Interview the person below you

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Foreign languages in school were easy for me to learn

Japanese was harder than french

Japanese sentence structure (relationals) are difficult to pick up

French is similar to English

Japanese is similar to Chinese




If someone asked you , not at a job interview , what your ten biggest accomplishments were, what's the answer?

1. Obtaining my liberty
2. Adopting my nephew
3. Adopting my dog
4. Academics and Uni
5. Home ownership
6. Speaking after a period of total mutism
7. Dealing with legal matters (from trauma)
8. Dealing with CPTSD - I'm not recovered but I'm self-aware now
9. Recovering (mostly) from my stroke and from 10+ surgeries
0. Seeking and understanding my autism diagnosis, received just this year

same q

Finding God (He wasn’t lost - I was)

Taking care of in laws (hospice in our home)

Marriage & family

Encouraging & bringing hope to others

Speaking at local, regional and national conventions

Retired after a good career

Winning Corporate Challenge (age group) swimming event

Continuing learning about harmonica
after 4 decades

Learning to walk again after injury

Admitting when I’m wrong

Balance

Not necessarily in order

It would be hard for me to name ten accomplishments, but here are some of mine:

1. Learning English as a second language (German was my first) and learning Spanish in high school
2. Getting a Master's Degree in English
3. Having many pets that lived very long lives, including an 18 year old cat, Peter and a 20 year old cat, Samantha
4. Finally getting my driver's license at 48 years of age
5. Returning to Toastmasters in 2015 after an absence of sixteen years
6. Winning the Literacy Council Spelling Bee in 2013 and 2016
7. Singing in the choir at church
8. Winning second place in a Toastmasters Speech Evaluation contest (2017)
9. Starting tennis lessons at 50 years of age
10. Having fun with all of the new things I have done in the last five years.

Same q.

Honestly, I can't think of a full 10.

On the assessment front, what if anything kept you from going through with it, and what made you reach the decision to do it?

translates as?
what sort of assessment?
what does it mean, do you mean diagnose?
if it's that - the language, most people judge an accent as retardedness, the principle of external authority doesn't go much for me, and the combination of that,
and you must go to the capital city, i can't even afford to go there to get my id updated



same question

I was assessed twice, once by a hospital psychiatrist and later by a clinical psychologist specialising in ASD. The first assessment happened while I was being treated in hospital for clinical depression, so I didn't really have to do anything other than answer some more questions. The second assessment I had to set up once I was out of hospital. Initially I couldn't be bothered, and I was also worried about being thought of as "autistic" and "clinically depressed". But then I thought I should at least have some sessions with a psychologist, so I chose one who specialised in ASD and got assessed again. Both gave me a diagnosis of AS (this was just before the DSM-5 was published).

Same question. (Or if you haven't been assessed, do you think you eventually will, and what would influence your decision either way?)

I don't seek an assessment because I don't want to jeopardize the gains I have made in life. Also, I don't want to be assessed by a tester who is rude and condescending.

Same q.

I have Complex Trauma and I've been working with a trauma psychologist for many years. ASD was never considered or suggested because all of my traits were attributed to PTSD. It wasn't until the last year or two that I started to wonder, because I had the ASD characteristics since I was a baby whereas my trauma didn't begin until I was in my 30s. I scored off the charts on the online quizzes (49/50 on AQ and others). It was difficult to find someone who would refer me for specialised assessment because of my PTSD complicating the matter, and because I'm female. Females present differently and, historically, have a harder time being diagnosed. I found a female PhD Psychologist who specialises in adult female diagnoses, and given all my developmental and childhood documentation plus nearly 20 hours of testing, I was identified as Level 2 Autism with Complex PTSD, Agoraphobia, Depression and Anxiety.

I do believe that if people think they're on the spectrum they should seek a diagnosis, regardless of the implications. Self-awareness has helped me to assuage and reframe much of the confusion, regret and angst from my childhood and young adult years.

same q.

My wife came home with a stack of books from the library.

The subject How to live with someone with autism.

Self awareness has helped me in life as well as in theatre, improvisation, comedy and a many decade career in the former as well as mental health.

I was late diagnosed - post 60 and my therapist had to consult with colleagues to confirm diagnosis.

I did the online quizzes and even had friends (3) take them. They all scored very low. I “passsed” with high marks.

When did you truly LOL
after seeing or reading something online.

I laugh out loud multiple times a day reading WP. There are so many creative and funny people on here! I was just thinking yesterday that I don't recall laughing out loud while alone ever before, until I joined WP.

(Correction: I always laugh while reading Villette)!

I'm glad your wife is reading those books. There are many books which might benefit you as well. ASD presents us with a continuous learning journey, but an interesting journey at that.

Do you have many tasks to do today?

I read them and more.
Being in mental health I also have gone to workshops. Only 1 person at work knew about my diagnosis before I retired.

Lots to do.
We moved last year and we decided to switch out 2 rooms. ( 2nd bedroom with the toy / music room).

Aside I do more smile while reading SWR- than true LOL.

I do love to laugh.

Are you OK with quiet?

I LOL online at cat videos-meow!

I had a lot of tasks on my list yesterday and accomplished most of them.

I like quiet, but I also don't mind everyday conversation and activity. I do hate loud, obnoxious noises.

Same question re. quiet

I love silence (although I have tinnitus , so it's all relative). Right now all I hear is a clock ticking far off in another room (it's a low sound and it doesn't bother me at a distance), and I hear the wind outdoors. I choose when and where I'll add sound. I barely ever watch TV. I listen to a lot of music but I have to be "in charge" of it and decide the volume. Hearing music when I don't want to is a big red no.

What's your 'worst' sound?

I cannot tolerate the crinkling of snack bags like crisps or biscuit bags. I'd rather be waterboarded. I honestly can't tolerate it at all ... almost to the point of madness.

Electronic music unless I am doing cardio at the gym. (Like spin class even then it can get annoying. )
It’s quiet here now as the cats have gone back to sleep

What present do you often get.

Mine include wind up toys.

That obnoxious rap music that emanates from people's car speakers. It does something to me physically. I can feel my heartbeat sounding funny.

I also can't stand whispering. I'd rather hear people speak in their normal voices (not shouting, just plain speech).

Whistling, especially aimless whistling, annoys me.

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Same q.