Published on 12, July, 2020
To me there still seems to be a gap in the market, with most resources focussing on autistic children and young adults and hardly anything for older people. So it makes a change to see a video on the experience of older autistic people. We could really due with resources that cover the whole lifespan, I think, including end of life care (my unidentified autistic dad died on a busy, noisy ward (radio 2 blaring constantly, as if this would automatically be helpful to patients) which, even though I wasn't aware of our neurodivergence even just a few years ago, I know would have made him much less comfortable).Dad enjoyed peace and quiet, or maybe a little Radio 4 and I remember thinking that it was a pity he wouldn't wear earphones (great difficulty putting up with anything around his head or face, including glasses). We all need and deserve much better as we grow older. www.youtube.com/watch
I'd like to see some analysis of the cohorts used in these studies. I've seen the figure of 54 bandied about too. It's good in a way, as it draws attention to the difficulties we face and obviously charities will use it for that reason. However, it can also be very anxiety provoking. If I took it seriously (I really don't), I guess I'd be led to believe that I'm living on borrowed time!
I think this is the basis of it. A large Swedish study, leading to teh article
by Hirvikoski et al.
Not sure how flawed or otherwise the methodology is, my brain isn't good with that stuff.
I'd have to have a good look through but at a glance I'd suggest that the figures are already out of date and have been superceded by a new understanding of what autism actually is, as well as a sudden surge in diagnostic rates which includes a lot of people who were previously missed. Things have changed a lot, even in just the past 10 years.
These days there seems to be more opportunities for self-employment or "portfolio" working. The downside is the unpredictability and having to manage your own diary, keep records. do tax returns, etc. The upside is being able to choose work that interests you.
I am not too happy with heat, so today I have taken a few hours off and will do my paperwork this evening when it is cooler. My clients may get emails which I sent at 2.00 am - so what? They can reply when they are ready.
I agree it's not easy. If you require help from the State due to disability it's an extremely flawed system.Despite being someone with at the time several decades of SMI I was only successful with my 3rd claim for DLA(I had help with the 3rd claim) , Meanwhile I knew from an online ng there were those who'd only had health problems starting in their 50s who were getting it. These people planned their claims like a military campaign. Successful or failure shouldn't be about how well you can present your claim, but about the things you struggle with. If you don't have a system that does you have a flawed and to some extent dishonest system.
That's something I'd have aspired to myself but given the level of activity and interaction with others required, not to mention managing conflict, it's far better I just stay in the background and pay my subs. Not sure whether I could exactly say that I was unwell (debatable in some ways, although a couple of colleagues did approach me and ask whether I was bipolar) but a role like this would certainly have made me so.
The first one never came across as being particularly intelligent, but may have been a late bloomer. The second one always came across as being very intelligent. If I'd stayed well I I would've liked to have been a Labour MP.
Those guys see like high flyers. Such ratified heights (in NT terms) that it’s useless for anyone (autistic or otherwise) to compare against them.
Yes, that question can seem to contain assumptions and values that jarr. And I can see how it could lock in to certain thoughts straight away. Mind you, it sometimes seems automatic and akin to, "How are you?", so I maybe read too much into it if it's just a social nicety kind of thing.
It reminds me of some of the more careless questions asked by various CPNs we've seen, who, while being very affable and well meaning, would ask what we were doing for the weekend or on holiday, or which pub we preferred, as if those things were a possibility for us (they quite obviously weren't and it felt a bit "normal-waving" and presumptuous to me). I felt a bit disappointed in them after some very open and difficult conversations as they'd always revert to things like that just as they were leaving, as if they'd just been pretending to listen and were now a bit like Mike Yarwood at the end of his show saying, "And now this is me" (what a great guy I am!).
Anyway, I'm probably overthinking it, but I feel aghast that someone can be left feeling "useless and worthless" by it when that's really not the case. It might be yet another of those ways in which the prevailing culture bears down on people and those who "belong" engage in a bit of social signalling.
Contemporaries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Tyrie Same year. Same D.O.B. Different school house.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Helm Year above me.Same school house.
I have an equivalent to that (for some other time, and likely it’s own thread) so you are not alone in being triggered by the ‘No harm’ presumption of others in that way. I feel your pain. Just from another angle. And to some extents even from the same one is terms of my workplace ‘limitations’ (in NT terms)
Jenny Butterfly said:need to be born in mind. I also think that, generally speaking, there'll be a significant number who have never been in paid employment
need to be born in mind.
I also think that, generally speaking, there'll be a significant number who have never been in paid employment
One of the regular questions asked on all kind of forums is 'What job do you do?' People mean no harm by it,but it brings out a lot of self disapproval/self disgust in me. I tend to think I'm the only person who's like that .That I'm useless and worthless.