glider18's Wonderful World of Autism

Post Reply New Topic

Thank you DarrylZero for the wonderful post. I appreciate your sharing this with us. Congratulations on your recent diagnosis. Like you, when I got diagnosed, I began looking at past, present, and future. It is quite a learning experience. Enjoy your gifts.

Hi Batz---This speed reading could have helped me with those lengthy college reading assignments I had years ago. It is hard to not go back and look at those details. Thanks for posting.

I took photos of bands again on friday and I felt very little sensory irritation to the noise. I felt it a bit during soundcheck but then I went to have dinner and came back to the venue and actually had a chat with the singer of one of the support bands.
My eldest sister also talked to the manager and he wants a house photographer for the venue, so I contacted him today so I hope I managed to impress him.
You were right Glider for saying don't give up.

Hi Pensieve---this sounds very exciting. I am glad you gave it another try. I hope you get that job. Please keep us up to date on what you find out. And even though the sensory issues can be irritating, just keep remembering how rewarding the outcome is with your photographs.

Glider, I hope you don't mind me asking but, could you explain what is it like to be an Autistic Savant? As, I don't have a very good understanding of such..

Well, yesterday I finished reading my novel (called The Lonely Breed by Frank Leslie), and today I read another one in one sitting--well, with a few breaks in-between that is (novel called Texas Rifles by Elmer Kelton.)

Both were short (The Lonely Breed was 282 pages, while Texas Rifles was 216, but The Lonely Breed had 89,112 words; Texas Rifles 72,360, so yeah--pages don't matter as much as both number of words per line and number of lines per page.) Here's my time and reading rate for both (the challenge said to time yourself while speed reading a light novel, comphrehending it as you go along, so I used the stopwatch on my cell phone):

The Lonely Breed

Total Time: 3:53 (time in hours:minutes)

Reading Rate: 382 words per minute


Texas Rifles

Total Time: 2:50

Reading Rate: 426 wpm

So based on the statistics, I say I did well for my first time. Wasn't trying to look for the details, but rather the main plot and characters, and fortunately, despite flying through the details I understood the gist of both stories.

Still, in some way, however, I can still visualize the events, characters, and settings as if I read it at 159 wpm, if not better. Maybe it's skipping the scenic view (decorations) and looking at the major landmarks that make one location unique from the other (the main traits that distinguishes an object.) I mean, you still see the decorations to a certain extent, but more than likely when you're speed reading they won't distract you as much. You wouldn't rewind a movie so many times so you can see every detail of a monster, would you?

Well, surprisingly, both of these are Westerns (or I classify them as Westerns since The Lonely Breed is a Historical Fiction novel set in the Old West, yet Historical Fiction novels set in the Old West are in a way Westerns, just like every Western novel is a Historical Fiction novel. Both are very good books, though I like Texas Rifles better because it has less traveling and more romance and seeing the characters act and viewing their personalities. I gave that a 9.4 out of 10.

The Lonely Breed, however, was much too filthy in my taste. I understand having prostitutes in the novel, but please, I don't want to see characters cursing every fifth line and characters getting naked and having intercourse every second chapter. It seemed like every young female character except the antagonist was used for men's sex drive and intercourse. That implied to me that the author was feminist. I know that makes a story more enticing, but I can watch a movie for that, and even then I don't like it. Plus it was mostly action, which I liked, but too much action tends to get old after a while, especially if the character kills a group of men every time. I understand the traveling since they're trying to escape from a proprietor's clutches. I would give it a 7.0 out of ten.

So yeah--I'm doing well on my speed reading now, and what's even better, I have a new favorite genre besides Fantasy and Sci-Fi--Western. Well, going to read The Red Badge of Courage Tomorrow. Should be a short read to me, and I expect to comprehend it as well.

Sorry if it seems like I'm bragging. I'm really not.

Until next time.

There are three types of savant: Prodigious, Talented, Splinter. Prodigious is of course the one where there are only like 50-100 in the world today. Those are the impossible-like sounding skills. I am a talented autistic savant---which means basically I am able to play whatever musical instrument I become fascinated in with no instruction and in little time.

For example, around 1990 I became fascinated with the mountain dulcimer. I bought one from a friend of mine who was a championship winning dulcimer player. I had no idea what note was what. But, I just started playing it---in like a day. Then, I got this man's recording of the difficult award winning song he had written for his championship, and in just about a half-hour I had mastered the song. I went to his house and played it for him and he was completely mystified. He nearly cried because he said that he truly felt no one could ever play that song. And he said that when he died (he is approaching 80 now) he felt like the song would never be played again, but now, he knew I could play it. So, ever since, he asks me to play his Heavenly Jubilation March with him in duos in concerts he gives. I can play songs on this instrument without knowing what the notes are. As I say, "it just happens."

I do the same thing with the hammered dulcimer. I got fascinated with it---and then I started playing it. It is like the instrument just became a part of my body/mind. I hear the song, and the "music just happens." When I was a kid, I got my parents to buy me a harmonica. I had never touched one before. And in the car coming home from the store, I began playing my first notes ever on a harmonica---and it was "Oh Susanna" without mistakes. I didn't understand how I could do it. I didn't know where the notes were on it. But I instinctly knew to blow air in, and suck air out, of that instrument and do it in the proper places. The "music just happens." It's the same with keyboards---except that I do know where the notes are on those.

Ok...when I play music, it feels like a shield barracades me inside my little space. I go into an almost trance-like state where I nearly lose all awareness of everything around me. I don't even notice what I am doing. The "music just happens" without me giving much thought to it. I have videotaped myself playing---and I don't recognize that guy playing it. What I see on tape isn't what I think I had done from my perspective.

This is hard to explain. But I can play instruments without knowing anything about them as far as technique and noting goes. After I bought a trumpet at a yard sale when I was in school, I picked it up and played "When the Saints Go Marching In" within a couple minutes. I picked up my oldest son's clarinet, and after having struggled with getting a sound out of a reed instrument, I began playing "Begin the Beguine" in the style it was made famous for in the big bands. The "music just happens."

I hope this helps explain this. But realize, I don't totally understand it myself. If I try to focus on what I am doing, I will often goof up. So, I try to remain in the trance-like shielded-off mode when I play.

Interesting, glider, very interesting, though that post wasn't directed to me. I heard of savants and their extraodinary talents. Always interested me how God made the human mind to be so complex.

I've heard of one savant named Stephen Wiltshire who's an artist. When I saw a video of him drawing a city from memory I nearly cried since it was so life-like. He just scans the building into his memory and draws it from scratch. Talk about a photographic memory!

We all have talents, and God showed you yours at a young age. I'm thankful for that.

Hi Batz---that sounds amazing with your reading. I really can't imagine being able to read that fast. You should really enjoy being able to get through so many books that quickly. No, I don't feel like you are bragging---you are just relating what you can do---more power to you .

Something else I forgot to add on the savant thing is that many of us memorize stuff. Since I am fascinated with roller coasters, when I was in high school, I had memorized without trying, the statistics of every roller coaster in North America. They say that 10% of the autistic population is a savant. Stephen Wiltshire is amazing---a prodigious savant.

Yes Glider, I fully understand you and all that being an auitistic savants presents in life overall.. Well, for myself, I've often been close to being seen as AS or borderline Mentally ret*d but, I'll let others decide on that due in part to some brain damage from a coma many years back. Which, had a definative impact on not just my memory but, my executive functioning skills.Still I keep trying to do as best as possible..

There was a post on Autism Speaks today. I posted my opinion on it. Well I thought I might show it to you guys. Sounds like an essay as you get to the middle, but oh well, here goes:

You know what's ironic: the organization's name is Autism Speaks, yet all we heard from them is a bunch of xenophobes slandering and distorting Autism for what it is. That shows how stupid they are.

If they really wanted it to be called Autism Speaks, we would've heard postive aspects of it spoken by autistics and supporters of it.

But--and I mean but--how can they speak the positive aspects of Autism if there aren't any autistics in the organization much less the organization excludes them, not only thinking they can add no contribution to society, but also claiming that autistics are defective and cause burdens to NTs' lives?

It's starting to go back to the early days of the United States all over again. As a heterogeneous society, how can we appreciate our diversity and solve one another's problems if we exclude each of our groups to a certain border and let the majority keep the power? Without the African-American speaking his perspective of slavery, without women breeching the the roles of men, without a mix of people interacting with one another, prejudice expands, cultures aren't adopted, subcultures never form, genocide spreads. The United States probably could've had ethnic cleansing decades ago if not for diversity mingling into one.

That's why, to me, people are human no matter what. NTs shouldn't slander autism, and autistics shouldn't slander Neurotypicality. We need each other like ants and aphids. Autism is a gift form God, and without it, less originality would occur. Even Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner supported autistic people with Hans Asperger saying, "It seems that for success in science and art a dash of Autism is essential." Now if the men who discovered ASD supported autistic people, what does that say about how the world should act? Genociding one group would destroy a culture and language much needed in society, a culture and language as unique as their counterparts, a culture and language appreciated throughout the world.

Catholics persecuted Muslims, witches, and Protestants; Europeans tried to assimilate everyone else into their culture(s); Romans and Hitler oppressed the Jews; Americans accused and deported communists in fear of America's freedom would disintegrate, but guess what: these cultures, these people, these suppressed religions survive today, still craving for appreciation and affection from foreign people. And so shall Autism Speaks fall and autistics survive, the truth gripping people's consciousness and seeing what an atrocity, and enormity they caused to, once more, another group of human beings. It's when we stop being xenophobes do we appreciate diversity.

Autism Speaks is a joke that never had a punch line, yet only kindergarteners laugh when someone tell the joke to them.

That's all I have to say.

Hoped you enjoy my opinion of Autism Speaks. Until next time!

Last edited by Batz on 04 Aug 2009, 11:40 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Batz, that was brilliant, and powerful. I love power in words. The middle part was the best.

Thanks pensieve for reading and commenting. I do sound as if I'm writing an essay, but if it makes it more powerful, that's wonderful.

Well, I'm done for today. Until next time!

What kind of reasoning is that? We don't understand it yet, so you go ahead and claim that 'god did it'? That's on the same page as claiming that rain is a gift from god because you don't understand how rain works.

I am sorry to hear about your brain coma many years back ProfessorX. I am happy that you decide to as best as possible. That is looking on the positive side rather than focusing on the bad. Keep up your view.

Wow Batz---a powerful essay indeed. I don't know what to say except---keep it up . It feels good to write so powerfully doesn't it? You have a great gift of writing. I really appreciate your views here---and Pensieve does too.

Autism has given so many of us gifts that we appreciate and use. That has always been my message here on the WrongPlanet---autism can be a wonderful gift to many of us if we accept the gift, unwrap the gift, appreciate the gift, and let it become that wonderful gift in our lives. I so appreciate all of you that have shared your positives/gifts/talents of your autism. Autism is an incredible mystery that continues to mystify those who study it.

I will be updating our list before long for those of us who see autism as a gift in our lives. After being diagnosed this past November after years of wondering about myself, I am having the time of my life. At 44 years old---I finally feel like I know myself. I no longer feel alone. I am generally enjoying life. And I am enjoying my family.

Going to outline my short story now. Hope I get all the characters finished. Should be a great short story.

Here's something else I do besides getting inspired by anime openings: One thing I do I bet no other writer does is act like my characters. Ever since I was five I've always acted like characters in cartoons, sit-coms, live shows, anything actually to tell you the truth. Back then I acted out in front of everyone, but now I act like characters more privately. When I create a character I brainstorm them out so I get to know them. Then (here's the thing when most people think it's taboo) as if I'm in a scene of a play I act like the characters I created, exhibiting their personalities, movements, communications, everything. I might even go as far as establishing a setting and scene from the story for them at times, especially if a dramatic scene takes place so I can really get into their persona.

I think this method really helps me as I fully know how they act and such, and since they're a part of me. Some people might think I'm schizophrenic for it, but to me it's unique and original. Now how many writers do that?

I think autism helped me with this thinking as autism makes a person feel younger than their age.

Until next time

Here's something I thought makes a lot of sense. It's about other things Martin Luther King said, and I think what he said is true, thinking about how America's in worse shape than before, even ever if you want to put it that way. The site where I saw it from is God Tube.com (now Tangle.com), so yeah, it's a Christian site. Still makes sense though. Talks about the economy too.

Ten other things Martin Luther King Said.

1 Corinthians 13:8--Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

I've read Leviticus 25:8-54, or if you have subtitles, the Year of Jubilee.

This talks about the how Israel should treat one another and the economy. Sometimes America needs to look at the past for problems, and to me the Bible helps too (though that can be an opinion.) Have fun looking at them. But--and I say but--America's too corrupt, and by looking at the past you can see why.

Glider, Have you seen Facing the Giants yet? To me it's a good movie not made by Hollywood, but by a church, so it has Christian values and messages in it. I usually turn to it, God and the Bible when I feel down, especially when I think I'll fail like the coach in this movie and about my Autism. Right now I'm being too lazy and thinking about failure, so I'll turn to the Bible after this. The main boy and the coach remind me of--well--me. Nothing like God to get you back on your feet.

Until next time!