Is this par for the course?

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If your late middle aged how you're doing is reduced to "You're reaching the age when NTs would need the same level of help too" . Even though , in reality, most people of your age would be functioning quite a lot better than you are .

It really depends on the person.

I would say that most people around 60 years of age don't usually need outside assistance in their everyday activities.

When a person turns about 80-85, however, that could change rapidly.

I can see that an 80-85 year old might need a lot of help. I don't think it helps though when as a 62 year old with Asperger's and schizophrenia you're told the help you get is no more than an equivalent aged NT would likely get.

Of course it could be that Blazingstar thinks I'm much older than I am .I'm not very photogenic .

The amount of help you get ON BENEFITS, I believe, is about the same for an NT person and for an autistic person. There are many reasons why people need "benefits."

If you are not on "benefits," a 62-year-old person receives much less help.

I don't know about all that.

I'm in my early 60s, and I see many former classmates (who are NTs) have already died of cancer, lung disease, heart disease, and complications of diabetes. Many of the not-yet-dead are bedridden, with tubes and wires sticking out of them, and those who aren't use those electric scooter-chairs to haul themselves and their oxygen tanks around.

Some of us weren't popular enough to get invited to their drinking-and-drug parties, and we weren't "cool" enough to see smoking as something we should do to fit in. We also took fewer risks because we didn't want to get hurt or embarrassed. We took to our books and lessons, studied hard, and eventually got good jobs. We stayed away from processed foods because of the awful tastes and textures. Maybe we're all on the ASD spectrum -- who knows?

My point is that I'm seeing more NTs than autistic people of my age in various states of deterioration. I don't know why this is, but there it is.

This is the state of play with my physical health. Very overweight , but losing weight according to my depot nurse and stepdaughter. Non smoker. Have very little alcohol. BP -OK

According to blood tests: Cholesterol -OK, kidney functioning -excellent, liver-functioning -OK , low folic acid-which I take a tablet for .

Mobile- though prone to backache .

You know you've gone past middle age when...

... an "organ recital" has nothing to do with music.

I thought the received wisdom was that the life expectancy of Aspies is less than that of the general population (warning - you might find this article scary or depressing, though I didn't):
https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/large ... rly-death/
If they're correct, that would suggest we're entitled to support however old we are, above and beyond that of the general population, assuming a human right to a life expectancy that isn't avoidably below the average. Anyway, morals schmorals, in reality to get that kind of treatment we'd need to put a gun to the government's head, and we haven't got one.

I've heard the argument before that if an Aspie survives past childhood, they don't need any help, and that it's probably too late anyway, that it's best to put any available money into helping autistic children. I've heard that mooted as the explanation for why I can't get any real help. But the truth is (IMO) that many of us would benefit from the right kind of help. I'd simply like occasional access to a really knowledgeable, helpful and non-arrogant ASD expert with whom I could discuss ways of improving my coping stratagies. Obviously email access, maybe face to face as well. I don't think I want or need much else.

Maybe one of those genetic tests to see if I had that cancer risk gene that Aspies are supposed to frequently have, and if so prescriptions for any supplements logically required. They'd be free if they existed, because of my age. I'm toying with the idea of seeing my GP about that test, but I don't want the penance of sitting in his nasty waiting room just to be fobbed off with nothing and looked at as if I were some kind of hypochondriac troublemaker.

I believe we're entitled to support....but I really don't believe people with uncomplicated autism/Aspergers have a shortened lifespan, per se. It might be shortened by depression and stress, though.

^
Thanks.I don't think,having calmed down, that there was deliberate intent on your part to upset me . We all make a pig's ear of things at times .

BlazingStar is a nice lady.