want to be like them, but I was inspired by their music and wanted to compose like they did. I spent a lot of time burrowing into musical scores and rearranging the instrumentation for different ensembles. I thought the most honorable thing one could do was to become a music major at a conservatory or university—which I eventually did.
During my graduate work, a music history professor by the name of Joel Sheveloff impressed me. He had immense knowledge of both music history and theory, and his history courses often seemed to be taught through a music theory lens. He is just a good, all-around ethical and moral person.
Last but not least, I received much support from Arnold Miller, who developed the “Miller Method,” a cognitive–developmental systems approach for working with children on the autism spectrum. From my initial observations, it seemed like what he was doing with autistic children was…right. Later on, I found that one important aspect of his developmental-cognitive approach focuses on determining how a child with autism perceives his environment. In other words, figuring out how people with autism think. Arnold was very helpful and instrumental to me throughout my doctoral study in special education and remains so to this day.
ON AUTISM
My Autism Is Never “All Done”
One life-changing event for me was when I realized that my autism was not something of the past. What I mean by that is, by the time I got out of grade school and finished my sessions with the psychiatrists, I thought autism was “all done.” In fact, up until my mid-30s, had someone asked if I was or am autistic, I would have said, “Well, that’s something of the past, when I was a young child…but not anymore.”
It was not until I experienced difficulties with some relatively unstructured information on a doctoral qualifier examination that it occurred to me that this “autism” diagnosis of the past was “haunting” me now, in this very subtle but perhaps very significant way. I underwent a neuropsychological examination and found out that the childhood diagnosis and condition were indeed still with me. However, with intervention, maturation, and intense curiosity about the way things work, I was able to work around most of the challenges. I did receive some suggestions for mild accommodations to enable me to take the doctoral qualifier examination, but the school refused to make them. Rather than spending a lot of time with lawyers and a potential court hearing, I decided it best to refocus my doctoral studies on special education and the autism spectrum. However, I never thought of autism as being an excuse not to do something. Rather, understanding the characteristics of the condition as they affect me serve as a guide to help me do things better.
Leading a Fulfilling Life
From my initial presentation on autism in 1997 to my first book, Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, it has been my goal to combine academic, professional, and personal experiences on the autism spectrum, instead of touting the experience of “being autistic.” In other words, how can I employ my autistic characteristics—just as anyone on or off the spectrum should do with their own traits—to lead a fulfilling and productive life and help others realize they can do the same?
I like to think of Beyond the Wall as employing an autobiographical structure in which to address the issues of education, accommodations, sensory issues, and a successful transition to adulthood in the areas of self-advocacy, relationships, continuing education, employment, and, in short, having a real life, working and doing things just like everyone else. One can be autistic rather than living a life of autism.
Rather than attempting to make a career of talking about autism at conferences, I do the following. First, I serve as a professor of special education, developing and teaching a number of courses on a variety of subjects. Second, I write books about autism. The goal behind my books is to provide practical information about supporting individuals with autism in meeting and overcoming challenges. The same holds true for articles I write and for when I consult and do workshops and presentations about it. And third, I teach music lessons to children with autism. Engaging children in music therapy has many benefits. It provides them with an important avenue for developing interactions with others, as a musician and in the community (such as being a member of a local ensemble). Plus, music is just plain old fun, and fun is always a worthwhile pursuit.
I believe I have made a career in autism and special education on the basis of hard work and conducting research in the field, combined with my own experiences of being on the autism spectrum. This is in contrast to what I see some people doing when they want to make a career out of being autistic. It may be a subtle distinction, but I think an important one to emphasize.
CHAPTER 3
ANNA MAGDALENA CHRISTIANSON
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner
ANNA MAGDALENA CHRISTIANSON,
MS, CPSS, ETS, CPRP
Age: 60
Resides in: Berrien Springs, MI
Occupation: Psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner and peer-support specialist at Riverwood Center, Berrien County Mental Health Authority
Marital status: Married 38 years, with two children
FROM TEMPLE:
Anna feels that her life really began in her 50s, when she began working as a rehabilitation specialist. She largely deals with clients who have severe mental illness. Fortunately for Anna, she has a boss who is aware of her Asperger’s syndrome and who coaches her when she needs it. Anna draws inspiration from classical music more than from other people. She feels music at the core of her being, and it inspires emotions within her she would not be able to experience otherwise. At the end of her chapter, Anna writes that some people might consider her job to be a “dead-end job” but that it has been perfect for her. It has allowed her to grow and “blossom” at an amazing rate.
ANNA’S INTRODUCTION
Since July 2008, I have worked for the Berrien County Mental Health Authority as a psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner and certified peer-support specialist at the Riverwood Center. I work both one on one and in group settings with individuals with severe mental illness, facilitating their recovery. I oversee a number of recovery- and wellness-orientated workshops and classes. I do benefits counseling, housing, and sometimes employment. I am also an advocate for the mentally ill and sometimes speak publicly on mental illness and my own experience with a severe mental illness.
I consider myself fortunate to work where I do and to have an understanding supervisor, who gives me the freedom to be myself. I work on a number of committees, both at work and on the state level, and I have grown both professionally and personally as a result. I am able to incorporate several of my likes into the work I do, namely literature research and review and curriculum development. One aspect of work I am not fond of is documentation, because I find writing so difficult and intimidating. I feel awkward and sometimes have trouble finding the right words.
I have experienced some interpersonal problems at work. In the past, I had difficulty understanding the role of a coworker and made some terrific blunders. I have said things I ought not to and misunderstood what was said to me. The social aspects of life have always presented a problem, but I am working hard to “be nice.”
I’ve
