“Did you know Bill Gates and Tim Burton are probably on the spectrum?” Only a mental health professional has the right to “diagnose” somebody else — and only when that person is a patient. Of course, a doctor would have to adhere to confidentiality standards. Can we please stop such…
Category: General
Because I tend to observe the negatives around me, people assume I am a negative person. It probably doesn’t help that I don’t speak about the positives nearly often enough. I sometimes assume the good things are obvious to everyone and don’t need to be said. Who needs me to…
I hate road noise. I hate it a lot. It hurts my ears, vibrates my entire body, and makes me want to hide in a cave. I could hear the traffic noise in our previous apartment. I’d do what I could to close windows or hide in my bedroom. A…
I like my routines. Actually, predictability and safety are what I like. It isn’t that I follow the same routine every day, just that I like to have things available to me in case I feel stressed. I want my radio programs at the times I expect. I hate it…
Completing tasks is a real challenge for me. This is definitely why I was diagnosed with ADHD years before high-functioning autism became the official label for my odd mix of traits. ADHD with seizures, repetitive movements, and a long list of other ill-fitting characteristics. I have a lot of incomplete…
I don’t sleep well at night. I end up sitting in front of the TV, reading, or writing until I’m too exhausted to keep my eyes open… but I never seem to just go to bed and sleep like I think other people must do. My wife goes to bed…
I love my wife, my cats, my family… but I wish I knew how to sound and act nicer. I can be curt, rude, blunt, or whatever else you want to call it. I would like to sound much nicer to the people about whom I care most. (Tangent: The…
When I get nervous, like most people I stutter and stumble over words. I simply stumble more often than a lot of people. Speaking smoothly, clearly, and properly is an essential part of succeeding in life. It’s shallow, certainly, but I certainly admit that I’m also not above making quick…
Computers are the source of frustration for all of us at one time or another. Two nights ago, I lost a file with the outline of 50 pages I had read. I was using Windows, which was the problem — Windows can be a real nightmare when software misbehaves. (One…
Though the autistic label is fairly new, I have been labeled many things in the past. As I think about the past and present experiences, I realize that including bits and pieces from my evaluation in the book I’m completing will help others with similar experiences. I know I am…