Last fall, my friend Jennifer Dodson started a fantastic series for us about how acting and drama have positively influenced her son with Asperger’s Syndrome. This final entry is packed with great information about programs and even a book recommendation for utilizing drama and acting in the lives of children with autism. If you missed the first few posts in the series, I encourage you to read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 as well. My sincere thanks, again, to Jennifer for taking the time and effort to pen this encouraging and informative series for us! Enjoy, ~Leigh
Professional Acting with Asperger’s Syndrome: Part 4
By Jennifer Dodson
The journey for our son who is a professional actor with Asperger Syndrome has been very rewarding. We have watched our son's social skills blossom and his self-confidence soar. For our son, acting has opened up his world in ways we didn't know were possible.

This guest piece is written by a man passionate about his vision. David Berkowitz lives in Las Vegas, is an honorably discharged veteran and spent the last 20 years in sales and marketing. David lives with Asperger’s Syndrome and is raising three kids also on the spectrum. Looking to improve the lives of individuals with autism through technology and the arts, David wants to share a bit about his vision with AutismSpot readers. Please help me welcome, David.
AUTISM ADVOCACY AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS ZONE
By David Joseph Berkowitz
As an individual with high functioning Asperger’s and the father of 3 kids who are also on the spectrum, I have always felt a need to give back to the world and community, to truly do something exceptional, and make a difference for the people with autism.

With no school on President’s Day, we seized the opportunity to see Miramax’s new film Gnomeo & Juliet, a clever, happy take on William Shakespeare’s original, tragic love story. With lots of funny (and some punny lines), cute “Gnomy” characters and catchy music from Elton John (especially the new version of “Crocodile Rock” with Nelly Furtado), this flick turned out to be a “thumbs up” for the Wilcox family.
I love that days later, Ethan and I continue to discuss the social motivations of these classic characters! He truly wants to understand why two families would be in constant turmoil with one another. He also asked some very intuitive questions and made some perceptive comments, especially about the scene when Gnomeo and Juliet (who were previously in disguises) realized the true identities (think Capulet/Montague or more simply put in the film – “Reds” and “Blues”) of their new-found love.

Music is a pervasive part of our culture. It supplements visual input with movies, TV shows (and commercials), video games and serves as a distinctive form of art which stands alone. Like most people, music is a powerful part of my life; it sooths me when I’m upset and stimulates me when I’m low. I select my music based on my emotions.
My son, Ethan, who lives with Asperger’s Syndrome, seems to have a very personal relationship with music, too. Since he was in the womb, he’s been exposed to music. We chose selections from classical composers to play specifically for Ethan when I was pregnant. As an infant, he continued to enjoy these selections in his nursery at naptimes and bedtime.
As he grew and developed, he picked up singing and humming – I love that Ethan always has a song in his head. About four years ago, when we visited my family out of state, my Dad commented on Ethan’s propensity for humming tunes; Papa dubbed Ethan “The Little Hummerboy” that winter. It is a nickname that resonates still this day.

Summer Fun: Water Fun
Playing in the water in the summer can not only help your child beat the heat, but also work on their social and language skills! Water activities are also a way to help your child meet their sensory needs!
Here are a few fun and easy water activities:
Water Tables
Water tables are a great way to work on a variety of skills!
If your child is non-verbal, here are a few ideas:

If Only Life Was a Musical……
We challenge you to find one person that doesn’t like music. Seriously…..it’s pretty much impossible. Everyone likes at least one genre of music, if not several. As adults, music can serve many different purposes. It can be for pure enjoyment. Music can help with our emotional states….it can calm us down and decrease our stress. Music can pep us up and get our energy booming. Music can help us focus on important tasks. Music can be a social outlet for us. Music can also help us learn. This is the same for children!

Give me an iPod and I can run for miles. Take it away and I’m bored after a mile or two and looking for better things to do like watching paint dry. Music can touch a range of feelings, bring inspiration, take us back to a time and place, and capture our undivided attention.
It can be a powerful tool, and it seems many on the spectrum closely associate with it.

When I was young, I dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. My best friend (Bryan) and I would spend hours passing, kicking, shooting, chasing, dribbling, and talking about life as famous soccer stars. We started out in kindergarten and we were very successful. We played a lot of soccer, we won a lot of championships, we shared laughter and we shared tears in defeat. We. The common word here is We. We were a team. We would not be separated. Our families respected and cared for one another. We were brothers.