Phi Beta Kappa

Newest Initiate @ Phi Beta Kappa of the "Alpha of California" at their induction ceremony.

Just now figured out why there was a fourth greek alphabet -  UC Berkeley's is the first (alpha) chapter in California. Initial initiates were literally tested for their proficiency in Greek and Latin. LOL

 
PBK is as old as the US, founded in 1776 for literary pursuit and philosophical debate. Only 10% of US colleges have PBK chapters and only 10% of those get "elected" into PBK. Apparently you are "elected," into the society, not selected.

 
Coolest of all - Started as a "secret society" - with secret symbols, secret hand gestures & all - How about that!

Caveat - only males initially in this secret society (all these secret societies seem to be very male oriented)

Good news - UC Berkeley chapter started in 1898, by which time students of all sexes allowed. No longer secret, I guess!!

The Invitation

I got an invitation to join the UC Berkeley Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa,  a very prestigious academic honor society pbk.org & pbk.berkeley.edu 

As the email invite said on Mar 5 state: 

"It is my pleasure to inform you that based on your exceptional academic record in Letters & Science, you have been invited to join the Phi Beta Kappa chapter at the University of California, Berkeley.  

 

Phi Beta Kappa is the premier academic honor society for L&S undergraduates, and its members include seven of the nine U.S. Supreme Court Justices as well as many UC Berkeley professors."

 

The virtual Initiation Ceremony held May 6, 2021, to induct the new members elected to Phi Beta Kappa, Chapter Alpha of California in 2021 and to honor the new members from 2020 as well as the 2020 and 2021 Graduate Fellowship recipients from PBKNCA and Alpha of California may now be viewed online at https://youtu.be/c3zLAeBcXPQ

The Berkeley Seal

 

Disability As Possibility

I was Keynote speaker at the "Improving Opportunities and Outcomes" conf by National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (which is federally funded by the US Dept of Ed to provide support to State Ed and Vocational Rehab for transition age youth.) https://transitionta.org.

Addressed an audience of 338 people from 37 states + DC & Puerto Rico

Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,  Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, SC, Rhode Is, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Virginia, Puerto Rico.  

 

Talk titled 'Disability As Possibility.

 

My talk was  titled Disability As Possibility/ 

 

Lovely summary of what my talk was about. 

 

Hari shares insights gathered through his personal experience of autism and discusses his research on the impact of labeling and expectations on life outcomes for students and youth with disabilities. He challenges professionals, educators, and providers to be game changers - adopting a growth mindset, an emphatic discipline, and an approach of ‘equity of access’ to support and guide students and youth with disabilities to create their own personal agency and long-term quality of life. Through that understanding and ability to see ‘disability as possibility’, opportunities are born from those possibilities so students and youth can take detours, challenge the sinkholes, pave new roads, and persevere.

A bit about me on their website.  https://www.yeslms.com/ntactc-2021-cbvi-hari-srinivasan 

Some Comments in the Zoom Chat

• I was thinking the same thing about "voice" when you started using text to speech. We need to fix this! There should be options for text to speech 
• Great example of how the use of technology allows a person to demonstrate their intellectual disabilities. What would have happened if this opportunity had not been available? 
• Oh wow, congratulations! 
• Belonging!! This is key. 
• https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2021/02/06/a-boy-like-me/ Link to Hari’s Article ^^^ 
• Even though you have many challenges, you are able to express them so eloquently. 
• If you haven't read Alice's larger work that Hari contributed to, I highly recommend it! #Retweet @Michelle - The Disability Visibility Project  started by Alice Wong is Fantastic https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/ 
• You are brilliant Hari! Thank you for these insights 
• It's so nice to meet you Hari! 
• Interview with Prof Frank Worrell in Grad School of Education &  President -Elect of American Psychological Assn, Daily Californian.https://www.dailycal.org/2021/02/12/frank-worrell/ 
• Great point, Hari!  Let’s change the narrative! 
• Amen---you have hit the nail on the head! 
• I feel overwhelmed thinking about those who don't have the access, ability or opportunity to express themselves as well as you.  Thank you for reminding us to have high expectations and to presume competence-or maybe brilliance! 
• I know that feeling well Anne 
• racism and ableism are intertwined 
• intersectionality is often overlooked 
• Anne, you took the words from my mouth! I was thinking the same thing. If others had access to means to express themselves the way Hari has, imagine the amazing things we would see from our youth with disabilities! Thank you for the inspiration Hari! 
• The pandemic  and recent events have made that divide even greater 
• Hari: brilliance is too big an onus to put on a person, everyone can't be a savant, competence is good start, we all deserve a good quality of life 
• Thank you sorry 
• well said, Hari! 
• Yes Hari! Independence is subjective 
• Great conversations out here today! 
• Yes! 
• Yes, you are right, Hari.  I'll stick with high expectations! 
• I love developmentally all over the place. That is a great explanation! 
• Love this new term, developmentally all-over-the-place! 
• delay does imply that one is always behind - I agree it's another label that works against people 
• Thank you Hari!!! This is Awesome!! 
• This is so Knowledgeable! 
• yes yes yes yes 
• Right on target! 
• Link to Hari’s Keynote, Disability as Possibility: https://youtu.be/HnuzQbLIN6M 
• Wow….This is so powerful! 
• Agreed 
• That's a great observation of special education. Compliance is easier to control, but does not get to the heart of what is needed which can be a little harder to implement. However, it's better for the person in the end. 
• Wow! You are truly amazing. Helping me think about how to understand my son. How to empower him! 
• Especially at you move higher in education. Self-Determination is very important. 
• Thought Provoking 
• Amazing messages! Spot on!!! 
• Thank you for sharing this about Communication, I AGREE with you 100%... 
• YES! I've counseled extensively on learning to say no.  
• This is really good! 
• Any questions for Hari? 
• This is amazing! 
• Is there a way to get a transcript of Hari's presentation? 
• from my friend Jennifer White: Educators need to move from Compliance to Alliance 
• Perfect 
• So powerful! Thank you Hari! 
• THANK YOU 
• This was GREAT and spot on 
• "Challenge the sinkholes!" Love that. 
• Very thought provoking! Thanks Hari 
• Thank you so much! 
• Thank you!!! 
• uniquelyhari.blogspot.com, www.dailycal.org/author/haris, tinyurl.com/108hari 
• Truly inspiring 
• Agree very powerful, thank you! 
• Hari, what advice would you give to this years graduates? 
• That was great, thanks.
•  Thank you, Hari! 
• This was an exceptional presentation 
• Amazing insight about compliance 
• Brillant! 
• Right, @Paula G. 
• So much to think about, thank you Hari! 
• : Incredible insights. I would like to be able to access a recording of this 
• thank you! very thought provoking! 
• thank you 
• Thank you for sharing your experience Hari. 
• Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @HariSri108 @HariSri108 108Hari 
• I SO enjoyed this, Thank You 
• Thank you, Hari!  Powerful message! 
• This was great,  I enjoyed very much 
• hanks for a great presentation! 
• excellent presentation that was very engaging, informative, and thought provoking 
• I too prefer identity first - it's empowering for me! Thanks Hari 
• Thank you - wonderful - absolutely wonderful to hear you share and very powerful and thought provoking message. 
• My hand is aaised. 
• Thank you for your message Hari.  Very powerful and will make a difference for many people! 
• Thank You Hari!!!! 
• Great presentation\ 
• Thanks For Sharing Hari!!! 
• Great job Hari! 
• I am just completely in awe. Thank you thank you thank you 
• What inspired you to want to persue special education? 
• Excellent Presentation...Thank you Hari! 
• Thank you - this was wonderful! 
• Thank you for sharing! 
• So profound and very inspiring Hari! 
• Great presentation Hari! Thanks for sharing! 
• Very inspiring Hari 
• Inspirational! 
• Thank you, Hari! Great presentation. 
• Can you share how your parents supported you in your journey? 
• Hari, please tell us about your high school years and when you began thinking about and working toward college. 
• Excellent presentation - thank you Hari! 
• thanks 
• Can we give Hari a chance to respond before asking additional questions? 
• Thank you Hari for your honest assessment of the gaps in the profession. 
• Thank you! Your speech was great! 
• Thank you 
• Thank you 
• Thank you Hari! 
• Thank you Hari! 
• Thank you, Hai! This was an amazing presentation! So inspiring. 
• Thank you Hari! 
• Thanks Hari! 
• Thank you

Buildings of Berkeley

 As I finish up my penultimate year at Cal, I realize I have not fully explored the campus. When the corona situations also took 3 semesters of live instructions.

So this year, I'm going to try to visit as many of the buildings and highlights of the campus as possible. Watch this space for updates

Inclusion begins with Acceptance

 Autism Acceptance is not just acknowledging our differences and wearing a ribbon every April, but also saying I like you just for being you. That I believe and will act in a way that indicates that your life is of worth to me and to the rest of society - Hari Srinivasan  

 

 

 

5th Semester of the Autism DeCal - Spring 2021 Edition

The course officially started on 1/25/21. And we started with a speaker on Day 1 itself. Why? Because I had submitted a syllabus for 13 weeks but realized there were only 12 Mondays this semester (Presidents Day and MLK take up 2 monday holidays). I had planned for 10 speakers. The last 2 classes have no speaker due to group projects. Anyhow it worked out well.

We had Noor Perez who does community outreach at ASAN come and speak on intersectionality in the second hour. Noor just gets better each semester and the class really enjoyed her talk.

For the first hour we had our introductions, our ice breakers, course expectations then our lecture on introduction to Autism.

And Apr 26, the last class, I can't believe we are done already.

Feedback from Students about the Class.

On Hari As Instructor:

• Hari was amazing! He is super inspiring and such a hard worker. He kept it real throughout the entire semester and I learned so much from him
• Hari did an amazing job! I really loved this class and I'm so grateful I took it
• LOVED Hari- he was funny and open and at times hearing how difficult things are for him a little heart breaking but also super hopeful- because I know he has struggled and come so far in a society where I struggle just to get parking. I especially appreciated his discussion of things that are difficult for him- like in the chat today he mentioned smiling is difficult for him as a motor function which is very different than my experience with my kids as for them it’s complicated because they don’t associate emotions with physical reactions on their faces- it’s just weird to them. Having that as background knowledge was much easier for me to understand than a page of potential ways autism can present- his explanation was just so clear. I have spent years reading and trying to understand what my kids go through and so much was just obvious when Hari put context behind it.
• Hari was amazing as facilitator.
• Hari is a fantastic facilitator and spends lots of efforts on preparing course materials
• I really enjoyed Hari as a facilitator and I'm super grateful I got to take a class taught by a student as accomplished as him.
• Hari was amazing as a facilitator. I don't think there are any improvements he needs to make (wifi issues are beyond our control). I loved his perspective and it truly enriched the class
• Great! Love the constant engagement in the Zoom chat
• Hari is Great
• Hari was great, i would hate to ask him to do any more. He did enough and should not be asked to do more because there is already so much pressure on him being the only facilitator on the spetrum and im sure everyone looks to him for information.
• I thought Hari was a great facilitator and he really brought in such a unique perspective because he was able to give his person experiences with so many of the topic
• Hari was a great facilitator and I'm grateful to have taken this course with him as a facilitator and not later
• Hari is great
• I think Hari was great! his explanations were clear
• Hari was a great facilitator! I really enjoyed hearing about his accomplishments and his personal experiences on certain topics. He can definitely share his experiences more

Which lecture(s) / topics(s) was most impactful?

• I enjoyed learning most about common "behaviors" associated with autism, as well vocab because that is helpful background knowledge.
• I found the most impactful lecture in all of class to be law enforcement and autism. This is a huge issue. 
• The most impactful topics for me were 2 (Autism Vocab), 4 (Common "behaviors") , 5 (Law enforcement), 6 (Common Therapies/Interventions), 9 (Tech & Autism), and 14 (Careers in Autism Space). These were super interesting and gave us both the positive and negative realities about having ASD and having to deal with real-life issues.
• 4. Some common behaviors associated with autism - because it really helps you familiarize yourself with these behaviors and understand them. So that you don't treat someone stimming in public differently or you can educate others as well.
• I enjoyed learning about 7 and 14 the most. I didn't realize how many comorbidities that there were and was excited by potential future prospects for autistics
• especially 6! i think discussing ABA pros and cons was very insightful
•  As someone who struggles with mental health, I loved the intersectionality with mental health in 3 and 8. I love learning more about mental health
• I think topics 14 (Careers in Autism Space), 6 (Common Therapies & Interventions), 2 (Autism Vocab), 8 (mental health), and 12 (Adult Issues) were the best ones. I think number 2 is particularly important as it gave us all information on how to use vocab correctly. Plus, I think autism in the workplace and ABA lectures were very impactful and I reflected a lot on them afterwards.
• 5 (seeing the black caretaker shot despite doing everything right was heartbreaking. This was impactful a little because of the social moment we're in with regards to race, but also because it showed that caretakers do care, even if some are not all that great), 12 (Geriatrics), 15 (Covid)
• The most impactful topic is Week 5-Law Enforcement and Autism - how autistics behaviors can be misinterpreted by police as willful noncompliance
  

On guest speakers.

General Comments

• Thank you for facilitating this course. I hope that it will be able to continue, even after Hari graduates,
• This course was impactful! i really learned so much and enjoyed every class.
• Thank you so much for such an incredible semester! I've learned so much!
• I loved this course and thought all the facilitators and guest speakers did a great job
• Thank you all so so much. I learned a great deal from this class and it was a wonderful experience being able to learn so much new information and hearing from amazing guest speakers
• Really appreciate the course! It definitely had a major impact on my understanding and now current view of autism
• This was an amazing course. Thank you.
• Thank you for such a great semester.
• This course was amazing! I will recommend it to my friends and I hope it keeps running. I think something that could improve is coordinating the lectures with the guest speakers so there are no overlaps or repetitive content. Also, lectures could be slower; sometimes they were hard to follow because of the speed
• In general, I think it was really valuable how the class discussed these topics and autism on a larger scale such as disability law and job advocacy alongside getting to hear from individuals such as the adult and parent panels on their unique experiences with autism. The class really did a great job of complementing with lectures, guest speakers, and more in-depth student presentations! It was sad to hear about some of the issues, but it also made me very hopeful to hear about these things being addressed and also courses like this where they are openly discussed and take the first step of making these issues known to those who might not know much about them. They all made me a lot more mindful and gave me a majorly broadened perspective of autism, and not just that, a lot of the discussions made me really want to go out and do more to help! Thank you for facilitating this class, I genuinely enjoyed and appreciated it!
• The way all three of them worked seemed flawless and unlike a lot of my Zoom classes there wasn’t any weird pauses. I really loved this class- it wasn’t stressful with the work load and it let me really focus on the material. I am super appreciative that this class was available. Really- thank you.
• I really enjoyed this class. Thank you!!

CripCamp at the Oscars

 This is such a cool facebook frame.
Can't think of a better candidate for a win at the Oscars.

Youth Today Article

 I'm mentioned in a Youth Today Article

https://youthtoday.org/2021/04/pandemic-forces-autistic-people-to-cope-with-ultimate-uncertainty/

SCREENSHOT OF AUTISM SOCIETY OF AMERICA'S CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION SERIES

Autism Society president Chris Banks (left) interviewed Berkeley student Hari Srinivasan in August about how he was coping with the pandemic.

University of California, Berkeley graduate student Hari Srinivasan had finally begun to immerse himself in campus life last year — no easy feat for an autistic person who is mostly nonspeaking.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and suddenly the university system moved everything, including classes, online.

“I was enjoying the social aspects of college, building community with student organizations and even attending parties,” Srinivasan said with the help of a text-to-talk device, during an interview with Autism Society President Chris Banks on Aug. 27, 2020. “So this complete lack of face-to-face contact is a huge setback for me on the social gains I was making,”

The pandemic has been disruptive for almost everyone, but its disruptions have been particularly difficult for autistic youths, who thrive on routine.

Srinivasan and others like him have had to spend the past year finding creative ways to cope.

“This pandemic is like collective societal trauma and autism issues just exacerbates its effects,” he said. “… Many of us autistics don’t like too much uncertainty and this pandemic is like the ultimate uncertainty.”

The irony of accessibiliy

What do you do when your instructor assumes that everyone has "handwriting" ability and sends out this announcement? The irony is that this is a Disability Studies class where accessibility plays a prominent role.  My poor fine motor and motor dyspraxia means I have not mastered the art of basic handwriting let alone drawing.