There is more hope for adults with Asperger Syndrome now that Specialisterne has branched into both Scotland with now both Poland and Iceland next to benefit. Finally there is hope for adults with Asperger Syndrome to obtain meaningful employment and I hope personally that Specialisterne continues to encapsulate more countries as it continues to grow world wide. I am currently still writing my book which I hope will bring to light my own personal struggles in finding employment and feeling a meaningful and valued member within the community. In May of 2011, I hope to be visiting the United Kingdom to meet with friend and fellow Aspie, Chris Mitchell. Chris is working on a new project based in the United Kingdom known as Autism Works. This employer expects to employ adults with Asperger Syndrome and for further information you can contact their website which I believe is undergoing an upgrade http://www.autismworks.co.uk/
Over the ensuing months it would be good to see a greater coverage of Specialisterne and similar replications world wide. I know from personal experience the frustrations of not being able to work and I see the many adults without employment feeling at a loss to both themselves and to the community. I believe things are looking more positive and currently writing my book and Professor Tony Attwood writing the Foreward, hopefully Australia will start to finally realise the reality of Asperger Syndrome and how something urgently needs to be done! I would encourage anyone reading this blog to visit the Specialisterne website which can be obtained by clicking on this post or by visiting the links page on this website. Please contact Thorkil Sonne CEO of Specialisterne and tell him how much you need his organisation to come to your country and please also try to praise him on the good work he is doing. I think it is great to see and I am feeling very optimistic. I think adults with Asperger Syndrome would also benefit and play a valuable role in promoting awareness and much needed incentive in any global pilot stage. Please keep visiting my blog for more information and updates. Hopefully Australia soon to be on the list also!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Brisbane starting to move forward with Asperger Syndrome Awareness
I begin to draw comfort in that Brisbane is starting to provide more support for both adults and children with Asperger Syndrome. This is evident as firstly Professor Tony Attwood resides here and more importantly we have people who are committed to ensuring that more support and services are made available. In Brisbane we have apart from Dr Tony Attwood's clinic at Petrie, Asperger Services Australia which is based at Zillmere, Minds and Hearts, UQ Asperger Adults and more importantly a new music group "Music for Growth" for adults with Asperger Syndrome. It is pleasing to know that services are beginning to improve here and should you be interested in finding out more about any of these services, please visit "Some Useful Links on Asperger Syndrome" on this website. For people overseas, please visit WrongPlanet a forum for people and people interested in or needing to find out more about Asperger Syndrome and other information also in the links on this website.
Over the ensuing months, I will be involved in more Asperger Syndrome Advocacy but the wheels of progress do move slowly. It is good to see though the squeaky wheel is starting to be heard. More updates will be provided so please stay tuned to this website and other information and useful resources for now!
Over the ensuing months, I will be involved in more Asperger Syndrome Advocacy but the wheels of progress do move slowly. It is good to see though the squeaky wheel is starting to be heard. More updates will be provided so please stay tuned to this website and other information and useful resources for now!
Making an early start
Every week day morning I get up at 5am to begin my day. As Summer starts to approach and we head towards the Summer Solstice, Brisbane's sunrises become earlier and earlier. My breakfast includes 3 pieces of toast and a cup of tea and I take to the university either a muesli bar, a home made sandwich or a piece of fruit. The humidity of Brisbane is often annoying in summer as it feels literally like you are walking in a 24/7 sauna, but at the moment things are not too bad.
I go to the university staff gym at around 7am. Leaving early also ensures that I miss out on the morning traffic congestion and instead of sitting in a car frustrated and annoyed at the traffic gridlock, I can instead be undertaking a workout in the gym. Often it is hard to have a gym instructor observe your performance to ensure you are lifting weights and doing exercises correctly. So you do the best you can to try and feel better about yourself and ensure your health is in constant check. The exercises I do vary but some time is spent on the Treadmill or warm up bike approximately 10 minutes and about 3 minutes on the trainer. The exercises range from bench presses, leg curls, stomach crunches, tricep pull down, to bicep curls. I spend approximately 30 - 45 minutes in the gym and I hope it is keeping my insides in check, especially my cardio vascular.
Exercise is imperative for everyone, even if you spend 20 minutes a day just having a walk whether it be your dog or just walking around the block in your neighborhood. I am also looking specifically into "Aspie Exercises" which help to control stress, reduce anxiety and improve day to day mental functioning and cognitive functioning. I think more gyms need to be aware and possibly trained on specific exercises which help adults and children with Asperger Syndrome in order to improve their day to day lives. After I finish my shift in the library which is 4 hours and 5 days a week, I then come home and write more on my book or get help with speech pathology or look into ways to improve myself as a person. I hope I give inspiration to other Aspies to get out of the house, away from the computer and see a positive future for their lives. It can be hard but feeling sorry for yourself or not trying is unproductive.
I go to the university staff gym at around 7am. Leaving early also ensures that I miss out on the morning traffic congestion and instead of sitting in a car frustrated and annoyed at the traffic gridlock, I can instead be undertaking a workout in the gym. Often it is hard to have a gym instructor observe your performance to ensure you are lifting weights and doing exercises correctly. So you do the best you can to try and feel better about yourself and ensure your health is in constant check. The exercises I do vary but some time is spent on the Treadmill or warm up bike approximately 10 minutes and about 3 minutes on the trainer. The exercises range from bench presses, leg curls, stomach crunches, tricep pull down, to bicep curls. I spend approximately 30 - 45 minutes in the gym and I hope it is keeping my insides in check, especially my cardio vascular.
Exercise is imperative for everyone, even if you spend 20 minutes a day just having a walk whether it be your dog or just walking around the block in your neighborhood. I am also looking specifically into "Aspie Exercises" which help to control stress, reduce anxiety and improve day to day mental functioning and cognitive functioning. I think more gyms need to be aware and possibly trained on specific exercises which help adults and children with Asperger Syndrome in order to improve their day to day lives. After I finish my shift in the library which is 4 hours and 5 days a week, I then come home and write more on my book or get help with speech pathology or look into ways to improve myself as a person. I hope I give inspiration to other Aspies to get out of the house, away from the computer and see a positive future for their lives. It can be hard but feeling sorry for yourself or not trying is unproductive.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Technology and the Aspie
Today I found out that the Iphone I obtained through Optus is not working properly for the microphone on the phone is not responding and I am having to revert to using the ear piece to talk which I find frustrating. To be honest with you, I find the more and more technology is supposed to improve the more and more, I find it incapable of what it is designed to do. Continually I find that the customer knows best and the merchant isn't required in terms of good customer support annoying. I find it darn well rude when you ring up a phone company and find your phone call diverted through to person to person with either someone speaking Pigeon English or couldn't be bothered with you as you are annoying them, just too much to take. Personally a mobile phone should be designed as a communication device either used for talking or in other matters for texting. When they have all the bells and whistles on them, then they sadly lose their relevance. I am getting to the stage of giving up totally on mobile phones because I have never really had one that seems to work or carry out its proper function. I have a Toyota which has lasted me for 6 years which still is going well and dare I touch wood, it gets me around and has been a reliable car. My computer does the job as well but the Iphone, fiddly and annoying. I will be taking it to Optus tomorrow and having a history of bad phone experiences with Optus, I won't be beating around the bush.
When you think of the mobile phone, how often do people use them and what real purpose are they for as a supposed communication device. Hark back to the times when people had only a land wire compared to an annoying and useless contraption. How often do you find the thing cuts out or you cannot hear the other person properly? Mobile phones and me don't get on and my other electronic enemy is the photo copier. The question is will I have a mobile phone after tomorrow, well I am starting to think I can well do without one.
Folks, technology isn't like it used to be. Nothing is made to last and being spoiled for choice as I have discussed before, we are drowned by consumerism with little quality. Things are just not made to last. Next time you walk into a store, see how interested the merchant is in actually serving you. Ask or more so demand without any crap, an honest opinion on the quality and endurance of an item. Insist and ensure you get the response you want. The customer has the choice and the merchant is their to provide and sell and I guess that is an old fashioned motto but I think it resonates! It was interesting at the employment seminar where an Aspie employee got into trouble for fixing a car for a longer life when his employer told him that the car needed to be fixed for short term. The Aspie didn't realise that although he was doing the right thing and fixing the car properly, he virtually had to lie and fix the car the way his boss told him. I wonder how much of this is going on around the place? Aspies make good bookkeepers and accountants, get them to do your tax and they won't lie to you about figures and costs etc. So should Aspies really be unemployed when they are truth tellers?
When you think of the mobile phone, how often do people use them and what real purpose are they for as a supposed communication device. Hark back to the times when people had only a land wire compared to an annoying and useless contraption. How often do you find the thing cuts out or you cannot hear the other person properly? Mobile phones and me don't get on and my other electronic enemy is the photo copier. The question is will I have a mobile phone after tomorrow, well I am starting to think I can well do without one.
Folks, technology isn't like it used to be. Nothing is made to last and being spoiled for choice as I have discussed before, we are drowned by consumerism with little quality. Things are just not made to last. Next time you walk into a store, see how interested the merchant is in actually serving you. Ask or more so demand without any crap, an honest opinion on the quality and endurance of an item. Insist and ensure you get the response you want. The customer has the choice and the merchant is their to provide and sell and I guess that is an old fashioned motto but I think it resonates! It was interesting at the employment seminar where an Aspie employee got into trouble for fixing a car for a longer life when his employer told him that the car needed to be fixed for short term. The Aspie didn't realise that although he was doing the right thing and fixing the car properly, he virtually had to lie and fix the car the way his boss told him. I wonder how much of this is going on around the place? Aspies make good bookkeepers and accountants, get them to do your tax and they won't lie to you about figures and costs etc. So should Aspies really be unemployed when they are truth tellers?
Asperger Syndrome a stand alone disabilty
In my presentations when I outline the difficulties a person with Asperger Syndrome confronts within a work environment, I use the following example to best describe my own situation. As I work in a Library, one of the most important duties is dealing with the patron at the Loans Desk. Within this role, it can be very difficult to relate to people and keep your stress and anxiety levels down. Also you may need to think quickly and deal with many different personalities. For a person with Asperger Syndrome, our disability is a stand alone one. Compared to someone who is in a wheel chair or has a mobility impairment, our minds are susceptible to mental exhaustion and we struggle in a cognitive sense to perform compared to a person in a wheel chair where modifications can be made to the work environment. Also the person in the wheel chair is likely to have their situation made obvious compared to an Aspie who can look just like everyone else.
Asperger Syndrome is a 'stand alone' disability because nobody sees it. Despite constantly having to navigate the Neuro Typical World, we often have issues that a sensory, or visual. Some adults more so women on the spectrum can become so confused in localities like shopping centres that they can become stressed and break into tears with frustration. Often people do not know how to respond perhaps thinking that the situation may be a relationship break up, death more so than actually understanding what is the underlying difficulty or problem. The other important thing to mention is that a great deal many adults, spend a lot of their time in isolation and some more so than others can feel very lonely and not have any support. Society does not always see these realities because people with Asperger Syndrome have the stand alone disability of not being seen or heard. I think and speak from personal experience that giving an Aspie a chance in a job is something that really needs to be considered and the Aspie may need time to demonstrate their skills and or abilities more so than not given a chance at all. This is why I welcome Specialisterne as an employer and I think every country needs to take on board its incentives.
Asperger Syndrome is a 'stand alone' disability because nobody sees it. Despite constantly having to navigate the Neuro Typical World, we often have issues that a sensory, or visual. Some adults more so women on the spectrum can become so confused in localities like shopping centres that they can become stressed and break into tears with frustration. Often people do not know how to respond perhaps thinking that the situation may be a relationship break up, death more so than actually understanding what is the underlying difficulty or problem. The other important thing to mention is that a great deal many adults, spend a lot of their time in isolation and some more so than others can feel very lonely and not have any support. Society does not always see these realities because people with Asperger Syndrome have the stand alone disability of not being seen or heard. I think and speak from personal experience that giving an Aspie a chance in a job is something that really needs to be considered and the Aspie may need time to demonstrate their skills and or abilities more so than not given a chance at all. This is why I welcome Specialisterne as an employer and I think every country needs to take on board its incentives.
Dealing with Egos and Hidden verbal queues
I find being a man at times extremely difficult with all the expectations required of you and furthermore the so called 'ego' factor. For instance when you walk into a gym or you encounter other men, there is always a 'prove yourself' factor or "I am better than you are and I need to show it". Both Aspie and NT men are similar in that high expectations are placed on manhood but if you just see everybody the same, then others do not seem to see this and feel they need to show they are better than you are.
Perhaps this is a form of Tribalism that has its origins from the cave when a man would beat his fists upon his chest and show that he was the dominate species. He knew how to attract the opposite sex through a series of codes of behaviour and the other weaker species either remained on their own or adopted some other form of journey.
Where were the Aspie men in the centuries gone? They could be found in monasteries with a structured life as Dr Tony Attwood indicated. They spent a great deal of their time in seclusion and isolation from the world around them with a bell that rang indicating the time of day and provide structure.
In dealing with Egos I find them a constant annoyance because I am who I am and I do not feel I need to prove myself around others and I find it somewhat artificial when others try to demonstrate their manhood and feel that they need to prove something. I think for men with Asperger Syndrome and perhaps NT men that proving yourself and having to deal with society's high expectations a reason why men perhaps die earlier in life than women. It would be interesting to research the statistics in relation to men who be themselves and ones who have to always prove themselves. When dealing with the relationship stakes, Aspie Men are at a serious disadvantage because they are the least likely to beat their fists on their chests and to know naturally the hidden codes of human attraction. I can only speak from personal experience in that the expectations on manhood are too high for male adults with Asperger Syndrome. In a relationship therefore, women with AS are able to enter a relationship easier because expectations are lower. A woman can marry a wealthy man able to adjust to the pressures of the NT (neuro typical) world whereas a man in a lower quality of life does not meet the stereo typical image and therefore at a serious disadvantage in both relationship and social status requirements and expectations.
I find from personal experience that if you are a man with Asperger Syndrome that society is somewhat 'coy' of you, you feel and experience social isolation and withdrawal from people around you and they don't want to come anywhere near you for you are some kind of social freak. People don't intend to do it, it is just part of their natural instinct to avoid or distance themselves from that they are not sure or comfortable with which I call "The ugly duckling syndrome". What "The "Ugly Duckling Syndrome" means is that people tend to detract and avoid something that is a manifestation of uncertainty or in itself unconventional. I believe that a lot of men in my personal situation with Asperger Syndrome confront is that society does not see it normal or expected for a man to reveal his feelings. Men need to be 'macho' and not reveal their weakness. I am not suggesting that such behaviour is effeminate but men need to open up more and get counseling or confide in friends that are willing to listen to their needs or problems.
I have grown to accept who I am and perhaps a person reading this post may try to access my own situation by trying to find a box for it. Does their need to be a box and more importantly does their need to be a stereotype? I am who I am and if people are uncomfortable with the way I am then that is really their problem. The NT (Neuro Typical) world is confusing for me as I find people confusing and I never really know why they do not say what they really mean. Also why do people say they do not do this or that and actually they do? NT people seem to have a means of communication and language which is different from my or our (People with Asperger Syndrome) means of communication. The world is just a confusing place at times for everyone but more especially for Aspies. Also why are Aspies bullied and teased and virtually forced in some instances to become NT? Can't we be ourselves and others learn from us? We cannot change into an NT mold and forcing us to do so, will only place high expectations on us and make us depressed. I think studies need to occur into how Aspies show and relate to emotion and also how our brains actually work. Without Aspies this world would have no imigination or inspiration.
Perhaps this is a form of Tribalism that has its origins from the cave when a man would beat his fists upon his chest and show that he was the dominate species. He knew how to attract the opposite sex through a series of codes of behaviour and the other weaker species either remained on their own or adopted some other form of journey.
Where were the Aspie men in the centuries gone? They could be found in monasteries with a structured life as Dr Tony Attwood indicated. They spent a great deal of their time in seclusion and isolation from the world around them with a bell that rang indicating the time of day and provide structure.
In dealing with Egos I find them a constant annoyance because I am who I am and I do not feel I need to prove myself around others and I find it somewhat artificial when others try to demonstrate their manhood and feel that they need to prove something. I think for men with Asperger Syndrome and perhaps NT men that proving yourself and having to deal with society's high expectations a reason why men perhaps die earlier in life than women. It would be interesting to research the statistics in relation to men who be themselves and ones who have to always prove themselves. When dealing with the relationship stakes, Aspie Men are at a serious disadvantage because they are the least likely to beat their fists on their chests and to know naturally the hidden codes of human attraction. I can only speak from personal experience in that the expectations on manhood are too high for male adults with Asperger Syndrome. In a relationship therefore, women with AS are able to enter a relationship easier because expectations are lower. A woman can marry a wealthy man able to adjust to the pressures of the NT (neuro typical) world whereas a man in a lower quality of life does not meet the stereo typical image and therefore at a serious disadvantage in both relationship and social status requirements and expectations.
I find from personal experience that if you are a man with Asperger Syndrome that society is somewhat 'coy' of you, you feel and experience social isolation and withdrawal from people around you and they don't want to come anywhere near you for you are some kind of social freak. People don't intend to do it, it is just part of their natural instinct to avoid or distance themselves from that they are not sure or comfortable with which I call "The ugly duckling syndrome". What "The "Ugly Duckling Syndrome" means is that people tend to detract and avoid something that is a manifestation of uncertainty or in itself unconventional. I believe that a lot of men in my personal situation with Asperger Syndrome confront is that society does not see it normal or expected for a man to reveal his feelings. Men need to be 'macho' and not reveal their weakness. I am not suggesting that such behaviour is effeminate but men need to open up more and get counseling or confide in friends that are willing to listen to their needs or problems.
I have grown to accept who I am and perhaps a person reading this post may try to access my own situation by trying to find a box for it. Does their need to be a box and more importantly does their need to be a stereotype? I am who I am and if people are uncomfortable with the way I am then that is really their problem. The NT (Neuro Typical) world is confusing for me as I find people confusing and I never really know why they do not say what they really mean. Also why do people say they do not do this or that and actually they do? NT people seem to have a means of communication and language which is different from my or our (People with Asperger Syndrome) means of communication. The world is just a confusing place at times for everyone but more especially for Aspies. Also why are Aspies bullied and teased and virtually forced in some instances to become NT? Can't we be ourselves and others learn from us? We cannot change into an NT mold and forcing us to do so, will only place high expectations on us and make us depressed. I think studies need to occur into how Aspies show and relate to emotion and also how our brains actually work. Without Aspies this world would have no imigination or inspiration.
Looping thoughts and medication
Often as a person with Asperger Syndrome I experience a looping thought process. This is when thoughts in my mind go over and over again on the one topic. Within conversation this can be especially difficult and furthermore can give rise to repeating yourself over and over within conversation. Often stopping the looping process can be difficult and strategies are often hard to implement at the time. The person is also largely unaware that they doing it and can annoy a person. When I was younger and sometimes to some extent today, I have often been criticized for sound like a cracked record in that I repeat myself and say the same thing again and again. A lot of people with Asperger Syndrome seem to experience the same difficulty at times. An area of discussion of some Aspies is whether or not they are left or right brained. Quite simply perhaps an Aspie brain is not balanced between both hemispheres of the brain. I often find myself having to struggle or being clumsy in one area of my brain. For instance I often wonder when being on a treadmill why I find tend to veer leftwards while walking on the treadmill may be due to the right hemisphere not working properly as one small example.
Medication from personal experience can be an option when anxiety levels are higher than normal or when there is difficulty with sleep patterns. I find sometimes being able to sleep can be difficult in itself and I find either Tamzepan or Valium helpful only in periods when I am simply unable to sleep. An event or a thought can often interfere with sleep or simply over stimulation either to sound or noise. It is important to remember that when taking medication that it is followed according to the Doctor or Psychiatrist's directions. Taking a certain medication for too long in itself can be an unpleasant experience. I have found Xanax an unfriendly medication as if taken for too long a period or just taking it, I find a sense of feeling like I am from another planet. It can also increase from personal experience panic attacks and raise anxiety levels. When working if medication is taken, discussion with your medical practitioner needs to be clear and you have to seriously consider medication usage also as to how it will impact you at work the next day. I have known of some adults who self medicate but more seriously and of concern is the use of illegal substances. Some adults may use marijuana as a means of controlling anxiety and also alcohol. The use of alcohol is not a wise means of controlling anxiety for long periods is not wise for any substance is chemical changing in the brain and can have negative or serious side effects or scenarios. Asperger Syndrome in itself cannot be medicated but the secondary symptoms see often the need for some form of assistance in dealing with the more serious symptoms. Once again consultation is needed with a medical practitioner to know what is the best approach in a given situation.
I personally find that having a regular exercise pattern is essential to seriously reduce anxiety levels and day to day function and sleep. Cardio Vascular exercises are important also for improving function and general well being.
Medication from personal experience can be an option when anxiety levels are higher than normal or when there is difficulty with sleep patterns. I find sometimes being able to sleep can be difficult in itself and I find either Tamzepan or Valium helpful only in periods when I am simply unable to sleep. An event or a thought can often interfere with sleep or simply over stimulation either to sound or noise. It is important to remember that when taking medication that it is followed according to the Doctor or Psychiatrist's directions. Taking a certain medication for too long in itself can be an unpleasant experience. I have found Xanax an unfriendly medication as if taken for too long a period or just taking it, I find a sense of feeling like I am from another planet. It can also increase from personal experience panic attacks and raise anxiety levels. When working if medication is taken, discussion with your medical practitioner needs to be clear and you have to seriously consider medication usage also as to how it will impact you at work the next day. I have known of some adults who self medicate but more seriously and of concern is the use of illegal substances. Some adults may use marijuana as a means of controlling anxiety and also alcohol. The use of alcohol is not a wise means of controlling anxiety for long periods is not wise for any substance is chemical changing in the brain and can have negative or serious side effects or scenarios. Asperger Syndrome in itself cannot be medicated but the secondary symptoms see often the need for some form of assistance in dealing with the more serious symptoms. Once again consultation is needed with a medical practitioner to know what is the best approach in a given situation.
I personally find that having a regular exercise pattern is essential to seriously reduce anxiety levels and day to day function and sleep. Cardio Vascular exercises are important also for improving function and general well being.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Are Aspies addicted to computer usage than face to face contact?
The world today is a busy place and more and more people are pressured to be able to lead fast paced and multi tasked lives. How then does this affect a person with Asperger Syndrome? As an Aspie, I find the social world very overwhelming and furthermore, I don't always have the mental energy to meet people, talk to them on the phone, drive a car and talk to them face to face. Social Utilities therefore such as Facebook, Email and even my blog, tend to make life much easier. I find writing is easier to express myself than talking to a person face to face as I often find myself looping in my thought process or just find socializing a constant over usage and drainage of mental energy.
I often wonder if computers were invented by Aspies as computers are different form of communication. A person with Asperger Syndrome can communicate to the outside world on a computer and avoid the stress and anxiety associated with the normal patterns of interactive behaviour. A person though does need to be careful as to how long they actually sit in front of a computer. I like to write and write a lot but I read very little as I have problems with my eyes and I find the glare of Brisbane in summer with the sunlight hurtful to my eyes. One of the benefits of working in a library.
In order to answer the question as to whether Aspies do use computers more so than neuro typical (regular people), it seems that we do. It is even suggested that computers were invented by Aspies for Aspies to communicate.
I often wonder if computers were invented by Aspies as computers are different form of communication. A person with Asperger Syndrome can communicate to the outside world on a computer and avoid the stress and anxiety associated with the normal patterns of interactive behaviour. A person though does need to be careful as to how long they actually sit in front of a computer. I like to write and write a lot but I read very little as I have problems with my eyes and I find the glare of Brisbane in summer with the sunlight hurtful to my eyes. One of the benefits of working in a library.
In order to answer the question as to whether Aspies do use computers more so than neuro typical (regular people), it seems that we do. It is even suggested that computers were invented by Aspies for Aspies to communicate.
The Truth behind Australia's Veil of Complacency
I often wonder why Australia is not a very intellectually curious country. Also I often ponder as to why Australians like to cut down tall poppies. Although there is not an easy answer to this, perhaps Australia's reluctance to understand Autism or eccentricity can be traced back to its origins. When you look at the first fleet who arrived in Botany Bay in 1788 they were the very lowest ebb of English Society. They were rough, profane and crude in their conduct and perhaps as Australia was a penal colony, especially Brisbane which was a convict outpost for convicts that re-offended you can begin to understand why perhaps Australia has a tall poppy syndrome. The "Tall Poppy Syndrome" as I understand it is when persons who aspire to make something of life or perhaps dare to show incentive, are immediately cut down in order to not rise above society in general. Perhaps this is why sadly so many people either move elsewhere or simply just give up. It seems to be something that has become entrenched in Australian Society, more so in the states of Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania. Victoria and New South Wales the larger and more wealthy states, with the larger population may not as be as fiercely parochial. I cannot understand why people get so hung up over drawn lines that designate one portion of land to another. Furthermore, why do Australians particularly in New South Wales and Queensland have so much an obsession with Rugby League? Also swearing and rough behaviour and drinking excessively is probably due to the inability to use words to convey or express situations, so swear words are more of a crude measure.
Often you find people in Australia are not really in general intellectually curious and those that are tend to be in the minority. If you suggest things that don't work or perhaps need to be improved, people I find often criticise or distance themselves from you more so than take on board your comments in order to make necessary changes. Perhaps the "Tall Poppy Syndrome" is also evident in people being afraid to be intellectually curious for fear of being ridiculed. The Rugby League Culture is one of interest in that Australians idolise these Rugby Players when most of them do not seem to have much in the way of acting and thinking responsibly, which probably is why they are idolized for if not then they would threaten the status quo by possessing a level of intellectual attributes. I also find it interesting that the majority of men on the sporting field hug each other and this is acceptable but when displayed at an airport or other venues, then it is a completely different matter. Aren't they themselves contradicting their own views and prejudices? Perhaps there is an underlying homophobia in some sporting players and having study the Sociology of Sport at university, sport in Australia was one area I covered. I also find that if you differ in your way of thinking or perhaps display eccentric characteristics that people are often defensive towards you more so than wanting to engage in a meaningful and intellectual debate. I have always noticed that within the Australian School System that if a child is bright, especially a male if he excels in English then he has to also be good at sport and the same to a less extent for females. If you go around Australia, I could be wrong but the more north you go, the more rough and bogan like some people become. The more south you go, it is a different equation. Will Australia ever at a federal level adopt or accept Autism, I think the only answer to this will be to answer this question in say another 50 to 100 years.
If you make a generalisation about the Australian States here is a possible scenario
New South Wales - Australia's First Penal Colony with free settlers arriving in or around the early 1830's Sydney - Largely Penal Colony with free settlers arriving later but perhaps mainly pastoral and land owners.
Victoria - Penal Colony but also Gold Rush made Victoria prosperous, wealthier people perhaps arrived in the colony as money was made from Gold. Melbourne more like a European Capital
Queensland - Agricultural with Sugar Cane and rougher or more resistant people moved more northwards who could handle excessive heat and humidity. Brisbane and Sydney both similar in that Brisbane a penal colony which originally had to separate from New South Wales in 1859 due to tyranny of distance from Sydney. Also division between north and south as Brisbane is too far south to administer such a large area. Mining also like New South Wales but not much Gold like Victoria
South Australia - Free Colony with some English nobility and free settlers arriving. Perhaps more open minded and educated which is why South Australia has so many churches in Adelaide. Also South Australia largely desert and a focus of free settlers and independent thinkers in Adelaide
Western Australia - Perth a penal colony for a short period then a lot of engineers influenced Western Australia. A lot of mines and similar to Queensland in terms of distance.
Tasmania - Penal Colony in Port Arthur and a lot of working class people dominated Tasmania perhaps. Tasmania had some British influence as similar climate but slightly warmer to Britian
New Zealand - Free settlers but New Zealand seems more agricultural similar to Queensland without the rough colonists or convicts.
Hopefully in time the situation will improve and any backwardness or complacency will soon move on. If Australia is to become more of a prosperous nation, then attitudes surely need to change. Despite the country being so far from the rest of the world, an 8 hour flight from Singapore to Brisbane or Sydney or a 14 hour flight from San Francisco or Los Angeles as western countries, clearly shows the reality of isolation and perhaps the core of complacency.
The way I see the "Tall Poppy Syndrome" is that people who achieve, inspire, show incentive, dare to be different are just cut down and if attitudes don't change, Australia is never going to prosper. Hopefully complacency and change will soon become both endemic and entrenched in Australian Society. If people do not agree with what I write in my post and in general they reserve their right but quite frankly I don't really care as what I write are my own thoughts and feelings about what I see around me. I believe Australia could be a more prosperous nation but perhaps more positive assertion needs to be applied. Quite simply either Australia or the politicians need a good kick up the butt to get things done! I also think that the state parochialism needs to go because we are all Australian!!!!
Often you find people in Australia are not really in general intellectually curious and those that are tend to be in the minority. If you suggest things that don't work or perhaps need to be improved, people I find often criticise or distance themselves from you more so than take on board your comments in order to make necessary changes. Perhaps the "Tall Poppy Syndrome" is also evident in people being afraid to be intellectually curious for fear of being ridiculed. The Rugby League Culture is one of interest in that Australians idolise these Rugby Players when most of them do not seem to have much in the way of acting and thinking responsibly, which probably is why they are idolized for if not then they would threaten the status quo by possessing a level of intellectual attributes. I also find it interesting that the majority of men on the sporting field hug each other and this is acceptable but when displayed at an airport or other venues, then it is a completely different matter. Aren't they themselves contradicting their own views and prejudices? Perhaps there is an underlying homophobia in some sporting players and having study the Sociology of Sport at university, sport in Australia was one area I covered. I also find that if you differ in your way of thinking or perhaps display eccentric characteristics that people are often defensive towards you more so than wanting to engage in a meaningful and intellectual debate. I have always noticed that within the Australian School System that if a child is bright, especially a male if he excels in English then he has to also be good at sport and the same to a less extent for females. If you go around Australia, I could be wrong but the more north you go, the more rough and bogan like some people become. The more south you go, it is a different equation. Will Australia ever at a federal level adopt or accept Autism, I think the only answer to this will be to answer this question in say another 50 to 100 years.
If you make a generalisation about the Australian States here is a possible scenario
New South Wales - Australia's First Penal Colony with free settlers arriving in or around the early 1830's Sydney - Largely Penal Colony with free settlers arriving later but perhaps mainly pastoral and land owners.
Victoria - Penal Colony but also Gold Rush made Victoria prosperous, wealthier people perhaps arrived in the colony as money was made from Gold. Melbourne more like a European Capital
Queensland - Agricultural with Sugar Cane and rougher or more resistant people moved more northwards who could handle excessive heat and humidity. Brisbane and Sydney both similar in that Brisbane a penal colony which originally had to separate from New South Wales in 1859 due to tyranny of distance from Sydney. Also division between north and south as Brisbane is too far south to administer such a large area. Mining also like New South Wales but not much Gold like Victoria
South Australia - Free Colony with some English nobility and free settlers arriving. Perhaps more open minded and educated which is why South Australia has so many churches in Adelaide. Also South Australia largely desert and a focus of free settlers and independent thinkers in Adelaide
Western Australia - Perth a penal colony for a short period then a lot of engineers influenced Western Australia. A lot of mines and similar to Queensland in terms of distance.
Tasmania - Penal Colony in Port Arthur and a lot of working class people dominated Tasmania perhaps. Tasmania had some British influence as similar climate but slightly warmer to Britian
New Zealand - Free settlers but New Zealand seems more agricultural similar to Queensland without the rough colonists or convicts.
Hopefully in time the situation will improve and any backwardness or complacency will soon move on. If Australia is to become more of a prosperous nation, then attitudes surely need to change. Despite the country being so far from the rest of the world, an 8 hour flight from Singapore to Brisbane or Sydney or a 14 hour flight from San Francisco or Los Angeles as western countries, clearly shows the reality of isolation and perhaps the core of complacency.
The way I see the "Tall Poppy Syndrome" is that people who achieve, inspire, show incentive, dare to be different are just cut down and if attitudes don't change, Australia is never going to prosper. Hopefully complacency and change will soon become both endemic and entrenched in Australian Society. If people do not agree with what I write in my post and in general they reserve their right but quite frankly I don't really care as what I write are my own thoughts and feelings about what I see around me. I believe Australia could be a more prosperous nation but perhaps more positive assertion needs to be applied. Quite simply either Australia or the politicians need a good kick up the butt to get things done! I also think that the state parochialism needs to go because we are all Australian!!!!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
The realities of unemployment for adults with Asperger Syndrome
I am currently undertaking some reading on the difficulties Adults with Asperger Syndrome confront in finding employment and I am currently reading an Article for my own research "Employment and Adults with Asperger Syndrome" by Karen Hurlbutt and Lynne Chalmers. This article focuses on the individual accounts of six adults with Asperger Syndrome in terms of looking for employment and the difficulties they experience in the area of employment. These adults had negative experiences within employment because. Rosalind one adult with a background and majoring in Accountancy was limited in the type of work she could obtain doing menial work and take anything that was on offer. Xenia another adult, had a degree in Political Science and found the only work she could find was cleaning out cat cages and found this work extremely boring and un challening. What was interesting to note was that all participants expressed frustration with the social aspect of employment and trying to obtain promotion or career advancement and getting a long with co-workers and employers. All the participants in this study shared the common experience of not being able to interact within a social context and according to Joe one of the participants "The most important rule at work is to get along with others at work. I think that jobs usually are 80% social (conversation,lunch, breaks, chit-chat) and 20%work. People with autism are better the other way around!"
The participants agree that if job support was made available that sustainability within employment and performance could have been more conducive. What was interesting is that the participants indicated that disclosure of Asperger Syndrome diagnosis was a personal but the following quote is in itself worth important consideration and demonstrates how the participants felt concerning Asperger Syndrome and the work place “I wish I could disclose the information up front, but I think that it would just prevent me from being hired because people don’t know enough about it and are frightened.” As in the case with one of the participants, Joe “employers were then able to make accommodations, by giving me more time to learn my job.”
For anyone interested in reading the realities of unemployment in adults with Asperger Syndrome then access to this article is a must read. Of course books are also written about Asperger Syndrome and employment. This article I accessed through the University of Queensland Library website and as a staff member, I am able to obtain access to it and other resources of information. Should you have any interest or wish to read about Asperger Syndrome and Employment, here are a couple of useful information sources:
Employment and Adults with Asperger Syndrome - Karen Hurlbutt and Lynne Chalmers
Asperger Syndrome and Employment - What People With Asperger Syndrome Really Really Want by Sarah Hendrickx
Asperger Syndrome Employment Workbook - An Employment Workbook for Adults with Asperger Syndrome by Roger N Meyer
The participants agree that if job support was made available that sustainability within employment and performance could have been more conducive. What was interesting is that the participants indicated that disclosure of Asperger Syndrome diagnosis was a personal but the following quote is in itself worth important consideration and demonstrates how the participants felt concerning Asperger Syndrome and the work place “I wish I could disclose the information up front, but I think that it would just prevent me from being hired because people don’t know enough about it and are frightened.” As in the case with one of the participants, Joe “employers were then able to make accommodations, by giving me more time to learn my job.”
For anyone interested in reading the realities of unemployment in adults with Asperger Syndrome then access to this article is a must read. Of course books are also written about Asperger Syndrome and employment. This article I accessed through the University of Queensland Library website and as a staff member, I am able to obtain access to it and other resources of information. Should you have any interest or wish to read about Asperger Syndrome and Employment, here are a couple of useful information sources:
Employment and Adults with Asperger Syndrome - Karen Hurlbutt and Lynne Chalmers
Asperger Syndrome and Employment - What People With Asperger Syndrome Really Really Want by Sarah Hendrickx
Asperger Syndrome Employment Workbook - An Employment Workbook for Adults with Asperger Syndrome by Roger N Meyer
Getting a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome
I have often been asked by people around me and I must emphasize that I am not a medical practitioner but only a person with Asperger Syndrome some of the following questions. My nephew seems to have difficulty in making friends and not fit in, do you think he may have Asperger Syndrome? I have endured and experience some of the symptoms which you mention, where can I go to get help and be diagnosed? My son has difficulty with being over active and he has no empathy? My son or daughter has Asperger Syndrome and he/she denies he has it, what can I do?
In answering the above questions, the best source of action is to research for yourself and ask people who are fully aware of Asperger Syndrome the questions above or the questions you may have. On this website "My Account as an Aspie" I do have a selection of links for people to visit and I would encourage you to look at these links and direct your questions to them. The links are "Some Useful Links on Asperger Syndrome". I sincerely hope that my blog does provide people with useful tips and my own personal experiences in dealing with Asperger Syndrome. As people slowly become more aware of Asperger Syndrome, we need to educate society more and help people to understand that Asperger Syndrome is a life long condition and it is not a disease. I would encourage anyone who has questions that are not able to be answered, that you please register or visit "Wrong Planet". This website is run by friend and adult with Asperger Syndrome, Alex Plank. Alex has put a lot of work into this website as well as other adults with Asperger Syndrome and it provides very useful information. We hope that Alex one day visits Australia, as well as Dr Temple Grandin. But for now, please feel free to consult these links with the useful information they provide and I hope that the links can help to answer your questions or concerns you may have.
Regards
Garry Burge
In answering the above questions, the best source of action is to research for yourself and ask people who are fully aware of Asperger Syndrome the questions above or the questions you may have. On this website "My Account as an Aspie" I do have a selection of links for people to visit and I would encourage you to look at these links and direct your questions to them. The links are "Some Useful Links on Asperger Syndrome". I sincerely hope that my blog does provide people with useful tips and my own personal experiences in dealing with Asperger Syndrome. As people slowly become more aware of Asperger Syndrome, we need to educate society more and help people to understand that Asperger Syndrome is a life long condition and it is not a disease. I would encourage anyone who has questions that are not able to be answered, that you please register or visit "Wrong Planet". This website is run by friend and adult with Asperger Syndrome, Alex Plank. Alex has put a lot of work into this website as well as other adults with Asperger Syndrome and it provides very useful information. We hope that Alex one day visits Australia, as well as Dr Temple Grandin. But for now, please feel free to consult these links with the useful information they provide and I hope that the links can help to answer your questions or concerns you may have.
Regards
Garry Burge
Growing up in suburban Brisbane 1972 to 2010
My earliest memories of growing up in Brisbane were different to the way Brisbane is today. Brisbane seems to be divided into certain areas and you were aware of your location in the city. Having been born on the north side of Brisbane, well actually in the Royal Brisbane Hospital but residing in Albany Creek until I was 6 and then moving to Kenmore, I noticed the move from the rural setting to the kind of more well to do part of Brisbane. Brisbane still has at its core a history of old houses and suburbs with the traditional "Queenslander" House on stilts still existing in some of the older suburbs of Wilston, Newmarket,and Alderley. I am sure many Brisbanites can recall the older suburbs compared to the newer areas. Living in Brisbane, most or not if all of us are still aware that Hamilton is the suburb of the "Old Rich" and if my memory serves me correctly, Brisbane's Archbishop resides at Hamilton.
Brisbane was not an "Aspie Friendly" town when I was younger and it was very tribal. You either belonged to the click or you were seen as an outsider susceptible to bullying, teasing or ridicule. Also making the transition into adulthood was not easy also. Back when I was younger, the only real exciting event in Brisbane was the Queensland Exhibition and if you have visited Brisbane and have seen Southbank, it was once derelict. Both the Commonwealth Games, and Expo 88 really put Brisbane on the map. Before then, the city was like a large country town and there was very little in the way of entertainment, for instance coffee shops, movie houses, parks and other forms of recreation. A bus ticket in the early 1980's cost believe it or not 20c and the Riverside Expressway had newly been built.
Growing up in Brisbane, you could always remember the 'horrid' Brisbane Summer. It was humid, and if your home was not sprayed you could spot a cockroach or spider or two. I have never been a fan of the 'creepy crawleys'and spiders are not something I enjoy either. Please do not think that Brisbane is some kind of jungle, but it is a major Australian city. Kangaroos are not found in suburban backyards but like all of Australia, the Hills Hoist Clothes Line is ubiquitous. Brisbane has changed fortunately a lot from its earlier days. Catching a train or relying on public transport is starting to improve and I welcome Campbell Newman the City's Lord Mayor in trying his hardest to improve infrastructure and move Brisbane forward. What Brisbane really needs is a decent look out and better usage of Mt Cootha as a tower should be erected similar to the one in Canberra with decent 360 degree views. Brisbane is starting to become an 'international zone' and hopefully more and more of the backwardness out of the city also. This time of year is also an annoying time in that Queensland does not fall into line with the southern capitals which adopt daylight saving. I believe the East Coast of Australia needs to remain on one time zone and not be out of sync. Anyhow I have linked some web sites to this post that you may enjoy.
Brisbane was not an "Aspie Friendly" town when I was younger and it was very tribal. You either belonged to the click or you were seen as an outsider susceptible to bullying, teasing or ridicule. Also making the transition into adulthood was not easy also. Back when I was younger, the only real exciting event in Brisbane was the Queensland Exhibition and if you have visited Brisbane and have seen Southbank, it was once derelict. Both the Commonwealth Games, and Expo 88 really put Brisbane on the map. Before then, the city was like a large country town and there was very little in the way of entertainment, for instance coffee shops, movie houses, parks and other forms of recreation. A bus ticket in the early 1980's cost believe it or not 20c and the Riverside Expressway had newly been built.
Growing up in Brisbane, you could always remember the 'horrid' Brisbane Summer. It was humid, and if your home was not sprayed you could spot a cockroach or spider or two. I have never been a fan of the 'creepy crawleys'and spiders are not something I enjoy either. Please do not think that Brisbane is some kind of jungle, but it is a major Australian city. Kangaroos are not found in suburban backyards but like all of Australia, the Hills Hoist Clothes Line is ubiquitous. Brisbane has changed fortunately a lot from its earlier days. Catching a train or relying on public transport is starting to improve and I welcome Campbell Newman the City's Lord Mayor in trying his hardest to improve infrastructure and move Brisbane forward. What Brisbane really needs is a decent look out and better usage of Mt Cootha as a tower should be erected similar to the one in Canberra with decent 360 degree views. Brisbane is starting to become an 'international zone' and hopefully more and more of the backwardness out of the city also. This time of year is also an annoying time in that Queensland does not fall into line with the southern capitals which adopt daylight saving. I believe the East Coast of Australia needs to remain on one time zone and not be out of sync. Anyhow I have linked some web sites to this post that you may enjoy.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The venture into adulthood
As I sit here having some time off from writing my book with what I suspect to be writers block, and I go through a photographs of my younger years, I recount when I turned 21. Back then I knew very little about the wider world around me, and living in Brisbane all of my 21 years, I started to look ahead and wonder what exactly the future was that lay ahead. I did not know what I wanted to do in life and furthermore, what exactly were my strengths and talents. I was virtually a hermit up until this period and had no contact with the outside world and friendless. I knew I needed to do something. I visited in the Brisbane Exhibition Centre, a Careers Expo and saw the University of New England advertised and I thought to myself or rather questioned if I had the ability to attend university. I knew all the Brisbane Universities would be highly difficult to seek entry into, so I picked up a brochure on external study at the University of New England in Armidale New South Wales. I remember Armidale well because my parents and family were close to moving there in the 1980s to escape Brisbane's famous humid summers but I recall also going there when I was younger to experience a winter with possible snow. So Armidale was not a place unknown to me. When I opened the glossy brochure featuring Booloomimbah the university icon, admission to the University of New England consisted of a 1000 word essay on why me as the applicant wanted to study at UNE and my purpose for doing so. It was a big challenge back then to actually write 1000 words which today is like a piece of cake when I write so much. After going home and spending time on WordPerfect 5.1, the computer program around that period, I was to eventually compose something for submission. However, my drive for enthusiasm inspired me to do greater things. I thought about whether or not I could commit to the University of New England as an internal student, and so I went through the processes of satisfying the admission requirements. Fill in a QTAC form and sit what was then called a STAT test which was a bright idea of some academic bureaucrat to try and means test an applicant's ability in order to satisfy requirements of tertiary study. Upon sitting this test which I failed badly due to stress, anxiety and processing issues, I knew my chances of university study were precarious. I clung onto hope that perhaps my name would appear in "The Courier Mail" to be accepted in the university round of offers. It was in the second round that I was accepted for admission into the University of New England in 1994.
Leaving Brisbane, the deep north (deep south for those in the USA i.e Atlanta Georgia) I began my first taste of living away from home. I remember arriving at the University of New England and being literally hurdled in with other students. I remember the changing weather patterns with the big hale stones that the New England Region gets during Summer and the snowfall in winter. I also remember having my first panic attack also. One night I felt as though the world was closing in on me and I literally believed I was going to die. I can remember visualizing my family thinking and paying their last respects, and I don't know why I had such a thought. I remembered dressing myself at 9.45pm to go to hospital and started dressing up and feeling totally alone. I really didn't have anybody that I could turn to and furthermore, I really wondered if I would be able to drive myself to hospital and being believed but literally I felt totally detached and removed from myself that I didn't know what was happening. Luckily after some time, I started to calm down and reassure myself that everything was fine and eventually went to sleep. The thing that keeps me going is my 'will power' and I guess my star sign being a Leo has given me strength as well. Most people start to venture out into the world around them much earlier in life but for me the process began in my early 20's. Attending the University of New England and living in Armidale helped to make me stronger. I remember what I enjoyed the most was the space around the town and the fact I could experience quiet and serenity. What was difficult was the social isolation at times and the fact I found it hard to make friends and being accepted. I had a succession of failed accommodation attempts trying to house share with other people, which eventually caused me to be in a granny flat with the wife of a Freemason reluctantly taking my rent money. I relied on the Masonic Lodge to help me through my periods of social isolation and one aged Italian/Austrian Lodge Master trying to give me advice when he was well and being cranky when he was not. At one point I was in such a precarious situation that being with a church group, I had to try and find lodgings with one of its members who was over religious. Luckily I did not and had to go back to the house where I was boarding with the husband who fell through the roof while spying on his wife but being forced to reside somewhere else due to a restraining order. I just relied on my will power to get through my degree despite the human condition that was evident and ubiquitous around me. Living in Armidale did provide me with the means of being equipped for my life ahead as complicated, difficult and frustrating which it was also to become. The one thing is that you have plenty of material to share your experiences and help you compile a book.
Leaving Brisbane, the deep north (deep south for those in the USA i.e Atlanta Georgia) I began my first taste of living away from home. I remember arriving at the University of New England and being literally hurdled in with other students. I remember the changing weather patterns with the big hale stones that the New England Region gets during Summer and the snowfall in winter. I also remember having my first panic attack also. One night I felt as though the world was closing in on me and I literally believed I was going to die. I can remember visualizing my family thinking and paying their last respects, and I don't know why I had such a thought. I remembered dressing myself at 9.45pm to go to hospital and started dressing up and feeling totally alone. I really didn't have anybody that I could turn to and furthermore, I really wondered if I would be able to drive myself to hospital and being believed but literally I felt totally detached and removed from myself that I didn't know what was happening. Luckily after some time, I started to calm down and reassure myself that everything was fine and eventually went to sleep. The thing that keeps me going is my 'will power' and I guess my star sign being a Leo has given me strength as well. Most people start to venture out into the world around them much earlier in life but for me the process began in my early 20's. Attending the University of New England and living in Armidale helped to make me stronger. I remember what I enjoyed the most was the space around the town and the fact I could experience quiet and serenity. What was difficult was the social isolation at times and the fact I found it hard to make friends and being accepted. I had a succession of failed accommodation attempts trying to house share with other people, which eventually caused me to be in a granny flat with the wife of a Freemason reluctantly taking my rent money. I relied on the Masonic Lodge to help me through my periods of social isolation and one aged Italian/Austrian Lodge Master trying to give me advice when he was well and being cranky when he was not. At one point I was in such a precarious situation that being with a church group, I had to try and find lodgings with one of its members who was over religious. Luckily I did not and had to go back to the house where I was boarding with the husband who fell through the roof while spying on his wife but being forced to reside somewhere else due to a restraining order. I just relied on my will power to get through my degree despite the human condition that was evident and ubiquitous around me. Living in Armidale did provide me with the means of being equipped for my life ahead as complicated, difficult and frustrating which it was also to become. The one thing is that you have plenty of material to share your experiences and help you compile a book.
The school enviornment and early intervention
I am now 38 years of age, and like other people I endured 12 years of schooling but unlike some other Aspies, I was diagnosed while in school and nothing was known about Asperger Syndrome at the time. While being at both primary and high school, the two experiences were completely different. Primary School was not as bad as High School because the latter was a period of bullying and being misunderstood by the School System. I then ask the question of whether things may have changed if I was diagnosed earlier, and socialized within a more supportive and education system? Personally I believe that I was sent to the wrong High School and I wish I could have gone to an Independent School or perhaps a school more capable and understanding in a person with different needs. I really despised the Bjelke Peterson Government Education system which focused too much on the School Principal having too much power and the appalling TE Score System that followed it. The TE Score was from my understanding a series of magic numbers which determined a person's career path and the higher the score, the better the profession. Persons who were ranked on the lower categories were virtually told or it was decided by this archaic system of their career expectations or fate.
I can remember teachers telling me I had no brains or that being at school was a waste of time for me and that I was better suited to manual labour or some other socialised prerogative. At the time, I thought who are you to tell me what I should and should not do and what gives these little hormonal mutants the right to bully, tease and intimidate when I do not want to do the same things which they do? Also why should people have to follow sport if they don't have the co-ordination to do it and literally forced to conform to expectations when perhaps other interests are overlooked? I think educating Aspies perhaps has to take on a different dimension but surely something can be done about the bullying and teasing as it scars a person psychologically later in life. Early intervention is perhaps better but being forced to conform and be socialised is perhaps something which is questionable.
I can remember teachers telling me I had no brains or that being at school was a waste of time for me and that I was better suited to manual labour or some other socialised prerogative. At the time, I thought who are you to tell me what I should and should not do and what gives these little hormonal mutants the right to bully, tease and intimidate when I do not want to do the same things which they do? Also why should people have to follow sport if they don't have the co-ordination to do it and literally forced to conform to expectations when perhaps other interests are overlooked? I think educating Aspies perhaps has to take on a different dimension but surely something can be done about the bullying and teasing as it scars a person psychologically later in life. Early intervention is perhaps better but being forced to conform and be socialised is perhaps something which is questionable.
Being Aspie
I was asked just recently, are you uncomfortable with what you post on your blog and also are you qualified as some kind of Medical Practitioner? In simply answering these questions, no I am not uncomfortable about what I post on my blog because I believe I am promoting awareness of Asperger Syndrome and if people read it and understand then good, but if they perhaps need more time or their minds are closed then that is their decision to make and lastly it is not my problem but theirs. In answer to the second question, I have often been asked if I am medically qualified and I guess I am in an unconventional sense. I have endured a life of having to survive as best I can with the limited support around me and which also is non unavailable. If I have endured such difficulty and hardship, then surely I should share this with others and should they be struggling on their own, then would not it be a blessed reassurance to them that there has been someone who has already walked in their shoes?
To be honest I find this conventional world full of often unrealistic expectations and debilitating struggles. If I hadn't of coped as best I could, I would perhaps be stuck in some mental hospital being fed an intravenous drip, or continually have pills shoved down my throat or be medicated with antidepressants in order to survive and cope with people's lack of awareness of Asperger Syndrome. I find the conventional world fraught with a lot of unrealistic expectations. In my own life, I have tried to follow the conventions and meet their requirements only to confront a serious body blow in return. I think personally speaking that IQ Tests are really nonsense and giving up on children whom society believes have no brains is just uncalled for and clearly unacceptable. In the case of Albert Einstein he was an under performer within the school system but blossomed later in life. I do not believe society reserves the right to tell people or brand people who are different or who have Autism the way it has done in the past and still continues to do at the moment. You do not need to have a medical qualification to understand Asperger Syndrome when you have endured in your own personal life, depression, severe anxiety, people constantly making your life difficult or being bullied to extreme. You find a coping mechanism in order to help you survive as best you can. I am kind of sick and tired of the tribal instincts of people that anyone who is different or eccentric should confront some kind of conformity or conversion. As long as they do not break any laws or display any uncalled for anti social tendencies, then why not learn from them? Too often I believe the wrong people are raised on pedestals when quite simply there are people in our community that are doing a hell of a lot more. I know of some friends that devote a great deal of time to unseen work and instead society tends to want to cast light on people who cannot even control their liquor as some kind of celebrity. Surely something needs to change. Money is not everything and I believe money just creates greed anyway when people spend too much of their life focused on it. I like and still use today the quote of Thomas Alva Edison about genius which I see more as success "genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration" Not everyone falls within the area of conformity and why should those who are eccentric have to endure the same. If people are unable to open their minds and to try and understand people on the Autism Spectrum well then this is really their problem and not mine. We need to focus as a society on the people who will listen, understand and see the merits of people on the Autism Spectrum in our society. You don't need to be a genius sometimes you just need to be able to tell your story right and to the people who take the time and want to listen!
To be honest I find this conventional world full of often unrealistic expectations and debilitating struggles. If I hadn't of coped as best I could, I would perhaps be stuck in some mental hospital being fed an intravenous drip, or continually have pills shoved down my throat or be medicated with antidepressants in order to survive and cope with people's lack of awareness of Asperger Syndrome. I find the conventional world fraught with a lot of unrealistic expectations. In my own life, I have tried to follow the conventions and meet their requirements only to confront a serious body blow in return. I think personally speaking that IQ Tests are really nonsense and giving up on children whom society believes have no brains is just uncalled for and clearly unacceptable. In the case of Albert Einstein he was an under performer within the school system but blossomed later in life. I do not believe society reserves the right to tell people or brand people who are different or who have Autism the way it has done in the past and still continues to do at the moment. You do not need to have a medical qualification to understand Asperger Syndrome when you have endured in your own personal life, depression, severe anxiety, people constantly making your life difficult or being bullied to extreme. You find a coping mechanism in order to help you survive as best you can. I am kind of sick and tired of the tribal instincts of people that anyone who is different or eccentric should confront some kind of conformity or conversion. As long as they do not break any laws or display any uncalled for anti social tendencies, then why not learn from them? Too often I believe the wrong people are raised on pedestals when quite simply there are people in our community that are doing a hell of a lot more. I know of some friends that devote a great deal of time to unseen work and instead society tends to want to cast light on people who cannot even control their liquor as some kind of celebrity. Surely something needs to change. Money is not everything and I believe money just creates greed anyway when people spend too much of their life focused on it. I like and still use today the quote of Thomas Alva Edison about genius which I see more as success "genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration" Not everyone falls within the area of conformity and why should those who are eccentric have to endure the same. If people are unable to open their minds and to try and understand people on the Autism Spectrum well then this is really their problem and not mine. We need to focus as a society on the people who will listen, understand and see the merits of people on the Autism Spectrum in our society. You don't need to be a genius sometimes you just need to be able to tell your story right and to the people who take the time and want to listen!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Reviewing the Medical Fraternity's View of the Autism Spectrum
One of the major areas or ensuring awareness is paramount is the Medical Fraternity. When you apply for support through services and support, the medical fraternity seems unaware that people on the Autism Spectrum encounter a condition which is life long. What this means is that Autism just doesn't go away and nor does it disappear in a person's life when they are younger. Adults with Autism do exist and more and more an awareness and understanding is essential from the medical fraternity in order to understand. When a person applies for support, from experience it seems that Doctors, and Medical Practitioners seem acutely unaware that the condition is life long. When I have attended a consultation I am often asked: Do you feel depressed? Have you thought about committing suicide or ending your life recently? Do you have a history of mental illness? I feel confused when answering such questions as I am not depressed, I just need help for society to understand me and I am sure I speak for other adults in that they are wanting the same. The important distinction which I feel needs to be made between Autism and Mental Illness is that Autism exhibits some of the symptoms similar to mental illness in a feeling of not having much motivation and also the monotone voice. Perhaps like both the interview, and dating stumbling block, the consultation stumbling block tends to overlook the real difficulties adults and children on the Autism Spectrum need and require within medical consultations. I seriously believe the Medical Fraternity needs a wake up call in terms of understanding Autism because it is something that is long overdue and the condition is life long. Instead of Aspies being medicated like children in a lolly shop with different medications like candies, surely it is about time that more understanding and referral to important and essential services become available. Mental Health Care Plans I understand can be long in order to obtain the Medicare Rebate, but surely Doctors can have training in terms of Autism Awareness?
Continuing the Asperger Syndrome Advocacy
Well it is the end of another week. I have featured in "The Courier Mail" as most of you are aware on Monday 27th September 2010 and I am currently still working on and writing my book. I do not want to give too much about my book away but it will be focusing on the difficulty adults with Asperger Syndrome confront when reaching adulthood and looking for employment. It will be reflecting on my personal experiences and battles in obtaining employment, and some possible strategies in dealing with the obstacles which present themselves a long the way. My book proposal has been submitted to some publishers and should any one having any suggestions of who I should approach please do not hesitate to contact me through the respective channels featured in my links.
Now to a more important matter. Anyone interested in attending my upcoming presentation, I can provide you with the link of where you can hear both me and other key speakers talk about Asperger Syndrome. Dr Kate Sofronoff will be talking at this seminar and I will be presenting with Kate on the important topic of the transition of adolescences from school into adulthood and for more information you need to visit this link http://www.autismqld.com.au/userfiles/aspergersbrochure.pdf
The presentation will be a very informative one and with a large attendance, you need to register early to ensure your place. In the meantime, please stay tuned to this website for further information and posts. I have also been invited to speak at Forster near Newcastle, in Australia. Please stay tuned for updates.
Please watch this link concerning adults with Asperger Syndrome and the essential needs which they require http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiDp8qF8-oA
Now to a more important matter. Anyone interested in attending my upcoming presentation, I can provide you with the link of where you can hear both me and other key speakers talk about Asperger Syndrome. Dr Kate Sofronoff will be talking at this seminar and I will be presenting with Kate on the important topic of the transition of adolescences from school into adulthood and for more information you need to visit this link http://www.autismqld.com.au/userfiles/aspergersbrochure.pdf
The presentation will be a very informative one and with a large attendance, you need to register early to ensure your place. In the meantime, please stay tuned to this website for further information and posts. I have also been invited to speak at Forster near Newcastle, in Australia. Please stay tuned for updates.
Please watch this link concerning adults with Asperger Syndrome and the essential needs which they require http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiDp8qF8-oA
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