Oops. I accidentally posted something in the members only

Page 1 of 1 [ 8 posts ] 

momofteenaspie
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 16 Aug 2014
Age: 63
Gender: Female
Posts: 156
Location: Spain

06 May 2015, 11:39 am

I accidentally posted 2 of these questions in the members only section: (I know you're not supposed to double post, but its the first time since the forum has changed formats and I forgot to see what section I was posting in).

1. One question was whether it's okay to refer to people with aspergers as aspies and the other question is:

2. I'm a mom of a 14 year old boy with aspergers diagnosed a year and a half ago. So I've been doing a lot of research to learn about aspergers, to understand him and help. Lots and lots of research online.

When I come across articles with statistics, for example, of people with "autism" I never know how many of those are severe autism, or aspergers, etc. So when I read " "x" percent of young adults with autism unemployed" it makes me crazy. Should I assume that my son would fall in that percentage, or is that an average of people with all kids of autism (severe plus HFA, aspergers etc.?) I mean, maybe the reality is that 80% of people with aspergers ARE employed, but that when you add in people with severe aspgers the average becomes misleading. But I don't know.

Anyway, I think it's so wrong to make these statistics for everyone in general. When I do this research, what I want to know is how many people with aspergers are unemployed, or get married, or have exec. function difficulties, or get epilepsy or .... etc. It's like saying that the average american salary is X, when what I really want to know, for example, is what the average american college grad salary is.

Does anyone else feel this way?

3. The third question is about methylphenidate and is anyone using it or has used it and opinions on a 14-15 year old using it. His teachers and I think it helps him, he says it doesnt.

Thank you ! !



nyxjord
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 24 Jun 2014
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 819
Location: Between 2 corn fields

06 May 2015, 11:41 am

I can move the topic to another forum if it'd be better suited elsewhere.

Edit: Actually, I would recommend leaving this specific post alone, but posting a separate post regarding your son, in the parent's section (if you haven't already). It'll be good to get opinions about these topics together, from the general population and then also from the parent's on here.


_________________
--Nyx-- What an astonishing thing a book is. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you... Carl Sagan


momofteenaspie
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 16 Aug 2014
Age: 63
Gender: Female
Posts: 156
Location: Spain

06 May 2015, 12:22 pm

Yeah, I'll do that, thanks, but i'll do it later because first i've got to go finish my ironing :D



ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,249
Location: Long Island, New York

06 May 2015, 1:43 pm

I don't like that the DSM 5 failed to create sub-categories of Autistics. It looks like this decision if not final is not going to change anytime soon as even most of those autistics who were against it now are for the change or resigned to it.

As for future employment while most companies still mostly value great social/networking skills some are starting to see value in Aspie/Autistic traits. Hoping it's the start of a trend.

As for the word "Aspie" the communality is divided over it but the word is still widely used. I go by what people are using in the particular conversation or if I am not sure I just use "Aspie/Autistic" or just "Autistic" and with the exception of some people who insist on people first language ("person with Autism") I have never been criticized for it.


_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


momofteenaspie
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 16 Aug 2014
Age: 63
Gender: Female
Posts: 156
Location: Spain

06 May 2015, 2:17 pm

One of the things that still amazes me is how well people with aspergers write and explain and think profoundldy and explain emotions, etc. Since the only aspie that I know is my son (and, I strongly believe my husband, who is lousy at expressing himself, at least orally) and my son is a Boy and Boys are normally monosillabic especially at this early teen age (turned 15 yesterday), most of his NT friends are equally monosillabic.

Anyway, yes, i've been reading articles which mention the "sillicon valley-aspie" theory that it has lots of aspies working there and my son is technologically talented (though awful attention deficit, what they call selective attention or selective learning) and recently i read an article about the guy who founded paypal who said that aspies are such great innovators, that in many cases hed prefer to hire an aspie before an MBA, etc.

I told this to my son this week and he really loved hearing that. Good for his motivation and for his ego, that in spite of having his difficulties he's got peers who are doing great things and justifies his differentness etc.

I also read somewhre about that its fashionable to be aspie and some cautions about htat (though i dont remember right now), etc. Maybe it was about not glamourizing a condition which causes many people great pain and difficulty.

Goodness, i dont even remember what my point was. But I do really love this forum and the people who use it with such graceful thoughtful comments.



envirozentinel
Forum Moderator
Forum Moderator

User avatar

Joined: 16 Sep 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 17,021
Location: Keshron, Super-Zakhyria

06 May 2015, 2:46 pm

I'm glad you find this website so helpful. I am so glad I was eventually diagnosed at age 45, seven years ago. It would have been so helpful to have been diagnosed at 10 or 15. I sure have learned a lot since joining WP. In my schooldays so little was known that my "symptoms" mystified the health professionals of the time, and I'm thus so grateful that I eventually met one at the state hospital who went the extra mile and did her research properly.

I have met a highly intelligent boy of about 13 or 14 (not 100% sure of his current age) who is the son of my mom's fellow church member and art teacher. He apparently spends his time designing new computer games as a hobby. His mom, who works from home as a part time artist, home schools him so he can learn in a less stressful environment.

I had odd quirks as a kid, many of which I've written about in my blog. One odd thing I did was to read the telephone directory on a regular basis and count the names listed in some of the exchanges, the number of folk with the same surname and so forth.

I was able to read and write from am early age, and my mom says I could read excerpts from the newspaper before I turned 5 and long before starting school. The teachers got me to read stories to the class.

Junior school went OK but I began to have difficulties in high school when I was enrolled in a new school and couldn't fit in with all the emotional, and occasional physical bullying. I had only one or two real friends at this time, and battled to fit in.

I'm glad to say that in 2011 I was invited to my hometown to the first school reunion weekend I ever attended. Several of the boys posted apologies on Facebook messages for the way they treated me then, and expressed remorse, and others apologized in person at the reunion itself. Learning about Aspergers and being able to put a name to it, was one of the best things that could have happened!

I wish you all the best and believe your son has excellent potential especially with someone as caring and supportive as you to assist him. I pity those who never had supportive parents willing to learn more and whose family were, or are, emotionally and / or physically abusive towards them and don't even attempt to understand.


_________________
Why is a trailer behind a car but ahead of a movie?


my blog:
https://sentinel63.wordpress.com/


izzeme
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 Apr 2011
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,665

07 May 2015, 5:07 am

i won't worry too much about the X percent unemployed; this is the percentage of obvious, diagnosed and disclosed aspies.

many of us are gainfully employed, but many of us didn't disclose our diagnosis to our employers.

yes, the unemployment among aspies is higher than among NTs, but it isn't that far behind, if you take the full number.
especially if you include the little tidbit that there are a lot more people on the spectrum than is usually reported, even under the DSM5

if you take the 1 in 20 on the spectrum, then indeed 60/70% unemployment is somewhat accurate, but the real number of people on the spectrum is at least twice as large, and the remainder is usually employed, so it's more like 30% unemployment; a more relaxing number.



momofteenaspie
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 16 Aug 2014
Age: 63
Gender: Female
Posts: 156
Location: Spain

07 May 2015, 7:27 am

Exactly. There have to be many many undiagnosed aspies (like I think my husband) who have jobs and careers. I wish someone would write a good investigative article on the statistics based on that.

And yes, I've read so many heartbreaking stories here. I know how many have suffered from lack of information or poor parenting or from bullying and it breaks my heart when i read these stories.

Thank god that i can be there for my son and that there is so much information these days and aware parents and experts.