Clatsop Community College
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2006
Contact: Dr. Julie Brown, 503-338-2471
CCC Offers Special Summer Course on Autism & Literature
Based on personal interest and her love of working with autistic students, Dr.
Julie Brown, CCC Instructor, has developed the only humanities curriculum in
the nation dealing with autism. “I want people to know that it is more
than just ‘Rain Man,’” says Dr. Brown. “The culture is
so rich with contributions from our autistic community.”
The class, Autism in Literature, will be offered this summer at CCC. It will
explore the relationship between autism (and Asperger’s Syndrome) and the
written word. Students will read a variety of works by and about autistic people,
including autobiography, biography, non-fiction, and fiction. Students will also
explore the history and culture of the autistic community and examine how autistic
culture is portrayed in film, music, art, poetry, and philosophy. There will
be a special focus on works by and about autistic children.
The reading list for the class includes:
-
Elijah’s
Cup (a woman’s experiences with her autistic son)
-
Emergence:
Labeled Autistic (autobiography of Temple Grandin)
-
Freaks,
Geeks, and Asperger’s Syndrome (an informative and lively
book written by a 12 year old boy with AS)
-
The
Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow (diary of a precocious 7 year
old girl
who communes with plants and animals rather
than people)
-
The
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (best selling novel
with an autistic hero, written by a special
ed teacher).
This
course is recommended for anyone who would like to learn more about
autism through the vehicle of literature. Teachers, counselors,
and parents are especially
welcome. The class will meet June 28 through August 16 (8 week course),
Wednesdays 6-9 PM. This course will not be repeated and seating is
limited—interested
people are urged to sign up soon.
To
register, call 338-2473. For more information about the class, call
Dr. Julie Brown, at (503) 338-2471 or email jbrown@clatsopcc.edu
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