Saturday, July 31, 2010

Aspie Careers: worst and best.

Spectrum Solutions Personal Growth Development for Children, Teens, and Adults on the Spectrumby Stephen Borgman July 29, 2010, AutismHow To Find Your Career on the Autism Spectrum How To Find the Right Job For You
It's important to be honest with yourself about your intellectual capabilities. I, for example, am not very gifted in the areas of math and science. As much as I may have aspired to have my PhD in the past, the subjects of statistics and research don't come very easily to me. In the same way, you must be honest with yourself about your intellectual capacities. If you are in the low or below average range of IQ, it just means that you may need to have more support and coaching, and that your career choices may be a little more limited. However, it will give you a better idea of what choices you may be able to be successful in.

If you are of average or above average intellectual ability, you may have more possibilities. Just remember that the social aspects of any job will be challenging for you. And I will tell you now: Buy Ms. Simone's book! Asperger's on the Job is an invaluable resource for you, for your employer, and for any therapist or advocate who is working with you. It contains tips and strategies for you, and for your employer.
Be Aware of Your Hard Wiring

Feel free to agree or disagree with Ms. Grandin here, but these are some characteristics I learned from reading this article she wrote:Many individuals on the autism spectrum have difficulties with short-term memory. Therefore, there are a number of jobs that are not particularly suited in this regard: some examples she gives of these jobs would be cashier; short order cook; waitress; taxi dispatcher, airline ticket agent, futures market trader, receptionist/telephone operator. You can read her article for more detail on her reasoning for these being a poor fit.

If you are an individual on the autism spectrum and you have noticed that you are a very strong visual thinker, there is a whole range of jobs that may be ideal for you. Ms. Grandin lists some of these as examples:

* Computer programming
* Drafting
* Commercial art
* Photography
* Equipment designing
* Animal trainer or veterinary technician
* Automobile mechanic
* Computer-troubleshooter and repair
* Small appliance and lawnmower repair
* Handcrafts of many different types such as wood carving, jewelry making, ceramics, etc.
* Laboratory technician
* Web page design
* Building trades
* Building maintenance
* Factory maintenance

You may be a non-visual thinker, but be good at numbers, facts, or music. Here are some suggestions posed by Ms. Grandin:

* Accounting
* Library science -- reference librarian.
* Computer programming
* Engineering
* Journalist
* Copy editor
* Taxi driver
* Inventory control
* Tuning pianos and other musical instruments, can be done as freelance work
* Laboratory technician -- Running laboratory equipment
* Bank Teller
* Clerk and filing jobs
* Telemarketing
* Statistician
* Physicist or mathematician

If you are a person on the autism spectrum who is nonverbal or struggle with your verbal skills, here is a list of jobs that Ms. Grandin has suggested worth researching:

* Reshelving library books
* Factory assembly work
* Copy shop
* Janitor jobs
* Restocking shelves
* Recycling plant
* Warehouse
* Lawn and garden work
* Data entry
* Fast food restaurant
* Plant care

www.andrewlerner.blogspot.com Please read the column at the left, left click on all of the posting titles, pictures, and underlined blue words. Please click below, on "Comments, Reactions, & Feedback", below, to read reviews, and or write your own reply. This means a great deal to me.Each box, below the date below, corresponds to the letter of your choice: A = Funny. B = Informative. C = Clever. D = Disagree. E = Excellent. F = Frivolous.1) Please place your cursor arrow onto the little white box, next to the letter, that represents your selection. 2) press down to click. 3) A check mark will then appear, showing that you have voted. The counter for that box, will increment by your one rating (#).


Thursday, July 29, 2010

My Rack Card Creation

FACEBOOK: Andrew.....
received an A on his 2011 Rock calendar, and a B on his That Deli rack card, that he did yesterday and being due last week.
..is so happy he finally has completely finished constructing all 3 storage furniture towers, and now finally has a complete functioning office.

Review of That DELIcious Deli
Excellent, fresh, wholesome, nutritious and tasty good food. Friendly, fast, and clean. Clever combinations of foods make every choice original and unusually DELIcious. Order at counter, then table service. Self-serve beverages are excellent. Better value than Pain-era.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

End of Middle Class

The Middle Class in America Is Radically Shrinking. Here Are the Stats to Prove it.
Posted Jul 15, 2010 02:25pm EDT by Michael Snyder in Recession Related.
From The Business Insider Michael Snyder is editor of theeconomiccollapseblog.com

The 22 statistics detailed here prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence in America.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a staggering rate. Once upon a time, the United States had the largest and most prosperous middle class in the history of the world, but now that is changing at a blinding pace.

So why are we witnessing such fundamental changes? Well, the globalism and "free trade" that our politicians and business leaders insisted would be so good for us have had some rather nasty side effects. It turns out that they didn't tell us that the "global economy" would mean that middle class American workers would eventually have to directly compete for jobs with people on the other side of the world where there is no minimum wage and very few regulations. The big global corporations have greatly benefited by exploiting third world labor pools over the last several decades, but middle class American workers have increasingly found things to be very tough.

Here are the statistics to prove it:

• 83 percent of all U.S. stocks are in the hands of 1 percent of the people.
• 61 percent of Americans "always or usually" live paycheck to paycheck, which was up from 49 percent in 2008 and 43 percent in 2007.
• 66 percent of the income growth between 2001 and 2007 went to the top 1% of all Americans.
• 36 percent of Americans say that they don't contribute anything to retirement savings.
• A staggering 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved up for retirement.
• 24 percent of American workers say that they have postponed their planned retirement age in the past year.
• Over 1.4 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, which represented a 32 percent increase over 2008.
• Only the top 5 percent of U.S. households have earned enough additional income to match the rise in housing costs since 1975.
• For the first time in U.S. history, banks own a greater share of residential housing net worth in the United States than all individual Americans put together.
• In 1950, the ratio of the average executive's paycheck to the average worker's paycheck was about 30 to 1. Since the year 2000, that ratio has exploded to between 300 to 500 to one.
• As of 2007, the bottom 80 percent of American households held about 7% of the liquid financial assets.
• The bottom 50 percent of income earners in the United States now collectively own less than 1 percent of the nation’s wealth.
• Average Wall Street bonuses for 2009 were up 17 percent when compared with 2008.
• In the United States, the average federal worker now earns 60% MORE than the average worker in the private sector.
• The top 1 percent of U.S. households own nearly twice as much of America's corporate wealth as they did just 15 years ago.
• In America today, the average time needed to find a job has risen to a record 35.2 weeks.
• More than 40 percent of Americans who actually are employed are now working in service jobs, which are often very low paying.
• or the first time in U.S. history, more than 40 million Americans are on food stamps, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that number will go up to 43 million Americans in 2011.
• This is what American workers now must compete against: in China a garment worker makes approximately 86 cents an hour and in Cambodia a garment worker makes approximately 22 cents an hour.
• Approximately 21 percent of all children in the United States are living below the poverty line in 2010 - the highest rate in 20 years.
• Despite the financial crisis, the number of millionaires in the United States rose a whopping 16 percent to 7.8 million in 2009.
• The top 10 percent of Americans now earn around 50 percent of our national income.

Giant Sucking Sound

The reality is that no matter how smart, how strong, how educated or how hard working American workers are, they just cannot compete with people who are desperate to put in 10 to 12 hour days at less than a dollar an hour on the other side of the world. After all, what corporation in their right mind is going to pay an American worker 10 times more (plus benefits) to do the same job? The world is fundamentally changing. Wealth and power are rapidly becoming concentrated at the top and the big global corporations are making massive amounts of money. Meanwhile, the American middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence as U.S. workers are slowly being merged into the new "global" labor pool.

What do most Americans have to offer in the marketplace other than their labor? Not much. The truth is that most Americans are absolutely dependent on someone else giving them a job. But today, U.S. workers are "less attractive" than ever. Compared to the rest of the world, American workers are extremely expensive, and the government keeps passing more rules and regulations seemingly on a monthly basis that makes it even more difficult to conduct business in the United States.

So corporations are moving operations out of the U.S. at breathtaking speed. Since the U.S. government does not penalize them for doing so, there really is no incentive for them to stay.

What has developed is a situation where the people at the top are doing quite well, while most Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to make it. There are now about six unemployed Americans for every new job opening in the United States, and the number of "chronically unemployed" is absolutely soaring. There simply are not nearly enough jobs for everyone.

Many of those who are able to get jobs are finding that they are making less money than they used to. In fact, an increasingly large percentage of Americans are working at low wage retail and service jobs.

But you can't raise a family on what you make flipping burgers at McDonald's or on what you bring in from greeting customers down at the local Wal-Mart.

The truth is that the middle class in America is dying -- and once it is gone it will be incredibly difficult to rebuild.

www.andrewlerner.blogspot.com Please read the column at the left, left click on all of the posting titles, pictures, and underlined blue words. Please click below, on "Comments, Reactions, & Feedback", below, to read reviews, and or write your own reply. This means a great deal to me.Each box, below the date below, corresponds to the letter of your choice: A = Funny. B = Informative. C = Clever. D = Disagree. E = Excellent. F = Frivolous.1) Please place your cursor arrow onto the little white box, next to the letter, that represents your selection. 2) press down to click. 3) A check mark will then appear, showing that you have voted. The counter for that box, will increment by your one rating (#).

Science coexist

"Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don't have all the answers to think that they do." - Bill Maher 'Religulous'
FACEBOOK:
With all the strong unsecured wireless signals in my area for free, how does it make sense to pay $40/month for cable HSI? If Georgia is the deep south, than I must live in the deep north, called Florida. Andrew is an unemployed former Hurricane. In 1958, a couple would date, get married, live together, have sex, and children. In 2010, I invite a complete stranger into my home. We live together, get married, and have been dating since then. We are childless, and plan to keep it that way.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Mad Men

I spent the past couple of weeks watching past episodes to get introduced, seduced, and up to date. Now I am hooked with my wife. I am from NYC, now in FL. We are so eager for 10PM on AMC. Mad Men is the best show since six feet under, St. Elsewhere, My So-Called Life, Northern Exposure, Picket Fences, LA Law, and SATC!

Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The show is broadcast on the American cable network AMC and is produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007 and completed its third season on November 8, 2009.[2] The production of a fourth season began on April 12, 2010.[3] Season 4 will premiere on AMC July 25, 2010 at 10/9c.[4]

Mad Men is set in the 1960s, initially at the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City, and later at the newly created firm of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.[5] The show centers on Don Draper (Jon Hamm), creative director at Sterling Cooper and a founding partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, as well as those in his life in and out of the office. It also depicts the changing social mores of 1960s America.

Mad Men has received critical acclaim, particularly for its historical authenticity and visual style, and has won multiple awards, including nine Emmys and four Golden Globes. It is the first basic cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, winning the award in 2008 and 2009.[6]

In California 90% of adults on the autism spectrum are unemployed. For the 10% who have found employment they are earning less than $5,000 a year. http://life-with-aspergers.blogspot.com/2010/07/improving-employment-prospects-for_15.html I have been trying to since 1976. I have had 54 jobs. My longest and highest paying job was Convergys 11/21/05 - 2/23/09 between $8 and $10. I am having an extreme difficult job with college. My source of rental income has stopped due to additional unemployment. Happy and relieved that Senate finally Passes Bill To Restore Jobless Benefits. Obama to sign Thursday! Happy to receive this message: "Saw your web site / blog thought it was interesting, clicked on the fb link saw we have much in common - raised on LI now live in FL we both have AS in a redneck state that prides itself in the criminalization of folks rather than train law enforcement."

FACEBOOK: "Hang On Sloopy" is a song by the pop group The McCoys which was #1 in America in October 1965 and is the official rock song of the state of Ohio and The Ohio State University. It was written by Wes Farrell and Bert Russell and is named for singer Dorothy Sloop (1913-1998), who used the name "Sloopy" on stage.[1]

Monday, July 19, 2010

Sex and the Aspie

While most discussions surrounding autism focus on childhood issues (prevention, education, and a cure), much less attention is paid to adults living on the spectrum. In Good Vibration's interview with Dr. Amy Marsh, sexologist and creator of The Intimate Aspie, she too admitted that there isn't a lot of research or information surrounding adult sexuality while living on the spectrum. For those that are in it, and the neurotypicals who love them. What is similar when we discuss living on the spectrum is the need for a change in expectations. As Dr. Marsh points out, non-Asperger's Syndrome partners also have certain thoughts that need to be challenged within the realm of an intimate relationship, so the need for clear communication is amplified (even though this is necessary in all types of people.)

The non-AS person will probably be doing most of the apparent adjusting in the relationship, because the AS partner is usually working overtime just to deal with the anxiety and stresses of being around another person who has emotional and sexual expectations for the relationship. In other words, the non-AS person will feel he, she, or ze is doing most of the work, but that’s because non-AS people don’t train themselves to look for what the AS person is doing and contributing. AS people are supposed to be socially “clueless” and rigid, but the truth is, the same is true for non-AS people, who have set certain standards for social and emotional interactions simply because they are in the majority.

Then, the partners should expect to use clear, concise language to work out boundaries, rules, and other things about the relationship. Sensory stuff should be discussed. Intimate time together should be planned so that the AS person doesn’t have to deal with the anxiety that comes from having to switch gears suddenly, as in “it’s a beautiful day, let’s go for a walk!” Outside of these guidelines, anything can go, just as with a non-AS partner. While this is just a small portion of an interview with Dr. Marsh, she recommends if you're in a relationship with someone on the spectrum, you immerse yourself in reading to understand your partner and how his or her needs may differ from your own. Both you and your partner can learn more on The Intimate Aspie where Dr. Marsh explores gender and sexual diversity in a sex-positive way.


FACEBOOK: Andrew I. Lerner
is thrilled and relieved that the Unemployment Benefits extension bill has finally been approved by the senate, and is off to be passed by congress tomorrow. Elanor is moving from the southern-most peninsula in the USA, to the Northern-most peninsula in the USA. Andrew I. Lerner will send you a free 2011 Rock calendar. Miss Ogny wrote the book on "Hating Men and Boys". Charles Shultz and Charlie Brown were Aspies. Did you know this? Andrew I. Lerner wonders if he should buy flood insurance on account of the imminent tsunami from the gulf.

Automated Kohls calls me on the phone. Says I owe $8.10 with late fees. This was an error in itself. I press numbers to finally wait for an agent. He could not take a payment for less than $10 over phone. I said I plan to go online like he said I can, and make the 8.10 payment. He also closed my acct at my request. Online said that I have an invalid email address and password. I call up and make a $10 payment using automated service. It cuts me off after I type in all check numbers. Agent said they don't accept payment for more than the balance, or there would be an additional $10. fee! In the end, she took $8.10 only, and I am fine now. Saturday at 6:28pm

In order to get your name changed on your Driver's license in Florida, you must first have your name changed on your Social Security Administration card. In order to change your name on your Social Security card, you must first have your name changed on your Driver's license. I suppose that post-9/11/01 means "trust nobody". July 16.
Notice the new buttons below each of my posts! You can share me on FaceBook now!

www.andrewlerner.blogspot.com Please read the column at the left, left click on all of the posting titles, pictures, and underlined blue words. Please click below, on "Comments, Reactions, & Feedback", below, to read reviews, and or write your own reply. This means a great deal to me.Each box, below the date below, corresponds to the letter of your choice: A = Funny. B = Informative. C = Clever. D = Disagree. E = Excellent. F = Frivolous.1) Please place your cursor arrow onto the little white box, next to the letter, that represents your selection. 2) press down to click. 3) A check mark will then appear, showing that you have voted. The counter for that box, will increment by your one rating (#).

Saturday, July 17, 2010

She's Leaving Home


I have hugged goodbye my best Florida Friend. Elanor is leaving for MI. I am now without a fitness buddy, Graphic Design Tutor, Lunch buddy, and a dinner guest at our house for my wife and I. We, and Colbert Fluffy Lerner will miss her extremely much. We are very happy for her. I am reminded of a Beatles song missing from the calendar she helped me make. (The lyrics don't apply) It is from the most outstanding record album ever released. To the right, is a stamp that she helped me with. I have completely finished constructing my 3 final furniture pieces, and my office.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Mary and Max

For this video, you might want to pause after pressing play, come back minutes later, and press play again after it has fully uploaded.
www.andrewlerner.blogspot.com Please read the column at the left, left click on all of the posting titles, pictures, and underlined blue words. Please click below, on "Comments, Reactions, & Feedback", below, to read reviews, and or write your own reply. This means a great deal to me.Each box, below the date below, corresponds to the letter of your choice: A = Funny. B = Informative. C = Clever. D = Disagree. E = Excellent. F = Frivolous.1) Please place your cursor arrow onto the little white box, next to the letter, that represents your selection. 2) press down to click. 3) A check mark will then appear, showing that you have voted. The counter for that box, will increment by your one rating (#).

Friday, July 09, 2010

I'm Not a Jerk, I Have Aspergers

Opposing Views: I'm Not a Jerk, I Have Aspergers Opinion by bagpiper2005 (2 Hours Ago) in Health / Autism

I read this line somewhere, albeit I can’t remember where I found it, and it may be worded slightly differently than I have worded it. I think this line speaks volumes about the challenges that I as a sufferer of Aspergers face on a day-to-day basis.

I often times come across as abrasive or brash, both in my opinion editorials and in my day-to-day dealings with people, all to often to be written off as a “jerk” or an “a*******” before people really just get to know me. It’s this unfair treatment I receive that causes me to sometimes feel like an outcast. I can’t help but wonder why, though.

An estimated 1 in 91 children will be diagnosed with some form of Autism at some time in their lives. For those who are mathematically challenged, that’s greater than 1% of people walking the face of this earth have some form of Autism, and I know I’m not the only one that gets treated unfairly because of it.

So we might be a little bit challenged in the social skills department, and we might not be “normal,” but normal according to what? The DSM? Are we really going to let some board of capitalistic, money-hungry pigs determine what is “normal” and what is not? It’s nice to have an explanation, sure, but I’m against forcing anyone to be treated for anything.

Anyone who really gets to know me knows what a kind, caring, loving individual I really am beneath my “Aspie” surface. It might take me a little while to warm up to you, and for you to warm up to me, but give me a chance, will you? Just ask my students, once they get past my idiosyncrasies and come to really know me, they learn of what a dedicated, caring, talented teacher I really am.

I think all of us are a little rough around the edges in some way, and some of us more than others. Usually if I come across as being nasty, it’s not my intention to do so, and sometimes I don’t even realize I’m being mean or offensive. There is a very clear difference when I say something accidentally mean and when my intention is to all-out hurt or offend, trust me, those that really know me can tell the difference.

I’m as capable of loving, caring, and being a friend as a neurotypical, but I might not show it as well or in the same way as a neurotypical would. You have to really hang around me and get to know me to understand. All I’m asking is for you to give me a chance, and let me show what kind of a person I am below the surface. I challenge you to do that for your Aspie/Autistic neighbor today.www.andrewlerner.blogspot.com Please read the column at the left, left click on all of the posting titles, pictures, and underlined blue words. Please click below, on "Comments, Reactions, & Feedback", below, to read reviews, and or write your own reply. This means a great deal to me.Each box, below the date below, corresponds to the letter of your choice: A = Funny. B = Informative. C = Clever. D = Disagree. E = Excellent. F = Frivolous.1) Please place your cursor arrow onto the little white box, next to the letter, that represents your selection. 2) press down to click. 3) A check mark will then appear, showing that you have voted. The counter for that box, will increment by your one rating (#).

Rocks and Stones as Autism

For this video, you might want to pause after pressing play, come back minutes later, and press play again after it has fully uploaded.
www.andrewlerner.blogspot.com Please read the column at the left, left click on all of the posting titles, pictures, and underlined blue words. Please click below, on "Comments, Reactions, & Feedback", below, to read reviews, and or write your own reply. This means a great deal to me.Each box, below the date below, corresponds to the letter of your choice: A = Funny. B = Informative. C = Clever. D = Disagree. E = Excellent. F = Frivolous.1) Please place your cursor arrow onto the little white box, next to the letter, that represents your selection. 2) press down to click. 3) A check mark will then appear, showing that you have voted. The counter for that box, will increment by your one rating (#).

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Autism Computer Make Miracles

www.andrewlerner.blogspot.com Please read the column at the left, left click on all of the posting titles, pictures, and underlined blue words. Please click below, on "Comments, Reactions, & Feedback", below, to read reviews, and or write your own reply. This means a great deal to me.Each box, below the date below, corresponds to the letter of your choice: A = Funny. B = Informative. C = Clever. D = Disagree. E = Excellent. F = Frivolous.1) Please place your cursor arrow onto the little white box, next to the letter, that represents your selection. 2) press down to click. 3) A check mark will then appear, showing that you have voted. The counter for that box, will increment by your one rating (#).

Zurich: autism computer make miracles. French to English translation:
Since you said it's possible .... if everyone gets going ....
For two years, the company employs Informatik Zurich Asperger successful IT autism. Workers clear, frank and loyal, who come from better and better integrate into our digital world. By Daniel Saraga

"If you ask one of my employees," Can you close the door? ", The answer will surely" Yes ". But it will rise perhaps not to close ... "At 37, Susan Conza runs a business out of the ordinary: a computer company that uses computer Asperger syndrome, a mild form of autism. More surprisingly, it is itself an "Aspie," which does not allow himself any guess in the discussion. "My symptoms have decreased. I gradually learned to behave with normal people: when to say hello, look people in the eye. But in the heart, I am an Aspie. "

Remarkably, Conza Susan is married and mother of a boy of 17 years. The vast majority of Aspergers however appreciate the solitude and have no friends.

Founded two years ago by Susan Conza, Asperger Informatik now has six employees and is profitable. "We're not a social institution, the director insists, but a profitable company. Currently, our largest project is the creation of a portal for Invest Switzerland, an insurance broker. We also await the signing of a contract with the department of the city of Zurich. She wrote directly to the CEO of Swisscom, Sunrise, Swiss Life and Credit Suisse to offer its services. All responded.

Before tackling the webdesign, the company initially specialized in testing computer programs, a meticulous and repetitive task that is well suited for Aspergers. A similar Danish company, Specialisterne, was also tested in 2005 the Media Center in Windows XP. "Most important for our employees is to have a very stable environment and well-defined tasks. They will then work with diligence, patience and accuracy. More importantly, with total frankness. We can not lie! "And the head company added:" I have a brain of adult, but emotionally, I'm like a 5 year old child. "

Often intelligent, Aspergers prove competent in technical fields such as mechanics and computer science, the arts and in language. Some work for newspapers such as markers, but most often the problems are stress-related studies and careers fail. The unexpected stress very quickly and an Aspie can completely paralyze it.

In Zurich, the organization of work is very precise. Every employee knows what he will do during the day, each cabinet is clearly labeled and offices without telephones. On the door a sign: "Please do not disturb! Use e-mail please. "Is the price to pay to work with people meticulous, but often fragile.

The company has two Zurich "neurotypiques" - the nickname that the Aspie give normal people: the father-director and a person responsible for human resources and project management. It also assists employees when they visit clients to avoid problems that would not work, such as large offices where people spend too much.

"We fail to understand body language, innuendo and metaphors. Ambiguity destabilises us: everything must be clear, true or false. The emergence of the Internet helps a lot: we are more comfortable communicating by e-mail by phone. "Aspie The use online forums and the web to quench their thirst for knowledge, often compulsively. "We are very well suited to the digital world and I have already asked if we do not represent a new step in the evolution of mankind ..." smiles Susan Conza that does not lack humor or charm. This perception of the world very strict binary and also points strongly computers that only work with zeros and ones, and never with two figures.

"Our comprehensive franchise can rush - if an Aspie think a leader is wrong, he will tell him. Without arrogance, but bluntly ... I am convinced that this sincerity and creativity could make a difference to politics and business. "It is surprise to dream: a world where the calculations of politicians and business friendships leave room for direct exchanges, frank and unequivocal ... But what business is really ready to look the truth in the face? Fear of solitude, mendacity, hypersensitivity to the emotions and denial of reality: neurotypiques also presenting their small defects. But contrary to the aspirations, they never admit to.


Monday, July 05, 2010

Having Aspergers Does Not Make Me Less of a Person

Opinion by bagpiper2005 (1 Day Ago) in Health / Autism

It's something I've hidden from the world for several years since I first found out at age 14. A couple of years ago I decided to be bold and come out with it, and now I wear the label with a badge. I don't try to hide it, and in some ways I'm grateful for it. What is that thing, you ask? I'll tell you: it's Asperger Syndrome.

Yes folks, I'm an Aspie, and I don't really care who knows it. If you want to use it to somehow blackmail me, you are more than welcome to do so. If you want to write me off as a person you don't want to know or just a weirdo, you are free to do that also. Do what you want with me, knowing the label. However, I challenge you to think long and hard about what you're doing.

What if you'd written off some of history's most prominent and influential figures for having Aspergers? Who would you have written off? Let's see if you recognize some of the names on this list: Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Emily Dickinson, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Isaac Newton, Hans Christian Anderson.

You can't deny the influence all of the above people had, and there are a lot of clinical psychologists that expect these people and so many more influential historical figures would have been labeled Aspergers (or at the very least somewhere on the spectrum of Pervasive Developmental Disorders). What if you wrote them off? How would the world be different today? Would we be as advanced in the sciences as we are? Would the arts have been pushed as far as they have? What about the great literary works of the authors mentioned? How would the world be without them?

Sure, I have Aspergers. I'm socially awkward and I'm just downright eccentric, and I know it. I might come off as abrasive or brash even. You might have better social skills than I do, but I can bet I can out-math your butt any-day. Asperger Syndrome is the cause of my brilliant mind in addition to my social inadequacies. It's both a curse and a blessing all at the same time, and I'm no less of a person than you are because of it.

It's time to wake up and embrace Neurodiversity. By the end of the day, I'm just as much of a person, and I'm every bit as good as a neurotypical.

This is a quote from the above author's page: "bagpiper2005 US aka LG Blair Pocatello, ID

Accept nothing, question everything.

What about me do you want to know? I'm a graduate student in mathematics and a teaching assistant in my mathematics department, intactivist, American anti-patriot soon to be an ex-pat, gay rights supporter, atheist/UU, and Aspie. I think that's about all there is to me"

His description of himself is so much like I would describe myself. The only exception I see is that I am a dual undergraduate in Electronic Media Content Design. Anti-Patriot: Someone, like myself, who believes that the ideas of nationalism and patriotism are corrosive to society and make citizens blind to what the government or leaders are doing.

www.andrewlerner.blogspot.com Please read the column at the left, left click on all of the posting titles, pictures, and underlined blue words. Please click below, on "Comments, Reactions, & Feedback", below, to read reviews, and or write your own reply. This means a great deal to me.Each box, below the date below, corresponds to the letter of your choice: A = Funny. B = Informative. C = Clever. D = Disagree. E = Excellent. F = Frivolous.1) Please place your cursor arrow onto the little white box, next to the letter, that represents your selection. 2) press down to click. 3) A check mark will then appear, showing that you have voted. The counter for that box, will increment by your one rating (#).

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Autism Training Bill in Massachusetts

Autism training for law enforcement and corrections officers is an important way to educate those who serve the community, so that both autistic people and criminal justice professionals are better informed and better able to have positive interactions with another.

In Massachusetts, I have authored a bill which would mandate autism training for law enforcement and corrections officers. House No. 4811, relative to the curriculum taught at the municipal police training schools, which is "An Act relative to the criminal justice training regarding persons with an autism spectrum disorder" is currently with the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. It was referred to this committee last week, with both the House and Senate concurring. The primary legislative sponsor is State Rep. Katherine Clark.

It must be released from this committee in order to progress in the legislative process. Please write, phone, and email the the members of the Committee respectfully asking for the bill to be released. For email, you will need to visit http://www.mass.gov/legis/comm/j22.htm and individually navigate to the committee member's page.

Here are some talking points for your letters, emails, and phone calls:

- 1 in 91 people have an autism spectrum disorder.
- People with autism are 7 times more like than typical people to have an encounter with police.
- People with autism are particularly vulnerable to be victims of crime.
- People with autism have communication difficulties that can impair their ability to respond appropriately to police.
- People with autism are very susceptible to common interrogation techniques because they take language literally.
- People with autism are at extreme risk of abuse in correctional facilities.
- There is very little training regularly offered for police or correction officers in Massachusetts.
- Being informed about autism can reduce the number of unfortunate incidents by educating police and correction officers to better equip them to handle such situations.
- Educating police about autism helps ensure the safety of both autistic citizens and our police.

Here are links concerning the bill. Blessings and peace, Lydia M. X. Z. Brown

http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/186/ht04pdf/ht04811.pdf (PDF of the bill, original text)
http://www.mass.gov/legis/comm/j22.htm (legislative tracking system)
http://pdfcast.org/download/autism-training-and-criminal-justice-fact-sheet.pdf

FACEBOOK: 8/1/10: Lydia Marie XinZhen Brown Hi, saw your blog post with my letter about the autism training bill. Unfortunately, it was killed yesterday in committee and I will be refiling in January.


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