unknown. Einstein had many of the diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s Disorder but was not diagnosed. Einstein was quiet and withdrawn, but had an amazing mind for mathematics. In comparison, Temple Grandin was diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder and has many of the same mannerisms as Einstein. Overview of Asperger’s Disorder’s History Dr. Hans Asperger studied children that acted differently from others in the 1940s. Dr. Asperger called these children â€Å"Little Professors† because they were so interesting. In 1980s Dr. Lorna Wing called children with Asperger’s (AS) high-functioning autism individuals. In 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) added AS. Asperger’s Syndrome (ASD) is a distinct group of neurological conditions characterized by greater or lesser degrees of impairment in language and communication skills with repetitive or restrictive patterns of thoughts and behaviors. There is no known cause or treatment for AS. The parents of children with AS often by or before the child’s third birthday sense that something is amiss in his or her child’s behavior or developmental skills. Two out of 10,000 children statistically diagnosed with AS or ASD. Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to have AS or ASD. The children exhibit delayed psychomotor skills (crawling and walking), and have problems with communicating and socializing with other children. AS children have an obsession with one topic or interests excluding other topics and interests. AS children have a formal speech that lacks rhythm and modulation. AS children appear clumsy when they walk and may have delayed motor skills (catching a ball, pedaling a bike, and other skills). The cause of AS or ASD is unknown but is thought to be genetic because AS tends to run in families. The part of the brain that controls social behavior functions differently or develops differently from other children without AS. The part of the brain that controls body movements and balance are also different in AS children than other children. ASD is a high-functioning autism disorder. Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome Explained There is no known cause of autism. Research today is using MRI imaging to determine how the Autism brain is structured. Dr. Grandin explains her condition like this: The brain is an office; the frontal lobe is the office manager. The other compartments of the brain are like the many departments in an office. The office departments do not communicate well between the other offices such as sales, product development, management, and so on. The autistic brain has to be understood and trained in a way that works best for the individual. No one treatment works for every autistic individual. Finding what motivates the individual’s fear and helping the individual to overcome or change the environment to a less chaotic one will help the individual to learn and progress. Autistic individuals do not understand facial expressions or tone changes in voices. Behavioral issues such as defecation and twitching are common with Asperger’s and Autism. Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome are high-end functioning Autistic individuals. To understand Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, Dr. Grandin suggests that people move away from language. The nonverbal child does not understand language. The nonverbal child is sensory-based and has a complex disorder that is based on sights, sounds, smells, and touch. Cultivating the way the individual’s method of thinking will prevent fear that causes anxieties will help the individual progress. Autistic individuals have high IQs and the ability to concentrate on one subject for a long time. Most autistic individuals are gifted in math, sciences, computers, tables, astrology, and other nonsocial areas that rely on thinking skills. A Look at Einstein and Grandin Albert Einstein Albert Einstein was born in 1879 to Hermann and Pauline Einstein (a middle-class German-Jewish family). Einstein scarcely spoke and was quiet more than backward as a young child. His sister remembers his concentration and ability to build tall houses and multiple storied levels of playing card houses. At age 4 or 5 Einstein marveled at how a magnetic compass needle invariably swung northward. This caused Einstein to conclude that something invisible was behind everything sparking his interest in Physics at a young age. As late as age nine Einstein was hesitant to speak, and did so pausing to select his words carefully. His parents feared that he was below average in intelligence. At the age of 12 Einstein’s love for mathematics and physics was sparked by a booklet on Euclidian Plane Geometry. This booklet proved to Einstein that there was a lucidity and certainty in theory and made an impression on him permanently. School depended on memorization and arbitrary authority of the teachers and faculty and was not conducive to Einstein’s way of learning. At 15 Einstein quit school and moved to Italy with his family where his family was trying to start a business. He studied Mathematics, Physics, and Philosophy at home. His uncle, an engineer, and a medical student who ate with his family once a week are credited with stimulating Einstein’s young mind. Was Einstein’s brain different? Einstein died in 1955 and gave his brain to science. A pathologist named Thomas Harvey quickly preserved his brain, and made samples, and sections. Pathologists Harvey concluded that other than Einstein’s brain seeming smaller than most brains, his was not unusual. Sandra F. Witelson and colleagues studied Einstein’s brain again in 1999, and discovered that it lacked a wrinkle found in other brains (the parietal operculum), and other regions on each side of Einstein’s brain appeared to be larger and unusual features in the inferior parietal lobes thought to be the area of visual imagery and mathematical thinking. This concludes that Einstein’s brain was more equipped by this region than most individuals. Does this prove or disprove that Einstein had Asperger’s? There is no conclusive historical evidence to determine if Einstein had Asperger’s. What we do know is Einstein was capable of deep concentration, and had perseverance. He graduated without distinction, his learning style and the school learning system of his time did not get along. He sought physics because he could seek out paths that led to the depths. In other words Einstein preferred to be free to think on the invisible things behind things. It was Einstein’s ability to think deeply on physics that put him first in the race to the theory in relativity. Einstein made friends with colleagues like Marcel Grossman, Michele Besso, Paul Ehrenfest, and Freidrich Adler. His wife Mileva Maric was the only female in his physics class. Even though Einstein renounced his German citizenship when he left Germany for Italy, he could not resist the invitation to Berlin’s Prussian Academy of Sciences, he had no teaching duties and access to the greatest scientific minds of his day. Fame in physics starved and destroyed his marriage to his wife Mileva, and then divorced in 1919. The same year of his divorce Einstein married his cousin whom he had an affair with since 1914 and settled with Elsa Lowenthal and her two daughters until his death in 1955. Einstein as a young boy, a young teen, a young man, and an older man (Image  © The Albert Einstein Archives, The Jewish National ; University Library, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. ) Temple Grandin Dr. Temple Grandin was thought to be different by her Mother from a very early age. At two Dr. Grandin could not speak and exhibited behavioral issues. Her Father and consulted doctors wanted to put Dr. Grandin in an institution. Dr. Grandin’s Mother would not have her daughter put in an institution. Instead, Dr. Grandin’s Mother sent her daughter to private schools and to private speech therapy. Dr. Grandin was teased as a child in school. Dr. Temple states that early intervention is vital to best outcomes in autistic children. According to Dr. Grandin there are three types of Autism thinkers: Visual, Pattern, and Word. Visual thinkers are terrible at algebra and good at geometry. Pattern thinkers have difficulty with reading. Word thinkers are good with facts in favorite subjects. Dr. Grandin thinks in pictures, sees a series of slides like a search engine. During her lecture Dr. Grandin was tired from air travel and this caused her to lose train of thought if movement or noises were made by audience. Dr. Grandin explained that she cannot screen out the sensory issues that trigger her distractions. Dr. Grandin admits to having panic attacks, and anxiety. Anti-depressants help autistic individuals overcome anxiety, panic attacks, and OCD issues. Dr. Grandin correlates animal behaviors and fears with autism and how people handle animals also can be used to handle autistic individuals. When Dr. Grandin was born her parents were told she had infantile schizophrenia. Since her birth two Doctors one in the United States named Dr. Leo Canner and one in Canada named Dr. Asperger began studying children who displayed certain characteristics: no facial expression, lack of social skills, the ability to concentrate on one subject, and certain other emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. Dr. Grandin was born in Boston, Mass. on August 29, 1947. Dr. Grandin has earned degrees from Franklin Pierce College, Arizona State University, University of Illinois, and has earned Honorary Doctorates from McGill University, University of Illinois, and Duke University. The United States and Canada Meat Plants use Dr. Grandin’s equipment designs developed for Animal Welfare Guidelines. Dr. Grandin’s focus of study is in alleviating anxiety of intense fear and hypersensitivities to sound in Human and Animal populations. Dr. Grandin wrote autobiographies of her life with autism, which amazed the autistic community (Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life with Autism- 1995, and Emergence: Labeled Autistic – 1986). Dr. Grandin, has acquired many awards, lectures all over the United States, was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame and is a member of the board of directors Autism Society of America. Dr. Grandin has developed her own website: www. grandin. com to communicate with people on the subject of autism, and animal handling. Humane groups recognize Dr. Grandin’s work to alleviate animal fears, and her biography featured on HBO has won several Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, and Peabody Award in 2011. Dr. Grandin has written several books, chapter books, journals, and other publications proving that people with Asperger’s and Autism can succeed. Conclusion There is so much that humanity does not know about human behavior and mental illness, but psychology continues to make advancements in the area. Asperger’s Disorder is just one example of how psychology has advanced. In Einstein’s time there was not a name for his â€Å"weird quirks†, but by the time Temple Grandin was born these similar â€Å"quirks† were known as Asperger’s Disorder. Einstein was brilliant in mathematics and similar fields of study, but could not form true intimate bonds with other people. Dr. Grandin was also brilliant but in another area of study and she also cannot form true intimate bonds with people.

Postmans Amusing Ourselves to Death Essay -- Amusing Ourselves Death

Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death I have just read Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death. Postman states that the age of typography has been replaced by the age of television. This has changed the way we look at the world and the way we think, which in turn has almost made us less intelligent. Postman speaks his opinions freely, and really gives the reader a new perspective on media, and the effect it has on society. To often we think nothing of what we see and read in the media, but after reading this book you see things a lot differently. Postman believes that the culture is shaped by how its media is conducted. In the age of typography, for example, politicians spoke of how people wrote. In today?s society the news is broadcasted in bits and pieces, and the unrelated topics are all thrown up and tied together with the phrase 'Now and This'. Our culture, he states, now functions best when focused on tiny bits of unrelated material. We believe that things should come in unrelated bits, continuously, and with lots of flash. To us it doesn't seem weird that commercials interrupt our programs every few minutes, though to someone who has never seen television, it would seem very odd indeed. Postman says that televisions have changed everything in our culture; politics and teaching. Politics have conformed to the ways of television. An example is how debates are conducted in modern politics. Before debates lasted many hours and contained many long thought out res...

Research Topics in Optometry

Postgraduate research topics Department of Optometry and Vision Science Postgraduate research topics The following is a list of research topics offered at the doctorate (PhD), masters and honours level.  » Honours  » Masters  » PhD Honours Research Topics| Affiliation – Faculty and Dept| Supervisor/s details| Comparison of animal models of age related nuclear cataract| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. [email  protected] ac. nz| Mapping antioxidant transporter expression in the front of the eye| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Julie Lim j. [email  protected] ac. nz| Electron microscopy of protein trafficking in the lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Angus Grey ac. [email  protected] ac. nz| Modelling of lens function  | Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Ehsan Vaghefi e. [email  protected] ac. nz| Exploring neural plasticity in the human visual cortex| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Ben Thompson b. [email  protected] ac. nz| Development of aids for colour deficient optometrists| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Misha Vorobyev m. [email  protected] ac. nz| Botox: as a tool for eye therapy? | Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Monica Acosta:m. [email  protected] ac. nz| Top Masters Research Topics| Affiliation – Faculty and Dept| Supervisor/s details| Developing functiuonal assays to study membrane protein function in the core of the lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. [email  protected] ac. nz| Chromatic and achromatic vision in reef fish| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Misha Vorobyev m. [email  protected] ac. nz| Colour preference in the honeybee| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Misha Vorobyev m. [email  protected] ac. nz| Clinical tests for colour vision defects| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [email  protected] ac. z| Defocus and visual function| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [email  protected] ac. nz| Visual characteristics of NZ population groups| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [email  protected] ac. nz| Assessment of refractive error in low vision| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [email  protected] ac. nz| Clinical research topics in optometry| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [email  protected] ac. nz| How does a cell die? Analysis of photoreceptor cells| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Monica Acosta:m. [email  protected] ac. nz| Top PhD Research Topics| Affiliation – Faculty and Dept| Supervisor/s details| Functional characterization of glucose transporters in the lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. [email  protected] ac. nz| Visualization of cell signaling pathways in the ocular lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. [email  protected] ac. nz| Functional characterization of the cystine/glutamate exchanger in the lens: a potential therapy to delay age related nuclear cataract? | Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Julie Lim j. [email  protected] c. nz| Functional mapping of purinergic signalling pathways in the lens|   Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. [email  protected] ac. nz| Studying membrane protein function in the core of the lens| Optometry and Vision Science| Professor Paul Donaldson p. [email  protected] ac. nz| Antioxidant strategies to prevent age related nuclear cataract| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr Julie Lim j. [email  protected] ac. nz| Investigation of physiological mechanisms that regulate normal eye growth| Optometry & Vision Science| Dr John Phillips j. [email  protected] ac. nz| Investigation of methods for Inhibition of myopia progression in children. | Optometry & Vision Science| Dr John Phillips j. [email  protected] ac. nz| Harnessing neural plasticity for visual rehabilitation| Optometry & Vision Science| Dr. Ben Thompson b. [email  protected] ac. nz| Measuring the human visual cortex response to visual loss with fMRI| Optometry and Vision Science| Dr. Ben Thompson b. [email  protected] ac. nz| The relationship between native New Zealand flowers and vision of native pollinators  |   |   | Colour deficeincy and colour judgement|   | Dr Misha Vorobyev m. [email  protected] ac. z| Visual characteristics of NZ population groups| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [email  protected] ac. nz| Defocus and visual function| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [email  protected] ac. nz| Clinical tests for colour vision defects. | FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [ema il  protected] ac. nz| Assessment of refractive error in low vision| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [email  protected] ac. nz| Research topics in clinical optometry| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Assoc Prof Rob Jacobs r. [email  protected] ac. nz| Vesicular transport in eye disesases| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Dr. Monica Acostam. [email  protected] ac. nz| Neurochemistry of an animal model of retinal degeneration| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Dr. Monica Acostam. [email  protected] ac. nz | Modelling oxygen / CO2 circulation of the retinal cells| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Dr. Ehsan Vaghefi  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  e. [email  protected] ac. nz| Modelling the electrical stimulation of the retina, using hexagonal electrodes| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Dr. Ehsan Vaghefi e. [email  protected] ac. nz| Creating a full 3D anatomically correct model of the ocular lens| FoS (Optometry and Vision Science)| Professor Paul Donaldsonp. [email  protected] ac. nzDr. Ehsan Vaghefie. [email  protected] ac. nz| Top * FOR * ABOUT * Our department * Our research * Research groups * Publications * Postgraduate research topics * Our courses * Our staff * Careers and opportunities * News and events Apply now! 2012 Handbook Postgraduate Research University of Auckland Clinics SharePrintEmail Copyright  © The University of Auckland A to Z Directory  |  Site map  |  Accessibility  |  Copyright  |  Privacy  |  Disclaimer  |  Feedback on this page | |

Homeless Children and the Educational System Essay

Homeless Children and the Educational System Many people still think of homeless transients as alcoholics and/or mentally disabled. The truth is, the current homeless population consists of runaway adolescents, single adult males or females, battered women and over one million homeless families with children – typically headed by a female parent. To be homeless means that one’s primary residence is a public or private shelter, emergency housing, hotel, motel, living with family or friends or any public space – like parks, automobiles, aqueducts or abandoned buildings (Pawlas, 1996). Statement of the Problem With the number of homeless students on the rise, schools encounter new educational challenges that include:†¦show more content†¦Under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, the fifty states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia received funding to investigate the number and the needs of homeless children, to identify obstacles that would prevent them from receiving an education and to develop a plan to overcome these problems (Pawlas, 1996). The McKinney Act also provides emergency food assistance, adult literacy instruction, job training, health services and other programs. Under this act, homeless children are ensured access to the same, free appropriate public education other children in the state receive. Subsequently, in 1990 and 1994, amendments were incorporated into the earlier Act of 1987 to ensure equal access to schools for homeless children. States were told to remove barriers in enrollment, attendance, or success in schools-proof of immunization, guardianship and birth certificate requirements (Eddowes, 1994). These provisions made it clear that everything possible should be done to support the educational pursuits of homeless children and youth. Through the 1990 and 1994 amendments to the early Act of 1987, legislation provided formula grants for states to carry out the Educational for Homeless Children and Youth Program (subtitle VII-B). The following are key provisions of the law (Rafferty, 1997-1998): The law requires states to ensure that local educational agencies do not create a separate education system forShow MoreRelatedWhy Do Students Experiencing Homelessness?1205 Words   |  5 PagesIn fact, â€Å"these liaisons are responsible for advocating for students experiencing homelessness by actively searching for children to enroll, creating awareness about educational rights, and working with agencies that serve the homeless to promote educational stability and opportunity. 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The children who are considered homeless typically do not haveRead MoreHomeless Children : The Poverty Rate, Lack Of Affordable Housing And Single Parent Households1476 Words   |  6 PagesHomeless Children According to recent reports child homelessness, an estimated 2.5 million children are homeless in the United States. Sadly, nearly half of these children are under the age of five. In fact, one in every thirty children is considered homeless and the numbers continue to increase annually (Bassuk, E., DeCandia, C., Beach, C., Berman, F., 2014) Though many factors contribute to this social epidemic, the high poverty rate, lack of affordable housing and single parent households areRead MoreTransitional Housing Program For The United States Essay1030 Words   |  5 Pagessupport provisions. Due to the inflation of the homeless in the Adams County region, a transitional housing program needs regulating to aid those who necessitate a home, are trying to hold on to their home, or are in dire need of assistance with housing payments. Adams County is experiencing detrimental challenges with the housing market, inducing higher foreclosure rates along with a higher rent or mortgage, payout. The rate of those that are homeless that enter into the transitional housing programRead MoreHomelessness: Who Are The Homeless? Essay835 Words   |  4 Pagesare the homeless? (Final Draft) Many people become homeless because of reasons beyond their control. Some people have lost their jobs and cannot afford to pay for housing. What is homelessness? Homelessness is defined, by The Steward McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, as someone who do not own their own home or one who can not afford to pay for housing without depriving themselves of essentials needs (as cited by Mind Disorders, par. 1). However, there is a new meaning to homeless today.Read MoreMy Job As A Graduate Assistant1599 Words   |  7 Pagesprimarily serves the educational needs of children experiencing homelessness in several different manners. Before working with this organization, the topic of homeless children was relatively foreign to me, and I was quite surprised to learn that the average person experiencing homelessness in the United States is 9-years old (UpSpring, 2015). Like many people, children are not usually the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about homelessness, though many of the children I have worked withRead MoreHow Bipolar Disorder Affects The Way A Person s Brain Works Essay1614 Words   |  7 Pagesdisorder (CDC, 2013; National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 2016). This research has brought to our attention that youth with bipolar disorder do not always have the same type of symptoms of behavior that adults with bipolar disorder do. In children, episodes of behavior sometimes only last for a small amount of time, which allows them time to spring back and forth between mania and depression throughout any given day. Since research suggest that environmental factors plays a role, there are