1. < Autism (ASD)

Adults On The Autism Spectrum

Posted by Mamacita, Alumna Mentor @mamacita, Apr 29, 2018

Maybe you were really shy as a child. Perhaps you took home a huge stack of books from the school library, read them, and returned them the next day. Or did your best friend find you crying in your closet, unable to answer the question "Why?" At any rate, your life could be traced to the Self-Help section of the local bookstore. Unfortunately, most of the books were not much help. ADHD seemed to fit, at times. Your shrink said you might be Bi-Polar, although she wasn't really certain. All you knew was that you rarely fit in, anywhere. One day at work, it hit you square in the face: I don't speak these people's language! Really, it was like you were all playing this game, and everyone knew the rules but you. You couldn't tell a joke, and you never "got" any joke your co-worker tried to tell you. People started getting annoyed with you, because you had a memory like a steel trap. They didn't appreciate it when you called them on the carpet. Who knew? This was my life, and worse. I finally aced several tests that pointed me to the answer to my questions. The Autism Spectrum. Guess what? Little kids with Autism grow up to be Adults with Autism. Diagnosed late in life? This is the place for you!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Autism (ASD) Support Group.

Mentor
Ginger, Volunteer Mentor | @gingerw | Aug 20, 2018
In reply to @mamacita "Hello, people of the Spectrum and your allies! I have not spoken with you in several..." + (show)
@mamacita

Hello, people of the Spectrum and your allies! I have not spoken with you in several days, and just wanted to pop in to see how you are all doing. There is so much going on in the world today. My question that I have for you today is this: How do you cope with the influx of information that floods our lives every day? What strategies do you find helpful in managing the excessive noises or visual distractions of the Neurotypical world? Do you "mask" in order to fit in with your work community? If so, to what extent do you feel it causes you stress?
Hmm. That adds up to four questions, to be precise. Pick one! Or all of them! You guys are the best. I cannot brag on you enough. You have a heart of gold, and of all people, your voices deserve to be heard. Thank you for being here. I have some errands to run today, but I will be here off and on throughout the day. You are important to me! "Talk" with you again soon.

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@mamacita - hope you are doing better than last week. Last night as Grandmother Moon was brightly shining down, in her journey across the night sky, I got to thinking how we all are coping in our own ways, muddling through this world. There are so many neat tricks to learn from each other, how to handle the day-to-day stuff.
My hearing can be extremely sensitive, so I try to stay away from places where there are a lot of children's voices, as that range sets me on edge. Yes, I have walked out of stores or restaurants in order to save my sanity. Some say it is because I never had kids of my own, but the Good Lord/Spirit knew what she was doing! In daily life, I am working hard to be gentle on myself, and not be "Super Woman". Being in a new town for only a month now, I get to reinvent myself, to what works best for me. Our cat understands me well, and my husband is really trying to. Before , I would mask, and the stress was horrible.

REPLY
Mamacita, Alumna Mentor | @mamacita | Aug 20, 2018
In reply to @tinkherbal "@sirgalahad you said "Autistic are extremely empathetic and we do have feelings its due to the..." + (show)
@tinkherbal

@sirgalahad you said "Autistic are extremely empathetic and we do have feelings its due to the bullying intimidation and denigration we revert to our core autistic acts to calm and stabilize us."

I was hoping you can help me understand that sentence, I had a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2015 and interpreting the meaning of things is very difficult.

I have been struggling more and more since my TBI and have come to understand that before my head injury I somehow managed to get through life, not very successfully but I was able to function. I am determined to find answers and help because the ways things are now, I am not living, I am just existing.

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Hi,@tinkherbal, I am glad to meet you here! I had a head injury some years ago. I was numb on my right side for three days. I think the doctor who saw me in the ER was about twelve years old. He insisted that I did not have a concussion. Or any lasting damage. But I beg to differ. I went later to a very well respected chiropractor who took x-rays. The vertebra in my neck and upper back were bent out of shape. It was as if I had been hit in the head with a two by four. I still carry a lot of pain and tension in that area.I get an hour long massage done once a month. I also get my nails done once a month, where we get to sit in a massage chair. Self care is very important to me. If we don't take proper care of ourselves, we cannot have the strength to help someone else.
I hope you will stop by soon and have another "chat." I would really like to compare our experiences. One thing I have noticed is that I have to read new information several times before I feel I truly comprehend it. I also get dates and times mixed up easily. For this reason, I make sure I post important dates in several places, so that I don't forget. Hope we get to "talk" again soon!

REPLY
Mamacita, Alumna Mentor | @mamacita | Aug 20, 2018
In reply to @mamacita "Hello, people of the Spectrum and your allies! I have not spoken with you in several..." + (show)
@mamacita

Hello, people of the Spectrum and your allies! I have not spoken with you in several days, and just wanted to pop in to see how you are all doing. There is so much going on in the world today. My question that I have for you today is this: How do you cope with the influx of information that floods our lives every day? What strategies do you find helpful in managing the excessive noises or visual distractions of the Neurotypical world? Do you "mask" in order to fit in with your work community? If so, to what extent do you feel it causes you stress?
Hmm. That adds up to four questions, to be precise. Pick one! Or all of them! You guys are the best. I cannot brag on you enough. You have a heart of gold, and of all people, your voices deserve to be heard. Thank you for being here. I have some errands to run today, but I will be here off and on throughout the day. You are important to me! "Talk" with you again soon.

Jump to this post

Hey, @gingerw, you know I have done my share of walking out of businesses that were too loud. I can really unf

REPLY
Mamacita, Alumna Mentor | @mamacita | Aug 20, 2018
In reply to @mamacita "Hello, people of the Spectrum and your allies! I have not spoken with you in several..." + (show)
@mamacita

Hello, people of the Spectrum and your allies! I have not spoken with you in several days, and just wanted to pop in to see how you are all doing. There is so much going on in the world today. My question that I have for you today is this: How do you cope with the influx of information that floods our lives every day? What strategies do you find helpful in managing the excessive noises or visual distractions of the Neurotypical world? Do you "mask" in order to fit in with your work community? If so, to what extent do you feel it causes you stress?
Hmm. That adds up to four questions, to be precise. Pick one! Or all of them! You guys are the best. I cannot brag on you enough. You have a heart of gold, and of all people, your voices deserve to be heard. Thank you for being here. I have some errands to run today, but I will be here off and on throughout the day. You are important to me! "Talk" with you again soon.

Jump to this post

Identifu with masking and stressing out adterwards.

REPLY
sirgalahad | @sirgalahad | Aug 20, 2018
In reply to @tinkherbal "@sirgalahad you said "Autistic are extremely empathetic and we do have feelings its due to the..." + (show)
@tinkherbal

@sirgalahad you said "Autistic are extremely empathetic and we do have feelings its due to the bullying intimidation and denigration we revert to our core autistic acts to calm and stabilize us."

I was hoping you can help me understand that sentence, I had a Traumatic Brain Injury in 2015 and interpreting the meaning of things is very difficult.

I have been struggling more and more since my TBI and have come to understand that before my head injury I somehow managed to get through life, not very successfully but I was able to function. I am determined to find answers and help because the ways things are now, I am not living, I am just existing.

Jump to this post

sorry @tinkherbal for not getting back to you . I am a teacher and also senior hospital scientist and last week at The westmead children's hospital Sydney aust I work at in oncology hematology we lost 3 little patients and had a massive argument with my managers and melted down and only just surfaced from it .crashing and burning .with atistics routine is the key and often in childhood we develop a particular habit or patter like lining up our dolls in order or soldiers or bears amnd often in stressful times .this brings us comfort and retreat to deal withwhat is overwhelming usand the frustrations from not being able to express ourselves or be heard . interms of brain injury I would say its a combo of things the loss ofrational limiters like autitics or anyone whom is neurodiverse so we can explode out of no where and it surprises a lot of people .the inhibiting factors of the injury and short term memeory loss and telling our brains to do something and we cant or we try to read stuff asinmamacita and we have to read it several times . the fact that people aren't willing to patient calm and kind and compassionate and exopect us to react and respond

REPLY
Mamacita, Alumna Mentor | @mamacita | Aug 21, 2018

@tinkherbal, your experience with traumatic brain injury was no doubt much more devastating than my siruation. The only reason I even consider it in that category was the way I would forget really important things. I was supposed to work at a group home on a Sunday afternoon. Three days later, while driving through the neighborhood near the group home, I remembered I was supposed to have worked three days prior. I was horrified! That is just not something I do. Total irresponsibility. I still carry so much tension in my neck and my shoilders, as well as my upper back. I would love to be able to have a massage every week, but they are so expensive. So I make do with two per month. I don't read as much as I used to, because it is hard for me to keep up with the plot and the characters. I used to be able to read and understand medical journals. Now I'm doing good to read the Scriptures of the Pastor's Sermon! But there is hope. There is always hope. A better day is coming! Catch you later!

REPLY
Mamacita, Alumna Mentor | @mamacita | Aug 23, 2018

Hi everyone! Benjamin Franklin once said something to the effect that , if we don't have too high expectations in the first place, then we won't find ourselves disappointed all the time. Close enough. Interesting for him to say. He invented bifocals, experimented with electricity, and was an ambassador to France. He was a well loved statesman and wrote under an assumed name. Yet he still struggled. He felt that his character was lacking in some respects, and set about to change.
I'll stop right there and say that I believe he had good intentions. He achieved what many would call success in his life. I have often wondered if perhaps he was on the Spectrum. Autism is not new. It has been around for a very long time. Did he ever get up in the morning, have his cup of tea, look out his front door and think "What can I do today that will make a difference in the world?" Or did he simply do what many of us have learned to do? Make the best of a very challenging life...living every moment to the best of our ability. Enjoying our friends, our family, the beauty of nature...

But what if there are severe problems in our family, our friends, our community? Do we sit idly by and hope for the best? Or do we step up, step out, doing whatever we can to understand and care for situations that land on our doorstep? It has been said many times that if you see the problem, then you are meant to address that problem in some way.
I cannot be where you are and do what you can do. I cannot compare myself to you and feel jealous that you appear to be getting more attention than I am. It is not a race. I am not in competition with anyone. We are in this together. We can each do our part to advocate, to spread awareness, to model acceptance. We are better together! Can I pop in later to see how you are all doing? I miss all of you when I don't hear from you once in awhile! Hugs!
Mamacita

REPLY
3 replies
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Aug 23, 2018

Thank you @mamacita.

You gave me inspiration for my day!

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2 replies
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Aug 23, 2018
In reply to @mamacita "Hi everyone! Benjamin Franklin once said something to the effect that , if we don't have..." + (show)
@mamacita

Hi everyone! Benjamin Franklin once said something to the effect that , if we don't have too high expectations in the first place, then we won't find ourselves disappointed all the time. Close enough. Interesting for him to say. He invented bifocals, experimented with electricity, and was an ambassador to France. He was a well loved statesman and wrote under an assumed name. Yet he still struggled. He felt that his character was lacking in some respects, and set about to change.
I'll stop right there and say that I believe he had good intentions. He achieved what many would call success in his life. I have often wondered if perhaps he was on the Spectrum. Autism is not new. It has been around for a very long time. Did he ever get up in the morning, have his cup of tea, look out his front door and think "What can I do today that will make a difference in the world?" Or did he simply do what many of us have learned to do? Make the best of a very challenging life...living every moment to the best of our ability. Enjoying our friends, our family, the beauty of nature...

But what if there are severe problems in our family, our friends, our community? Do we sit idly by and hope for the best? Or do we step up, step out, doing whatever we can to understand and care for situations that land on our doorstep? It has been said many times that if you see the problem, then you are meant to address that problem in some way.
I cannot be where you are and do what you can do. I cannot compare myself to you and feel jealous that you appear to be getting more attention than I am. It is not a race. I am not in competition with anyone. We are in this together. We can each do our part to advocate, to spread awareness, to model acceptance. We are better together! Can I pop in later to see how you are all doing? I miss all of you when I don't hear from you once in awhile! Hugs!
Mamacita

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Thank you for a ray of sunshine to help me start my day! Cyber Hugs @mamacita!

REPLY
Mamacita, Alumna Mentor | @mamacita | Aug 23, 2018
In reply to @mamacita "Hi everyone! Benjamin Franklin once said something to the effect that , if we don't have..." + (show)
@mamacita

Hi everyone! Benjamin Franklin once said something to the effect that , if we don't have too high expectations in the first place, then we won't find ourselves disappointed all the time. Close enough. Interesting for him to say. He invented bifocals, experimented with electricity, and was an ambassador to France. He was a well loved statesman and wrote under an assumed name. Yet he still struggled. He felt that his character was lacking in some respects, and set about to change.
I'll stop right there and say that I believe he had good intentions. He achieved what many would call success in his life. I have often wondered if perhaps he was on the Spectrum. Autism is not new. It has been around for a very long time. Did he ever get up in the morning, have his cup of tea, look out his front door and think "What can I do today that will make a difference in the world?" Or did he simply do what many of us have learned to do? Make the best of a very challenging life...living every moment to the best of our ability. Enjoying our friends, our family, the beauty of nature...

But what if there are severe problems in our family, our friends, our community? Do we sit idly by and hope for the best? Or do we step up, step out, doing whatever we can to understand and care for situations that land on our doorstep? It has been said many times that if you see the problem, then you are meant to address that problem in some way.
I cannot be where you are and do what you can do. I cannot compare myself to you and feel jealous that you appear to be getting more attention than I am. It is not a race. I am not in competition with anyone. We are in this together. We can each do our part to advocate, to spread awareness, to model acceptance. We are better together! Can I pop in later to see how you are all doing? I miss all of you when I don't hear from you once in awhile! Hugs!
Mamacita

Jump to this post

Oh, my friend,@johnbishop! You make me smile. I traveled to Georgia to collect my "IT" guy (Teen Grandson). Everywhere we stopped, I talked with people, and gave out a few of the Mayo Clinic Connect cards. My dentist wants to keep a supply on his counter. I find that people are very open to these cards. And why shouldn't they be? A helping hand, a listening ear, during difficult times in one's life? And it's free! I am so happy to be a part of Connect and blessed to know all of you. Virtual hugs!
Mamacita

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