Final+Proposal

=Autism=

Matthew Johnson
__**Background**__ I have decided to take autism as my topic because of the history I've had with it and how much I already know about it. I've had some form of autism ever since I could remember and I know that I currently have Asperger's Syndrome so I feel really interested to learn more about what I have as well as the other forms of the spectrum and how people generally deal with the disorder. Much of my research has shown me lots of things that I have already known but also lots of information about it that I didn't know before. It shows the simple facts of how it can be seen and the many different types but also facts I never knew such as costs to take care of a person with autism and kinds of treatments I never even knew of before. Using everything I know, I could finally answer the question I've been dying to have answered for years: How are autism and the autism spectrum affecting everybody's lives?

__**Vision**__ I believe this project will finally help people realize just how much autism affects every single one of them in their lives. It could be very helpful since chances are extremely likely that everybody will or already have encountered somebody that has it and knowing about autism could be very helpful in dealing with that person/people. My project, overall, will take my question into perspective and explain everything from people that have autism to people that have met someone with it or someone who could eventually encounter someone with it later in life. It will answer how people are being affected whether they know it or not and how they could deal with it. The final product (the presentation) of this project will be a rundown on what people with autism are generally like and how it can be seen as well as treated. Then it will go further into depth about how the autistic along with their family members and friends may have to deal with it and the challenges faced from having it or knowing someone who does. I'll end the presentation by giving everyone a basic understanding of what it is like having autism by sharing my personal story with it. I will explain the kinds of emotions one with autism could feel and help give them an idea of how people with autism could feel on a personal level by giving my story of having autism myself and how it has hindered me from doing certain things in my daily life.

__**Goals**__ My goals for this project include:
 * Giving people a basic understanding of autism and its many types across the spectrum
 * Help gain awareness for how serious an issue it truly is
 * Tell people my story with autism to give them an example of "walking in my shoes"
 * Help people understand the differences autism has from other disorders like ADHD and mental retardation
 * Help others as well as myself learn how others deal with the disorder differently
 * Help people for the future if they encounter someone with autism or have a child that gets diagnosed with autism

__**Products**__ Plenty of things are going to come out of this project and the presentation, along with my story of someone dealing with autism, are just one thing of the main few I try to accomplish. I'll also make a portfolio for the project (even though I have to automatically) to show how my knowledge has steadily increased and my understanding of it got better as I got further along with the project. My knowledge on the topic of autism is obviously important but I believe that others' knowledge of it is even more important to gather. That is why I plan on trying to have an Autism Awareness Day outside of Autism Awareness Month (April) at the school and could sell ribbons to help spread awareness of what the disorder truly is and how it affects everyone of them. If I can't go that far then I could at least try to sell ribbons at one of the sports events. All the ribbons would be cheap and all processes would go to the Autism Society of America to help awareness spread even further. Even if just one more person learns about the difficulties of people dealing with autism, a single changed mind could make a huge difference in this world.

__**Task Analysis**__ As far as I have gotten on the project already, there are still plenty of things needed for it to be truly done. I've made contact with the Autism Society of America and I'm expecting to get ribbons in order to help spread awareness and win a little money for the Society. I'm hoping to get the ribbons sold and awareness spread by as late as the beginning of December and am hoping I can at least get the opportunity to sell them at lunch and even at a sporting event for Springfield. I'm hoping a lot of people will offer donations and support in order to spread awareness and help my cause even more. I plan on selling these ribbons for as low as a dollar each and would accept extra donations if people were willing to give more. If I have to I'll try to get an announcement in the morning to announce that my ribbons are ready and could be purchased through me and maybe Mr. Martin if he is willing to sell a few for me. As far as the research is concerned, I've found almost everything I need but going into further depth with certain parts of the Autism Spectrum such as Asperger's Syndrome and high-functioning autism could certainly be helpful to make differences a little more clear. I have most of the general knowledge about the disorders so I should be able to get the research paper moving quite quickly.

__**Mentor and Topic Expert Analysis**__ My mentor, my mom who is a nurse at Chestnut Hill Hospital, is my mentor because not only is she my mom but she knows a lot about autism since she has taken care of me my whole life and I've been diagnosed since I was 3. I have learned and can learn even more from my mom how it is bearing a child or a family member that has autism and the kind of things that could be done in order to help that child develop properly. I try to communicate with my mom at least once a week concerning the project and I’ll tell her about new discoveries I get to get more of her input and keep her interest in my project. Mrs. Geheb, emotional support counselor at Springfield Township High School, was my choice for topic expert because of the students she had talked to that had autism and she knows a lot about the autism spectrum, particularly Asperger’s Disorder. I’ve already learned from her how people can outgrow autism and how some people with Asperger’s Syndrome are quite different from me and I’m always able to learn more about it just from her personal experiences of helping people that may have it. I usually see her at least once a week in person and I could always tell her what more I've learned from research and ask for her personal insight to compare it with mine for a possibly better understanding of the general view.

__**Conclusion**__ This project, I believe, isn't only the most important project in my life but it fells like a necessity to everyone in the world to learn about autism and it effects. Having autism myself, I'm going to have to gain more confidence as social shyness is a common symptom of those with it and I'm going to have to gather materials and advice from others that know a lot about autism so I can spread awareness as well as gather more insight on the disorder in order to get the project truly accomplished. I already have a great desire to do this project so motivation is easily achieved and previous knowledge could help build up around the kinds of information that I need to get more about. Developing a better level of social comfort could do so much to both help me with the project as well as show just how close someone with autism could be like people without it.