Navigating College With Autism – Working Hard On My Research Paper!

November 30, 2009

I am currently working on a research paper which is on a comparison/contrast movie review. The movie I decided to do it on is Slumdog Millionaire, since it won the Academy Award for best picture of the year in 2008. I have done an extensive amount of research for this paper. You are required to document your sources through parenthetical documentation. It is imperative to use direct quotes, paraphrases and block quotes in the research paper. I have completed my Works Cited page, a detailed outline showing evidence, and I wrote the first two paragraphs for my rough draft.

When I was younger, I never imagined myself in a million years, writing a research paper in college! It is truly amazing when I think about it! As a parent, by getting your child the neccessary early help and intervention, you can have hope that maybe one day your child will be writing a research paper in college. As a college freshman, I have gone through my fair share of trials and tribulations, but I am committed to never giving up and I am maintaining a positive attitude.

Photo from masterorz


Autism: The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Intervention

November 20, 2009

Autism is defined as a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth. Autistic children look perfectly normal in appearance; however, they typically engage in disturbing and confusing behaviors. For many years autism was considered to be very rare. Now 1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism. Boys also outnumber girls four to one.

I was diagnosed with PDD (within the autism spectrum) at the age of 4 in 1994. My mom got me all the help she could, including speech therapy, play therapy, and occupational therapy. It was like a full-time job for her! But she says that she wishes she would have known even earlier, that I could have been getting help from the time I was 2 years old.  Today there is so much more awareness, information and help out there for parents of autistic children. Early intervention is extremely important. Don’t wait. Get your child all the help you can as early as possible.

Photo by ali edwards


Life as a College Student with Autism: A final grade of B on My Advertising Analysis Paper!

November 18, 2009

Recently I received a B on my Advertising Analysis paper for English class. I put in a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication into writing a successful paper. The paper was a staggering 874 words! I decided to write about an advertisement mainly about taking care of the environment by recycling, planting trees, growing organic fruits and vegetables, and creating green gardens. These are some of the progressive initiatives which were outlined and described in this advertisement. I felt extremely nervous about writing this paper because, even for a good writer like me, it was a very difficult assignment. The most difficult part of the assignment was trying to a find the appropriate ad, which included enough text and pictures. My overall grade consisted of an evaluation of my structure and focus, content, and the quality of writing. I feel very proud and thrilled about my grade! I was genuinely astonished about getting a B on this assignment. This is probably the happiest I had ever been about receiving a B in my life! The purpose of this assignment was to explain the evidence in your selected advertisement using photographs, captions and text. It was a requirement to write a minimum of 700 words. Also, I was expected to use direct quotes and paraphrases extensively throughout my paper. My attention-grabbing title was the Green Effect- Winning Ideas for a Better World. I proofread my paper very thoroughly, correcting errors and implemented the necessary changes that I needed to make. At the end of the day, I felt very proud of my hard work and very proud of my writing ability.


Tutoring Help From TRIO Grant Program

November 6, 2009

trio program

I feel very privileged to have such an outstanding math tutor. She has a tremendous amount of knowledge about all of the different algebraic concepts. The Trio tutoring program is a great program for students with disabilities. It is so nice to have such a knowledgeable one-on-one tutor free of charge. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for students with disabilities to have the opportunity to get the necessary tutoring help they need. My tutor has been very patient so far and she is very caring and understanding as well. She is in the Nova Southeastern University Medical Program and has a passion for math. Currently, I am doing some extra pre-algebra practice, which will help prepare me for the class I will be taking next semester. My tutor is very dedicated towards helping me achieve my goals.