Autism

Predictions (regarding aspects of autism)

Writing these daily entries, I discover something new almost as often as I record something I’ve earlier discovered. A year ago this is what I collected connected to the hypotheses or predictions of... [Read More]

on 01/23/12 | 3 Comments | Read More

Can One Assign the Wrong Intentions to Triangles?

I’ve recently run across two studies in which an ability to impute mental states and empathize with others was measured by having the research participants look at inanimate objects moving across a ... [Read More]

on 01/16/12 | 6 Comments | Read More

Non-speaking, “low-functioning”

I am autistic, non-speaking. I am also labeled “low-functioning”. This label is a pre-judgment based on what I cannot do. It makes people look at me with pity instead of trying to get to know me, ... [Read More]

on 01/11/12 | 67 Comments | Read More

Saving a Theory, Dismissing its Subjects

… There I was, enjoying a quiet day at home, reading by the woodstove, minding my own business, and wanting nothing more than to have an enjoyably uneventful time, when I stumbled upon the follo... [Read More]

on 01/3/12 | 1 Comment | Read More

Anatomy of an Autistic (V/V)

Anatomy Of An Autistic So it looks as if I have two options. Pass and learn, perfect, the art of being a person I’m not. Or don’t, and let everyone else define me as some entwined version of monst... [Read More]

on 12/30/11 | 4 Comments | Read More

Anatomy of an Autistic (IV/V)

Anatomy Of A Monster And what none of us passers want to talk about is what our passing does to those who can’t. Passing is necessitated because without it, we would be stuck being a Scary Disabled ... [Read More]

on 12/29/11 | 3 Comments | Read More

Anatomy of an Autistic (III/V)

Anatomy Of A Passing Person Passing is…. Passing is… Well, passing is difficult, first of all. It’s constant anxiety, calculation, cognition, because remember, those of us who pass are trying to... [Read More]

on 12/28/11 | 1 Comment | Read More

Anatomy of an Autistic (II/V)

Anatomy Of A Meltdown My brain likes to alternate between being made of swiss cheese (full of holes to fall in and through and down) and wax (for optimal melting). I have meltdowns a lot, in part beca... [Read More]

on 12/27/11 | 2 Comments | Read More

Anatomy of an Autistic (I/V)

Writing is a struggle against silence. ~Carlos Fuentes Passing as a non-autistic, passing as neurotypical, means that you never get to actually be human. Be a person. You just learn how to get really ... [Read More]

on 12/26/11 | No Comments | Read More

If Public Opinion Penned an Autism Diagnosis …

I’ve spent far too much time lately fighting with those who have no understanding of what is required for an autism diagnosis. The arguments and myths I’ve encountered are at times upsetting, and ... [Read More]

on 12/16/11 | 4 Comments | Read More

Delayed Reactions

Going away to college can be overwhelming at first. Being in a different place, away from family, and having so much to do… it’s a lot to handle. Even after it looks like everything has settled in... [Read More]

on 12/15/11 | No Comments | Read More

Seeing the Best in Every Child: The Importance of Neurodiversity

Imagine that all of the people in the world have been magically transformed into flowers. Some of us are petunias. Others are begonias. Still others are tulips. Now, let’s say for the sake of arg... [Read More]

on 12/1/11 | No Comments | Read More

What I need and want

I want to be loved and accepted. I wish others to tell me that it’s wonderful that I was born. I feel guilty of existing, tell me I am wrong. I need to see others talking about how happy they are wi... [Read More]

on 11/25/11 | 6 Comments | Read More

I can’t do simple everyday things

I am a little upset. I have a hard time doing simple things, simple daily life activities for example, I see others going to college, working, but I can’t do those things (not just because of Autism... [Read More]

on 11/16/11 | 1 Comment | Read More

This just in: Being alive linked to autism

This last week or so, every day seemed to bring a new finding about something linked to autism. I blogged one of them — diabetes — but who really would have the wherewithal to follow the growing l... [Read More]

on 11/1/11 | 7 Comments | Read More

Navigating Competing Worlds: The Elusive Ideal of Normalcy

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been very busy with my job and with getting acclimated to the routine of my graduate program. I’ve formed a great connection with the little guy I care for, and in my... [Read More]

on 10/28/11 | 2 Comments | Read More

Quiet Hands

1. When I was a little girl, they held my hands down in tacky glue while I cried. 2. I’m a lot bigger than them now. Walking down a hall to a meeting, my hand flies out to feel the texture on the wa... [Read More]

on 10/27/11 | 16 Comments | Read More

Mind conversation with myself

Mind conversation with myself. How to speak about the differences in perceiving the world before you learn that your view of the world is not the typical way? How would you know the difference between... [Read More]

on 10/26/11 | No Comments | Read More

Book Review: “Blazing My Trail: Living and Thriving with Autism” by Rachel B. Cohen-Rottenberg

“Blazing My Trail: Living and Thriving with Autism” by Rachel B. Cohen-Rottenberg is a “sequel” to “The Uncharted Path” which I reviewed here and followed up here. When we last left Rachel... [Read More]

on 10/7/11 | No Comments | Read More

Cats, Dogs, and Asperger’s Syndrome

Imagine for a moment a person who has grown up in a family where they only ever had pet dogs. Their friends and neighbours had pet dogs – all different breeds, colours and temperaments, but still, ... [Read More]

on 09/13/11 | No Comments | Read More

A Critique of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) Test: Conclusion

When I first began writing this critique, I tried to take the EQ test, and I found myself so stymied by it that I gave up. As a person who arrives at the “big picture” by putting together all the ... [Read More]

on 09/2/11 | No Comments | Read More

A Critique of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) Test: Part 3

In Part 1 of this series, I outlined the basics of the EQ test, introduced the definition of cognitive empathy assumed by the authors of the test, and critiqued the statements on the EQ test that spea... [Read More]

on 09/1/11 | No Comments | Read More

A Critique of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) Test: Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, I outlined the basics of the EQ test, introduced the definition of cognitive empathy assumed by the authors of the test, and critiqued the statements on the EQ that speak to ... [Read More]

on 08/31/11 | No Comments | Read More

A Critique of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) Test: Introduction and Part 1

Introduction The Empathy Quotient (EQ) test was designed by Simon Baron-Cohen and Sally Wheelwright, and is included in their 2004 paper The Empathy Quotient: An Investigation of Adults with Asperger�... [Read More]

on 08/30/11 | No Comments | Read More

How Extensive Is Autism’s Penumbra?

My fascination with autism from the start has had to do with what might be termed autism’s penumbra. In Autism & Oughtism’s post on avoiding the confusions engendered by this concept she expl... [Read More]

on 08/26/11 | 4 Comments | Read More

Is this guy for real? Baron-Cohen’s latest book is a real urban legend!

The other night the kids and I much enjoyed watching a very corny and over-the-top horror movie. They had seen it before, so there were lots of “this bit coming up is really gross” moments. There ... [Read More]

on 07/29/11 | 2 Comments | Read More

Blog pieces about the work of Baron-Cohen well worth reading

I am very much indebted to Socrates at The New Republic for writing nice things about my blog, and also for spreading awareness about some most interesting writing in blogs about the work of the famou... [Read More]

on 07/29/11 | No Comments | Read More

Snapshots: Power and Surrender

Three items that caught my eye as they’ve floated by this month, presented here without comment. Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, as interviewed in the New York Times Magazine: NYT... [Read More]

on 07/15/11 | No Comments | Read More

Autism and Empathy: Dispelling Myths and Breaking Stereotypes (Introductions)

Identifying a need and then filling it is said to be a core skill of the business entrepreneur, but there are needs far and wide which are best met with the payment not of money but of attention to ev... [Read More]

on 07/1/11 | 3 Comments | Read More

The Prof put on the spot - a recent interview with Professor Simon Baron-Cohen about his latest book

Kim Wombles has done a long and interesting email interview with the controversial Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, a professor at Cambridge and a Director of the powerful and prestigious Autism Research ... [Read More]

on 06/21/11 | 7 Comments | Read More

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