Ageism and ASD

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I would agree with that 100 percent.

Ageism is real and it's a problem. However, not being romantically attracted to someone much older or younger than yourself is not ageism. So, you can be ageist if you won't hire someone too young or too old, or won't rent to them, or won't treat them with the same respect you give others, but you aren't ageist if you won't go out with them because you aren't attracted to them.

Just because I wouldn't date a 65 year old guy doesn't mean some 25 year old might not want to date you though. Everyone is allowed to be attracted to who they are attracted to, and to not be attracted to who they are not attracted to. It's personal romantic preference, not any sort of "ism".

Absolutely!

Jensen: can't you retire soon and get a pension? I've heard that in Scandinavian countries, people are able to retire when they are about 60 years old.

I am in my 30's now and I lived with two roommates who were 6 and 8 years older one decade ago. One of them was a huge ageist. Not only was she disrespectful towards people people in their 40's + but was that way towards anyone who was younger than she was. She made a big stink about how I wasn't their age and didn't fit in.

Then I have seen older women take an attitude about older people in the media. For instance I had been associating with a friend off and on. I cannot for the love of me stand her mother who is just a very miserable person to be around. It turns out that she is ageist herself because we were talking about Doctor Who and Peter Capaldi playing him. In her opinion he is a good actor but he's too old to play "The Doctor." She would rather have had David Tennant or Matt Smith. I wanted to slap her right there and then for that.

Just wait until you graduate.
You are paying to be there or someone is paying for. Any student provides revenue to a school. Teachers love older students who tend to be well behaved, motivated, and respectful.
Wait until you go out into the job market and want someone to pay you. You aren't quite old enough yet to see the worst of it. Wait until you get past 50. It is most definitely an -ism!! !!

The most enjoyable students to teach by far were the mature students (who had life experience which made a positive contribution as they applied that to topics) and some very amusing young non-conformists who would turn up with big smiles, pink hair and good will, eager to learn and who had more ability to think for themselves about alternative explanations for a particular research finding. They could be delightful!

The least enjoyable were the ones who turned up without ever bothering to read the required reading, appointed themselves as instant experts on the topic, continually interrupted the class with ignorant smart-arse questions (ignorant because the reading would have answered their questions before class, that was the point) smart arse because they thought their ignorant questions demonstrated that they were smarter than the others) and who wasted class time and everyone's time on their tedious little ego trips.

No, that would be 62 and only for those, that have had a career and saved up for pension.
I haven´t.
Holding a steady job and that has had its difficulties for me and I´ve not been allowed to finish my edu, which could have got me the job, I would do well with. So far I´ve only been allowed "activation" in "ordinary" (=unskilled) jobs that require complicated reading of situations, quick shifts, multitasking and so on.
Right now, I am in a "ressource"-period, which is for people "threatened by pension", - which I would love. That period is an arrangement, wherein you get som extra help to settle problems, that COULD get in the way of holding down a job. So far it´s OK. I have had support to rearrange my staggering economy and getting things done at home (I make everything myself). Ultimo October this period will be over and it is going to be decided whether I am a candidate for social pension or "flex"-job, which is a job with fewer hours and compensation from the state. The latter is being used for the majority, - sometimes quite ridiculously: A deadly sick person gets her sickbed installed at work, so she can work 50 min and rest now and then (Rules are rules!)
There will be a work trial (only my fifth) and I am going to ask to be tried in a secretariat at the local Autism Union. The leader was not reluctant to the thought of having me as a flex-worker an d I think, I would fit in a job like that. If I don´t find a work, I will go on getting dole and live under the same restrictions till state pension. That´s no life!

I also see ageism played for people on the spectrum past 25 in terms of getting services at these Autism Centers. Most of the programs cater to the younger crowd. I used to attend autism center and the supervisor in the adult programs kept telling us we would have something for older people. Nothing ever happened since the funding is going to the early intervention.

Jensen: you must be so resourceful!

Do you make your own clothes?

Until recently, many people in Trinidad and Tobago made their own clothes using sewing machines.

Thank you.
As a matter of fact, I just read, that our government has made rules, that actually erase pension for those, that are not terminal.
If you can work for 900 sec/week - you can´t get a pension. Thus many really sick people have to live on dole!
If the jobmarket close itself on anyone over 40 and not highly skilled - well, bad luck!
You remain a prisoner: not allowed education, not allowed to travel without asking permission(if you manage to save the money), not allowed to own more than 1.522$ or any object representing that amount - and a few more goodies.

I don´t mind being poor, as long as I can decide for myself and do, what I want.
I might even find a way out!

No, the lack of freedom to spend your life as you like is the real killer!
That´s Denmark Anno 2015!
Let´s see, who wins the election this year. The public discontent is tangible.

No, I don´t make my clothes. I possibly could, but I´m better with a saw and a drilling machine. I make my cupboards and bookcases, I´ve isolated under the windows and enlarged the sills. Just now I´m about to make a cat-environment for my "Garfield".

What do you do, when you´re not here or working?

Even if I do experience that, it won't change the fact that, as a group, older people are better off than the rest. That's what I mean by statistically significant. In the case of a legitimate "-ism," the outcomes for the group are worse than others.

I enjoy reading, watching TV (sports and documentaries usually). One of my ambitions is to be able to help people better.

I hate social gatherings myself--though when I'm involved in one, I do try to be "social" and polite. Whenever I find a way to politely leave the social gathering, I do so.

I'm terrible with my hands! Do you have IKEA where you are? It's a Swedish company.

There should be a time when you could collect a pension without all those rules.

In the US, when I'm 67, I could collect my full Social Security even when I'm working. Before then, I could work, but they take away half your money after you earn about $16,000 a year. It's not worth working a full-time job and collecting 2/3 of your pension (your pension is reduced by 1/3 if you retire at 62 instead of 67).

I did a little research. I believe you could collect your full folkepension when you're between 65-67. I don't think you could work--but I don't think you have to show inability to work, either. There's also a "supplement" for people with low incomes.

You´ve done your homework
You are right about folkepension, but it is far away right now. Anyway it´s so low, that you have to have other income. I know, there´s a supplement for people with low wages - up to dole level. If you do that, you are under the same restrictions as if totally on the dole. Been there.
Here pension is reduced too, if people choose to leave at 62, but not as much as in USA.

Is there a way you could supplement your income by using your writing skills?

Maybe you could start a Danish blog. Denmark has about nine million people (I know it's a relatively small population, like other Scandinavian countries). Maybe you could catch the attention of someone. Is autism well-known in Denmark? Is there much stigma attached to it by the Danish populace? Maybe you could provide an education for Danish people with your blog. Who knows?

It's what in English is called "a stab in the dark," meaning it's "coming out of nowhere, and it's not likely to succeed." But...you should think of something that could take advantage of your Aspie skills.

I wish you could also use your carpentry skills to fix other people's things in your neighborhood, make a few krone (or is it krona?)on the side. I know the taxes are a real b***h where you are.

But it's better than nothing, don't you think?

Yeah. I´ve begun to translate a book and if I ever finish the work, I´ll ask the author if it could be of interest.

A blog? Nah, I wouldn´t know what to write. I´m not even through finding out who I am and how I function compared to others, if it will ever happen. Sometimes I ask friends how they percieve and make a note of the differences. I´m reading Tony Attwood again - this time with clearer recognition of what is "me" and what is not.

There is a growing autism awareness in Denmark and hotshots are popping up like mushrooms everywhere. I know a couple of them.
By the way, you overestimate our population a little; we´re still only 5.67 million here. Sweden has 9 million people, I think. Gosh! When I started school, we were only a little over 4 million!

Carpentry for others....eh, no. I´m not that good. It´s not really carpentry either and I haven´t got room for a real bench, so there are many things, for which I have to find an "alternative" solution.
With my own things I can afford to fail and sometimes mask a less nice work

My plan, as I don´t have access to a piano, is to take up art again, - write me a plan and go ahead....and do a little designing here and there. I may do an exhibition some day, if I can carry through my plans. Doing that seems to be my eternal challenge.

(KRONA is swedish in singularis. KRONE/KRONER is danish singularis/pluralis).