Hi Aspies-Anon,

I set up a Facebook profile where I can post my pictures, videos and events and
I want to add you as a friend so you can see it. First, you need to join
Facebook! Once you join, you can also create your own profile.

Thanks,
Nora

To sign up for Facebook, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=657380697&k=55M6QVQZPZ2M5ACBT1WYQS&r


This e-mail may contain promotional materials. If you do not wish to receive
future commercial mailings from Facebook, please click on the link below.
Facebook's offices are located at 156 University Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301.
http://www.facebook.com/o.php?k=090957&u=1372528507



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I just heard about some stuff called Eye Q which is supposed to help on a
local Aspie forum.  No ida if it does ut the person was raving about it

For weight loss i have been going to OA which is a bit off topic but I have
had great results; slow steady weight loss and not been miserable and
feeling deprived. there is even a online version for when i don't feel
social.

Good luck, Nora


On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 10:39 AM, Zer <zerendipt@...> wrote:

>   Nora, just talked with a naturopathic doctor who mentioned zinc and
> tested me for a deficiency in zinc. Not about Asperger's but general
> health and healing in my body. I'm sure that fish oil is a rich and
> worthwhile supplement for ANYone at all. Ditto B vitamins. I am
> working a low-carb program to take off pounds and improve health as I
> figure it's now or never for me to get myself sorted out to maximize
> what health I have. Here's to smarter choices in what we eat!
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Nora, just talked with a naturopathic doctor who mentioned zinc and
tested me for a deficiency in zinc. Not about Asperger's but general
health and healing in my body.  I'm sure that fish oil is a rich and
worthwhile supplement for ANYone at all.  Ditto B vitamins.  I am
working a low-carb program to take off pounds and improve health as I
figure it's now or never for me to get myself sorted out to maximize
what health I have.  Here's to smarter choices in what we eat!

--- In Aspies-Anon@yahoogroups.com, "Nora Gainey" <newnoz@...> wrote:
>
> Some claim that part of the problem is nutritional. Things like food
> allergies and the need for extra nutrients. My psychologist
recommends  4 fish oil tablets, zinc, certain B vitamins and i can't
remember the rest.
> LOL
>
> Meanwhile i am getting back on the healthy eating,weight loss track. I
> gained 90 pounds on one bipolar med (a condition i may or may not
have) So far i lost 60 pounds.
>
> Keep on keeping on
> Nora
>
> On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 8:49 PM, Zer <zerendipt@...> wrote:
>
> >   Just getting back to tend to this site.
> >
> > Busy with health issues just now.
> >
> > Eager to see more activity here.
> >
> > Must tend to the site myself, first, I think, to encourage others
to write
> > here, as you have done. Thank you for your post. I'll be ba-a-ack, I
> > promise. Am working with a naturopathic doctor for the first time,
to work
> > out some physical issues that MAY be dietary and that MAY resolve
themselves
> > as I learn more about healthy eating.
> >
> > Yep, another new frontier for me to learn about!
> >
> >
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Some claim that part of the problem is nutritional. Things like food
allergies and the need for extra nutrients. My psychologist recommends  4
fish oil tablets, zinc, certain B vitamins and i can't remember the rest.
LOL

Meanwhile i am getting back on the healthy eating,weight loss track. I
gained 90 pounds on one bipolar med (a condition i may or may not have) So
far i lost 60 pounds.

Keep on keeping on
Nora

On Thu, Oct 9, 2008 at 8:49 PM, Zer <zerendipt@...> wrote:

>   Just getting back to tend to this site.
>
> Busy with health issues just now.
>
> Eager to see more activity here.
>
> Must tend to the site myself, first, I think, to encourage others to write
> here, as you have done. Thank you for your post. I'll be ba-a-ack, I
> promise. Am working with a naturopathic doctor for the first time, to work
> out some physical issues that MAY be dietary and that MAY resolve themselves
> as I learn more about healthy eating.
>
> Yep, another new frontier for me to learn about!
>
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Just getting back to tend to this site.

Busy with health issues just now.

Eager to see more activity here.

Must tend to the site myself, first, I think, to encourage others to
wriwrite here, as you have done.  Thank you for your post.  I'll be
ba-a-ack, I promise.  Am working with a naturopathic doctor for the
first time, to work out some physical issues that MAY be dietary and
that MAY resolve themselves as I learn more about healthy eating.

Yep, another new frontier for me to learn about!

Hi Zer,

I am also a depressive. I also had a fair amount of abuse as  a child but it has
taken a toll. I did therapy for it and i got much better still i had problems in
the world. Problems with a different focus. It's good to know someone diagnosed
even later than i was. Still i first had major problems in grade school so it
was 37 years before i was "bipolar" and then 19 until i became Aspie. I think
before that they had me on borderline personality or the like. I collect
diagnoses like baseball cards. LOL

My uniqueness is both fun and painful. Sometimes the rest of the world seems
like its on crazy mode and at other times I just feel so isolated in my little
Aspie world. 

One of my BIG problems is that i have only once been able to hold down a full
time job without getting fired or burnt out. I also tend to be tired a lot.
Entry level jobs bore me to tears and the managers tend to be I want to say
cretins but I really don't want to be that unkind. Think of a better word and
replace it with that.

I have had lots of time in Junior College lacking the bravery to move up to the
big time. I have certificates in ornamental horticulture, HTML, web design but
can't find a job since i live in a rural city. so i am doing a course in AutoCAD
with a certificate in engineering. My brother is an engineer, his wife is a
cartographer and my brother in law was a patent attorney so geekiness runs in
the family. But then so does depression and alcoholism.

I am really loving the AutoCAD but not so much the stupid math part of the
thing. I'm getting there though. I will look for the book too as i read about
anything. No romance novels though. My idea of romance is a good adventure
story. In some ways i am not very girlie.

Good to meet you and I'm looking forward to reading up on the group.
Take care, Nora

--- On Sun, 9/21/08, Zer <zerendipt@...> wrote:
From: Zer <zerendipt@...>
Subject: [Aspies-Anon] Welcome, Nora...Happie Aspie to you...: NEW in Oz
To: Aspies-Anon@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, September 21, 2008, 1:49 AM











             Nora, for 35yrs I had anti-depressant meds offered to me, frequently

by MDs who were doped to the gills themselves.  One psychiatrist was a

narcoleptic whose eyes rolled up in his head as I talked - and he

refused to admit that he was slipping away, probably reacting to my

Aspie (undx'd at that time, but surely evident in my deadpan delivery

of childhood horrors that I'd survived, in a manner of speaking). Now

that I have claimed my own Aspie dx, my social worker tell me that my

clinical depression is "in remission" - and I let her get away with

that, as she and others at my HMO failed to notice that I was simply

NOT depressed.  I met truly depressed people in 35yrs of attending all

sorts of therapy groups and workshops.  I could never explain how I

was able to do things they felt were beyond their reach, like get a

job, get out of bed, go to work.  At 60, I was led to read an autism

site that recommended a book, a novel by Eliz.Moon (Speed of Dark)

that convinced me that I had found a dx that fit me like a glove. As

soon as I finished reading the book, I dialed my social worker and

asked her to set up an assessment for an official dx.  She did so.

She is case manager and knows me well for many years, with files that

go back years before she came aboard at the HMO.  So she was a rich

resource for a psychologist who met with me for an hour.  I now have a

paper they created so that I have documentation for my Asperger's dx.



I cannot express what a massive RELIEF it has been for nearly 5yrs, to

know that my behavior, my Aspie traits, my outside-the- box thinking

and processing, is all part of Asperger's.  As I heard myself saying

to the social worker who has been a support for many years, I AM NOT

BROKEN... scared me to hear that word, but it captures precisely how I

feared that I had been irreparably damaged by childhood trauma. Turns

out that Aspies tune out some abuse.  We re-frame what hurts us, so

that it becomes less painful, more bearable.  Kaleidoscopes do this,

allowing colorful pieces to fall into pretty patterns.  I've always

loved kaleidoscopes.  Now I understand why.  They reflect my world

view, my habit to re-frame (a NeuroLinguistic Programming or NLP

concept) what is painful.  I also now understand how I slip away, how

I manage to remove my tender psyche from events that my body cannot

escape.  I just let my body manage as best it can, while I slip away

and hide out Elsewhere.  Now that I'm 64 and aware that I'm Aspie, I

am working hard to stop slipping away and leaving my body to cope as

best it can.  I am becoming a better advocate for my neglected body.



It's not easy.  But I think it is worth learning about setting limits

and boundaries that I never learned to establish - or to honor.
























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Wonderful support for many things at HastyPastry site, back up and
running again at (this is from the Asperger's section):
http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=95

Many topics.  Lots of incredible support and advice.  Don't miss it!

Nora, for 35yrs I had anti-depressant meds offered to me, frequently
by MDs who were doped to the gills themselves.  One psychiatrist was a
narcoleptic whose eyes rolled up in his head as I talked - and he
refused to admit that he was slipping away, probably reacting to my
Aspie (undx'd at that time, but surely evident in my deadpan delivery
of childhood horrors that I'd survived, in a manner of speaking). Now
that I have claimed my own Aspie dx, my social worker tell me that my
clinical depression is "in remission" - and I let her get away with
that, as she and others at my HMO failed to notice that I was simply
NOT depressed.  I met truly depressed people in 35yrs of attending all
sorts of therapy groups and workshops.  I could never explain how I
was able to do things they felt were beyond their reach, like get a
job, get out of bed, go to work.  At 60, I was led to read an autism
site that recommended a book, a novel by Eliz.Moon (Speed of Dark)
that convinced me that I had found a dx that fit me like a glove. As
soon as I finished reading the book, I dialed my social worker and
asked her to set up an assessment for an official dx.  She did so.
She is case manager and knows me well for many years, with files that
go back years before she came aboard at the HMO.  So she was a rich
resource for a psychologist who met with me for an hour.  I now have a
paper they created so that I have documentation for my Asperger's dx.

I cannot express what a massive RELIEF it has been for nearly 5yrs, to
know that my behavior, my Aspie traits, my outside-the-box thinking
and processing, is all part of Asperger's.  As I heard myself saying
to the social worker who has been a support for many years, I AM NOT
BROKEN... scared me to hear that word, but it captures precisely how I
feared that I had been irreparably damaged by childhood trauma. Turns
out that Aspies tune out some abuse.  We re-frame what hurts us, so
that it becomes less painful, more bearable.  Kaleidoscopes do this,
allowing colorful pieces to fall into pretty patterns.  I've always
loved kaleidoscopes.  Now I understand why.  They reflect my world
view, my habit to re-frame (a NeuroLinguistic Programming or NLP
concept) what is painful.  I also now understand how I slip away, how
I manage to remove my tender psyche from events that my body cannot
escape.  I just let my body manage as best it can, while I slip away
and hide out Elsewhere.  Now that I'm 64 and aware that I'm Aspie, I
am working hard to stop slipping away and leaving my body to cope as
best it can.  I am becoming a better advocate for my neglected body.

It's not easy.  But I think it is worth learning about setting limits
and boundaries that I never learned to establish - or to honor.

--- In Aspies-Anon@yahoogroups.com, "Nora" <n0gainey@...> wrote:
>
> I'm new on this list too. I got to make this brief as one of my jobs
> is to feed my husband and he's just got home.
>
> I'm an absolutely ancient new Aspie. I'm not game to tell you how old
> just yet. My life has been a scramble to make sense of a world i do
> not fit into. (Gee, how unique i hear you all thinking LOL)
>
> I was diagnosed three weeks ago. Before that i was bipolar,
> borderline, ADD, generalized anxiety, PTSD;  just about anything they
> can come up with.
>
> Has anyone else had other diagnoses?
>
> My friend Hal used to tell me i should have 'Born to Irritate'
> tattooed on me.
>
> Take care all,
> Nora
>

I'm new on this list too. I got to make this brief as one of my jobs
is to feed my husband and he's just got home.

I'm an absolutely ancient new Aspie. I'm not game to tell you how old
just yet. My life has been a scramble to make sense of a world i do
not fit into. (Gee, how unique i hear you all thinking LOL)

I was diagnosed three weeks ago. Before that i was bipolar,
borderline, ADD, generalized anxiety, PTSD;  just about anything they
can come up with.

Has anyone else had other diagnoses?

My friend Hal used to tell me i should have 'Born to Irritate'
tattooed on me.

Take care all,
Nora

"I must admit, I know nothing about Asperger's. Can you explain it?"

That question comes to me often, as I explain myself online to various
persons I am trying to find common ground with.  Here's what I said in
response to the most recent enquiry.

Asperger's?  Processing-speed.  Easy-overload.  Aghhh!
With a late-life dx at 60, I am still learning about a life-long
condition that involves processing speed that is often slower,
occcasionally faster, than many NTs - NeuroTypicals, the average
normal person, most of whom are impatient with Aspies who have
"executive dysfunction" and who have a tough time making decisions
fast enough for the average person who moves swiftly through daily
decisions that put me into a stall much like when my colorful screen
cursor simply spins and spins.... There are other traits, mostly
involving security in doing things the same way day after day. One
Australian has listed Aspie traits as positives, a way of seeing
talents that are found in explorers and inventors (and social
outcasts, martyrs) through history - and I like to read Tony Attwood's
view of Aspie traits as I struggle to make the best of my own Aspie
hardwiring. Attwood's list is a good one to draw from as an Aspie is
writing a resume or a personal profile.

http://www.thegraycenter.org/sectionsdetails.cfm?id=38

Care to share here how YOU explain Asperger's to anyone who asks?

Einstein, Newton displayed autistic traits

Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton displayed symptoms of psychiatric
disorders that may have been a key to their genius, a Dublin
psychiatrist said.

Michael Fitzgerald, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College,
Dublin, said characteristics linked to autism spectrum disorders such
as Asperger's syndrome are the same as those associated with creative
genius, The Daily Telegraph said.

Fitzgerald, author of the book, "Genius Genes: How Asperger Talents
Changed the World," said Enoch Powell and Charles de Gaulle both
appear to have had Asperger's syndrome.

Speaking at a meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Academic
Psychiatry, Fitzgerald said De Gaulle's Asperger's syndrome was
critical to his success. He was aloof, had a massive memory, lacked
empathy with other people, and was extremely controlling and dominating.

Isaac Newton was known to work non-stop for days and Einstein worked
in a patent office because he was too disruptive to get a university
job, the newspaper said.

"Psychiatry tends to focus almost exclusively on the negative side of
different forms of mental illness," Fitzgerald said in statement. "I
want to show that psychiatric disorders can also have positive
dimensions."

Source: http://www.physorg.com/news123084642.html

Very interesting book by a man who lived 40yrs before finding out
that his life difficulties had a name - Asperger's - and that he was
not alone in feeling alien on this planet.  He is quite successful
now, having found a business that suits his Aspie talents.

Robison's younger brother is Augusten Burroughs, author of
"Running with Scissors", a book that I have not yet read but am
thinking I must add to my growing list of Aspie books to collect.

What are you reading?

Theoretically, networking among Aspies would be free of trivial
obstacles that frustrate Aspies in NT (NeuroTypical) systems.

That being said, I've found Aspies to be as frustrating as any and
as willing to block attempts to network if that network does not
suit their own interests.

Maybe Aspies are doomed to be solitary souls seeking solace in
suitable occupations.  Work was a real comfort to me.  Not the
social aspect of work that leads to advancement, but the task
that demands concentration others find daunting.  That task was
a joy to me for my entire career in a field that fits Aspie traits well
- publishing, editing, typesetting.   What occupations fit Aspies?

--- In Aspies-Anon#338, "Aaron Agassi" <agassi@...> wrote:
> Actual definition of Asperger's remains appallingly vague. But
unless I am completely confused, factors are thought to include
poor non verbal ability and hence impaired emotional and/or
social intelligence....
> ...interpersonal networking is crucial to every value in life
beyond solitary capability. And Aspies typically are to be found
out competed even by lesser talents, isolated and at the mercy of
those with superior organizational ability in the world.
> Why must this be so? And what can be done? .....

Thanks for alerting me to the defunct link.  I appreciate that.  Put
another link to Attwood's remarkably positive list of Aspie traits,
and added that list itself to the posting.  Why take chances on a
link that might go bad?  So the positives are now posted here!

A functional web of support?  Sounds wonderful.  What might
grow out of that, as we find allies and like-minded folk!  Feel free
to share here anything that works for you.  I'm listening. -Zer

--- In Aspies-Anon#337, "Aaron Agassi" <agassi@...> wrote:
> More modestly, any vision simply of some functional web of
support? - perhaps even a capable steering committee for any
greater action agenda...
>
> --- In Aspies-Anon@yahoogroups.com, "zer92780"
<zer92780@> wrote: > > My idea of a truly wonderful intentional
community would be one in which all services are provided in a
way that fills my every need and whim.....
> > What is your idea of an intentional community that you might
support and enjoy being part of?  I'd like to hear from you......

http://www.asperger.asn.au/Aspergers+Syndrome works for me.
Try again?   Ah, it's the Attwood link that seems defunct. Thanks!
See below for a better link and more info on Aspie positives!

--- In Aspies-Anon#336, "Aaron Agassi" <agassi@...> wrote:
> dead hyperlink

> --- In Aspies-Anon@yahoogroups.com, "zer92780"
<zer92780@> wrote:
> > http://www.asperger.asn.au/Aspergers+Syndrome includes
an animated visualization of an Aspie mind, as presented by
Tony Attwood at a recent event in Australia.  Exhausting?  I'll say!
> > Since my late-life dx at 60, I've not only been relieved of trying
to figure out why there seem always to be more balls in the air
than I can juggle.  I've also been more able to appreciate some
of the positive aspects of having an Aspie brain, as inconvenient
as it is to be a misfit and out of step with the herd.
> > See for yourself the characteristics laid out in Tony Attwood's
list of Asperger's positive traits at
http://www.as-if.org.uk/criteria.htm#Attwood [oops, not functional
at this time, although I hope this is a temporary situation]

Try this: http://www.thegraycenter.org/sectionsdetails.cfm?id=38

Discovery criteria for Aspie by Attwood and Gray

A qualitative advantage in social interaction,
as manifested by a majority of the following:
* peer relationships characterized by absolute loyalty and
impeccable dependability
*free of sexist, "age-ist", or culturalist biases; ability to regard
others at "face value"
*speaking one's mind irrespective of social context or adherence
to personal beliefs
*ability to pursue personal theory or perspective despite
conflicting evidence
*seeking an audience or friends capable of: enthusiasm for
unique interests and topics;
*consideration of details; spending time discussing a topic that
may not be of primary interest
*listening without continual judgement or assumption
*interested primarily in significant contributions to conversation;
preferring to avoid "ritualistic small talk" or socially trivial
statements and superficial conversation
*seeking sincere, positive, genuine friends with an unassuming
sense of humor

Fluent in "Aspergerese", a social language
characterized by at least three of the following:
*a determination to seek the truth
*conversation free of hidden meaning or agenda
*advanced vocabulary and interest in words
*fascination with word-based humor, such as puns
*advanced use of pictorial metaphor

Cognitive skills characterized by at least four of the following:
*strong preference for detail over gestalt
*original, often unique perspective in problem solving
*exceptional memory and/or recall of details often forgotten or
disregarded by others, for example: names, dates, schedules,
routines
*avid perseverance in gathering and cataloging information on a
topic of interest
*persistence of thought
*encyclopedic or "CD ROM" knowledge of one or more topics
*knowledge of routines and a focused desire to maintain order
and accuracy
*clarity of values/decision making unaltered by political or
financial factors

Additional possible features:
*acute sensitivity to specific sensory experiences and stimuli, for
example: hearing, touch, vision, and/or smell
*strength in individual sports and games, particularly those
involving endurance or visual accuracy, including rowing,
swimming, bowling, chess
*"social unsung hero" with trusting optimism: frequent victim of
social weaknesses of others, while steadfast in the belief of the
possibility of genuine friendship
*increased probability over general population of attending
university after high school
*often take care of others outside the range of typical
development
-----
Source: http://www.thegraycenter.org/sectionsdetails.cfm?id=38

Actual definition of Asperger's remains appallingly vague. But unless
I am completely confused, factors are thought to include poor non
verbal ability and hence impaired emotional and/or social
intelligence. Plainly, one way or another, social networking is a
specific and dire costly and singular stumbling block for Aspie
social intelligence and source of just about every Asperger's
hardship aside from actual symptoms. Because, plainly, interpersonal
networking is crucial to every value in life beyond solitary
capability. And Aspies typically are to be found out competed even by
lesser talents, isolated and at the mercy of those with superior
organizational ability in the world.

Why must this be so? And what can be done?

Neuropsychology claims that Aspies, no matter how high functioning
and whatever their other talents, simply suffer from low emotional
and/or social intelligence that frustrates interpersonal networking,
if even much distinction is made or stressed between different non
verbal skills.

Whereas, the anti-psychiatric Aspie activist view is that Aspies
actually are only pure of conventional triviality, manipulative guile
and heteronomy, and only hence the effective stumbling block of
pronounced antitypy and incompatibility. -And hence, that Asperger's
poor social connectivity is entirely conditioned upon the triviality,
manipulative guile and heteronomy of the social mainstream.

Indeed, Aspie candor, efficient and direct mode of communication, and
even Aspie values and culture yet, are all much extolled!

"They wish to cure us! I say: We are the cure!" -proclaims Magneto...

And so, given the two basic competing explanatory hypotheses, is or
would be social networking among Aspies, any more effective than for
Aspies in the mainstream? Indeed, it stands to reason that if the
latter anti-psychiatric Aspie activist hypothesis is the true
etiology, then the effectiveness of networking among Aspies should
vastly improve. But if, rather, the former standard
Neuropsychological hypothesis is the true etiology, then it would
make scarcely more difference than a better floor for a lame dancer.

Which is the truth? What would be predicted? What has actually been
observed? -At least regarding high functioning Aspies.

More modestly, any vision simply of some functional web of support? -
perhaps even a capable steering committee for any greater action
agenda...

--- In Aspies-Anon@yahoogroups.com, "zer92780" <zer92780@...> wrote:
>
> My idea of a truly wonderful intentional community would be one
> in which all services are provided in a way that fills my every
> need and whim.  Cooking by a series of chefs in training who are
> keen to have folks to practice their skills on?  Oh, yes yes yes!
> Massage by masseuses from a local training school who visit
> weekly to soothe by working their skill on willing bodies? Yes!
> Housekeeping by someone talented in cleaning without
> disturbing stacks of books waiting to be read or messing up
> puzzles partially completed.  Oh, definitely YES!
>
> What is your idea of an intentional community that you might
> support and enjoy being part of?  I'd like to hear from you.
>
> I'm hoping to find compatible Aspies in my area who are able
> and willing to establish an intentional community of people who
> want to live on a higher plane than individuals off by themselves
> can manage.  I like the idea of having cribbage partners or avid
> Scrabble players in residence, people who do not consider tv as
> the ultimate entertainment.  Musicians would be nice, although I
> am only musical in my ability to whistle a bit. I'm an appreciator.
>

--- In Aspies-Anon@yahoogroups.com, "zer92780" <zer92780@...> wrote:
>
> http://www.asperger.asn.au/Aspergers+Syndrome includes an
> animated visualization of an Aspie mind, as presented by Tony
> Attwood at a recent event in Australia.  Exhausting?  I'll say!
>
> Since my late-life dx at 60, I've not only been relieved of trying to
> figure out why there seem always to be more balls in the air than
> I can juggle.  I've also been more able to appreciate some of the
> positive aspects of having an Aspie brain, as inconvenient as it
> is to be a misfit and out of step with the herd.  See for yourself
> the characteristics laid out in Tony Attwood's list of Asperger's
> positive traits at http://www.as-if.org.uk/criteria.htm#Attwood
>
dead hyperlink

My idea of a truly wonderful intentional community would be one
in which all services are provided in a way that fills my every
need and whim.  Cooking by a series of chefs in training who are
keen to have folks to practice their skills on?  Oh, yes yes yes!
Massage by masseuses from a local training school who visit
weekly to soothe by working their skill on willing bodies? Yes!
Housekeeping by someone talented in cleaning without
disturbing stacks of books waiting to be read or messing up
puzzles partially completed.  Oh, definitely YES!

What is your idea of an intentional community that you might
support and enjoy being part of?  I'd like to hear from you.

I'm hoping to find compatible Aspies in my area who are able
and willing to establish an intentional community of people who
want to live on a higher plane than individuals off by themselves
can manage.  I like the idea of having cribbage partners or avid
Scrabble players in residence, people who do not consider tv as
the ultimate entertainment.  Musicians would be nice, although I
am only musical in my ability to whistle a bit. I'm an appreciator.

http://www.questionwriter.com/samples/eyesquiz/

http://www.vitamindcouncil.com/health/autism/vit-D-theory-autis
m.shtml - or http://tinyurl.com/2fynst for short - offers something
to think about - like the curious coincidence of sun-aversion, an
epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency and the onset of an epidemic of
autism.  Why not bask in the sun while pondering the possibility
that sunlight is a good thing, that heliotherapy can alter the
effects of autism?  Cannot hurt.  Might help.  I'm just now reading
up on Vitamin D and its impact on a body, on moodiness.  Wow!

http://www.specialneeds.com/books.asp?id=24021 offers a
glimpse of a book that my HMO MD just shared with me, as she
knows I'm Aspie and her 8yr-old son is also Aspie.  Having an
MD who knows about AS has made my interaction with her so
very different than with any other MD.

She's not treating me for Asperger's, but she takes time to let me
catch up as we discuss health problems that a 63yr-old woman
of massive size has after decades of avoiding health-care
providers.  She's great!

Here are some comments from the site cited above:
- - - - -
There is a great deal of truth in humor. If you have only just
begun to discover why someone with Asperger's syndrome is
different, this book will inform and entertain you. The
descriptions provide an accurate balance between the qualities
and difficulties associated with Asperger's syndrome, while the
photographs will make the journey of discovery enjoyable and
remarkable. --Tony Attwood, author of Asperger's Syndrome and
The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome - by Kathy Hoopmann - takes
a playful look at Asperger Syndrome (AS), drawing inspiration
from the feline world in a way that will strike a chord with all
those who are familiar with AS.

Delightful color photographs of cats bring to life familiar
characteristics such as sensitive hearing, scampering at the first
sign of being stroked, and particular eating habits. Touching,
humorous and insightful, this book evokes the difficulties and
joys of raising a child who is different and leaves the reader with
a sense of the dignity, individuality, and potential of people with
AS.

This engaging book is an ideal, gentle introduction to the world
of AS.

The one thing I notice most about cats, and respect them for, is
their independence. It's a funny thing because this is also what I
notice about my Aspie friends. In fact, I see this in my own life as
well. It's a unique quality that sets us apart from most other
humans. Just like cats are not like dogs. I mean we wouldn't
want them to be, would we? Kathy's humorous book that
highlights the unique qualities of individuals with Asperger's has
us "down to a T".--Wendy Lawson
- - - - -
This is a mainstream book that might grace any coffeetable
anywhere.  Asperger's is not a secret anymore.  We're definitely
out of the closet.  Rejoice!

http://www.asperger.asn.au/Aspergers+Syndrome includes an
animated visualization of an Aspie mind, as presented by Tony
Attwood at a recent event in Australia.  Exhausting?  I'll say!

Since my late-life dx at 60, I've not only been relieved of trying to
figure out why there seem always to be more balls in the air than
I can juggle.  I've also been more able to appreciate some of the
positive aspects of having an Aspie brain, as inconvenient as it
is to be a misfit and out of step with the herd.  See for yourself
the characteristics laid out in Tony Attwood's list of Asperger's
positive traits at http://www.as-if.org.uk/criteria.htm#Attwood

I turn 63 in February and it's been a LOT easier for me, living as
an Aspie aware of my processing differences.  I now can ask for
the time that I need to process what baffles me, and I can wait
patiently for those whose processing is not quite as fast as I am
in some areas.  Yes, works both ways.  Mostly I'm dense or slow
or simply unaware, but once in a while I see that I am on top of
things that are obscure to others around me.  That what it is for
me, this Aspie awareness of a difference in how I process info.

I hope we all can find a way to manage what life hands us, as it
is mostly about how we play the cards dealt to us that counts. It
is not about getting good or bad cards, but how we play the
cards that determines the quality of life.

Generally I enjoy playing games, but I'm not cut-throat. If I win, it's
nice.  If I don't win, I find other ways to enjoy the game.  I've met
people who find this INSUFFERABLE, this indifference to score,
to winning.  But now I know why such folks have a hard time in
playing a game with me or in living their lives while I float along
on my gifts as an Aspie.  Yes, I feel Asperger's is a gifted state.

Have a happy new year.  Have a bless'ed life.  It's a choice.

again to check out this group.at 53 i realized i may be"aspie".it fits
better than the other things people have said.send a reply.

--- In Aspies-Anon@yahoogroups.com, "candancer21"
<candace.cochrane@...> wrote:
>
> Hi there.. My name is Candace Cochrane and Im twenty five y/o and Im
newly diagnosed with aspergers syndrome. I am trying to reach out to
others that have the same perspective of the world that i have. I have
alot to learn about being a aspie. Is there any one out there?

>yes i am here,just found this.almost 2007-write back

How great that you know about Asperger's.  I'm learning a lot at
http://forum.asperger.asn.au/ and I'm enjoying the awareness of
my own Aspie nature, as best described in Tony Attwood's list of
positive Aspie traits.  That link is listed at this list's Home site.

Hope to hear more from you, as you discover how amazing we
Aspies are.  Honestly, amazing folks!  Welcome aboard!

Hi there.. My name is Candace Cochrane and Im twenty five y/o and Im newly
diagnosed with aspergers syndrome. I am trying to reach out to others that have
the same perspective of the world that i have. I have alot to learn about being
a aspie. Is there any one out there?

http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/failsafe.htm offers ideas
on how to modify a menu for good results.
-----
Failsafe eating

Here's a simple way to start:
§  switch to preservative free bread (Brumbys or Bakers Delight if
possible)
§  drink water (bottled, spring, filtered or tap if it tastes OK)
instead of juice or cordial
§  avoid artificial colours in lollies etc (Wethers Originals are
colour free, but save lollies for treats)
§  avoid flavour enhancers (600 numbers) in noodles, Shapes
etc (plain noodles, crackers like Saladas are OK)
§  avoid preservatives in processed foods SEE LIST BELOW
§  avoid broccoli, tomato, citrus, grapes and their products.
§  switch to a2milk if available (see www.a2australia.com.au)
 
Some families see a big improvement just by cutting down.
Others will get best results by doing a full elimination diet, Free
of Additives, Low in Salicylates, Amines and Flavour Enhancers
(failsafe).
Email for a list of failsafe dietitians:confoodnet@... 

Avoid these additives
   from www.fedup.com.au
 
COLOURS
   102,104,107,110,122,123,124,127,128,
   129,132,133,142,151,155
   natural colour 160b (annatto)
 
PRESERVATIVES
   Sorbates                     200-203
   Benzoates                  210-213
   Sulphites                    220-228
   Nitrates, nitrites          249-252
   Propionates                280-283
 
SYNTHETIC ANTIOXIDANTS
   Gallates                     310-312
  TBHQ, BHA, BHT        319-321
 
FLAVOUR ENHANCERS
   Glutamates incl MSG 620-625
   Ribonucleotides          627, 631, 635
   Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein (HVP)
 
ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS
   No numbers since they are trade secrets
 

A friend online worked with this man in North Carolina, USA, and
has posted his obit. I think it might be of interest to anyone who
has benefited from the work he did in the field of autism as he
inspired a shift in outlook.

http://www.newsobserver.com/100/story/458599.html
Published: Jul 08, 2006 12:30 AM
Modified: Jul 08, 2006 06:14 AM

WHAT IS AUTISM?
Diagnoses of autism are rising in the United States, with three to
six new cases for every 1,000 children born here, says the
National Institute of Mental Health.

Autism is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome. Symptoms vary
from person to person, with degrees of impairment in
communication and social skills common. Some people with
autism practice repetitive behaviors, such as spinning.

Some autistic children and adults function at high levels. Other
live with serious impairments in thinking and language. A portion
never speak.

Modern treatment of autism, among other things, shows parents
ways to communicate that don't always depend on written or
spoken words, including the use of pictures. Children with
autism also are taught to see social cues they don't easily
recognize.

Autism trailblazer Schopler dies at 79
He inspired shift in field's outlook

Catherine Clabby, Staff Writer
CHAPEL HILL - Eric Schopler, an international pioneer in the
humane and effective treatment of autism, died from cancer
Friday at age 79.

Forty-one years ago, the UNC-Chapel Hill psychologist
co-founded a program that rejected the notion that destructive
parents caused autism. Instead, he recognized autism as a
brain disorder -- one that could be managed.

He observed that people living with autism did not learn in
traditional ways but were capable of learning, especially with
customized interventions from therapists, family and teachers.

Those insights led to the development of Division TEACCH --
Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related
Communication-Handicapped Children -- a network of nine
state-funded clinics that are still operating. To this day, families
stream to North Carolina to enroll in the TEACCH programs,
which have inspired autism therapy programs in countries
throughout the world.

"He influenced tens of thousands of people," said Catherine
Lord, a prominent University of Michigan psychologist who
worked with Schopler in Chapel Hill early in her career.

"Not only did he develop treatment, he had this understanding
about what autism is and how it could be treated in the family
and broader context of the community and in the schools. That
was unique," Lord said.

The child of German parents forced to flee Hitler in the 1930s,
Schopler was deeply motivated by injustice, friends and family
said Friday. He saw stark unfairness while training in psychology
at the University of Chicago with the Freudian psychoanalyst
Bruno Bettelheim, who compared the parents of autistic children
to concentration camp guards.

But while working with those families, Schopler saw instead
caring people who frequently raised normal children in the same
household. As a young professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, he and
child psychiatrist Robert Reichler started a research project that
described autism as a brain disorder, not an emotional problem,
and developed strategies to help parents accommodate their
child's disabilities.

"It was very courageous of him. He came as an assistant
professor and took on the whole establishment in his
department as well as the whole country," said Gary Mesibov,
who took over as executive director at TEACCH after Schopler
retired from that post in 1993.

When the federal grant that Schopler and Reichler used to start
their research dried up, families who had benefited from their
help lobbied the North Carolina legislature to fund and expand
the program. It did so in 1971.

'Father of it all'

Betty Camp's son, Norman, was among Schopler's first patients
in the 1960s. At age 7, the boy did not speak. He attended
preschool but didn't play with other children. Even at home, he
preferred to be alone.

After two years of work at home with his parents, with Schopler
and others at TEACCH, Norman started connecting with others a
little, though he never spoke. He could attend public school,
Camp said, only because TEACCH trained teachers to work with
autistic children. Today, at age 45, Norman Camp lives at home
and has a job putting together electric meter components.

"I have nightmares about what would have happened if we had
not met," said Betty Camp, one of the parents who lobbied for
state funding to continue TEACCH. "He will be remembered as
the father of it all."

Country gent

A gentleman farmer who lived with his second wife, Margaret, in
the country outside Mebane, Schopler raised beeffalo, ducks,
chicken and sheep. He was not caught up in appearances.
Colleagues say he would sometimes arrive on campus with
mud on his clothes collected during chores at home. Several
remember seeing socks through holes in his shoes.

Schopler kept working in the autism field after releasing
TEACCH's helm at age 65, Mesibov said. A
soon-to-be-published book will include the refinement of a
diagnostic strategy for autistic adolescents and adults that
Schopler finished recently.

In addition to his wife, Schopler is survived by two sons, Bobby
and Tom, and one daughter, Susie, all living in or near Chapel
Hill. He is also survived by seven grandchildren.

Schopler was surrounded by family at his home when he died
Friday from esophageal cancer. Family members intend to hold
a public memorial service in his memory in September, though
details weren't firm Friday.

If anyone wishes to make a donation in Schopler's name, his
family asks that three causes be considered: the Eric Schopler
Endowed Chair for Autism Research at UNC-Chapel Hill, the
Piedmont Wildlife Center and Friends of the Tarheel Angels,
which helps children with cancer.

(Staff writer Jean Fisher contributed to this story.)
Staff writer Catherine Clabby can be reached at 956-2414 or
cclabby@...