MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'assumptions'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:28:31 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5077769&cid=t_105439_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F29%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-july-29-2011%2F I think I was about 10 years old when I was astounded by my teacher writing the word “ass” on the chalkboard. She asked the class, “Do you know what assume means? It’s to make an ass out of you and me.” I didn’t get it until years later. But the phrase stuck with me. I think about it every time I wrongly assume an ambivalent email is a slight or a lack of a response is a rejection. Unconsciously, I take one misunderstanding and assume the worse. As Alanis Morissette says in her song So Unsexy, “One forgotten phone call and I’m deflated.” Often our assumptions trigger something in us that makes us feel less than. Mark Lesser of Accomplishing More by Doing Less says triggers, “can be survival patterns from past experiences, or habit... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5077769 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:22:06 +0100 5077769 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008305&cid=t_105439_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F08%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-july-8-2011%2F The stories you tell yourself about yourself are probably not only untrue, but could be hazardous to your health. This is particularly the case where those “stories” are negative and unconscious. I’ll share a personal story to explain what I mean. When I was about 8 or 9 years old, my dad got laid-off from his job. In order to collect unemployment, he needed to show he was actively searching for a job. One week he applied for a job as a courtesy clerk for a local supermarket. He didn’t think he would actually get it nor did he really want it. He assumed being in his thirties and working in management positions prior made him overqualified. But surprise, surprise, he got the job anyway. He remembers it as one of the most embarrassing days of his life and was a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008305 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 09:17:44 +0100 5008305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3316211&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D419 As I was reading another email thread about what autistics can and can’t do, I was reminded that this is a key way our views or discredited. The means of discrediting is simple: if the autistic person doesn’t follow the stereotype the other person has of an autistic person (or Real Autistic if you prefer), then they aren’t actually autistic. Thus, what they say is irrelevant and can be ignored. Ironically, often the people who want us ignored because we aren’t autistic are also not autistic themselves – but somehow that gets ignored. After all, once we’re discredited, we are supposed to have no more say in the argument. It’s the height of hypocrisy. It becomes a frustrating place to be, once dismissed as a “true autistic”. I can only im... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3316211 Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:12:13 +0100 3316211 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243815&cid=t_105439_107_f&fid=35026&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FTheTreeOfLife%2F%7E3%2FuU8cahcuquQ%2Feureka-moment-but-not-of-good-kind.html Well, today I had one of those eureka moments that scientists all around the world crave.  You know, where all of a sudden you find out something that causes you to re-evaluate all sorts of aspects of the world you thought you knew.  I have had some of these, here and there before.  Sometimes even about my own work.  More often, when I read a paper or go to a talk that presents some major breakthrough that you just know is going to win a Nobel Prize one day. I spent part of Thursday talking to some people about this exact type of thing in science.  I was answering some questions from some high school students about why one likes doing research and I said one reason is that such eureka moments can happen (mostly I said science was just fun but also said there are s... The Tree of Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243815 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:33:36 +0100 3243815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3243964&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D430 I came upon two very interesting articles today. In the first one, some European researchers have discovered a new way to communicate with people who cannot speak. These researchers have discovered that some patients in a “vegetative state” (that is, awake but not conscious, according to doctors) are in fact conscious and even aware of their surroundings. These findings reinforce my belief that we know far too little about the brain to determine what “vegetative” states are really a lack of consciousness. Even more frightening is the closing paragraph of the article: “She said the hospital did a study of 60 patients admitted with a diagnosis of vegetative state and 43% could communicate.” This is a British hospital, which, in theory, isn’t motivate... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3243964 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:15:01 +0100 3243964 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3200617&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D428 Apparently, to be “fully” autistic, one must meet the new diagnostic criteria – one must be unsuccessful and unhappy. I know this isn’t in any of the official criteria, but it does seem to be in many people’s unofficial criteria. In their eyes, autism is so horrible that nobody with autism could actually be enjoying life, successful at a job, etc. Maybe someone with only “traits” or who is “Asperger’s” rather than autistic could, but not someone who is a real autistic (not my beliefs – I am repeating theirs). Kind of convenient, huh? If you can’t be happy or successful, then it wouldn’t particularly matter if you received good services. It wouldn’t matter if your education was worthwhile. It wouldn’t ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3200617 Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:16:28 +0100 3200617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3048173&cid=t_105439_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F12%2F02%2Fbelieve-in-you%2F What do you see when you look at yourself in the mirror? Do you feel confident or do you shrink away from it as soon as you can? Do you experience positive or neutral self-talk or do you start to notice doubt whispering or screaming at you? How you answer those questions helps to determine how you feel about yourself. The key to confidence is believing in you. So what exactly is doubt? Doubt is thinking about yourself in a negative, vulnerable way or thinking you’re not equipped to handle things when the facts show otherwise. Doubt causes you to stop actively participating in life and enjoying the world around you because you get stuck in your own head. You get bogged down internally by self-criticism, second-guessing, and analyzing the unlikely less than favorable outcomes of situa... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3048173 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:33:02 +0100 3048173 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2287237&cid=t_105439_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F03%2F20%2Fdepression-they-just-dont-get-it%2F I’ve learned in 12-step support groups that if you decide to share something important with a loved one, or try to mend a broken relationship, you should do so without any expectation of a response. I wish I had followed that advice the day I sent a family member an incredibly personal piece that I wrote about my severe depression (suicidal thoughts and all), and the first moments of dawn, hoping that it would make us closer. Her response was one word: “Thanks.” I felt like Princess Leia in “Star Wars” when she cries out to Han Solo (before he leaves for some empire war): “I love you!” And he says back, “I know!” But part of my disappointment was my own fault. I sent the piece to her with an agenda. This is what I wanted to hear: &#82... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2287237 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:08:02 +0100 2287237 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1905989&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D354 I’ve noticed a trend among some people who have autism, other disability, or even illness. The trend is trying to equate “severity” with “suffering”. The illogic is pretty simple: “If this condition really affected you, you would be miserable. If it affects you more than me, it will make you more miserable than I am.” Yet, this is clearly not the case. Different people respond differently. If I make jokes, am happy, or, conversely, let you know how miserable I feel, that doesn’t really tell you if I’m in pain or not. What it tells you is how I feel emotionally - maybe. But it is possible for some people to feel good emotionally while dealing with severe discrimination, pain, or other problem - that doesn’t make the discrimination ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1905989 Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:15:52 +0100 1905989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1895060&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D353 Autism ain’t: - Different from Asperger’s - Just another word for “geek” - Something that makes us superior - A horrible condition - A prison sentence - A guarantee of loneliness - Another word for “unemployable” - Worse than death - A reason to pity someone - A made-up excuse to get our way - Completely different, needing different advocacy than other disabilities - More stigmatizing than anything else - The end of someone’s life There are probably tons more. Feel free to add them as comments. (Source: NTs Are Weird) NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1895060 Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:33:10 +0100 1895060 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1825841&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D320 A while ago, I took an online course on defensive driving that my workplace requires. Supposedly this type of course lowers accident rates (I’d love to see proof of that), which is a good goal I suppose. However, I suspect the real reason for the course is so that a lawyer from my organization can simply say, “We have a comprehensive defensive driving program” should we ever get sued after an accident…but I digress… A key part of the course is an online “assessment” to determine whether or not I possess the critical defensive driving skills that were being taught to me. There was just one problem: the assessment was incredibly badly designed. For instance, it asks, “what is defensive driving?” Does it matter? Does knowing the definition... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1825841 Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:36:12 +0100 1825841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1815387&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D224 A very common question on online forums with US autistic people is whether or not an autistic person can or should be excused from jury duty. In other words, are we good jurors? I’ve served once, although I have been called twice (the other time, the defendant failed to show up, so we were all dismissed). The one I served on was for a relatively short criminal trial (one day), with about 6 hours of deliberations (we couldn’t agree for quite a while). It was a tough job, but one that I felt as prepared and able to do as I imagine others on the jury felt - that is, realizing it is very serious work and we are fallible humans, but realizing equally that everyone else is too. One of the common concerns autistic people have is that we are bad at reading facial expression. This isn&#... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1815387 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:39:35 +0100 1815387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1711784&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D334 I got through reading a bunch of comments to a news story, regarding whether or not people with disabilities should be able to be part of society (the “main” society, not some sub-part hidden behind walls). In the end, it was clear: there are two views. The first is that the human race has a duty to everyone to at least try to find a place for people that allows inclusion, not segregation, from society. The second is that this duty only exists while it isn’t upsetting or inconvenient. This second view is often justified on the basis of “safety”. I am constantly amazed how non-violence acts can be treated as if they were violent, simply because someone says, “Well, they do scare me, and I have a right to not be scared.” Actually, no, you don’t... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1711784 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:57:37 +0100 1711784 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1635153&cid=t_105439_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F338509003%2Fbe_careful_your_brain_hides_re.html You could say the brain has a mind of its own when it comes to configuring conditions to match its own set expectations. That tendency becomes especially dangerous whenever it infiltrates any organization. When should you care about this mental idiosyncrasy?1. When you imagine a fellow worker gossips about you.2. When you avoid paying bills out of fear your money will run out.3. When you see yourself skinnier, fatter, wiser or dumber than others see you.4. When you perceive others gain favors that you deserve more.5. When you limit your ability for success or promotions.Along with your brain’s task of creating patterns out of chaos … comes its related roles of tuning out some behaviors to make sense of others. can you see how a brain's tricks can limit an entire ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1635153 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:52:07 +0100 1635153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1536716&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D326 Every year, an Ugly Dog Contest is held. This year’s pick?  A one-eyed, three-legged dog. One might ask…what does this say about people’s view of disability? If a dog was picked for this based on what sex the dog was, I suspect it wouldn’t be nearly as funny to many people. Interesting. That said, personally I think the pick was pretty cute. (Source: NTs Are Weird) NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1536716 Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:44:04 +0100 1536716 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1478046&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D321 I’m going to officially (well, as official as this unofficial can) declare today “Break a Stereotype Day!” So, today, as you are going about your business, find a stereotype to break. It doesn’t need to be an autism-related stereotype, although it is fine if it is. It doesn’t need to be a “big” stereotype either, sometimes the small things are where the real prejudice waits. It just has to be a stereotype that people apply to people like you. Once you break one, tell someone about it - you can do so as a comment to this post if you want, but you can also write about it elsewhere or just call up a friend and talk to them about it. That way your stereotype-breaking does even more: it not only will affect people when they see you doing it, but it will... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1478046 Fri, 30 May 2008 13:38:19 +0100 1478046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1405401&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D234 Autistic people face tremendous prejudice in the world. We might not be hired by an employer, simply because we disclose we are autistic. We are bullied in school. We have to fight for our right to eat, if we dare negotiate the world of social services (our other option is often starvation). We are subject to forced, involuntary confinement - and a world that understands that, “of course”, locking more people up in institutions is a good thing (and refuses to understand that there are other ways of meeting the needs of people and society).  We aren’t believed when we tell others about our problems. We are even sometimes murdered, simply for the crime of being different. So, I don’t mean to dismiss these things - they are real examples of prejudice in the world, and... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1405401 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:33:24 +0100 1405401 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1344339&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D305 Autistic people don’t have social skills - well, that’s the conventional thinking anyhow. Of course this assumes a few things…such as the existence of a coherent group of things you can call “social skills” and the idea that “neurotypical” social skills are the only kinds of social skills. Of course nearly any autistic person knows that there are plenty of “socially skilled” neurotypicals who lack the basic skills needed to work with autistic people. Yet, if an interaction between one of these people and one of us (autistic people) goes sour, it is assumed that the problem must be the autistic person’s social skills - and almost never a lack of flexibility and social finesse on the part of the neurotypical. As for the idea that we... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1344339 Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:14:41 +0100 1344339 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1306045&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35098&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclub166.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F03%2Fdont-help-them-arrest-them.html photo credit-piccadillywilsoncreative commons licenseIf there is anyone left that hasn't read Bev's excellent post "I Am Joe's Functioning Label", I highly encourage you to do so. I think that the phenomenon that she describes, whereby people slap certain labels on others, and then make all sorts of assumptions about them, applies to a story I read.According to the online version of the Kansas City Star,The sheriff is recommending charges in the case of a western Kansas woman who sat on her boyfriend’s toilet for so long that her body became stuck to the seat.Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said Thursday he asked the county attorney to file charges against Kory McFarren for mistreatment of a dependent adult. The county attorney will decide whether any charges are brought. ...... McFarr... Club 166 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1306045 Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:26:14 +0100 1306045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1182854&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D175 There seems to be a renewed trend from people who either want autism to be cured or who want to emphasize how awful autism is (sometimes to win the “I have it worse than you” argument). They want to redefine autistic disorder and Asperger’s. So, you see, there’s something that is missing in the current criteria, something that distinguishes autism and Asperger’s, according to them. No, it isn’t the different spatial abilities that some researchers hypothesize are the difference. Nor is it the presence or absence of a speech delay early in life, as others suggest. No, it’s much simipler. Autistics are people who agree with me and I believe have autism. Aspies are people who disagree with me and whom I don’t believe have autism. (of course you ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1182854 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:43:22 +0100 1182854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1150709&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D195 There is a lie that is particularly common among my people: We need to spend time working on the things we are particularly lousy at. This sounds good, at least to an American point of view, where you have the ability to - regardless of circumstances - make your life whatever you want. Unfortunately that view isn’t quite right. The simplest way of explaining it, in the context of disability, is to ask, “Should you ask a person with no legs to practice walking, since they clearly are bad at walking?” While some would say that prosthetics could be used, and that he would benefit from practice, the reality is that someone without legs probably won’t get around most efficiently on prosthetics. He’ll probably use other means of locomotion that are much more efficie... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1150709 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:02:45 +0100 1150709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=941877&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D257 I’ve been ranting about behavioral treatment of disability (in general, not in the “ ABA” sense) for quite some time.It seems some people cannot grasp the idea that behavioral treatment only helps behavioral issues.  This creates a whole “morality” around disability that is incredibly harmful to actual disabled people.  Yes, harmful.This is a pervasive social prejudice, present in nearly every social circle.  It’s where myths such as “it’s more heroic to struggle to walk, hoping for the impossible, rather than ‘accept’ a wheelchair” come from.  It’s where myths such as, “My kid is lazy and needs to be forced to speak, so alternative communication systems will be harmful to him in the long term” come fro... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=941877 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:20:30 +0100 941877 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=907103&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D248 Okay, if it seems like I’m in a better mood than usual, I am right now. That’s kind of strange considering how worn out I am and how much stuff is going on in my life right now. But, I figure I’ll go with it. So I’ll pose a fun question to everyone: What’s the most autistic “thing” you can think of? This is meant to be humorous a bit, and it’s okay to pick something that isn’t universal to all autistics. I do hope people pick things other than diagnostic criteria! For example, I might say that a sense of justice is the most autistic thing, or that the song “Safety Dance” is very autistic or that Dr. Bashir in Star Trek Deep Space 9 is more autistic than anything else. So, what is the most autistic “thing” to you?... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=907103 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:22:14 +0100 907103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=896088&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D246 There’s a myth about autistic people (not only held by some NTs, but also sometimes held by autistics, too) - we’re one-dimensional. In other words, everything is simply a result of our autism. If we’re happy, it’s because we’re autistic and don’t know any better. If we’re sad, it’s also because we’re autistic and that’s impaired our ability to enjoy the world. If we have strong ethical standards, it’s because we’re autistic and our autism demands it. If we’re immoral, once again, it’s a result of autism which makes us unable to grasp the rules of society. People aren’t just one trait, though, not even a complex trait like autism. Sure, my autism affects my whole life - nothing I do is isolated from i... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=896088 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:14:31 +0100 896088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=886299&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D240 For the first time in about 10 years, I was asked to go with someone to a bar for a drink at the end of the day. I think for NTs (neurotypicals), especially single male NTs, this probably happens more often than once every 10 years, and it probably isn’t exactly noteworthy. For me it is. I am at a technical conference right now, and met some other attendees yesterday (I introduced myself to them - something else I’m very bad at doing). I decided to introduce myself based on the fact that I saw someone who looked like he wanted to meet someone (really - don’t ask me how I knew, since this surprises me when I can actually do it too), so I did the standard professional conference greeting - I told him my name, asked his, and then we asked each other where we work. We talked ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=886299 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:33:48 +0100 886299 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=828187&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D226 In the US, Seattle Area, the FBI is looking for men who behaved “oddly” on a ferry. While we don’t know all the details, we know that they did things such as apparently try to measure the size of various areas on a boat and studying an evacuation poster. Perhaps they did a combination of things that is not merely showing interest in the boat, but a true danger. But that certainly isn’t clear from the article. That’s a problem with society. Unusual behavior is seen as “dangerous”. I’ve talked about screaming and verbal tics before - people see someone screaming or having a verbal tic as “dangerous”, even worthy of exclusion from disability-related events, because it makes people feel unsafe. Nevermind whether or not they truly are ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=828187 Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:03:07 +0100 828187 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=791370&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D220 Tonight, I was perseverating on the US Postal Service. There’s something that appeals to this autistic about a system capable of delivering billions of parcels, mostly correctly. It’s also an incredibly complex system - think about things like rural routes, general delivery, and Army and Fleet post offices. For 41 cents, someone in the US can send a letter next door, to a homeless man, or to a solider in a war zone. It’s a pretty amazing system. As I was thinking about the post office, and how it could be interesting to work on the processes that allow mail to be delivered, I began thinking about jobs that I think may fit autistic people like myself. Of course every autistic person is different, and there is always an autistic person that is willing and able to break the ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=791370 Fri, 10 Aug 2007 04:45:14 +0100 791370 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=774188&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D219 Perhaps it is time that I receive an Autism Stereotype Violation Ticket. I spent the last couple days doing some fairly extreme multi-tasking and communication. For instance, yesterday you might have walked in my office and seen me, at the same time, deploying a system into our production environment (I was deploying six systems into production yesterday - probably a record for my organization), tending to a couple customers in my office, and talking on a cell phone while waiting on hold on my office phone, with both phones pressed against an ear. I might have been reading email in between pauses in the deployment. Very clearly, that’s “unautistic” behavior. And it is unusual for me, too. But it’s not impossible, and I can do exactly this sometimes. Contrary to the ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=774188 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 02:04:11 +0100 774188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=763049&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D215 When I was a junior software developer, I worked among some very brilliant senior developers. Every once in a while, I’d try to show off by taking ahold of something that the senior guys did that wasn’t “quite right”. I remember one piece of code I looked at. It was written in Perl, one of my strongest languages. I looked at the code, and decided that the function it performed - comparing an Oracle object with a text representation of the object - could be performed much better and more efficiently, without the minor bug that caused me to look at the code in the first place. So, rather than fixing the minor bug and moving on, I rewrote the entire routine, to show my brilliance. I managed to make it run faster, compare the objects better, and I fixed the bug while I ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=763049 Fri, 27 Jul 2007 23:06:27 +0100 763049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=735113&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D211 When you write autism-related essays about anything other than “autism is a tragedy”, you quickly find out how many people hold the “tragedy” view of autism. Sure, some autistics hold the tragedy view. But most of us don’t hold that view. The majority of people who hold the “tragedy” view are non-autistics. The most vocal of those are, sadly, parents of autistic people (yes, I know plenty of parents don’t hold that view, and this is not a post “against” parents, but rather against the views that many parents hold). When dialog is attempted between these parents and autistics who see great potential in their own lives and the lives of autistic children, the result is often pretty ugly. Besides for these parents immediately assuming... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=735113 Sun, 15 Jul 2007 02:33:23 +0100 735113 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=733825&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D210 At Autreat this year, I noticed a peculiar thing (confirmed by people who talked to me during and after Autreat). Because I’m a part-time communication device user, people assumed that when I was using my device I didn’t desire as much communication - almost as if I was wearing Autreat’s “red badge” (which tells people who have trouble reading body language that the wearer does not desire social contact). People told me that they thought I looked stressed when I was using my communication device, and felt it best (for my sake) to leave me alone. Of course what this meant is that I got left alone, due to my different body language (use of a communication device), when it was very likely that I didn’t want to be left alone. That was the reason I wore a gre... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=733825 Sat, 14 Jul 2007 01:50:41 +0100 733825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=733826&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D209 I’ll start by saying that I find both these labels a bit offensive. People simply don’t divide up this way, nor are the current ways of dividing them up into these categories all that useful. I’ve been labeled both, so I think I’m in a relatively unique position to say this. As a child, I was, initially, determined to be retarded when I started school. A lot of this probably had little to do with what I understood and how well developed my intellectual skills were, but rather how well I could communicate those skills and my knowledge. A few years later, that diagnosis was changed to “gifted,” which probably also didn’t accurately reflect my skills, knowledge, or development - it just so happened that intelligence tests happen to be one thing that I... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=733826 Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:34:09 +0100 733826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=726319&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D208 One of the things someone in the disability rights movement needs to be willing to do is to admit that someone else has some insight and an opinion which has value, even if it isn’t something you yourself came up with. Often, that insight and opinion comes from unexpected places. At Autreat, it came from the words of a young man who taught me a bit about what it means to be an autistic self-advocate. While I surely have some of the specifics slightly wrong, essentially Drew told his mother that she shouldn’t just use autism in a negative way. Drew’s mother (a great ally to autistic people) understood and accepted what Drew had to say - I hope that everyone reading this blog will, too. The problem is that we often use the word “autism” to explain to others why ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=726319 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 01:10:33 +0100 726319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=719844&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D206 Yet again I heard someone use the description of bathroom (American for the room with the toilet) behavior as a difference between the sexes that needs to be taught to autistic people, especially boys. This was an illustration of the point that social skills for men and women are different (true), but unfortunately the rigid example chosen fails the “reality” test. The example is, basically, that men don’t talk in a public bathroom with each other, unlike women. 99% of the time, it’s a woman who says this, which is probably the reason for the simplification. Well, as a man, let me say this simply isn’t true. While I have no idea what women do in bathrooms, or what is up with the pack of women going into a bathroom together, I will say that men do talk in bathr... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=719844 Sun, 08 Jul 2007 01:56:05 +0100 719844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=716644&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D204 First, a bit of definition. When I say “alternative communication user”, I’m talking about anyone that uses a non-typical form of communication for a given situation, not just speech generating devices (SGDs). So someone that uses pen and pencil, someone who gestures, someone who uses PECS, etc, would all be alternative communication users. So would I, as I use gestures, speech generating devices, specialized computer software, pen and pencil, and even people who know me really well. There are some myths people have when they see someone using alternative communication. I’d love to blow things up ala Myth Busters, but since I don’t have access to high explosives, I think I’ll stick with writing about them on my blog instead. The first myth, probably the ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=716644 Fri, 06 Jul 2007 04:22:57 +0100 716644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=710317&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D202 Recently I heard a parent describe a bad school district, one in which her autistic son was currently enrolled. She talked about all sorts of problems with the school district - problems that I have no doubt are very bad, problems which shouldn’t exist. I don’t doubt for one minute her view that the school is a bad place for her son. One of the things she said in passing, and which if said alone would have concerned me greatly about her view of her son, was that her son was rocking more. She felt this was a sign of regression. In her son’s case, it may be. I really do try not to second guess parents unless I know I’m right. And it’s very possible that the stimming (repetative movements, such as rocking, are called “stims” by autistic people) was a ... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=710317 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:08:46 +0100 710317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676242&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D192 If you hang around autistic communities long enough, you’ll hear from someone who has recently taking the MBTI who wants to know how common certain MBTI types are among autistics. They’ll usually be INTPs or INTJs themselves, and they’ll assume nearly all autistics are, too (or even claim it is impossible to be anything else and autistic). While making any assumptions about other autistic people’s personalities is unwise, unsupported by science, and not likely to be proven or disproved via any survey that doesn’t correct for selection bias, that isn’t my problem with this type of discussion. My problem with this type of discussion is that, eventually, the word “introvert” gets thrown out, with the MBTI definition of introvert, as, basically s... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676242 Sun, 17 Jun 2007 05:16:24 +0100 676242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=676246&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D187 A friend is writing an ethics paper looking at the issue of disability and the value of life. In response to her, and also because I think this is a very important topic, I’ve posted it here as well. She asked me, specifically, to talk about some of the cultural (disability culture in this case) elements involved with such hierarchies. The first thing that comes to my mind, as far as cultural consideration, is the horrors that disabled people experienced in the holocaust, under the Nazi T4 program. Not only were we “euthanized”, but we were also used for so-called medical experimentation. People with physical and mental disability were given experimental drugs, subjected to extreme air pressures, starved, had their blood replaced with other chemicals, used as forced labor... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=676246 Sun, 10 Jun 2007 14:20:44 +0100 676246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=654523&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D182 In my last post, talking about the need for autistic people to be the primary source about autism, not just another source equal with all other sources, I’ve noticed the continuation of something that I’ve always faced - something that truly frustrates me (I can tell this is going to be a long day; It’s good that I have something to perseverate on today other than this). When I make an argument (in the logical sense), it so often seems that people make assumptions about what I’m saying. Sometimes I’m to blame for a misinterpretation, but other times I truly have no idea how the misinterpretation came about. I am learning where some of these come from, although they still surprise me. I’ll see, for instance, a post about whether or not the Autism Hub is t... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=654523 Sat, 02 Jun 2007 13:50:45 +0100 654523 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=638280&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D177 You see, an old (or at least a 30 year old!) autistic can learn new tricks. I’m still learning about my emotions. I feel the subtle emotions, but I don’t always realize that’s what I’m feeling or know how to describe it. A couple years ago, I would have described my current emotional state as “depressed”, although it’s not, as I know it will soon be gone unlike depression which seems to stick around a bit. So I’ll say I’m grumpy and unsettled. I’m probably not a great person to be around today. I’m unsettled for a few reasons. The biggest one is that I’m preparing for a trip, and the trip has a tight schedule without a lot of room for problems to come up. I’ve also had a long day at work, where my work was affect... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=638280 Sat, 26 May 2007 02:13:09 +0100 638280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=623787&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D170 In aviation, there’s a phenomenon known as “pilot induced oscillation,” or PIO for short. PIO occurs when a pilot attempts to correct for some (typically) minor flight disturbance in a way that actually increases the disturbance. For instance, a pilot might be trying to level out his plane at 10,000 feet above sea level after a climb. In doing so, he might slightly overshoot the 10,000 foot mark, so he lowers his airspeed to lose a bit of altitude. If he drops too much altitude, he then has to make another correction to get back to altitude, which he might again overshoot, causing yet another correction, etc. When each correction is a bit larger than the last one, it creates a set of corrections which continue to grow until either the pilot stops providing the “corr... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=623787 Fri, 18 May 2007 02:24:49 +0100 623787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=535537&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D156 We don’t have empathy. We can’t put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and understand what it is like from their point of view. We can’t see through someone else’s eyes. Well, that’s what the experts say about us anyhow. As I re-read the responses to What do you love about your autie, I’m struck by one thing - how often the autistic’s concern for others is cited as a positive quality (the comments to that entry are some of the coolest things I’ve read lately). People talk about an autistic child teaching a younger sibling - which requires empathy, because if you can’t figure out that someone else doesn’t know something you know, you probably wouldn’t even try to teach something. Others talk about how they know if family... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=535537 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 01:11:23 +0100 535537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=488317&cid=t_105439_133_f&fid=35128&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthiswayoflife.org%2Fblog%2F%3Fp%3D140 This weekend, an autistic child tragically lost his life in Savannah, GA, USA. He was found in a pond nearby his home. All evidence points towards accidental drowning right now. This is a very sad thing, one which should be grieved. The memory of this child, and the grief of his parents, also should be fully respected. Unfortunately, every time an accidental drowning involving an autistic person occurs, which happens to be more newsworthy because of the victim’s autism, pro-cure advocates come out saying, “Now don’t they see why there should be a cure?” The implication is that autistic children are more likely to drown. However, do you know that 1600 people between 0 and 24 drown each year, accidentally, in the US? And if we expect 1 of 150 is autistic, about 11 aut... NTs Are Weird blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=488317 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:01:12 +0100 488317