This year marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Bernard Rimland's book, Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior. With the publication of this revolutionary book, Dr. Rimland single-handedly transformed the field of autism research and treatment.

Soon after he realized that his son Mark had autism, Dr. Rimland began scouring the research literature to figure out how best to help him. He reviewed the literature in great detail, and soon realized that the entire professional community supported a psychodynamic cause of autism without any scientific evidence. In his book, Dr. Rimland convincingly demonstrated that the published evidence was consistent with an organic, physiological cause.

Note: Jessica Kingsley Publishers will be reprinting a 50th anniversary edition of Dr. Rimland's seminal book this year. Besides the original text, the book will include updates from many of the top experts in the field.

When I travel around the country to attend conferences and meetings, many parents and professionals ask me about Dr. Rimland's son Mark. How old he is, what he does, where he lives, and so on. I feel fortunate to know Mark very well. I met him when I was 19 years of age, and he was 21. Over the years, we have developed a very close friendship. We usually go out for breakfast on Sunday mornings, and we try to get together at least one or two more times during the week.
 
Mark is now 58 years old, and lives with his mother and brother in Kensington, a small district in San Diego. Similar to his father, Mark loves to converse with people, has a great sense of humor, and has many friends in the neighborhood. Mark does not drive a car, but he can take the city bus. He often strolls around his neighborhood to greet people and to get a little sunshine. He likes to visit a local coffee shop in the evenings, and spends time visiting with friends and drinking herbal tea. People in the community often comment that Mark is the unofficial "Mayor of Kensington."

One of Mark's closest friends is Gregory Page,  a popular singer-songwriter in San Diego who also has a strong following in other countries, including Australia and the Netherlands. Internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter Jason Mraz and Jim Croce's son A.J. have produced many of Gregory's albums. Gregory has used Mark's artwork on two of his album covers, and he wrote the cover track about Mark for one of his albums titled "All Make Believe."

 

Mark has a calendar memory, and he sometimes entertains people by telling them what day of the week they were born once they tell him their birth date. He also has an incredible memory for events in his life, often describing minute details and the exact date. He loves listening to music, including songs by the Beatles and the Doors, and enjoys reading books.

 

Mark is an established artist, and his works sell for hundreds or sometimes even thousands of dollars; he started painting at the age of 21. Mark even remembers the date when he started painting-September 15, 1977-since this was a memorable moment in his life. Read More 

Participants who complete the new Adult Medical Survey and/or the updated ARI E-2 Survey will automatically be entered for a chance to win an Apple iPad.

TITLE	PRESENTER	WATCH NOW
Positive Reinforcement - It's That Important*	Regan Roth-Fitzgerald, MEd, BCBA
Addressing Anxiety and OCD in ASD	Suruchi Chandra, MD
Neuroinflammation in ASD	Andrew Zimmerman, MD
Housing and Programs for Adults with ASD*	Claire Schutte, Psy-D, BCBA

* Presented in Partnership with The Johnson Center for Child Health & Development