Friday, December 9, 2016

Autism and Christmas

Autism and Christmas

The closer we get to Christmas, and the older he gets, the more involved he becomes. He starts asking about when our tree will be up, what colored lights will be on the tree, and how much time off will he get. If we try to skip anything (like outdoor lights for example) he now knows to call us on our slacking.  Autism and Christmas promises to be interesting this year!
More than any other holiday or occasion, my son loves Christmas. He is just like me this way. It is more than just the presents that he loves, there are so many surrounding factors as many of us know.
These days it begins after Halloween when we visit the big box stores. The Christmas decorations are on full display in the blink of an eye and he knows that the time has begun.
Autism and Christmas

This is the beginning of all the sights and sounds that he loves. The beginning of lights, fake snowmen, bells and commercials on TV. After Thanksgiving, things really start to kick in!

This holiday season has run rife with inconsistency and deviations from tradition. We have already changed the routine with Thanksgiving this year. We told the grandparents we would visit them for Christmas so they skipped Thanksgiving at our house for the first time in twelve years.

Now we will be traveling and not spending Christmas in the home. We shall see what happens!

Mark Ferdinand is the writer of the adventure novel "Fortune on the Spectrum".  He lives on the South Texas coast with his wife, daughter and son. Fishing the surf, hunting, gardening, tiki-carving, and repairs occupy his spare time. He has written on the topic of autism spectrum disorder from a father's perspective in parenting articles and in other non-fiction venues. Having limited typical communication skills, his son introduced Mark to new ways of interpreting his needs and aspirations. As his son grew older Mark became fascinated by the story potential within these amazing children. This prompted the creation of a dynamic adventure story focusing on a character with autism.
After completing his first novel, Fortune on the Spectrum, he decided to compile a group of lifetime stories that brought him to the unusual occupation of snake venom extraction called You're Gonna' Get Bit!: Harrowing Tales of Herpetology.

Books by Mark Ferdinand are available here:

Amazon Page

iTunes

Google Play

 

 

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Autism and Thanksgiving

Autism and Thanksgiving

As I write this we are preparing for this year’s thanksgiving festivities. This year, however, promises to be a bit of a blow to his routine. For the last ten years or so, we have enjoyed visits from his grandparents for the entire week. I would take most of the week off, and we would enjoy visiting, eating, drinking, and going to restaurants. This year is a new experience with autism and Thanksgiving.

What leads me to believe that he will be at least slightly thrown off, are the questions coming up this year now that he can identify the fact that this year is different.
By this time his grandparents (called Oma and Opa) would have been here. By this time I would have already taken off work. He is happy to be off school and at home, but he knows that something is amiss.

Autism and Thanksgiving
Autism and Thanksgiving


Update: Maturity does have a positive effect on his dealings with changes. Thanksgiving came and went, and we informed him repeatedly that we would be seeing Oma and Opa on Christmas and that “This year is different”.

He now understands that when we say “Today is different” or “This year is different” he is in for a change to what he is used to, and better be ready to deal with it. I promised to take him to the restaurant on the following weekend, and we ended up making a father/son day out of it.

Autism Author Mark Ferdinand

Mark Ferdinand is a Texas author living on Padre Island with his wife, daughter and son. Fishing the surf, hunting, gardening, carving, auto and home repair occupy his spare time. He has written on the topic of autism spectrum disorder from a father's perspective in parenting articles and in other non-fiction venues.

Having limited typical communication skills, his son introduced Mark to new ways of interpreting his needs and aspirations. As his son grew older Mark became fascinated by the story potential within these amazing children. This prompted the creation of a dynamic adventure story focusing on a character with autism.

Books by Mark Ferdinand are available here:

 

Amazon Page

iTunes

Google Play

 

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Herpetology Books

Herpetology Books


Texas author Mark Ferdinand tells tales of his adventures with reptiles and amphibians. This is his first venture into herpetology books after authoring the adventure novel – Fortune on the Spectrum. From chasing frogs as a child, to milking venomous snakes for a living, Mark Ferdinand explores a lifetime of tales from the world of reptiles and amphibians.

Herpetology books
Herpetology books
Whether it’s a quest for his first turtle, keeping crocodiles in his closet, or chasing snakes around the workplace, You’re Gonna’ Get Bit!:Harrowing Tales of Herpetology has a story that all “herpers” and nature lovers can relate to and enjoy.

For those like the creepy crawly reptiles and amphibians. Fun tales from amateur fun to professional pitfalls.

Mark Ferdinand has a scientific collector’s permit when collecting venomous snakes. He has always had a love for herpetology books. He has worked with venomous animals for biomedical research for over ten years and has extracted venom over twenty thousand times without serious incident. Knock on wood as hard as I can!!


You’re Gonna’ Get Bit! is available in the following formats:
Paperback (Amazon)
Kindle (Amazon)
Android (Google Play)
ePub (iBooks and iTunes)

Herpetology Author
Mark Ferdinand
Mark Ferdinand lives on the South Texas coast with his wife, daughter and son. Fishing the surf, hunting, gardening, carving, auto and home repair occupy his spare time. He has written on the topic of autism spectrum disorder from a father’s perspective in parenting articles and in other non-fiction venues. 
Having limited typical communication skills, his son introduced Mark to new ways of interpreting his needs and aspirations. As his son grew older Mark became fascinated by the story potential within these amazing children. This prompted the creation of a dynamic adventure story focusing on a character with autism. After completing his first novel, Fortune on the Spectrum, he decided to compile a group of lifetime stories that brought him to the unusual occupation of snake venom extraction called You’re Gonna’ Get Bit!: Harrowing Tales of Herpetology.

Herpetology books author and Texas author Mark Ferdinand. Mark writes novels with autistic characters, Texas fiction, and true tales of reptiles and amphibians. Books available in paperback, Kindle, Android and Apple devices.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Texas Writer

Texas Writer

Texas Writer
Texas writer Mark Ferdinand, a resident of Corpus Christi, Texas has a son with autism that inspires him every day.  Mark’s experience enables him to bring a unique character to life in the world of fiction. With the increase of special needs characters as a trend in books, movies and television, Mark is able to approach the creation of such characters with a realism and respect not often seen in popular media.

Texas Writer
Fortune on the Spectrum is a novel in which the main character has autism. Traits of his autism give him great focus on his obsession with day trading the stock market. He becomes the youngest self-made millionaire in Texas history.
Mark published his new non-fiction work entitled You’re Gonna’ Get Bit! Harrowing Tales of Herpetology.

Texas Writer
After completing his first novel, Mark decided to compile a group of stories that brought him to the unusual occupation of snake venom extraction. For those like the creepy crawly reptiles and amphibians, these are tales from amateur fun to professional pitfalls.

From chasing frogs as a child, to milking venomous snakes for a living, Mark Ferdinand explores a lifetime of tales from the world of reptiles and amphibians. Whether it’s a quest for his first turtle, keeping crocodiles in his closet, or chasing snakes around the workplace, You’re Gonna’ Get Bit! has a story that all “herpers” and nature lovers can relate to and enjoy.
Mark Ferdinand writes on topics considered unusual for a Texas author.

Fortune on the Spectrum and You’re Gonna’ Get Bit! are from Texas writer Mark Ferdinand and available through Amazon in both paperback and Kindle. Both are also available for Android (Google Play) and Apple (iTunes).

Friday, September 23, 2016

Autism in Fiction

Autism in Fiction


The Texas-based novel “Fortune on the Spectrum” delves deeply into the life of Denny Jagen, an autistic character.  Although autism in fiction is unusual, Texas author Mark Ferdinand was inspired to write an adventure novel by his son who was diagnosed with autism at age three.  He imagined what kind of adventures such a character may have as he overcame challenges of normal society.

Autism in Fiction
Denny Jagen was diagnosed with autism at three years of age. Autism gave him the gift of obsession. This gift made him the youngest, self-made millionaire in Texas history. Autism also made him vulnerable to the forces of the outside world, of both society and nature. Fortune on the Spectrum is the journey of an unstoppable young man, destined to succeed and challenged to survive. Denny’s story takes you through struggle, humor, love, finance and danger from the voice of an atypical mind.

Autism in Fiction
Mark Ferdinand lives on the South Texas coast with his wife, daughter and son. Fishing the surf, hunting, gardening, carving, auto and home repair occupy his spare time. He has written on the topic of autism spectrum disorder from a father’s perspective in parenting articles and in other non-fiction venues. Having limited typical communication skills, his son introduced Mark to new ways of interpreting his needs and aspirations. As his son grew older Mark became fascinated by the story potential within these amazing children. This prompted the creation of a dynamic adventure story focusing on a character with autism.

Corpus Christi author and Texas author Mark Ferdinand. Mark writes novels with autistic characters, and Texas fiction.  Mark is actively working on the next installment of the life of Denny Jagen, exploring HAUTISM, and other fun projects to come. 

Autism in fiction writer Mark Ferdinand writes novels with autistic characters, Texas fiction, and true tales of reptiles and amphibians. Paperback, Kindle and Android and Apple versions of his work are available.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

COLORADO AUTHOR

COLORADO AUTHOR

Colorado born author Mark Ferdinand is the author of the autism adventure novel Fortune on the Spectrum and the book You're Gonna' Get Bit!: Harrowing Tales of Herpetology.

Colorado Author

Mark was born and raised in Longmont, Colorado attending Longs Peak Jr. High and Longmont High School. He earned a degree in Technical Journalism at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He now lives on Padre Island on the Texas coast, but is still a frequent Colorado visitor with ties to the family cabin.

Fishing the surf, hunting, gardening, carving, auto and home repair occupy his spare time. He has written on the topic of autism spectrum disorder from a father's perspective in parenting articles and in other non-fiction venues.
Colorado Author

Having limited typical communication skills, his son introduced Mark to new ways of interpreting his needs and aspirations. As his son grew older Mark became fascinated by the story potential within these amazing children. This prompted the creation of a dynamic adventure story focusing on a character with autism.

After completing his first novel, Fortune on the Spectrum, he decided to compile a group of lifetime stories that brought him to the unusual occupation of snake venom extraction called You're Gonna' Get Bit!: Harrowing Tales of Herpetology.

For those like the creepy crawly reptiles and amphibians. Fun tales from amateur fun to professional pitfalls.

From chasing frogs as a child, to milking venomous snakes for a living, Mark Ferdinand explores a lifetime of tales from the world of reptiles and amphibians.

Colorado Author

Whether it's a quest for his first turtle, keeping crocodiles in his closet, or chasing snakes around the workplace, You're Gonna' Get Bit! has a story that all "herpers" and nature lovers can relate to and enjoy.

Corpus Christi author and Colorado author Mark Ferdinand. Mark writes novels with autistic characters, Texas fiction, and true tales of reptiles and amphibians. Paperback, Kindle, Apple and Android app.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Semi Above Ground Pool

Semi Above Ground Pool

I built a semi above ground pool for my son with autism. My son helped me dig the area for this pool!
Semi Above Ground Pool - Leveling
Semi Above Ground Pool - Leveling

There are times when I cannot bring my son to the beach. Still, he needs more exercise and he loves swimming. I got quotes for in-ground pools but they wanted WAY too much money. I decided to build a semi in-ground pool.  I ordered the pool kit online and spent all of my spare time working on this project over a three month period. Finished just in time for winter!
Semi Above Ground Pool - Lavout, Supports and Pressure Plates
Semi Above Ground Pool - Lavout, Supports and Pressure Plates

The project was well worth it. Having autism, my son does not have a lot of extra-curricular activities. Most of the time he is indoors playing videos on his tablet.  Pools have always been something that can take him away from that.


Semi Above Ground Pool - Wall installation and sand floor
Semi Above Ground Pool - Wall installation and sand floor

We have used the pool all summer and we love it. Fall is around the corner so I hope we can continue to enjoy it for a couple more months here in South Texas.

Semi Above Ground Pool - Liner installation
Semi Above Ground Pool - Liner installation




Semi Above Ground Pool - Back Landscaping Begins
Semi Above Ground Pool - Back Landscaping Begins


Semi Above Ground Pool - View 1 landscaping
Semi Above Ground Pool - View 1 landscaping




Semi Above Ground Pool - View 2 landscaping
Semi Above Ground Pool - View 2 landscaping
This is an oval, semi above ground pool from the pool factory. This pool had to be made level on sloping sand.






























You can watch a video that covers some of the installation process:



About me:
Texas author Mark Ferdinand, a resident of Corpus Christi, Texas has a son with autism that inspires him every day.  Mark’s experience enables him to bring a unique character to life in the world of fiction. With the increase of special needs characters as a trend in books, movies and television, Mark is able to approach the creation of such characters with a realism and respect not often seen in popular media.

After completing his first novel, Mark decided to compile a group of stories that brought him to the unusual occupation of snake venom extraction. For those like the creepy crawly reptiles and amphibians, these are tales from amateur fun to professional pitfalls.

Mark Ferdinand books:
Fortune on the Spectrum
You’re Gonna’ Get Bit! Harrowing Tales of Herpetology

Mark's books are also available in digital format from Amazon (Kindle) GooglePlay (Android) and iBooks (Apple devices). Also, feel free to ask questions about this semi above ground pool project.

Reptile Books

Reptile Books


Texas author Mark Ferdinand tells tales of his adventures with reptiles and amphibians. This is his first venture into reptile books after authoring the adventure novel – Fortune on the Spectrum.
From chasing frogs as a child, to milking venomous snakes for a living, Mark Ferdinand explores a lifetime of tales from the world of reptiles and amphibians.

Reptile Books


Whether it’s a quest for his first turtle, keeping crocodiles in his closet, or chasing snakes around the workplace, You’re Gonna’ Get Bit! has a story that all “herpers” and nature lovers can relate to and enjoy.

For those like the creepy crawly reptiles and amphibians. Fun tales from amateur fun to professional pitfalls.

Mark Ferdinand has a scientific collector’s permit when collecting venomous snakes. He has always had a love for herpetology books. He has worked with venomous animals for biomedical research for over ten years and has extracted venom over twenty thousand times without serious incident. Knock on wood as hard as I can!!


You’re Gonna’ Get Bit! is available in the following formats:
Paperback (Amazon)
Kindle (Amazon)
Android (Google Play)
ePub (iBooks and iTunes)

Mark Ferdinand lives on the South Texas coast with his wife, daughter and son. Fishing the surf, hunting, gardening, carving, auto and home repair occupy his spare time. He has written on the topic of autism spectrum disorder from a father’s perspective in parenting articles and in other non-fiction venues.
Reptile Books
 
Having limited typical communication skills, his son introduced Mark to new ways of interpreting his needs and aspirations. As his son grew older Mark became fascinated by the story potential within these amazing children. This prompted the creation of a dynamic adventure story focusing on a character with autism. After completing his first novel, Fortune on the Spectrum, he decided to compile a group of lifetime stories that brought him to the unusual occupation of snake venom extraction called You’re Gonna’ Get Bit!: Harrowing Tales of Herpetology.

Reptile books author and Texas author Mark Ferdinand. Mark writes novels with autistic characters, Texas fiction, and true tales of reptiles and amphibians. Books available in paperback, Kindle, Android and Apple devices.

Friday, August 19, 2016

Autism Novel Author

Autism Novel Author - Mark Ferdinand

Mark Ferdinand lives on Padre Island with his wife, daughter and son. Fishing the surf, hunting, gardening, carving, auto and home repair occupy his spare time. He has written on the topic of autism spectrum disorder from a father’s perspective in parenting articles and in other non-fiction venues. An autism novel author with experience.

Autism Author
Mark Ferdinand - Autism Author



Having limited typical communication skills, his son introduced Mark to new ways of interpreting his needs and aspirations. As his son grew older Mark became fascinated by the story potential within these amazing children. This prompted the creation of a dynamic adventure story focusing on a character with autism.

Autism novel
Autism Books
Fortune on the Spectrum is a novel in which the main character has autism. Traits of his autism give him great focus on his obsession with day trading the stock market. He becomes the youngest self-made millionaire in Texas history.

Mark also published his new non-fiction work entitled You’re Gonna’ Get Bit! Harrowing Tales of Herpetology.


Autism novel author Mark Ferdinand's books are available in paperback or Kindle through Amazon. Also in digital format for Android through Google Play. Also available from iBooks.




Books by
Mark Ferdinand

  • Autism and Fatherhood
  • Fortune on the Spectrum –
    An Adventure Novel
  • You’re Gonna’ Get Bit! –
    Harrowing Tales of Herpetology
     
  • The Autistic Prankster –
    Enjoying the Fun Side of Autism
  • Every Tiki has a Spirit
  • Bachelor on the Spectrum
    (Coming Soon!)


Beyond paperback Mark’s books can be
purchased for Kindle, Android, and Apple devices.

Fortune on the Spectrum


American Author

Fortune on the Spectrum

Denny was diagnosed with autism at three years of age. Autism gave him the gift of obsession. This gift made him the youngest, self-made millionaire in Texas history. Autism also made him vulnerable to the forces of the outside world, of both society and nature.

Fortune on the Spectrum is the journey of an unstoppable young man, destined to succeed and challenged to survive. Denny's story takes you through struggle, humor, love, finance and danger from the voice of an atypical mind.

Autism Author Mark Ferdinand

Mark Ferdinand lives on Padre Island with his wife, daughter and son. Fishing the surf, hunting, gardening, carving, auto and home repair occupy his spare time. He has written on the topic of autism spectrum disorder from a father’s perspective in parenting articles and in other non-fiction venues. An autism author with experience.

Having limited typical communication skills, his son introduced Mark to new ways of interpreting his needs and aspirations. As his son grew older Mark became fascinated by the story potential within these amazing children. This prompted the creation of a dynamic adventure story focusing on a character with autism.
 

Fortune on the Spectrum is available for download from iBooks on your Mac or iOS device. Also available for Paperback and Kindle (Amazon) and Android (Google Play)

Desert snake trip. Herping for research.

Desert snake trip. Herping for research.



Collecting venomous snakes in the desert. I have a scientific collector's permit to collect specimens for biomedical research. On this trip I collected Western Diamondback, Sidewinder and Mojave Rattlesnake. The video below is: Desert snake trip. Herping for research.





For those that like the creepy crawly reptiles and amphibians. Fun tales from amateur fun to professional pitfalls. Texas author Mark Ferdinand tells true reptile stories in his adventure book - You're Gonna' Get Bit! Harrowing Tales of Herpetology.
From chasing frogs as a child, to milking venomous snakes for a living, Mark Ferdinand explores a lifetime of tales from the world of reptiles and amphibians.
Whether it's a quest for his first turtle, keeping crocodiles in his closet, or chasing snakes around the workplace, You're Gonna' Get Bit! has a story that all "herpers" and nature lovers can relate to and enjoy.

Herping for Research
Mark Ferdinand lives on the South Texas coast with his wife, daughter and son. Fishing the surf, hunting, gardening, tiki-carving, auto and home repair occupy his spare time. He performs daily extractions from venomous snakes for an internationally recognized biomedical research institution. He is a lifetime naturalist and keeper of reptiles and amphibians both personally and professionally for fun and research.

After completing his first novel, Fortune on the Spectrum, he decided to compile a group of lifetime stories that brought him to the unusual occupation of snake venom extraction called You're Gonna' Get Bit!: Harrowing Tales of Herpetology.
Mark has written on the topic of autism spectrum disorder from a father's perspective in parenting articles and in other non-fiction venues.
Having limited typical communication skills, his son introduced Mark to new ways of interpreting his needs and aspirations. As his son grew older Mark became fascinated by the story potential within these amazing children. This prompted the creation of a dynamic adventure story focusing on a character with autism.
Corpus Christi author and Texas author Mark Ferdinand. Mark writes novels with autistic characters, Texas fiction, and true tales of reptiles and amphibians. Mark's books are available in the following formats:
Paperback - Amazon
Kindle - Amazon
Android - Google Play