UNIT LESSON PLAN
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
I. Introduction to the Novel Unit
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon is a very moving book
about a boy named Christopher John Francis Boone who happens to be suffering from Asperger’s
syndrome. Throughout the novel, we follow him as he tries to find the murderer of his neighbor’s
dog, Wellington. While searching for the murderer, Christopher decides to write a murder
mystery novel, which happens to be what we are supposed to be reading. Due to the fact that
Christopher is the supposed narrator of his book, we have the opportunity to see the world
through his eyes and we are given a chance to understand what it is like to live with a disease like
Asperger’s syndrome. This novel is very enjoyable, and I firmly believe that most students will not
be able to put it down. When the reading experience is pleasurable in school, it promotes an
environment that will hopefully yield life long learners and readers.
This novel unit is meant to be taught on the secondary level. My personal
recommendation would be to teach this novel in either tenth or eleventh grade. The unit will take
place over the course of a two-week period. In order to scaffold instruction, students will
participate in one before reading exercise, multiple during reading exercises, and two final after
reading exercises. This unit plan implements articles, technology, music, art, films, poetry, and
performance in order to develop a wide range of text for students who learn differently to
approach the novel. Students will be expected to keep a journal of their readings and class
activities during this unit. They will have several other tasks to complete and they will be given
rubrics and explicit instructions in order to clearly process what is expected of them. A grading
policy will also be handed out to the students. In this case, both parents and students will have no
questions about how they were graded. Enjoy the unit plan!
II. Calendar
Day 1
Before Reading
Activity:
Day 2
Facial
Expressions
Information on
Asperger’s
Day 6
Poetry
First chapter of
Day 4
Literal Thinking:
The Hound of the Similes,
Baskervilles by
Metaphors, and
Sir Arthur Conan Signs
Syndrome and
Autism
Day 3
Doyle
Day7
WebQuest
Day 8
Day 9
Films: Rain Man, Performance
Mercury Rising,
and Silent Fall
Day 5
The Land of
Aspergia:
Creative writing
exercise
Day 10
Performance
Continued
III. Lessons
Lesson #1
What’s On For Today and Why?Prior to reading the novel, students will work in groups of three in order to become familiar with
Asperger’s syndrome. I believe it is always crucial to have a before reading exercise in order to
make sure that the reading is active and purposeful. Building prior knowledge can only enhance
the learning experience. Learning will be achieved through jigsaw groups.
What To Do-
Students will be placed into groups of three. Each one of the students will receive a separate
handout and will be responsible for reading and understanding their assigned text. After they
have a good understanding of their handout, they will be expected to teach the other members of
their group what they have learned. Students will also be given a question sheet in order to keep
them on task.
ResourcesHandout #1- “Asperger’s Syndrome” by Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D.
Handout #2- Frequently Asked Questions about Autism
Handout #3- “The Savant Syndrome: Islands of Genuis” by Darold A. Treffert, M.D.
Handout #4- Question Sheet For Jigsaw Groups
How Did It Go?-
The lesson was a success if the students were able to teach the other members of their groups
what they have learned. It is also important that the students walk away with a basic
understanding of what Asperger’s syndrome and autism is. Students should be interested in what
the novel is about.
HomeworkStudents will be asked to read up to page 32.
Lesson #2
What’s On For Today and Why?Right at the beginning of the novel, we learn that Christopher John Francis Boone has some very
special abilities. He states, “I know all the countries of the world and their capital cities and every
prime number up to 7,057.” However, we also learn that he is unable to perform what is
normally thought of a rather simple task. He does not have the ability to discern facial
expressions. The purpose of today’s lesson is to show how this small disability can lead to
problems in a society where people need to be able to read facial expressions in order to
communicate.
What To Do?1)When students come into the classroom they will be given a piece of paper with an emotion
written on it and they will not be able to tell anyone else what they have. The different emotions
will be anger, happiness, anxiety, calm, depression or sadness, guilt, impatience, inferiority,
jealousy, and excitement. The students will then walk around the room with a facial expression
that coincides with their emotion and try to find the other students with the same emotion. There
will be absolutely no talking during this exercise. Once the students believe they have found their
groups, the pieces of paper can be turned over to see if they have correctly matched themselves.
This should be interesting, especially with some of the emotions that are similar in nature.
2)Students will find their seats and discuss as a class the purpose of this exercise and its
effectiveness. 3)Students will be given a handout on emoticons and will work as a class to figure
out the answers. 4)Students will then read the sentences out loud expressing them by using the
appropriate emotion. 5)Students will spend the remaining time of the period writing in their
journals about something they have learned while reading the novel. They may also write about
the class activities and how they relate to the novel. Students must write at least one significant
paragraph in there journals every day.
ResourcesHandout #5- Emoticon handout
How Did It Go?-
The lesson was successful if students were able to understand the difficulty of communication
when the ability to read facial expressions is lacking.
Homework-
Students will be expected to read up to page 61.
LESSON #3
What’s On For Today And Why?-
We learn that Christopher is a big fan of murder mystery novels, especially Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps Christopher is obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, because he
exhibits many of the same traits as himself. He is known for using logic and a keen sense of
observation in order to solve his mysteries. It is Sherlock Holmes who inspired Christopher to
write his own murder mystery novel and find out who killed Wellington.
What to Do-
1)For today, students will read the first chapter of The Hound of the Baskervilles in class and
discuss the similarities between Christopher and Sherlock Holmes. 2)Students will work with a
partner and answer the corresponding questions for The Hound of the Baskersville. 3)If there is
time left students will write in their journals.
Resources-
Handout #6- The first chapter of The Hound of the Baskersville
Handout #7- Question sheet for The Hound of the Baskersville
How Did It Go-
The lesson was a success if the students were able to make parallels between Christopher and
Sherlock Holmes.
Homework-
Students must go home and find three examples of famous people who may or may not have been
diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. Students must justify why this famous person or famous
character may have this disease. Students will also read up to page 102 and finish their question
sheet if they have not done so in class.
LESSON #4
What’s On For Today and Why?Throughout the novel, we learn that Christopher has trouble understanding anything that is not
literal. He considers metaphors to be lies, because he does not understand them. He also has
trouble reading signs because they are not literal enough. Students will try to look at the world
through the eyes of someone who has Asperger’s syndrome by dealing with some of the problems
Christopher encounters in everyday situations and conversations.
What to Do-
1)Students will take out their homework and talk about the famous people they have found that
may have Asperger’s syndrome. 2)Next, students will engage in an activity where they will once
again be able to look at the world through Christopher’s eyes. For today, students will work in
groups of four and think of ten similes and ten metaphors. Next, the groups will swap their lists.
Each group will now have to put themselves in Christopher’s shoes and write down what the
simile or metaphor would mean if it was taken literally. They must also write down the figurative
meaning. Once they are finished with this, the students must pick one metaphor and one simile
they would like to act out for the class in its literal form. The rest of the class will then guess what
the student is trying to portray through their actions. Then they will state what the figurative
meaning is. 3)Christopher also has trouble understanding some signs. He thinks that they should
be more specific. He gives an example of a sign that says KEEP OFF THE GRASS but thinks that it
should say KEEP OFF THE GRASS AROUND THIS SIGN or KEEP OFF ALL THE GRASS IN THIS PARK
because there is plenty of grass that you are allowed to walk on. Students will look at different
signs and make them more explicit for people with problems like Christopher.
ResourcesHandout #8-Examples of similes and metaphors from the novel
Handout #9-Signs Handout
How Did It Go?This lesson was a success if the students were able to grasp the concept of a simile and a metaphor.
Students must take this knowledge and relate it to how a society which uses similes and
metaphors all the time may be confusing to a child with Asperger’s syndrome who takes
everything literally.
HomeworkStudents will read up to page 140. Students will also make sure that their journals are up to date.
LESSON # 5
What’s On For Today and Why?Students will engage in creative writing. As we see in the novel and in some of the literature we
have looked at about the disease, some people with Asperger’s syndrome often seem like they are
in their own world. Students will create a Utopia where they would like to go when the world is
too stressful for them.
What to Do-
Students will form a circle and as a class we will read chapter 229. We will read collectively.
Each student will read one sentence and then move on to the next person, until the chapter is
complete. We will read the chapter twice like this. 2)Students will next read as a group, the story
of Aspergia. Aspergia is a made up place that was created on the website
<http://www.aspergia.com/index.htm> in order to give people with Asperger’s syndrome a
mythology to account for their existence. It is a tale of what it would be like if all 20 million
people with Asperger’s syndrome lived in one land. 3)Students will begin brainstorming for their
own Utopia’s. They may either write about a Utopia for a person with Asperger’s or they can
write about a place to escape for themselves. They must describe what type of people would live
there, who would not be allowed, what activities the people would do, what type of society would
exist, etc.
ResourcesHandout #10- Aspergia
How Did It Go-
The lesson was a success if the students were engaged in the reading. Students must also show
that they have really thought about their ideal Utopia’s through their writing.
Homework-
Students must finish their creative writing assignment over the weekend and be ready to read
them out loud in class on Monday if they are called upon. Students will read up to page 177.
LESSON #6
What’s On For Today and Why?
Students will read some of their creative writing assignments in the beginning of the period.
Students will then be given different samples of poetry pertaining to Autism and Asperger’s
syndrome.
What To Do-
1) The class will be divided into five different groups. Each group will be given a poem. Each
person in the group will read the poem silently to themselves. After they have done this they will
then discuss the meaning of the poem with their group members. The groups will then
collectively figure out a way to dramatically read the poem to the rest of the class. 2)Groups will
perform their dramatic readings and then students will try to determine if the poem was written
by a person with Asperger’s syndrome or if it was written by a person without the disease. Later it
will be revealed that all of the poems were written by people with Asperger’s syndrome. We will
then discuss the criteria used by the students to determine who wrote the poems. 3)For the
remainder of the period, students will be asked to write in their journals. They will be given a
specific topic. After students have read poetry written by people with Asperger’s syndrome, they
will write about whether or not they think Mark Haddon has done a good job of writing from the
viewpoint of a boy with this disease. They must justify their answer using the novel, the poems,
and any other literature previously given to them about Asperger’s syndrome.
ResourcesHandout #11-Poem “We Too Shall Grow”
Handout #12-Poem “That Asperger Kid”
Handout #13-Poem “Autistic Identity”
Handout #14-Poem “Flying Away”
Handout #15-Poem “The Clock Ticks On”
How Did It Go?-
This lesson was a success if the students were able to appreciate the actual writing of people with
Asperger’s syndrome. Hopefully students are surprised that all of the poems were written by
people with this disease. Through examining these poems, students should also gain an
understanding of how well Mark Haddon has portrayed the feelings and actions of Christopher.
Homework-
Students will read up to page 198.
LESSON #7
What’s On For Today and Why?-
Today students will be going to the computer room to work on a mini webquest pertaining to
Asperger’s syndrome.
What To Do-
Students will log onto http://www.geocities.com/curiousdogmh/ and begin the webquest. The
webquest focuses on both art and music. The students are asked to view different websites. They
must complete the two tasks in which they are guided in what to write in their journals.
Resources-The computer room
How Did It Go?-
The lesson was a success if the students listened to all of the songs and were able to view all of the
artwork. The students must exhibit understanding and appreciate the skills that a person with
Asperger’s syndrome may possess. They must fully engage with the technology and have
thoughtful and comprehensive journal responses.
Homework-
Students will finish reading the book
LESSON #8
What’s On For Today and Why?-
Students will view scenes from the movies Rain Man, Silent Fall, and Mercury Rising. They will be
given a handout on film techniques and be expected to take notes on how Asperger’s
Syndrome/Autism is portrayed through the media of film. They will be asked to determine
whether or not they think the characters do a good job of portraying a person with this disease.
What to do-
1)Students will view the following scenes from Rain Man: 1. The scene where Raymond Babbit
freaks out because of the smoke alarm. 2. The scene where Raymond memorizes the phonebook.
3. The scene where Raymond learns how to kiss a girl. 4. The scene where Raymond is able to
count the correct number of toothpicks. 2)Students will view the following scenes from Silent Fall:
1. The scene at the dinner table where Tim rips the kitchen apart. 2. The scene where Tim
exhibits echolalia and repeats a curse word that his father has said to him. 3)Students will view
the following scene from Mercury Rising: 1.The scene where Simon cracks the United States
governments communications code. 4)After viewing the different videos, students will work in
pairs and discuss with a partner what notes they have jotted down. The pairs of students will then
form groups of four and merge their ideas together. 5)The groups will then be responsible for
comparing and contrasting the autistic characters from the movie to Mark Haddon’s character,
Christopher.
Resources-
-The DVD Rain Man
-The DVD Silent Fall
-The DVD Mercury Rising
How Did It Go-
The lesson was a success if the students were able to take careful notes on the film techniques used
to help portray the autistic characters. They must also be able to compare these film techniques
with the literary techniques that Mark Haddon uses in order to portray a child with Asperger’s
syndrome.
Homework-
Students will begin to brainstorm what parts of the book they would like to act out.
LESSON #9
What’s On For Today and Why?-
Students will begin preparing for their performance of a critical scene from The Curious Incident
of the dog in the Night-time. Students will begin by reviewing Christopher’s behavior problems.
Students will pick their scene and then begin working in their groups in order to prepare for their
performance the following day.
What To Do1)Students will turn to page 46 in their books and the class will go around the room and read the
list of Christopher’s behavioral problems. Students will then volunteer to act out his different
problems. The class will be reminded prior to this exercise to not really hit one another. It is
possible to act these behavioral problems out without be harmful to the other students. 2)Students
will next form groups of three to four students. In some scenes not every student will have a part,
but each group member must demonstrate that they have worked collectively to achieve the final
product. Some scenes may be changed slightly in order to fit the classroom environment.
Dialogue may be added or subtracted from the novel in order for students to portray their scenes
in the manner in which they want. 3)Students will write out a script and have it approved by the
teacher before leaving class. 4)Students will be expected to bring in props and where costumes if
necessary. For example, the person playing the part of Christopher would not want to wear
something that would irritate his skin. He would most likely be wearing cotton. These types of
details need to be placed into the script.
Resources-
-Suggested scenes: 1)Pages 54-61 When Christopher speaks with Mrs. Alexander outside of the
shop. 2)Pages 112-115 After Christopher discovers his mother’s letters.
3)Pages 121-122 Christopher’s father explains himself and admits killing Wellington. 4)Pages
158-164 Christopher and the policeman on the train 5)Pages 190-198 Christopher meets his
mother 6)Pages 207-210 Christopher, his mother and father all together.
How Did It Go?The lesson was a success if the students were comfortable acting and understood the mannerisms
and behaviors of Christopher. Students were expected to pick out a scene and create a short skit
with a well-written script. If the scripts were complete and the students clarified their actions,
then the lesson was successful.
Homework-
Students will practice their scenes
LESSON #10
What’s On For Today and Why?Students will get with their groups and practice their scenes. Students will put on their
performances for the class and briefly explain what they did and discuss things like character
placement, use of props, costume choice, etc. The novel unit will be wrapped up by discussing the
rubric for their essay.
What To Do-
1)Allow a short amount of time for students to organize with their groups and practice their
scenes. 2)Have students give performances. 3)Hand out the rubric for the take home essay exam.
Resources-
-Handout #17-Rubric for Essay Exam
How Did It Go?-
The lesson was a success if the students exhibited learning through their performances. They will
be graded based on their effort and ability to show a greater understanding of the novel through
their actions. The students were successful if they were able to properly explain what they were
doing and why they chose their particular scene.
Homework-
Students will have one week to turn in their critical lens essay.
Final EssayPurpose-
To demonstrate understanding of the novel and all of the supplemental material given to the
students during the course of the unit, students will be expected to write a comprehensive essay
on the novel using a critical lens.
TaskWrite a comprehensive essay using one of the two critical lenses provided below.
-#1 “Sometimes people are born with disabilities, but it’s communities that handicap them.”
Anonymous
-#2 “You see, but you do not observe.”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 - 1930), (Sherlock
Holmes) A Scandal in Bohemia, 1892
Using the novel, movies, the first chapter of The Hound of the Baskersville, or any other material
provided for this unit, write an essay based on one of these two quotations. You must provide
direct quotes and/or evidence from the text to support your thesis. Feel free to review your
journals for ideas.
IV. Grading Policy
Homeworks and Question sheets- 10% -To receive the full percentage, students must make sure
that they complete all of their assignments and that it clear that they have made a significant
effort to do so.
Journals- 20%- To receive the full percentage, students must have well-written and thought
provoking journal entries. They must exhibit that they have understood the material that was
provided to them in class.
Creative Writing Essay- 20 %- To receive the full percentage, students must have created an
imaginative essay that fulfils the idea of a Utopian society for either themselves or people with
Asperger’s syndrome. Students must provide evidence that they have carefully edited their work
and have brainstormed prior to writing.
Performance- 25 %- To receive full percentage, students must demonstrate through their
performance that they have taken the activity seriously and that they understand the material
through their actions. Students must also properly explain to the class what they were trying to
portray through their actions, costumes, props, etc.
Critical Lens Essay- 25%- To receive full percentage, students must exhibit that they have a strong
understanding of the material presented in class and what Mark Haddon was trying to portray in
his novel. They must properly explain how the critical lens fits into the ideas conveyed in the
novel and relate it to other texts from this unit. The essay must be well organized and follow a
proper format. The essay must be edited and lacking grammatical errors.
V. HANDOUTS AND SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS
HANDOUT #1
Asperger's Syndrome
Written by Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D.
Center for the Study of Autism, Salem, Oregon
Asperger's syndrome was first described by a German doctor, Hans Asperger, in 1944 (one year
after Leo Kanner's first paper on autism). In his paper, Dr. Asperger discussed individuals who
exhibited many idiosyncratic, odd-like behaviors (see description below).
Often individuals with Asperger's syndrome have many of the behaviors listed below:
Language:

lucid speech before age 4 years; grammar and vocabulary are usually very good

speech is sometimes stilted and repetitive

voice tends to be flat and emotionless

conversations revolve around self
Cognition

obsessed with complex topics, such as patterns, weather, music, history, etc.

often described as eccentric

I.Q.'s fall along the full spectrum, but many are in the above normal range in verbal ability
and in the below average range in performance abilities.

many have dyslexia, writing problems, and difficulty with mathematics

lack common sense

concrete thinking (versus abstract)
Behavior

movements tend to be clumsy and awkward

odd forms of self-stimulatory behavior

sensory problems appear not to be as dramatic as those with other forms of autism

socially aware but displays inappropriate reciprocal interaction
Researchers feel that Asperger's syndrome is probably hereditary in nature because many families
report having an "odd" relative or two. In addition, depression and bipolar disorder are often
reported in those with Asperger's syndrome as well as in family members.
At this time, there is no prescribed treatment regimen for individuals with Asperger's syndrome. In
adulthood, many lead productive lives, living independently, working effectively at a job (many
are college professors, computer programmers, dentists), and raising a family.
Sometimes people assume everyone who has autism and is high-functioning has Asperger's
syndrome. However, it appears that there are several forms of high-functioning autism, and
Asperger's syndrome is one form.
The Autism Research Institute distributes an information packet on Asperger's Syndrome.
Click here to learn how to obtain this packet.
©1995, Copyright information
HANDOUT #2
Frequently Asked Questions about Autism
Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
1. How do I know if my child has problems with sensory over sensitivity?
Sounds or visual stimuli that are tolerated by normal children may cause pain, confusion and/or
fear in some autistic children. Sensory over sensitivity can vary from very slight to severe. If your
child frequently puts his hands over his ears, this is an indicator of sensitivity to noise. Children
who flick their fingers in front of their eyes are likely to have visual sensitivity problems. Children
who enjoy a trip to a large super-market or a shopping mall usually have relatively mild sensory
sensitivities. Autistic children with severe sensory sensitivities will often have tantrums and other
bad behavior in a shopping mall due to sensory overload. These children are the ones who will
most likely need environmental modifications in the classroom. Older children and adults, who
remain nonverbal and have very little language, often have more severe sensitivities than
individuals with good language. Children with auditory or visual sensitivity will often have
normal hearing and visual acuity tests. The problem is in the brain, whereas the ears and eyes are
normal.
2. What sights and sounds are most likely to cause sensory overload or confusion in the classroom?
Every autistic child or adult is different. A sound or sight, which is painful to one autistic child,
may be attractive to another. The flicker of fluorescent lighting can be seen by some children with
autism and may be distracting to them. It is mostly likely to cause sensory overload in children
who flick their fingers in front of their eyes. Replacing fluorescents with incandescent bulbs will
be helpful for some children. Many children with autism are scared of the public address system,
the school bells or the fire alarms, because the sound hurts their ears. Screeching electronic
feedback from public address systems or the sound of fire alarms are the worst sounds because the
onset of the sound canNOT be predicted. Children with milder hearing sensitivity can sometimes
learn to tolerate hurtful sounds when they know when they will occur. However, they may NEVER
learn to tolerate UNexpected loud noise. Autistic children with severe hearing sensitivity should
be removed from the classroom prior to a fire drill. The fear of a hurtful sound may make an
autistic child fearful of a certain classroom. He may become afraid to go into the room because he
fears that the fire alarm or the public address systems may make a hurtful sound. If possible, the
buzzes or bell should be modified to reduce the sound. Sometimes only a slight reduction in sound
is required to make a buzzer or bell tolerable. Duct tape can be applied to bells to soften the
sounds. If the public address system has frequent feedback problems, it should be disconnected.
Echoes and noise can be reduced by installing carpeting -- carpet remnants can sometimes be
obtained from a carpet store at a low cost. Scraping of chair legs on the floor can be muffled by
placing cut tennis balls on the chair legs.
3. Why does my child avoid certain foods or always want to eat the same thing?
Certain foods may be avoided due to sensory over sensitivity. Crunchy foods such as potato chips
may be too loud and sound like a raging forest fire to children with over sensitive hearing. Certain
odors may be overpowering. When I was a child I gagged when I had to eat slimy foods like jello.
However, some limited food preferences may be bad habits and are not due to sensory problems.
One has to be a careful observer to figure out which foods cause sensory pain. For example, if a
child has extreme sound sensitivity, he should not be required to eat loud, crunchy foods; but he
should be encouraged to eat a variety of softer foods. When I was a child my parents made me eat
everything except the two things which really made me gag. They were under-cooked slimy egg
whites and jello. I was allowed to have a grilled cheese sandwich everyday for lunch, but at
dinnertime I was expected to eat everything that was not slimy.
To motivate a child to eat something he does not like, it is recommended to have a food he really
likes such as pizza right in front of him along with the food he dislikes. He is then told that he can
have the pizza after he eats a few bites of peas. It is important to have the pizza right there in front
of him to motivate eating something he does not like.
4. How do I toilet train my autistic child?
There are two major causes of toilet training problems in children with autism. They are either
afraid of the toilet or they do not know what they are supposed to do. Children with severe
hearing sensitivity may be terrified of the toilet flushing. The sound may hurt their ears.
Sometimes these children can learn if they use a potty chair which is located away from the
frightening toilet. Due to the great variability of sensory problems, some children may like to
repeatedly flush the toilet but they are still not trained. The thinking of some autistic children is so
concrete that the only way they can learn is to have an adult demonstrate to them how to use the
toilet. They have to see someone else do it in order to learn. Some children with very severe
sensory processing problems are not able to accurately sense when they need to use the bathroom.
If they are calm they may be able to feel the sensation that they need to urinate or defecate, but if
they experience sensory overload they cannot feel it. This may explain why a child will sometimes
use the toilet correctly, and other times he will not.
5. Why do some autistic children repeat back what an adult has said or sing TV commercials?
Repeating back what has been said, or being able to sing an entire TV commercial or children's
video is called 'echolalia.' Echolalia is actually a good sign because it indicates that the child's
brain is processing language even though he may not be understanding the meaning of the words.
These children need to learn that words are used for communication. If a child says the word
'apple,' immediately give him an apple. This will enable the child to associate the word 'apple' with
getting a real apple. Some autistic children use phrases from TV commercials or children's videos
in an appropriate manner in other situations. This is how they learn language. For example, if a
child says part of a breakfast cereal slogan at breakfast, give him the cereal.
Autistic children also use echolalia to verify what has been said. Some children have difficulty
hearing hard consonant sounds such as "d" in dog or "b" in boy. Repeating the phrase helps them
to hear it. Children who pass a pure tone hearing test can still have difficulty hearing complex
speech sounds. Children with this difficulty may learn to read and speak by using flash cards that
have both a printed word and a picture of an object. By using these cards they learn to associate
the spoken word with the printed word and a picture. My speech therapist helped me to learn to
hear speech by lengthening hard consonant sounds. She would hold up a ball and say "bbbb all."
The hard consonant sound of "b" was lengthened. Some autistic children learn vowel sounds more
easily than consonants.
6. How should educators and parents handle autistic fixations on things such as lawn mowers or
trains?
Fixations should be used to motivate schoolwork and education. If a child is fixated on trains, use
his interest in trains to motivate reading or learning arithmetic. Have him read about trains or do
arithmetic problems with trains. The intense interest in trains can be used to motivate reading. It
is a mistake to take fixations away, but the child needs to learn that there are some situations
when talking about trains is not appropriate.
The idea is to broaden the fixation into a less fixated educational or social activity. If a child likes
to spin a penny then start playing a game with the child where you and the child take turns
playing with the penny. This also helps to teach turn taking. A train fixation could be broadened
in studying history. A high-functioning child would be motivated to read a book about the history
of the railroad. One should build and broaden fixation into useful activities. My career in livestock
equipment design started as a fixation on cattle chutes. My high school science teacher
encouraged me to study science to learn more about my fixation.
High functioning autistic and Asperger teenagers need mentors to help them develop their talents
into a career skill. They need somebody to teach them computer programming or graphic arts. A
local computer professional could serve as a mentor or the individual may be able to take a
programming class at a community college. Many parents wonder where they can find a mentor
for their teenager. Try posting a notice on a bulletin board at a university computer science
department or strike up a conversation with the man in the supermarket checkout line who is
wearing a badge with the name of a computer company on it. I found one of my mentors in the
business world when I met the wife of his insurance agent.
7. What is the difference between PDD and autism?
Autism and PDD are behavioral diagnoses. At the present time there are no medical tests for
autism. Autism is diagnosed based on the child's behavior. Both children diagnosed with autism
and PDD will benefit from education programs designed for autistics. It is essential that children
diagnosed as PDD receive the same education as children diagnosed with autism. Both autistic
and PDD children should be placed into a good early education program immediately after
diagnosis. Children diagnosed with PDD tend to fall into two groups: (1) very mild autistic
symptoms, or (2) some autistic symptoms in a child who has other severe neurological problems.
Therefore, some children diagnosed as PDD may be almost normal; and others have severe
neurological problems such as epilepsy, microencephaly or cerebral palsy. The problem with the
autism and PDD diagnoses is that they are NOT precise. They are based only on behavior. In the
future, brain scans will be used for precise diagnosis. Today there is no brain scan that can be
used for diagnosing PDD nor autism.
8. Why is Early Intervention important?
Both scientific studies and practical experience have shown that the prognosis is greatly improved
if a child is placed into an intense, highly structured educational program by age two or three.
Autistic children perform stereotypic behaviors such as rocking or twiddling a penny because
engaging in repetitive behaviors shuts off sounds and sights which cause confusion and/or pain.
The problems is that if the child is allowed to shut out the world, his brain will not develop.
Autistic and PDD children need many hours of structured education to keep their brain engaged
with the world. They need to be kept interacting in a meaningful way with an adult or another
child. The worst things for a young two to five year old autistic child is to sit alone watching TV or
playing video games all day. His brain will be shut off from the world. Autistic children need to be
kept engaged; but at the same time, a teacher must be careful to avoid sensory overload. Children
with milder sensory problems often respond well to Lovaas-type programs. However, children
with more severe sensory processing problems may experience sensory overload. There are two
major categories of children. The first type will respond well to a therapist who is gently intrusive
and pulls them out of their world. I was this type. My speech therapist was able to "snap me out of
it" by grabbing my chin and making me pay attention. The second type of child has more
neurological problems, and they may respond poorly to a strict Lovaas program. They will require
a gentler approach. Some are 'mono-channel' because they cannot see and hear at the same time.
They either have to look at something or they have to listen. Simultaneous looking and listening
may result in sensory overload and shutdown. This type of child may respond best when the
teacher whispers quietly in a dimly illuminated room.
A good teacher needs to tailor his/her teaching method to the child. To be successful, the teacher
has to be gently insistent. A good teacher knows how hard to push. To be successful, the teacher
has to intrude into the autistic child's world. With some children the teacher can jerk open their
"front door;" and with other children, the teacher has to sneak quietly in their "back door."
9. Why does my child want to wear the same clothes all the time?
Stiff scratching clothes or wool against my skin is sandpaper ripping off raw nerve endings. I am
not able to tolerate scratching clothes. Autistic children will be most comfortable with soft cotton
against their skin. New underwear and shirts will be more comfortable if they are washed several
times. It is often best to avoid spray starch or fabric softeners that are placed in the dryer. Some
children are allergic to them. [Note: Caretakers and teachers should also avoid the use of perfume
because some children hate the smell and/or they are allergic to it.]
Even today at the age of 49, I have had to find good clothes and work clothes that feel the same. It
takes me up to two weeks to habituate to the feeling of wearing a skirt. If I wear shorts during the
summer, it takes at least a week before long pants become fully tolerable. The problem is
switching back-and-forth. Switching back-and-forth can be made more tolerable by wearing
tights with skirts. The tights make the skirt feel the same as long pants.
HANDOUT #3
The Savant Syndrome: Islands of Genius
Darold A. Treffert, M.D.
Savant Syndrome is a rare, but spectacular, condition in which persons with various developmental disabilities, including Autistic
Disorder, have astonishing islands of ability or brilliance that stand in stark, markedly incongruous contrast to the over-all
handicap. In some, savant skills are remarkable simply in contrast to the handicap (talented savants). In others, with a much rarer
form of the condition, the ability or brilliance is not only spectacular in contrast to the handicap, but would be spectacular even if
viewed in a normal person (prodigious savant). There are fewer than 100 reported cases of prodigious savants in the world
literature. The condition was first named Idiot Savant in 1887 by Dr. J. Langdon Down (better known for having named Down's
Syndrome). He chose that term because the word "idiot" at that time was an accepted classification level of mental retardation (IQ
below 25) and the word "savant" meant knowledgeable person derived from the french word savoir, meaning "to know". The term
idiot savant has been largely discarded now, appropriately, because of its colloquial, pejorative connotation and has been replaced
by Savant Syndrome. Actually Idiot Savant was a misnomer since almost all of the reported cases have occurred in persons with IQs
of 40 or above. The condition can be congenital or acquired in an otherwise normal individual following CNS injury or disease. It
occurs in males more frequently than in females in an approximate 6:1 ratio.
Savant skills occur within a narrow but constant range of human mental functions, generally in six areas: calendar calculating;
lightening calculating & mathematical ability; art (drawing or sculpting); music (usually piano with perfect pitch); mechanical
abilities; and spatial skills. In some instances unusual language abilities have been reported but those are rare. Other skills much
less frequently reported include map memorizing, visual measurement, extrasensory perception, unusual sensory discrimination
such as enhanced sense of touch & smell, and perfect appreciation passing time without knowledge of a clock face. The most
common savant skill is musical ability. A regularly re-occurring triad of musical genius, blindness and autism is particularly
striking in the world literature on this topic. Premature birth history is commonly reported in persons with Savant Syndrome.
In some cases of Savant Syndrome a single special skill exists; in others there are several skills co-existing simultaneously. The
skills tend to be right hemisphere in type--nonsymbolic, artistic, concrete, directly perceived--in contrast to left hemisphere type
that tend to be more sequential, logical, and symbolic including language specialization.
Whatever the special skills, they are always linked with phenomenal memory. That memory, however, is a special type--very
narrow but exceedingly deep--within its narrow confines. Such memory is a type of "unconscious reckoning"--habit or procedural
memory--which relies on more primitive circuitry (cortico-striatal) than higher level (cortico-limbic) cognitive or associative
memory used more commonly and regularly in normal persons.
Approximately 10% of persons with Autistic Disorder have some savant abilities; that percentage is much greater than in other
developmental disabilities where in an institutionalized population that figure may be as low as 1:2000. Since other developmental
disabilities are much more common than autism, however, the actual percent of persons with Savant Syndrome turns out to be
approximately half Autistic Disorder and half other Developmental Disabilities.
Theories to explain Savant Syndrome include eidetic imagery, inherited skills, concrete thinking and inability to think abstractly,
compensation & reinforcement, and left brain injury with right brain compensation. Newer findings on cerebral lateralization, and
some imaging and other studies that do show left hemisphere damage in savants, suggest that the most plausible explanation for
Savant Syndrome to be left brain damage from pre-natal, peri-natal or post-natal CNS damage with migratory, right brain
compensation, coupled with corresponding damage to higher level, cognitive (cortico-limbic) memory circuitry with
compensatory take over of lower level, habit (cortical-striatal) memory. This accounts for the linking of predominately right brain
skills with habit memory so characteristic of Savant Syndrome (Treffert, 1989). In talented savants, concreteness and impaired
ability to think abstractly are locked in a very narrow band but, nevertheless, with constant practice and repetition can produce
sufficient coding so that access to some non-cognitive structure or unconscious algorithms can be automatically attained. In
prodigious savants, some genetic factors any be operative as well, since practice alone cannot account for the access to vast rules of
music, art or mathematics that seems innate in these persons. Once established, intense concentration, practice, compensatory
drives and reinforcement by family, teachers and others play a major role in developing and polishing the savant skills and
memory linked so characteristically and dramatically by this unique brain dysfunction.
One of the pre-natal CNS injury mechanisms, which has implications not only for Savant Syndrome but other disorders as well in
which male sex in over-represented, is the neurotoxic effect of circulating testosterone on the left hemisphere in the male fetus
based on observations and reported by Geschwind and Galaburda. Since the left brain completes its development later than the
right brain, it is at risk for CNS damage for a longer period of time to circulating-testosterone (which can be neurotoxic) in male
fetuses and that left CNS damage, with right brain compensation, may account for the high male:female ratio not only in Savant
Syndrome, but in autism, stuttering, hyperactivity and learning disabilities as well.
The movie Rain Man depicted an autistic savant and that term became almost a household word. It is important to remember,
however, that not all autistic persons are savants, and not all savants are autistic. What one sees in Rain Man are savant skills
(lightening calculating, memorization etc.) grafted on to autism (narrowed affect, obsessive sameness, rituals etc). It is also
important to point out that the savant in the movie is a high functioning person with autistic disorder, but the disorder consists of
an entire spectrum of disabilities ranging from profoundly disturbed to high functioning; not all autistic savants function at such a
high level.
For many years it was feared that helping the savant achieve a higher level of functioning with treatment--"eliminating the
defect"--would result in a loss of special skills, i.e. there would be a trade-off of right brain special skills for left brain language
acquisition, for example. That has not turned out to be the case. Quite to the contrary, "training the talent" is a valuable approach
toward increasing socialization, language and independence. Thus the special skills of the savant, rather than being seen a odd,
frivolous, trivial or distracting, become a useful treatment tool as a conduit toward normalization in these special persons. Some
schools have begun to include persons with Savant Syndrome into classes for the gifted and talented as a method of enhancing
further this conduit toward normalization.
There are probably fewer than 25 prodigious savants living at the present time. Some of those include Leslie Lemke (music), Alonzo
Clemens (sculpting), Richard Wawro (painting), Stephen Wiltshire (drawing), Tony DeBlois (music) to name some. Other
prodigious savants more recently described are in England, Austrailia and Japan. A 1983 60 minutes program on Savant Syndrome
was particularly useful in bringing this remarkable condition to more general attention and of course the move Rain Man
catapulted the condition to national prominence. There have been a number of other television specials and several movies about
Savant Syndrome over the past 10 years. My book Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome reviews the condition in
depth.
HANDOUT #4
Question Sheet for Jigsaw Groups
Name____________
Group #__________
1. Name three characteristics of a person with Asperger’s syndrome?
2. Why do researchers believe that Asperger’s syndrome may be hereditary?
3. What is the difference between Asperger’s syndrome and autism?
4. Describe three problems that might arise due to sensory of over sensitivity.
5. What is meant by the term echolalia?
6. Do all people with autism exhibit the same symptoms?
7. What is a savant?
8. What are the six skills that are characteristic of a savant?
9. The novel you are about to read is told through the point of view of a boy with Asperger’s
syndrome. What do you expect from this novel?
10.Do you know anyone that is autistic or who has Asperger’s syndrome? If so, explain what
they are like. If you do not know someone personally, have you ever read about or seen a
person with autism in a movie?
HANDOUT # 5
Name__________
Date___________
Now that you have walked around the room and tried to figure out your classmates’
emotions, imagine how hard that exercise would be if you had Asperger’s syndrome. Christopher
does not have the ability to recognize facial expressions. It is very similar to talking to a friend
through instant messenger. You can communicate with another person, but sometimes without
the ability to read their facial expressions, the message can get jumbled. It is your job to use the
corresponding emoticon to determine what the person is trying to say. Make sure you explain
how the same sentence can change meaning based on different facial expressions.
1. I lost my little brother in the mall today…………………………

1a. I lost my little brother in the mall today…………………………

2. Can you believe that math homework……………………………
:-/
2a. Can you believe that math homework…………………………….
:D
3. Stephanie is most definitely the coolest girl I know………………
;)
3a. Stephanie is most definitely the coolest girl I know………………
:”>
4. Donald ate a bug today…………………………………………….
:-O
4a. Donald ate a bug today……………………………………………
:-&
5. If it wasn’t attached, her head might fall off……………………….
:X
5a. If it wasn’t attached, her head might fall off………………………
:-S
HANDOUT#6
The Hound of the Baskervilles
Chapter 1
Mr. Sherlock Holmes
Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the
mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was
up all night, was seated at the breakfast table. I stood upon the
hearth-rug and picked up the stick which our visitor had left
behind him the night before. It was a fine, thick piece of wood,
bulbous-headed, of the sort which is known as a "Penang lawyer." Just under the head was a broad silver band nearly an inch
across. "To James Mortimer, M.R.C.S., from his friends of the
C.C.H.," was engraved upon it, with the date "1884." It was
just such a stick as the old-fashioned family practitioner used to
carry -- dignified, solid, and reassuring.
"Well, Watson, what do you make of it?"
Holmes was sitting with his back to me, and I had given him
no sign of my occupation.
"How did you know what I was doing? I believe you have
eyes in the back of your head."
"I have, at least, a well-polished, silver-plated coffee-pot in
front of me," said he. "But, tell me, Watson, what do you make
of our visitor's stick? Since we have been so unfortunate as to
miss him and have no notion of his errand, this accidental
souvenir becomes of importance. Let me hear you reconstruct
the man by an examination of it."
"I think," said I, following as far as I could the methods of
my companion, "that Dr. Mortimer is a successful, elderly
medical man, well-esteemed since those who know him give
him this mark of their appreciation."
"Good!" said Holmes. "Excellent!"
"I think also that the probability is in favour of his being a
country practitioner who does a great deal of his visiting on
foot."
"Why so?"
"Because this stick, though originally a very handsome one
has been so knocked about that I can hardly imagine a town
practitioner carrying it. The thick-iron ferrule is worn down, so it
is evident that he has done a great amount of walking with it."
"Perfectly sound!" said Holmes.
"And then again, there is the 'friends of the C.C.H.' I should
guess that to be the Something Hunt, the local hunt to whose
members he has possibly given some surgical assistance, and
which has made him a small presentation in return."
"Really, Watson, you excel yourself," said Holmes, pushing
back his chair and lighting a cigarette. "I am bound to say that
in all the accounts which you have been so good as to give of my
own small achievements you have habitually underrated your
own abilities. It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but
you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing
genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it. I confess, my
dear fellow, that I am very much in your debt."
He had never said as much before, and I must admit that his
words gave me keen pleasure, for I had often been piqued by his
indifference to my admiration and to the attempts which I had
made to give publicity to his methods. I was proud, too, to think
that I had so far mastered his system as to apply it in a way
which earned his approval. He now took the stick from my hands
and examined it for a few minutes with his naked eyes. Then
with an expression of interest he laid down his cigarette, and
carrying the cane to the window, he looked over it again with a
convex lens.
"Interesting, though elementary," said he as he returned to
his favourite corner of the settee. "There are certainly one or
two indications upon the stick. It gives us the basis for several
deductions."
"Has anything escaped me?" I asked with some selfimportance. "I trust that there is nothing of consequence which I
have overlooked?"
"I am afraid, my dear Watson, that most of your conclusions
were erroneous. When I said that you stimulated me I meant, to
be frank, that in noting your fallacies I was occasionally guided
towards the truth. Not that you are entirely wrong in this in-
stance. The man is certainly a country practitioner. And he walks
a good deal."
"Then I was right."
"To that extent."
"But that was all."
"No, no, my dear Watson, not all -- by no means all. I would
suggest, for example, that a presentation to a doctor is more
likely to come from a hospital than from a hunt, and that when
the initials 'C.C.' are placed before that hospital the words
'Charing Cross' very naturally suggest themselves."
"You may be right."
"The probability lies in that direction. And if we take this as a
working hypothesis we have a fresh basis from which to start our
construction of this unknown visitor."
"Well, then, supposing that 'C.C.H.' does stand for 'Charing
Cross Hospital,' what further inferences may we draw?"
"Do none suggest themselves? You know my methods. Apply
them!"
"I can only think of the obvious conclusion that the man has
practised in town before going to the country."
"I think that we might venture a little farther than this. Look
at it in this light. On what occasion would it be most probable
that such a presentation would be made? When would his friends
unite to give him a pledge of their good will? Obviously at the
moment when Dr. Mortimer withdrew from the service of the
hospital in order to start in practice for himself. We know there
has been a presentation. We believe there has been a change
from a town hospital to a country practice. Is it, then, stretching
our inference too far to say that the presentation was on the
occasion of the change?"
"It certainly seems probable."
"Now, you will observe that he could not have been on the
staff of ohe hospital, since only a man well-established in a
London practice could hold such a position, and such a one
would not drift into the country. What was he, then? If he was in
the hospital and yet not on the staff he could only have been a
house-surpeon or a house-physician -- little more than a senior
student. And he left five years ago -- the date is on the stick. So
your grave, middle-aged family practitioner vanishes into thin
air, my dear Watson, and there emerges a young fellow under
thirty, amiable, unambitious, absent-minded, and the possessor
of a favourite dog, which I should describe roughly as being
larger than a terrier and smaller than a mastiff."
I laughed incredulously as Sherlock Holmes leaned back in his
settee and blew little wavering rings of smoke up to the ceiling.
"As to the latter part, I have no means of checking you," said
I, "but at least it is not difficult to find out a few particulars
about the man's age and professional career." From my small
medical shelf I took down the Medical Directory and turned up
the name. There were several Mortimers, but only one who
could be our visitor. I read his record aloud.
"Mortimer, James, M.R.C.S., 1882, Grimpen, Dartmoor,
Devon. House-surgeon, from 1882 to 1884, at Charing
Cross Hospital. Winner of the Jackson prize for Comparative Pathology, with essay entitled 'Is Disease a Reversion?'
Corresponding member of the Swedish Pathological Society. Author of 'Some Freaks of Atavism' (Lancet 1882).
'Do We Progress?' (Journal of Psychology, March, 1883).
Medical Officer for the parishes of Grimpen, Thorsley, and
High Barrow."
"No mention of that local hunt, Watson," said Holmes with a
mischievous smile, "but a country doctor, as you very astutely
observed. I think that I am fairly justified in my inferences. As
to the adjectives, I said, if I remember right, amiable, unambitious, and absent-minded. It is my experience that it is only an
amiable man in this world who receives testimonials, only an
unambitious one who abandons a London career for the country,
and only an absent-minded one who leaves his stick and not his
visiting-card after waiting an hour in your room."
"And the dog?"
"Has been in the habit of carrying this stick behind his
master. Being a heavy stick the dog has held it tightly by the
middle, and the marks of his teeth are very plainly visible. The
dog's jaw, as shown in the space between these marks, is too
broad in my opinion for a terrier and not broad enough for a
mastiff. It may have been -- yes, by Jove, it is a curly-haired
spaniel."
He had risen and paced the room as he spoke. Now he halted
in the recess of the window. There was such a ring of conviction
in his voice that I glanced up in surprise.
"My dear fellow, how can you possibly be so sure of that?"
"For the very simple reason that I see the dog himself on our
very door-step, and there is the ring of its owner. Don't move, I
beg you, Watson. He is a professional brother of yours, and your
presence may be of assistance to me. Now is the dramatic
moment of fate, Watson, when you hear a step upon the stair
which is walking into your life, and you know not whether for
good or ill. What does Dr. James Mortimer, the man of science,
ask of Sherlock Holmes, the specialist in crime? Come in!"
The appearance of our visitor was a surprise to me, since I
had expected a typical country practitioner. He was a very tall,
thin man, with a long nose like a beak, which jutted out between
two keen, gray eyes, set closely together and sparkling brightly
from behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He was clad in a
professional but rather slovenly fashion, for his frock-coat was
dingy and his trousers frayed. Though young, his long back was
already bowed, and he walked with a forward thrust of his head
and a general air of peering benevolence. As he entered his eyes
fell upon the stick in Holmes's hand, and he ran towards it with
an exclamation of joy. "I am so very glad," said he. "I was not
sure whether I had left it here or in the Shipping Office. I would
not lose that stick for the world."
"A presentation, I see," said Holmes.
"Yes, sir."
"From Charing Cross Hospital?"
"From one or two friends there on the occasion of my
marriage."
"Dear, dear, that's bad!" said Holmes, shaking his head.
Dr. Mortimer blinked through his glasses in mild astonishment.
"Why was it bad?"
"Only that you have disarranged our little deductions. Your
marriage, you say?"
"Yes, sir. I married, and so left the hospital, and with it all
hopes of a consulting practice. It was necessary to make a home
of my own."
"Come, come, we are not so far wrong, after all," said
Holmes. "And now, Dr. James Mortimer --"
"Mister, sir, Mister -- a humble M.R.C.S."
"And a man of precise mind, evidently."
"A dabbler in science, Mr. Holmes, a picker up of shells on
the shores of the great unknown ocean. I presume that it is Mr.
Sherlock Holmes whom I am addressing and not --"
"No, this is my friend Dr. Watson."
"Glad to meet you, sir. I have heard your name mentioned in
connection with that of your friend. You interest me very much,
Mr. Holmes. I had hardly expected so dolichocephalic a skull or
such well-marked supra-orbital development. Would you have
any objection to my running my finger along your parietal
fissure? A cast of your skull, sir, until the original is available,
would be an ornament to any anthropological museum. It is not
my intention to be fulsome, but I confess that I covet your
skull."
Sherlock Holmes waved our strange visitor into a chair. "You
are an enthusiast in your line of thought, I perceive, sir, as I am
in mine," said he. "I observe from your forefinger that you
make your own cigarettes. Have no hesitation in lighting one."
The man drew out paper and tobacco and twirled the one up in
the other with surprising dexterity. He had long, quivering fingers as agile and restless as the antennae of an insect.
Holmes was silent, but his little darting glances showed me
the interest which he took in our curious companion.
"I presume, sir," said he at last, "that it was not merely for
the purpose of examining my skull that you have done me the
honour to call here last night and again to-day?"
"No, sir, no; though I am happy to have had the opportunity
of doing that as well. I came to you, Mr. Holmes, because I
recognized that I am myself an unpractical man and because I am
suddenly confronted with a most serious and extraordinary problem. Recognizing, as I do, that you are the second highest expert
in Europe --"
"Indeed, sir! May I inquire who has the honour to be the
first?" asked Holmes with some asperity.
"To the man of precisely scientific mind the work of Monsieur Bertillon must always appeal strongly."
"Then had you not better consult him?"
"I said, sir, to the precisely scientific mind. But as a practical
man of affairs it is acknowledged that you stand alone. I trust,
sir, that I have not inadvertently --"
"Just a little," said Holmes. "I think, Dr. Mortimer, you
would do wisely if without more ado you would kindly tell me
plainly what the exact nature of the problem is in which you
demand my assistance."
HANDOUT #7
Name__________
Date___________
Question Sheet for The Hound of the Baskersville
1) 1) Name some of the characteristics of Sherlock Holmes that might suggest that he has
Asperger’s syndrome.
2) 2) Take the following quote and relate it to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-
time: “Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it.”
3) 3) Christopher often notices things that other people take for granted. In The Hound of
the Baskersville, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle makes a joke of this when Watson asks Holmes
how he knew Mortimer had a curly-haired spaniel and the dog is standing at the door.
Give an example of something that Christopher notices that others may not.
4) 4) Based on the following sentence, what conclusion can you draw about the similarity
between Sherlock Holmes and Christopher?: “Now is the dramatic moment of fate, Watson,
when you hear a step upon the stair which is walking into your life, and you know not
whether for good or ill.”
5) 5) Remark on the amount of detail Sherlock Holmes notices when first meeting Mortimer.
Compare this to the detail Christopher notices when meeting a person.
HANDOUT #8
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
EXAMPLES OF SIMILES AND METAPHORS
Definition of Simile- A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared,
often in a phrase introduced by like or as, as in "How like the winter hath my absence been" or "So
are you to my thoughts as food to life" (Shakespeare).
Definition of Metaphor- A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates
one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in "a sea of
troubles" or "All the world's a stage" (Shakespeare).
Definitions courtesy of:
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Metaphor examples given by Christopher:
I laughed my socks off.
He was the apple of her eye.
They had a skeleton in the cupboard.
We had a real pig of a day.
The dog was stone dead.
Simile example given by Christopher:
It looked as if there were two very small mice hiding in his nostrils.
I went upstairs and sat in my room and watched the water falling in the street. It was falling so
hard that it looked like white sparks
*It is important to note that Christopher thinks that metaphors are lies, but he does not think similes
are lies unless they are bad ones.
HANDOUT #9
Making Sense of These Signs
Put yourself in Christopher’s shoes and try to change these signs so that they are more reasonable.
You may add or subtract from these signs in order to change them so that they make sense to
someone that thinks in a logical manner and takes things literally.
#1
#2
#4
#3
#5
HANDOUT #10
Courtesy of http://www.aspergia.com/ethos.htm
THE MYTHOS AND ETHOS
A forgotten civilisation
We call this land Aspergia. We pronounce it so because no one knows what its real name was, or the tongue spoken
by its people. Aspergia; a land surrounded by oceans, as far as the eye can see. A land of sea-gazing people,
Aspergians, who venture into the great waters for fishing, but never the great distances required to find others,
although they fiercely believe they exist..
Many, Many eons in the past, this new civilisation was founded, building great towers and dwellings, and thriving in
a social structure, very different to that which we observe today. The Aspergians celebrated an individual's uniqueness
and devotion to their cause. They taught their young that each and every person is born with a very specific talent,
their "special gift", which they must identify if they are to live a full and fulfilling life. Because you are born with
this talent you will excel in it and find it rewarding and enriching. Anything else you choose to do will not bring you
as much happiness, and once you have found and attained this direction in life, you are respected by your people for
achieving a oneness with your destiny. The Aspergians held an annual "destiny ceremony" to celebrate the
transformation of the Seekers into the Initiated. This can happen at any age, and some Aspergians have found their
destiny at 13 whilst others did so towards the end of their lives.
Despite being surrounded by oceans and no knowledge of another land, far or near, the Aspergians strongly held
that there are others beyond the great waters. They had a social class of priests named Gazers, who were self-
appointed, after finding their destiny was to serve their community in this role. They gazed daily into the blueness of
the water, awaiting to record the every sign that life is there beyond. Each Gazer held records of every sighting and
possible sighting. They have done so for generations, and were revered by their community for this important role.
There were ancient stories told of encounters with other peoples from beyond the sea, who landed on Aspergia and
even took some of its residents with them. They were described as looking similar to the Aspergians, but having
different customs, and producing very loud sounds, which were painful to the ears of the Aspergians. But these were
old stories, and time has passed since there was a sighting of a tiny image on the horizon.
The Aspergians did not build their dwellings close to each other. They had a complex social structure which allowed
individuals to invest most of their seeker years in searching for their destiny, and most of their time as Initiated in
fulfilling it. This helped their culture to achieve great things.
Their weekly conventions and annual gatherings always obeyed strict rules of ceremony, and each member knew
exactly what their ceremonial role would be. Although solitude is a central pillar of the Aspergian life, it can not be
real solitude unless it is defined by "Communitude". Communitude allows for kinship, and relationship. It also
ensures the continuity to the next generation. Communitude ensured Aspergians had a plentiful dose of company, in
a defined and easy to manage way, and without complications. It also allowed them to spend their solitude time by
themselves, observing the concept of Stillness.
The Aspergian dispersal
It may be that the tales of the great flood, all go back to the Aspergian story. After the civilisation of Aspergia
survived for millennia without danger or strife, the ocean itself sought its own destiny and found that it had to take
over the land on which the Aspergians lived. The water rose and rose, until there was no doubt that Aspergia would
cease to exist within a short period of time.
The Aspergians were not ever faced with the task of building a boat that was bigger than for the purpose of local
fishing. Other than the oft told story of the great Son of Aspergia, who set to sea in search of other lands, and was
never seen again, they had not dared try and go beyond the borders of the visible waters, because they knew there
were great currents there; currents which take you to sea and never let you return.
But now there was no choice and dozens of bigger boats were constructed in haste by the talented architects and
builders of the land. As the full moon set into the sea, the Aspergian people had one last Communitude gathering on
their beloved land.
They left at dawn, in utter silence, their minds were full of fear and focussed on the task ahead.
The boats reached the high currents and drifted apart, each to its own direction. The Aspergian civilisation started a
journey into the unknown, and not all of its sons and daughters would make it safely to the world beyond.
The Diaspora and accommodation
The boats that did survive had finally reached many a dispersed shore, and it was always the Gazers in every boat
that identified the approaching land first. When they landed, they started by huddling together after the ordeal of the
jouney, but this was against the nature of Aspergians.
The peoples they came across were very different to them: they valued a sort of constant Communitude, they were
afraid of their destiny, and were afraid of being alone or pursuing their talents. But the Aspergians were a minority
everywhere they went,. and their nature dictated that they integrate, and learn the ways of the land.
Integrating was not easy, but they had a talent for it, and after a few generations any trace of Aspergians and their
culture had all but disappeared. Their story was swallowed into the general mythology, and made a part of human
heritage. They intermarried with the people of their new lands and their children would sometimes express Aspergian
traits, and sometimes not. Occasionally their children were born with a severe Aspergian gaze that never went away,
and an inability to speak or act independently. In early generations these were recognised as the results of
intermarriage. Later on, even this realisation had been forgotten.
Nevertheless, throughout history, those who were born with a strong Aspergian persona, mostly knew that something
was different. The sound of the ocean would calm them down, and they needed a great deal of solitude. They did not
understand the practice of "constant Communitude", and did not know how they should behave in the social structure
they were born to, with strange and taxing ways of interaction. They were mostly saved if they managed to seek and
find their destiny-interest and excel in it. This was always revered by the people around them, and allowed them to be
a little "different". Not all Aspergians immediately understood they had strengths rather than weaknesses. Being a
minority always creates unease and alienation. It took great courage for those who did to tell themselves that they
were different, and that it was fine to be so. Others spent their lives fighting it, and one who fights oneself always
loses.
The heritage
The Aspergian civilisation has all but disappeared, but its biological and genetic heritage is still very much with us.
Their genes are strong and persistent, reminding us throughout our history, that there were other ways of being, and
other possibilities.
In some periods of history, Aspergian manifestations were hunted down and destroyed. Aspergian women burned at
the stake as witches, Aspergian inventors and creative minds persecuted for daring to be different. There were
Aspergians who discovered a destiny-talent for design and formulation, and secretly created ancient Aspergian
symbols in crop circles. There are Aspergians that are Gazers to this day, watching for trains, planes, boats or
searching for life in outer space. These traits are so different to "normal" human ones that they persisted through their
genes.
And those of us who have, against all odds, found their destiny and their pride, are now ready to revive that notion
that we have a proud ethos to relate to - and we can once again build a proud heritage. Aspergia lives on - and we
will be the lost sons and daughters, coming home to our history, our heritage and our future.
HANDOUT #11
We Too Shall Grow
Written by Frank Gillett
As trees in a forest grow, standing tall,
Bending to external pressures
And holding fast by internal strengths,
We too shall grow.
Even as each new day brings their roots
More tightly intertwined, not choking
Or stunting growth but strengthening and
Providing a stronger base for one another,
We too shall grow.
As they are careful not to overshadow
The others so as to stunt growth or to
Selfishly sap energy to stand taller,
We too shall grow.
As God beckons them to spread, and reach up
So they may grow to new heights,
We too shall grow,
Together
HANDOUT #12
That Asperger Kid
by Dave Spicer
He gets upset and runs off screaming that or sits there fish-eyed, dreaming
who knows what from who knows where so weird, that kid, he sits and stares
at nothing. Nothing! Every day
the same act. I give up, okay?
I mean, we tried to understand him.
Couldn't do it. Gotta hand him this he's good at being strange
he damn well better change
because we're right. No little pansy
any more, he's gonna learn to be a man
and take his orders....
Now what? What's the use of trying?
Look - he's down there crying on the floor
I just can't take this any more.
We never know what's going to happen
wish he'd shape up, cut the crap and
grow up, join the world of men,
but whadja expect? he's one of THEM.
HANDOUT #13
Autistic Identity
by Dave Spicer
They ask me questions.
Carefully, I answer, so deliberate, explaining
Once again the sense in why I do things as I do.
They show me aspects of "the world"
like cheating, violence, lies, deceit,
and tell me I must know all this
to function in it. Simply put,
They cannot see the path I follow.
Me, I know it's there - it doesn't seem
like home somehow, but nowhere does, and look what
their religion says - to "be not of this world but in it".
That's about
just how it is
and how it goes
this path that leads a different way
that what they'd hoped for.
Then they cry - I see the track
a tear makes down a face, and wonder
why they aren't at peace. The weather's
not so bad inside here, really, kind of quiet
watching through the window, seeing, hearing,
sitting, thinking, contemplating all the noise outside
They say "that's how the world is". Fine, but their frustration,
living in that world, gives pause
to folks like me who feel their pulling
hear their pleas
receive their training
all designed
so we can "join them" do we have to? There?
HANOUT #14
Flying Away
by sparkplugloy
Walking through the paths I find on my way,
Swimming through the lakes that come ahead,
Trying to spread my wings and fly away,
Wiping from my face all the tears I shed,
I see my life running before my eyes,
Everything that I have said and done,
The words I heard, with all these lies,
Being the one they all wanted to shun.
I will go wherever there is a place for me.
I am searching for the place where I do belong,
Where I will stand, not be sent down on my knee,
Find friends that are willing to bring me along.
This place may seem far away from everywhere,
But I am strong-willed to discover it on my own.
This Utopia would be the answer to my prayer.
So I am hurrying towards the deepest unknown
HANOUT #15
The Clock Ticks On
by Emelia
alone in my room full of people....and yet the clock ticks on... alone in my classroom full of
people...and yet the clock ticks on... alone on the yard full of people... and yet the clock ticks on...
alone in the mall full of people.... and yet the clock ticks on... and yet the clock ticks on, and on,
and on....
HANDOUT #16
Glossary of Film Language
I. NARRATIVE
What story, plot and action transpire in the shot, the sequence, the film?
What is the function of a given sequence within the larger narrative?
How does it contribute to ongoing themes, conflicts, and oppositions at
work throughout the film? What are the underlying issues and conflicts
propelling the narrative? What element(s) of the narrative does a given
sequence introduce, explain, suggest, and/or resolve? How is the
narrative told (does it unfold in a linear fashion? is it fragmented?
episodic? does it use flashbacks? flashforwards?)? How many
simultaneous narratives unfold? How do they relate to one another?
Which elements of film language are most prominently used to narrate
the story? Is there an identifiable source of narration? How does the
narrative position the spectator? Is our knowledge restricted to, or
greater than, that of particular characters? If so, who, how and why?
What are the consequences and effects of these various narrative forms?
II. EDITING
Editing determines how shots are joined. We can consider the transitions
and relations from shot to shot, from scene to scene and throughout the
film as a whole. While a clean break from one shot to another is
described as a "cut," we can be far more specific about the kinds of cuts
and other transitions that join shots together. Whatever the editing
devices used, we should ask: does the editing function? What is the effect
of a given dissolve? or wipe? or cross-cut? What elements are associated
and how? What rhythms, patterns, continuities and discontinuities does
the editing produce? Is it consistent? Disruptive? Does it encourage us to
passively consume the image? Critically interrogate it? Both? Neither?
Straight Cut: Two shots joined/spliced together with no obvious
continuity device. Cross-cut: Editing that alternates shots of two or more
lines of action occurring in two different places, usually simultaneously.
Parallel Cut: Editing that alternates shots of two or more lines of action
with no implied temporal connection between them. Often used for
associative or symbolic purposes.
Fade-in: A gradual lightening of the image from black to light. Fade-out:
A gradual darkening of the image to black.
Dissolve: Shot A gradually disappears and shot B gradually appears in its
place with momentary superimposition of the two.
Iris-in: Image gradually revealed from blackness through expanding
circle of light. Iris-out: Reverse of iris-in.
Wipe: One image is gradually replaced by another at a boundary which
moves across the frame. This boundary is often a straight line which
moves across vertically the screen, but it may take other directions and
shapes.
Direction Match: The direction of a person or object is consistent across
the cut.
Eye-line Match: A cut in which two characters in different shots appear
to look at each other because of the direction of their glances.
Movement Match: An action begun in one shot is continued or completed
in the next shot.
Axis Match: The angle of the camera in relation to the object remains the
same from shot to shot.
Graphic Match: Any juxtaposition of graphically similar images.
Jump Cut: A break or jump in time, caused by removing a section of a
shot and then splicing together what remains of it. On screen the result is
often jerky.
DURATION & PACING: The duration and rhythm of shots and scenes.
III. CINEMATOGRAPHY
The position and movement of the camera are also critical in determining
not only what we see but how we see it. Each of the cinematographic
elements below can be interrogated in every instance that it is used to
consider how it functions and what it signifies. Consider how the camera
is placed in relation to the material being filmed (profilmic event): at
what distance? at what angle? with or without movement and of what
kind? How does the use of the camera present and comment upon the
material?
CAMERA DISTANCE
Close-Up: A shot taken very close to the subject. Often a person's head, or
other significant object which fills the screen.
Extreme Close-up: A shot in which the scale of the object is even larger,
as when a small object, detail or body part (face, eyes, etc.) fills the
screen.
Medium Close-up: A shot framing the human figure from the chest up.
Medium Shot: A shot framing the human figure from the waist up.
Medium Long Shot: Frames human figure from the knees up.
Full Shot: Frames the human figure in its entirety.
Long Shot: A shot in which the object shown is small in relation to the
size of the screen. Frequently an interior establishing shot.
Extreme Long Shot: The subject is extremely small in relation to the size
of the screen. Frequently an exterior establishing shot.
Establishing Shot: Usually a long shot which establishes the spatial
relations between figures, objects and the setting of a film or scene.
CAMERA ANGLE:
Straight on or eye level: The camera is located at normal eye level in
relation to the subject.
High angle: The camera is positioned above the subject and shoots down
at it.
Low angle: The camera is positioned below the subject and shoots up at it.
Tilted or Dutch angle: The frame is not parallel to the horizon.
CAMERA MOVEMENT:
Pan (Panorama Shot): The camera rotates from a fixed position along a
horizontal plane (pan right/left; 360 degree pan).
Swish Pan: The camera moves very rapidly along the horizontal plane so
that the action appears blurred.
Tilt: To camera tilts up or vertically (tilt up/ tilt down).
Tracking shot: The camera travels in any direction (track backward,
forward, left, right). The camera can be mounted on a truck or dolly to
permit high-speed movement.
FRAMING: Consider the edges/borders of the image. How are shots
framed and what vantage point does that framing provide for the
spectator? Are things framed frontally, centrally? Are they cropped and
fragmented?
IV. STAGING/ MISE-EN-SCENE
This refers to everything that is staged before the camera. As you screen
films you should consider how the elements below are manipulated and
what effects they create.
SETTING:Where is the action staged? Is it shot on location, in a studio?
What are the indicators of period and place? Is the set "naturalistic" or
stylized? How are landscapes and architecture used? What do props and
sets signify?
COLOR & TONE: Film stocks, developing processes, tinting and other
means can be used to alter the intensity and texture of color and contrast.
Consider when color technologies are used and to what ends? When and
how is black and white used? Is the tone sharp, grainy, modulated? Are
colors naturalistic and/or artificial? What are the effects of the various
uses of color and tone?
LIGHTING: Consider what is illuminated and what isn't. Is the lighting
harsh, hard, soft, diffused, tinted? Does the lighting appear naturalistic,
artificial? Are certain places, objects or characters lit in particular ways?
What moods and atmospheres are created through light?
High-key lighting: Bright illumination, few or no shadows, and
minimum contrast. Low-key lighting: Dim or dark lighting effect.
Three-point lighting: A common set up using three directions of light on
a scene: from behind the subjects (backlighting); from one bright source
(key light); and from a dimmer source opposite the key light (fill light).
ACTING and FIGURE MOVEMENT: What are the characteristics of the
acting? What do gestures, expressions and body language signify? How
are figures placed and choreographed within the shot, scene, frame?
COSTUMES and MAKE-UP: What are the cultural, economic, and political
connotations of clothing and make-up? Are they obvious and showy,
"natural" and unobtrusive?
COMPOSITION: The main graphic composition of the shot. Consider the
framing of the image, the placement of figures within the frame, the
organization and division of space, and the special relations of figures
and objects within the frame. Is the space open, tight, ordered, chaotic?
What is included and excluded? How does the frame construct the
image? You should also consider the movement of figures within the
frame and their relations in space.
V. SOUND
The possibilities for manipulating film and sound are as varied and
complex as those for manipulating filmic images. We need to consider all
of the different kinds of sound (and silence) that punctuate a film, the
relations between these various elements, and the relations between
sound and images.
SOUND EFFECTS: What kind of sound effects are there? Do they sound
artificial or "natural"? Are they subjective? What is their purpose and
significance?
DIALOGUE: What kinds of languages, dialects, accents, and slang are
spoken? Who speaks and in what ways? What kinds of characterizations
are made through dialogue?
VOICE-OVER/VOICE-OFF: Voice-over narration is a narration told from
an off-screen voice. Consider who the narrator is--a character, a
disembodied authority? What power and interpretations do the voiceover represent? How does the voice-over narration relate to the camera's
narration? Is the voice-over omniscient, reliable, unreliable?
MUSIC: Is the source within the story world of the film (diegetic) or not
(non-diegetic/extradiegetic)? Is the source of the music visible (onscreen) or beyond the frame (off-screen)? What does the music signify?
How does it relate to the image?
SYNCHRONIZATION/ASYNCHRONIZATION: Does the sound match the
image? Are they in synch? Does sound carry over from one scene to
another (sound bridge)? What relationships are established between
sound and image?
SILENCE: When is there silence and why? Are particular characters
prone to silence?
VI. ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS OF FILM
Innovations in technology, computer graphics and animation, screen size
and shape, special effects, sound effects, etc. continue to build and modify
the possible ways in which films are constructed. Watch and listen for
any additional elements you discover beyond those listed here.
*borrowed from Susan Courtney, University of South Carolina
HANDOUT # 17
RUBRIC FOR CRITICAL LENS ESSAY
Excellent Essay
Unity
Support
Coherence
Sentence Skills
The essay is
The main point
The essay is
There are little
unified and
has at least
well organized.
to know
main point.
supporting
utilizes
errors, the
statement is
author uses
between
nicely and are
clearly stated.
quotes and
paragraphs.
written in a
sticks to the
The thesis
three
examples. The
evidence from
The author
transitions
grammatical
sentences flow
coherent
text to back up
manner.
main points.
Average Essay
The essay is
There are three
The essay is
There are some
generally
supporting
slightly
grammatical
sometimes
they might not
There are some
sentences may
stray from the
all be strong.
transitions
be choppy.
unified but will
main topic.
examples but
Author uses
There is a thesis some quotes
Poor Essay
unorganized.
between
errors. A few
paragraphs.
statement.
and evidence.
The essay is
The essay is
The essay is not
The essay
very hard to
lacking
organized.
contains many
follow and
supporting
There are no
of the
from the main
Author hardly
between
ons, fragments,
topic. There is
uses quotes and paragraphs
irregular verbs,
statement.
lacking.
agreement,
often strays
no thesis
examples.
evidence is
transitions
following: run-
subject-verb
misplaced or
dangling
modifiers,
confused
words,
misspelled
words, faulty
parallelism,
slang, or
contractions