What About Adults with Autism?

[AGXStarseed]

(Not written by me)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Mention autism and invariably people talk about autistic children. But as they get older and the hope of a cure fades, what support they get as young adults becomes critical because their futures depend on that support.

“We’re spending a huge amount of money on how to make sure that people like us don’t exist,” said Julia Bascom, executive director of Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

Bascom thinks our work with autism is misguided.

Bascom told Ivanhoe, “Autistic life can be a good life. It’s a life worth living. But, we spend a shockingly disproportionate amount of money on cure and prevention, as opposed to on services and support.”

Like all of her staff, Julia is autistic.

“We don’t see autism in and of itself as something that needs to be cured or medicated away,” said Bascom.

Two keys for success: support and social services.

Bascom continued, “I have a job. I have an apartment. I live with a roommate. I can’t live on my own, so I have my roommate and my sister and other friends help me navigate the things that I need help with. How I do something might be different, but, it’s really everything I want.”

Besides economic support, Bascom said social acceptance is essential. George Washington University Autism Expert and Professor of Anthropology, Roy Grinker, PhD, agrees.

“The more we see a decline in stigma and the more we see economic and social contributions by people with a quote, unquote condition, the more popular it will become,” explained Grinker.

Like everyone, autistic adults need the proverbial village; social interaction, loving family and friends, along with life-skills reinforcement.

Bascom said, “It’s gonna be okay. You want to start thinking about adulthood early because the systems can be a little bit confusing to navigate to get services in place. You can have the life that you want. It might look different. It might take longer to get there. But, it really is possible.”

The CDC said one in 68 children are born with autism, an increase of 30 percent. Five times as many boys as girls are affected. Most do reach adulthood. If you’d like to find out more about helping adults with autism, click here.

Contributors to this news report include: Donna Parker, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor; Tim Matkosky, Videographer.



Source (with video): What About Adults with Autism?

 

[wight]

we spend a shockingly disproportionate amount of money on cure and prevention

No surprise on that point.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a criticism.
Just look at this one forum and how popular "cures and causes" discussions are. They often take on a life of their own, even when not the subject of the thread.

 

[Chance]

No surprise on that point.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a criticism.
Just look at this one forum and how popular "cures and causes" discussions are. They often take on a life of their own, even when not the subject of the thread.

But yet how do you "prevent" or "cure" something that isn't a disease?
How do you twist this into a multi-billion dollar industry that cant even define what its doing?
And what about the rouge reporting, that claims ASD is behind so many mass shootings?

How do we stop the stigma, the bullying, and the abuse, for being different?
Never to whine or complain, but the minorities and LBGT groups have more protections in place then we do.
We are 1% of the worlds population, but look at the attention we draw????
My head is so full of questions that never get answered.

I do wonder why the supposed giant increase though... and a lot of that could be hype, more people getting diagnosed, and also people becoming more aware of a way to box people in, who don't seem "normal."

Deep down I do wonder what causes us to be like we are, not saying anything is necessarily wrong with it.
What are the mechanics of it? In my case my parents were very young, they smoked, they partied, probably did some drugs... I always wondered maybe if that had something to do with it?
Yet I have no want to drink, or do drugs. I don't even like taking my prescribed meds...

Could it be 2 certain personality types?
The chemical make up of the 2 parents?
Or is it just a lottery... and we won the ticket to a very different way of life?

I had a dream once. Change that... I had a nightmare once. Maybe 10 years back...

Due to the economic strain we were placing on a faltering economy...
People like us were gathered up against our will. We were put in camps. We were tested for "Life Competency" and then separated by the results of those tests. Anyone who wasn't found useful was extinguished by the ones of us who were found useful... In short we were forced to do the unthinkable to our own kind...

It was the worst dream I ever had in my life. I remember waking up soaked in sweat, thinking I was going to puke. I wasn't even diagnosed at the time, so it freaked me out pretty bad. I cant help but worry in the back of my head a little on this.

Six million innocent people were rounded up and extinguished just for who they were in real life, not even 100 years ago. Even more recent was the genocide at Rwanda. "An estimated 500,000–1,000,000 Rwandans were killed during the 100-day period from April 7 to mid-July 1994, constituting as many as 70% of the Tutsi population. Additionally, 30% of the Pygmy Batwa were killed."

Once people get an agenda, who is there to stop them from actually doing the unthinkable with what they see as a "good cause" at the expense of a lessor, very costly, troubling, segment of humanity?

What about a scenario, where they determine we have it before we are born? Isn't it just more simple to terminate than have the struggle with that type of child? Its like I see this coming and it horrifies me.

Humanity scares the snot out of me... Many times I see monsters instead of loving beings.

The whole massive "awareness" thing hits a wrong nerve in me... I fear we, and others who claim they are trying to help us exploit our weakness, could be actually creating something horrible, for a later time.

I guess down deep... That is why I am so hell bent on focusing on the strengths and positive aspects of who we are. We don't need to be made so different in such negative ways. That alone feeds the stigma and any sick minded agendas people might have, or come up with.

In many cases (not all)... I see (or feel) NT's as world destroyers. I see their greed, their pomp, their inner workings that have disclosed a world of chaos, built on mostly false premises that turn into economic bubbles made to collapse... All this while a select few gain more wealth and power from the very nightmare they created to crush others, even their own if needed...

And to wonder why I (and people like me) want to go live in some remote area, or just stay in our heads and not be a part of what is called "normal" humanity. But the flip side is... The stronger of us must reshape the stigma mostly by showing the world the greats of us... Those in our past, and in our present, who were or would be on the spectrum today...

People like...
Dan Aykroyd – Comedic Actor
Hans Christian Andersen – Children’s Author
Benjamin Banneker – African American almanac author, surveyor, naturalist, and farmer
Susan Boyle – Singer
Tim Burton – Movie Director
Lewis Carroll – Author of “Alice in Wonderland”
Henry Cavendish – Scientist
Charles Darwin – Naturalist, Geologist, and Biologist
Emily Dickinson – Poet
Paul Dirac – Physicist
Albert Einstein – Scientist & Mathematician
Bobby Fischer – Chess Grandmaster
Bill Gates – Co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation
Temple Grandin – Animal Scientist
Daryl Hannah – Actress & Environmental Activist
Thomas Jefferson – Early American Politician
Steve Jobs – Former CEO of Apple
James Joyce – Author of “Ulysses”
Alfred Kinsey – Sexologist & Biologist
Stanley Kubrick – Film Director
Barbara McClintock – Scientist and Cytogeneticist
Michelangelo – Sculptor, Painter, Architect, Poet
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Classical Composer
Sir Isaac Newton – Mathematician, Astronomer, & Physicist
Jerry Seinfeld – Comedian
Satoshi Tajiri – Creator of Nintendo’s Pokémon
Nikola Tesla – Inventor
Andy Warhol – Artist
Ludwig Wittgenstein – Philosopher
William Butler Yeats – Poet... (and I am sure many more)
The list is from:
History's 30 Most Inspiring People on the Autism Spectrum - Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide

We have good people in our corner... A new light needs to shine at some point, and as many of us as possible need to hold that torch, for those who cant. I simply cant focus on the weakness anymore... : )

 

[OkRad]

But yet how do you "prevent" or "cure" something that isn't a disease?
How do you twist this into a multi-billion dollar industry that cant even define what its doing?
And what about the rouge reporting, that claims ASD is behind so many mass shootings?

How do we stop the stigma, the bullying, and the abuse, for being different?
Never to whine or complain, but the minorities and LBGT groups have more protections in place then we do.
We are 1% of the worlds population, but look at the attention we draw????
My head is so full of questions that never get answered.

I do wonder why the supposed giant increase though... and a lot of that could be hype, more people getting diagnosed, and also people becoming more aware of a way to box people in, who don't seem "normal."

Deep down I do wonder what causes us to be like we are, not saying anything is necessarily wrong with it.
What are the mechanics of it? In my case my parents were very young, they smoked, they partied, probably did some drugs... I always wondered maybe if that had something to do with it?
Yet I have no want to drink, or do drugs. I don't even like taking my prescribed meds...

Could it be 2 certain personality types?
The chemical make up of the 2 parents?
Or is it just a lottery... and we won the ticket to a very different way of life?

I had a dream once. Change that... I had a nightmare once. Maybe 10 years back...

Due to the economic strain we were placing on a faltering economy...
People like us were gathered up against our will. We were put in camps. We were tested for "Life Competency" and then separated by the results of those tests. Anyone who wasn't found useful was extinguished by the ones of us who were found useful... In short we were forced to do the unthinkable to our own kind...

It was the worst dream I ever had in my life. I remember waking up soaked in sweat, thinking I was going to puke. I wasn't even diagnosed at the time, so it freaked me out pretty bad. I cant help but worry in the back of my head a little on this.

Six million innocent people were rounded up and extinguished just for who they were in real life, not even 100 years ago. Even more recent was the genocide at Rwanda. "An estimated 500,000–1,000,000 Rwandans were killed during the 100-day period from April 7 to mid-July 1994, constituting as many as 70% of the Tutsi population. Additionally, 30% of the Pygmy Batwa were killed."

Once people get an agenda, who is there to stop them from actually doing the unthinkable with what they see as a "good cause" at the expense of a lessor, very costly, troubling, segment of humanity?

What about a scenario, where they determine we have it before we are born? Isn't it just more simple to terminate than have the struggle with that type of child? Its like I see this coming and it horrifies me.

Humanity scares the snot out of me... Many times I see monsters instead of loving beings.

The whole massive "awareness" thing hits a wrong nerve in me... I fear we, and others who claim they are trying to help us exploit our weakness, could be actually creating something horrible, for a later time.

I guess down deep... That is why I am so hell bent on focusing on the strengths and positive aspects of who we are. We don't need to be made so different in such negative ways. That alone feeds the stigma and any sick minded agendas people might have, or come up with.

In many cases (not all)... I see (or feel) NT's as world destroyers. I see their greed, their pomp, their inner workings that have disclosed a world of chaos, built on mostly false premises that turn into economic bubbles made to collapse... All this while a select few gain more wealth and power from the very nightmare they created to crush others, even their own if needed...

And to wonder why I (and people like me) want to go live in some remote area, or just stay in our heads and not be a part of what is called "normal" humanity. But the flip side is... The stronger of us must reshape the stigma mostly by showing the world the greats of us... Those in our past, and in our present, who were or would be on the spectrum today...

People like...
Dan Aykroyd – Comedic Actor
Hans Christian Andersen – Children’s Author
Benjamin Banneker – African American almanac author, surveyor, naturalist, and farmer
Susan Boyle – Singer
Tim Burton – Movie Director
Lewis Carroll – Author of “Alice in Wonderland”
Henry Cavendish – Scientist
Charles Darwin – Naturalist, Geologist, and Biologist
Emily Dickinson – Poet
Paul Dirac – Physicist
Albert Einstein – Scientist & Mathematician
Bobby Fischer – Chess Grandmaster
Bill Gates – Co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation
Temple Grandin – Animal Scientist
Daryl Hannah – Actress & Environmental Activist
Thomas Jefferson – Early American Politician
Steve Jobs – Former CEO of Apple
James Joyce – Author of “Ulysses”
Alfred Kinsey – Sexologist & Biologist
Stanley Kubrick – Film Director
Barbara McClintock – Scientist and Cytogeneticist
Michelangelo – Sculptor, Painter, Architect, Poet
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Classical Composer
Sir Isaac Newton – Mathematician, Astronomer, & Physicist
Jerry Seinfeld – Comedian
Satoshi Tajiri – Creator of Nintendo’s Pokémon
Nikola Tesla – Inventor
Andy Warhol – Artist
Ludwig Wittgenstein – Philosopher
William Butler Yeats – Poet... (and I am sure many more)
The list is from:
History's 30 Most Inspiring People on the Autism Spectrum - Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide

We have good people in our corner... A new light needs to shine at some point, and as many of us as possible need to hold that torch, for those who cant. I simply cant focus on the weakness anymore... : )

Your nightmare is already coming true. There are no more babies with Downs in certain areas. My Chrom 6 Group has reported they almost all have been offered abortion. Now before I do ANY FURTHER LET ME SAY: I am not the moral police, so this is NOT about abortion! But I feel like the gay community felt when they realized people wanted a test to see if a baby were gay so it could be aborted!

My C6 friends are being killed off!!!

They want me to participate i research and I am hesitant. Why? So they can kill us?? If I kill myself, that is my choice, but a Dr taking me life before I even had a chance to hear Bach or read Homer or see a sunset or take one breath? Or love my family? That makes me mad.

It makes me extra mad because genes are not everything. There are environmental factors at play, too, like all the chemicals that we pour into our world and react with these genes, genes that might be doing something AWESOME.

CHANCE: I AGREE . NT's ARE WORLD MURDERERS.

 

[Katleya]

I'm always glad to read articles about people like Julia trying to remind people that it's not just kids.
I was about to say that, as adults who for the most part have not had access to the resources that are now available (not always widely available, granted) to diagnosed children, we are probably likely to have it especially hard, for the most part. Not saying none of us can or will succeed, of course, but that can also be dependent on a variety of other factors that have nothing to do with autism. Would I worry so much about my future & sustaining myself if I'd been born into a wealthy family of eccentrics? Probably not
So, yes, I was about to say that, but the last decades have seen changes take place at such an accelerated pace that it's hard to imagine what the life of current kids with autism and a varying level of support and therapy might be, 30 years from now, so there's no point in even trying to compare them.

Now, sadly, I think all of that money invested in cures and prevention comes from a pretty dark place in the hearts of some NTs: society could try, as a whole, to be more accepting of difference, so that said difference would not be a problem... or they could just write a fat check to try and get rid of those differences. We all know what choice is made. However, for all the talk on how much more ethical and humane it would be to accept us, I sadly don't expect a significant change in the treatment and acceptance of adults with autism, especially in the workplace, unless one argument is constantly repeated, and that would be how much profit autistic employees could yield if put to better use in companies. Pessimistic view, maybe, but I really see money as the biggest driver for change in today's world, which sucks.

 

[OkRad]

I'm always glad to read articles about people like Julia trying to remind people that it's not just kids.
I was about to say that we, as adults who for the most part have not had access to the resources that are now available (not always widely available, granted) to diagnosed children, we are probably likely to have it especially hard, for the most part. Not saying none of us can or will succeed, of course, but that can also be dependent on a variety on other factors that have nothing to do with autism. Would I worry so much about my future & sustaining myself if I'd been born into a wealthy family of eccentrics? Probably not
So, yes, I was about to say that, but the last decades have seen changes take place at such an accelerated page that it's hard to imagine what the life of current kids with autism and a varying level of support and therapy might be, 30 years from now, so there's no point in even trying to compare them.

Now, sadly, I think all of that money invested in cures and prevention comes from a pretty dark place in the hearts of some NTs: society could try, as a whole, to be more accepting of difference, so that said difference would not be a problem... or they could just write a fat check to try and get rid of those differences. We all know what choice is made. However, for all the talk on how much more ethical and humane to accept us, I sadly don't expect a significant change of adults with autism, especially in the workplace, unless one argument is constantly repeated, and that would be how much profit autistic employees could yield if put to better use in companies. Pessimistic view, maybe, but I really see money as the biggest driver for change in today's world, which sucks.

I agree.....you said, "Now, sadly, I think all of that money invested in cures and prevention comes from a pretty dark place in the hearts of some NTs..." BINGO. Dark dark dark. I live in the US right now (thinking of moving back to a saner country), and wow.........I never saw in my life such hatred for the disabled.

The slashing of their health care and people saying out loud, "Yeah, but WHO PAYS FOR THAT?" and never thinking, "YEAH but who pays for huge tax breaks for the rich, health care for our senators, wars all over the place, jets and boats and vacations for congressmen???" Oh, but that $120 appt for the disabled guy? WHAT A WASTE!!!

Nts are just plain stupid. I can't say they are evil. But stupid, yes.

 

[Chance]

I agree.....you said, "Now, sadly, I think all of that money invested in cures and prevention comes from a pretty dark place in the hearts of some NTs..." BINGO. Dark dark dark. I live in the US right now (thinking of moving back to a saner country), and wow.........I never saw in my life such hatred for the disabled.

The slashing of their health care and people saying out loud, "Yeah, but WHO PAYS FOR THAT?" and never thinking, "YEAH but who pays for huge tax breaks for the rich, health care for our senators, wars all over the place, jets and boats and vacations for congressmen???" Oh, but that $120 appt for the disabled guy? WHAT A WASTE!!!

Nts are just plain stupid. I can't say they are evil. But stupid, yes.

I just worry about so many people I see that have such awful, even hateful attitudes...
I may not really be able to "read" faces, but I sense what people put off, along with seeing their just ridiculously hateful actions... Truth is, it scares me a little.

We are the most blessed people to ever have lived on this planet and I see people just throwing out lives like they throw out trash on the road (which is one of my worst pet peeves).

ASD adults probably have to struggle harder than any minority, or LBGT person. We basically have zero rights, or any protection, or any easily available help - of course until its too late and then you hear this pitfall story of how things we overlooked...

I cant help but think something is changing in humanity (all over)... Something is ramping people up, there is never enough time, people are always in a hurry... Its like we are all racing to see who can get to the grave with the most stuff... I don't really want any part of that and LIFE lives too fast for me to even comprehend in the moment sometimes...

I do hope we find a way to settle ourselves down before humanity just goes off the rails...
Maybe thats why I dig so hard to still find some good left in life... everyone else is out there saying how bad it is...

Bad is no food, no water, no warm clothes, no safe place to lay our heads... Yes, its out there but why?
We throw away more food than all the hungry people could eat in a day.

I know this IF there were any ASD people in my area who were able to work. I would personally take the time and see if they could do a routine task... If they can, I know that task will be done exactly as I showed them and faithfully... Instead I deal with conniving, lying, manipulating POS that will do anything but do their job... They are there for a paycheck, not because they need to work... and I cant just walk out there and start firing people. I have to have masses of documentation, they have to have been given 3 chances for each instance, blah blah blah... Its just really messed up.

When I do transfer to San Diego... And get my position back. I will look to hire ASD people. I will actually place them first to see if they can do it. We can try it for 90 days and if it don't work, well at least we both tried. Thats ALL I am asking for from humanity... GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE, PLEASE.

 

[Katleya]

ASD adults probably have to struggle harder than any minority, or LBGT person. We basically have zero rights, or any protection, or any easily available help - of course until its too late and then you hear this pitfall story of how things we overlooked...

I usually agree with you and find inspiration in what you say, but I can't let you say that and not react. There's no point in comparing misery, nobody's ever the winner in that.
And, what little protections do exist in some countries -not all- don't necessarily make up for the hardships either population faces, including those who are currently classified as disabled.
Minorities and LGBT people still get assaulted, harassed and killed pretty much all over the world, or jailed, and we mostly don't hear about it, and like us, they can't hide who they are or change it, like us, some of them work (possibly statistically more of them, yes), and the rest of them have prospects of a life well under their skills and hopes, but they're barely given a chance.
We can't pit ourselves against other people. Also, they're really not mutually exclusive, one can be both, or all 3. And I say that as the daughter of a Black Aspie --trust me, his personality is generally the least of people's concerns when assessing his worth as a person.

Unfun fact: the Nazis didn't just round up Jewish people during WWII. Ethnic minorities (Black & Gypsies), communists and homosexuals were sent to the exact same fate, along with physically disabled and mentally ill people.

But I do hope your initiative when you transfer to San Diego works. Actually, no, I don't hope for it to work, I know that it will. Just have to find the right way to let people know about it, and train possible coworkers along with the applicants so that everybody gets along well. Everybody can benefit so much from this.

 

[OkRad]

I just worry about so many people I see that have such awful, even hateful attitudes...
I may not really be able to "read" faces, but I sense what people put off, along with seeing their just ridiculously hateful actions... Truth is, it scares me a little.

We are the most blessed people to ever have lived on this planet and I see people just throwing out lives like they throw out trash on the road (which is one of my worst pet peeves).

ASD adults probably have to struggle harder than any minority, or LBGT person. We basically have zero rights, or any protection, or any easily available help - of course until its too late and then you hear this pitfall story of how things we overlooked...

I cant help but think something is changing in humanity (all over)... Something is ramping people up, there is never enough time, people are always in a hurry... Its like we are all racing to see who can get to the grave with the most stuff... I don't really want any part of that and LIFE lives too fast for me to even comprehend in the moment sometimes...

I do hope we find a way to settle ourselves down before humanity just goes off the rails...
Maybe thats why I dig so hard to still find some good left in life... everyone else is out there saying how bad it is...

Bad is no food, no water, no warm clothes, no safe place to lay our heads... Yes, its out there but why?
We throw away more food than all the hungry people could eat in a day.

I know this IF there were any ASD people in my area who were able to work. I would personally take the time and see if they could do a routine task... If they can, I know that task will be done exactly as I showed them and faithfully... Instead I deal with conniving, lying, manipulating POS that will do anything but do their job... They are there for a paycheck, not because they need to work... and I cant just walk out there and start firing people. I have to have masses of documentation, they have to have been given 3 chances for each instance, blah blah blah... Its just really messed up.

When I do transfer to San Diego... And get my position back. I will look to hire ASD people. I will actually place them first to see if they can do it. We can try it for 90 days and if it don't work, well at least we both tried. Thats ALL I am asking for from humanity... GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE, PLEASE.

I went to a VERY WELL KNOWN ORGANIC FOOD STORE which I won't mention but initials are WF and ask why they lock the dumpster. WHy don't they take their food to a shelter? Restaurants do it. They THROW AWAY THEIR GOOD FOOD!! Homeless people are so sick. It made me so mad. Talk about saying F You to the poor.

I feel it too , this frenetic madness. If you slow down for one minute, you see it. Just stop shopping at Wal Mart one day. Just stand in an aisle and pretend to be waiting for someone. It sounds different when you stop. You see stuff. You connect to people and want to reach out. When you do that, they smile back. I was in an aisle once just standing there and someone came up and just said, "Hey! Is everything OK?" And I said I was just resting And we had a little chat!

People want to connect. I want to be part of the solution! But there is a lot of fear of North Korea, Health care, Tax plan, retirement, savings...............sames as it always was and always will be.......nervous and afraid pushing down the good till a lot of people at the same time fight for the good........

 

[Chance]

I went to a VERY WELL KNOWN ORGANIC FOOD STORE which I won't mention but initials are WF and ask why they lock the dumpster. WHy don't they take their food to a shelter? Restaurants do it. They THROW AWAY THEIR GOOD FOOD!! Homeless people are so sick. It made me so mad. Talk about saying F You to the poor.

I feel it too , this frenetic madness. If you slow down for one minute, you see it. Just stop shopping at Wal Mart one day. Just stand in an aisle and pretend to be waiting for someone. It sounds different when you stop. You see stuff. You connect to people and want to reach out. When you do that, they smile back. I was in an aisle once just standing there and someone came up and just said, "Hey! Is everything OK?" And I said I was just resting And we had a little chat!

People want to connect. I want to be part of the solution! But there is a lot of fear of North Korea, Health care, Tax plan, retirement, savings...............sames as it always was and always will be.......nervous and afraid pushing down the good till a lot of people at the same time fight for the good........

I cant imagine locking the dumpsters... Wow I don't even lock my house, and my truck is sitting in the garage right now with the keys in it, and the garage door is seldom even shut. However, I literally live in the middle of nowhere. I can see a car coming from far away, so its not like anyone can really sneak up or anything.

I have a really soft spot for people in trouble, not the professional pan-handlers, but there are those that you glance at and feel their hurt... I do weird stuff sometimes. I heard a lady on the phone, and she was sort of crying that she didn't have enough money for diapers and formula. I just instantly walked by and told her it will be okay and I laid all the money I had in my wallet in her basket. I don't even know how much it was, but I knew it would cover all she needed that day.

Yet, we are the makings of murders, and we have no ability to show emotions. I didn't show any emotion, or I would have cried, but I did what needed to be done and instantly moved on. No conversation... I never really even stopped. It was like all in one motion.

Some people say it makes them feel good... I felt sick... I felt very humbled and suddenly I had no problems compared to that lady and little baby. Confession - when I got to my truck I just broke down and cried because LIFE shouldn't suck that bad.

It makes me really sad that people stumble and fall on hard times, and people shun them, and make life even harder for them. You talk about generating some wicked karma, geez.

It is weird to go into a store, take your time and just watch people... Not like a freak or anything...
Just observe all the stuff going on. Sometimes I purposely try to slow life down... It just moves way too fast.

As far as WM... Thank you, but no thank you... I Haven't set foot in one of those stores in probably 2-3 years. They have 1 or 2 of the 22 lanes open and everyone is agitated. To dare ask an employee something seems to ruin their day... yuck. I have no idea but those stores seem to trigger some nasty anxiety...

If I could have a dream job it would just be to spend everyday finding people who need help. It would never be to "fix" their life, but let them know somebody still cares and without a single inch of red tape involved.
ALL PEOPLE (not just ASD people) need to know people still care. Even if it is some goofy guy with ASD.

 

[Chance]

I usually agree with you and find inspiration in what you say, but I can't let you say that and not react. There's no point in comparing misery, nobody's ever the winner in that.
And, what little protections do exist in some countries -not all- don't necessarily make up for the hardships either population faces, including those who are currently classified as disabled.
Minorities and LGBT people still get assaulted, harassed and killed pretty much all over the world, or jailed, and we mostly don't hear about it, and like us, they can't hide who they are or change it, like us, some of them work (possibly statistically more of them, yes), and the rest of them have prospects of a life well under their skills and hopes, but they're barely given a chance.
We can't pit ourselves against other people. Also, they're really not mutually exclusive, one can be both, or all 3. And I say that as the daughter of a Black Aspie --trust me, his personality is generally the least of people's concerns when assessing his worth as a person.

Unfun fact: the Nazis didn't just round up Jewish people during WWII. Ethnic minorities (Black & Gypsies), communists and homosexuals were sent to the exact same fate, along with physically disabled and mentally ill people.

But I do hope your initiative when you transfer to San Diego works. Actually, no, I don't hope for it to work, I know that it will. Just have to find the right way to let people know about it, and train possible coworkers along with the applicants so that everybody gets along well. Everybody can benefit so much from this.

You are exactly right... I shouldn't have said that - actually I never meant it as any type of derogatory remark at all. I was trying to make a simple point and complicated it in the process. Please never think I am racist or against LBGT people... One of my only friends is black. Actually he's mixed race, and so am I so that would be really weird for me. Please also know, I have no issues with people and their sexual orientation. Sorry I messed it all up...

 

[Katleya]

Don't worry, from your other posts I know you better than to think that. You don't owe an apology or even justifications, I really hope you don't beat yourself up over that, it wasn't my intention. I really meant to point out that among those who have it bad, it's usually just different kinds of bad, none of which are better... and actually, sometimes we have a lot in common because of that.
But I'm sure I'm not speaking for just myself in saying I know you have a good heart, and the soul to match it

 

[Chance]

Don't worry, from your other posts I know you better than to think that. You don't owe an apology or even justifications, I really hope you don't beat yourself up over that, it wasn't my intention. I really meant to point out that among those who have it bad, it's usually just different kinds of bad, none of which are better... and actually, sometimes we have a lot in common because of that.
But I'm sure I'm not speaking for just myself in saying I know you have a good heart, and the soul to match it

ASD and one of its messed up moments... You should see me in real life... geez.
Its like I have 5 thoughts going at one time and I'm already forgetting 3 of them and suddenly its just a tangled mess, but at first it all made perfect sense.

 

[Katleya]

ASD and one of its messed up moments... You should see me in real life... geez.
Its like I have 5 thoughts going at one time and I'm already forgetting 3 of them and suddenly its just a tangled mess, but at first it all made perfect sense.

I think you just described my life, here
And for some reason, that fairly inoffensive aspect of ours is one of the things that people want to "cure", psssssh.

 

[OkRad]

I cant imagine locking the dumpsters... Wow I don't even lock my house, and my truck is sitting in the garage right now with the keys in it, and the garage door is seldom even shut. However, I literally live in the middle of nowhere. I can see a car coming from far away, so its not like anyone can really sneak up or anything.

I have a really soft spot for people in trouble, not the professional pan-handlers, but there are those that you glance at and feel their hurt... I do weird stuff sometimes. I heard a lady on the phone, and she was sort of crying that she didn't have enough money for diapers and formula. I just instantly walked by and told her it will be okay and I laid all the money I had in my wallet in her basket. I don't even know how much it was, but I knew it would cover all she needed that day.

Yet, we are the makings of murders, and we have no ability to show emotions. I didn't show any emotion, or I would have cried, but I did what needed to be done and instantly moved on. No conversation... I never really even stopped. It was like all in one motion.

Some people say it makes them feel good... I felt sick... I felt very humbled and suddenly I had no problems compared to that lady and little baby. Confession - when I got to my truck I just broke down and cried because LIFE shouldn't suck that bad.

It makes me really sad that people stumble and fall on hard times, and people shun them, and make life even harder for them. You talk about generating some wicked karma, geez.

It is weird to go into a store, take your time and just watch people... Not like a freak or anything...
Just observe all the stuff going on. Sometimes I purposely try to slow life down... It just moves way too fast.

As far as WM... Thank you, but no thank you... I Haven't set foot in one of those stores in probably 2-3 years. They have 1 or 2 of the 22 lanes open and everyone is agitated. To dare ask an employee something seems to ruin their day... yuck. I have no idea but those stores seem to trigger some nasty anxiety...

If I could have a dream job it would just be to spend everyday finding people who need help. It would never be to "fix" their life, but let them know somebody still cares and without a single inch of red tape involved.
ALL PEOPLE (not just ASD people) need to know people still care. Even if it is some goofy guy with ASD.

That is very touching. I DO cry. I am afraid to approach them because I will cry. I do it, though. One time I saw a man be so rude to a lade. She just asked for a little bit and he was SO RUDE! I got out of my car and went over and gave her some money and told her that he had NO RIGHT to talk to her like that and I shook my head I started to cry. She looked like she wanted to comfort ME! I told her she was a good person, not like him and we just stood there for a minute looking at one another, sharing this second when we were totally connected. And then we parted.

I am always on the lookout for people who need help. I even give to the guy who is like, "Hey! Give me a dollar!" because I have no idea what he has been through to lose all social graces. I figure it this way.....if I gave to every person who asked, it would not even be one dollar a day. $30 a month! I could do that. But it is usually about 5 or less. So people say I CAN'T AFFORD TO GIVE TO EVERYONE but it is only a few. ...............

 

[wight]

we are wide afield from the original topic and a lot to respond to, so in typical organized aspie fashion, a list:
1) the world seems to be getting more frenetic, like a crisis is building: a crisis IS building. Economic inequality, loss of government power to global corporations, reaping the whirlwind of unchecked industrial revolution (climate change, resource shortage, species decline, forest decline, etc.), global population growth, etc. We haven't had a major global catastrophe is almost 80 years. That is unprecedented in modern history. Backwards from WW2 (1945), WW1 (1918), 1800-1899 was a century of large and small wars all across the globe (Link). The last global pandemic was the spanish flu in 1918.

2) Hatred for the disabled: Disappointingly, this is a return to historic normalcy. As is the increasing racism, homophobia... lump it all under "hatred of otherness". In part, because it is innate human nature. And in part, I think, because people unconsciously sense the impending crisis and that anxiety gets directed into "protect me and mine". Preparing for the "zombie apocalypse", survivalists, are variations on the theme.

3) Walmart: I shop there because I can't afford to pay 3-10x for the same product elsewhere. Seriously, something as simple as a bottle of allergy medicine (generic Benedryl) that costs $1.98 at WM, is $9 at CVS/Walgreens/RiteAid. Band-Aids, Rubbing Alcohol, Bleach, Towels... nails, common plan steel nails, same brand, same package, same quantity, $2 at WM, $6 at Home Depot. Seriously? And I don't really care about all the "walmart is bad" arguments, there aren't any realistic economically viable alternatives. And everyone I know feels pretty much the same way. Personal economics trumps politics every time... if baby needs diapers, and I have $5, I'm going were diapers cost $5, end of story.

4) Blaming "autism" for psychotic behavior that is otherwise not explainable. Again, it is human nature to want explanations for tragedy. Autism is a convenient hook to hang whats-his-name, the Sandy Hook shooter, on... because then people can assuage their fears and doubts by having something to blame, whether that blame is accurately placed or not.

5) Back to the original topic of focusing resources on support and services instead of causes and cures...my point was that even within our own community we are focused on causes and cures. We spend a lot of energy of "why me, why am I like this" instead of acceptance and building support and networks and life strategies. I'm as guilty of this as everyone else, but I've learned to deal with the reality in front of me (day by day or hour by hour) and the "why me" gets pushed aside, only to resurface when I'm not busy.

 

[Nitro]

Let's try to keep the NT bashing to a minimum here kids.
Many of our members are NT and we don't need to be divisive to get our points across.

 

[Ragnahawk]

I cant imagine locking the dumpsters... Wow I don't even lock my house, and my truck is sitting in the garage right now with the keys in it, and the garage door is seldom even shut. However, I literally live in the middle of nowhere. I can see a car coming from far away, so its not like anyone can really sneak up or anything.

So basically you just gave up information for someone to rob you. All I need is an IP address. Oh look they live in this area with 0 defenses. Not even people to witness.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

But I'm sure I'm not speaking for just myself in saying I know you have a good heart, and the soul to match it

Nah, it's just you.




Kidding chance!

 

[Chance]

So basically you just gave up information for someone to rob you. All I need is an IP address. Oh look they live in this area with 0 defenses. Not even people to witness.

It wouldn't be a good idea... I may have ASD but that never means I am stupid, or incapable of taking care of myself, or my property. Besides ADT and my neighbors have it covered when I'm not here. My neighbors are my cousins and they grew up playing cowboys and Indians with real guns... Sadly I wish I was joking...

I dont sit around worrying over bad people and feed into their bad energy, thats their choice and they pay the price regardless. It never works out for bad people - ever.
I worry over how I can become the best I can be.

Cause and Effect will always collect what it is due... It's not for me to worry over, or contemplate why someone else would. : )