Sweetleaf
Veteran
Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 34,470
Location: Somewhere in Colorado
14 Aug 2016, 2:33 pm
BirdInFlight wrote:
Traveling with children is also one thing...Grandin grew up under the influences of therapies and the kind of help that would enable her adult experience of traveling to be almost definitely different from whatever she may have been intolerant of as a child.
Many people on the spectrum experience at least some changes and improvements, in some areas of their coping ability, as they grow from children to adults.
To illustrate, I once could not be taken to any restaurant as a child, before everything crashed and burned for me in that environment. Big retail stores presented similar challenges. I can now tolerate a restaurant or store -- I've had occasional shut downs and meltdowns in them even as an adult, but my ability to cope has improved from practically zero as a child.
Things don't stay static even on the spectrum and so the OP raising the issue of being skeptical a grown woman can travel by stating that children on the spectrum often hate to, is poor logic to say the least.
Many people on the spectrum experience at least some changes and improvements, in some areas of their coping ability, as they grow from children to adults.
To illustrate, I once could not be taken to any restaurant as a child, before everything crashed and burned for me in that environment. Big retail stores presented similar challenges. I can now tolerate a restaurant or store -- I've had occasional shut downs and meltdowns in them even as an adult, but my ability to cope has improved from practically zero as a child.
Things don't stay static even on the spectrum and so the OP raising the issue of being skeptical a grown woman can travel by stating that children on the spectrum often hate to, is poor logic to say the least.
I like as an adult I have more choice to leave situations that set off sensory problems or just not go to them. But yeah if I am in somewhere too crowded it can certainly make me anxious, but I don't have a parent/teacher/adult dragging me along with them (figuratively) wondering 'why is she being so difficult, what's she so upset about.' Of course not even sure I always knew what was making me upset...now I pretty much know what all my sensory issues are, but as a kid it was much more confusing.
I know I had a meltdown once about the way a librarian was reading a story, for some childrens story time at the library...don't think my mom had any idea what could have possibly came over me. Don't think I returned to that story time again.
15 Aug 2016, 2:23 am
19 Aug 2016, 5:47 am
Really? Why is it any time an autistic person overcomes extreme obstacles and becomes successful, they are suddenly not "autistic enough," or worse, faking it?! 
19 Aug 2016, 5:45 pm
24 Aug 2016, 2:20 am
24 Aug 2016, 3:04 am
Alexanderplatz wrote:
Can't remember where I read it, but recall that if the DSM V is relied on a good percentage of people who would have previously been dx'd with PDD NOS are simply dumped.
My short story, at 60, is one of 5 years surreal obstruction from the NHS, though the full diagnostic trail stretches back 12 or 13 years. Mental Health care in Britain has been dreadfulised enough without solely relying upon a manual for diagnosis that has essentially to do with if American insurance companies will cough up or not.
Here's an anecdote, a friend of mine has pronounced aspie tendencies though manages to hold down a job. He turned to the NHS for help and was given counselling. This so called counselling consisted of a cocky bloke a decade younger than him shouting at him that he would never be able to claim sickness benefits.
Mental Health care in Britain is scandal upon scandal that has established itself.
It is in that context that I get jumpy about iconclastic undiagnosing trends. Certainly, there's nothing wrong with undiagnosing Einstein, as the undiagnosing of Einstein is as fictional as the diagnosing of him in the first place. Beethoven appears to be a diagnostic moveable feast - it was often claimed he was bi polar when I was young, have recently heard of him as an alleged aspie. It's fashion, popular aspergerism, whereas I come from the very unpopular deep end, as I'm certain many others do on these boards.
- putting love at the end as it's always a good idea, and it's true
My short story, at 60, is one of 5 years surreal obstruction from the NHS, though the full diagnostic trail stretches back 12 or 13 years. Mental Health care in Britain has been dreadfulised enough without solely relying upon a manual for diagnosis that has essentially to do with if American insurance companies will cough up or not.
Here's an anecdote, a friend of mine has pronounced aspie tendencies though manages to hold down a job. He turned to the NHS for help and was given counselling. This so called counselling consisted of a cocky bloke a decade younger than him shouting at him that he would never be able to claim sickness benefits.
Mental Health care in Britain is scandal upon scandal that has established itself.
It is in that context that I get jumpy about iconclastic undiagnosing trends. Certainly, there's nothing wrong with undiagnosing Einstein, as the undiagnosing of Einstein is as fictional as the diagnosing of him in the first place. Beethoven appears to be a diagnostic moveable feast - it was often claimed he was bi polar when I was young, have recently heard of him as an alleged aspie. It's fashion, popular aspergerism, whereas I come from the very unpopular deep end, as I'm certain many others do on these boards.
- putting love at the end as it's always a good idea, and it's trueI like your post. Considering how many times diagnostic manuals have changed, there is no reason to assume that the last version is the correct one. And, like you, I suspect the role of money in the diagnostic criteria. I'm still waiting for a good scientific explanation for autism. And yes, I think the Asperger's diagnosis is good to have, not because it is so scientifically correct, but because it helps communication with the NT world.
Entirely unrelated, but I'd say Beethoven would be extremely difficult to diagnose. He really was one of a kind. As far as I can remember, he grew up with both a father and a grandmother who were alcoholics. Good luck to anyone trying to separate nature from nurture.
ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,478
Location: Long Island, New York
24 Aug 2016, 5:10 am
01 Sep 2016, 7:31 pm
02 Sep 2016, 8:27 am
08 Sep 2016, 3:24 pm
ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,478
Location: Long Island, New York
09 Sep 2016, 2:05 am
10 Sep 2016, 10:43 am
11 Sep 2016, 1:29 pm
13 Sep 2016, 2:39 pm
Greenleaf
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: 12 May 2016
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Posts: 53
Location: Rhode Island
17 Sep 2016, 2:27 pm
18 Sep 2016, 3:19 am
Alexanderplatz wrote:
Writing as someone of almost 60 who has recently been diagnosed aspergers, and someone who has read a bit of what Coojimans has to say - I'd agree with Mr C that what is thought of as aspieness tends to be a bit of a pick and mix bag, and we all tend to pick the good bits.
Now, what I've seen in myself and others, and whether this is down to some sub type is unknown to me, but to my mind, in a similar way that aspies can be either over sensitive or under sensitive to pain, aspies can be extremely under confident OR extremely over confident in narrow ways.
My confidence as a performing musician is remarkable. In fact the more hostile the audience is the better (short of actual physical violence). Public speaking is something I've had to do (university presentations) and the difference is staggering, the emotional churn, hyper sensitive fear of being disliked, psychological nausea at the sound of my own voice, physical trembling and so forth are pronounced. Somehow the benign vampiring of stage fright into confidence does not happen without an instrument in my hands.
There is an over social over confident subtype to consider, life and soul of the party thing.
Ergo (perhaps), you can be gallivantingly aspergeroid and display contrary characteristics in a narrow field. I don't think one can underestimate the results of the aspie super power of concentration. Look at our fine young Web Meister Alex - he looks nothing like a member of Devo and can obviously organise things.
My sense is that Aspieness is a collection of symptoms, and that that collection of symptoms does not have to be complete for the diagnosis. Not forgetting that I was a difficult and resistant case who has undergone the most recent UK version of the dx.
Whilst I have no urge to cyber attack the OP, my sense is that this is a youthful attempt at being iconaclastic.
to all under will
Now, what I've seen in myself and others, and whether this is down to some sub type is unknown to me, but to my mind, in a similar way that aspies can be either over sensitive or under sensitive to pain, aspies can be extremely under confident OR extremely over confident in narrow ways.
My confidence as a performing musician is remarkable. In fact the more hostile the audience is the better (short of actual physical violence). Public speaking is something I've had to do (university presentations) and the difference is staggering, the emotional churn, hyper sensitive fear of being disliked, psychological nausea at the sound of my own voice, physical trembling and so forth are pronounced. Somehow the benign vampiring of stage fright into confidence does not happen without an instrument in my hands.
There is an over social over confident subtype to consider, life and soul of the party thing.
Ergo (perhaps), you can be gallivantingly aspergeroid and display contrary characteristics in a narrow field. I don't think one can underestimate the results of the aspie super power of concentration. Look at our fine young Web Meister Alex - he looks nothing like a member of Devo and can obviously organise things.
My sense is that Aspieness is a collection of symptoms, and that that collection of symptoms does not have to be complete for the diagnosis. Not forgetting that I was a difficult and resistant case who has undergone the most recent UK version of the dx.
Whilst I have no urge to cyber attack the OP, my sense is that this is a youthful attempt at being iconaclastic.
to all under willexactly, I once spoke at a conference for a charity...then immediately resigned from that role due to the sheer terror of being pressured into it. I've taken almost twenty years out to rehearse my own knowledge base and I feel I might be able to do this again now. I recently spoke in front of three academics for my PhD interview and it was surprisingly easy. Why? Because I had rehearsed again, again, again, even with my own eye movements to prospective academics, my prosody, pacing etc. But this was only a ten minute presentation read from text in my hand!
Even the aspien brain can change (obviously)
