By: Jennifer Roy
Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel Clark lives in two worlds - the outside world of his family and friends and his own, special, inside Aspie world, where he's not forced to interact with people or worry about wearing his clothes right-side out. The world where he can solve mathematical problems that elude even the brightest graduate students. The world where he feels he can find his own inner truth. People say he's a genius, but Nathaniel thinks differently. According to a book he once read, a true genius uses his talent to make a contribution to the world. Nathaniel takes the definition literally, and begins his quest for genius status. "I will start, right after I wash the chocolate off my face. If I want to be seen as a genius, I should not look like an idiot."
I am currently applying to grad school to get a masters in Special Education. Having an interest in students with learning disabilities and Autism I thought that this book was really interesting. Not only does the reader get to learn a bit about Autism BUT you have the opportunity to get inside the mind of an Autistic child. Often we don't understand people that think or do things differently than we do. This book gets the reader to better understand Autism and realize that just because something is the normal to one person, doesn't mean that's normal for someone else.
I enjoyed reading this book and learning about Nathaniel and how he perceives and interacts in the world around him and the world in his head. I think that students reading this book will have the opportunity to learn about Autism and to have a better understanding of people that are different than they are.
Reading level: 6th and up Lexile:HL580L
Suggested Delivery: Independent Read, Read Aloud
Electronic Resources:http://autismdigest.com/context-blindness/ This article clarifies Mind-blindness explaining that context is a key to explaining how people with Autism think.
"It is assumed that mindblindness makes it difficult for individuals to relate to others. However, recent research on the social abilities of people with ASD is suggesting that mind blindness is but one piece of the intriguing puzzle about how individuals with ASD think and process the social world around them."
"On a conscious level context helps us think through how we should react and what choices, such as a birthday gift or a response, we should make. Context gives meaning to the stimuli our brains receive."
"Context blindness is when the autistic brain thinks in an absolute way, rather than a relative, contextually defined way"
"Example: When the doorbell rang, the mother of a seven-year-old boy with autism asked him to open the door. He opened the back door instead of the front. His reaction was logical, but his choice of door was out of context."
http://www.schooltube.com/video/43af9b2215b642f69ca9/MINDBLIND,%20by%20Jennifer%20Roy There is a trailer for the book on this website. Good way to introduce the book to students who are about to read it.
Activities to Increase Comprehension:
Before Reading: This book is a great book to help learn about ASD but it would also be a good idea to discuss it a bit before reading the book so students don't get confused.
After Reading: Students can work on a presentation about the book including plot, characters, time line of events, setting. Using an interactive site like Prezi can be a fun was to get the information across- here is a basic example http://prezi.com/_q8qvnhuh7op/mindblind-by-jennifer-roy/
OR
Have the students research a learning disability and have them write a short story about a student with that learning disability. The students can also create a character map about their character. Have the students doing research and then becoming experts on their topic to which they are able to apply the information creatively are great skills for students to be building on. (This can also be done before reading)
OR
Have the students research a learning disability and have them write a short story about a student with that learning disability. The students can also create a character map about their character. Have the students doing research and then becoming experts on their topic to which they are able to apply the information creatively are great skills for students to be building on. (This can also be done before reading)
OR
Students can write poems or song lyrics about subjects or topics that they are learning on school. Nathaniel wrote song lyrics for subjects that he found interesting. His songs inspired other students to enjoy and understand those subjects. Students might find this way of presenting information creative and helpful.
