Autism on 60 Minutes Show tonight

Post Reply New Topic

What pissed me off about the show was towards the end. The Mom said of the baby that she didn't think he had autism because he's, "such a good boy."! !! ! WTF?!? Can people with autism not be "good"??? And is she implying that her other two boys are "bad"?!?

This is quite typical these days. Today's parents want only the 'best' children. They want the best automobile, the best house, the best hobby, and of course, the best child. The child is just another status symbol. They will only have one or two children, so as to not 'use up' the earth's resources. Those children will be raised and shown off like hot-house orchids. So if they have an Autistic child, that's bad. It reflects bad on them. They have bad genes. They're bad at parenting. They can't show off a bad child. Honestly, the way some parents act, it's like they want to lock the child in the attic so their status symbol loving friends won't see the BAD child....

Lau, did you just drop out? See, I always think I could cash out my 401K, move to Venzuela (Okay, first Chavez would have to calm down) and have a grass hut and a cabana boy. I mean seriously, what else do I need? My husband by the way says no. I think this is cruel and unusual Zanne treatment by a NT but he isn't buying it.

I did defiantly drop out last year for three months, but I wasn't on the dole. I had some stock I cashed in to carry me over. I was just in overload from losing my dad and my aunt at the same time I started a new job as a manager. It was too much. I needed to get my own head on straight and deal with that loss before getting another new job (this one not as a boss). And, part of that was because I dropped out before Christmas so I couldn't get in to interview until after the first of the year. I guess I'm not a real good drop out.

Unfortunately you still see that. I see it with the parents on here sometimes. I think it's so ingrained, they don't even realize the words they use and how much damage they can do. Also, I think many of them are in a highly emotional state because they are having difficulty handling it and many people in that state say some incredibly stupid things, Aspies included.

I guess so, but not exactly "just" now and not really on purpose.
I've just christened by blog here with this, roughly:

My recent history goes...
I'm paid more than I can spend. I take contacts, and then have time off.
2001 Sister has stroke, moves to France, while I'm on a 6 month £40/hr contract here.
2002 Stay here, live of excessive savings, tinker with projects.
2003 Do maths, C#
2004 Vegetate.
2005 Run out of money, lose cousin, lose friend of 45 years standing, become hermit.
2006 See GP about (non-)depression... start diagnosis - get it in December.
2007 ?
Basically, for the first time in my life, I was isolated for a long period. It seems to have thrown me off track. No doubt there'll be a train along sometime soon.

I wonder if you just grieve like I do. I have to (as my boss terms it) go home, plug in and recharge just from the workday. When I lost my father, then my aunt in such quick succession like that, I just seemed to shut down. I wanted to be away from everyone but my husband. I mean no contact. (Some don't get this at all and they drive me crazy with their neediness.) When I tried to take on a job that required contact with other people (i.e. managing) that just threw me over the edge and I couldn't take it. It's as if I needed to recharge for a long period to compensate for what had happened and that job wouldn't allow that. So, the job had to go. Now, my job is isolated again and my work is so rote for me having done it for so long, that it's actually almost like meditating when I'm at work. I'm still in the no contact with friends and barely any with family phase.

I have been through that before, if you think that's what is happening. I went through a summer where I had a cousin, friend and boyfriend's father (who I was very close to) commit suicide. That put me into the same state and I basically did nothing and saw no one for two years. I even moved far away and didn't leave my address.

At least if that is what's happening, you should pull out of it eventually. I am finally coming out of this last episode finally.

Yes if there's a real cure I want it. I hate being alone all my life being harrassed constantly and looking like a stupid moron in public being unable to sustain eye contact.

Well, I'm with you on that count. I go to kiss the Missus, and she'll say 'eye contact ! ! Eye contact!!', bloody embarrassing. I also hate being picked on, and dread having to find a job in an office. I told me therapist I worry I'll run afoul of some politically correct nitwit, and be turned out again. BUT I know damn well that if I took a pill, and lost all my ASpie traits, paople would tell me that I'm not 'me' anymore....

While spinner movement is fascinating I admit have you considered when you zone out like that it is a form of seizure activity? Absense seizures aren't always a threat to the person or others, but maybe it causes you to twitch or something and the person that asked if you were alright might have witnessed more than just a person staring at a spinner. So it might have looked like you needed rescuing. Maybe they have a family member with seizures or autistism and they thought they saw someone in trouble. Don't get mad at them for caring enough to ask a fellow human being if they were alright. You can always recreate the spinner moment in the privacy of your own home or garden. Get one of those whirly-gig spinner things on a stick that are made to stick in the garden and sit and contemplate that privately. Then you can spend as much time uninterrupted as you want.

I got harrassed at the grocery store the other day. Still not sure why. There was 4 self-checkout lines and I stood in one opposite this guy who was in another line. I didn't say a word I was minding my own business. I was staring on my left side (he was on my right) at a display of beanie animals. I think I was grinning because they had a tiny stuffed walrus with super long stuffed tusks. I thought that was cute how they made one with these tusks that were long gigantic long incisers. Then all of a sudden he screamed at me "I am ahead of you in line". I looked at him probably like he was crazy and said "how can you be ahead of me, I'm in one line, you're in another line, we aren't in the same line." Then he started screaming "can't we have some democracy here? "Can't you show some democracy?". I don't know what the heck he even meant by that. I saw he was prone to violent and he had a bottle of booze in his basket so I said "Go ahead and go next, I don't care, just go next if you want too." He ended up going over to the third self-check lane not even getting in front of me. The person in my lane finished up her checkout and even though I had more stuff than the a$$hole guy I checked out faster than him. I went to customer service and asked for an escort to the car because I was afraid he might be crazy enough to wait outside to jump me. The customer service girl had witnessed his behavior so she had two people walk me to my car. I still don't understand what he was mad at me about. I did nothing to him. I was in a different line spaced out looking at the stuffed walrus.

Unless you are kicking and biting others or feel you need the pill then you probably don't need to take a pill. I saw an acquaintence who is a D.O. this weekend and asked if she thought I needed to be on psych meds. I told her what had happened at the neurologist who wanted to put me on psych meds and my friend said "in the medical community we call Topomax Dope-a-max and there's a reason for that". She said you don't need those drugs, they are dangerous and make people act dopey." So Professor I say you don't need the meds unless you want to take them or unless you are violent. I think the average Aspie is non-violent and you seem okay to me.

I expect to. I'm glad you are. Shall we make it a race?

No, maybe not, I suspect you have a) a head start, and b) an unfair advantage (partner).

Ok. So I have to tie one ankle to my wrist and run backward. How's that?

Fine. You don't mind if I drive?

I'm a really good driver.

Awww, that's sweet. May I quote you on that to the Missus???

Sure you can put me as a referral on your resume if you like.