RE: on my talk. - Ron H.

[Guest guest]

Hi Ron,

Your talk from what you have described sounds really interesting. Could I use some of your ideas in some of my future talks? It has certainly given me more thought on how to tweak future speeches. Have you done a lot of talks in your lifetime? How did you get to do your first talk - were you inquiring about doing talks, was somebody interested in you and invited you to do a talk, etc..how did it evolve?

I also read you have published a book - what is the name of it and how can I get a copy of it to read?

It it is on e-format, is there a way to get an electronic format - I think I know people at my work who would be interested - I work at CLBC - a government agency who deals with individuals with disabilities including those on the autistic spectrum - as an HR worker. I also know an Aspie friend in England - - he would be interested in the material.

Have a great day,

Best,

Tara Kimberley Torme

Stitching Blog: http://taratorme.multiply.com

-- RE: on my talk.

Hi , Tara, and all,

Hate to break it to you, but I cant supply a copy of my ‘speech’, as I deliver it more or less ad lib. None of my AS addresses has ever been written out. However I can give a rough summary of the issues I discussed. (That was a very good talk you describe with your Post, by the way. Much more printable and systematic than mine!)

Opened with the question about – just What is Normal? Discussed our familiarity with the normality of humans, compared with the amazing norms that other animals have (birds flying, fish swimming, and other even more extraordinary) Then led into the variations humans can have, but how most of these whether pleasant or unpleasant, favourable or disturbing, we can usually make allowance for, and understand. But one’s first associations with a person who sits somewhere on the Autism Spectrum is not at all easy to deal with. The characteristics can seem to the uninitiated, to be almost ‘unhuman’. I explained about the Spectrum, and described some of the most common variations. Explained the jargon of Aspie and NT. Concentrated on Aspergers, and briefly dealt with Hans Asperger. Then to my own diagnosis, some of the issues that led me to know there was something out of whack. Put over my standard joke about Psychopaths, which got a good laugh. (if anyone wants to know about this, I’ll put it in another post.)

I described some amusing and bizarre incidents from my own life, and discussed certain of the ways things went wrong in my three marriages. Emphasized the literalism, lack of facility in reading people and their subtext, as well as the difficulty others, even the most intimates have in reading us. Misunder-standings about emotions. Inclinations toward naivete and a childlike nature. The confusion many of us have, despite our sophistication and education, about Love, Intimacy, Loyalty, etc. our desperate need for predictability. Various other bits and pieces that I just came out with on the spot. I described my own book (and a number of those present took the Flyers for same). The only questions that I recall were about Savants on the Spectrum, Aggression in Aspies, and the common love of animals had by Aspies. The questions clearly came from folk who had had personal experience with Spectrum folk.

All of what I said and much more, of course, is in my book. Don’t think there’s anything much more I can add. You will get the general idea. My talks are not really systematic and sequential. I just carry the audience with me just where-ever I feel like taking them. But that is what many years of professional public speaking has done to me, I’m afraid. I don’t know that I’d recommend the style to other people. It’s part of my own personal variety of not being normal.

Actually the last time I was present at one of Tony Attwood’s talks or seminars, I was intrigued to see how he tends to deliver his stuff in much the same way as I do. Rather similar sort of delivery, and coverage of material.

Oh, just to bring things up to date, - I completed my final draft and editing of the ms of my book a couple of weeks back; and it’s in the hands of the Publisher for printing in the paperback format. I’ve really had difficulty promoting the text in its Ebook format. One really needs desperately to be holding a volume in one’s hand in order to talk about it. and so many have said they’d wait for the pb before buying it. (note for , -- it really is looking miles better now than it did when you saw it.)

Cheers, Ron.

[Guest guest]

Hello Tara,

Of course you can use any of my ideas as you

like. As far as my original start in speaking, - I was

used to being in front of an audience since I always loved Acting; but I didn’t

really get into speaking until I was about 22, and went through the ‘crash

course’ in public speaking offered by the Dale Carnegie people.

Actually a brilliant way of getting use to it.

Sure, I did a few small scale talks during the next couple of years in

organizations I was in, but started to go in for it in a bigger way during my

thirties and forties. During the latter years, I also joined the Rostrum

talking group. This is a bit like the American Toastmasters system, only

more club-like, with a strong emphasis on Chairmanship and Meeting

procedure.

During my forties to fifties, more inhouse talks came my way in

organizations I was in, including a Fraternal society, when I represented them to

the public in a few instances. As well, at that time, I was

deeply involved in the clergy of a particular church, and gave innumerable

Sermons and instruction talks. I was preparing lectures of a kind

that has become very important to me. These are essentially

lectures on Art History, in which my speciality is what is known as Iconography….

the study of Symbolism and Subject Matter in paintings, rather than the

understanding of technique and artists, etc. So over the

years since then I’ve given huge numbers of talks illustrated first with

slides and more recently with the computerized system, now with digital

images. In my computer archives I’ve got perhaps some six

thousand slides of art works, from which I can put together many illustrated

lectures on Renaissance art, and on Christian Art, both of which I’ve

studied in detail, and have an Art library of perhaps some thousand

books.

Just a couple of months back, I was booked by my agent to give

my presentation on the unorthodox paintings of Leonardo da Vinci to a meeting

in Melbourne. In a couple of weeks time, the main Uniting Church here in

Ballarat (combined Methodist/Presbyterian/Congregational in Australia for the

last thirty/forty years) is getting me to give a programme on Symbolism in

Christian Art. (very nice lady reverend in charge there)

Now as far as Aspergers goes, it was some ten years ago

that I got my diagnosis of AS from a Psych in Melbourne, but only after I’d

studied the subject for some years, and collected a fair little library on

it. Some encouraging correspondence with Prof Tony Attwood and

involvement in three or four Internet Lists made me keen to share my findings

and speculations; and so having joined the State’s Aspergers Support

Network, I offered them a workshop/lecture session. This was

exciting and a huge success. Some 130 present with about 30

professionals present and 30 odd persons on the Spectrum. Several

other talks followed. All the while I had people on the Internet

telling me to make a book out of my Posts, and so 4/5 years back I did just that.

The book is listed on ASPIRE’s home page. And you

can read about it on the publisher’s site.

Chipmunkapublishing. Called Confessions of an Unashamed Asperger,

it comprises 13 chapters made up of about 61 short to medium length essays.

it sells for 5 pounds Sterling in the current Ebook form, and will sell for 10

pounds Sterling in the paperback which should come out in the next couple of

months. If you like, Tara, I can send you a copy of my Flyer

that lists the Essay titles. The Ebook can be downloaded on to any

computer, and read there, but more ideally one would use the specially designed

Ebook gadgets to read it conveniently at one’s leisure, without needing

to sit at the computer. The publisher has distributers in both

Australia and America.

Thanks for your interest. By the way I love your

pussycat photo on the email.

Ron.

[Guest guest]

Hi Ron,

Thanks for sharing with me your story and also thank you so much for giving me permission for using some of your ideas in my future talks. By what you have written, it looks like we have a lot in common as I also enjoy art and art history. I also love acting and the theatre - though it has been many years since I was on stage.

I have heard of Dale Carnegie but I have never read any of his books. I have not joined toastmasters, but in school we also had some public speaking as part of our curriculum and for that I am grateful as I learned how speak in public.

Speaking of Leonardo Davinci, only a couple of months ago when the Olympics were in my city of Vancouver, BC, CANADA, the Vancouver Art Gallery put on an exhibition of his work which were on loan from the Queen of England's personal collection. I went to see it with a friend of mine as the Art Gallery was free for the entire Olympic event and I was really impressed with his work. I was really amazed at how accurate his drawings were of the human body from all of those centuries ago and they didn't have all of those technologies that we have today.

Yes, I would love for you to email me a copy of the flyer for book - I know it will be something to put onto my reading list to read sometime this year.

The cat in my email is from my Incredimail format which allows me to put in pictures with my email.

Have a great day,

Best,

Tara Kimberley Torme

Stitching Blog: http://taratorme.multiply.com

-- RE: on my talk. - Ron H.

Hello Tara,

Of course you can use any of my ideas as you like. As far as my original start in speaking, - I was used to being in front of an audience since I always loved Acting; but I didn’t really get into speaking until I was about 22, and went through the ‘crash course’ in public speaking offered by the Dale Carnegie people.

Actually a brilliant way of getting use to it. Sure, I did a few small scale talks during the next couple of years in organizations I was in, but started to go in for it in a bigger way during my thirties and forties. During the latter years, I also joined the Rostrum talking group. This is a bit like the American Toastmasters system, only more club-like, with a strong emphasis on Chairmanship and Meeting procedure.

During my forties to fifties, more inhouse talks came my way in organizations I was in, including a Fraternal society, when I represented them to the public in a few instances. As well, at that time, I was deeply involved in the clergy of a particular church, and gave innumerable Sermons and instruction talks. I was preparing lectures of a kind that has become very important to me. These are essentially lectures on Art History, in which my speciality is what is known as Iconography…. the study of Symbolism and Subject Matter in paintings, rather than the understanding of technique and artists, etc. So over the years since then I’ve given huge numbers of talks illustrated first with slides and more recently with the computerized system, now with digital images. In my computer archives I’ve got perhaps some six thousand slides of art works, from which I can put together many illustrated lectures on Renaissance art, and on Christian Art, both of which I’ve studied in detail, and have an Art library of perhaps some thousand books.

Just a couple of months back, I was booked by my agent to give my presentation on the unorthodox paintings of Leonardo da Vinci to a meeting in Melbourne. In a couple of weeks time, the main Uniting Church here in Ballarat (combined Methodist/Presbyterian/Congregational in Australia for the last thirty/forty years) is getting me to give a programme on Symbolism in Christian Art. (very nice lady reverend in charge there)

Now as far as Aspergers goes, it was some ten years ago that I got my diagnosis of AS from a Psych in Melbourne, but only after I’d studied the subject for some years, and collected a fair little library on it. Some encouraging correspondence with Prof Tony Attwood and involvement in three or four Internet Lists made me keen to share my findings and speculations; and so having joined the State’s Aspergers Support Network, I offered them a workshop/lecture session. This was exciting and a huge success. Some 130 present with about 30 professionals present and 30 odd persons on the Spectrum. Several other talks followed. All the while I had people on the Internet telling me to make a book out of my Posts, and so 4/5 years back I did just that.

The book is listed on ASPIRE’s home page. And you can read about it on the publisher’s site. Chipmunkapublishing. Called Confessions of an Unashamed Asperger, it comprises 13 chapters made up of about 61 short to medium length essays. it sells for 5 pounds Sterling in the current Ebook form, and will sell for 10 pounds Sterling in the paperback which should come out in the next couple of months. If you like, Tara, I can send you a copy of my Flyer that lists the Essay titles. The Ebook can be downloaded on to any computer, and read there, but more ideally one would use the specially designed Ebook gadgets to read it conveniently at one’s leisure, without needing to sit at the computer. The publisher has distributers in both Australia and America.

Thanks for your interest. By the way I love your pussycat photo on the email.

Ron.