Month: October 2022
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On “labelling,” PART 3. Conclusion: a big autistic mistake?
For at least as many times as there have been days in my life, I have forgotten a simple truth: not everyone perceives the world as I do. A common trait, if not a defining one in autism, is not being able to understand what most people instinctively know about human behavior and communication. There…
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It’s a good day when someone acknowledges my struggles.
While it was brief, somewhat in passing, and part of a much longer and substantial conversation, recently someone acknowledged that I had more physical and mental health challenges than most people. Furthermore, he acknowledged that I’d been working on doing the best I could with them for many years. It’s not like I’m looking for…
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The Mysterious Candy Basket, PART 2: Back to Square Zero
NOTE: If you have not already, please see Part 1. For the past ten years, the other students have happily gotten candy from the candy basket, while you continue to get none. In your sadness, you sometimes look away and feel like crying. But, you’ve also learned how to trick your brain temporarily into thinking…
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SO MANY IDEAS—a quick update about My Autistic Journal
My brain is fully engaged in hyper-creative mode. That’s fun and exciting but also makes me vulnerable to being more irritated when interrupted by others, irritating when I’m interrupting others, annoying when not interrupted or interrupting, and, in general, it exacerbates certain ASD/ADHD traits. So, it’s a mixed bag. But, there’s usually something good in…
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This is what I wish people would understand about my autism.
These wishes are vital to my well-being and should help you understand me better. Dismissing them is very hurtful. This is true for anyone with a condition, mental or physical, that presents challenges the average person doesn’t face.
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The Mysterious Candy Basket, PART 1: Why can’t I get candy?
A STORY ABOUT AN AUTISTIC CHILD At your Preschool, on every Monday, each child gets to go up to a big basket, full of a variety of candy and take a piece (or two, or three, maybe even more). You, however, for reasons you do not understand, find it uncomfortable and confusing to do so,…
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My version of the famous parable, “The Good Samaritan”
BACKGROUND – THE ORIGINAL STORY “The Good Samaritan” is one of the more famous parables of Jesus, told after he was asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Martin Luther King, Jr. made a long reference to this parable on the night before he was assassinated in his “I’ve been to the mountaintop” speech. The story is…
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Autism and Misapplication of Humor
Here is the pattern: I see someone do or say something, and it makes another person laugh. If the person is laughing, they must be happy. If they are happy, that’s a good thing! I don’t want people to be sad. If I see someone I want to make happy, I do or say what…
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How did I get so popular?
I’m not sure I can handle this. Someone tell me what to do before I ramble on about it on some blog . . .
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Finally, I have some time alone to think.
For possibly the first time since I was very young, I have almost nothing I have to do for the foreseeable future. I have very few responsibilities, little external pressure, a minimal amount of in-person contact and not very much virtual interaction. Arriving at this place has not been pleasant, and it will take time…
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How about some GOOD news?
I’ll take my encouragement from wherever I can at the moment. October 6, 2022: Thank you for all the views, as well as some follows, likes, and comments. It’s nice to know at least someone is paying attention. The online autism community is rather extensive and growing. After all, many of us find computers to…
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Protected: This is why I think you don’t like me.
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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You might as well call me an avocado from Mexico. (“On Labelling,” Part 2)
In my “On Labelling” post, I explained why I thought it would be good if one considers a label to be a diagnosis. Isn’t more information better? Ironically, more information may prove otherwise. Many of my interpersonal catastrophes have an element of – what shall I call it? — excessive data collection (EDC)— as a…
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I don’t want to talk to the teacher anymore.
In the seventh grade, a note on my report card said: “ . . . has not developed the needed skills to work as a part of a team yet. He has ideas but he either tires to out volume the others or he tries to get clever with his ideas (i.e., makes many bathroom…
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Mystery Color Wheel
Drawing can be very therapeutic. I got some colored pencils when I was a child and still have them all (of course). I’m not any good, but that’s kind of the point. I do what I can with some very crude skills. What does this drawing mean? Is it abstract art? It could be anything.…
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Everything is backwards—when I try to show people I like them.
Everything is backwards. When I try to show people I like them, they often get annoyed or mad. At least, based on my experience, and everything seems backwards right now. Things can go wrong, but that’s not backwards. People can mishear “black paint” and get dark brown paint, a mistake. But, they could, for some…
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My Confusion ≠ Judgement of you
My confusion is sometimes perceived as judgement. It works like this: a person does something I don’t understand, I am confused, I try to figure out what is going on, and that is perceived as a judgement. For example, I might ask, “Why did you do that?” as a way to collect information to process…
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“Some people lie.”
When I was in my thirties, both married and a father, I experienced some anxious and confounding work-related situations. These tend to happen when I don’t understand what people are telling me, either in the moment or in context to contrary remarks they or others have made in the past without any perceived reason for…
My Autistic Journal 