17 Jul 2015, 2:09 pm
Just to clear things up slightly, here is some info about me and my values.
-Yes, I am actually autistic, diagnosed, and have problems with everyday life. My speech is limited (I also have a severe speech impediment, which is part of the reason I enjoy writing), and I cannot drive.While my social skills are adequate, I have extreme SPD and will likely be seen wearing headphones and flapping my hands. I have to see a neurologist three times a week.
-I have researched autism for about 7 years now- I have looked at the pros and cons of everyone's opinion- I am very informed, and I am never set out to write anything I have'nt researched the crap out of. Yes, I have written books before, one of them being published. This is my second year on this book.
-I do not think autism is all of who I am, or that it makes me better than everyone else.
-I cover many things in my book, and the stigma is only a part of it. I explain from an autistic person's veiwpoint of SPD, stimming, social challenges, etc. I give advice on how to talk to an autistic person, and some things to generally avoid saying (as to not make us uncomfortable)
-I do NOT believe I speak for all autistic individuals, but just like any other thing, it is generalized. I make many many MANY notes in my book that they info I give may not apply to all autistic individuals, but DO a fair percentage of us- I do not speak for the vaccine believers, or people who are not actually autistic and just say so for the politics. I have interveiwed close friends and relatives who are autistic,parents of autistic children, and many school staff who deal with us. I do look on YouTube, blogs, and wrongplanet, to here what other autistic people have to say- I know how to weed out extremist opinions, and try my best to use good judgement.
-Thank you for the advice on adding personal expirences- I have added many and included my illustations (I'm actually pretty (awkwardly) funny if you get to know me
-This is my point about autism being part of your identity- It shapes the whole way you see the world, therefore, I guess you could say, autism and your personality coexist, and one cannot exist without the other- this isn't anything bad or wrong, but thought processes in autistic people are very different than neurotypical people. In NO way am I implying that autism is all of who we are (thins would be impossible, considering that every autistic person is different)- I like things other than researching autism, such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor, Dr.Jonas Salk, and my secret passion, Dr.Phil. (: (don't laugh)
- On awareness v. acceptance- I think both are needed. We need good awareness goin' on that has actual information about what is feels like and means to be autistic, not just listing birth rates. Acceptance not in the sense that autism is not a disorder (because it is), but in the sense that we don't feel obligated to hide stimming or unusual voice tone.
-I do not hate A$, but I think they could be doing a whole lot better...I think they do need to re-phrase the way they talk about us, listen to our concerns, hire more autistic people, and change the way they spend their money. My best friend Sean (who is an aspie) wants a cure.(but does not like this organization because of their fear-mongering tactics) I disagree (with the cure part), but I'm still cool with his opinion. I have both the good and bad sides of things in my book- such as that the chapter on ABA is a two parter- I will explain the orgin, good sides, and bad sides.
Look guys, I know all of you are concerned about the contents of this book. That's actually great!
Autistic people need to be concerned about how we are being represented. I take all of your questions, comments and suggestions very seriously, and I encourage you to keep up the disscussions! I encourage everyone to be respectful of other's opinions, and feel free to express their own.
I will try to post some pages on here once I've edited some more to get more feedback.
Everyone stay ausome!!
as an ex-physician, i have to warn you that a neurologist who sees you three times a week over the long term is likely to be taking advantage of you unless it's to give some sort of injection you can't learn to give yourself.
She is a specialist for childhood developmental disorders. Becuase my brain stem is underdeveolped, she has to guide me through certain exercises so I can aquire primitive reflexes. I have serious motor difficulties, and my eyes jump around, and I have violent tics. She is a close friend of my mother's, and reduces the price. The program that we are doing usually is done in the same format of three times a week. (I can't do the exercises alone, becuase my body literally does not know how to do them) The program only lasts for a few months, them she sees me more sparsely. Thank you for your concern.
17 Jul 2015, 2:35 pm
Lintar,
If I may comment on your comments..
I thank you for your opinions.
But you seem to be doing exactly what you told me NOT to do...applying you opinions to all of those affected by autism. You seem to be questioning the legitimacy and social right-ness of people's comments- I am fine with people disagreeing with one another, and expressing their opinions, but I don't want anyone's feelings to get hurt.
Look, autism is a gift and a disability. I think what people are trying to say is that we really can't do anything about it right now, so why not look on the bright side? I know its hard- I deal with the stigma, the speech challenges, the SPD, and a whole lot more. But I try to make the best of it- I use it to write and draw.
I think the neurodiversity movement is more about not feeling uncomfortable to express certain autistic behaviours and not be judged for it- I do not think its about saying we don't need help to make our life's better, or saying that we are perfect. I have had stress-induced hallucinations, and the neurodiversity movement would not make me want to keep this, but help me not feel ashamed in public if I happen to see something. I think the movement is really about combating ableism.
Look, I don't know you, but it seems like you are going through a rough time. Life's gonna have challenges no matter who you are or what you are born with.
Not having a job sucks. I mean that sincerely. But this is exactly why autistic people need to start speaking- we need to get the help we want. There needs to be more public supports, job training, and agencys we can go through so we can get a job that is suitable for our needs! This matters alot. I work at a library shelfing books- this is perfect because it's easy and repetative, it's quiet, and I don't have to talk. I plan to teach art lessons out of my home- These jobs suit my needs and abilities. What would you like to do most in the world?
I think many of the reasons being autistic can suck is because this world is'nt really made for us (hence the name 'wrongplanet') But we need to work on this- to advocate for ourselfs so the world is easier to live in.
The rest of the issues of being autistic...well you can either wait for a cure (I'm not saying this is bad, I just don't personally agree with it) or you can learn to deal with it.
No matter what, everyone has struggles. And guess what? Being autistic is not the worst thing in the world. I mean you could have all of you limbs chopped off and yell the word "peanuts" whenever someone came within three feet of you. That would make getting a job very hard.
Try to look on the bright side, ok? We are all trying to work together to make things a little easier.
I wish you luck,
-Cat
Question, if you don't mind... What do you think makes you awesome/special? What do you like to do the most?
Why do you think autism masks your true personality ?(I'm honestly curious)
(Again, please excuse my spelling 
)
17 Jul 2015, 2:39 pm
17 Jul 2015, 9:26 pm
(Again, please excuse my spelling
)Question 1: Umm... that's a tough one. I'll have to think about it. At the moment I can't think of anything at all that makes me awesome and/or special.
Question 2: There are lots of things that I like doing (ex. playing computer strategy games, reading, going for long drives through the many towns within the region where I live), but, unfortunately, I don't think the things that I enjoy doing can be used to help me find employment which, I have to admit, is making me really depressed. I do, however, work as a volunteer and I get along well with everyone there, but being what it is I don't get paid for it. This may be a strange coincidence, but at the moment I am two thirds of the way through writing my own book about autism/A.S. for someone over in England who asked me to after I posted a comment about it on Linked In. The title - "Triumph Over a Label". That's kept me busy, and I should have it finished by the end of the month after having struggled with it for a while now, not knowing quite how to approach the task. Hopefully (fingers crossed) it will lead to bigger and better things, because I really, really do not want to work in a factory again, or a (in my view, poorly-run and incompetently-led) office.
Question 3: Well, it has in the past prevented me from, for example, making friends, avoid being taken advantage of by people who pretended to be my friend, avoid being bullied in school, instilled irrational fears that have prevented me from being daring enough to take risks, and caused havoc with work colleagues. The many missed opportunities are what is making me bitter, and I can now see why I managed to so thoroughly screw things up.
17 Jul 2015, 9:29 pm
18 Jul 2015, 2:33 am
18 Jul 2015, 11:34 am
(Again, please excuse my spelling
)Question 1: Umm... that's a tough one. I'll have to think about it. At the moment I can't think of anything at all that makes me awesome and/or special.
Question 2: There are lots of things that I like doing (ex. playing computer strategy games, reading, going for long drives through the many towns within the region where I live), but, unfortunately, I don't think the things that I enjoy doing can be used to help me find employment which, I have to admit, is making me really depressed. I do, however, work as a volunteer and I get along well with everyone there, but being what it is I don't get paid for it. This may be a strange coincidence, but at the moment I am two thirds of the way through writing my own book about autism/A.S. for someone over in England who asked me to after I posted a comment about it on Linked In. The title - "Triumph Over a Label". That's kept me busy, and I should have it finished by the end of the month after having struggled with it for a while now, not knowing quite how to approach the task. Hopefully (fingers crossed) it will lead to bigger and better things, because I really, really do not want to work in a factory again, or a (in my view, poorly-run and incompetently-led) office.
Question 3: Well, it has in the past prevented me from, for example, making friends, avoid being taken advantage of by people who pretended to be my friend, avoid being bullied in school, instilled irrational fears that have prevented me from being daring enough to take risks, and caused havoc with work colleagues. The many missed opportunities are what is making me bitter, and I can now see why I managed to so thoroughly screw things up.
Thanks so much for answering my questions! Your book sounds cool. I have a whole chapter on labels
. My other books are on amazon. Maybe you could be a truck driver (jk, highways might be too boring.) Hmm... your situation seems tough... maybe you could be a public speaker about autism? Like go to schools and workplaces to spread awareness? I switched schools a lot, and making friends was hard. I eventually found my nerdy bunch I hang out with, but that was after being bullied and having people that pretended to be my friend (either to make fun of me or to make the special ed teachers think they were charitable or something.) Uhgg, I think that was worse than being straight-out bullied.
You seem extremely passionate about your views and that's awesome! I hope to learn more about your book!
-Cat
23 Jul 2015, 12:48 am
(Again, please excuse my spelling
)Question 3: Well, it has in the past prevented me from, for example, making friends, avoid being taken advantage of by people who pretended to be my friend, avoid being bullied in school, instilled irrational fears that have prevented me from being daring enough to take risks, and caused havoc with work colleagues. The many missed opportunities are what is making me bitter, and I can now see why I managed to so thoroughly screw things up.
@ Lintar:
I found this SO incredibly interesting that I had to share:
Some of your reasons for not being okay with being Autistic are some of the reasons I am grateful every day I was born Autistic, (and if there was any way I could guarantee being reincarnated into another Autistic lifetime, I would).
I had extreme difficulty making friends as well. However, the scant few I had, I knew were there for the long haul. I love being Autistic because I don't take friendship for granted. If I were not Autistic, I'm not sure I'd fully understand just how precious the two or three who are in my life really are; I have yet to meet a non-Autistic who truly "gets" where I'm coming from regarding friendship and loyalty, and I would never want to risk losing that understanding.
I, also, have been taken advantage of many, many, many, many (ad nauseam) times, as I'm sure is true of a lot of folks in this Community. Even so, I am grateful for each instance--it means my innocence, my joy, my love for humanity, my ability to express kindness and compassion is deep and wide. I would never take the chance of losing that. It's a beautiful part of my whole.
If you don't mind me asking: what missed opportunities are you referring to? I am sincerely wanting to know, but if you do not want to share, I understand. No pressure. (I also didn't read the whole thread, so if you mentioned it/them in there, I apologies. I will be going back to re-read the whole thing after writing this).
@ gravityfalls222:
Hello! I think your idea is excellent! I've been writing a book as well about my life with Autism. I think if we're going to change the societal paradigm to one where it would be unthinkable that an Autistic does not have personhood, it needs to begin with us sharing our lives in books, on YouTube, in blogs, etc.
I need to re-read the whole thread to see if I can offer anything to you. Good luck!
23 Jul 2015, 7:42 pm
Some of your reasons for not being okay with being Autistic are some of the reasons I am grateful every day I was born Autistic, (and if there was any way I could guarantee being reincarnated into another Autistic lifetime, I would).
I had extreme difficulty making friends as well. However, the scant few I had, I knew were there for the long haul. I love being Autistic because I don't take friendship for granted. If I were not Autistic, I'm not sure I'd fully understand just how precious the two or three who are in my life really are; I have yet to meet a non-Autistic who truly "gets" where I'm coming from regarding friendship and loyalty, and I would never want to risk losing that understanding.
I, also, have been taken advantage of many, many, many, many (ad nauseam) times, as I'm sure is true of a lot of folks in this Community. Even so, I am grateful for each instance--it means my innocence, my joy, my love for humanity, my ability to express kindness and compassion is deep and wide. I would never take the chance of losing that. It's a beautiful part of my whole.
Now this is interesting. I guess one's attitude to having autism (or being autistic, if you prefer) is coloured by the events of one's childhood. Without meaning to sound once again negative or angry, my own childhood was painful and awkward, and for reasons I don't really want to go into here in such a public forum. When I was young most people had not even heard of Asperger's Syndrome, and we couldn't "Google" it as we can now, there being no internet, or even P.C.s, so that made things even more difficult. People, I have found, tend to be far more knowledgeable about the subject than they ever were before, although there is of course still a long way to go.
Anyway, when I wrote what I did before I was having a really rotten week, but now things are better. I recently showed a rough draft copy of my own book to someone, and she thought it was "brilliant" - she couldn't put it down.
That is, however, just one person's view of course, but whenever I mention my project to others they all express their interest in seeing it. Writing something that catches the reader by the proverbial collar and does not let go of them is one of the things an author, in my view, should strive for. I've read so many books over the years that were praised online, on the cover, in newspapers and so on, but then - after I had already spent good money on them - would be disappointed by the incessant rambling of the author. My thoughts would be, "Oh, DO get on with it!" It's better to write a short but interesting book, than a long but tedious one. Too many writers just don't seem to understand that important point.
23 Jul 2015, 7:47 pm
Uh oh.
I had better get my own book finished then, and soon, before the market becomes flooded with books about Aspies and autism!
25 Jul 2015, 7:58 am
@Lintar:
Aww! I'm sorry your week sucked! I get it, though--sounds like how my May went LoL.
I agree. As we enter into adulthood, our childhood absolutely effects everything about our selves. However, what's awesome about becoming an adult is realizing we can choose differently than whatever maladaptive coping mechanisms we've picked up along the way--and this is true of everyone, not just Autistics; most everyone in childhood picks up poor habits. Not saying it's easy or that it's a fast process--just that negative happenings in childhood can be untangled and undone when we become adults.
After a decade of therapy, a diagnosis of High-Functioning Autism, and a Global Assessment Of Functioning ("G.A.F." on the neuro-psych exam, if anyone is interested) of 30 or 40 (can't recall off the top of my head), I still have stuff pop up on occasion, and it's been a lot of work getting to where I'm at, being almost 40 years old. I'll never be able to work (not in a "regular" job), I'll never be able to live on my own (I can't remember to shower, eat, buy groceries, etc. regularly, much less for our 14 year old kid who lives with us), I've tried to learn how to ride the bus--I cannot, and so on...
If I were to only focus on these things, my life would be miserable.
Being Autistic has given me so many incredible and amazing gifts and experiences in my life. And I do accept that not everyone is like me or understands where I'm coming from--I suppose what I'm fighting for is Freedom for everyone. I want all Autistics who want to remain Autistic... well, to remain Autistic. I want those Autistics who would like to have therapies available to them, to be available to them. And I want those Autistics who would like to not be Autistic, to have that option available to them.
I like to call myself a punk/hippie hybrid, because I am. I am very much about the populace not being controlled. I am all about the Freedom to do what we want to do, as long as it doesn't encroach on the rights of anyone else--including the rights of children we have.
Totally understand what you mean: I, too, was in the age of no computers. In the early 80s, Autism was a dirty word, a barely-spoken word that, when whispered between people, was more a curse than anything else. It would never have occurred to my dad or grandparents (with whom we lived) that I was, in actuality, profoundly Autistic. They thought I was quiet, when in truth, I was exceedingly... not there. (I wouldn't even call it "dissociated").
Anyway...
I would LOVE to read your book! It'd be awesome if the three of us could give signed copies of them to each other when they're done!
And I don't think you have anything to worry about with the market flooding lol! Autobiographical-ish books are very much needed!
S
05 Jul 2016, 3:44 am
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