Your successes can spread hope and knowledge

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Hi!

I started this website when our son was diagnosed in 2005:

http://www.aspergers-and-pdd.com/wp

In all of my research I realized that there is so much negative information out there about those with Asperger's Syndrome and I wanted to do what I could to help change that, to bring positive stories and successes to light.

So, I created a section at my website where parents can celebrate the success stories of their children, take comfort and be encouraged by other's success stories, and that could be a place where those who have Asperger's Syndrome can take pride in and post their own success stories.

The success stories page is here:

http://www.aspergers-and-pdd.com/wrongplanet

If you have a success story, whether it be your own or someone you know/love, please visit the above link and enter that success story.

Let's turn things around and show the world that there is a lot more positive about Asperger's Syndrome than there is negative.

I look forward to reading your stories and showing the world that people with Aspergers Syndrome are wonderful people!

Have an outstanding day!
Diane

I think that what you're doing, is a good idea.

I think that what you're doing is great. However, with speculation that Einstein, Mozart, Newton, etc. were autistic, do autistics need more role-models? I can understand how if a potential role-model talked to a young autistic, it might leave a good impression, but the people listed on your site might be as distant as the historical figures I've mentioned.

I think that for an individual with an autism spectrum disorder, a recurring theme is not fitting in to a world that they do not understand and which neither understands them. I think that Wrong Planet helps substantially in this regard because those on the spectrum realize that in an autistic community, they are neither weird nor alone. Which I think is a bigger issue than role-models. While I am by no means a veteran contributor, I think that that page might as well be a thread on WP, instead of a discussion of the project with a link to it. People are used to and comfortable talking about themselves on forums here. It isnt a stretch to ask for success stories.

I really like this idea, great thinking!

And yes, Pyzz, I would say more role models are needed. Those people bring to mind "Rain Man" more than the typical person with Asperger's.

Thank you all of you! Now we just need to get some people to post their stories.

http://www.aspergers-and-pdd.com/wrongplanet <-- Post your success stories here

Pyzz...

I do think that the more positive role-models there are the better, for two reasons. First, there can never be too many positive influences (in my opinion), and second, somehow we need to offset all of the negativity in the press about people with Asperger's Syndrome.

For example, it is not a definite that if a person has Asperger's Syndrome then they are also going to be violent. Yet it seems that way as I read article after article about this person or that who has committed some terrible act such as murder, and the defense blames it on Asperger's.

Maybe the person who committed the crime does have Asperger's but that doesn't mean that it was the Asperger's that caused the person to commit the crime. Yet that seems to be what is being spread about with these articles. We need to offset this, we need to show that there are more people with Asperger's that don't commit these crimes than there are those with Asperger's that do commit these crimes.

I also believe it is important for those with Asperger's (and their parents) to realize that they do have successes in their lives.

One person's success will be very different than another person's success (which is "typical" for those with Asperger's as there is such a range) but the point is that the success is there and it needs to be recognized (by the person with Asperger's, those around him/her, and others who don't know them personally but are struggling themselves) and it needs to be celebrated.

Sometimes it takes reading about another's success, no matter how large or small it is perceived to be, to make one recognize their own successes.

It's the same for me... As a parent of a child with Asperger's, it's so easy to become mired in the negative side of it and what the doctors say... "Your child will never live on his own, your child will never be able to do this, your child will never be able to do that, etc.".

But then I'll read a story about another child or adult with Asperger's who accomplished this or that and it wakes me up to my own son's accomplishments.

For example (and I apologize, this may be considered off-topic but I'm just using it to explain my point)...

From Kindergarten up through two years ago my son (who is 16 now) could not get through a school day (not even through 1st period) without a complete melt-down culminating in a call for us to come help or pick him up. We would often get two, three, four calls a day. It was the same at home, we lived 15 minutes to 15 minutes, never knowing what was going to happen with him, would he be happy, would he explode, what would be next?

Never in a million years would we have imagined that just 2 years later he would be mainstream at school (except for one special class, designed to help with whatever might be going on at school that day) and that he would make it through a day without us receiving a single phone call. And then it was two days, then three days, then a week, then all of a sudden it's been two entire school years without one melt-down at school, no phone calls from the school.

That is a tremendous success!

For a long time we literally didn't know what to do with ourselves because we were so accustomed to spending our days dropping what we were doing to rush to the school to help him, we'd been doing it for nine years.

It's not an Einstein or Mozart or Newton etc. success story but in my experience, those types of success stories (the Einsteins, Mozarts, Newtons, etc.) aren't typical success stories, they're above and beyond.

That's what makes my son's simple yet incredible success story so important. It doesn't matter the grandiose scale of the success, it's about realizing that while he might not be a Mozart, or an Einstein, or a Newton; or he might not get A's or B's or C's or D's in school, he is still successful, there are still successes in his life, they're just different successes.

And sometimes it takes something as simple as reading that someone's child made it through a day or a week or a year of school without a phone call home to make one realize that wow, their own child is succeeding, it's just a different success. Just because it's not as grandiose as those historical figures, it's still a success.

And when a parent posts their own story about whatever their child has succeeded at, or a person with Asperger's posts his/her own story (so far I have four people who have posted their very own stories!), I know from personal experience how much it inspires me, helps me to think that just maybe there is hope, maybe it's not all bad as the doctors would have me believe.

In addition, it helps NT people realize that those with Asperger's aren't bad people and they're not scary people. They may be different, and their stumbling blocks might be larger, and their lives may be tougher, but they're still good people with interesting stories (which is in direct contrast to the claim made by a defense lawyer that his/her client committed murder because he/she has Asperger's).

I'm not looking for the people behind these success stories to be role-models and I'm sorry if I implied that.

I'm just looking for people with Asperger's to have an opportunity to make themselves and their achievements known, through as many channels as possible so yes setting up a thread at WP would be great.

BUT not everyone knows about WP... I find myself telling people about this site every single day, people that have Asperger's; parents of people with Asperger's; spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends of people with Asperger's; teachers; etc., as I'm sure others with Asperger's related websites do.

So why not have more than one venue to tell our story(ies)? Why not have several? You know about WP but the next person down the line might not. Does that preclude that person from sharing their own success story? It shouldn't. There should be plenty of places where they can celebrate their achievements.

And I understand that people are comfortable at WP and why they are, you make very good, valid, strong points. But WP is a discussion forum whereas the page I set up is strictly to tell success stories.

How can one be made to feel weird or alone when doing this?

They are celebrating and shouting their successes to the world, they're not discussing problems, issues, etc. that they're dealing with in their lives.

And if someone is uncomfortable doing it, then he/she won't. But maybe, just maybe, after reading some of the other stories there, maybe it will make him/her a tad more comfortable outside of the WP comfort zone, and maybe, just maybe, they'll be comfortable enough to tell their own story(ies).

And as far as the people who post their stories at my site being as distant as the historical figures, they're not.

They're living life in our current world, they're tangible, and by posting their own success stories they are talking to other people including young autistics (even if through their parents reading the stories and passing them on to their autistic children).

I hope I've explained myself a bit better than the first time around.

So how about it? If you want to share your success story(ies) with others, please do feel free, we'd LOVE it as will other people. =) Just click the link below:

http://www.aspergers-and-pdd.com/wrongplanet

and when you get there, scroll down to where it'll let you enter your story.

Thank you Everyone!!
Diane

not only that, but many times a lot of Autistic folk put themselves in the role of being a "victim"; as a 28-year-old Autistic man who has had time to grow into his skin, I can hardly see myself as a victim, to be perfectly honest.

Success is there for Autistic folks...but you have to stop "victimizing" yourself, and use the cards you were dealt in life to your advantage.

So come on you guys and gals, come post your success stories!

http://www.aspergers-and-pdd.com/wrongplanet

Someone's got to be first (kinda like those uncomfortable dances where no one wants to be on the dance floor first).

Thank you!!
Diane

Do you need to use your real name? Mine is pretty distinctive.

When I hunt my first crocodile, I'll let you know.

To everyone... I am sorry it takes me so long to come back here to reply, for whatever reason even though I'm signed up to receive notice when someone has posted here, I'm not receiving the notices. =(
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Hi DandelionFireworks!

Never do you have to use your real name. You are free to list your name, nickname, however you'd like to identify yourself.

The important thing is having the opportunity to "bask in your glory", enjoy your successes and enjoy being able to tell others, and just plain have fun while doing it.

I hope you do come post, I would love it!

http://www.aspergers-and-pdd.com/wrongplanet

Hi Danielismyname! Yikes! A crocodile!

And Doc... well spoken (written)

Come post your stories!

Thank you everyone!!
Diane

I want to post, but it would be very extensive--several hours in the very least; and right now I want to start researching proposing to my girlfriend.

Maybe I'll write a book on it in time...I've been recommended to do so, before!

I did write an autobiography for myself a few years ago, and I even have it on Facebook...but it needs to be updated, like a lot.