welcome to my favorite-stuff blog-box…
if u hv anything to add or ask abt pls drop me a line or make a comment!…
enjoy!!!
August 27, 2009
Obessive Compulsive Disorder – where it is NOT ASD
many ‘experts’, in my opinion, and that of many other ‘experts’, misdiagnose ASD together with OCD… that the two are very similar, nobody can deny, but there are subtle yet very marked and crucially important differences in the manifestations and origins / reasons behind the obsessive-compulsive behaviours of the two groups…
so what exactly is OCD and how is OCD different from ASD’s obsessiveness?
first, about OCD:
OCD @ NIMH – a brief page but u can click onto links for more info
OCD @ Wikipedia – a longer broader overall perspective
then about ASD’s obsessions:
Handbook of Autism & PDD by Fred. R. Volkmar - excerpt @ google books
i m no expert, but i m an aspie, and becos i m an aspie, i can tell u from MY perspective that what i read abt OCD is far different from MY obsessions and compulsions…
1. my obsession is with discovering the truth about something – i become obsessed about things that fascinate me, and usually this begins a journey of learning and research, on and on and on until i reach a point where i m satisfied that that is all i need to know… throughout my life, since early childhood, i hv obsessively pursued facts, ranging from the frivolous to the seriously academic, e.g. how a certain machine works, why people sneeze, drug interactions, mental or emotional disorders, vitamins, human biology, certain artists / musicians / writers… etc…
2. my obsessions usually enrich my life and do not make it miserable – like most kids with ASD, i was called ‘little professor’ becos i wld ‘attack’ learning facts that fascinated me with such gusto and depth that far outstripped that of normal intelligent adults… and yes, being thus obsessed, i m not so interested in socialising per se, but my obsessions hv never negated my ability to form close relationships – hey, i hv loyal, supportive, loving friends (more than i can manage to even meet up with!) gathered from childhood to adulthood, so what more can i say?
3. i am pleased with and proud of my obsessiveness – it is to me just the flip side of persistence, a trait that comes in handy as a researcher and i love the things i m researching about… though i may not love the agony that humans sometimes put me thru in the course of my persistent ‘researching’… i.e. condemnation, ridicule, misunderstanding, confusion, lying etc
4. while i like things to be ordered, symmetrical and i do feel comfort in certain rituals, i also enjoy spontaneity at times and love to marvel at beauty inside imperfections – and i hv never had any symptoms of OCD such as repeatedly washing hands, turning on / off lights, checking to see if things are ok etc
5. once i feel i hv exhausted all avenues in one obsessive ‘discovery adventure’, i turn to other topics… thus amassing a wealth of information that has helped me in to apply what i hv learned in a myriad of different avenues in life and learning… hence my obsessions, while ridiculous and irritating or annoying to others, hv been and continue to be very useful and positive to me…
August 26, 2009
autism / asperger’s and affection
seems to me to be so many therapies and programmes out there to ‘teach’ auties and aspies how t ‘feel’ or regulate emotions… etc… altho i do not disagree that many of us need help with how to DEAL with the plethora of confusing emotions we feel, and to learn how to live harmoniously with others who r different in a social setting tt is foreign to us – much like learning foreign languages and customs in order to live in foreign places and make friends etc… yet… the more i read and hear abt these programmes, albeit achieving many good results which i applaud… yet i cannot help feeling as if these r somewhat condescending… perhaps it is in the way the media portrays these things… as if the NT world is the marker for perfection to be reached… ok, so i kw i m different, but why do i REALLY hv to learn how to be like u? is it becos u r unable to be like me? doesn’t that make u the one who is handicapped and not me? OR COURSE i hv emotions too, i can love, cry, seethe, laugh, yearn and hurt, just like u… but u all think u r so clever just becos u r many and i m few? try living a day in MY shoes, and watch me tell u how freaky u r…
planes, trains & autism by ABC
August 22, 2009
Asperger’s and Language
i m fine when writing stories and academic essays… i thankfully do not hv the same difficulty as many aspies with metaphors and figures of speech… but i have horrible difficulty with any kind of verbal or textual communication that involves the use of Theory of Mind (i.e. relational, situational and emotional – anything with hidden agendas and/or indirect meanings) – may times with gravely tragic results…
some links on this:
An Exploration of Causes of Non-Literal Language Problems in Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome
Asperger Syndrome and Literal Meanings
Excerpt from “The Complete Guide to Asperger’s Syndrome” by Tony Attwood
July 26, 2009
embrace me
embrace me, embrace who i am, embrace the fulness of my beauty… some videos i’ve been watching lately abt ASD…
from Robert Parish (Jack’s Dad)
more from Robert Parish here
the amazing Temple Grandin
and heaps of great vids @ UCTV
May 30, 2009
temple grandin and me
this woman is amazing… ok so we dont share the same fashion tastes, but hey we are both aspie gals… and her work in this area has helped me in my own journey thru being a woman, being an aspie and being me…
December 20, 2008
Asperger’s in College
two interesting videos on Asperger’s in college… i wish i knew this before… but that was more than 20 years ago… there is much more hope now… indeed…
December 15, 2008
Love & Asperger’s
can aspies love? how do we love? can we have intimate relationships as adults? or do we need to be locked forever in a fanciful cage of impenetrable confusing labels?
some interesting links
ARTICLES
the paradox of social impairment
BOOKS
the asperger love guide by g. edmonds & d. worton
sex, sexuality & the autistic spectrum by wendy lawson
the other half of asperger syndrome by maxine aston
asperger syndrome & long-term relationships by ashley stanford
an asperger marriage by g. & c. slater-walker
alone together by katherine bentley
love, sex & long-term relationships by sarah hendrickx
asperger syndrome – a love story by s. hendrickx & k. newton
December 15, 2008
Glenn Gould
it is said that glenn gould, one of the 20th century’s greatest pianists, was aspergic, i/e/ he had asperger’s. i came across glenn gould when i was a child, learning piano and struggling with conventions imposed upon me. he was a rebel, a maverick, who ‘became’ – and i was very inspired by him, not just for his great musical genius but also because he was ‘different’. i had a penchant for those who were ‘different’ because i knew i was too, but was not allowed to be. here is a small tribute to glenn gould. some links to follow for interest and fun.
encyclopedia of music in canada – glenn gould entry, quite good reading with video clips and mp3
gould & asperger’s – an essay by robert fulford
books – abt gould + asperger’s on google books
