Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Monterey, Morro Bay, the Central Valley, and a fly over the Golden Gate Bridge at night. That was our ten-day (or eleven-day) vacation trip to California for the summer of 2018. Daddy and two excited little girls met up with friends and family for much of…
Category: Health
From diagnoses to “treatments” and everything in between, posts about health and autistic life.
Podcast 0012; Season 01, Episode 12; June 12, 2018 During the summer months, I need to ease off some of my workload to better manage time with family. After this podcast was recorded, I found that I did need to take a break from our littlest one’s pre-K graduation because…
“You need to smile more.” Professor in graduate school. “You need to stop seeing all the negatives around you.” Colleague at a university. “Why are you always depressed?” Teacher at a conference. The perception that autistics are depressed is a common stereotype. Commenting on things I want to fix, noticing…
Podcast 0011; Season 01, Episode 11 May 29, 2018 PA House Rep. Dan Miller has been an advocate for children and adults with disabilities for many years. In this episode of The Autistic Me Podcast we discuss how Rep. Miller works to help our communities. He also offers advice on how…
Editing the transcripts for The Autistic Me Podcast was a cruel reminder that I need new glasses. The automatic transcription service Descript using AI, which means the transcription is imperfect. Plus, I edit the transcripts for clarity because I believe verbatim transcripts often impede understanding. I’ve needed glasses since a winter in…
If a test emerges that can screen for some forms of autism with 80 percent or better accuracy, parents will seek out the test. I expect such screening to be possible within the next decade. We should consider the implications of accurate tests for forms autism, especially if medical researchers…
When did I ‘become’ the autistic me? That’s a complex question and one that raises questions about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders from the American Psychiatric Association. This post, however, does not engage in a debate over the DSM-IV and DSM5 criteria for autism. Instead, I wanted to…
Winter fills me with apprehension, as I wait for illnesses and injuries. The season brings misery. Influenza is a serious, dangerous infection. Despite the challenges of this flu season resulting from unexpected strains and their fast mutation rates, immunizations remain important. Even with our medical advancements, it is possible for…
Flu season hit our house hard, with two sick little girls quickly joined by two sick adults. The girls were vaccinated, but the vaccine hasn’t been effective this season as many news stories report. From ten to 30 percent effective wasn’t great enough for our household. My wife and I…
Winter is a topic I post on, well, every winter. It is a tough time of year for me, but at least it makes spring and summer all the better. Though I don’t like winter, the reality is I also miss our neighborhood from Minnesota and the trips into Wisconsin.…