I’m going to be honest and say I took this class because it fulfilled two requirements for graduation. As a chemistry class, it has served as my elective course for my chemistry major. As a capstone class, it has served as my required core capstone for graduation. I also thought it would fit nicely as a bridge between my psychology minor and chemistry major.
Little did I know the things we learned would apply to my daily life and to my future career plans. I have noticed over the course of the semester being far more interested in what is going on with different diseases and disorders rather than simply how to treat them. I think that this interest gives a better understanding overall of diseases and disorders as how they are treated is often based on what is going on. This is helpful in diseases which do not only affect the brain.
As for how this class applied to future career plans, I have stated in previous blogs my desire to be a teacher. I am currently applying to graduate schools for pursue a Master’s in Education and wish to teach high school chemistry. Many of the disorders we talked about had some sort of relevance to teaching adolescents. Whether it is the knowledge of things like autism and concussions which have obvious relations or things like bipolar and depression which are often diagnosed in adolescent years.
Another thing that is an invisible take home message is the process which we used to evaluate and learn about each topic. Starting with a published research paper can be very scary. Even as a senior in college who has researched using countless published papers, it is still a daunting task to weed through all the ‘chemistry jargon’ and get to what the authors are trying to explain. Instead of being expected to understand the paper on our own we worked together to create a list of things from the paper which we did not understand or wanted more information about. I really liked this approach as it broke what often was an eight to fifteen page paper up into a simple list of things. The list was then researched further and presented to the class. To further understanding, we ended each topic with a class discussion. Discussion was great as it did not focus on just the chemistry but also on the ethics and real world applications of the different diseases and disorders.
This approach to learning is something I would like to use when I start to teach. I think it would be helpful to use relevant articles to supplement chemistry curriculum in high school and to introduce high school students to real world applications of the topics being discussed.
Overall, I am very glad that Neurochemistry could be my capstone. I really enjoyed the class not only for the topics discussed but also the freedom that the format of the class provided. This freedom made the class much more personal and made me feel as if I was not only a learner, but also a teacher.
A way to unravel the mind!
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This fall semester I decided to embark on an adventure through the mind by learning about different disorders and disease affecting our brain in the neurochemistry class at Concordia College. Prior to the first day of class, I thought the class was going to be very difficult and boring because of the overwhelming amount of biochemistry present in the subject. Also, I was concerned that I would be clueless about what was happening because I have had very limited exposure to diseases affecting the brain prior to this class. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that, although there is a lot of biochemistry, the class was one of the most satisfying classes I have taken at Concordia College and I recommend it to everyone.
What makes this such a great class? Well, I’m glad you asked. First, the class is set up differently than any other science class I have ever taken. Each week we attempt to tackle a new disease by investigating biological pathways which are disrupted as a result of the disease or disorder. Over the weekend we are assigned to read a research paper and write down questions that arise. In class on Monday’s background information about the paper is provided to help with our understanding of the disease or disorder. Additionally, questions are asked about the paper and these questions assigned to different members of the class to research and answer. On Wednesday, each member reports what they learned about their assigned question. Finally, during Friday’s class, the class is split up into groups and a discussion ensues about possible solutions to the disease or disorder. Honestly the Friday discussions are my favorite part because by the end of the week I feel I understand enough of the disorder and the research paper to adequately debate what is causing the disorder and if there is anything that can be done. Also I like our side-tracked discussions which tend to take place. After the discussion we write blogs about some aspect of what we learn through the course of the week and post it on the class blog page (the very site you are looking at).
Second, everyone can relate to at least to one or two of the disorders and diseases presented in the class. Although we did explore some conditions which few people in our class have been directly affected by, like bipolar disorder, most of the topics were familiar to everyone such as obesity, concussions, and alcohol consumption. This means people were more willing to research and debate the disorder or disease in class. So what I think makes this a great class is that I am encouraged to explore each topic as in-depth as I want and share what I have learned with others. I feel this is a more effective way of teaching than being told information and expected to memorize it for a test at the end of the class.
Finally, I would like to quickly say what I have learned as a result of taking this neurochemistry class. First, as I’m sure you have expected, I have learned a lot about the different types of diseases which we focused on in class. Prior to studying each disease I had little knowledge regarding of what the diseases were and how they worked in the body. However, now I view people with the disorders or diseases in a different way. Second, I feel more comfortable discussing hot button topics concerning the diseases and sharing information about the disease to others not in the class. Finally, I have learned how to present valuable information quickly and effectively as a result of our 3 minute time limit on Wednesday classes. This has helped me realize what information is important and which is not. Therefore, overall the neurochemistry course at Concordia College is an excellent way to learn of diseases and disorders seen daily in society and to see what is being done to help these people.
Source:
1) http://hplusmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/brain1.jpg
What?! Why is autism on the rise?
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Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions and communication and is normally diagnosed between the years of 2-4. However, the number of people diagnosed with autism has been on the rise in recent years. In a news story released by MSNBC on May 29th 2012 1in 88 children are diagnosed with autism up from 1 in 110 in 2007.2 So what are the possible reasons for the increase in autism?
As part of our investigation into autism this week we discussed possible reasons why autism could be on the rise. One of the possible reasons we mentioned in class is that environmental factors, like consumption of heavy metals and xenobiotics, are causing oxidative stress in the brain and are disrupting biological pathways as a result. In the paper this week researchers suspect the xenobiotics, which are any chemical found in an organism but would not be found in the organism naturally, and heavy metals are causing oxidative stress which is interfering with an enzyme named methionine synthase. The methionine synthase enzyme is responsible for methylating DNA and dopamine-stimulated phospholipids. As a result of fewer methylations, neuron networks are having problems synchronizing with one another and therefore causing problems with attention and cognition. The most likely sources for these heavy metals and xenobiotics are from pharmaceutical medications, food, and possibly from pesticides and herbicides.
Another possible reason why autism has increased in recent years is that doctors have gotten better at diagnosing children with autism. Unfortunately there are no biological or blood test to help identify children with autism. Instead, children are diagnosed by doctors who look for problems with communication, social interaction, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Additionally, parents are commonly questioned about the child’s behavior to see if it is unusual. As a result of the observations and help from the parents, the doctors are able to determine if the child does or does not have autism.
Finally, vaccines have commonly been associated with the rise in autism in United States. Although there is evidence that vaccines given to children do not lead to autism this idea still persists in the United States. The main ingredient commonly connected with autism is thimerosal which used to be a preservative in vaccines. However, evidence from studies examining trend in autism and vaccine use do not support a connection between thimerosal and autism.3
Although there are several hypothesizes as to what could possibly be causing the increase in autism the true cause is still unknown. Personally, I think, like with most diseases, there is not a single biological problem resulting in autism. Instead I think the rise in autism is due to better diagnostic techniques and an increase in the biological stimuli which are responsible for causing autism. What these stimuli are I am unsure. One thing is for sure, autism will continue to rise until we can determine what is causing the increase in autism cases.
Sources:
1)http://www.google.com/imgres?q=autism&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&tbo=d&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS342US343&biw=1366&bih=630&tbm=isch&tbnid=UuEBVHHE5g7FfM:&imgrefurl=http://www.asasb.org/&docid=6GvuTf0ItKFOjM&imgurl=http://www.asasb.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/AutismAwarenessRibbon-162×300.jpg&w=162&h=300&ei=FgzFUKvbGuXa2wWLwYHgDg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=496&vpy=146&dur=979&hovh=240&hovw=129&tx=67&ty=136&sig=117327967081406772799&page=1&tbnh=155&tbnw=83&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:161
2) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46892046/ns/health-childrens_health/t/better-diagnosis-screening-behind-rise-autism/#.UMJZbqP4LSk
3) http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2004/Immunization-Safety-Review-Vaccines-and-Autism.aspx
B.R.E.W.ing with Neurochemistry
When I enrolled in neurochemistry, I had no idea what to expect from the course. I had no prior background in the subject matter besides an introductory biochemistry course. When coming into the course, I was expecting a normal lecture course where we would take notes, study, and eventually take a test on the material we learned. This was not the case for this course. In this course, we took a few weeks to study the basics of the brain covering basic receptors and signaling mechanisms. After we had this experience, we could finally get the full, unadulterated capstone experience.
From what I have learned from the various colleagues around the college, the capstone experience involves us taking a class in which we incorporate all of the material we have learned throughout our undergraduate career; a final hat on our learning experience. In neurochemistry, after our “basic training” session, we finally got to do this.
Each week we read through an article relating to a mental disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease, alcoholism, or even autism. We then took the time to study the pathways and their malfunctions in these diseases. Then, after we had read the article and discussed the “meat and potatoes” of the article, we had discussion every Friday morning about critical issues regarding the subject matter allowing us to apply our critical thinking skills we have learned throughout our undergraduate career. After these discussions, we would then compile our thoughts on the subject in a small, concise essay we would upload to a blog in which the world could read our thoughts.
Personally, I loved the way this class enveloped the capstone experience. We were able to back away from the stress of cramming for tests or writing a paper worth a significant portion of our grade and because of this, we were able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the material we were presented and relate it to critical issues that are faced throughout the world today. Neurochemistry also allowed us to use our previous education in chemistry and bring it all together in one class, which I believe is also a very important part of the capstone experience.
As well as encompassing the capstone experience, this course also embraced the colleges theme of B.R.E.W.; become responsibly engaged in the world. Along with our discussion of the science going along with the article, we also had very deep discussions regarding ethics of disease treatment and how we can apply our scientific knowledge to help the world. Because of this, we gained important experience in dealing with critical issues in the world and how we can approach them and “become responsibly engaged”.
All in all, I thought neurochemistry was a fantastic capstone course in chemistry. We were able to use the knowledge and skills we gained throughout our undergraduate career and apply it in sort of a “finale” course. By doing this, we also learned a bunch of new information about mental disorders that are very prevalent in the world today and how we as scientists are able to study them and treat or prevent them. In my opinion, the issues discussed in this course really embraced what Concordia tries to instill into its students; being able to think critically about issues in their area of study. I will embrace what I have learned in this class and the skills I have taken away and become more responsibly engaged in the world.
Finding The Cause or Cure for Autism
The final discussion of the semester was on a topic that I care a lot about: autism. This past summer, I worked for my school districts out of school time child care program as a one on one teacher for special needs students. The girl that I worked most closely with was diagnosed with developmental delays but I also had a great deal of contact with a child diagnosed with autism. I loved working with these kids and this experience reinforced my desire to be a teacher.
Our paper this week focused mostly on the causes of autism, specifically on a possibly genetic link and environmental factors such as mercury and other xenobiotics. (Xenobiotics are anything in the body that is not supposed to be there. This includes vitamins and minerals that are normally found in the body but may be in larger than normal qualities.) The problem with discussing the causes of autism is that there is not a common accepted cause.
You may be wondering, what is autism? Autism is a spectrum type disorder meaning it does not appear the same in each person. Diagnosis usually occurs by age three after parents seek help for children not meeting developmental milestones. Diagnosis is not done through a blood test but rather through interviews and observations with a psychologist. Diagnosis can be a very long process as it is hard to say that a child definitely had autism with just one visit. Autistic children may exhibit problems with social interaction such as making eye contact and general communication. They also have problems with pretend play and often prefer to spend time alone rather than interacting with other children. Children with autism also have many behavioral problems such as tantrums and aggression towards themselves or others. They often have very short attention span, very narrow interests and tend to get stuck on a specific topic or task. As you can imagine, having a child with autism can be very difficult to deal with. [
After learning many different hypothesis for various causes of autism and having the experience working with children in a school setting, it got me thinking. Is it more valuable to do research into what causes autism or into how we can treat it?
This is a difficult question for me to answer. On one hand, researching the cause of autism and understanding exactly what is going on in the brain of an autistic patient might help understanding how to treat it. On the other, I have first-hand experience working with autistic children and can honestly say it is difficult. Currently there are no medications available for treating autism as a whole. Rather many autistics take medication to manage the symptoms of the disorder such as irritability and anxiety. Problem is, many of the medications available to treat symptoms of autism are not approved for children. Most treatment for autism is behavioral management and therapy, which is teaching the child how to act and react appropriately. Depending on where on the spectrum of autism the child falls however, behavioral therapy can be very difficult.
So to answer my question I am not sure which is more important. It is possible, and even likely, that both the cause and the solution will come from the same research but for now, as much support as possible needs to be given to families, schools and children to give autistic kids hope for the future.
A Recap on the Capstone Course
Enrolling in a class to fulfill two requirements seemed like a no-brainer, especially when it pertained to a subject I had little background on. Neurochemistry has helped integrate so many independent topics from classes. It is quite a novel experience to take biochemistry, psychology, and sociology topics and mix them together in a greater understanding of how they are related. The way we went about learning each topic was helpful as well, thought unlike any other course I’ve had at Concordia. The unique design of the class was probably its greatest strength in passing on integrating concepts effectively. Overall, I felt it was a useful class for those looking into life sciences and chemistry topics.
At the start of the semester, I had only a basic understanding of biochemical molecules and on neuronal processes. Action potentials and ion channels weren’t completely foreign and neither were most areas of the brain and their responsibilities. What were truly novel were the pathways and backgrounds of hormones. The first few weeks centered on chemical background, which were useful, but confusing at times. It would have been helpful to have more prerequisite classes or worksheets to fill out to spend more time on fundamentals, but we all definitely learned a lot about neurochemistry those first few weeks.
When we began to look at specific articles, all the background work began to apply to real diseases that we had all encountered at some point in our lives. The diseases ranged from obesity to autism to concussions. Sometimes it would seem almost shocking that so much research had been dedicated to each area, or that so many diseases could be attributed to chemical imbalances, up regulations, or down regulations. By far, the biggest struggle was getting a real grasp on every part of each paper. I’m no expert on neurochemistry, and I likely never will be, but the depth to each paper was beyond what I could get in just one single week, or reading over a weekend. I could attribute each disease to its root cause, its social aspects and influences, and some side facts. I’m not sure if there would have been a better route than shifting from overall review, individual topic discussions, then group discussions, but some were better understood than others. Easily, the group discussions led to the best understanding around the topic and social aspects. Personally, I feel I participated a decent amount, as did a few others, but some others were shyer and held back contributions. For those that have a lot to contribute, the discussions are extremely beneficial. Some diseases, like Parkinson’s, I knew almost nothing about but I could socially discuss its implications with those who had personally encountered it in their families, etc and really get a grasp for the diseases. Possibly switching the group discussions to Wednesdays and discussing individual things Fridays would help moving such a broad idea to smaller specific things would aid in article understanding. It’s a thought, but the group discussions truly solidified the main concepts even if we occasionally ventured off topic. They were my favorite part of the class, and its most unique feature. No other science course offers this linear route with such non-linear methods, such as discussions and personal opinions. I did not initially think that discussions would be something I’d like or helpful in learning processes, but they were the exact opposite and I could not be more pleased with how they’ve helped me tackle neurological diseases’ interworkings.
Alcohol and Behavior
Anyone who has drank alcohol or been around people who are drinking alcohol are familiar with some of the effects it has on behavioral and physical attributes. People lose some of the inhibitions, become flushed in the face, and the more alcohol consumed the more affected you become. Consumption of large quantities of alcohol is portrayed in the media as a normal activity for adults, young adults, and now in many shows teenagers. The excessive use of alcohol as a social stimulant can be seen reflected in many drinking statistics such as these 2011 CDC statistics about high school students, during the past 30 days:
- 9% drank some amount of alcohol.
- 22% binge drank.
- 8% drove after drinking.
- 24% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. 1
Alcohol in the Brain
A little bit about how alcohol (the compound ethanol) works in the brain. The mechanism is fairly complicated, and as in all situations, not everything is known about how ethanol impacts the brain, but currently the hypothesis is a “two wave” system. The first wave occurs when the alcohol interacts with targets in the brain such as NMDA and GABA receptors, inhibiting inhibitory neurons, thus decreasing inhibition, a common affect that is association with alcohol consumption. The second wave occurs after these receptors are activated. It is believed to activate the reward system in the brain, including endocannabinoid, opiid, and monoamine receptors. Researchers believe that the second wave is responsible for the reward and reinforcement of consumption.
Underage drinking leading to addiction
One of the major risk factors that the paper mentioned was the amount and frequency of consumption, i.e. drinking to get drunk, which is a common practice, especially for younger users, high school and college age kids. In the earlier statistics I mentioned that 22% of the high school students surveyed had binged in the past 30 days. In a social environment where image is important and there is a large social pressure to drink, and drink copious amounts, it can be hard to find personal limits and not get into the habit of drinking past those limits frequently. This in turn can lead to problems down the road of not knowing how to drink just one glass of wine, or one beer with dinner, because all you know is drinking for the drunk sensation. With the habit forming components of the second wave that give reward for these behaviors, it is not hard to see how large consumption at younger ages can lead to bad lifetime drinking habits.
Another part of this problem is the stigma that surrounds drinking with the age limit of 21 years. Similar to many things that we are not allowed to do, this age restriction entices many to try alcohol and participate in illegal activity. Being introduced to alcohol by family and in circumstances outside of peer pressure to binge drink could help to slow this problem and show that drinking alcohol can be done in a social capacity without getting drunk. While this is optimistic, and many people have family members who get drunk when they drink, so this may not be the optimal introduction to alcohol, I know that my drinking habits (disclaimer, I am over 21) have been largely affected by the way that my parents treated alcohol while I was growing up. It’s a reminder that kids (young and old) are constantly looking at the behaviors of the adults around them as social cues and are learning, and often emulating those choices.
1) http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/underage-drinking.htm
"A"lways "U"nique "T"otally "I"nteresting "S"ometimes "M"ysterious
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a range of conditions classified as pervasive developmental disorders which include autism, Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett syndrome. Most patients are diagnosed between the ages of 2 to 4. And some common characteristics shared these disorders are social deficits, communication difficulties, stereotyped or repetitive behaviors and interests, and sometimes even cognitive delays. According to the study done by the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, about 1 in 88 children has been identified with an ASD in the United States. This approximately 1% prevalence of ASDs is also shared across Europe, as well as some Asian countries. Therefore, ASDs have become a global problem which scientists from all over the world are trying to understand and come up with treatments for. In the paper we read for this week, the authors studied the environmental and genetic factors as well as the neurochemical mechanism of ASDs and proposed a hypothesis regarding to the issue, the redox/methylation hypothesis.
Due to the evidences of oxidative stress and impaired methylation found in most of the autistic children, the authors went over the metabolic relationship between oxidative stress and methylation and focused on the activity of methionine synthase. According to the authors, genetic risk factors and environmental exposures combined could cause impaired sulfur metabolism, which will induce so called oxidative stress in the patients’ brain. The oxidative stress then decreases the activity of methionine synthase and ultimately causes lowered attention and cognition, as well as developmental delays result from alternation in gene expressions, the common symptoms seen in ASDs.
According to Lauren, most of the current treatments for ASDs are different kinds of therapies including Behavioral and communication, Educational, and family therapies. The medications that are available can only help controlling the symptoms. Therefore, if this hypothesis is true, this piece of information can be really helpful for the scientists and pharmaceutical companies to develop new treatments for ASDs.
Two summers ago, I worked as a TA at the summer camp hosted by the YMCA. There was a little boy who suffers from autism in my class that I was told to pay special attention to. In the beginning to this summer camp, I noticed that this little boy would not pay attention in class and he would often get into fights with other kids. He was seen as the “trouble maker” by most of the TAs including myself. But as I got to know him better and better, I found out that he was actually often reading higher level readings or drawing all those amazing pictures that not even an untrained adult (like me) could draw. And I realized that most autistic kids are just like normal kids if not smarter, and all they lack are the ability to socialize and to express what they have in their minds. Therefore, if we can successfully come up with new treatments for ASDs, maybe one day we will be able to see and hear the beautiful minds of the autistic children.
Reflection on the Capstone Experience
I came into the Neurochemistry class not knowing what to expect. I thought that it would be like all the other classes I have enrolled in at Concordia College, where the teacher would come in dumping all this information on us, expecting us to take lots of notes and then test us on what we could cram into our brains. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved that it wasn’t like any class I have taken. Starting each week with a new topic and new questions led me to think about things that I would not normally take time to think about. Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Concussions, Bipolar, Obesity, Ethanol and lastly Autism, all topics that I knew very little about until we discussed them in class. Coming in Mondays having read the article and going through the things that didn’t make sense to us or needed further explanation than what the paper gave. Then dividing out these topics among the class to return Wednesday being “The Expert” in the topic given that Monday. Wednesday was devoted to presenting our topic to the class to help everyone have a more full understanding of the paper for the week. Then came Friday, the day where we assign discussion leaders and take the topic for the week and discuss everything from ways we think we could treat the disorder to the morals of certain treatment methods to how the things presented in the paper applied to everyday life. This day was devoted to expressing our opinions, stories, and hypotheses and seeing what the other people in the group had to say. The discussion was not structured in any way and tangents were taken many times and that was encouraged because it kept us attentive and listening to others ideas. It is all these things above that made this class a welcome relief to the hectic life of a college student. It was a very intensive course that didn’t feel intensive.
I have learned many things in this class. I have learned so much about the diseases and disorders we discussed and now have become more educated in the effects certain actions in my life have. I feel better capable of expressing my ideas to others even though I still am very frightened to speak in front of a group as many people are. I have become familiar with the basics of neuro- and biochemistry with regard to neurological related diseases and disorders and I feel that I can use this understanding to appreciate how the diseases and disorders are researched and treated. I feel that even though I may not go into a field relating to Neurochemistry or Biochemistry after I graduate from Concordia, I can use all the information that I have gained from this class to help make informed decisions in my life.
The reason we have the Capstone course is to provide a class where you can discuss your experiences over the last 4 years and apply it to topics that pertain to the brain. I believe that Neurochemistry has accomplished just that and more. It provided an environment in which we could express our ideas and see what others thought as well. Even though we may have had very differing ideas, the discussion never deviated into the realm of arguing and things like that. Ultimately, what this final post is saying is that I am glad that I decided to take this course and experience discussion on such a wide variety of topics and be able to publish my thoughts on the internet for people to read and reply to.
Autism and the Boy with the Incredible Brain
This week, in our final discussion for the year, we talked about a topic that has gained more and more attention as the years have gone by. This topic is autism, the developmental disorder that affects children at a very young age. This disorder is considered a spectrum disorder that ranges from Classical Autism to Asperger’s Syndrome to Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. In children who develop autism, it isn’t noticed right away that anything is wrong. It isn’t until the child gets to the stage where they should be developing social skills such as babbling and reacting to their name. It isn’t until they fail to develop those skills at certain ages that the parents notice something is off and take their child to the doctor.
A hypothesis that has been suggested is that the child is born normal with no signs of anything wrong, then a little while later the brain grows larger than normal. The body, noticing that the brain is larger than it should be, starts “pruning” down the number of neurons, causing a type of stress in the brain. This stress isn’t the “Oh no, I have a test tomorrow and I have yet to study” type of stress. This stress is referred to as oxidative stress, which means that cells have too many reactive species and they can’t keep up in getting rid of them. This causes many processes to be activated or inhibited that causes a change in how the brain should develop and manifests in the impaired social development we see in autistic kids. Another that can arise from autism is that the kid has extreme focus when it comes to certain things and almost no focus for pretty much everything else. While this is not usually a good thing, good things can arise from this very specialized focus.
An example that comes to mind is Daniel Tammet, who has been called the Boy with the Incredible Brain. Daniel is in his 30’s and was diagnosed with autism and then Asperger’s at age 25. Even though he has Asperger’s, he is incredibly smart and his “focus” that he has is with languages and numbers. He has been studied all over the world by many scientists that aim to unlock this power that Daniel has. The power that he has is that he can memorize and calculate extremely complicated things. For instance, he learned Icelandic in a week and was put on TV to see if he could sustain a conversation live with the newspeople. For those of you who don’t know, Icelandic has been said to be one of the hardest, if not the hardest languages to learn as a second language. And he did it in a week, where an average person would take months even years of training to get to where he did. Another fixation that Daniel has is with numbers. He sees numbers differently than the average person. He has what is called synesthesia, which means that two or more senses you have combine and you experience both at the same time even though one of the senses shouldn’t be activated. For Daniel, when he hears a number, he sees shapes and colors that go with that number and no 2 numbers are the same. Also on the topic of numbers, Daniel has memorized over 22,000 digits of pi and recited them back after only 1 reading.
Anyway, why I bring up Daniel is because we think of autism as a developmental disorder that ruins the life of the child and they will be behind other kids in development. Daniel is an example of how, yes you can have autism (or any disorder on the spectrum), but you can also take that disability and turn it into a good thing. For Daniel, he took the obsessive nature he had with numbers and memorizing and turned it into a reason to help people by writing books and allowing himself to be researched. As a side note, I recommend watching the documentary on Daniel Tammet called The Boy with the Incredible Brain.