Re: autism card -- Greeting autistics

[Guest guest]

> She was nice, I don't suppose

> she knew what to say. :-)

It was probably after breakfast, so while your attitude wasn't

inappropriate, it is uncommon. We really need to spread the word that

Asperger's is the type of pervasive developmental disorder that can be

enjoyed *anytime* of day, not just at breakfast.

[Guest guest]

> Hi Dave,

>

> > " I am autistic. As is common with autism, I experience

accute

> > and sometimes life-threatening allergic reactions to many

forms

> > of condescension, insinuation and/or derisive innuendo.

> > ... Thank You. "

>

> I think most people would read

>

> " I experience acute and sometimes life-threatening allergic

reactions

> to condensation, insulation and/or decisive nintendo. " Most

people

> aren't as smart as we are. right? right? :-)

Good point. I'm always giving people waaaaay too much credit,

and never realize it until they punish me for having thought highly

of them! And thanks for the spelling correction, too. That sort of

thing rarely happens, but I guess I had a surplus of Cs at the

time and an extra one spilled out. The horror!

>

> I wanted to tell everyone about my experience in Border's

bookstore

> today. I was back in the coffee shop section where some little

> college student type (psych major, no doubt) was supervising

a group

> of " special needs " people, I don't know if they live together or if

> it's a day program...I had never seen this group before.

Anyway,

> there was a young man about 20 who was rocking in his chair

quite

> obviously (man they had 2 compressors behind the cafe

counter, it

> was soooo loud to me, I covered my ears at one point).

Anyway, I kept

> looking at the group while I was waiting for the clerk and trying

to

> decide how I could approach them.

>

> So when I got my mints I approached the college student and

> said, " Can I talk to them? " (I know she couldn't have stopped

me,

> but I didn't want her to think I was tooooo wierd) She said,

" Sure! "

> So I said mainly looking at the young man who was rocking,

" Are they

> autistic? " Really bright and cheery and kind of loud,

> like " Wow! How cooool! " .

> He looked up from his book and smiled and the woman said,

" He is. "

> (I thought maybe all three of her group were) I said, " I am too! I

> have Asperger's syndrome! " (again, like Wow, isnt' that just the

> coolest thing you have EVER heard?) I put my hand out to

shake the

> rocking guys hand and he shook my hand and looked down

again and

> started rocking. I then asked the second guy his name and

shook his

> hand, I think he's mildly autistic, too, but also maybe has

cerebral

> palsy, he was really cute, about 35. And there was a girl who is

non-

> verbal and probably has CP in an electric wheelchair with a

> communication pad in front. I said, " Hi! " to her, too.

>

> This one woman, sort of professional looking sitting with her

back to

> the group, turned around and smiled when I said, " I have

Asperger's

> syndrome! " It was a whole funny scene, and I'm glad I did it. I

> wanted them to hear that autism is a great thing. I said

something

> like, " I always try to say Hi to autistic people " and she said,

> something like " How interesting. " She was nice, I don't

suppose

> she knew what to say. :-)

>

>

> Camille

>

I love it! That sort of thing used to happen to me all the time back

in Humboldt. But I'm afraid to try it here---I figure it would

probably get me lynched in the town square.

:-O

Dave March

[Guest guest]

Yes, It was after breakfast. That must have been it, she thought

Asperger's syndrome was just for breakfast. Glad to do my little

part in spreading the news.

:-)

Camille

> > She was nice, I don't suppose

> > she knew what to say. :-)

>

> It was probably after breakfast, so while your attitude wasn't

> inappropriate, it is uncommon. We really need to spread the word

that

> Asperger's is the type of pervasive developmental disorder that can

be

> enjoyed *anytime* of day, not just at breakfast.

[Guest guest]

Camille - you are too cool! good for you! I wish my son could have

some of that at his school these days.

Think how many people over heard that and thinking again too!

dani

Camille wrote:

> Hi Dave,

>

> > " I am autistic. As is common with autism, I experience accute

> > and sometimes life-threatening allergic reactions to many forms

> > of condescension, insinuation and/or derisive innuendo.

> > ... Thank You. "

>

> I think most people would read

>

> " I experience acute and sometimes life-threatening allergic reactions

> to condensation, insulation and/or decisive nintendo. " Most people

> aren't as smart as we are. right? right? :-)

>

> I wanted to tell everyone about my experience in Border's bookstore

> today. I was back in the coffee shop section where some little

> college student type (psych major, no doubt) was supervising a group

> of " special needs " people, I don't know if they live together or if

> it's a day program...I had never seen this group before. Anyway,

> there was a young man about 20 who was rocking in his chair quite

> obviously (man they had 2 compressors behind the cafe counter, it

> was soooo loud to me, I covered my ears at one point). Anyway, I kept

> looking at the group while I was waiting for the clerk and trying to

> decide how I could approach them.

>

> So when I got my mints I approached the college student and

> said, " Can I talk to them? " (I know she couldn't have stopped me,

> but I didn't want her to think I was tooooo wierd) She said, " Sure! "

> So I said mainly looking at the young man who was rocking, " Are they

> autistic? " Really bright and cheery and kind of loud,

> like " Wow! How cooool! " .

> He looked up from his book and smiled and the woman said, " He is. "

> (I thought maybe all three of her group were) I said, " I am too! I

> have Asperger's syndrome! " (again, like Wow, isnt' that just the

> coolest thing you have EVER heard?) I put my hand out to shake the

> rocking guys hand and he shook my hand and looked down again and

> started rocking. I then asked the second guy his name and shook his

> hand, I think he's mildly autistic, too, but also maybe has cerebral

> palsy, he was really cute, about 35. And there was a girl who is non-

> verbal and probably has CP in an electric wheelchair with a

> communication pad in front. I said, " Hi! " to her, too.

>

> This one woman, sort of professional looking sitting with her back to

> the group, turned around and smiled when I said, " I have Asperger's

> syndrome! " It was a whole funny scene, and I'm glad I did it. I

> wanted them to hear that autism is a great thing. I said something

> like, " I always try to say Hi to autistic people " and she said,

> something like " How interesting. " She was nice, I don't suppose

> she knew what to say. :-)

>

>

> Camille

>

>

> > >

> > > > I can't say what was going through the woman's head, but I

> > do know from

> > > > being there that her original apology was only sarcasm to

> > begin with --

> > > she

> > > > wasn't actually apologizing to Parrish, but rather snapping at

> > him in a

> > > > tone so sarcastic that even I noticed it. Him accepting the

> > apology and

> > > > saying it was the kid's fault seemed to mess with her head,

> > perhaps

> > > because

> > > > he was being sincerely blunt in response to her being

> > indirectly vicious.

> > >

> > > Hopefully, one day, " autism awareness " will mean " I know that

> > some people

> > > have auditory sensitivity, and cannot handle the sound of

> > screaming

> > > children, " rather than, " there's no way in hell I'm getting my kid

> > > vaccinated, I'd rather have a dead kid with measles than a live

> > kid with

> > > autism. "

> > >

> > > Sorry for not remembering what you said about the parent's

> > sarcastic

> > > reaction. My " theory of mind " problems warped the memory,

> > becuase I

> > > couldn't understand how anyone could be *sarcastic* to

> > someone else's

> > > clearly painful reaction. There's just no way in hell I could do

> > that. At

> > > least Parrish gets Moral High Ground points for accepting the

> > appology.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Dani,

I hope someone surprises your son that way at school, too. I know

you love him to bits.

Camille

> Camille - you are too cool! good for you! I wish my son could

have

> some of that at his school these days.

>

> Think how many people over heard that and thinking again too!

>

> dani

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