autism card -- Greeting autistics

[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? :-)

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.