Symptoms of Autism spectrum disorders.

Part of my Developmental Psych Assignment (written in high school)

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Symptoms of Autism spectrum disorders.

For a child to receive the diagnosis of ASD under DSM-V, the child must meet 2 criteria.

1) deficits in social communication and social interaction and

2) restricted repetitive behaviors, interests, and activities (RRBs).

Because both components are required for the diagnosis of ASD, Social Communication Disorder is diagnosed if no RRBs are present.

Communication deficits and restrictive behaviors can often result in challenging behaviors.  Autism is a spectrum disorder meaning that it can range from very severe (non-speaking and/or challenging behaviors) to very almost indistinguishable from peers (verbal with slight deficits in social skills etc). Some individuals can be very gifted in a particular area and they are called Savants. The textbook is actually inaccurate in equating Savants with Aspergers (Aspies) as Savants range in their level of symptoms across the board from mild to significant. An example is the severely autistic Stephen Wiltshire who is nonspeaking and lives in London. Stephen can reproduce entire cityscape views in his paintings after just having seen them aerially for a few minutes from a helicopter. Another example of a savant is from the movie Rainman.

As a person who is pretty severely affected by autism, I have to disagree with a lot of what the author states about autism.  For example Berger in page 275 states,  “Children with any form of autism find it hard to understand emotions… do not want to interact with anyone.. do not understand romantic love .. slow to develop a theory of mind.”  Such broad generalizations are misleading and do not result in effective treatment. I believe the issue is one of communication challenges which make it hard to develop coping mechanisms that typical people use to be able to react in a socially appropriate way. Cognitively understanding an issue should not be confused with sensory-motor execution of a task, which is the observable behavior. I also feel very strongly about the lack of Theory of Mind and Autism and I hope to do more research down the line to debunk this theory. The problem is that when such broad generalizations are used in textbooks, the resultant students come out with a mindset that is not open to other possibilities and the affected autistic individuals suffer from ‘more of the same.’ I’ve had therapist after therapist work with me who seemed to have their head stuck in the sand because that is what they were taught about how autism should be. The kids who don’t fit the mindset profile of autism are written off as unable to improve.

 What do we know about the causes of Autism?

It’s been 16 years since my ASD dx, I’m nowhere close to a breakthrough, so the answer is that we don’t know nearly enough about the causes - there just seems to be too much confusion and too much debate. The fact that its a spectrum disorder makes it all the harder - it’s like searching for a single solution to 100,000 problems. Every breakthrough helps a fraction of the population, the ones that fit that cure’s physiological profile.

 Explanations for the rapid rise in Autism numbers in the US in recent years.

Almost 6% of special education students in the US have the ASD dx and another 6% as developmentally delayed.

A few guesses for rise in numbers

1.    Changes in criteria between DSM-IV and DSM-V means that  ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) now includes

• Aspergers. Diagnosis formely given to folks with no intellectual disability and no language deficits. The aspie community is apparantely unhappy about being clubbed with autism and consider it a major downgrade.
•  PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not otherwise specified). A dx usually give to more individuals who did not meet all the Autism criteria.
• Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Dx given to kids who developed normally till age 3 then regressed.
• Mental Retardation is now often called severe autism or intellectual disability.

2.    Early intervention: The word autism is ubiquitous in mainstream media and most new parents are aware that it is a serious childhood disorder. So many parents push pediatricians / neurologists or developmental psychologists to give them an ASD diagnosis if there is even the slightest sign of some developmental delay as they want to access to and start early intervention services. Professionals on their part also want to be proactive as early intervention can make a significant difference for many kids. Even children who would have been considered speech delayed in the past are thus getting the ASD diagnosis.  There are thus greater number of diagnosed kids. This also means there are great numbers of children who are ‘recovering’ from autism because this specific subgroup needed only that early timely intervention, which lets them overcome that hump.

3.    Educational Dx. Many school districts classify children as ASD so that they can fit into existing special education classroom models. Many kids with Cerebral Palsy and similar issues progress to an ASD diagnosis as they improve their physical symptoms. For example, my friend had severe CP (umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, cutting off oxygen flow) at birth. But with intensive therapy, he learned to walk by around age 6-7. His school district changed his dx to autism so that he could be put in an autism classroom rather than the one for CP kids who were wheelchair users.

4.    Access to Services. Till age 22, autistic children are covered by IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Act) which theoretically allows special education services like behavior modification, LRE (least restrictive environment) classroom, smaller classrooms, higher staff ratio extra coaching (resource) and a few other safeguards. A diagnosis of ADHD on the other hand, may not qualify for special education services under IDEA and may only qualify for Section 504 of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). So some parents may push for the ASD diagnosis as it will give their child the extra support which they may not otherwise receive.

5.    Then there are the reported cases of some parents who seek the diagnosis, as it gives their child extra advantages and preferences in terms of individualized learning, testing accommodations etc. This is unfortunate in some ways and could well be heresay, which makes the topic somewhat controversial.

6.    When services are deemed better in a particular location, it naturally draws people from other countries to that place seeking those services for their developmentally disabled child. That child may not have received the ASD dx in the home country due to lack or knowledge or other factors.  This naturally increases the ASD numbers. Both Australia and Canada do not allow a non-citizen child with a disability to enter or their country. News articles have highlighted case of immigrant parents who were asked by Australia to leave their disabled child behind in their native country. Luckily the USA is far more humane and does not impose such restrictions. Similarly non-Canadian citizen with disabilities cannot live in Canada. Essentially I would not be allowed to live in Canada or Australia despite being born in the US and a US citizen.

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Comments
Wow, this is really great. I like how you debunk popular theories about autism.
I hope you write more and more articles in the future. - From Little Hari Balaji

A Walk on the Braille Side

A Walk on the Braille Side

The ability to be "Change-Makers" is in all of us. Most take the access-ramp to volunteering for granted, available to them if they choose to volunteer. Being differently-abled puts a whole new light on this access.   Most volunteering opportunities require social interaction skills and the ability to handle oneself without too much assistance. There are many nuances to this - you may have to travel somewhere, meet people, explain, physically assist and have decent fine motor skills. It is no wonder that people with disabilities are, more often than not, excluded from the arena of volunteering.

All of us want to feel productive.

All of us want to contribute.

All of us have bright minds that think.

I’m a high school junior and have had a diagnosis of Autism since age 3. In fact, I only learned to communicate via typing at around age 13.  I have many of the issues that keep me from volunteering in the classical sense – social anxiety, motor issues, and limited speech. Making sandwiches for the homeless was as challenging a coordination task, as was the social aspect of volunteering with the children at the shelter. My sensory system would be overwhelmed and disorganized at, “clean the park” type of volunteering. I was not being productive and mere physical presence at such events was a far cry from being a satisfactory volunteering experience. 

Last year, I was invited to be a part of the team at AccessBraille (formerly Inclusive Volunteers), a new non-profit (www.inclusivevolunteers.org / accessbraille.org). Its founder, Nikhil Dilip is a high-schooler at Harker School in San Jose, CA. He had a disabled uncle who had not been permitted to volunteer at various organizations because he did not have the skills necessary to participate. Nikhil wanted to create an organization that would provide volunteer opportunities for ALL, irrespective of perceived abilities. It was a radical concept as everyone deserved to help out their community if they wished to do so. Inclusive Volunteers works with other non-profits to identify volunteer opportunities. Nikhil’s hope is that Inclusive Volunteers can eventually recruit people from all over the country and hopefully around the world. “If we can become a truly international organization, we will be able to do further volunteer work and help out the organizations that seek our help. In the near future, I hope that we can create a network of volunteers helping out organizations in need of volunteers and rather than we contacting organizations for work to do, we can build up enough trust in these organizations that they can recruit us”

Many of the opportunities would be virtual, which would suit not only suit the disabled but make it very convenient for the abled too. My generation is no stranger to the possibilities of “virtual!” Nikhil’s mother, Viji Dilip, already works for other non-profit, Benetech and Bookshare (bookshare.org) that is involved in a lot of free educational and technology programs around the world. According to Viji Dilip, “Thanks to the internet it is now possible for many people to volunteer from their home. Crowdsourcing has become an acceptable method for organizations to get their work done. This is a win-win situation both for organizations and for volunteers.”

A list of volunteer opportunities is available on the website. For example the Image-Description Activity (bookshare.org) is looking for high school volunteers. The task entails describing images in textbooks. These will later be audio recorded for the visually challenged / blind readers. In the past, images had always been left out of audio recordings. Essentially while you study Biology/History at school, you can volunteer by describing the images in a Biology/History textbook. Students can in essence turn studying itself into an act of volunteering. Currently there is a critical need for volunteers to describe images in Science and History Textbooks.

The volunteer activity closest to my heart, is putting together the periodical Braille Magazine.  The Braille Access Project (brailleaccess.org) delivers mobile blind school kits to remote villages in Africa and Asia. Volunteers in those areas travel by van to remote villages and teach the visually challenged and their families to read Braille. Some areas are so remote, such as the mountainous regions of Nepal, that they are not van-accessible. So volunteers actually deliver the Braille Access Kits on donkeys.

Wouldn’t it be useful if, in addition, they had something interesting to read in Braille? That was the thought behind starting the free Braille Magazine. The Braille magazine, put together by the Inclusive Volunteers team, would accompany the Braille Access kits. Finally, my writing skills could be used to make a difference with my social and physical challenges no longer a hindrance.

We type the words with our fingers.

They will read our words with their fingers.

Reach out…. Our fingers touch theirs.

Imagination flows between the fingertips.

Unlock possibilities!

The magazine was appropriately named, “The Reading Finger.” The short articles were on a wide variety of topics  - from poems to personal narratives to humor to travelogues. The authors have ranged from elementary to high school ages. Most significant of all, the articles came from both abled and disabled youth.  It was truly “Inclusive!”  You can help out by contributing short articles for upcoming issues of the Braille Magazine.

The articles are written in English, compiled and sent to a braille printer for printing in Braille.  A page in English could well translate to as many as 3-4 pages in Braille font. Finished magazines in Braille, accompany the Braille Access Kits to their respective destination. Audio versions of the magazine are recorded, again thanks to volunteers, and are distributed. Every step of the process is done through the help of volunteers.

The very first issue of the ‘Reading Finger,’ last year, reached mobile (and non-mobile) schools in Liberia, Ghana, India and even the mountainous areas of Himalayan Nepal. Braille had reached, “The Top of the World,” - literally! The last issue this year carried a sports theme in honor of the Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The team is at work on the next magazine as we speak.

If you haven’t volunteered before, I urge you all to do so. Volunteering comes in all shapes and forms. The opportunity to make a difference can be just a mere keyboard away!

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And this was one my writing pieces that won an award. 

La lengua español ,es bonita

Poem written during Spanish1 of High School

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Yo termine todos mis lecciones este año. Yo mucho enjoyed aprender español (no tanta le parte de gramatica)

La lengua español ,es bonita

Lenguaje, es bonito (Language - it's beautiful)

Las palabras fluyen como un rio (The words flow like a river)

pero las lecciones de gramatica (but the grammar lessons)

.. un dolor (a pain)

...muchas reglas (lots of rules)

...muchas excepciones a las reglas (lots of exceptions to the rules)

...Muy confusa!  (too confusing!)

Pero... (But)

la lengua español ,es bonita! (the Spanish Language - its beautiful)

P

The Future of Math in Silicon Valley

Journalism Assignment for High school . I had to choose a beat (education) and interview 2 people for this article.  A big thanks to both the interviewees!

The Future of Math in Silicon Valley

The Silicon Valley is noted for its expertise in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). This helps it maintain its competitive-edge at a world level. Yet this area faces a severe shortage of Math teachers, as does the rest of California. An understanding of Math fundamentals and its applications is a skill that crosses many career paths and life skills. Laying this foundation and interest in Math, is often shaped by these very teachers. 

Love Math, Hate Math! Math can be the easiest of subjects and it can be the hardest of the subjects. Teachers face students from across the spectrum. I interviewed 2 High School Math teachers, Sita Murugan of Independence High School in San Jose and Sushma Bana of Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, to get their perspectives. 

Sita Murugan comes across both students who excel in math to ones who are unable to show the steps. Others lack basic math skills like adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, negative numbers, fractions, decimals, using distributive property etc. Monta Vista High School, on the other hand, is a high performing school, and some of the issues are very different. It is 75% Asian and it is presumed that all Asians are good in Math. Sushma Bana often comes across students who are pressured (parental and peer pressure) into taking higher-level math courses, even if interested in other areas. “In our school it is considered cool if you are a good student in math and science. Parents are very involved in their kids' education, which is a good thing for the most part. But sometimes they force their kids to take classes which are very challenging for them.” This reflects the wide underlying diversity of needs amongst students in Silicon Valley, which is presumed to be STEM-savvy.  

The teachers take different approaches in tackling the issues. Sita Murugan makes use of differentiated instruction with software like Accelerated Math or Apangea, to help her students with their math challenges. Classroom instruction, in addition to computer/web-based solutions, plus on-line tutoring by credentialed instructors can help “ensure that students can learn math anytime, anywhere.” For her students, Sushma Bana feels that teacher recommendations should be taken seriously, when deciding on a math placement and that parents need to let their kids make informed choices. 

While there is a fundamental shortage of math teachers, the issue is also a shortage of “good math teachers,” in Silicon Valley. The area has a very high cost of living, and qualified candidates with STEM degrees, often choose better paying careers. Attracting qualified talent loses out in the face of the cost of living. It is a critical problem, given the wide array of needs of students that live here and for Silicon Valley to maintain its competitive edge in the future. 

What can be done to reduce the issues of good teacher shortage, and quality Math education? One obvious solution is to make the salaries competitive for highly qualified candidates with STEM backgrounds. Sushma Bana suggests offering incentives such as subsidized housing to motivate teachers to live in the area. The current teacher pay scales are based on years of experience rather than their effectiveness. As with the tech industry, pay scales needs to be on merit-based, rather than seniority-based. Sita Murugan suggests that the credential course for Math be made less rigorous. They could for instance split the level: Lower level for teaching (Algebra1/ Geometry) and Higher level (Algebra2 and beyond)

Other local districts have tried different methods to dramatically improve their “student to valuable human time ratio.” The Los Altos School District recently overhauled the Math curriculum for their 5th and 7th grades by using software from The Khan Academy. This was outlined by Salman Khan, founder of The Khan Academy, in his speech at the TED conference talks on Mar 9, 2011. In effect, “by using technology, they were humanizing the classroom.” In this way, they were able to motive students with a wide range of needs, keep them on a continual learning curve, and yet work with the limited teacher resources. Bill Gates, who introduced Sal Khan at the TED conference, stated that this could well be the future of education in the US.

Dios, ¿qué te llamo

Dios, ¿qué te llamo

Dios, ¿qué te llamo                                 (God, what do I call you?)

usted o tu                                             (formal you or informal you?)

Usted es mi padre                                              (You are my father)

pero                                                     (but)

tú eres mi mejor amigo demasiado!            (You are my best friend too!)

Shakespeare Time

It is said that that the fundamental vices of the mind of man are  Kama (lust, desire), Krodha (anger, hatred), Lobha (greed, narrow mindedness), Mada (pride), Moha (delusion, emotional attachment) and Matsarya (envy, jealously). These are universal ideas present since time immemorial, irrespective of theology and philosophy. This makes Shakespeare relevant even today, as he explores these very values in man and the duality that exists in man, such as love and betrayal, jealously and friendship, bravery and cowardice, indecision and ambition, dishonor and morality.

Shakespearean characters have also become synonymous with certain characteristics eg: a couple in love on a tragic path are Romeo and Juliet. The current world around us and even our history is filled with such themes and such flaws. For example, we witness unscrupulous real-life dictators just like Macbeth (eg: Gadaffi, Sadaam). 

In addition to the universality of themes and characters, his works have provided a rich addition to the modern English vocabulary eg: words like assassination, outbreak, upstairs, bloodstained etc.  All these aspects make Shakespeare's plays timeless and relevant even for the modern reader.

This year we got to do Macbeth - filled with cauldron-stirring witches,  Scottish Generals, runaway ambition and a veritable blood-bath. Whew!

The Making of a Research Paper - Dopamine

Your teacher springs a research paper on you. What do you do? This is the Language course but the research topic was to be science-related. I could hear the virtual sighs of my classmates. Not everyone is a fan of science!!!

Choosing a research topic is probably the hardest thing in starting a research paper. There are just so many topics - the environment, the medical sciences, space.... Where do you start and where do you end? Your paper demands a tight thesis statement, especially if it is limited to 2400 words.

The process was interesting though. Lessons on plagiarism, and correct formatting of cited works. Putting citations in the correct MLA format just got a lot easier with sites like easybib.com. Put in all the information about your source and voila, out comes the nicely formatted output with all the italics and commas in place. It is not just a case of citing sources at the end but correcting referencing them during the course of your paper.

There were lessons on our interests and motivations, writing the thesis statement and outline. Our initial draft had to be turned into turnitin.com (checks for plagiarism) before it was submitted to the teacher for grading. And the best part was that if you got above 90 % in the first draft, you did not have to do a final draft and got full credit. 

So here's my research paper on the neurotransmitter Dopamine

Link to Paper

- Hari Srinivasan

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Recovered Memory - True or False?

We got to study Memory this time in our High School Psychology Elective

How do we remember?  

Is everything we remember really true?  

Are our memories subject to modification due to external sources?  

It was an interesting topic. For a long time the Freudian lead School of Psychoanalysis held sway. But of late, there has been a paradigm shift that raises some serious questions.

Recovered Memory - True or False?

Becoming Addicted to Behaviors

 Becoming Addicted to Behaviors

There exists a great deal of comfort in the human mind when definitions are laid out within well-defined boundaries. The definition of "Addiction" illustrates this dilemma. Traditionally the term was used primarily in conjunction with ingested substance addiction. But what of behavioral addictions built up due to repetitive uses and habits. It is as devastating in terms of its psychological, biological and social effects. Limiting a definition is really blinding oneself to the existence of other problems in the same vein. (Having said that, too broad a definition, as is the case with autism; which has become a catch-all bucket; really dilutes the possibility of quickly attaining meaningful solutions). 

The challenge is that understanding behaviors continues to be an enigma for scientists and sociologists alike, as we have not still fully understand the workings of the human mind. It is rational and irrational all at the same time. The human consciousness is a very complex process. So the debate continues as to whether we can group pyschoactive physical addictions (eg: drugs) and say, the pathological need to gamble, which is a process or activity addiction. Nevertheless I believe that both substance abuse and behavioral addictions are “additions” – both lead to neuroadaptation. Only if both are recognized as such, will efforts be made to find solutions. 

Behaviors in our society have changed in its nature and scope over the last few decades. The internet for example was non-existent 2 decades ago, as was the concept of internet-addiction. Expectations have also changed - life has become confusing and complex. Behaviors that arise almost as coping mechanisms soon become obsessive compulsive addictions. Why are there so many obese people (due to eating disorders) in a society outwardly obsessed with the unrealistic model-thin beauty. Have our societal expectations changed so much that a percentage of the population can no longer keep up and resorts to "quick-fix" behaviors. 

These behavioral patterns are quick-fixes to begin with, but their effect is intense in the pleasure derived. It acts as a powerful emotional operand and appears an inviting outlet in which to lose oneself from all the stresses of societal reality. The step from craving to compulsion blurs. The internet for instance offers the chance of becoming another virtual persona. You can be everything you are not in real life. 

The consequences don't seem bad either. After all you are not abusing drugs or drinking and driving. Ergo, there can be no perceived risks! Activity additions are not even viewed as potential addictions by its victim (denial). But when the repeated activity has significantly changed behavioral patterns (quantitatively) such that it dominates to the detriment of other behaviors, it has truly become an addiction. The strength of the addition and the subjective change in experience it brings can cause significant shifts in neurochemistry, just like in substance addiction. Ironically, substance addiction is easier to identify and therefore, easier to treat as there is a tangible object of addiction.       

Even from a purely behavioral viewpoint (BF Skinner), a person will engage in more of the behavior that is positively reinforced. A feel-good behavior is therefore likely to be repeated. If this cause –effect relationship resulting in a repeated behavior crosses a threshold where it becomes detrimental, it has then become an addiction. This can apply to all kinds of things – be it gambling, internet use, or over-eating. Indeed, people can become addicted to behaviors.

So you want to be a Wolf Biologist!!

A Wolf Biologist!! When my classmate expressed this as a career goal, I thought they must be joking. Perhaps the sudden craze over fictional werewolves and vampires brought this on. Owww..

Turns out it is a real bonafide job - a specialty of wildlife biology, requiring a graduate degree at the least. Wolf Biologists work in places like Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone's Wolf Project for instance is trying to reintroduce wolves back into the wild - a missing link in that ecosystem for over 60 years - due to human misconceptions about the wolf. As with all other wildlife biology, the fundamental task is to study and understand our wonderful fauna and help preserve its habitat. 

To the future Wolf Biologist in my class - Good Luck. And what a nice career goal.

Accidental Misfit

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly 

My image of the creature in Frankenstein, prior to reading, had been far from positive. In fact I thought the creature’s name was Frankenstein, given the title of the book. I did not realize that his creator was Victor Frankenstein and that the creature himself is unnamed in the story.  I imagined a huge, grotesque, green, human-like figure that went around murdering innocents, for no rhyme or reason. Why green? – I don’t know, maybe I was confusing him with the Incredible Hulk who is a perpetual state of rage. Or perhaps since he was made of dead body parts, the green color represented the decayed body. The creature was in my mind just pure evil, a one-man slaughterhouse for any human that crossed his path. Perhaps he even tortured his victims before killing them. Maybe he even ate them. 

I felt that the creation itself was possibly an act of accident on the part of a wayward scientist -  Victor Frankenstein, which resulted in this intensely furious monster, bent on destruction, much like that depicted in many monster movies. Such a monster would logically chase and try to wipe out his creator and kin. For me, the two figures were on either side of black and white. The creator was the innocent victim; the creature was this evil black-hearted aggressor to be destroyed. A number of humans were bound to be killed over the course of the story to justify this. The happy ending would have been the creator destroying this evil creature and saving the girl.   

Reading the story put a different perspective on the characters of both Victor Frankenstein and the creature. It brought out the humanness of the creature and contrasted it with the duplicity of Frankenstein. It told the story of an accidental grotesque misfit, who desperately sought societal approval and of a scientist who did not want to take responsibility for his actions.  

Rest of Commentary continued on my Academic Blog. 

http://hariatwork.blogspot.com/2011/03/frankenstein-by-mary-shelley.html

Volunteerism

Volunteerism

Why do people volunteer? Is it because it brings about a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction – that someone has benefited from their act of service?   It is because it has enriched their lives? For some, it is a way of life and for others it may bring some form of recognition and help in their career or life.  There are many intrinsic and extrinsic benefits to volunteering. Why then are more people not volunteering?

Many people may have the intrinsic desire to volunteer but don't quite know how to start or what to do. How does one go about this process? Do they have the time to do it? Is it a lot of work? Would they have to travel great distances?  Then there are factors such as whether it will be in line with their personal beliefs. There may even be skepticism on whether the needs of the target population (the recipients of the volunteerism) been identified properly. Volunteerism should also be done in a way, that the target population does not feel beholden or under some sort of obligation.

Therefore for volunteer participation to increase, there needs to be dissemination of information that answer some, if not all these questions. These questions need to be answered in layman's terms, so it is not just the “educated” who can understand it. In today's world, there are many ways to disseminate this information – through the media, social networking sites, the Internet etc. And there is actually a lot of information available on volunteer activities online that one can take part in. 

However the overriding factor that limits volunteering, is the lack of concrete examples to follow in one’s own local community. Volunteering is an abstract concept for many. One sees examples on TV of people in places like Africa handing out supplies. Such scenarios make volunteerism seem impossible for the common person. Many don't realize that volunteering can start in one’s own community.  All is takes is but one local example for others to follow. 

An example of a program that can greatly benefit by increased volunteer participation is the Special Olympics. Most associate it with the Para Olympics held every four years. It’s a very abstract event for most.  But Special Olympics in fact offers free sports training camps throughout the year in most areas, for all ages. Each training period, which runs for around 3 months, covers a specific sport. This way they can offer access to many different sports. Some of these are basketball, baseball, bowling, running, bocce etc. It also serves as a supportive environment and opportunities for the differently-abled to socialize and make friends. These camps are run in most part by volunteers. It stands to follow that the number of volunteers will determine the number and frequency of camps and the variety of sports that can be offered. 

This is actually a wonderful volunteer opportunity for high-schoolers and college goers, especially those who are sports inclined.  In essence, a program designed to encourage volunteer participation in this would involve for instance, presentations at local high schools. These would cover the issues discussed earlier.

• Information about the hows, whats and whys of the program 
• Tangible benefits (increased physical ability, access to sport programs) and intangible benefits (socialization, self-confidence) to the differently-abled.
• The specific tasks involved during the course of volunteering, including training for the volunteers.  
• Skills sets that high schoolers as volunteers, can bring to the program eg: fresh ideas, energy
• Time commitment (once a week for 3-4 months of a year is a short enough time commitment for most students)
• Distances involved for volunteers (usually within the same county or area)
• Tangible benefits to volunteers (volunteer credit hours, looks good on college apps and on resumes) Intangible benefits to volunteers. Existing volunteers can talk about what they felt about doing this activity. If there are existing high school volunteers, they too can talk about their experiences; thus lead by example. 
• The benefit for the school administrators is that such opportunities offer positive influences and experiences for their students.  

The youth of our country is primed to take part in volunteerism. Incentives such as volunteer credit hours in high school help instill such values in young adolescent minds. There is even presidential recognition for outstanding volunteerism by high school students. These impressions will carry over in their adult lives.  If one high-school student participates in a volunteer activity, and talks or texts about it to his friends, his friends will follow and then their friends etc. That is human mentality. 

Volunteering in effect is a win-win scenario for humans as a race. Its spread will greatly increase positive thinking and increase our level of consciousness, which in turn will reduce the negatives of human thought and behaviors such as crime and violence. 

What's Wrong with the News?

I had to write a persuasive essay for school, just before the winter break. Just got it back after it was graded by my teacher. Score 100/100 - cool! 

We first had to pick a topic, then write a plan then then write a draft. . The our teacher had us submit the essay to a site called turnitin.com which checks the essay for plagarism. Then we had to submit our essays to her

What’s Wrong with the News?
(Violence, a consequence of  TV News!)

We were in the airport departure lounge for a mere 40 minutes. The same news channel was on all of the half-dozen TV screens all around. Two rapes, a murder and a teacher's affair with a minor student! All in rapid succession -one after the other!  The graphic images of these violent acts carried on in the viewer's mind, long after the news program was done. I now get why my family does not watch much TV news anymore!

When did news morph from "information" to "all that's violent in the world"? Why not just call them crime reports or sensational reports.

One may well argue that "crimes" and other such "news", needs to be reported, just so that people are aware of the injustices of the world. That it is, in fact, a moral obligation. Indeed, many efforts to rectify problems arise from our awareness of their existence in the world. Would the rest of the world been aware of the Tiananmen Square massacre of student protestors (instances of human rights abuse), if they had not been seen it on the news? Freedom struggles throughout the world have benefited from the exposure of their issues on TV. In that sense, such exposure is noteworthy. 

However, since when did positives stop being newsworthy? Surely, the entire human population (or even a subset of your city) is not engaged in heinous acts 24x7. Does a "positive" have to cross the threshold of "sensational" to become newsworthy?  Man, a social animal, is constantly shaped and conditioned by what he sees, hears and is exposed to. Can this constant and focused bombardment of crime and negativity be   positive for the psyche of our society? Have we thought through its implications?  And we wonder why crime and violence is on the rise in our cities. According to the Senate Judiciary Committee Report, 1999, "Television alone is responsible for 10% of youth violence."

Truth be told, this constant diet of violent images is desensitizing our minds to the act of violence itself. As each mental threshold to violent images is crossed, the networks seek out and display, even greater violent images. Violence has acquired lighter shades of gray, where it's "acceptable" or even "ok".

There has been much talk of legislative regulation of media violence with regards to its effect on children. This has been the result of studies focused on children’s entertainment programs – movies, games, cartoons etc. Such initiatives are indeed commendable. Shockingly, such statistics and guidelines on TV violence do not include the “news." Parents are given guidelines (PG 13 etc) for “fictional” programming. However, the V-chip on newer TVs (which blocks transmission of violent programs into homes), does not take into consideration news and sports programs. Are we sending confusing signals, when it comes to the news programs? Is this violence "ok," because its “real-life,” compared to violence in other programming? 

Invariably, children do end up seeing a lot of violence via news programming. Even if it's limited at home, it's on the TV monitors at the gym (even places like the family friendly YMCA), at restaurants, and yes, even the airport. And one does come across the news inadvertently, when looking for other programs on TV. According to Dr Juliette H. Walma van der Molen(1)  , “children depend heavily on television news to stay informed.” 

Just this month, a fifteen year old held his classmates hostage, and finally killed himself. It was widely reported and analyzed on the news. Are you surprised? Such incidents no longer seem like random acts of violence. Indeed, it could well be that the continual influence of violent images psychologically leads to more mental disturbances and aggression. Studies have indeed confirmed these effects.  For instance, Huesmann et al (2)  observed “short-term aggressive behavior” (due to heightened arousal processes) and long-term learning of violent-scripts” (after repeated exposure to violence on the news)”. Since the “real-world” is presented as constantly violent on the news, children feel justified in being aggressive themselves, as a means of conflict-resolution.

What about it's effects on adults? The human life span extends a good 8-9 decades. A good portion of the human life is spent in adulthood. Can the human mind sustain such incessant bombardment? Just as we are told about the power of positive thinking, it is possible that the reverse (negative behaviors) may be the effect of negative thinking brought on by incessant negative images. A study done by Tamyra Pierce(3)  , showed that repeated use of words like, “shoot, kill, gun etc. by the media, triggered aggressive thoughts in insecure individuals.” 

Crime, violence and negativity make for a "Good News Day!" News programs seem to relish dissecting and analyzing every gory detail of each crime and spend an inordinate number of hours on doing so. Newscasters seem more to try to influence viewers by interjecting their views, or those of "agreeing" experts, than give facts, which is what "news" was supposed to be about.

Sadly, violence has now become an addiction of sorts for our society. We have lost empathy and have become insensitive to acts of violence. We crave to see more and hear more of it. Its influence pervades all aspects of our life. And as with all addicts, we are in a state of denial about our addiction.

In recent times, the only real positive news that took up significant news airtime was the Miners rescue in South America. It was indeed a fine example of the Humanity of Mankind at its best. As a society, we need to re-look and re-examine what “news” really means. If it is a show about trying to influence people’s views and filled with “expert” opinions, it should not be called “news” at all, and should be subject to the same regulations as any entertainment programming. 

Furthermore, news itself need not be negative-centric and need not be extreme. Above all, it should not be sensational-oriented.  Awareness of issues can be brought about without excessive rhetoric and excessive use graphic images, which have such severe negative psychological effects on society.  We also need a good dose of the “positives” to balance the psychological load.   If TV news were more representative of a fair balance, inclusive of the positives of society, and less sensational, would there not be less violence in our society?

How can we bring about this change? Simple action by individuals cumulates into compound results on society. There are the traditional forms such as letters to the editor and letters to your congressman. With the power of the today’s Internet, one can take a single opinion or issue out to millions and help bring about change fairly rapidly.  It takes but a single drop of snow to start an avalanche.

Man as a race, has overcome many an obstacle that has come in the way in the past. There have been periods in our civilization when we have wandered off the main path, but we have always found a way back and have managed to correct some of the wrongs. Man as a race, will continue to do so in the future. That is the power of the Homo-Sapien mind! We can find solutions if we put our mind to it.

- Hari Srinivasan 

Sources
1. Walma van der Molen PhD, Juliette H; “Violence and Suffering in Television News: Towards a Broader Conception of Harmful Television Content for Children” (Department of Communication, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/113/6/1771

2. Huesmann LR, Moise-Titus J, Podolski CL, Eron LD. Longitudinal relations between children’s exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behavior in young adulthood: 1977–1992. Dev Psychol.2003; 39 :201 –221

3. Violent News Coverage is Triggering Additional Violence
http://mentalhealth.about.com/library/sci/1102/blvoilence1102.htm

4. National Crime Prevention Council “ Violence in the News”
http://www.ncpc.org/topics/by-audience/parents/media-literacy/violence-in-the-news

5. KidsHealth.org, School Violence and the News
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/talk/school_violence.html

6. Violence of TV: The Desensitizing of America
http://www.ridgenet.org/szaflik/tvrating.htm

Pros and Cons of Optimism

For this unit in Literature, we had to pick between "Sense and Sensibility" (by Jane Austen) and Night (by Elie Wiesel.) Turns out most of the class picked Sense and Sensibility. Only three of us picked Night. I wonder why?? Isn't it always better to pick a true story over a fictional piece? Don't we learn real life lessons from the experiences of others?

Our class discussions run for a whole week and our responses are  "graded" too! And it was just three people this time. One of the other boys posted his responses first in German. Google Translator to the rescue. Then I pointed out that Elie Wiesel had first written his book in Yiddish. His posts changed to Hebrew after that.  Again Google Translator to the rescue. But really, it was fun in a way.

On some fronts, optimism is dangerous such as those experienced by the Jews living in Signet during World War II. Elie Wiesel (holocaust survivor) portrays the Jews of Sighet, somewhat like ostriches with their heads buried in the sand, who think they are somehow safe - all the way to Auschwitz. Yet, in a way, optimism is what kept Eliezer alive. The human will to survive ceases, if optimism dies. 

Optimism is all the more essential in today’s world. Look at the case of the Chilean Miners, who were trapped so long underground. Should they have given up all hopes of rescue? Should the rescuers have given up hopes of finding them alive either? The power of positive thinking often gives an impetus toward finding solutions. It also lends itself to other positive qualities like creativity, patience and forbearance in man. This allows him more mental clarity in which to carry out his tasks.   

This discussion of Optimism inspired a poem titled "Optimism Sans Realism" 

Inner Journeys - Balancing the Dreamer and Realist

Star Food is a short story by Ethan Caine. The protagonist Dade is torn between the differing expectations of his mother and father. As a result, Dade is often unsure how to act. What appealed to me about this story is that its a journey of discovery - as he struggles to balance the dreamer vs the realist. 

A Journey of Discovery

The entire story is one of “self-discovery.” Dade is at a stage in his life where he does not know where he is headed. His mother is an idealist, a dreamer  (illustrated by constant references to the Sky in the story). His father is more practical, hard-working and earth-bound.  (The story highlights this difference with "sky + dreamers = slums" while "hardwork + practical =good home"). Though Dade uses his mother’s ideals as a pretext to get out of work, he is still not sure where his place is in  scheme of life. 

The instances with the shoplifter, jolts this confusion and gives him some perspective into his journey. The way Dade handled her was necessary as part of his inner journey. In the first few instances he lets her go as he is more inclined to be the dreamer philosopher. As he becomes more earth-aware, he realizes she is no more than a common thief and catches her. But then he lets her go, after catching her, telling us that he is reaching a better balance in his mind in his journey of dreamer vs. realist. 

The instances with the shoplifter, jolts this confusion and gives him some perspective into his journey. His actions were necessary as part of his inner journey. In the first few instances he lets her go as he is more inclined to be the dreamer philosopher. As he becomes more earth-aware, he realizes she is no more than a common thief and catches her. But then he lets her go, after catching her, telling us that he is reaching a better balance in his mind in his journey of dreamer vs. realist.

Cyber Bullying

Cyber Bullying

Bullying has always reared its ugly head in our society through the ages. But people no longer have to be physically big or powerful, in order to bully and threaten others. They have a new powerful tool at their disposal -  Technology. With technology, bullies can often remain anonymous and that is very empowering for them. Any kind of harassment or bullying using electronic devices is generally referred to as Cyber bullying. 

Cyber Bullying and can in fact be even more damaging to the victim. The cyber bully’s reach is not confined to just the schoolyard anymore. Its reach, haunts them in all aspects of their life, invades their privacy, affects their reputation and may even cause financial losses. It can be as simple as hateful websites about a person, bombarding them with malicious emails or text messages or spamming others while pretending to be the victim. It could even be publicizing , personal information about the victim, which could in effect make them targets for offline bullying.      

I have thankfully never been the victim of cyber bullying.  However instances of cyberbullying abound all around.

Last month, a Rutgers Student University left a webcam on it his room, and livecast his roommate, Tyler Clementi, having sex with another man.  In addition to doing live streaming, his roommate also tweeted about this on Twitter. A devastated Tyler posted a goodbye message on Facebook, and committed suicide.  Maybe he did not want others to know he was gay. Whatever his reasons, they were still his own, and webcasting his personal life was inhumane. 

Amanda Marcuson, of Birmingham, Michigan had reported some other girls in her class for stealing. In response she was spammed with malicious text-messages – as many as 50 in just 2-3 hours. (Incidentally both examples were reported by the press so I have used their original names). 

Some instances of cyber bullying are extreme and can even led to a tragic death like the Rutgers Student. But even milder forms of cyber bullying can lead to lower self-esteem, a drop in grades, depression and being ostracized by peers. 

We always have to be careful when we are online. It is never a good idea to give out our personal information when online – our age, address or even school. We should also be careful about privacy settings on our web browsers and other sites we use. On public forums, it is important to remember that written word really can’t be taken back. We never know who is going to read it. You should always keep in mind that there are people who misrepresent themselves or have less than noble intentions. While teens may like privacy from parents, they are still a trusted source. Our privacy from strangers is even more important and parents need to be in the loop as much as possible.  

As great as Technology is, a small segment of the population always seems to finds ways to misuse it and use it for destructive purposes. We have to be on our guard for that.