I’m not a box.  I don’t think in one or outside of one because with autism/Asperger’s, the thinking runs through a different maze in the brain than neuro-typical people.  Oh, I haven’t a study to quote to “prove” this, because the proof is all in my head.

Before I was diagnosed (as an adult) I knew, and other people said, that my thinking was unusual.  I spent time analyzing how I think and mentally observing myself thinking.

“Observing” is the right word, not “hear” or “knowing” or “feeling” because I see my thoughts in pictures.  Temple Grandin had it right with the title of her famous book, Thinking in Pictures.  Often I don’t see the thoughts as they are coming together, but the end result is always a visual.  I’ll give examples.

I go to an adult spelling bee once in a while at the 331 Club in Minneapolis.  The emcee always calls me The Speed Speller because I spell the word so quickly.  The reason is that I see the word in my head then just read off the letters.

Doing art is a passion of mine I wish I could indulge in more.  I already see in my mind what the next picture is going to look like, even with the new medium I will be using.  When I do the art, it’s like connecting the dots or paint by numbers on a blank canvas.  It’s very satisfying to see with my eyes what I have enjoyed in my mind.

When the concept of mind mapping became popular in the eighties, it made sense to me because I already thought that way.  People said I was creative with my wild ideas that worked.  I didn’t put two and two together because it didn’t happen that way in my mind.  read more »

See the CNN video that inspired this post.

"When you hear a sound, your brain responds.  When the child with autism hears a sound, their brain responds too, but a little bit later.  What we're seeing is a...split-second delay in recognizing that sound,"  Tim Roberts says.

Ms. Chetry asks, "How does that play out in how children with autism learn and communicate?"

"What happens is that as speech becomes more complicated, we have more and more sounds building up, and these delays cascade on each other leading to a difficulty in perceiving or recognizing the word."

Can you imagine how long it took me to transcribe the above sentences from the video?  I had to see, hear, understand, translate into a visual of the word in my head, type what I saw, while still hearing more, and more, and more! going in.

I was lost after three to five words each time I tried, so I played the video in a different window so I could just listen and type without seeing the heads moving, but the delay in my mind was just too much, and it all became garbled in my brain.  I didn't understand the sentence and didn't "see" the words in my head.  I had no clue what they were saying.  I was so quickly lost.

My typing speed is not the issue.  My preferred form of communication is email, and I write every day, so my typing speed is incredibly fast.  So, I tried another approach based on my experience.

One Source of Input
 read more »

Inventor wrote, “In school aspie is called nerd, at work, the boss.” This quote is from a discussion on WrongPlanet.net about business owners with Autism and Asperger’s.  As it turns out, for some, “Nerds Rule!” is not just a saying.

Mary, my social networking guru, sparked this post (I’ll get to her in a minute.) when she sent me this link:  Autistic Traits: A Plus for Many Careers (I like the punny humor in that.) where Lisa Jo Rudy wrote, “But autistic people aren’t typical. And neither are the careers for which they’re ALREADY good candidates.”

Then I remembered the episode of House I watched where the “radical” doctor with long hair, a guitar, and tattoos was not hired because, to paraphrase House, the only radical kids were the ones who spent hours in the library studying while the popular kids were out partying.

You have to grow a tough skin to put up with the ostracizing from other kids.  Now, I have friends because high school is long gone.  I also have a business and I’m the boss.  Why?  I invented The Cozy Calm Weighted Blanket.

I’m not unusual.  Evidently, it’s common enough for people with autism and Asperger’s to be self-employed or own businesses.  I have no stats for this, just the accumulated knowledge from being on a lot of Asperger’s and Autism boards for adults–something I noticed.  read more »

"I was being metaphorical about the heart and you just got all confused and just couldn't relate," John smiled as he said it.  We were talking about Saturday night after we got home from an evening out.  I remember I had started explaining why the heart and mind act that way because of chemical processes that go on in the mind and body.

Then he started laughing so hard!  I wasn't offended because he never laughs AT me, just with me.  But, I had no clue what was so funny.  He just reached over and cupped my cheek in his hand and kissed me.  He said, "Yup.  I'm Captain Kirk and you're Mr. Spock," still chuckling.

Then I continued, "Yes, I suppose I'm a combination of Mr. Spock and Data."

"Who?"

"Data, from The Next Generation."

He laughed again, "Sorry, love, I am not up on my sci-fi like you are."  I realized what he was talking about and I thought, "OMG, am I the stereotype of a geek where from a lot of these Asperger's online tests came from?"

I said, "You know, love, I've actually had a secret desire to go to a Star Trek convention and dress up and the whole bit, but there are too many people there."

He started laughing even harder.  Again, he was NOT laughing at me.  It's a common joke between us that I do NOT want to go to the Minnesota State Fair every year like he does with the kids because the sheer dizzying cacophony and visual flashes just kill me to the point that I have to leave, and NOW.  It's an extremely serious issue for me, but we laugh about it to take the edge off and to show that he accepts me the way I am.  We laugh because he knows never to ask me to go to the State Fair or any other super-crowded venues.  read more »

This is how a little on how my autistic mind thinks…

I just had a talk with my daughter about how she grew up with a parent with Asperger’s Syndrome (on the autism spectrum).  After looking at her like she was an alien (fascinated) and saying, “I don’t get it” and asking pointed questions until she would inevitably say, “Other people just know,” I thought of toddlers.

Toddlers do parallel play.  The play happily beside each other, not solo, and not group play.  I’m like that with John, my partner of many years; we’re never physically far apart, yet our minds will be preoccupied with something that we’re intent on, and he’s not even an Aspie (person with Asperger’s), just the self-assured, focused, independent type.  We even both work from home, but in separate offices.

I looked up “parallel play” while my daughter was downstairs on the computer and I ran across this The New Yorker article, by Tim Page, named, surprise, surprise, “Parallel Play.”  I was slightly miffed, yet not surprised that someone else thought of it first.  That happens a lot.  I suppose an idea is only considered brilliant if you think of it first.  Maybe I’m just slow compared to the people who think of things first?  Maybe every person thinks of things that have already been thought of?  Is this a generational thing where future generations are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past?

I went on in this line of thought for a while then started reading the article.  Yes, an article about the author’s Asperger’s Syndrome.  I decided that it would spur a great deal of blog posts based on the clarity of the article.  I could personalize his personalizations of Asperger’s.  I suppose that is hardly a unique idea either.  read more »

$10 off coupon for adult weighted blankets at http://www.cozycalm.com

Good for any twin, long twin, double, or queen size.  Yes, we have grown-up colors!

Expires July 31, 09

Discount Coupon Code:  July10-A

Go to www.CozyCalm.com

I hope you like them!

 --Eileen.

You can help your child with autism lower their stress level with some simple rules about family TV watching.

As a child and now an adult with autism and sensory processing disorder, I know that TV can be stressful to the point of jumping, tears, anger, confusion, and other reactions.   As an adult, I have learned to contain some of my reaction in front of others, but children don’t necessarily have that regulation built in yet.   Also, while watching TV, I will start to feel upset. I often don’t realize what is bothering me early on, but I have learned to identify my own signs.

When my hubby and his kids are talking and watching sports, I have to leave the room, close the door, and go away because my aggravation from the sound continues to elevate until it boils.

A child may not know that they can leave the room to a quieter place.  A family member may even tell the child to stay in that room or the TV may be audible throughout the house, so the child has no escape from the sound.  With the noises from the TV, the child’s irritability can climb all day.

Here are some TV rules that could make your child’s life much more relaxed:  read more »

I first tried a weighted blanket in Sensory Integration Therapy.  My occupational therapist recommended that I get one, so I did--five times.  But, with my sensory issues and my autistic sense, none of them were "right" so I designed my own.

They became popular so I made an online store and started selling them at Cozy Calm.  People buy them (a lot!) so they can relax, get to sleep, and stay asleep.  The deep pressure from our weighted blankets called proprioceptive input, induces the brain to produce serotonin and dopamine (the calming chemicals) and melatonin (the sleep chemical).

Features:

• Machine wash and dry
• Even weight distribution
• Soft
• Professionally sewn
• High-quality fabrics
• Inner liner for strength
• The filling is plastic beads that come from an American company (for safety)
• They're gorgeous!

You can see them in my store: Cozy Calm

You can contact me directly at e@cozycalm.com or at 763-533-6125.

I hope you like them!

--Eileen.