Neurodiversity

[Andrew, Jr.]

Hiya StoneFinn!

[Jess]

Driving back home a little while ago, I got to catch the Fresh Air interview with Temple Grandin. What an amazing spirit! I recorded the HBO special for Christie and I to watch. I look forward to it even more now.

Hope everyone gets to catch it!

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010...bable_jou.html this is the fresh air interview!

[Andrew, Jr.]

Thank you Jess. I don't have HBO, but I will look for it on that youtube.

You are the bomb!

Love,
Andrew

[StoneFinn]

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

Hiya StoneFinn!

Heya Andrew Thank you, and you can call me finn or even han (tattooed_han)....

[Apocalipstic]

Hi there!

I was diagnosed with AS after suspecting it for a while a year or so ago...or maybe two, I am spun and not thinking clearly.

I really enjoyed the thread on the other website and will read all of this one and come back to chat!

Thank you Urs and Belle!

[suebee]

Cross-posting this from the animal rescue thread. It's an interview with Temple Grandin - some of the same quotes have already been posted here. It's a great insight into the different ways we perceive, process and use information. The interview is here.

I know I'm often puzzled by the way people perceive my words. At times I'm much more aware and able to communicate in a way that's easily heard. At other times I'm truly surprised at others' reactions, and the way I perceive others.

Life. It's a learning process. *sigh*

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by cybersuebee

Cross-posting this from the animal rescue thread. It's an interview with Temple Grandin - some of the same quotes have already been posted here. It's a great insight into the different ways we perceive, process and use information. The interview is here.

I know I'm often puzzled by the way people perceive my words. At times I'm much more aware and able to communicate in a way that's easily heard. At other times I'm truly surprised at others' reactions, and the way I perceive others.

Life. It's a learning process. *sigh*

I am very amazed at how people perceive what I say, especially recently.

Life has been in an uproar for the past year or so, and I just can't seem to get calmed down and organized and back in my groove.

I will write or say things, and while it can seem quite clear to me, the opposite of what I am trying to say is perceived.....

I feel pretty lost and overwhelmed and sensitive.

When I am in meltdown, I have to cut the tags out of all my clothes, wear soft things, make sure my hair is not pulling, control sounds and light around me, even the scent.

I am going to order the sensitive book, maybe that will give me more ideas on how to cope.

Loving this thread.

[violaine]

lovely jen,

hallo

one of the most slaying situations ever for me is when i'm feeling open/vulnerable and seeking further clarification, but the response i receive is so over-the-top-over-correcting as if i'm being unkind! [then, to make matters worse, i cannot handle trying to figure out/deal with other possible angry behavioural issues all connected to the perceived need to 'over-correct' me in the first place !]. wears me out! why not just ask for more information before of lashing out?

whatever i said open/vulnerable becomes overlooked, and the person has seen me in a bad light, and is responding in a way that does not compute. sometimes trying to make the situation better for others sure narrows my own freedom to express verbally or emotionally a full range. that gets frustrating.

ps- my close aspie friend andrew just apologies mostly for misunderstandings. i would prefer to have dialogue and understand/be understood whenever possible.

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by violaine

lovely jen,

hallo

one of the most slaying situations ever for me is when i'm feeling open/vulnerable and seeking further clarification, but the response i receive is so over-the-top-over-correcting as if i'm being unkind! [then, to make matters worse, i cannot handle trying to figure out/deal with other possible angry behavioural issues all connected to the perceived need to 'over-correct' me in the first place !]. wears me out! why not just ask for more information before of lashing out?

whatever i said open/vulnerable becomes overlooked, and the person has seen me in a bad light, and is responding in a way that does not compute. sometimes trying to make the situation better for others sure narrows my own freedom to express verbally or emotionally a full range. that gets frustrating.

ps- my close aspie friend andrew just apologies mostly for misunderstandings. i would prefer to have dialogue and understand/be understood whenever possible.

I have been experiencing this lately, being singled out as being unkind or pitting people against each other, when if I read the posts they make logical sense to me and the last think I want is to be unkind.

Am trying to not be so direct and short, but that seems to get me in even more trouble.

Sometimes I just apologize. But my friends all say I apologize way too much and that gets on people's nerves too. The other day, I walked into the kitchen and said to Cynthia "I apologize for anything I may have ever done or may ever do to irritate you".

I don't know.

[Kimbo]

Apocalipstic I am very curious about how you came about being diagnosed later in life. I have been really struggling for quite some time now, because I am in full blown butch-o-pause everything is getting blamed on that. I read in here and am amazed at how much I relate to things. I know that many are diagnosed earlier in life. I have ADD, diagnosed by my clinical Dr but I am considering seeing a Psychiatrist. When I had my physical last month my Dr again keeps wanting to prescribe meds for some of the pausal symptoms I am having but every time I do something like this is makes my head worse. I have lost much of my reading comprehension, my thought process is really garbled, I struggle communicating and keeping my head from going in circles and if I am tired, forget communication. This is really becoming an issue for me—and the frustration I feel trying to communicate just makes things worse and adds to my anxiety level. My retention of data is nonexistent and people often have to tell me things several times before it sticks in the ol’ gray matter. It feels like I am losing the battle. How did your diagnosis come about and by who, if I may ask? I do IT for a living—data and detail are mandatory parts of my job and I’m really struggling at work and they have noticed. I went from getting the employee of the month 3 months in a row to the worst evaluation I’ve had in 30+ years of employment.

I don’t mind taking meds if needed but I need to know that I am taking the right meds for what is going on in my head—taking meds normally given to treat people with bipolar for my night sweats just doesn’t seem right. Due to past health issues I am unable to take any HRT but I see the impact of my hormones on my ADD and really I am wondering if there isn’t something deeper in my brain that should be evaluated. When I spoke with my Dr about this her response was—call your insurance company and see what they say. That response was quite frustrating to me.

I’m very curious as to how you all came about your diagnosis.

And the apologizing thing---oy vey! Raising my hand!

[Apocalipstic]

Originally Posted by Kimbo

Apocalipstic I am very curious about how you came about being diagnosed later in life. I have been really struggling for quite some time now, because I am in full blown butch-o-pause everything is getting blamed on that. I read in here and am amazed at how much I relate to things. I know that many are diagnosed earlier in life. I have ADD, diagnosed by my clinical Dr but I am considering seeing a Psychiatrist. When I had my physical last month my Dr again keeps wanting to prescribe meds for some of the pausal symptoms I am having but every time I do something like this is makes my head worse. I have lost much of my reading comprehension, my thought process is really garbled, I struggle communicating and keeping my head from going in circles and if I am tired, forget communication. This is really becoming an issue for me—and the frustration I feel trying to communicate just makes things worse and adds to my anxiety level. My retention of data is nonexistent and people often have to tell me things several times before it sticks in the ol’ gray matter. It feels like I am losing the battle. How did your diagnosis come about and by who, if I may ask? I do IT for a living—data and detail are mandatory parts of my job and I’m really struggling at work and they have noticed. I went from getting the employee of the month 3 months in a row to the worst evaluation I’ve had in 30+ years of employment.

I don’t mind taking meds if needed but I need to know that I am taking the right meds for what is going on in my head—taking meds normally given to treat people with bipolar for my night sweats just doesn’t seem right. Do to past health issues I am unable to take any HRT but I see the impact of my hormones on my ADD and really I am wondering if there isn’t something deeper in my brain that should be evaluated. When I spoke with my Dr about this her response was—call your insurance company and see what they say. That response was quite frustrating to me.

I’m very curious as to how you all came about your diagnosis.

And the apologizing thing---oy vey! Raising my hand!

I began to research after my G/F pointed out how much I fall. She wondered if something was wrong. Things just jump out of my hands and off shelves around me. As I read I noticed other things like I have ticks and stims (like flapping when I get overwhelmed or rubbing my thumb and index fingers together in circles and other things.)

A Urologist suggested it might be MS, based on some other symptoms and I visited an neurologist who thought it might be just being fat or could be neurological. I then visited a psychiatrist who had me take some tests and talk for a really long time (hours) with a Nurse Practitioner and together they thought based on my past and so forth that AS. fibromialgia and PTSD might be the explanation (I had been diagnosed with PTSD in my 20's).

It did not seem like a very exact science for me and to be honest, I am still unsure if that is an accurate diagnosis. I sort of think everyone is at a different place on the neurological scale and we all experience things differently.

I do take medication and have found it very helpful. I also have significantly changed my footwear and clothing which helps with stability/mobility and am in therapy. I'm sure being Butch you have not been wearing unstable shoes, but for me it was a huge deal to change to solid sensible footwear (ugh).

Without medication I am a huge mess.

I hope this helps, feel free to ask me anything on this thread or in PM.

[violaine]

[QUOTE=Kimbo;57798][COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=teal]
I don’t mind taking meds if needed but I need to know that I am taking the right meds for what is going on in my head—taking meds normally given to treat people with bipolar for my night sweats just doesn’t seem right. Due to past health issues I am unable to take any HRT but I see the impact of my hormones on my ADD and really I am wondering if there isn’t something deeper in my brain that should be evaluated. When I spoke with my Dr about this her response was—call your insurance company and see what they say. That response was quite frustrating to me.

I’m very curious as to how you all came about your diagnosis.

And the apologizing thing---oy vey! Raising my hand!



hallo dear kimbo!

i was diagnosed many years ago by an ASD expert in her field, and the medication i take has been wellbutrin xl 150 one time a day, forever. this one helps take the edge off anxiety. i'm drug [chemically] sensitive, and do not tolerate very meds in general.

hope you have a stellar weekend ~~> <~~ for your bella kitty

more links:

http://www.proedinc.com/customer/pro...?idCategory=11


http://autismbulletin.blogspot.com/2...better-on.html

http://www.enotalone.com/article/6866.html

This team generally includes a psychologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist, and additional professionals who have expertise in diagnosing children with AS.

The comprehensive evaluation includes neurologic and genetic assessment, with in-depth cognitive and language testing to establish IQ and evaluate psychomotor function, verbal and non-verbal strengths and weaknesses, style of learning, and independent living skills. An assessment of communication strengths and weaknesses includes evaluating non-verbal forms of communication (gaze and gestures); the use of non-literal language (metaphor, irony, absurdities, and humor); patterns of inflection, stress and volume modulation; pragmatics (turn-taking and sensitivity to verbal cues); and the content, clarity, and coherence of conversation. The physician will look at the testing results and combine them with the child’s developmental history and current symptoms to make a diagnosis.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/a...l_asperger.htm

*asperger syndrome is on a spectrum- not all of the behaviours will look the same/manifest in everyone * several of them kill me - like lack of empathy, and/or obsessions. i have interests, thank you

[Outlaw]

Originally Posted by Kimbo

[COLOR=black][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=teal].....I have lost much of my reading comprehension, my thought process is really garbled, I struggle communicating and keeping my head from going in circles and if I am tired, forget communication. This is really becoming an issue for me—and the frustration I feel trying to communicate just makes things worse and adds to my anxiety level. My retention of data is nonexistent and people often have to tell me things several times before it sticks in the ol’ gray matter. It feels like I am losing the battle. How did your diagnosis come about and by who, if I may ask?

I would encourage anyone who has medical/psychiatric/cognitive/neurological concerns to do some internet research on Lyme disease. Folks with Lyme are often misdiagnosed with a plethora of other diseases and syndromes that don't quite fit and therefore delay diagnosis and the onset of treatment. Lyme is often called the great imitator because upon initial consultation, it can present like MS, ALS, Depression/Anxiety/OCD, ADD, Fibro, Mono, Chronic Fatigue etc.

Keep an open mind, as most people with Lyme don't recall ever getting bit by a tic and as few as 35% report Lyme's "signature" bullseye rash. If the bull's-eye rash (erythema migrans) does appear, it can present years after getting bit and infected

Here are a few links to get you started: Lyme MD,
Canadian Lyme Fundation, and the NIH

There is a lot of information out there and it can be overwhelming, there is also a considerable amount of controversy around diagnosis and treatment. If I can be of any support in the process, or if you're interested in more information and inks I have found helpful, please PM me.

O