Summary: In studying this week's featured vocabulary word, I own up to a broken promise to you, and relate how that's like the wishy-washy pronunciation of the WOW word. I also offer you a free preview of my online communications workbook.
Renege - a verb meaning to deny or revoke something, or to go back on a promise. For example, "That blogger reneged on her promise to post a very interesting article last week about living with Asperger Syndrome!"
Forgive me for being behind in my blog posts. I do have the best intentions, but not always the best time management skills. (Or as my colleague James terms it more fittingly: time blocking.) In short, I can sometimes be unorganized. The article about Brian King is still forthcoming. And in the meantime, I hope you'll check out the free preview of the Speak Your Truth communications e-workbook that I did dedicate more of my attention—and a decent little block of time—to last week.
Probably the most interesting thing about this week's word is that it has at least three totally different, but acceptable, pronunciations: rih - NEG, rih - NAYG or ree - NIG. In the U.K., (where pronunciation is also varied), it's even acceptable to pronounce this word rih - NEEG.
Why so many differing vowel sounds? It may seem like the answer is "Why, to confuse you, of course!" but that isn't so. The truth of the matter is that this word has been handed down to us from its 16th century Latin origin through a variety of languages, including Spanish, German and Old English—each of which pronounces vowel sounds quite distinctly differently. Perhaps it makes sense that a word that means "to go back on" is unreliable in its pronunciation?
I don't know. How good is your word?
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Showing posts with label Brian King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian King. Show all posts
Oct 25, 2010
Oct 13, 2010
This Week's Brain Challenge: Autism
Summary: What does the word autism mean to you? Over the next couple of weeks, we'll explore some resources and meet at least one expert that can share some examples of empowerment in ASDs.
Often, when I hear the word autism, I'm transported to a visceral memory of sitting in a doctor's office, waiting as patiently as an 11-year-old can for my great-grandmother to emerge. (Some parts of the memory are foggy, such as where exactly this doctor's office was and if, in fact, it really was my great-grandmother's appointment and not that of someone else.) And within this memory, I am transported into a story.
The story—rather, the article I was reading during my time in the waiting room—was about a little boy with autism, and how his parents were thrilled that a dolphin-swim adventure in Florida (or perhaps Hawaii) had seemingly brought him out of his 'world' within. This story gripped me fully: I have a vivid inner world of creativity. Was I autistic?
The writer of the article strove to paint a picture with words, something that is typically a challenge for people with autism, since they don't operate with "theory of mind." (See more on this via the video link below.) Furthermore, the article was written primarily from the parents' point of view with mostly guesswork as to what this "world within" was like for the little boy with autism. Being a kid, myself, at the time, I was incredibly curious about his inner life.
What is autism? I've since learned along with the rest of the world that it's not something that strikes just anyone at any time, but is rather a difference in brain development that does have a genetic component. (The potential environmental factors are still in dispute.)
Often referred to nowadays as an Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, it is—like all brain challenges—on a continuum. Ranging from high-functioning (HFA) to severe, ASDs share some similar symptoms, no matter where they fall on the spectrum. Some of these are:
• difficulty making or holding eye contact
• confusion over social skills and etiquette
• challenges in reading body language or other cues
• further challenges in understanding one's own or others' emotions
• hyper-sensitivity to sensory stimuli (i.e., loud noises or certain odors or tastes)
• lack of "theory of mind"
• extraordinary intelligence.
Later this week and next, I'll be sharing some resources on autism/ASDs—including points from my interview with Brian King, M.S.W., who not only mentors ASD kids and their parents, but is the father of three sons on the autism spectrum, the husband to a wife with ASD, and even identifies himself as a Spectrumite along with the rest of his family. He knows a lot about this subject! Keep reading if you want to know more, too.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
Often, when I hear the word autism, I'm transported to a visceral memory of sitting in a doctor's office, waiting as patiently as an 11-year-old can for my great-grandmother to emerge. (Some parts of the memory are foggy, such as where exactly this doctor's office was and if, in fact, it really was my great-grandmother's appointment and not that of someone else.) And within this memory, I am transported into a story.
The story—rather, the article I was reading during my time in the waiting room—was about a little boy with autism, and how his parents were thrilled that a dolphin-swim adventure in Florida (or perhaps Hawaii) had seemingly brought him out of his 'world' within. This story gripped me fully: I have a vivid inner world of creativity. Was I autistic?
The writer of the article strove to paint a picture with words, something that is typically a challenge for people with autism, since they don't operate with "theory of mind." (See more on this via the video link below.) Furthermore, the article was written primarily from the parents' point of view with mostly guesswork as to what this "world within" was like for the little boy with autism. Being a kid, myself, at the time, I was incredibly curious about his inner life.
What is autism? I've since learned along with the rest of the world that it's not something that strikes just anyone at any time, but is rather a difference in brain development that does have a genetic component. (The potential environmental factors are still in dispute.)
Often referred to nowadays as an Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, it is—like all brain challenges—on a continuum. Ranging from high-functioning (HFA) to severe, ASDs share some similar symptoms, no matter where they fall on the spectrum. Some of these are:
• difficulty making or holding eye contact
• confusion over social skills and etiquette
• challenges in reading body language or other cues
• further challenges in understanding one's own or others' emotions
• hyper-sensitivity to sensory stimuli (i.e., loud noises or certain odors or tastes)
• lack of "theory of mind"
• extraordinary intelligence.
Later this week and next, I'll be sharing some resources on autism/ASDs—including points from my interview with Brian King, M.S.W., who not only mentors ASD kids and their parents, but is the father of three sons on the autism spectrum, the husband to a wife with ASD, and even identifies himself as a Spectrumite along with the rest of his family. He knows a lot about this subject! Keep reading if you want to know more, too.
© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2010
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