People with Autism being prone to predators, bullying and abuse

I would like to touch upon a very important and a matter of serious concern for persons on the Autism Spectrum, family and friends. This is the matter of people with people on the Autism Spectrum being vulnerable to predators, bullying and abuse.

Unfortunately amongst the Autism population a great deal many persons can be prone to predators. Trusting people and being naive is one of the serious issues as people with Autism cannot detect danger from trust. Often exposure to unsavory individuals can leave the person open to predator abuse causing emotional scaring. Some people with Autism try so hard to make friends that their psycho detectors can often fail to pick up danger leaving them in a very vulnerable situation. For women on the Autism Spectrum this can be especially difficult. When attending a conference with Dr Tony Attwood, Tony spoke about predators and more especially sexual abuse amongst the female Autism population. I have known of personally or heard stories for women on the Autism Spectrum who have felt pressured, exposed or even vulnerable to sexual exploitation with little or no protection. Furthermore there is a real underlying danger that persons with Autism can venture into situations not knowing underlying dangers. These dangers ranging from loss of money through to abuse or bullying of some kind.

It is important and what is of concern in western countries like Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, is the lack of support and services for individuals unable to obtain family support. Sadly the predator can intervene unchecked with the person on the Autism Spectrum having little or no protection from possible dangers. As persons with Autism have little connection to the community and most are socially isolated, they are especially vulnerable. Often people around them are not aware of the motives of unsavory people and what impact they can have on the person with Autism. I know of Asperger adults who with little or no family support are clearly vulnerable to attack or abuse and society seems to be largely unaware or oblivious to what is going on. Asperger women are especially prone to predators because they are unsure of the motives of the predator. The predator can exploit the woman's trust and commit abuse not so physical but more so psychologically and the community is largely unaware of this activity.

People with Autism are very trusting people and they can be very giving but in the wrong company, the very lowest people in the community can intervene causing serious ramifications or even danger. This is why I believe that more and increased services for adults need to be implemented fast. Adults being largely socially isolated and ignored by the community are in the line of attack so to speak. Most people have networks and support but for Autistic people this drops away and there is no scaffolding. In my own situation in order to make friends I had to reach out to one organisation known as a "Place to Belong". As I was finding it impossible to make friends and to find social structures, I knew I needed to do something. Often relying on my intelligence can be difficult for sadly predators can infiltrate the mind of a person with Autism without the person with Autism understanding the dangers. We as a community need to do something fast to stop this unacceptable and dangerous behaviour from continuing. I am not saying all adults with Autism are exposed to this but there are some adults especially prone. I can remember some incidents of a child being exposed to predators. In one instance a boy kept on daring me to do dangerous things in order for me to be his friend. In one situation he forced me to ride down a steep street on the bicycle with him and I could have been killed or seriously injured as I had no protection on the bike and my foot was close to be entwined in the bicycle spokes. He also destroyed turned all of the other children in the school against me.

I believe younger people and the peer group are coy of person with Autism because they do not always understand the way a person with Autism behaves and responds to certain situations. Persons with Autism have weaker networks and very few friends. Often it is hard to also judge a person to ascertain whether they are quality or possibly dangerous. I am fortunate to have established some good networks over time and I have had a lot of help. Sadly though this is not always the trend in general for persons with Autism and why as a community we need to be concerned about our adult with Autism population. I have heard of stories of adults with Autism being abused in institutions by perpetrators within these institutions knowing they can abuse and get away with it. The person with Autism is unable to communicate and identify where they have been abused with this seldom going unchecked or investigated further. People with Autism are especially vulnerable to the lowest ebb of society and we need to stop abuse happening and continuing to happen where it is ignored, unknown or unchecked.

I have included with this post a very well put together video from an adult with Autism and you can watch his video by double clicking the Title in this post. His video outlines his own personal experiences and the dangers out there for people on the Autism Spectrum. Fortunately for me I have had supportive parents but for other adults without parental or family support, imagine what it is like for them?!

Autism Works and its pioneering efforts

Residing some or almost 20 000kms away, I try my best to follow the work of Chris Mitchell and Peter McDonald in Autism Works. I am intrigued by the recent developments and more importantly the opportunity to break down the barriers of discrimination that exist for adults on the Autism Spectrum. I have been in touch with Chris on a weekly basis by phone to find out from him what is happening and more importantly progress which is being made. From what I understand, Autism Works will soon be recruiting its first software tester to the company and this will be interesting to observe.

I will be visiting the United Kingdom in June 2011 to witness what work is happening in the United Kingdom and it is my hope that this information will assist in the implementation of a similar replication in this country, especially Brisbane. I know some adults are not interested in software testing as such but with a great deal many adults either diagnosed or undiagnosed within Information Technology, this very employer will hopefully reduce unemployment levels significantly! Australia needs to ensure that adults with Autism are involved in the similar model in this country. If it relies too heavily on NT (neuro typical) input it will not work. In order for adults to function in employment, it is other adults on the Autism Spectrum who are best at understanding.

I would encourage anyone to visit Chris' blog by double clicking in the Title of this post to take you to the link with his important updates. Hopefully we can soon get adults on the Autism Spectrum into work and lay the foundation stones for such an undertaking to begin. I am sure many of us will keep our eyes peeled on the developments happening at Autism Works with interest.

The Autistic Brain

As a person with Autism, I often wonder how my brain is different to that of a non Autistic person. As more and more is beginning to emerge about Autism, little information is available to indicate how the Autistic brain actually works and why persons with Autism confront different wiring so to speak. I often feel like at times that my brain is processing information differently and more importantly I find myself struggling in simple day to day functions. I am aware that I am able write but what I find difficult is that sometimes my means of learning, assimilating information and expression of language is often stilted. Why is reading for instance so difficult and I find it difficult to read novels and more importantly understand the words in them? Why are vast amounts of mental energy required to simply communicate with other people and why is it difficult for me to make friends and make small talk?

Recently developments have emerged in terms of scanning the brains of people with Autism in order to be able to identify Autism in individuals. Hopefully this evidence will be able to convince critics that Autism does exist. Perhaps one day more information will come to light in understanding the Autistic brain.

Schooling and the socialisation process

The average age of a person in life depending on country to country varies but in the western world, life expectancy has increased in the last 30 years. This brings me to the crucial point of schooling and the socialisation process. What do I mean by this and what am I going to cover? As an adult with Asperger Syndrome I believe the main conditioning of a person and preparation for adulthood begins in the 12 years of schooling. Schooling is designed to condition a person for preparation for adulthood and the person is socialised throughout the school period in terms of social skills development and influenced I believe by toys and expectations. How then are adults on the Autism Spectrum affected by this? The person on the Autism Spectrum fails to fall within the requirements of socialisation and therefore miss out on the crucial steps of development. Rather than be part of social skills development and team work skills in playing sport, the person on the Autism Spectrum is instead living in their own world or focused on their special interest to not really know what is going on around them. In other words they are oblivious to situations and events around them.

The development of a person through to early adulthood seems to be a series of evolutionary steps to the eventual transition of adulthood. Dr Kate Sofronoff describes within the school system a scaffolding which exists that supports the child and Dr Tony Attwood describes the school period as being a period of war service for persons with Asperger Syndrome. Having spoken with both Dr Kate Sofronoff and Dr Tony Attwood, I have as an adult tried to also enlighten them about my own personal experiences of being an adult on the Autism Spectrum.

Have you ever wondered why a person is required to attend a school and the option of home schooling being discouraged? In my opinion this in itself is a controlling measure for the school years are an evolutionary process for the person to following until adulthood. In the Australian school system, a strong focus is on team sports and more importantly there still exists an academic grading system upon exit from secondary school for a person to determine or more so be aware of future career expecations of them. For a person with Asperger Syndrome this system fails to deliver and through the scaffolding of school the Asperger person can rely on the scaffolding as Dr Kate Sofronoff describes as a means of structure more so than a means of encouragement or nurturing the person's special interest.

I see the school system as falling into the following socialisation process. I will firstly explain by my example the regular person and then the Autistic person.

The regular person schooling patterns.

Grades 1 -6 (7 in Queensland) Primary School

The person enters the school, follows and evolutionary process

1. Structure process begins follow routine 9am to 3pm
2. Early socialisation with toys defining sexual stereotype
3. Boys play with masculine toys (Toy cars, trucks, bikes) and girls feminine toys (dolls, tea sets, purses etc)
4. Focus on strenghts of person e.g. good at English, Maths, Sport etc
5. Early preparation for adolescence further socialisation and some preparation for high school
6-7 - Focus on subjects for secondary school

Secondary school

8 - Hormone increase most teenagers think about sex, chasing girls etc
9. Early preparation for university
10. Person may decide career choice of whether to perhaps enter a trade or contemplate university
11 - 12. Preparation for university.

University
Often socialised sufficiently to cope with early undergraduate years of tertiary education

Now the Asperger person

School - Grades 1 - 12

1. May exist in school as it has structure but not really sure of socialisation process
2. Special interest may occur or evolve. Obsession with special interest and oblivious to school environment.
3. Susceptible to bullying and teasing as the person with Autism chooses to play alone
4. Does not engage with or use conventional toys as these provide no stimulation or emotional attachment.
5. Team work skills not developing and inadequate socialisation occurring
6. Not fitting into mainstream syllabus person with Autism failing to fall into socialisation measures
7. Preparation for adulthood not occurring and person with Autism unable to fit into mainstream socialisation.
8. Exiting of school system scaffolding and structure gone. Adult with Autism left in wilderness with no support or measures to assist and support them.

What I outline above is two comparisons of what I believe and speaking again from personal experiences happens to a person on the Autism Spectrum. Schooling is a continual socialisation process and measures and expectations are conditioned a long the way. For the person on the Autism Spectrum, they are failing to adapt to this period of conditioning and are on the outer thus affecting them once reaching adulthood. A special interest may be fulfilling but it can't lead to a job. A person may have an interest in calculators, or be just coping as best they can without a career path and insufficient social skills so where does this leave them?

Schooling needs to be inclusive of Autistic people rather than excluding. The person on the Autism Spectrum needs help and understanding to fit in, and be encouraged and nurtured and school systems need to adapt to accept this. Autism is a stand alone disability because people cannot see it but they also fail to grasp that Autism is a silent struggle. Locked into our own worlds having Autism makes it hard for us to communicate and be understood by people. The only way to deal with this problem is to increase both awareness and early intervention. Support also needs to exist post school in terms of ensuring disability employment agencies focusing predominately on Autism exist. These employment agencies need to ensure job searching, interview support and liaison. Firstly the person with Autism needs to find a job coach, secondly the job coach needs to contact the employer, provide on the job support, assistance with staff development and more importantly liaison between the employer with Autism, the job coach and the manager or supervisor on behalf of the employment. Until this is implemented nothing is going to change.

Crawling out of the adult wilderness

In a recent conference where I spoke with Associate Professor Dr Kate Sofronoff, Kate, myself and other adults spoke of our experiences with Autism and more importantly how Autism extends from childhood into adulthood. Associate Professor Kate Sofronoff spoke about how the scaffolding gives way in childhood and is non existent in adulthood for adults with Autism. I thought it therefore necessary from my own experiences to provide some strategies in dealing with Autism which may help other adults?

Some of the strategies I outline are below

1. As an adult I have been diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum where to from now? Answer - The best thing to do is to try and come to terms with your strengths and weaknesses and more importantly find help where you can obtain it. Try not to compare or measure yourself against mainstream society but more importantly look for services which may help. In some countries essential services may be hard to find but the most important thing to do is to find an Autism Society in your area and contact them concerning your issues or areas where you may need or require help. Try to find a counselor who is supportive and inform them that you may required CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy). Help is there but you may need to persevere as hard as you can to get it.

2. I am an adult and I am unemployed and find it difficult to get a job. Answer - Try and find a disability employment agency and ensure you get a job coach. A job coach needs to understand you as an adult and more importantly you need to work with the job coach to ensure what job is suitable for you. It is important that the job coach depending on your level of need or support assists you with job searching, interview attendance, training and staff development where necessary. Try to work out also if you are suited to full time or part time work. Some adults find full time work challenging and may prefer entry into employment on a part time basis. When speaking with Dr Tony Attwood, Dr Attwood has advised and I agree with him that approach family, friends and potential employers about undertaking a work placement and or experience.

3. I am an adult and I looking for a relationship. Answer - Try not to focus too much on relationships and joining internet dating agencies. Often you can be ripped off or confront humiliation from them. The more social networks you may be able to join will increase your chances of meeting other people, making friends or entering a relationship. It can be very difficult to join a lot of organisations due to the lack of understanding social skills difficulties for adults with Autism but perhaps you can mention your strong points when joining such organisations as an adult on the Autism Spectrum.

4. Overcoming social isolation and depression - For adults, strong evidence of overcoming social skills difficulties has been assisted by joining Toastmasters. Toastmasters helps people to communicate effectively and I am currently looking at ways of approaching Toastmasters to adapt certain ways of assisting with communication for adults with Autism. As a start join a Toastmasters Club and make yourself known to the club and inform them you have AS and want to improve your social skills. The more awareness the better! When dealing with depression, I believe adults need to undertake exercise regularly, particularly in the area of cardio vascular work. I know a lot of adults who exercise regularly by attending a gym and doing cardio work which drastically reduces their anxiety levels. Exercise does not have to be intense but more so regular to ensure serotonin and other brain chemicals are being released to reduce anxiety.

5. I need to get my driver's licence or find a way of getting around as I don't have a car or transportation. Answer - A strategy to this may be to approach a Defensive Driving Academy/School. I am not totally sure but within this environment the person can drive a car in a a safe area without other traffic or motorists being around. Depending on your level of income, you as an adult can combine this with driving lessons or a friend who is willing to help you get some practise to obtain the necessary practical experience when trying to obtain your Driver's Licence.

6. Most adults experience bullying and their self esteem can be low. Answer - Bullying is an unfortunate experience that a lot of adults have endured in their lives. It can cause emotional scarring but it can be overcome in time. Try to look for counseling services which may be able to provide help to you in order to heal from such experiences.

7. Society does not understand me as an adult with Autism. Answer - Not everyone is closed minded to Autism. Some sectors of the community wear blinkers or close their shutters to Autism and this is not your problem but more so their problem. Find people within the community who understand you and Autism and it is important to realise that not everyone is bad or against you. An Autism Alert Card can be purchased very cheaply online from the National Autistic Society in the United Kingdom and you could take this card with you as it is also a tool for more awareness of Autism. The card can be obtained by visiting this link http://www.autism.org.uk/en-GB/Products/Core-NAS-publications/Autism-Alert-Cards.aspx

8. I find it hard as an adult to have a lighter side or to engage in social chit chat - Answer - Social Chit Chat is not easy for Aspies but perhaps visiting a speech therapist may help to assist with speech tone improvement and trying to understand non visual cues better.

9. I find people ignore me or don't respond to my email, text, social utility or phone messages. Often this is hard to understand but people can sometimes be busy and may not always have the chance to respond to messages. It is better to just get on with life and hope that friends and family will catch up with you when they can.

10. I am having issues with TOM (Theory of Mind). Some people are not always able to understand Aspie thinking. Aspies tend to over think and assume things too much at times. Added to this Aspies can be one dimensional thinkers and fail to grasp the importance of seeing all sides of a situation. It may be appropriate to look at a certain situation from all perspectives rather than a black or white response.

11. Sometimes I am unable to sleep as my mind turns over and over. Answer - As an adult you may need to ensure you have sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene is ensuring that you go to bed with a clear mind and a calming process. Perhaps read a lighthearted novel, listen to some calm music, avoid staring at a computer or television before going to bed.

12. Sensory issues - If you encounter sensory issue problems try wearing an ear piece or putting ear plugs into your ears where noise can be a problem. If your eyes cannot handle glare then wear a hat or dark sunglasses to ensure your eyes are protected. If certain fabrics annoy you then don't wear them. Find suitable fabrics that don't annoy your skin. If you also get social meltdown, take some time out and calm down. You will soon recover.

13. I find everything needs to have a routine or be predictable. Answer - Often it is difficult to break routine but think of how you may benefit or some coping strategies when breaking routine. Sometimes breaking routine can be liberating although anxiety provoking.

14. I am feeling anxious or about to have a panic attack Answer - Try to ensure you perform deep breathing exercises. Breath through your nose and out through your mouth and keep doing this until you feel the anxiety starting to subside. If you are about to experience an anxiety attack, just realise that anxiety will not kill you it will just unsettle you. Sometimes taking magnesium tablets can significantly reduce anxiety levels and this is again from personal experience.

Hopefully the above will assist adults from my experiences of having Asperger Syndrome. If I can think of anymore, I will mention them in due course.

Presentations and awareness of the Autism Spectrum to employment agencies and some organisations.

On Thursday 25th November 2010, I will be speaking at CRS (Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service) Australia about employing adults with Asperger Syndrome and what support is needed in terms of providing support with work placement and career choice. If anyone is interested in knowing more about this presentation they can contact CRS Australia for more information - CRS Australia http://www.crsaustralia.gov.au/find_an_office.htm

For anyone interested I will be presenting an online presentation with another adult on the Autism Spectrum, Arman Khodaei on Friday 3rd December 2010 and Saturday 4th December 7am Australian Eastern Standard Time. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/armankhodaei/2010/12/03/the-language-of-autism-transition-into-employment-for-an-adult-with-aspergers-syndrome Please feel free to join in and listen.

Apart from these presentations, I may also be presenting some information at the Austral-Asian Autism Conference http://www.apac11.org/ in September 2011. I have also been approached by the Luke Priddis Autism Foundation to speak in Penrith with further details yet to be finalised and also there has been some interest in me speaking at Port Macquarie possibly next year also. The Luke Priddis Foundation can be found on the web by visiting http://www.lukepriddisfoundation.com/

One of the things I would really like to do is to visit schools and advise them on early intervention and support for persons on the Autism Spectrum and as yet I have received little or no interest when approaching them. The University of Queensland needs to also come on board with ensuring the Asperger Adult Group continues to grow but schooling needs to ensure support and essential intervention at a much earlier age before the person reaches university.

I would also be interested in speaking in the United Kingdom when I am there in early June 2011 but as I have not received any responses as of yet, I will just have to leave it for now. I will be in the Newcastle area in this period and would value the opportunity to present.

Garry Burge talks on Asperger Syndrome and employment on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Npbqoysa0

Handling emotions

I often wonder how and when to respond to emotions. I have been sometimes told I am cold or uncaring and I find it hard to understand when people say this. Throughout my life I have always had to deal with hardships, and situations which are often difficult and overwhelming. I have only cried in my life about 12 times, more so when I was a child but not at all as an adult.

Throughout my life I have dealt with anxiety especially in very challenging situations. Often when I become stressed my thinking becomes more literal and the verbal filtering required is harder to control. For instance if someone is not always sincere and they pretend to be, my immediate emotion in some circumstances is to become especially critical of them.

I find the level of emotions required to sustain a relationship are often challenging and feel the only way I could probably handle a relationship is to meet a woman who is more NT than I am Aspie. I see in a lot of other adults their difficulty too in handling emotion and understanding it. Why then do we find emotions so very difficult and challenging? Perhaps we use a coping mechanism which helps us to survive in the world around us. For adult Aspie men who have been in a relationship, how easy is it for us to enter another relationship? Perhaps we have difficulty in letting go of a previous relationship or our minds are too overwhelmed by the need to react and respond to emotions? As I have indicated earlier, amongst both Aspie men and women, I think speaking personally and again from my own personal experience, that entering relationships is more difficult for us and more so for Aspie men. I find personally that I suffer a large degree of facial blindness and I find it hard to respond to emotions in certain situations. When I observed a deceased older family member, it was my first time of seeing somebody dead. I can remember wondering why this family member died with their his mouth opened and more importantly questioned how a person can die in their slip. I find death hard to comprehend as even the word final cannot describe it. For Aspies and again speaking from personal experience we are emotional but our emotions are more powerful than regular people. We often can feel pain but our bodies respond to it differently than do other people. An interesting question is how an Aspie deals with being sick or injured? Do we put too much thinking into getting better that we can perhaps heal ourselves more?

As Aspies we are not really cold or lack emotion, we just convey, understand and express emotion differently. We are probably better at verbalising it than emotionally showing it which may confuse the NT population. I think some Aspies try to avoid emotional triggers where necessary and perhaps this is why we are often also reclusive and like cats we keep to ourselves?

Adult diagnosis of Autism

As Autism is increasing in the adult population, how are adults with Autism dealing with diagnosis and more importantly the next step? For older adults, diagnosis later in life and the difficulty in not intervening or diagnosing can cause some difficulty. My own situation was one of difficulty as being diagnosed later in life meant that some areas of my life carry some scarring. In particular the high school period. I often feel like an apology would be one way to heal from the 5 years of hurt, frustration and bullying I received in high school. I can remember teachers constantly telling me I had no brains and more importantly the bullying I endured within this period.

In one instance, a high school authority figure being a Deputy Principal confronted me in class and demanded me in front of the class to admit that I cheated on an art project. This authority figure said "why should the class be marked down because of the work you did not do?" and more importantly "you need to tell the class that you cheated in this assignment". Can you imagine how a person's self esteem would have been in this period, especially being shown up in class?. I hate high school with a passion. I hate the very fabric on which it existed. I detested the teacher who in Grade 11 in the geography class made fun of my inability to be like the other children and more importantly took it upon herself even with the intervention of one of my parents to try and help me, decide and defend a mark of 2% out of 20% in a geography assignment.

I am really concerned about future generations of Aspies and fear for them in terms of the high school system. Here kids can virtually be like little monsters who bully and tease to the point of undermining what little confidence an Aspie has. In adulthood, a great deal many adults with Asperger Syndrome are frustrated with the world around them but cope as best they can. A lot of adults have to live with the pain of bullying from the past and most are frustrated at always falling through the cracks. Early intervention is needed and the Queensland government has to do something more so than politicians wearing hard hates and pretending to be seen to be doing work. I believe that Aspies diagnosed below the age of 30 have perhaps better social skills than older Aspies because some of the past events in older Aspies need more support and assistance.

What is it like being an Aspie

I sometimes get asked how Asperger Syndrome affects me as an adult. Here are some of my answers to people's questions.

1. How does Asperger Syndrome affect you?

Answer - Asperger Syndrome affects me in that I find it difficult to understand people, their motives and what is the purpose of small talk. I also have to rely on and use vast amounts of mental energy to simply converse and find myself tired easily.

2. Are you brilliant at anything? Apparently people with Autism are supposed to be brilliant

Answer - I am not brilliant nor do I want to be. I don't really like to compare myself with other people nor do I care if I am good at something or not. I think the world places too much focus on a person being good at something or otherwise they are not as important. Everybody is the same and building up expectations is often unrealistic

3. Would you like a girlfriend or enter a relationship? Answer - I always leave a door open but I am not going to invest large amounts of my time and energy into looking for a relationship. To be honest I find relationships are draining and take a lot of work. They suit some people but not all. I prefer to mind my own business and I expect other people to do the same in relation to me. I find in all honesty because people cannot fathom a man for instance not being in a relationship that their minds tend to try and box quickly. People need to understand Autism more and realise that amongst Aspies relationships are more difficult.

4. What are sensory issues and how do these affect you? - Answer. My ears are super sensitive and when I am stressed my hearing amplifies just like you putting your ear to an old vinyl record and hearing the scratching sound. If you can imagine this then you can understand sensory issues. I also hate certain materials, especially Denim and my eyes can hurt with strong light and glare.

5. Why do you find it difficult to be promoted or take on higher level positions? Answer - I find workplaces are full of a lot of sucking up or idle chit chat. I find it hard also to make up stories to apparently demonstrate how good I am at something. I find it hard to lie and sell myself in the interview process as I prefer to be honest which other people seem to think is negative and I do not understand why they say this. Just being literal is often wrongly perceived.

6. What is Autism like in adults? - Answer - Autism affects adults differently. Some adults have good executive function while others find it difficult to organise their day. A common scenario in Asperger adults is bullying in school, issues with anxiety and high unemployment.

7. Have you ever had a panic attack? Answer - Yes I have and they are no fun. You feel like everything around you is caving in on you and you find it hard to escape the severe anxiety episode.

8 Is exercise good for Aspies? Answer - Yes exercise is good for Aspies as anxiety levels are significantly reduced. I believe a lot of adults with AS and Autism would benefit from increasing their participation in exercise.

9. Do you think Autism is a result of bad parenting? Answer - I think such a question is appalling. My parents are not bad people nor are the people who have persons affected by Autism. Most parents and families are looking for support and people need to be in their shoes for a day to experience what it is like and how the government does not listen.

10. Would you consider going onto medication? Answer - I have tried medication and it does not work for me personally. I do not believe that I should be forcing chemicals down my throat because society has an issue with the way I think and behave. It is society that needs to change not a person needing to rely on mind altering enhancing substances.

11. Do you think the world should change for Autistic people? Answer - I believe there needs to be a two way approach to this question. A person with Autism should not be treated with special treatment nor should an NT refuse to accept the way a person with Autism may be. It is a matter of finding a mutual understanding.

12. Do you think there needs to be more male Aspies to come forward? Answer - Yes. I think it is harder for male aspies as the world places greater expectations on men in general. Asperger men in most instances get tired of society's expectations on them.

The Dore Program

In 2005 I completed the Dore Program. The Dore Program was a brain gym designed to help Cerebellum function and it involved a series of exercises to improve function and cognitive performance. The program involved a series of exercises using a wobble board, bean bags and and a board which was used to assist with visual and sensory issues. The Dore Program received a lot of negative press in Australia more so than being looked into more. Criticisms were made that after completing the program a child or person was still not able to read but I do believe I benefited from the program personally. When I completed the program, I found anxiety levels dropped significantly and I was able to concentrate for longer periods than before. The difficulty I encountered was that after completing the program, was I still to persevere with the exercises? Apparently not.

I now use a wobble board when doing gym exercises and finding the left and right balance is improving somewhat. It is easier to think than before and having to use vast amounts of mental energy is becoming less of a problem. The problem with the Dore Program is that it experienced once again the usual 'cut down tall poppy syndrome' and quite frankly I am sick to death of this in Australia. I am sick of the way people cut down those who try to achieve and want to do better!

I would recommend for other Aspies that they get themselves a wobble board and undertake some exercises on a day to day basis even if it is only for 20 mins a day. They would perhaps find an improvement in their cerebellum function and performance. Some adults with AS have to stop using one dimensional thinking and start to see things from both perspectives. You can do a lot of work for adults and some just don't appreciate the work you and others do. I know it is part of their condition but it is sometimes hard to get through to them that they need to modify and change their way of thinking in certain situations.

I think it is a pity the Dore Program received such negative press in Australia and I hope that one day it may be re introduced once again. For now you may want to look at the website for Dore by double clicking on the title "The Dore Program" in this post.

Update

Today I am feeling somewhat anxious because my work environment is moving around and I am still recovering from the presentation I gave on Friday. When I speak at forums or events, all that I do is finely processed. Friday was a rather long day for me as having to function from 8.30 - 4.00pm requires a lot of mental energy. I have what I call buffer days. A buffer day is when I can relax from an event where I have needed to use a lot of mental energy. When I present my slides, I like to ensure they say the message I want to get across and more importantly I want to sound both interesting and convincing. I can wear a neck tie for a short period about a couple of hours but after that it becomes a sensory issue. I can only wear jeans if I really really have to for more than an hour and after that the denim really irritates me and affects me a sensory sense. I feel jeans are like mobile hessian bags and I can withstand if I need to the material for short periods then I have to revert to shorts.

Brisbane, has an unpleasant climate in summer and long sleeve shirts and long pants really annoy me also. I find the humidity is draining and it often feels like you are battling the constant humidity surrounding you and it feels a bit like swimming in it. I do have sensory and tactile senses but I try to cope with them as best I can. Do you wonder why some Autistic Children may go off in a tantrum? Perhaps you need to know what type of clothes are more comfortable for them.

Tomorrow I have the last meeting of the year for the University of Queensland Disability Sub Committee. Although attendance at the committee is somewhat mentally draining as often I am a person who looks for direct and thorough responses when others respond differently. I have re-nominated again for the committee and I am not sure whether I will be asked to serve again or not. Time will only tell. My post is somewhat unclear tonight as I am feeling a bit stressed as sometimes people like myself with Asperger Syndrome confront meltdown. No it is not me making it up, I am speaking the truth. Why would I make it up? Humidity really gets to me but I try to put up with it is best I can. It can be draining but I try and see it as just temporary.

I am progressing through my book and I am trying my best with the help of my parents to hopefully submit it before the year is out. It is back to work now on writing it so this is my update for now.

Being literal and to the point

I am going to say this and as angry as it may seem or as direct as it may sound, I really have to say it! Certain sectors of the community may think that all I do is whinge about the hardships in the world and how people on the Autism Spectrum have it tough. Ok I will say this in the defence of people with Autism and more importantly what I will say comes from my own personal experience. People on the Autism Spectrum are not always aware of what they do or what they say, and this is why we struggle as individuals as the disorder is not visible to you when you see us. Ordinary people are not aware of the internal struggles that happen behind the scenes and more importantly the high unemployment rates that exist within adults. Surely if a society is going to be equal and fair, then why does a certain percentage of the population who want to be given a chance simply forgotten about or overlooked? It this what you call equality and equal opportunity?

Life is not easy for anyone but the only way to be is to be optimistic. I have battled depression and severe anxiety in my life, and I have found strategies to the best of my ability to cope in such situations. I have been unemployed myself and I have been through some difficult periods in my life also. I always believe despite being called negative, that a positive and optimistic approach is always required in life. I see people who work hard and invest a lot of their time in representing members of the community that need help. Yes I am aware that there are other sectors of the community that need help also. I am well aware of this! I do however, encounter the difficult situation of people not seeing me or the struggles of other adults with Autism. Why should I as an adult and more importantly the Australian community sit around and pretend that Autism is not a reality? Why should unemployment and a lower quality of life in adults exist?! Does society think that because these people are unable to work that they should be made to endure unemployment and neglect? I am only one person but believe me there are many others behind me who share in the frustrations and lack of awareness that exist within society. People are not to blame it is this very fabric of present way structure that needs to change.

Early intervention needs to happen in schools of diagnosing and providing support for children with Autism. Is it happening? From what I can see no it is not and the governments quite frankly need to get off their behinds and do something about it if we are going to make change for the future! For society to understand and views to change then it has to start happening early in life.

I also am aware of the tireless efforts of volunteer organisations which desperately need funding and they are not getting this. Again I am aware of other needs in the community but are these needs life long and more importantly are people fully versed in their awareness of them. Quite frankly people can either stick with me or they can choose what option they so please but if nobody whinges then what can be done! Benjamin Franklin concocted the famous saying "A learned blockhead is a greater blockhead than an ignorant one". Surely for things to change awareness needs to occur and if this is seen as whinging then so be it. If it means change then it is necessary for change to occur.

If I am whinging or investing too much of my time in Autism then how will the future for people on the Autism Spectrum be better? Once this generation of pioneers ceases to be, then what kind of legacy will there be for the future generations if nothing has been done? Open your eyes and look around you more so than being on the defensive and not becoming aware of the realities and the true life experiences that are happening around you. Things really need to change and more so than be on the defensive instead ask yourself how you can make the world a better place for not only people with Autism but for people in general? The world as I see it is in a mess and nobody seems to be responsible for their own actions. Surely this is one key factor that also needs to change? I think people spend and invest too much of their time in avoiding or shirking responsibility. Too much time is also spent in watching the negative press that exists in the world and how the mass media takes a way a person's thinking. Also this too much choice business needs to focus more on quality more so than quantity. Just use your brain, think and make a go of your life! Life is too short to be sitting around pondering or wondering what better things can be done. Be happy you have good health, you can see the sky, see colours around you and more importantly know that you are just as capable as other people around you. One of the things that really irritates me and I think it is a deep routed human insecurity is other people that think they are better than you. I find this artificial, hollow and shallow. Everybody shares the same amount of time on earth and nobody is inferior or superior to anyone else unless they are deeply insecure.

Autism in Adults

Currently there exists a stronger emphasis on children with Autism than adults. How then does Autism appear in adults and how does having Autism affect them? Here are some questions I have asked and will try to answer from my own experience as being an adult with Autism.

1. Does Autism appear in adults? Answer - Yes Autism does appear in adults and more adults are being diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum than ever before.

2. Why is Autism more known about now, and why has Autism only been known about in the last 30 years? Answer - Autism from my understanding has always existed as a condition but it was the re-discovery of previous lost documents which came to light by Lorna Wing in 1981, that made society somewhat and more aware of Asperger Syndrome. Autism has not magically appeared in the last 30 years, it is more so that people and especially the hardwork and dedication of certain professionals who have studied Autism and Asperger Syndrome, that have promoted more awareness. Lorna Wing in 1981 being one of these people and also Dr Tony Attwood. There are other people also worthy of mention and Dr Tony Attwood's website or contacting Tony may be a good way to broaden your curiousity.

3. I have heard that Autism disappears later in a child's life is this true? Answer - No! In some very rare instances does the Autism Spectrum disappear. In a great deal many children Autism evolves and continues into adult life. The reason why people perceive Autism disappearing in later childhood is that the scaffolding and support in the school system, gives way with the person entering adult life. Once the person then makes the transition into adulthood, the scaffolding disappears entirely leaving the adult in the wilderness with very little support and services to assist them within this important period.

4. I have heard the Autism Spectrum is a result of bad parenting, is this true? Answer - This is absolute nonsense! Parenting has nothing to do with the child's behaviour, it is more so the parents of the child with Autism are crying out for help and sadly society is not aware and educated about Autism. A simple solution is often seen as medicating the child but really a lack of awareness and understanding needs to be overcome by way of providing more essential awareness.

5. Are adults able to hold down jobs, get married and have friends etc? Answer Some adults do get married but in some instances relationships and marriages can be extremely difficult for certain issues may encroach on these relationships. More importantly, some adults do not enter relationships nor get married because the mental energy, sharing of space and understanding the necessary requirements can be difficult. Society has to stop judging adults who are not married or in a relationship as being either dysfunctional or homosexual. Awareness needs to go out to change people's ways of thinking and more importantly, people have to stop being inquisitive about a person's personal life as it is really none of their business.

6. I have heard all Aspies are geniuses? Answer - Not all Aspies are geniuses, I know of many adults who personally struggle in their day to day lives. Some adults are unable to obtain employment, and others struggle on a day to day basis to try and exist in a world which does not understand our ways of thinking and our own cognitive wiring. Most adults exist in society largely ignored, and unknown requiring certain essential services with the government simply not listening and the community in general.

7. Are suicide rates higher in adults with Autism than other groups? Answer - Suicide rates are sadly higher in adults on the Autism Spectrum as sadly people are not always able to understand when a person may be feeling lonely, depressed or isolated on the Autism Spectrum. Again society needs to be better educated in understanding that Autism is a stand alone disability.

8. Does Bill Gates have Asperger Syndrome? Answer - There is strong evidence that Bill Gates has some traits of AS, notably being his monotonous voice, lack of social skills, preferring to not be around people etc. If anyone has a chance to see or hear Dr Tony Attwood, Dr Attwood will provide a more thorough explanation of this.

9. Does an adult with Asperger Syndrome really have a disability? Answer - An adult with Asperger Syndrome is disabled by confronting social isolation, an inability to adapt and adjust to the outside world, hold down employment, and more importantly be affected by having poor communication and motor skills. Once again unemployment rates are higher in adults with Asperger Syndrome.

10. Why are adults on the Autism Spectrum eccentric or weird? Answer - Adults on the Autism Spectrum are weird because we see things differently to other people. We are most likely eccentric and many people on the Autism Spectrum have brought into the world at large many new and necessary talents.

11. Should there be a cure for the Autism Spectrum? Answer - I am personally tired of hearing people saying or looking for a cure for Autism. Why don't people accept Autism and begin to understand the many benefits of people with Autism in the community. I think the vaccination debate is somewhat tedious when we should be concentrating on what people with Autism can do and important changes are taking place.

12. Why is bullying and teasing common in persons with persons on the Autism Spectrum? Answer - People on the Autism Spectrum are different and not always understood. Our different ways of thinking and behaving make us vulnerable to bullying and teasing and sadly the school yard can be a place in the line of attack.

13. Can a person on the Autism Spectrum drive a car, travel overseas and look after their finances. Answer - Some adults on the Autism Spectrum can drive a car, and I drive a car myself. A person is able to travel overseas on their own and yes some adults can look after their finances but other areas in our lives may require assistance. The most important assistance being what happens to us as adults as soon as our parents or families pass on leaving us without any means of support. The government and society need to act fast on this to ensure support mechanisms exist for adults into their later years in terms of services and support.

14. I have heard people on the Autism Spectrum have high levels of anxiety is this true? Answer - Yes a lot of adults have higher levels of anxiety and this can be difficult to deal with at times. In some instances, adults have unfortunately resorted to taking their own life because anxiety levels being too high can be difficult to live with.

15. Should an adult on the Autism Spectrum feel annoyed when they are measured by society as not being successful or able? Answer - Success and failure come to our lives and it is important to not take failure too personally. If an adult fails at something, it is not necessarily a bad thing, maybe they need to try again later or find something they enjoy doing. An adult with Autism should not also compare themselves to non Autistic People as the needs and expectations are different.

16. Because an adult with Asperger Syndrome works only part time does this mean they are lazy? Answer No. Some people including myself are not able to work full time because of the use of vast levels of mental energy which effect both performance and ability. In my case I also do a lot of unpaid advocacy work in my spare time and assist with awareness where I can.

17. I have heard that some sectors of the community simply do not care or want to listen about the Autism Spectrum? Answer - There are some people who have closed minds about Autism and sadly what efforts we do and the information we provide cannot always assist them. We need to focus on people who do listen and want to understand.

18. The government does not want to listen to Autism? Answer - Sadly in Australia, there is very little or insufficient support at a government level. We need in Australia to provide the positive examples of what people on the Autism Spectrum can do and hopefully this will happen soon!

19. You talk too much about Autism? Answer I talk a lot about Autism because I have it myself, people do not understand me and more importantly I have tried in the past to fit into your world with no success. I have come to accept my diagnosis and if people do not like this, then this is their problem and not mine to deal with.

20. What are some of the ridiculous comments you have heard about the Autism Spectrum? Answer - If you have Autism why are you not like Rain Man? My answer is that the Autism Spectrum covers a vast spectrum and it affects people differently. Also I have been asked do I have an allergy to Asparagus? Really people need to be educated more as well as the medical fraternity in beginning to understand the needs of adults on the Autism Spectrum.

The Social Skills Hangover

I am not sure if I can speak for all Aspies but I experience what I term a "Social Skills Hangover". A hang over is as we are all aware when a person may consume too much alcohol at a party and the next day they feel fatigued and unable to cope. Well for me, I get the same feeling after I have socialised or attended a function of some kind. Having invested large amounts of mental energy in order to get through the social event or function, and often if this is a day's activity, I find myself having to safeguard against being literal also. Sometimes within the audience you may ask a question that may perhaps need some mental filtering. Mental filtering is the delay or filtering process between thought and spoken word. Aspies tend to have poor mental filters as the filtering process tends to not work and we usually speak our minds. When I have asked questions in the audience, I once asked about how the medical profession wants to ask us why we have contemplated suicide or if we have ever been depressed when all that we require may be a referral to an Asperger Clincic, in this case being Minds and Hearts.

Perhaps other Aspies have "social skills hangovers" where they too feel so drained after a social event and find themselves tired and feeling somewhat mentally drained. The distinction between Aspies and NT's is that Aspies run more on mental processing a great deal more and for us every hour, minute and second at a social event requires the use of more thinking. Now you can probably begin to understand why we get mentally drained and tired aftewards? Ask yourself do you experience a social skills hangover and does it make you feel mentally drained the next day?

Autism Spectrum the Full Life Cycle

Recently I have contacted the Luke Priddis Foundation but am encountering difficulty in winning over this foundation to assure them that Autism does evolve from childhood into adulthood. Unfortunately at the moment I have not received much luck. It would be good if the Luke Priddis Foundation could understand the need for seeing Autism as a life long condition. At my presentation yesterday, Autism Queensland seem to becoming more aware of Asperger Syndrome and Autism in adults but still a large percentage of people are only focusing on the Autism Spectrum in childhood. As children on the Autism Spectrum start to grow up, the Autism remains with them as a life long condition. We now have adults who are beginning to emerge with Autism and yet coping mechanisms and necessary intervention seems to be slow in following the diagnosis stage.

Adults with Autism are feeling neglected, forgotten about, ignored and isolated. Organisations such as the Luke Priddis Foundation need to look ahead to see that support for their child or children on the Autism Spectrum is important. I hope one day that I can speak at the Luke Priddis Foundation but for now, I am continuing with my advocacy work in the area of adults. A forgotten about and misunderstood area. Hopefully one day the Luke Priddis Foundation and other organisations similar will begin to see Autism as a life long condition, but for now the adults including myself with Asperger Syndrome can only pioneer. My aim is to get more and more adults on the Autism Spectrum into work. We need as a community encourage this as much as possible and I cannot do this on my own.

Dr Kate Sofronoff and Garry Burge "Insights and Perspectives" Asperger Syndrome

The seminar today called "Insights and Perspectives" concerning adults with Asperger Syndrome was very informative and interesting. Dr Kate Sofronoff has been promoted to the position of Associate Professor and her presentation was both informative and professional in getting the message out there concerning adults. Discussed was early intervention within schools and the nurturing of special interests and schools in general to understand more. For anyone interested in this important presentation, please visit the following website http://www.autismqld.com.au/ I spoke about my own personal experiences and the means of identify Asperger Syndrome and how awareness and support are required for a person making the transition into employment. I found Autism Queensland very professional and I hope to speak with them again sometime soon. Also some positive developments are beginning to emerge concerning the employment of adults on the Autism Spectrum in Australia. More updates when they become available.

I am now continuing to work on my book concerning the transition into employment and I hope to have this submitted for publication with the next 6 months. I am going to be in touch with Professor, Dr Attwood in November this year concerning Tony writing the Foreword to the book. In the meantime I have to endure a workplace which is undergoing rapid change and I am not sure whether things will improve or what will happen in the next 12 months. Who knows what the future will bring? More updates as they come to hand. Thanks need to go to Dr Kate Sofronoff and Autism Queensland for hosting this event. Also thanks to Stefanie representing Asperger Services Australia. What the seminar also highlighted was a greater need for more disability employment agencies and employment consultants within Australia. In addition to this, what a person with Asperger Syndrome can achieve and to not give up should they not find they can excel at anything. Not all persons with Asperger Syndrome are geniuses and schools and society need to be more inclusive of diversity and different ways of thinking. Good to see a combined effort! All Autism associations need to work together for we are the people on the Autism Spectrum whom you represent. We need your help and support and we need the wider community to understand more so together we can make a real difference and educate the community at large more about the positive attributes of a person on the Autism Spectrum.

Asperger Syndrome Progress

As I write this post and with my book now over 35 000 words, I feel some progress is being made in order to understand Asperger Syndrome better. Unfortunately though there are some major concerns which need to be rectified immediately. I have been recently contacted by a Queensland Member of Parliament to be informed that within the Queensland school system no action or necessary measures are being implemented within the school system to intervene and take the necessary steps to assist children on the Autism Spectrum. The Queensland Government has become committed to outlawing bullying but what the Queensland Government needs to understand is that persons on the Autism Spectrum are highly susceptible to bullying from within the school system. This afternoon I will be visiting the Brisbane Independent School to find out what support is being provided for children on the Autism Spectrum but sadly what is Education Queensland doing on a statewide scale to combat the issue of early intervention within the school system? The answer to this question is nothing or indeed very little. If attitudes are going to change and people on the Autism Spectrum are able to be employable then early intervention has to begin immediately.

I feel my own efforts in terms of pioneering are slowly beginning to penetrate the pockets and area of complacency but more work needs to be carried out. Tomorrow I will be speaking for Autism Queensland "Insights and Perspectives" and possibly next year at another conference located in Perth "Asia Pacific Autism Conference". My book and presenting at the seminars previously mentioned will hopefully increase awareness in Australia and my visit to the United Kingdom next year will hopefully also assist with getting something done about the issue of adult unemployment for persons on the Autism Spectrum. Together those of us affected by Autism and others who would like to know more can lend our support by helping to get the message of awareness and support out there. Together we can all make a difference!