NT- Neuro Typical means??!!

I was reading today online about what NT means... I thought it interesting to find what some AS peoples were saying: Quoted from Discussion Boards on Wrongplanet.com ; about what NT really is: "neuro typical is to have a typical neuronal environment in the brain. there are few people who are not neurotypical. . . even schizophrenics are NT's. bipolar people are NT. antisocial personality people are NT. autism is an "organic" situation rather than a "functional" one. functional illnesses are illness like schizophrenia where a person is predisposed, and an environmental trigger is the catalyst. organic ones are where there is actual structural changes in the brain that account for the condition. alzheimers disease is organic, paresis is organic. autism is organic. it is not functional which means it is not dependent on environment or nurture. so NT's have otherwise normal brains and they can have a range of psycopathy's and psychoses. autistic brains are (i am sorry to say) mildy damaged and so autistics are not typical in "normal neuronal discourse". Agree? or not?

Thoughts I Gleaned...

• We- and our children- are shaped by our experiences, failure, disappointment, and fear can make it difficult to push ahead & to try again.

• It takes practice to find the factors to contribute to success.

• There are some things that will never change, when you have AS.

• Much can be done, though, to teach skills for coping outside of it & to teach a measure of comfort.

-thoughts gleaned from Oasis Guide to AS

Must See Short Film on Asperger's

A Short Film made by some students about Asperger's. Using Biomotion/ like Claymation... http://biomation.blogspot.com/2008/01/aspergers-film-version-1.html Must see for all Aspergians & family members alike!

More Insight...

"Children who are labelled with Asperger's Syndrome do not need more structure and direction in their lives; they need considerably less.

They need, primarily, to be freed from being seen as products or being objectified and defined by a list of subjective observations.

They need parents who are unquestioningly on their side, not to impose their own or so-called experts' agendas on their children in the name of loving assistance, but simply to assist their children in carrying forward their own intrinsically motivated lives in process.

To do this requires a willingness to ask radical questions and to let go of many entrenched assumptions about education, psychology and parenting, to name but a few.

It requires going against mainstream and often allegedly expert opinion.

It is not an easy path.

It is not a neglectful path.

It is a moral path."

Jan Fortune-Wood

I say... you think...

Maybe this is not logical to you... but I like it.

I say ... 

and you think ... ?

1. Coverage ::  Bikini
2. Cynical ::  Comedian
3. Gust ::  Pasta
4. Improvised ::  Acting
5. V ::  Vagina
6. Guests ::  Party
7. Brutal ::  Bluto
8. Grant :: College
9. Pull ::  Push
10. Streaming ::  blogging

I Don't Want to be Classified as a "CUREBIE"!

What is a curebie?

(Taken from "Life w/Asperger's" blog) You are a curebie if any of the following ring a bell.

1. You think that one day, with enough funding, someone will invent a magic pill, therapy or operation that the kid can take which will make them Neurotypical (NT).

2. You think that you can simply change a kids diet, parents, proximity to power sources, TV or Game viewing/playing hours and they'll suddenly become NT.

3. You think you can make a kid NT by electroshocking them, beating them, locking them up or otherwise torturing them into normality.

4. You think that being Aspie or Autistic is wrong..wrong...wrong. A burden thrust onto you (a parent) which needs to be "fixed".

5. You don't think anyone would be happy the way they are unless they are NT.

6. All you want is for your child to be the same as everyone else's child.

7. You think that any money collected for autistic children should be funneled into research into finding a cure rather than being spent on improving their quality of life.

8. Your child's condition diminishes your love for him/her - you'd love them more if they were NT.

9. You're certain that Asperger's or Autism isn't genetic, it's caused by outside/environmental factors which can be cured.

(That being quoted, I look/have looked into ways to relieve my son's moods... I was looking for relief.  If something simple presents itself & brings relief that HE views as relief, then I will most likely stick with it, with no regrets!!)

Wordless Wednesday

Having High Expectations

HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS when working/parenting your as child

Do not assume the person cannot do something just because the person has Autism orAsperger's syndrome.

 Do not be controlled by the person's IQ score.

 It is very difficult to accurately measure the IQ of a child who has Autism. 

Expect the person to behave, to answer you when you ask a question, to come when you call, and to complete a task you assign. The person with Autism may need more time than others to do these things and may need your help, but continue to expect good things from them.

 Above all, do not excuse bad behavior because you feel sorry for the person with Autism. 

The first change many of us need to make when we work with those with Autism is to stop thinking of persons with Autism as helpless victims. 

Persons with Autism are people. 

They are people with feelings, thoughts, desires, and needs.

They respond to positive reinforcement, love, attention, punishment, and all the things we experience in life. 

However, they may respond in different ways.

 

Are Aspergians really Rude & Inconsiderate?

Quote from John Elder Robinson's article on Psychology Today Blog, entitled "Are Aspergians Really Rude & Inconsiderate?"

"Sometimes people ask me, "What kind of person should a guy with Asperger's look for?"I can't speak for you, but this is an answer that's worked for me:

People with Asperger's have very weak sensitivity to other people's thoughts and feelings. But we often offset that with exceptionally strong logical brains. Therefore, we are wise to seek a mate with exceptional emotional sensitivity and less logical brainpower. Then, our mental abilities compliment each other's. One of us has great emotional intelligence, and the other has great logical intelligence. Individually, we're each weak. Together, though, we are very strong."

Perfect for me to understand as a non-aspie.   Thanks John Elder for making it clear & for helping me take one step closer tounderstanding this commonly misunderstood "language".

Asperger's World

Support can be found here

Jenny McCarthy? NOOOOO!!!!!

What is this nonsense???!!!

"I SAVED MY SON"?? He needed "fixing"??

She is specifically quoted as saying:

"I made a deal with God," she explains. "I said, 'You fix my boy, you show me the way and I'll teach the world how I did it.'"



Wow, if I was not  determined to stay neutral & all that, I would rally against her.  

All the hype is killing me!!  Why do a lot of parents think she is a saint? Am I missing something??!!

 She makes me ill!

I discussed this with my friend the other day that JM had said she "cured" her son & she said," NO, that is NOT what she said."

Oh yeah???  It is right here:

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/jenny-mccarthy-my-son-is-no-longer-autistic?page=6

I realize I am usually neutral- but this is pestering me to no end at the moment.

Sorry for the rant!

Wordless Wednesday

I ♥ My Aspie!

I say it with pride!! I have a life full of them, it defines my life now. I cannot escape the facts! .....

I ♥♥♥ the Aspies in my life !!

I don't say it out of hurtfulness, I don't say it to be derogatory.

It is a term of affection & I am sticking with that.

Name-calling is not accepted in our home, by the way. I think this term is cute & don't ask me why I want to use 'cute' terms...

I don't know why. As you can see from the random pictures in this post, I just like CUTE things!

I also add "y" to other words, like THING-Y, for instance.

If anyone uses this term negatively, then shame on them. We cannot always NOT OFFEND, as we are all different & think & speak differently. Differences should be celebrated.

My family uses the term lightly with the 3, count 'em THREE Aspies living in the house. I don't hear or use the term daily. It is said occassionally, at random times.

I don't even call my guys with AS "ASPIES" to their faces, unless they are really 'stewing' for a long while over something. It helps them to snap out of it sometimes. I don't use the term AT ALL with my youngest, as he is not dealing well with terms of endearment right now, in general.

We use it to identify Aspergian traits- not to stifle them, but to keep differences well spoken of. I am screwed up, yes?!! No?!?? I don't know, but it works for us. Keeping differences, not to take center stage, but for acceptance to others in the family. (As I re-read this statement, it does not do justice to what I am TRYING to say... I'm sorry my rant is not taking the logical route today.) My dh has opinions on how I act; he calls it "obstinance". No offense taken by me... I accept that I am not perfect in every way. What IS perfection anyhow? What IS normal? After exploring this issue for a couple of years now, the family accepts the differences, it is not an insult... it is just a LOGICAL fact that my Aspies cannot deny!! Logic rules their lives, remember? I have read: "Author and speaker Liane Holliday Willy coined the term "Aspie" in 1999 and people with the the syndrome might refer to one another with this term."

Good Advice for Parents dealing with Meltdowns

Good advice: Sounds like Tony Attwood's book, but it is not referenced at the blog I found it on.

Meltdown in Asperger children is triggered by a response to their environment. .

These responses can be caused by avoidance desire, anxiety or sensory overload. Triggers need to be recognized and identified. So how do we deal with a meltdown? What should you do when meltdown occurs? 1. Take 3 slow, deep breaths, and rather than dreading the meltdown that’s about to take place, assure yourself that you’ve survived meltdowns 1000 times before and will do so this time too.

2. Keep your speaking voice quiet and your tone neutrally pleasant. Don’t speak unnecessarily. Less is best. Don’t be “baited” into an argument. (Often Asperger children seem to “want” to fight. They know how to “push your buttons”, so don’t be side-tracked from the meltdown issue).

3. Slow down. Meltdown often occurs at the most inconvenient time e.g. rushing out the door to school. The extra pressure the fear of being late creates, adds to the stress of the situation. (Asperger children respond to referred mood and will pick up on your stress. This stress is then added to their own.) So forget the clock and focus on the situation. Make sure the significant people in your life know your priorities here. Let your boss know that your Asperger child has meltdowns that have the capacity to bring life to a standstill, and you may be late. Let your child’s teacher know that if your child is late due to a meltdown that it’s unavoidable, and your child shouldn’t be reprimanded for it.

4. Prioritize safety when your Asperger child is having a meltdown. Understand that they can be extremely impulsive and irrational at this time. Don’t presume that the safety rules they know will be utilized while they’re melting down. Just because your Asperger child knows not to go near the street when they are calm doesn’t mean they won’t run straight into 4 lanes of traffic when they are having a meltdown. If your Asperger child starts melting down when you’re driving in the car, pull over and stop. If your child tends to “flee” when melting down, don’t chase them. This just adds more danger to the situation. Tail them at a safe distance (maintain visual contact) if necessary.

5. Re-establish self control. When your Asperger child is calm and has regained self-control, he will often be exhausted. Keep that in mind as you work through the meltdown issue. Reinforce to your child the appropriate way to express their needs/requests.

Remember that all behaviour is a form of communication, so try to work out the ‘message’ your Asperger child is trying to convey with their meltdown, rather than responding and reacting to the behaviour displayed.

Transitioning Hurts!

I truly believe that, as a 6 year old, my son's head aches, even thinking about transitioning.

We want him to get dressed- he melts ---- down-----!!!

I need him to go to the store with me, he whines, fights, complains;

as he "does NOT want to get dressed!!!!!"

It is seemingly NEVER going to end.