Table Of ContentA U T I S M – T H E E I G H T H
C O L O U R O F T H E R A I N B O W
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of relatedinterest
Asperger’s Syndrome
AGuideforParentsandProfessionals
TonyAttwood
ForewordbyLornaWing
ISBN1853025771
Multicoloured Mayhem
Parentingthemanyshadesof adolescentsandchildrenwithautism,
AspergerSyndromeandAD/HD
JacquiJackson
ISBN1843101718
Playing,LaughingandLearningwithChildrenontheAutismSpectrum
APracticalResourceof PlayIdeasforParentsandCarers
JuliaMoor
ISBN1843100606
Giggle Time – Establishing the Social Connection
AProgramtoDeveloptheCommunicationSkillsofChildrenwithAutism,
AspergerSyndromeandPDD
SusanAudSonders
ForewordbyAndrewGunsberg
ISBN1843107163
Parent to Parent
InformationandInspirationforParentsDealingwithAutism
orAsperger’sSyndrome
AnnBoushéy
ISBN1843107740
Snapshots of Autism
AFamilyAlbum
JenniferOverton
ISBN1843107236
Running with Walker
AMemoir
RobertHughes
ISBN1843107554
A U T I S M – T H E E I G H T H
C O L O U R O F T H E
R A I N B O W
Learn to Speak Autistic
Florica Stone
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
London and Philadelphia
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web: http://hope-tlc.autistics.org
All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced in any material form
(including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not
transiently or incidentally to some other use ofthis publication) without the written permission
ofthe copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions ofthe Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988 or under the terms ofa licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd,
90 Tottenham Court Road, London, England W1T 4LP. Applications for the copyright owner’s
written permission to reproduce any part ofthis publication should be addressed to the
publisher.
Warning: The doing ofan unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a
civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution.
The right ofFlorica Stone to be identified as author ofthis work has been asserted by her in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in the United Kingdom in 2004
by Jessica Kingsley Publishers
116 Pentonville Road
London N1 9JB, UK
and
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
www.jkp.com
Copyright © Florica Stone 2004
Library ofCongress Cataloging in Publication Data
Stone, Florica.
Autism : the eighth colour ofthe rainbow : learn to speak autistic / Florica Stone.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-84310-182-3 (pbk.)
1. Autisticchildren--Language. 2. Autisticchildren--Family relationships. 3. Parentsof
autistic children. 4. Autistic children--Care. I. Title.
RJ506.A9S765 2004
618.92'89--dc22
2004005450
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN-13: 978 1 84310 182 6
ISBN-10: 1 84310 182 3
ISBN pdfeBook: 1 84642 070 9
Printed and Bound in Great Britain by
Athenaeum Press, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
With deepest love to my patient, caring and loving
children Sebastian, Alexander and Francesca and to
my loving husband Chris who completed our lives
with the other seven colours of the rainbow
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C O N T E N T S
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9
LETTERFROMALOVINGMOTHER 10
WHYTHEEIGHTHCOLOUROFTHERAINBOW? 12
THEAIMOFTHISBOOK 14
1 An overview of the autism continuum 17
2 Grieving 28
3 Learning and adapting 30
4 Autism: A way of being 40
5 Is my child being aloof? 45
6 Creating a shared sanctuary 56
7 The autistic-friendly environment 69
8 Sensory ‘mis-wiring’ and behaviour 85
9 Other behaviours 93
10 Real friendship:
Why is it difficult to form relationships with age peers? 108
11 Life before verbal communication 117
12 Premises for social communication 123
13 Interaction: The gateway to shared meanings 133
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14 Emotions, language, behaviour and social communication 144
15 Why perceive the language of autism as a foreign language? 153
16 Receptive language disorder 158
17 Self-exploratory exercises 165
18 Reasons behind repetitive behaviour: Facilitating change 175
19 Exploring emotions 187
20 Autistic communication and pragmatic learning style 199
21 Teaching to quantify 216
22 Converging parallel realities 219
23 Are social interaction and communication
possible without a cure? 228
24 How to choose the right approach 235
25 Hope–TLC and the Year of Promise 248
POSTSCRIPT:ANOPENINVITATIONTOBETTERTHEINTERACTIONPROCESS 252
APPENDIXA:FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS 253
APPENDIXB:LINGUISTICBEHAVIOURASSESSMENTTABLE 266
APPENDIXC:PIERCE’SVOCABULARYAFTEREIGHTMONTHSOFPLAY 276
APPENDIXD:THEAUTISTICPERCEPTION 279
GLOSSARY 294
REFERENCES 298
Acknowledgements
Withoutthecollectiveperceptionsandtheinvolvementof peoplefrom
allwalksoflife,thisbookwouldhaveonceagaindescribedautismasa
behavioural syndrome or perhaps would have tried to promote yet
another curative therapy. All the concepts I use in this book – autism,
autistic literal learning, literal memory, photographic experience and
learning, as well as interaction with the autistic – evolved from
understandingthatautismisawayofbeingandthattheautisticperson
deserves respect. He or she must not be subjected to behaviour
modificationprogrammes.
AspecialthankyoutoDavidHowkins(theGiantFriend),founder
and trustee of Hope–TLC, for his friendship to Alexander, continuous
involvement and generosity towards the autistic cause, his words of
wisdomandforbelievinginmydream.
Heartfeltgratitudetoourteamofvolunteerfriends,David,Yvonne,
Simon 1 and Simon 2, Pat, Ruth, Sarah, Rosie, Illa, Harleene, Norma,
Joan,MaggieandPaul,fortheirpatience,imaginationandthehundreds
ofhourstheyinvestedinAlexanderandme,andtoNadiaandMariefor
showeringFrancescawiththeirlove.
Myrespectandwishesforafulfillinglifegotomyautisticfriends,
Feather,Muskie,Paradox,Seth,Ivo,Elise,Autie,Bexxy,Ian,Naomi,Vic,
Alexander, Wolffy, Omy, Waspie and Whilly, for their friendship,
patienceandextendedexplanationsasIwasattemptingtomakesenseof
theirrealityandtheytriedtomakesenseof mine.
ThankyoutoAmandaBaggs,JimSinclair,DonnaWilliams,Temple
Grandin and many other autistic people who, through their written
work, made it easier for me to visualise the autistic reality and thus
empathisethroughunderstanding.
Isharemyhopethatthisbookcanfacilitateabetterqualityoflifefor
alltheautisticchildrenandtheirparentsintheworld,aswellasahuge
hugforthosewhosharedaffectionwithme.Theiraffectionmotivated
methroughoutmyjourneyof understandingautism.
Unconditional love to my children for their patience during the
writingofthisbookandtomybrotherIoan,sister-in-lawAuricaandmy
niece Gabriela for helping me care for Alexander during our year of
desperateneedandfortakingcareofusduringthewritingofthisbook.
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