"Autism Speaks" Response to Autistic Input

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I think you have captured here the elements that the great majority of those that visit here share. Getting lost in detail, is the story of my life also. I see a fact, a detail, that I don't see as matching the facts as I understand them, and latch on with emotion, until resolution can be found, finding it extremely hard to let go, with only intent of finding the truth. Then find further emotion, when others can't see how important I see that the disagreement on the facts is resolved, by the same resolve I see as important. That's not the way life works for everyone, but I still like to think it should work that way at times.

I think part of acceptance is that others have had to adapt to us our entire lives, whether we realize it or not; sometimes it goes well and sometimes it doesn't, but as we adapt to others, they do adapt to us as well, if they are in our life. Sometimes it is easier for us than them, and we may not realize it.

It is hard for us to change, because it's inherent in our nature, but it is just as hard for others to adapt to it because it does not have the same sense of importance to them. Neither side is at fault, but we are not the only ones that practice acceptance in our dealings with others who experience a difference of neuro-development.

Yes, we can be accepted by most anyone, if we accept the differences in others and give others an opportunity to accept the differences in us, and have patience with each other, when we fail to accept each other as each of us expects the other to.

Refreshing too, to see a personal touch, I thank you for your post as well.

Hello Aghogday,

You see it is the details that makes our perception beautiful. But it can work against us if we allow it.

I have experienced much personal pain when I tried to express a point of view to others.

We are different.

Have a wonderful day and please do post again.

I completely agree, I was trying to present it as a trap I fall into, that is at times not easily accepted by others, or understood. Apparently I have done it again here, since I described the details of my experience of it, and it did not come across as clear.

Surely we are all different, though, in degree and effect.

Thanks for the response.

Hello Aghogday,

Yes I agree we are all different in both degree and effect.

Our condition is our condition. We can adapt through neuroplasicity.

To adapt we must generate new attitudes in our mind.

Cells mostly live for approx. 7 years. Each cell is programed to receive neuropeptides based on our thoughts/emotions.

If we are to change and adapt we must take this into consideration. New cells have the ability to recieve new conditioning from the attitudes we hold. Older cells can also be reprogrammed/reconditioned.

Neuroplasicity is the new horizon.

I do not wish to be cured, what I wish for is adaptive experience. I can continue to grow and develop, in my own unique way.

I did not know how to do my shoes up until I was 10. I left schooling when I was 14. Now at 47 I have a Master's degree.
It's all possible!

All my very best to you!

It is my opinion that neuroplasicity even attached conceptually with the will and or power of the mind is not the end all and be all of realizing and achieving ones goals. It might be a good part of the self-realization for some that the power of the mind creates better outcomes. It's not always wise to introduce the fact we cannot always achieve goals but realistically we cannot always do so but should always try to improve and attempt to achieve.

Hello Ci,

Could you please send your message again. I am sorry, I did not get your point.

Thank you in advance!

As I have been told akin to the following.

If you are made to believe you can climb the highest mountain and attempt to do so because you have been told you can should you put your mind to it and yet fail no matter how much you try it simply is not a state of mind that makes the difference. To me it is better to build resilience and reasonable outlooks given an individuals abilities. I for one know what I am capable of, not capable of and have a reasonable idea about what I might achieve if I work harder at it vs. what is quite rationally unlikely to be achieved.

Interesting, there are so many ways to adapt. I was the last kid picked for any team in school, never played team sports, and ended up as Athletic Director at a Military Installation. Neuroplasticity adaptations in social interaction by working at a Military bowling center exposed to thousands of people; I learned the value of every individual difference there among humans.

I learned about my emotions by playing the piano through most of my life. With a delay in language, it helped me communicate as well, later I found out that there is evidence that music helps autistic people to communicate better, confirming my reasoning for so long that it gave me communication I didn't have before.

I didn't understand people or myself well, so I thought I would learn more about this through degrees of social science, anthropology, and Health science. I got my degrees, but the Bowling Center and those thousands of people taught me more than any social science class could have ever taught me.

It is all possible for some. I never knew I had autism, until much later in life. Self belief and belief in others, along with fortune in family and acquaintences was all I needed for success.

I indeed have been blessed, in this respect, in life. From my own personal experience, everything you say here is indeed true.

Our minds can heal us or destroy us. Our most important endeavor in determing our future is our next thought.

At the same time as we gather this strength we have the opportunity to help others in life, that may not have the same abilities we have learned to adapt for.

So many of those people without a diagnosis of Autism helped me along my path, and I am eternally grateful to them. They gave me acceptance and had patience with me, and the more positively I reacted the more patience and acceptance I received. The world is a great place to be, when we find our own unique place in it. I definitely agree if we think we can achieve it, we often do.

The more we view the world in that positive way the more our world becomes a positive place.

I am now permanently disabled because of physical problems. The health that was once mine that helped me so much to adapt in the world, is no longer there, but I still have yet to give up. Above and beyond most things a person's physical health, connection to others, and mental health, are wonderful gifts, part of which we have control of with our thoughts and actions.

An inspiring post again from you. This was becoming an even darker place for one that has problems with their sight. Thanks for joining in on the conversation.

Last edited by aghogday on 21 Aug 2011, 8:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hello Ci

Yes, I agree.

Thank you for your repost!

Hello Aghogday,

I am sorry to hear you are now permanently disabled. This must be a very difficult situation. Do you have many services in your area?

All my best to you!

I am a retired government employee, so no problems financially; another extremely fortunate area on my part. A loving patient wife that has provided the support I needed to live well before I became disabled.

I can, though, clearly imagine what life would be like, if I wasn't blessed in this area. I also had a disabled child as well. Positive thinking is always the best route; but there are indeed those that need help and services, that don't have access to them.

Just today, it was announced that social security disbility benefits in the US will run dry in just six years. So, in the US a real crisis is looming for those that are Autistic with permanently disabling symptoms, which number in the hundreds of thousands, along with everyone else with permanent disabilities. I have no idea what the full answer is going to be.

My suggestion here is to provide that input to organizations that have the resources to provide some help to those in the future, that require it to survive, and may not receive it from the government.

While it is not a nice reality, evidence suggests that even higher functioning autistic people stand a greater risk from becoming disabled in life, than some others, from the accumulated stress of life, that is sometimes the result of the challenges of living in the mainstream world with any form of autism.

These are what I see as the most pressing issues for those that live with Autism in the US; there are many others, obviously I have a bias based on personal experience, but it seems like Autistic voices have made a difference in other areas, at least to some degree, so I see the effort as one that might at least make a difference for a few people. I see the impact on anyone that can be helped as a result worth the effort.

Thank you for your post.

I hope that all goes well. Surely the Government can not let such things to take place. New governments will be voted into office.

I am happy to hear you have a supportive enviroment. I too am married for 26 years, my wife is very understanding, we have 2 children on the spectrum.
Stress is an important issue for all of us. I have buckled under it at times.

All the very best to you!

Thank you. The government we have now, got us healthcare reform; that was a miracle of sorts in the US. The US has been a rock of stability for many years, so many years that I think some think we are immune to the problems we see in other countries. It seems we are waiting for absolute crisis to correct the issue. Hopefully action of some significant merit will be taken soon.

The very best to you also.

Hello

What would you like to see happen?

I am interested in your experience.

Thank you for reading my post!

The government must find a way to support the disability program in place, or it is likely that a great deal of suffering and anguish will occur within the country. Tens of millions of people depend on it for survival here.

A solution that some support in our country to cure our economic woes is to further cut social programs to solve our financial crisis. The only answer to hope to save the social programs is to cut defense program and raise taxes. Neither of which are popular solutions.

We live in the present and haven't had the problems other countries have had in the last 100 years with wars on their soils, and riots in their streets.

Tens of millions of people that depend on disability is not the majority of the country; we are a hetergenous group of people that don't often see the needs of others distant to us as a pressing need.

Unwarranted wars and taxcuts that were never funded got us to this point. The real solution was 11 years ago in discipline not to go down that path. I see no serious intent to solve the problem or recognize it as the crisis it is. We are blessed with collective intelligence, but individual primates wearing clothing make the decisions that count. Our fate lies in the hands of a very tiny portion of the collective intelligence.

Some of the canidates we have running for political office, are a possible indication, that in the future, only the strongest among us may survive.

Again though, the only potential solution at this point is to raise taxes and cut defense, if social programs of the future have a chance of continuation.

The rest of the country does not have the infrastructure to support these disabled people, but some will likely be supported through whatever support is availble in the private sector available if government social programs fail.

I would like to see improvement in social programs provided to the disabled that provides greater independence and rights to individuals. The question of the future here though, may be more one of will government social programs exist at all, as opposed to what they will look like.

Hello Aghogday,

I liked your post. You make clear observations regarding events.

Australia is also under funded for human services. There is a push at the moment for a National Disability Insurance Scheme. Some believe it may take upto seven years to impliment.

We hold our fingers crossed.

All the best!