Laura Enescu, Unit 1

Lesson 1 1). a) Discussion group response-comment

In comment #46, Sam states that a person with Asperger's shouldn't be underestimated and stereotyped. I agree with him. Even if a person has special needs, it does not mean that she cannot think for herself or she cannot manage different situations. Christopher proves during the novel, that he is a pretty clever boy even if he is autistic. There are many situations in which we can see that Christopher is intelligent. For example, Christopher is very good at math; he actually understands it better than others normal teenagers of his age. How many regular teenagers can calculate in his mind so many calculations with high numbers, equations or solve hard puzzles? Christopher wanted to take his A-level math exams, and even if, at the beginning, the headmistress, Mrs. Gascoyne, did not approve with it because she was underestimating him and she considered Christopher, well, dumb, Christopher fought for his goal. Having his fathers help and support, he managed to set the date for his A-level math exam. Im going to prove that Im not stupid. Next month Im going to take my A level in math and Im going to get an A grade (p.44) And I got the results of my math A level and I got an A grade, which is the best result [] (p.220). Another example of his cleverness is when he analyzed very carefully the list of things his father told him not to do when comes to his detective work, and he managed to turn it into his favor. And then I did some reasoning. I reasoned that Father had only made me do a promise about five things, which were []. And asking about Mr. Shears wasnt any of these things But Mrs. Alexander said, Is this about Wellington?. And I nodded because that didnt count as being a detective (p.56-57). In addition to this, he succeeded to go to London by him-self and he found his mother. It was hard and difficult for him, but he did it alone and he stood up for all the challenges. People like Christopher have lots of qualities and values, and they shouldnt be put to a corner and ignored just because they are different from us. Every single life should be respected and treated with patience and kindness.

Laura Enescu, Unit 1

1. b) Personal Response Essay The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time After I read the reviews and the summery of the novel The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-time by Mark Haddon, I could not wait to read the book and to find out more about Christopher. I have finished the first 79 pages of the book and I am so captivated by the story. The action takes place into a small town called Swindon, in England, into a regular neighborhood and apparently in a regular family. The most interesting thing of the novel is Christophers way of acting, the way he sees things around him, in other words his mind and his character it-self. I have done some research about Mr. Mark Huddon and he used to assist patients with autism and multiple sclerosis. Therefore, his early career inspired him to write this novel and to show us how an autistic person thinks. People tend to outcast people with similar conditions like Christopher, mostly because they do not know anything about them. They are not educated and informed about autism and other similar syndromes. I did not know anything about autism before I read this book, therefor this novel opened my eyes a little bit, and made me see autistic people not that different, just unique. Mr. Mark Huddon he wrote another novel after this one, called A Spot of Bother, which is about an ordinary man and his life. I understood from the reviews and readers opinions, that the second novel wasnt that good as Curious. I guess people liked more The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Nighttime, because people are more attracted to read and learn about unknown things. I can relate my-self with some parts of the novel, especially with the parts where Christopher tries to find his goals, overcomes his fears and seeking independence. I was similar when I was his age. Even though he is autistic, he reacts like any other teenager and hes going through some similar changes. An interesting and curious aspect of the novel is the way the ideas are changing, from one chapter to another. At first, it was a little bit confusing, but while I read further, I realized that this is the way Christopher mind works and it made me understood the character better. Sometimes we witness what Christopher is doing and how he plans to find out who killed Wellington. Other times, we discover what and how Christopher thinks about regular stuff, like math, emotions, colors, teachers, classmates. It is a nice way to learn more things about him and to understand him better. The author describes very well how an autistic person thinks and how she feels. Christopher is a very well build, complex character and it makes you want to know him better and to find out what else he went through. Christopher is not the only interesting character in this novel. His father, Mr. Ed Boome, is a very important part of the story. He is a good father and he loves his son very much, even though sometimes he does not know how to show this to him, especially since Christopher

Laura Enescu, Unit 1

does not understand affection like regular teenagers. Ed tries his best to protect and educate Christopher, despite the fact that sometimes he gets angry or he makes mistakes. After Christophers mom died, his father became a full-time dad, trying to be a dad and a mom in the same time. I think he is a good father and Christopher is very lucky to have someone like Mr. Ed Boome as a parent. Overall, I enjoyed the plot and the story-line very much, but there are a few minor things I did not enjoy. For example, I did not like Mrs. Shears because she was mean with Christopher. Even if she did not have a good relationship with Ed anymore, she should have been nice and kind with Christopher, because he is just a child and he did not do anything wrong to her. I dont think Christopher actually understood what happened between Mrs. Shears and Mr. Ed. I also did not like that much the ugly language the characters are using sometimes. I know it is a novel about regular people, but not all regular people are using bad language, even if they are angry or upset. I am not used with this type of language, so I did not appreciate it. A little bit of less cursing, would be great. In conclusion, The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-time, by Mark Huddon is an amazing novel, with a unique theme, entertaining and funny. The author developed the characters very well and he made a catchy story-line. It is not only a story, it is also a way to understand and to get to know autistic teenager and how they see the world. I learnt some interesting facts reading this novel. I recommended the novel to some of my friends and they enjoyed it as well.

Lesson 3 3) T-chart Christopher -cant understands emotions -doesnt like to chat -wants to be alone; he feels good when he is alone, he even imagines him-self as the only person on the planet -few friends; doesnt trust people very easily; doesnt understand the point of having friends -rebels against his father rules; doing what he thinks its right Regular Teenager -emotional; lead by his emotions and hormones -likes to chat a lot -likes to be in the center of attention; loves to have lots of friends; wants to know new people -wants to be known, accepted intro school groups -loves to be popular; he trust too many people, even the wrong ones; nave -rebels against his parents rules; likes to do what he thinks its right Character Interpretation Informal Essay

Laura Enescu, Unit 1

-sneaky -doesnt know himself -searching for his goals -seeking independence; he wants to show he is capable of doing things right by himself -immature -overcoming his fears -becoming more confident in himself and in his abilities

-sneaky -doesnt know himself -searching for his goals -seeking independence; he wants to show he is capable of doing things right by himself -immature -overcoming his fears -becoming more confident in himself and his abilities

Christopher Boone as an example of everyman (draft)

Christopher Boone, the main character of the book The C curious I incident of T the D dog in T the N night-time by Mark Haddon, is a 15 years old teenager with autism, which makes him unsociable, unable to understand peoples feelings and even the concept of feeling in general, makes him have serious attitude problems and to be miss understood by people around him. Although he has this special condition, Christopher is a teenager as other regular teenagers, going through similar phases and who starts his coming of age journey. We see examples of teenagers going through their rite of passage and through their challenges everywhere: in films, in books, in reality- shows, on treet, at school etc. When comes to discovering the real world, to acknowledge our abilities and talents, to find out who we really are as a person, Christopher is the same like us. Leaving childhood behind, overcoming fears and growing up are things that Christopher went through like every other regular teen and had a behavior like other young people of his age have. Christopher is different from other people in so many ways, but in the same time he is like everyone else. We know that everybody is different and that we cant find two people exactly the same. Even twins are different

Laura Enescu, Unit 1

when comes to personality and self-being. Christophers special need represents his unique personality. Especially at the beginning of the novel, Christopher is seeking for his independence. After he found the dead dog and was released from the police station, Christopher decided to find out by himself who killed Wlligton, even despite the fact that his father didnt approve his plan. [](p.20).(!add quotes) Many teenagers like to do a different thing by themselves, because they want to prove theyre old enough to do certain things right and because they want to feel in control. Its a normal stage in growing up. In the same time, most of the teenagers dont(!) understand why theyre not allowed to do whatever they want do. They think people dont(!) let them grow and their freedom is taken away, even if at the end, they find out that they were wrong and they would be better to listen to their old-fashion parents. Christopher discovering his abilities and overcoming his fears. At the beginning of the novel, Christopher was scared to be around strangers, in large places like the supermarket. Chrisopher used to be scared around strangers, in large places full with people, like the supermarket or the subway station. [](p.106) (!-add quotes ) He didnt talk with strangers even if they were trying to communicate with him, liked being by himself. He often imagined himself being the only person on the planet and he was enjoying his eyes-open dream. Christopher can also be called the lonely boy. When he decided to find out who killed Welligton, he had to ask his neighbors about the dog. He went to their houses and he talked to them, even if he was uncomfortable and scared. (!-add quote) After his father told him about his mom and that he was the one who killed Welligton, Christopher got scared of him and decided to go to his mothers house all way to London, despite the fact that he had never travelled by himself. He had to talk to more people, at the train station, with two policemen, with the map seller. His biggest challenged was talking the subway. Being underground into a unknown place, full with people and not knowing how the subway system works, made him very scared and confused. He sat a few hours on the subway station to calm himself and after he realized how the system works, he took the subway. This was the moment when he needed to prove lots of courage and determination to finish his goal. (!add quote) When he turned back in Swaren to take his A-level math, he ended up working with his father on the project rebuilding the trust and the relantionship which was a mature and nice thing to do, even if at first (Christophor?) was distant and a little bit stubborn. (!-add quote) The main character, Christopher, managed to finish his goals, despite the fact that he had some difficulties and hard challenges to take. He managed to find out who killed Welligton and the truth about his mom. He didnt give up reading the letters and sneaked out in his father room. Also, he asked all his neighbors about Welligton, and at the end his father confessed to him. The two big goals that he achieved are: 1) he safely arrived at his mothers house and 2) he managed to take his A-level math test even if he was tired and he thought he would not take the exam. At the end, he took A at all part of his exam, and he was very happy. (!-add quote) He realized that he can do whatever he wants if he tries hard enough and doesnt run away when things get tough. (!-add

Laura Enescu, Unit 1

quote) At the end of the novel, Christopher set his new goals and he seemed quite happy and proud of himself. He became more mature and tougher. (!-add quote) When I was the same age as Christopher, I had some difficulties communicating with new people, overcoming my fears of not being accepted by people for as me. In other words, I was very shy and less-confident. I understand way why Christopher was scared of talking to strangers, doing things outside his comfort zone and disconnecting him-self from reality, even if my motives reasons were in some ways different than his. After reading the novel, I realized that even people with so called special needs, are going through the same life phases like anyone else. Christopher had his rite of passage during his trip to London and back to his father. In a way, Christophers autism makes him complete and is part of his personality that makes him an individual. This quote shows very well the way I see Christopher Boone: A murder mystery; a road atlas, a postmodern canvas of modern sensory overload, a coming-of-age journal and lastly a really affecting look at the grainy inconsistency of paternal and romantic love and its failuresMark Haddon is both clever and observant, and effect is vastly affecting, posted by Washington Post.

Christopher Boone as an example of everyman (Final draft)

Christopher Boone, the main character of the book The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-time by Mark Haddon, is a 15 years old teenager with autism, which makes him unsociable, unable to understand peoples feelings and even the concept of feeling in general. He has serious attitude problems and often he is misunderstood by people around him. Although he has this special condition, Christopher is just a teenager like other regular teenagers. He is going through similar phases and he is starting his coming of age journey. We see examples of teenagers going through their rite of passage everywhere: in films, in books, at school, in our families etc. When comes to discovering the real world, to acknowledge our abilities and talents, to find out who we really are as a person, Christopher is the same like us. Leaving childhood behind, overcoming fears and growing up are things that Christopher went through like every other regular teen and had a behavior like other young people of his age have. Christopher is different from other people in so many ways, but in the

Laura Enescu, Unit 1

same time he is so much alike. We know that everybody is different and that we cant find two people exactly the same. Even twins are different when comes to personality and self-being. Christophers special need represents his unique personality. At the beginning of the novel, Christopher is seeking for his independence. After he found the dead dog and he was released from the police station, Christopher decided to find out by himself who killed Wellington, despite the fact that his father didnt approve. Father said, Just try and keep your nose out of people business . I said, yes I was listening to what you were saying, but when someone gets murdered you have to find out who did it so that they can be punished (p.20). Many teenagers like to do a different thing by themselves, because they want to prove theyre old enough to do certain things right and because they want to feel in control. Its a normal stage in growing up. In the same time, most of the teenagers do not understand why they are not allowed to do whatever they want do. They think people do not let them grow and their freedom is taken away, even if at the end, they find out that they were wrong and it would have been better if they listened to their old-fashion parents. Christopher used to be scared around strangers, in large places full with people, like the supermarket or the subway station. And you crouched down on the floor and put your hands over your ears and you were in the way of everyone (p.106) He did not talk with strangers even if they were trying to communicate with him, he likes being by himself. Talking to strangers is not smoothing I usually do. I do not like talking with strangers (p.34). He often imagined himself being the only person on the planet and he was enjoying his eyes-open dream. Christopher can also be called the lonely boy or Mr. Lonely. When he decided to find out who killed Wellington, he had to ask his neighbors about the dog. He went to their houses and he talked to them, even if he was uncomfortable and scared. So talking to the other people in our street was brave. But if you want to do detective work you have to be brave, so I have no choice (p.35). After his father told him about his mom and that he was the one who killed Wellington, Christopher got scared of him and decided to go to his mothers house all the way to London, despite the fact that he had never travelled by himself. He had to talk to more people, at the train station, with two policemen, with the map seller. His biggest challenged was talking the subway. Being underground into an unknown place, full with strangers and not knowing how the subway system works, made him very scared and confused. He sat a few hours on the subway station to calm himself and after he realized how the system works, he took the subway. And I was shaking and I wanted to go back home [] (p.176). And I didnt open my eyes and I didnt look at my watch. [] and I had been sitting on the bench approximately 5 hours [] (p.180). This was the moment when he needed to prove lots of courage and determination to finish his journey. And then I heard the sound like sword fighting and the roaring of a train coming into the station and I worked out that there was a big computer somewhere [] and that made me feel better because everything had an order and a plan. (p181). And then 8 more trains came and I decided that I would get onto a train and then I would work out what to do. (p.184). When he turned back in Swindon to take his A-level math, he ended up working with his father on the project rebuilding the trust and the relationship which was a mature and a nice thing

Laura Enescu, Unit 1

to do, even if at first Christopher was distant and a little bit stubborn. And Mother got flu and I had to spend three days with Father and stay in his house. But it was OK [] And Father made a vegetable patch in the garden and I helped him. (p.220) The main character, Christopher, managed to accomplish his goals, despite the fact that he had some difficulties and hard challenges to take. He managed to find out who killed Wellington and the truth about his mom. He did not give up reading the letters and sneaked out in his father room. Also, he asked all his neighbors about Wellington, and at the end his father confessed to him. The two big goals that he achieved are: 1) he safely arrived at his mothers house and 2) he managed to take his A-level math test even if he was tired and he thought he would not take the exam. At the end, he took A at all part of his exam, and he was very happy. And I got the results of my maths A level and I got an A grade which is the best result, and it made me feel like this (p.220). He realized that he can do whatever he wants if he tries hard enough and doesnt run away when things get tough. And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, because I solved the mystery of Who Killed Wellington? And I found my mother and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything (p.221).At the end of the novel, Christopher set his new goals and he seemed quite happy and proud of himself. He became more mature and tougher. When I was the same age as Christopher, I had some difficulties communicating with new people, overcoming my fears of not being accepted as me. In other words, I was very shy and lessconfident. I understand why Christopher was scared of talking to strangers, doing things outside his comfort zone and disconnecting him-self from reality, even if my reasons were different than his. After reading the novel, I realized that even people with special needs, are going through the same life phases like anyone else. Christopher had his rite of passage during his trip to London and back to his father. In a way, Christophers autism makes him complete and is part of his personality that makes him an individual. This quote shows very well the way I see Christopher Boone: A murder mystery; a road atlas, a postmodern canvas of modern sensory overload, a coming-of-age journal and lastly a really affecting look at the grainy inconsistency of paternal and romantic love and its failuresMark Haddon is both clever and observant, and effect is vastly affecting, posted by Washington Post.

Laura Enescu, Unit 1

Lesson 4 4) a) Presentation Plan Planning the oral presentation Purpose Inform Specific Topic Discover how amazing are autistic people Audience Form Teenagers and young adults Oral Presentation Handout What I will say and do during presentation Introduction: Play the short clip called Autistic Artist, youtube.com Body: Orally define autism and explain what cause it Orally describe the three different forms of autism Ask the audience what an autistic teenager can do and if they think autism makes you different or not normal Orally tell the things an autistic person can do Orally share the challenges the autistic people have and their differences Play the short films called No Limits and Children with Autism: One Teacher's Experience from modelmekids.com Play the short video called Out of Scope: A Documentary about Autism by The TORCH Program hs participants for better understanding of the autistic spectrum Orally explain how to interact with a person with autism spectrum Conclusion: Orally summarize keys ideas: autism its not a disses, its a condition; people with autism are capable of doing amazing things; they are not that different; autism is one part of a person, not the whole person. Read the poem J.A. wrote and presented in Vancouver and show some paintings made by Shawn Fintak Oral Presentation

4.b) Handout:

Laura Enescu, Unit 1

DISCOVER HOW AMAIZING ARE THE AUTISTIC PEOPLE

What is autism?
Autism is known as a complex developmental disability. Experts believe that Autism presents itself during the first three years of a person's life. The condition is the result of a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, affecting development of the person's communication and social interaction skills.

Here are some examples of what a teen or a young adult with autism can do:
Read ,write , speak Learn new things Playing sports Make friends Listening to music Sing Write poems or stories Draw Create Go to school, university, work

Cause of Autism
The causes and etiology of autism are an area of much debate and controversy. There is no strong consensus, and researchers are studying a wide spectrum of possible factors to try and pinpoint what causes autism.

A few characteristics of a person with autism:

hears sounds that are louder or bothersome only her likes to spend long periods of time watching unusual things such as the spinning of a fan or movements made with her fingers. rocks her body to help herself relax when she feels nervous has difficulty figuring out how other people feel and why they act a certain way. (Others seem to interpret events and her behavior differently than she does.) has a hard time making friends. (Keeping or being a best friend for several years is even harder.)

Artist with autism

Stephen Wiltshire is an artist who draws and paints detailed cityscapes. He has a particular talent for drawing lifelike, accurate representations of cities, sometimes after having only observed them briefly.

Shawn Fintak is also an artist who used to paint and he has a gallery gate with his paintings. Source of Information I used these sites and they are a great source if you want to know more about autism: www.modelmekids.com; www.tacanow.org/about-autism; www.wrightslaw.com/info/autism.index.htm ; www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/autism/ ; http://www.stephenwiltshire.co.uk ; www.artist-with-autism.com/; www.artismtoday.com/

Laura Enescu, Unit 1 I also recommend this interesting documentary about autism: Out of Scope: A Documentary about Autism by The TORCH Program hs participants http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8591772688227106806#

4.c)
My topic is highly relevant for teenagers and young adults these days. There are many people with autism inside our society and its hard to recognize them, mostly because physically they look just like as. You never know when you are going to meet one or interact with him or her, and you have to have at least the basic knowledge about them. Teenagers and young adults usually when they hear about autism they think that is a disses, a high handicap or laziness, and they are avoiding talking with autistic people and often they underestimating and misjudge them. They need to learn and know more about ASD and to realize that people with autism are just like them, but with a different personality and way of seeing things. Also, they have to understand that ASD it is a condition and theyre going to be fine if they interact with ASD people. Before showing the audience that teens and young adults with ASD have lots in common with them and that they can do lots of things, I wanted to explain to them what autism is, the facts about it. Since most of the people dont know anything about ASD, I think theyll find it pretty interesting. The short films are going to make them to enter the inside world of autism and theyll understand and see what words and definitions cant. One image can have a bigger impact than one thousand words. Asking them what they know and what they think a person with ASD can do, will get them involved in the presentation and the topic. Showing the paintings of the two artists and reading the poem will make a clear point and also represents an evidence of what autistic people are capable of. Moreover, the audience will get more involve emotionally with the autism people.