tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11320409578056258482024-03-08T17:38:47.624-08:00Scattered ASD PerspectivesAutistic People. People With Autism. Parents. Grandparents. Siblings. Romantic Partners. Medical Professionals. Educational Professionals.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13495781367318743657noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-70288683479307149142013-08-18T16:29:00.000-07:002013-08-18T16:29:31.994-07:00Juggling the AstronautHello,<br />
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My name is Wendy Frye and I am the mother of two wonderful young men - the oldest on the Autism Spectrum. As a mother to a young adult with Autism, we are slowly transitioning into the next phase of life by getting a job and hopefully learning to live more independently.<br />
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James was diagnosed at the age of 3 1/2 when no one really heard of Autism. It's been a long road regaining health and supporting his needs. Today his is a mouthy, funny, TALL, artistic person who has an opinion and is not afraid to share it!<br />
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Thank you Katie Kagan for starting this blog and for the invitation to contribute. I'm looking forward to sharing some offbeat stories of the Frye family - and learning more about the rest of the world living with Autism.<br />
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~ Wendy FryeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04120960368645261502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-6613112328829649812013-08-18T09:35:00.001-07:002013-08-18T09:35:28.810-07:00Power in the Palm of Your HandMy sometimes...earthy...aunt had a picture of Las Vegas. The caption: "Poverty Sucks".<br /><br />Well, powerlessness sucks too. Not to mention learned helplessness. And <b>first hearing about</b> Asperger Syndrome (AS) at the age of 34, after K-12, college, graduate school and years afterward, is a good way to develop learned helplessness.<br /><br />Why bother to try to make friends, get dates or obtain good jobs? Sisyphus, please call your office!<br /><br />Well, if you're reading this -- you've got power.<br /><br />First off, <i style="font-weight: bold;">knowledge is power</i>. If you're reading this, you probably know whether you're an Aspie (someone who's on the autism spectrum) or an NT (someone who isn't, aka a neurotypical). And we, as a society, know a lot more about AS than we did even a decade ago. For example, a recent episode of the kids' show "Arthur" had a segment with a "guest star" Aspie character, explaining his traits (very strong interest in trains, focus on facts not feelings, insistence on routine, occasional meltdowns) and then showing a clip about Aspies in real life.<br /><br />Once we know how we tend to differ from most people, we can adapt much more easily. For example, most NTs know about "the sandwich"*...when giving negative feedback or other bad news you may wish to <b>start</b> with good news, <b>then </b>give the unpleasant part and <b>finish</b> with more good news. If you just tell an Aspie that, s/he may wonder "What is this person talking about? People have to take time to even know what was actually said, and it's only logical to react the same way to the same thing no matter what came before or after it right?" <br /><br />But once we know that (1) unlike us, NTs tend to process and respond to what's being said <i>in real time</i> and (2) most people -- and even including many Aspies -- care about <b>when</b> in a conversation something comes up**, we can understand the advice much better.<br /><br />Why are we focusing on how people feel about what we say and do? <i>Feelings matter</i>. That's something we need to keep in mind if we want to get anywhere in life.<br /><br />If we focus on, say, the fine points of app development or the history of Victorian art, and miss the subtle ways in which most NTs let each other (and us) know where they stand, it's easy to overlook how important it is to actually be liked and respected.<br /><br />"Oh, I'm really smart, so they'll forgive my being blunt and 'weird'." Nope, not nowadays (if ever). People would rather work with a likable dunderhead than a brilliant boor -- even when they have to choose (which, thanks to early training in schools, they increasingly don't).<br /><br />In any case, once you're smart <b>enough</b> to do the work -- which in most settings only requires either being average or on the bright side -- it all switches over to the social stuff. It's like getting into a top college*** -- a strong majority of the applicants <b>can</b> do the work. And you can only be so picky about grades and SAT/ACT scores, when you consider that for the most selective schools even a majority of applicants who are class valedictorians and salutatorians don't get in. So it's much more a matter of how kind and charitable he seems to be, or how inventive she is, or how well they can keep a group going when things get tough.<br /><br />Well, guess what? Welcome to the working world. All your grey matter, your fancy degrees and your job skills (and maybe a referral or two) <b>just get you in the door</b>. After that, you need to show you can work in a team. Often under rapidly changing conditions. While multi-tasking sometimes.<br /><br />For example, Inc. magazine recently published a very short list of tips for teams. First and foremost: <a href="http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/3-scientific-secrets-to-great-teams.html" target="_blank">pick folks with high <b>emotional</b> intelligence -- not necessarily book smarts</a>.<br /><br />"OK, so <b>now</b> what? How do I get the specific skills I need after all?"<br /><br />Start with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034" target="_blank">this classic</a>. And then try <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Verbal-Judo-Gentle-Art-Persuasion/dp/0060577657" target="_blank">this interpersonal skills system originally for cops on the beat</a>. For both strategies and tactics on the job, check out <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Top-Ten-Dumb-Career-Mistakes/dp/0844263133" target="_blank">this simple work by an experienced career writer</a>. And <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Law-School-Doesnt-Teach/dp/0159004535" target="_blank">this sophisticated law career guide</a> (even if you never work in a law office!).<br /><br />Last but not least, this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Comebacks-Work-Conversation-Master-Confrontation/dp/B005B1AXXW" target="_blank">world-class guide to talking tactics</a> will get you through all kinds of conversations, work and otherwise.<br /><br />Then, practice, practice, practice. Now that you know what to look for, see what kinds of things others say that please or piss off people. Look back on your previous interactions and try to figure out what went wrong. And try out new strategies yourself.<br /><br />No, not all of the strategies will make sense to you. But their results sure will.<br /><br />We now have the power to go wherever our natural talents and hard work might take us. Let's use it wisely!<br /><br />[*] That having been said, George Thompson, the police officer who devised the above-linked <i>Verbal Judo</i>, has said that the sandwich method is outliving its usefulness. In particular, since most people know about it, if you start off by giving someone praise they'll tend to figure there's criticism coming up and they'll just brace themselves for that. He has recommended starting out with the feedback...but still finishing up with praise. So real-time processing and timing still matter.<br /><br />[**] That's called the primacy effect and the recency effect. Basically, people feel most strongly about what comes first and what came last. They influence you emotionally, so it's easy to not realize that's what you're doing.<br /><br />[***] Which I've done, btw. [Specifically, Cornell.]Jeff Deutschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00975267700905023579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-59708481789832168132013-08-14T21:58:00.002-07:002013-08-14T21:58:51.509-07:00Meet Daniel D My Name is Daniel Davis I work at Just a Buck and I Volunteer Computers. what I do for fun is Watching television,hanging friends and some others. My Challenge is to I want to be good learner,great respective and be responsible. I Would like to work computers because I like to fix computer, I like editing a video and make moviesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14711329332237205274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-69874830102164641122013-08-13T22:52:00.001-07:002013-08-13T22:52:33.956-07:00I am for Empowering people with Autism to live the best life Possible <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">
Ok so this one is about my Journey to get to where I am today, It hasn't always been easy but it is worth it.</div>
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Ok so lets start out with the fact that both my Speech and my walking were somewhat delayed wasn't delayed more then a year but around that time Frame however when I did start talking it wasn't in one word phrases it was in Full on Sentences mind you Properly formed sentences I learned how to walk but had problems first off my balance wasn't that great and second off my feet were a bit off center just enough to affect the way I walked, second off my talking was hurt by a Speech Impediment I had well into my early teens. I had to take Years of Physical Therapy and OT for Years well into High School to deal with Issues Assocated with Mild-Cerebral Palsy ( Yes that is what it is according to my doctor he even put it on my last Physical form.) </div>
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Mom and dad cause of the Speech impediment and the fact that I had a hard time communicating taught me ASL signs to help me communicate with them, It was fun I did that well after I could talk just fine cause I was used to it. </div>
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Then here were the Sensory Interrogation Disorder Issues as I grew up, now mind you I have what a Friend of mine Calls Superman Hearing and I tend to agree I could hear fire alarms turn on, I can hear Sirians from a long way off even now with me losing some of my hearing, and as a Kid a fire alarm going off would send me into a Meltdown and I run, I run for my life, I did this well into the 3rd grade when they figured out maybe they should tell me when we were going to have a Fire Drill or at least the ones they know about, I learned how over time to deal with the loud sounds. </div>
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I also dealt a lot with Sensory Overload as Kid and learned how to deal with that, It took Practice and Trial and Error. </div>
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Also I had to learn how to make Friends, that wasn't easy cause I didn't understand unspoken Social rules or even how to make and keep Friends and these were not easy skills to learn cause I want to have Friends so bad, I didn't have any Concept to Bullying even when I was Bullied cause I thought I had done something wrong when I was bullied I learned over time to tell the Difference I had to learn to understand basic Jokes and Humor cause it kinda went over my head, Had to learn about this thing people had Called Space Bubbles cause I didn't have one and had no way of Gageing where others people Space Bubbles were also it had to be Explained to me that where most peoples Space Bubbles were is rather Abertery to the person that there were no hard and fast set rules as to where they Existed. </div>
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I had to teach myself in those days Coping Mechanisms to be able to cope with a lot of things I didn't understand and learn how to cope with the fact I was different there were no Classes for Coping with ASD I had to learn how to cope all by myself and learn some skills all by myself or with a Friend when I had them.</div>
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Then there was Schooling, I loved it and hated it all at the same time, First off cause of my SID issues and some subjects I wasn't so strong in I was put in Special Ed, This often meant leaving the Classroom I was in even when the class was doing something fun that I really wanted to be part of Sped times were hard and fast, I had to teach myself to read somewhat and then taught myself to Speed Read and Comprehend as I speed read mostly cause the English Class I was in was going too slow for my taste, I hated the fact that I could learn a subject I wasn't good at but the teacher wouldn't Belive me so they unless I showed them in a Reasonable time by certain rules and if I couldn't keep up in that timeline, I had to do my work over, they really didn't know how much that Frustrated me and bored me to death on those Subjects. In high School I went and helped Teach ESL at a community center, I am good at doing that in fact I found out I could do it cause I did do it, I also had to learn when people were using the People skills and my good heart that is into helping people to Further there own lives and Ambitions and not give me any Credit for helping out, that hurt me. I have had to deal with the issues of Trusting people cause I have been used in the past to help others then have them take all the Credit for the part of the work I did and not aknowledge me or my skills. I had to learn to type cause of the CP and a few other things My handwriting isn't the best I can Sign my name and if I am Paying real hard Attention when handwriting I might be able to write one legible Senescence, don't ask me to do more then that cause the rest comes out as Chicken Scratch that I can remember what I wrote but you nor I will be able to read it. I learned howto type good and fast at age 8 and have been typing ever seance though we did work on Handwriting in PT/OT </div>
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I enjoy helping others always have and always will, It is just part of who I am. </div>
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I in Recreant History have learned how to live on my own away from my house with a Roommate and have been Pretty Successful so far and I hope to keep it that way even with the fact my first roommate didn't pay the rent, Didn't tell me he didn't pay the rent and got me Evicted but I learned how to look for a new Roommate and I found a good one. I am also working on becoming a better Cook and getting Pretty good at it.</div>
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now for the longest time I had a hard time living with my Autism or dealing with it, my life after 18 kinda became very limited and I dealt a lot of the time with Depression and anger and feeling like I was being left behind and being a spectator in life rather then a partipant, but then When I was 27 I accepted that I had Autism and I decided that I am going to make the lives of people with Autism better and make it so that people with Autism are heard and Respected and accpeted and allowed to have lives they can be Proud of. I Decided I was going to empower people with Autism and let people with Autism get together in peer groups and talk about life with Autism and dreams and goals and have social peer social groups for people with Autism. I started 3 Rivers Autism Outreach, and became a Self-Advocate.</div>
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So that is my life up to this point, I hope to get married someday, Have a family someday, and I have other Dreams and Goals as well :) I am proud to have Autism, I am proud to help others with Autism and help them to be the best people they can be. I will continue my work with Three Rivers Autism Outreach and I will continue to help people both with and without Autism and work to make our world a more Accepting place for people with ASD to Maximize there Potential </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354307482127138824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-65799500122751981152013-08-13T21:39:00.000-07:002013-08-13T21:39:05.888-07:00Welcome Oliver M CanbyHey. I'm Oliver M Canby. I've previously written on Autism Is Bad, the leading pro-cure weblog in the autism debate. On this blog, I will contribute my position in support of a cure while respectfully disagreeing with those who support NeuroDiversity. I hope to avoid name-calling and engage in civil and productive debate. I am also good friends and neighbors with fellow pro-cure blogger Jonathan Mitchell. You can check him out at autismgadfly.blogspot.comOliver M Canbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02933533725693723362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-12686524630689189332012-09-17T20:11:00.002-07:002012-09-17T20:11:46.455-07:00Warrior Parents<br />
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Autism parents take a lot of flack; “they just need more
discipline” “maybe you shouldn’t take them out if they can’t behave” “they’re
just spoiled” But autism parents who are ‘treating’ their children get that and
more. “Don’t you know it’s genetic” “Why don’t you spend more time <u>with</u>
your child” “You’re just looking for something to blame” “Autism is lifelong
and cannot be cured” “I can’t believe you’re trying to change who your son is”
“Early intervention is the only treatment for autism” I’ve never seen so much
discrimination against a ‘disability’, in all my years. Do families of cancer patients, Alzheimer's,
MS, Diabetes etc. deal with the same? <o:p></o:p></div>
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There’s so much misconception around autism, that there are
many who have no idea what it actually is. Autism is the ignored epidemic. The
first cases of autism were noticed in 1943 and because it was essentially a
rare condition, it was paid only a slim amount of attention. Around the 1980’s
people started noticing more children exhibiting behaviours attributed to
autism and some parents even went great lengths to try and figure out just how
many children were affected in their community. The 1990’s rolled in and not
only were parents becoming more vocal about the increasing number of children
affected by autism but organizations were started to notice increases as well.
With such little known about autism besides the requirements for diagnosis and
with such little awareness about the diagnosis itself, it took sometimes years
for a child to be officially diagnosed after the first signs and still does to
this day. In the early 2000’s a movement started gaining momentum; parents of
children with autism starting solving the puzzle themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not only were parents starting to figure out exactly what
autism was, they were becoming even more vocal than before and with these
parents able to use such means as the internet; they were starting to be heard
by more people than ever before. Things are quite different now than they were
in the 1940’s, not only are we living closer together and in higher numbers but
also the internet helped give way to something that wasn’t available to parents
before; easy mass communication. Parents are now able to compare notes faster
and in greater groups, they have not only brought about more awareness to
autism, but have also paved the way for the swarm of new autism parents that
are to follow. These parents have revolutionized the defining factors of autism
and mainstream is years behind the discoveries made by these people. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We’ve gotten here today, because of how ignored autism was.
It all begins when a child is diagnosed with autism and the parents are told
something to the effect of; we don’t know the cause, it is lifelong with no
cure, they will most likely never talk, you’re best to just give them an
enjoyable life, because their intelligence level will stay the same and nothing
you can do will help. This is where the divide begins, some parents accept what
the doctor has told them and some parents refuse to accept that there would be
no help, no solution or no investigation into this whole autism thing. Parents
were the first starters of early intervention. Their efforts in trying to teach
their children, to not leave them left behind, to refuse to let their children
be unable to have the same opportunities as other children. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As early intervention picked up speed amongst the parents
-all the while mainstream had yet to acknowledge it- increasing numbers of
children brought about more parents forming groups to exchange information. They
only had each other as in many cases, friends and family suddenly found
themselves too busy to visit, these parents support system had become null and
they sought out each other for comfort. During this time as the numbers
increased there were more and more parents talking about regression; a healthy
born baby, progressing normally or above and then losing all or most of the
skill previously achieved. Was this new, were parents paying more attention or were
they starting to be heard and pass information for the first time ever. I’ll
put my money on all three. Out of this spawned another group of parents,
parents who were noting physical symptoms in addition to learning/skill/social
regression. The take action movement that early intervention parents had started
evolved into a movement that is putting the pieces together in this puzzle that
is autism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Not only do we know more about the similarities and
differences between those with autism to the point that we could better group
and diagnose, but we also know what is really causing autism and how to treat
those affected. You’d think that these parent would be commended for the years
of effort they have put in and for the discoveries made, but alas not only are
they being ‘blacked out’ from mainstream, they are also meeting anger from
those who feel that by ‘removing the autism’ you are also taking away who that
child actually is. Autism has now become both controversial and political
because of the gaining vocalism from parents who are just trying to help their
children and make their lives better. Now if someone had discovered not only
the cause of, say down syndrome, but also ways to treat it, would they too be
met with; ‘it’s genetic there is no cure, you are talking quackery’ or ‘you’re
trying to change who they are’<o:p></o:p></div>
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While mainstream is just grasping that early intervention is
possible, this growing group of people are doing what no one else has; they are
helping parents and children. What started out as institutionalize is the only
option due to refrigerator mothers, to there is hope, support and children
starting to recover. Their personalities
do not disappear, they lose the restrictions that autism brought and their
bodies become healthy again. Doesn’t hope, support and recovery sound better
than genetic, no cure and you’re on your own?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Autism is become larger because more and more children are
being affected; an estimated 1 in 29 toddlers will be diagnosed with autism.
Nearly everyone knows a child with autism and diagnosing has just this last
2yrs, gotten the push to pay closer attention. While the messages get muddied
by the media and other self interest groups, more and more parents are finding
these parents and using their knowledge to help their own children. Perhaps
years down the road, mainstream will have no choice but to catch up as they had
to with early intervention and maybe then we can put a halt to the ever
increasing children being diagnosed with autism. If today it is 1 in 29, what
will it be in 5, 10 or 15 yrs from now?<o:p></o:p></div>
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They even have a name that’s catching, warrior mothers,
warrior fathers, warrior parents. They don’t always call themselves it but by
golly they surely deserve it! They spend hours helping their children,
discovering who they are, what their qualities are, what obstacles they face
and see them as any other loving parent would see their child, but with
determination. When they actually have time for themselves -whatever little
that may be- they usually use most of it to study, research and plan for
autism. They also take every moment possible to be vocal, spread awareness and
advocate for their own and others affected by autism. They are some of the
strongest, determined and hardest working people I’ve ever come across and
instead of the praise they should receive, they are met with anger, abuse and
mistrust. Yet still, they press forward and while they are still hurt deep down
by what others say to them, they never let it deter them from fighting for the
truth, for these children and for action. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These parents are truly the warriors of today and without
them, my son would still be sitting in the corner rocking, spinning the wheels
of a care for hours, while ‘zoning out’ and be unable to look at me, unable to
be close to me, instead of the wonderful, expressive, imaginative little boy
that he is today. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I chose this post to thank not only all the warriors before
me but also the ones currently fighting today. You are making it possible for
children and adults with autism to receive the services, support and
possibility for a better, pain free, obstacle free life that they have today. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you for your courageousness, your efforts, the sweat
and tears, heartache and sorrows that you endure in order to change the face of
what autism is. Know that parents everywhere are truly grateful for your voice
and knowing that others stand beside them while they fight for the same cause. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04355951988341201923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-37281911884878548272012-08-27T16:48:00.000-07:002012-08-27T16:48:13.190-07:00My name is Jason Ross. I am 33 years old Autistic Adult and an Autistic Rights Activist. I am pursuing my goal to help other Autistic people from all ages to be able to gain the support, strength, and empowerment any one else would need to live their life. Every one is different and unique. No body can take dignity away from any one. We are all here for a reason. Some of those reasons are to be able to help each other along the way. I was featured in a few different media and publications already. <br />
I do artwork and meditation for relaxation as a hobby. I want to be able to do more artwork and do it better each time. Meditation helps me relax and clear away the influences from the day. I love to help people in what ever way I can. I use my hobby in artwork and writing to help express myself to help others, but I want to do this more in person. I am highly motivated to help. I am hoping to help mentor an Autistic Adult in the future who I met recently. I blog at Drive Mom Crazy, <a href="http://www.drivemomcrazy.com/" target="_blank">www.drivemomcrazy.com</a> since 2007 and host the Autistic Artistic Carnival on my blog every year on June 18, Autistic Pride Day. I will be simultaneously writing blogs on this website as well. <br />
<br />
By the way, I love all animals and will be posting pictures of the family dog Chloe on here too!<br />
<br />
<br />
I am happy to be a part of this blog, Katie!! Thank you for the opportunity, J :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jason Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06629105897597470314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-27134211117983048082012-08-25T12:21:00.003-07:002012-08-25T19:35:34.363-07:00My Son is Recovering<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yes you heard me right, recovering. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no quick fix for anything, it takes hard work,
dedication and patience. Oh how amazing it would be to find that magic something
I could give to him, so all his ‘body problems’ wouldn’t be problems anymore
and he could live exactly as he wanted, without those restrictions he has. It’s
not like that though, there is no one pill to help him, no vaccine to cure his
ailments and no one medicine or procedure to ease his struggles. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh how some must be shouting ‘she wants to cure autism’ ‘you
can’t cure autism, it’s forever’ ‘she’s trying to change her son, his
personalitity’ ‘she’s taking away who he is’ But it doesn’t matter, because I am not doing any of those
things. When it comes to anything and in particular, most all things autism; a
lot of people make assumptions. They’ll read a headline or a single comment and
make a conclusion –usually negative- about those with autism or the parents
that are raising them; without knowing the whole story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cure is not the same as recovery, just as therapy is not the
same as treatment. So when people make the assumption that parents who are
recovering their children, are trying to cure them –usually by ‘snake oil’
means- they just make themselves seem foolish, especially if they start yelling
about things they do not fully understand. Which brings us to another comment
often made, about’ taking away our child’s personality’ (if it didn’t tick me
off so much, I’d probably laugh myself to death). It has to be in the top ten
of the most ridiculous thing pertaining to autism that I’ve ever heard –and I’ve
heard a lot of ridiculous stuff people think about; autism, those with autism
and parents of children with autism- .<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s cut to the chase. Current autism diagnosis is based
solely on behaviours, so obviously those with autism do things that are
recognizable; like stimming, what most think of as odd behaviour, sensory
issues, repetitiveness, sometimes OCD etc. If those go away, our children are
still there and their personality is not gone. Who in their right mind would
truly believe; that autism <b>IS</b> your child, that without autism, your child is
without their personality, that the things causing boundries for your child;
make them who they are and when they are gone, so essentially are they. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Really think about it for a second. Put simply; Bye bye autism
– bye bye child – hello empty shell. Now doesn’t that sound ridiculous?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From personal experience alone, my son has been able to show
more of his personality since we have been doing treatments. He isn’t as bound
by his autism and can more freely explore and express who he is. I would never
think that by helping him, I am taking away who he is. It just doesn’t work
like that. <i>I could assume that those who think opposite are selfish and enjoy
their child’s ‘quirks’ so much that they want them to stay-but then I would be
just like them and make assumptions without know the whole story.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So back to recovery; it’s freaking hard work, my friends. I’m
never off the clock, there are no breaks and the stress is immense, but the
gains that you see…… make it all worth it. My son has to work just as hard as
I, if not harder because he is the one experiencing autism. I have to try hard to find ways to help him
re-learn to speak and bypass ‘faulty synapses’, but he has to try even harder
to actually do those things. He is my little trooper though and he tries so
hard to break through this ‘veil’ that is upon him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See recovery has two sections; <b>Treatment</b> and <b>Therapy</b>.
Therapy is there to help him learn, overcome and cope. Treatment is there to
repair damage that has been done to his body. Pretty hard to grasp if you think
that autism is a psychological condition, it’s even harder when under the
impression that autism is solely genetic and untreatable. Yes the brain is
affected, but so are many other parts of the body and our body is a living,
healing machine. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When you break your arm, your body repairs that break; with
a little help from us of course. To think it just ends there is absurd. Our
bodies can do things that we have yet to fully understand, one thing we do know
is that we are capable of overcoming great damages done to ourselves. I’m not saying
those with autism are damaged people, but that their <u>bodies</u> have taken damage. It’s
easily seen in brain scans of those with autism; there are specific areas that
show damage. Since everyone is different and everyone with autism is affected
differently; we see a scatter of other areas in the body that are damaged as
well. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some may argue that this isn’t a part of autism but I protest; if the damage to other areas of the body, causes the damage to the
brain, that results in autism or if the damage to other areas causes the autism
behaviour, than doesn’t that mean it is part of autism……. a big part of autism
in fact<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Autism isn’t a psychological based condition, it is a <b>biological</b>
one.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Treating those biological issues have given my son his voice
back; he can ask for things, sing songs and make his action figures have super
fast conversations. It has allowed him to use his imagination and be able to
explore things instead of ‘getting stuck’ on one tiny part of something. My son
went from rocking in the corner, flapping his hands and seemingly ‘out of this
world’ to a boy who gets to interact with other children, play games, draw,
explore and live life. He went from hating being touched, to requesting hugs,
kisses and wanting to snuggle up close. He doesn’t spin wheels for hours on end
any more and he looks me in the eye. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>He looks me in the eye.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04355951988341201923noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-64933590384570452852012-08-23T21:06:00.000-07:002012-08-23T21:06:18.731-07:00Guest Post By Tara<i> </i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>We have a new guest blogger today. Tara Marshall is an autistic adult.</i></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"I keep hearing a lot of people say that vaccines can't be related to Autism.</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh,
really? I'm an Autistic who has a lot of Autoimmune issues. My mother
had Guillain Barre Syndrome from a flu shot while she was pregnant with
me, and we'd both be dead if they hadn't got her a ventilator fast
enough. One of her sisters got polio from the Salk vaccine, the other
sister was Autistic too. Aunt Alison has lived in institutions and
group homes since she was sick.<br /><br />And my nephew was an interactive,
babbling, perfectly normal little boy who spoke about 10 words when he
went in for an appointment at 15 months of age where they gave him the
DTaP and the MMR. The NEXT DAY he just sat there drooling, and making
really nasty messes in his diapers. It was horrible. No cries to tell
us his diaper needed changing, no more asking for mommy, or food, or
ANYTHING.<br /><br />And then he was diagnosed with Autism a month later.
Besides being Autistic myself, I work with children with Autism, and
I've heard similar stories to my nephew's in DOZENS of children.
Seizures, high fevers, loss of language, loss of interaction... and all
within a week of vaccination.<br /><br />The older Autistic people I know
are mostly less severely affected. If we underwent a regression, it
usually tracked with an infection and happened later in our lives.
Vaccines can be a problem."</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13495781367318743657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-51958310802534006992012-08-23T20:34:00.002-07:002012-08-23T20:34:23.157-07:00Breaking News From Age of Autism: The Immunization Partnership Applauds Meachum's Ruling, Exposing Her Conflict of Interest Author's Note: Thank you, Katie Kagan for inviting me to this terrific blog. My name is Jake Crosby; I am a public health graduate student studying epidemiology at GW, a contributing editor to Age of Autism and am diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. I write a regular column for the site accessible here: <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/jake-crosby">www.ageofautism.com/jake-crosby</a> <br />
<br />
Followers of my writing know that my stance on autism is that it has exploded to epidemic proportions thanks to our government's vaccine program. I am a proud supporter of Dr. Andrew Wakefield - the scientist who first seriously raised the possibility in the Lancet more than a decade ago. Earlier this month, Dr. Wakefield's defamation case against the pharma-backed British Medical Journal and its hired gun Brian Deer was thrown out of district court by a terribly conflicted judge, Amy Clark Meachum. The story below ran on Age of Autism today and is about how Judge Meachum is more conflicted than I had ever previously imagined. <br />
<br />
The Immunization Partnership Applauds Meachum's Ruling, Exposing Her Conflict of Interest <br />
By Jake Crosby<br />
Confirming her conflict of interest, <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/08/judge-in-wakefield-case-amy-clark-meachums-husband-lobbies-for-sponsor-of-alison-singer.html" target="_blank">Judge Amy Clark Meachum's decision</a> to throw <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/01/dr-wakefield-sues-brian-deer-and-bmjs-fiona-godlee.html" target="_blank">Dr. Andrew Wakefield's defamation case</a> out of district court was publicly applauded by the President/CEO of The Immunization Partnership who promised to continue working with the<a href="http://v1.tafp.org/news/2008/08.09.30.4.asp" target="_blank">Texas Academy of Family Physicians (TAFP)</a>, for which Judge <a href="http://v1.tafp.org/news/TFP/10No3/1.asp" target="_blank">Meachum's husband lobbies.</a><br />
On August 9th in the comments section of <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2010/08/scienceblogs-as-told-by-a-defecting-scienceblogger.html" target="_blank">“Science”Blogs</a>, The Immunization Partnership President/CEO Anna C Dragsbaek wrote:<br />
<em>Thanks for your very humorous blog. I am the President and CEO of The Immunization Partnership, the organization that hosts The Texas Immunization Summit every two years. We applaud the judge’s decision in this case and continue to work with TAFP, and countless other organization around the state to ensure that Texas is protected against vaccine preventable diseases. As you might imagine, we are at ‘ground zero’ in the anti-vaccine debate. We fight everyday to counteract the egregious flow of misinformation and erroneous assertions that are propagated by Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues. As for the conspiracy theory, if working in collaboration with all of the stakeholders locally and nationally to ensure that families do not suffer the consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases is conspiracy, then color us guilty. In the meantime, we will continue to advocate for evidence-based immunization laws and policies, educate the public and support immunization best practices. We welcome your participation in our upcoming Texas Immunization Summit, September 27th and 28th. Come see how Texans are stepping up to the plate on this critical issue.</em><br />
However, the keynote address at this upcoming <a href="http://www.immunizeusa.org/en/cev/80" target="_blank">TAFP-sponsored summit</a> will not be given by a Texan, but by the vaccine industry's media go-to guy <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/03/seth-mnookin-bobs-your-uncle.html" target="_blank">Seth Mnookin</a>, who has made libeling Dr. Wakefield a considerable part of his career. At the 2011 World Science Festival in New York City, <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/06/my-conversation-with-seth-mnookin.html" target="_blank">I was standing right next to Mnookin</a> when I heard him tell another attendee that Dr. Wakefield “faked his data.” At a conference put on by a Merck-chaired organization, <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/12/seth-mnookin-boots-jake-crosby-out-of-public-conference-chaired-by-merck-exec.html" target="_blank">Seth Mnookin booted me out</a> when I defended Dr. Wakefield in Q and A. Similarly, when the judge's decision was announced, Mnookin <a href="http://twitter.com/sethmnookin/status/231499641231929345" target="_blank">tweeted</a>:<br />
<em>Wakefield harassment suit against BMJ & journalist thrown out of court. </em><a href="http://t.co/AtImpG0t" target="_blank"><em>http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2012/08/03/wakefield-vs-bmj-lawsuit-dismissed-on-jurisdiction-grounds/…</em></a> <em>h/t <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">@</span><strong>ejwillingham</strong></em><br />
In 2008, the Texas Immunization Summit hosted a <a href="http://v1.tafp.org/news/2008/08.09.30.4.asp" target="_blank">keynote speech</a> by millionaire vaccine industrialist <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/05/penn-prof-paul-offit-to-gw-grad-student-get-the-fck-out-of-here-piece-of-sht.html" target="_blank">Paul Offit</a> and in 2010, <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:Z03EHhs5t5YJ:www.dshs.state.tx.us/immunize/partners/Aug19-10docs/SummitFlyer.pdf+texas+academy+of+physicians+alison+singer&safe=strict&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESj5lOwVQHwqDWvO23IK7HPi96oP_2mrqkymz34FwCe9hP4--GpVIYQ6oMQTY0Ybi3Acte1ZizzGnEhWS7gz6ux24PqAMtDDc0FsslNgmBHDxESTN3DDzzX5GH2TTjiHVjbeDIb9&sig=AHIEtbQYZVMFn4TZjv1ZtyEieSxWNEz01w" target="_blank">hosted a talk – sponsored by TAFP</a> – given by anti-vaccine-autism research group Autism Science Foundation's president/founder <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2011/02/alison-singer-autism-mom-pharma-wife.html" target="_blank">Alison Singer</a>. She tells parents to vaccinate recklessly even though she split the MMR vaccine into three separate shots for her neurotypical second daughter.<br />
<!-- .entry-body --><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" id="more"></a><div class="entry-more">
The week Dr. Wakefield's lawsuit was filed, the Houston Chronicle quoted The Immunization Partnership's co-chair to its advisory council Dr. Julie Boom, as saying:<br />
"<em>Yes, there are many who have</em> '<em>hurt feelings</em>' <em>regarding the aftermath of his faulty research</em>," in response to “Injury to feelings” being listed in Dr. Wakefield’s lawsuit as one of the damages sustained as a result of the British Medical Journal's libel.<br />
Last June, Dr. Boom <a href="http://www.vicnetwork.org/2012/06/05/vaccine-safety-concerns-and-how-to-respond-to-vaccine-hesitant-parents-09/" target="_blank">sat on a panel</a> with Alison Singer hosted by The Immunization Partnership titled“Vaccine Safety Concerns and How to Respond to Vaccine-Hesitant Parents.”<br />
In a slide presentation for that event, Dr. Boom even embellished the accusations against Dr. Wakefield by stating that in “2011 -BMJ investigation labels Wakefield's study 'an elaborate fraud' and Wakefield's medical license is revoked.” In reality, the revocation of Dr. Wakefield's medical license had nothing to do with Deer's fraud charges; it was based on charges of serious professional misconduct in the Lancet paper that would later be officially disproved on appeal by Dr. Wakefield's colleague, <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/03/professor-john-walker-smith-exonerated-in-autism-mmr-case.html" target="_blank">Professor John Walker-Smith</a>.<br />
The Immunization Partnership obviously does not care; they need <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/03/brian-deers-bmj-series-not-peer-reviewed.html?cid=6a00d8357f3f2969e2016763dcffb6970b" target="_blank">Brian Deer and the British Medical Journal’s defamation</a> of Dr. Wakefield to support <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7NotxTg7jg" target="_blank">the vaccine-autism cover-up</a>. It does not matter that the accusations against him are completely made-up; the whole reason they were made-up in the first place was to keep his voice out of the vaccine-autism controversy and continue to cover up the fact that vaccines do cause autism. Any judge deciding the merits of Dr. Wakefield’s lawsuit should not be tied to The Immunization Partnership, which its own President/CEO admits has a huge stake in the suit’s outcome. Yet the judge in this case, Amy Clark Meachum, is still married to Kurt Meachum who lobbies for the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, which <a href="http://www.immunizeusa.org/en/cev/80" target="_blank">continues to work with</a> The Immunization Partnership.<br />
Adding further insult to injury, Judge Meachum’s husband is <a href="http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/lobbying/lobbyist/65426/meachum-kurt/" target="_blank">also a lobbyist for the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians</a>, which <a href="http://blog.acpinternist.org/2011/01/three-take-home-lessons-from-wakefields.html" target="_blank">promoted and linked</a> to the BMJ's defamation against Dr. Wakefield in its online publication <em>ACP Internist. </em>All things considered, <a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/08/judge-in-wakefield-case-amy-clark-meachums-husband-lobbies-for-sponsor-of-alison-singer.html" target="_blank">Amy Clark Meachum</a> should recuse herself from any future decision-making related to Dr. Wakefield's lawsuit. That she failed to do so discredited her ruling to toss out his case and was a breach of ethical judgment.<br />
Jake Crosby has Asperger Syndrome and is a contributing editor to Age of Autism. He is a 2011 graduate of Brandeis University with a BA in both History and Health: Science, Society and Policy. He currently attends The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services where he is studying for an MPH in epidemiology.<br />
<a href="http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/08/the-immunization-partnership-applauds-meachums-ruling-exposing-her-conflict-of-interest.html">http://www.ageofautism.com/2012/08/the-immunization-partnership-applauds-meachums-ruling-exposing-her-conflict-of-interest.html</a></div>
Jake Crosbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08580083037896941137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-52767512000204337402012-08-22T20:22:00.002-07:002012-08-22T20:22:53.712-07:00Hi Everyone!<br />
<br />
Thank you Katie for inviting me to your blog. I divide my time in the autism community doing the following...<br />
<br />
1. Teaching future educators, social workers, school psychologists on how to best educate those with autism as well as conducting research in autism as my job as professor of special education at Adelphi University.<br />
2. Consulting, conducting workshops, and speaking about autism around the world. Interestingly I've found that autistic people are the same everywhere. Also, I've learned that where ever I go, no matter the location's economic status, there's always something to learn from what people in other lands are doing to support individuals on the autism spectrum.<br />
3. Writing books, articles, etc. about autism.<br />
4. During the rare times I am home I give music lessons to people on the autism spectrum.<br />
<br />
One thing that has been on my mind of late is that we need to get off the deficit model of diagnosis and intervention in autism and move towards a more characteristics based approach of how we think about ASD(ifference). Doing so will encourage us to realize the considerable strengths people on the spectrum have to contribute to society and make it a better place for all. Combined with greater appreciation of what autism is, our knowledge of different ways of communication and other educational techniques, people on the autism spectrum leading fulfilling and productive lives can become the rule, rather then the exception.<br />
<br />
Let's get to work and make it happen!<br />
<br />
Stephen Shore<br />
www.autismasperger.nettumbalaikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10369920224504450597noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-37256615090676909862012-08-18T22:20:00.000-07:002012-08-18T22:20:56.971-07:00Needing Health Insurance and Having a Mild Disability<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This essay was basically written in response to a promise to
the National Coordinator of Healthcare-Now that I would use my disability to
help put a human face on the healthcare crisis. Please do not mistake
disability with inability. You don’t have to look far to find a human face on
the healthcare crisis. Besides healthcare crisis I find it to help put a human
face on a host of other disabilities. It is not just disabilities (physical,
mental, or emotional) that limit people from competing for jobs that have
medical insurance; some times people make mistakes in education or life
circumstance that lead some people to the break the law and later on are
sorry. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the clearly disabled, such as those who are crippled,
blind, have mental retardation, cerebral palsy, other forms of paralysis,<span style="color: red;"> </span>severely autistic or have a disabling mental illness,
etc; we all know it would be extremely difficult for them to get a job that has
medical insurance; or go buy medical insurance with their earning. But are
likely eligible for MEDICAID or Medicare! BUT! What about the mildly disabled,
the one that should be able to work, obtain their insurance from their job, or
go out and buy medical insurance? If they
can’t get a job, they can’t have medical insurance (under our so called
“world’s best healthcare.”). <i>By the way, </i><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><i>USA</i></st1:place></st1:country><i> healthcare is #37; not #1. </i> For someone with a mild disability such as Aspergers
Syndrome, a form of autism, competing in the narrowed job market can be a nightmare.
I have such a disability; plus I am in my 50’s.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Those individuals may even have a record of holding down a
job with benefits; BUT, what happened if he/she loses that job? I am in that boat. He should get another job;
right? After all, there are plenty of
jobs to go around that bear the medical insurance benefits; right? Many jobs are deliberately reducing hours so
they can get out of having the medical insurance benefit; it’s not just because
they don’t want to; they can’t afford it.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some might say if you have problems standing on your feet or
keeping your balance or walking, get a cane. Wouldn’t it be nice if you have
autism you could get yourself an autistic cane.
It might help you to make better eye contact. It might help you to get
words out better, if you get stuck in the middle of a sentence. Maybe this cane
will help with process of connecting your internal thinking with the reality
outside. Maybe it will help you with all
the limitations inflicted by the autism.
Maybe this cane will calm your out of control nervousness. Autism Speaks; we had jolly well better be
listening. Please visit <a href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.autismspeaks.org</span></a>. Autism Speaks is actively seeking legislation
for the fair distribution of healthcare. My own opinion is, we should go to a
single-payer national medical insurance system, like HR 676. It will come clear to you as you read on; if
some kind of impairment knocks him out of the ability to get a job (insurance
bearing) it may also cost him his privilege of having medical insurance.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m writing this essay because I have a condition called
Aspergers Syndrome, which is a form of autism.
It doesn’t mean I can’t work. I have worked very well at a 9 year career
at Lester Electrical, till they downsized again. I have since tried to find another job
(living wage and medical insurance benefits); of course I am also trying to
compete for available jobs with my non-autistic counterparts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though I’ve had testing done at age 7 I have never heard the
term Aspergers Syndrome until I was 53. In spring of 1985 I’ve asked a
co-worker about my being different; she said “<i>you are different in a very wonderful way</i>. <i>You are immature in concept of reality, which is not necessarily a bad
thing</i>.” In the summer<span style="color: red;"> </span>of the same year<span style="color: red;"> </span>after a relationship failed, the same co-worker
mentioned autism as a possibility; I didn’t believe the co-worker. The former
girlfriend also knew there was something different about me, but didn’t know what
it was. She has also warned me that it would affect future relationships if not
solved and informed me that she would do everything in her power to get solved
if she had been afflicted by it. <i>By the
way,</i> we have continued to be friends, even after breaking up the romantic
affair. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still didn’t know the word Aspergers; but knew I was
different; but didn’t always know what the heck it was. In December of 1985 I saw
a psychiatrist to try to find out what it was. They didn’t get very far because
the insurance company refused to pay for it; and the clinic didn’t take IOU’s.
FINANCIAL BARRIERS = HEALTHCARE CRISIS. This
is another example of our need for a fair distribution system of healthcare. The doctor prescribed expensive psychological
testing; but I couldn’t get it done due to the financial barrier. While I am no longer the biggest believer in
psychiatry Dr Gutierrez may have been able to find out what it was and what I could
have done about it; maybe things could have been done without regards to whether
the insurance company will pay for it or I can pay for it. Not being able to fund the screenings I have
coped best I knew how. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As mentioned earlier I have had a 9 year successful career
at Lester Electrical here in <st1:place><st1:city>Lincoln</st1:city> <st1:state>NE</st1:state></st1:place>;
now it is over. Where do I go next? Apparently, needing help to compete in the
job market I went to Voc Rehab or “Vocational Rehabilitation.” Now, Voc Rehab
is paying for expensive tests that the psychiatrist previously wanted to
run. Hopefully Voc Rehab can help place
me onto a job that pays a living wage and medical insurance benefit. If they
continue to be unable to get me place in a job they may have to declare me
disabled; that is not what I have in mind; I don’t think that is what you want
either. Do you want me living off your taxes?
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I am the only one that would benefit from a single-payer
medical insurance system, and everybody else is better off with the privatized
care; by all means, let’s stick with privatized and leave the insurance
companies, the mafia, the murderers in control of our healthcare. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If I could have found out long time ago; and found out what
to do about it; not prevented by the financial barriers; I may have already gotten
the counseling, training, and other kinds of treatment to handle my Aspergers
syndrome. I may have also been making good money; which means I would be
sharing generously in our national universal healthcare system (President Truman
succeeded in getting a universal healthcare system implemented). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because of circumstances that forced me to come to terms
with items making me different and finally finding out my condition is
Aspergers Syndrome, as a folk musician/singer/songwriter and that mostly for a
cause, mainly concerns over healthcare crisis am branching out my music ministry
to including <b>Autism Awareness</b>. I have written a song for Autism
Awareness. I am autistic; and I am not
ashamed of it anymore. I’ll wave it as a banner if it helps children diagnosed
with autism get needed therapy without financial barriers. Hardships connected
with my Aspergers (including being a social outcast in high school and other
growing up hardships) is where I got the incredible compassion to form my music
ministry for affordable healthcare; now branching to include Autism
Awareness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In conclusion; many may believe that those who can should
work and obtain private insurance. And,
of course, we have the welfare, Medicare, and Medicaid for those who obviously
can’t work. The question still comes up, “Are there enough jobs so that
everybody that can work and obtain medical benefits can find (or compete for
available) jobs with medical benefit and living wage?” <b>Can
everybody that can and is willing to work; or everybody that can’t but would
work have affordable access to healthcare? </b>Many like me, who are on the
edge and should be able to work, but find it incredibly difficult to compete
for living wage/benefit bearing jobs with non-autistic counterparts. <b>One person can take for granted a job with
excellent benefits package; someone is obviously disabled (blind, crippled, hearing
impaired, cerebral palsy, severely autistic, mentally retarded, maimed, etc)
eligible for Medicare or Medicaid . We must make sure that the people stuck in
the middle can also HAVE AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. </b>Furthermore; the right reforms to
healthcare will bring jobs back to <st1:country -region="-region">America</st1:country>
which are currently being outsourced oversea. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On <st1:date day="2" month="1" year="2008">January 2, 2008</st1:date>
I took a brave step. I was at the Meadowlark Coffee & Espresso in <st1:place><st1:city>Lincoln</st1:city>
<st1:state>NE</st1:state></st1:place>; at the piano on open mic night. <i>Tonight
I will do a song of the late <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oxft7BbWE4&feature=relmfu">Sammy Davis Jr</a>.
</i>(initiated chord run in Ab)<i>
For all my life I knew I was different; but I didn’t always know what the heck
it was. For years I’ve coped and handled it well. Recent circumstances forced
me to come to terms with it. I have
Aspergers Syndrome, a mild form of autism. Yes, I am an aspie, an autie, and
not ashamed of it anymore. This is where I’ve got my incredible compassion to
become “The Healthcare for ALL Music Guru.”
But ultimately </i>(started introduction in C) <i>I’ve Got To Be Me, my strengths, weakness</i>es, <i>and things I wish could be different, I’ve Got To Be </i><st1:state><st1:place><i>Me.</i></st1:place></st1:state><i> </i>Then I started singing the song “I’ve
Got To Be Me” by the late Sammy Davis Jr. <o:p></o:p></div>
Hai/Juanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980499429005533159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-90317556655979242572012-08-18T22:11:00.000-07:002012-08-18T22:11:12.106-07:00Living with Asperger's and Not Always Knowing ItI thank Katie Kagan for inviting me. I have Asperger's Syndrome which is a high functioning form of autism. I grew up with this condition, not knowing what it was. I have even held jobs, not knowing what you job is. I have graduated high school, class of 1973, Stevens High School, Claremont NH. I got a job which I have worked at for 5 years at a woven label manufacturer. Afterwards I have pursued training in Electronics Technology. I have since held jobs as a TV technician, a 2-way LMR Radio technician; the peak of my career was an Industrial Test Technician at a battery charger manufacturer. All this time I still didn't know what my condition is. There was co-worker at one of my 2-way shop jobs back in 1985 thought I was autistic; I didn't believe her.<br />
The battery charger manufacture downsized, I have survived several downsizings. Then it downsized once too often. I took a job at Sears Holding / A & E Factory Services as an in home service technician. A problem I had there was my limited ability to deal with customers. I knew I had that problem; but thought God got me the job and was gonna let me succeed. I was terminated 8-23-2007, not over misconduct, but found not able to do the required duties.<br />
Facing a tough job market I have figured I would need some help from Voc Rehab. My mom remembered that I was diagnosed with "Asperger's Syndrome." This also meant that I needed to become an expert on this subject quickly. Nebraska Voc Rehab hired a psychologist who has re-diagnosed me with Asperger's Syndrome, an anxiety disorder and some depression. By the way, Dr Caryll Palmer Wilson also has AS.<br />
I have taken some, what I can get jobs; a mama and papa micro-manufacturer of cable harnesses.<br />
Oct 31, 2011 I have taken a job at Tenneco Automotive, where I am working at now, finally restored to having a halfway decent livable wage and medical insurance benefits.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDBZrUW2390">Here is my most recent autism awareness song,</a> my 5th autism awareness song, also a goal for April 2012, Autism Awareness month, I Have a Handicap.<br />
I have a video where I explained about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oxft7BbWE4&feature=relmfu">living with Asperger's Syndrome, with a singing of I've Gotta Be Me,</a> a Sammy Davis Jr classic. I apologize I had some problem loading up video; need to re-load or re-record when I can find way to make it not do it. Ultimately, I've Gotta Be Me; somewhat different.<br />
<br />Hai/Juanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17980499429005533159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-27505508347733274372012-08-14T22:05:00.001-07:002012-08-14T22:15:02.916-07:00A Little About Me and My LifeMy name is Susan.. I am 40 yrs. old. Married to a Retired Coast Guardsman. I am a Stay at Home Mom/ Homeschooling Mom to my 6.5 yr. old speech delayed son. We are Raw/Vegan/Fruitarian (Grain, Soy, and Gluten Free). What a HUGE difference it makes living this healthier lifestyle..!!!!!!!!<br />
<br />
Years ago I was very unhealthy. I have relatives and friends who are suffering with Cancer. I am healthier than I have ever been in my life. I attribute that to all I have done since I have discovered alternative health methods. Yay!!!!<br />
<br />
Katie asked me to be a contributor to this Blog site.. <br />
<br />
So here is some background into my insight on Autism.<br />
<br />
As a baby; my son was characterized by docs as being an Autistic. He had a lot of ailments that are clumped together to give the impression he was Autistic or on the Spectrum. I don't like to refer to my son as an Autistic..Not that there is anything "wrong" with being and Autistic or anyone of the like....<br />
<br />
Our story is much too long to type here..<br />
<br />
My informational website basically tells the whole story....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freewebs.com/nontoxicsusan" target="_blank">http://www.freewebs.com/nontoxicsusan</a><br />
<br />
<br />
We are doing a lot of alternative health methods to treat some of his biological ailments related to his big speech delay. I am proud to report that it is working like a charm. He is doing so great with it all.. We are currently detoxing some Mercury. He was getting slower or almost at a standstill as far as his progress with his speech.. We went to the doctor yesterday and he was muscle tested for weakness in the body and he came back as needing to detox Mercury. How about that..??!!! Sounds fitting... I believe he will make huge progress with his speech once we finish this homeopathic mercury detox.<br />
<br />
We are also currently doing an all around allergy treatment called LZR-7. Getting great results from that.. I truly recommend others give it a try.<br />
<br />
Here is a video that explains what it is about and what happens...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/_ixDXZxTOok" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/_ixDXZxTOok</a><br />
<br />
<br />
I look forward to contributing and learning more from this site...<br />
<br />
<br />
Come by my informational website and see if there is anything you might be open to learning or applying to your own life.<br />
<br />
<br />
Hugs to all<br />
<br />
XOXOXO<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />NontoxicSusanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807453741113167449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-24735914295630256042012-08-13T07:22:00.011-07:002012-08-13T07:22:50.577-07:00There is Always Hope<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today I
am an Autism Mom, but 6 years ago the only thing I knew about autism was a news
report stating the numbers were now 1 in 250; that is all. After my son I
learned (and am still learning) so much about autism, so much in fact that I’ve
become an advocate for those with autism and an activist fighting for better
studies, better care and a better understanding of those diagnosed with autism.
My son and I are a team, we work together in this journey and boy does he work.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When he was born his father chose the name Atticus, after
Atticus Finch a character in the book To kill a mocking bird. He chose this
name because in the book Atticus, to him was the perfect person and after
reading the book I understood and thought it was perfect. Today, years after
autism has come into our lives, he feels a bit differently. Now he feels that
the name is perfect because he feels that our son is turning him into Atticus
Finch. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Atticus has severe regressive autism, he was also diagnosed
as non-verbal and with this comes many difficulties. Through all these
difficulties we ourselves have changed, we have a better understanding of those
with “special needs” (I kinda dislike that term) and we have learned that what
the majority think of things like autism; simply aren’t true. Like those with
autism (or other ‘special needs’) are less intelligent, cannot understand,
cannot relate, cannot have an imagination, cannot recover, cannot be successful
in life etc. There are no cannots in this house, we have dropped ‘mainstream’
falsities and we all strive every day to work through the things we were told
cannot be done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although my views are that as a parent and not a person with
autism, I understand a lot of what people with autism are experiencing. I owe
my son and other with autism for this; if not for you I would only know the
technicalities and not the personal experience. The world is seen in a whole
new light now because of understanding. I hope that my posts will help other
parents, I hope that other parents who have a child on the severe end of the
spectrum to see past all the gloom and heartache and above all I want to give
parents hope. Hope that not all is lost, that the mainstream knowledge of
autism is outdated and that ‘recovery’ is possible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can promise one thing with my posts; I don’t hold back. I
will tell you like it is without skipping the bad stuff. I will challenge your
ideas about autism, medicine and mainstream. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My name is Nicole and I am an Autism Mom<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04355951988341201923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-91945194885990748432012-08-13T06:32:00.000-07:002012-08-13T06:32:37.120-07:00EXTREME Autism REALITY!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2012/08/police-caretake.html#.UCfHZU62LXU.twitter">THIS</a> is severe autism with possible severe Intellectual Disability (ID). We don't know.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I wrote a prospective letter to Brittany Nobrega, an young adult affected with extremely severe autistic disorder.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I wrote a prospective letter to Brittany.</span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Dear Brittany Nobrega,</span></span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">I'm sorry to hear that you were abused by your care-taker and that you
suffered terribly as a result. Unfortunately, in the world of ASD, abuse
and torture are very common. How do I know that, you may ask? <br /> <br />
I also have an autism spectrum disorder, commonly referred to as,
high-functioning autism. While I can speak pretty well, I often miss
the non-verbal body language and social cues that typical people know
instinctively. As a result of my social, emotional, and sensory
challenges, I was frequently bullied and tormented.<br /> <br /> While the
author of this quote is partially correct, I think that you and I can
both agree that ASD is a serious disability that presents many
challenges. <br /> "The irony is that for some (not all, pls don't jump
down my throat) with autism - their own autism prevents them from seeing
others' autism as different and far more severe."<br /> <br /> However, I
do agree with the author that my perspective regarding severe ASD is
influenced by my own perspective-taking impairment caused by my ASD.<br /> <br /> I have some questions for you, Brittany.<br /> <br />
Have you heard of <a href="http://jeremysicilekira.com/">Jeremy Sicili-Kira</a>? I'm going to assume that you are
like him. If you had different care-takers who bought you a laptop,
would you be able to type on it?</span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"></span></span></i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">I detest when other people speak for
people with ASD. As I always say, I have autism, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-advocacy">I can speak for myself</a>
(courtesy of speech therapy and <a href="http://www.jayberkphd.com/">other training</a>).<br /> <br /> For the sake
of experiments (don't worry, I'm not Big Pharma), what would happen if
we put you in all Honors/Advanced Placement classes with a para-professional (aide)? Would you
become high-functioning? This, at least in two subjects, is what I would
have preferred when I was in high school.<br /> <br /> What would happen if
we gave some <a href="http://www.tacanow.org/">biomedical treatments</a> that have helped so many with ASD?
First, we have to de-infiltrate your care-takers from the teachings of
our medical establishment.<br /> <br /> What would happen if we enrolled you in a community college? I have been attending one since 2009.</span></span></i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"> Do you ever feel "retarded?" I do, but I know that I'm am <u>NOT</u></span></span></i> . </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">- Katie<br /> <br /> P.S. I wish you were on Facebook so I <b><u>could ask you, DIRECTLY</u></b>."</span></span></i></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13495781367318743657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-67987014513885259642012-08-13T05:50:00.000-07:002012-08-13T09:33:54.512-07:00Guest Post By Angela<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i> We have a guest post today by Angela, Marissa's sister. Marissa is a 21-year-old with autism.</i></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">"i am 18 years old. my sister can make me very
angry sometimes, but i wouldnt trade her for anyone else, otherwise she
wouldnt be my sister. sometiems i wonder what things would be like if
she did not have a disability. i wish i could experience a "normal"
life. but there is no point in thinking this way, since i cannot change
her, and i love her just the way she is</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Marissa is challenged in the areas of social skills, learning abilities,
speech, and other activities that are normally performed independently.
However, she is a very good swimmer. She can swim for hours if someone
does not tell her to get out of the pool. She also enjoys music and
dancing."</span></div>
</blockquote>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13495781367318743657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1132040957805625848.post-33567729935777503772012-08-12T21:53:00.001-07:002012-08-12T21:53:56.718-07:00Hello my name is Bill Peters, I am 30 years old , Started a Support and Social group called 3 Rivers Autism Outreach, I am working on Autism Acceptance and the Idea that people with Autism need to have lives that make them happy and have them feel worth while.<br />
<br />
I am looking forward to blogging here in the future.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17354307482127138824noreply@blogger.com0