Letter to the editor
As a parent of an adult child with autism spectrum disorder, I read with great interest “Understanding autism from the inside out” in the winter issue of the Quarterly. The article on Matthew Goodwin ’98 described how he helped develop a biometric wristband that can track physiological changes associated with challenging behaviors in those who are diagnosed with the disorder.
We talk about the ABCs of behavior: antecedent, behavior and consequence. Many times, there seems to be no antecedent to an individual’s behavior. The biometric wristband will certainly give parents of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder advance notice that a challenging behavior is about to occur. This will enable parents to be better prepared to deal with such behavior.
Thank you, Matthew Goodwin, for your work to enhance the lives of children and adults with autism and their families.
Lucy Erhard
Former visiting instructor of Italian at Wheaton