Archive for aspergers

Finally

May 8, 2008 planet3rry 7 comments

Breakthrough Corporation
1805 Maryville Pike
Knoxville TN 37920

Dear Breakthrough Corporation,

Enclosed with this letter is a donation check for $477.00. That may seem like an odd amount (and literally, it is) but there is a reason for this unusual number. April 2nd is World Autism Day, as you are well aware, and I did something special that day to help fellow people who have Autism.

One of my special interests is trading stocks and options. It’s a newly found interest and is a good fit for my personality, plus the potential to make lots of money makes it very useful. I decided that on World Autism Day I would take the highest winning trade and take profits on that trade and donate it to an Autism charity. It just so happens that trade was worth $477.00.

My next dilemma was to choose which worthy Autism charity to donate the money. It did not take me long to decide to keep it close to Knoxville. And since it just so happened that I was getting ready for Ribbon Run 5k on April 19th, Breakthrough Corporation was fresh in my mind.

I look forward to Breakthrough Corporation making a larger impact in the Knoxville community. I’m also looking forward to participating in the Ribbon Run 5k in the years to come. My only regret is that I did not send this check in sooner.

Sincerely,

p.s. Here my blog entry on my plan for World Autism day: http://www.planet3rry.com/2008/04/02/world-autism-day/ and this is the result: http://www.planet3rry.com/2008/04/03/world-autism-donation-result/

aspergers

World Autism Day

April 2, 2008 planet3rry 3 comments

Today is World Autism Day. Since The Elder and Myself both fall under the umbrella of Autism, this is our day, kind of.

Now, I don’t expect The Elder to do anything special for World Autism Day, well maybe he will in class since it’s a classroom of fellow Aspergers and High Functioning Austitic Kids. But I am committing to doing something special.

I am going to take the profits that I make from my highest single trade that day and donate it to an autism supporting charity. I am not sure who that will be. If we were playing yesterday, the profit that I took from my best trade was $418. Now it could have been 3x higher but I was chicken to let trade move. Anyway… today, I will make a trade and we will see how much of a donation I will be making.

Since I am making up the rules, I wonder if donating it to my kid would be a legitimate charity? NAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Stay Tuned for the Results

aspergers ,

Awareness on good ole Rocky Top

March 28, 2008 planet3rry One comment

Rocky Top LogoRocky Top Markets is going to help us raise autism awareness by offering a fundraiser at their 38 locations in the East Tennessee area, which covers over 12 counties. This event will last during the months of April, May and June 2008. All proceeds will stay in the community and will benefit the Autism Society of America – East Tennessee Chapter and Breakthrough Corporation -Puzzle pieces will be offered for different levels starting with $1, $5 or $10 donations. Please help us to raise autism awareness in East Tennessee and support your local autism organizations at the same time!!!We are very excited about this event and need your support!!! We all want more autism services in east Tennessee – please help us to make this happen!!!We need you!!!

FIND A ROCKY TOP MARKET NEAR YOU (if you are traveling through Knoxville, shop HERE)

During the event, I am going to as may of the Rocky Top Markets as I can and donate $10 at each place for a puzzle piece, I’ll document it here on my blog. There, I said… it will come true now!

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The Mysterious Aspergers

March 27, 2008 planet3rry 3 comments

This Article has been around for some time now (Aug 2007). It’s the New Yorker article about Tim Page, an adult with Asperger’s, he recently spoke at the University of Missouri and here is the student newspaper article about the event. (Thanks to Redheaded Editor for the link)

It’s a nice article because it’s not as cumbersome as the New Yorker Article, but it does highlight a few typical Aspergian traits.

the part that struck me was the last two lines of the article:

“MU freshman Simone Francis, a journalism student who attended the event, said she had never heard about Asperger’s syndrome.

“It’s hard to grasp a problem like that when you don’t know how it feels,” Francis said.”

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UPDATE: Prise de Fer

February 7, 2008 planet3rry One comment

Yesterday I posted about Nathan, a young fencer who has Aspergers Syndrome. Well, I received an email from his father with some information about Nathan and his dog:

The dog came from Susquehanna Service Dogs in Harrisburg, PA. They train hearing dogs and service dogs. Many of the service dogs are for people in wheelchairs or for balance but they have also been using dogs for autism including Asperger’s. You might want to check out their site.

http://www.keystonehumanservices.org/ssd/ssd.php

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Prise de Fer

February 6, 2008 planet3rry 5 comments

Prise de Fer
(French : Literally take the steel); also “Taking the Blade”; an engagement of the blades that attempts to control the opponent’s weapon. See also beat, press, expulsion, bind, croisé, envelopment, opposition, transfer.

I was chatting online with one of my best friends from college and he sent me a PDF article from American Fencing Magazine about his cousin’s son (Nathan) who has Asperger’s Syndrome and also fences. Not as in White Picket but as in “ENGARDE!” type fencing.

nathan

Download the article in PDF form HERE (will open in new Window)

Nathan’s story is unique because of (what I guess) is some sensory issues associated in conjunction with the Asperger’s, running his hands through his service dog’s fur (the sensory part) helps lower the anxiety of being in the fencing arena (Aspergers). The Elder has a similar tick, which is pulling strings… which would NOT go over well with getting a service dog. The Loud and Lovable Skipper Doodle has enough to worry about just getting his tail pulled.

It’s pretty awesome that Nathan is participating in a sport that demands such physical coordination. Typical Aspergians have normal to poor body control which is why they are deemed “clumsy” or “uncoordinated”. To participate in this sport that requires precision is not only fun but also great therapy. Also, this type of sport is great because it gives him the atmosphere of competition but he doesn’t have the baggage of playing on a team sport. Sure, he has his own anxiety, everybody does, but for Aspergians “fitting in” on the team is often more difficult than not.

In the next episode of my running podcast Gravity@1053′ I am going to talk about why I think that running, especially marathons, is a perfect fit with my Aspergers. I’ll be publishing it on or near March 3rd. Plus, fencing will be coming to the forefront of the world this year. Okay, maybe not the forefront, but it’s part of The Olympics and this is An Olympic Year. Here’s the website to U.S. Fencing, in case you want to figure out what Passata-sotto is (hint: It’s NOT a new dish at Olive Garden)

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Step in the Right Direction

January 11, 2008 planet3rry One comment

I’m in a much better mind frame now then when I was just 1.25 hours ago. I made it to the bank, got the letter I needed, had some fees reimbursed, paid a bill that was late (and I didn’t know until last night), found a new (to me) recycling area, called a person that I didn’t want to call but did anyway, ate some chocolate…

Now, I am back at my desk with only my first diet coke of day and despite the drop in temperature, I am ready to run today.

oh… and it helps that I’m up about 20% in my investments! Well, at least right now… that could change but right now… all is good.

aspergers, Life In General

GI Joe and Naked Oatmeal

January 11, 2008 planet3rry 4 comments

In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) the following is one of the symptoms for diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome (p77)B. Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
2. Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals.

Here’s the scenario: Friday is Date Night. My Lovely and Talented Wife was going to have some business near my place of work, therefore it would be logical for me to take the bus in the morning and then she could pick me up after she was done and we could have date night downtown. Simple Right. Well, I was okay with this. On Friday’s The Elder does not have school, so my routine in the morning is flexible. The only requirement is that I have to get the trash out because Friday is Trash Day.

The bus that leaves from Farragut and goes to UT has two departure times: 6:45am and 7:15am. For me to make it to the bus stop, I have to leave my house somewhere between 10-15 minutes before the time that I wanted to get there. Therefore, I would need to leave the house around 6:30-6:35am or 7:00-7:05. I would still need time to get ready, Friday’s are casual day, so maybe 10 minutes max. I would need to get the trash together and at least make the kids their breakfast, another 15 minutes. Loading the car, eh, 5 minutes. Plus make my smoothie, another 5 minutes. So, I would need to wake up somewhere between 6-6:30am to have enough time to get ready on my own terms.

The Kids woke me up at 6:35. And The Younger was very clingy… The Elder was fine but soon would be falling into an Asperger/Sensory meltdown that would rupture my thought process and instead of getting to work 45 minutes EARLY, I would end up being 30 minutes LATE.

The beginning of the Scenario starts with breakfast. The Younger indicated that he wanted Grits and The Elder wanted “Daddy Oatmeal” (read: flavored oatmeal). So, I make the oatmeal and the grits, thinking that The Younger is going to switch his mind because The Elder wanted Oatmeal and The Younger does whatever Everyone Else does.

I let the breakfasts cool down and then set them in front of the kids. The Younger, begins to eat his food, unassisted and unprompted. The Elder begins to meltdown. He doesn’t want to eat his Oatmeal. He tosses his milk cup, gets naked, threatens to pee on the floor, runs to his room, screams, and when he is set into a “wait area” he is crying.

He’s in a state of not using his words to tell us what is bothering him, even though we know that he can. Everything is familiar… bowl, spoon, milk, even the presentation of oatmeal is the same. Telling him that he has to eat his breakfast is making him meltdown even further. My Lovely and Talented Wife put the timer on the stove and tells him that he has 5 minutes to eat his oatmeal and then finally we get some indication on why he has been acting like a maniac.

It turns out that he didn’t want the spoon that I gave him. The same spoon that I’ve served him the last 3 times, instead he wanted the smallest (infant sized) version of our silverware. Once he got this spoon he ate his food without a problem and without fuss.

In contrast, our fairly neurotypical child, ate all of his grits with a regular sized spoon. Told us he was finished and asked up politely for more food.

So, back your Host (me)… this episode ended around 7:40 and so for me to get the rest of my stuff together, the trash, get ready for work… I finally left the house right after 8:05… totally in the wrong frame of mind because my routine, has been altered and even delayed because now I am late. It didn’t help that I missed my Breakfast Smoothie (for the second day in a row) and that I was late taking my anxiety meds.

Now, at work… I am very irritated and people are bothering me… just by talking amongst themselves. It’s distracting me from this post and I want to get this out. WON’T THEY JUST SHUT THE F- UP?

To screw up my routine even worse is that I have to do some bank stuff this morning… stuff that should have been taken care of without my assistance. And so… does this mean that I won’t get to workout… All HELL will break lose if I can’t do that. I need the comfort and routine of running to get back on the right path. I can tell that I am going to have chocolate cravings and drink extra diet coke this morning and afternoon.

But seeing that I am on the Spectrum and this is normal for me… I know how to control myself. I can now recognize what is happening and more importantly WHY. The Elder, doesn’t know why he’s acting the way he is… but we do. My Lovely and Talented Wife understands (better than I) how his Aspergian mind works and how it functions. So she can get the desired response (i.e. eat oatmeal) without her becoming too upset or frustrated… because SHE knows. Our marriage is MUCH MUCH better… because she KNOWS. It’s harder for me to see because I’m in the forest and can only see trees, but I am getting better at seeing the signs and understanding MY limitations. Because, if I … can get you to perceive that I am “pleasantly eccentric” then I’m on the right track.

So today… right now… is a little tough… but I know. And as I learned from the Neo-Classic (celebrating 25 years) GI Joe “Knowing is HALF the battle”…Doing is the other half.

Because of my inflexibility to adapt to the change in schedule… I’ve also met this criteria for Asperger’s Syndrome, which is one that I can usually overcome, especially when I around people I am NOT comfortable with as a way to appear normal.

A. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
4. Lack of social or emotional reciprocity.

One of the ladies here donated her hair to Locks of Love. Now this is a huge step for a woman… not only do have to plan for this… you have to be willing to make the huge change in hairstyle. My reaction this morning… indifference. I will have to make up for this later today when I have higher functioning… my coworker doesn’t understand how I am… so I’m sure that my body language was something closer to asshole jerk than someone who is impressed that she would take that step especially since she is helping others.

So… it’s now 10am… the fog of frustration is starting to lift and I have 2 hours to get stuff done so that I can workout today and get BACK into my routine.

aspergers ,

Aspergian Christmas

December 20, 2007 planet3rry 4 comments

Earlier in December, I had decided that I was going to write a post about Christmas’ past and how what I experienced was related to my Aspergers and what stuff was just “the Holidays”. But instead of being an Oracle and predicting the course of events, I am going to wait and analyze everything afterwards. I want to see how some things play out, both on my part and the part of the relatives that we will be seeing this Christmas time.

I have a couple of Special Interest stuff planned while we are there, so that should (and I say should) keep out actually being depressed as has been the case in year’s past. And we’ll see how my downtime goes. Now that I understand more about myself, and how and why I operate I can better moderate myself and be less of an asshole and more of a smart ass, because let’s face it… I’m much more social when I’m being one of those than when I am being the former.

It also helps that the meds have greatly cut down on my ambient anxiety level. So, right now, I am anxious about our trip but I think that’s more on a level of what someone might deem “normal level” rather than being off the deep end about everything and thus waiting until the last possible minute to do everything, shutting down, becoming a recluse and making everyone’s life miserable. There are procrastinators out there, professional ones, who can wait until the very last moment and be stressed but not have a total physical and mentally collapse. Hopefully, I will be one of those this year, except without the “waiting until the last moment part.”

aspergers, Life In General

Ransom: Good Marketing

December 16, 2007 planet3rry 2 comments

Seasoned Readers here know that I am a sucker for great Marketing. I have been known to purchase a certain Diet Soda just about exclusively because they run a Reward program that involves Codes that I put in My account and I can get free stuff. Or, the Easter Posts about the number of Cadbury creme eggs that I ate because you can only get them near Easter time. I like smart advertising, where the marketing people have done their research or have a ground breaking creative advertisement. Sometime low-brow humor has some merit.

And I don’t necessarily like to bring up poor advertising because it can spread like the plague, bad press can act more quickly than good press. However, there are somethings that need to be stopped as soon as possible. It’s just the nature of the world I guess. So, I am linking to My Lovely and Talented Wife’s post about a blog entry at AutismVox on the NYU ad campaign.

If you’re a social advocate, I would encourage you to check out the posts and the method that NYU is using to raise awareness of “untreated psychiatric disorders,” including autism, Asperger Syndrome, bulimia, depression, ADHD, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Basically, these disorders have become kidnappers and have stolen the lives of children and their families. Hmmm… if that is true, then we just need to give enough money and it will go away. That’s what a kidnapper is really after… money. The kid is just leverage.

The ads are suggesting that Asperger’s will make a child become a social recluse who will live an unfulfilled life. Perhaps, but I have to argue that ANY child could find that same fate, it’s all how that child is nurtured. You hear about the stories of the children coming out of the poverty of the inner cities to great wealth and fortune because their parents or some other role model nurtured them. Or what about the super rich kid that has everything in the world, but becomes a drug addict because they are trying to find acceptance.

These ads are confusing because when a child is kidnapped, they are missing. There is no indication of the child’s health except through communication of the kidnapper. However, with Aspergers and other disorders, the child isn’t lost. They aren’t locked up, they are able to experience their world in their own terms. And better yet, the parents or other role models can nurture them. Asperger’s never kidnapped me and left me with the inability to live a successful live.

So, the ad campaign just has some bad marketing, that’s all. There’s an online petition to request that this advertisement is stopped. Perhaps NYU needs to outsource their marketing campaign to the Beer Companies, they do a damn good job.

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