Autism has a genetic foundation; it likely has many genetic forms, each with its own set of mutations. Press Release: Using New Statistical Tools, Carnegie Mellon’s Kathryn Roeder Finds Genetic Risk for Autism Stems Mostly From Common Genes -Carnegie Mellon News – Carnegie Mellon University I’ve written before about spontaneous, de…
The Autistic Me
This is why I haven’t been blogging a lot this summer (2014). I’ve been working on several new plays… A NEW DEATH A World Premiere By C.S. Wyatt Directed By Kaitlin Kerr Assistant Directed By Sarah McPartland Presented by Throughline Theatre Company July 18 – July 26,…
Autistic traits can contribute to being abused and exploited by others, as the following survey data suggest: Half of [UK] autistic adults ‘abused by someone they trusted as a friend’ A startling 44% of those questioned admitted they stayed indoors as much as possible for fear of being harassed. Almost…
I was recently asked whatever happened to my planned update to Spectrum of Relationships. The simple answer: I have been distracted by more interesting (to me) things and didn’t really push to get the book updated. I’m not nearly as involved in autism advocacy in Pennsylvania as I was in…
A reader asks, “If you don’t think about the autistic traits, what about your wife? They tend to notice what husbands fail to see in the mirror.” Is my wife more aware of my autistic traits than I am? Probably. I suppose the above is true of all friends and…
I don’t generally speak of it, but driving on the shortest Interstate between Pittsburgh and our house upsets me most times. But, it saves about 20 minutes if I’m in a hurry to get home. I need to decide between the emotional stress, the memories it triggers, and the convenience…
Now, for some paradoxes about where we choose to live. Greater Pittsburgh (more accurately, the region north of Pittsburgh), as a community, has proved to be a great place for my wife and me. The region, which includes parts of West Virginia and Ohio, offers excellent opportunities for people like…
Every few months, online or in real (physical) life, I hear the skeptical, questioning, puzzled phrase, “You’re not autistic. You can’t be.” I’ve addressed the question here many times, and I still lack a single good response. The “positive” versions: Because you are successful, self-expressive, driven, and have a career,…
Ignoring people isn’t something I can do. There is no “polite mode” with my lack of executive function. If someone is a jerk, I tell the person, at that moment. That’s something non-autistics never quite grasp, either. My wife has known me for 30 years and forgets that I have…
My wife and I like to take walks along the main street (actually, Third Street) of the nearby township. It is something out of a movie — even the park gazebo was donated to the community after a film wrapped. My wife said last night that the village across the…