From: Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: Killer Bs Discussion <brin-l@mccmedia.com>
To: Killer Bs Discussion <brin-l@mccmedia.com>
Subject: Re: Blog entry with interesting comment
Date: Wed, 03 May 2006 17:37:50 -0500
PAT MATHEWS wrote:
From: "Horn, John" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
On Behalf Of Julia Thompson
An essay criticizing skeptics is torn apart here:
http://www.autismstreet.org/weblog/?p=39
And the first commenter is James Randi. So I just had to share.
A very interesting article. Even more interesting, for me, was the
site itself. My daughter was just diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome
and ADHD (inattentive type). I know there are (or were) some on this
list with AS or ADHD. Any recommended sites out there
for a Mom and Dad struggling to put some order into all this
chaos?
- jmh
This is going to be a long post of the "dump the load" variety, so anyone
not interested can either delete or skim, but here goes:
1) It's not the end of the world. I wouldn't advise her to become,
say, an accountant (big mistake on my part!) but we're talking one of
the two differences known to be associated with a creative upside.
(the other being 'being mildly bipolar')
It is very much not the end of the world; it is the beginning of
figuring out what is going to work best for her in her life.
2) In my observation, the ADD books have a few coping tricks worth
mentioning, but 90% of their focus is on the sort of hyperactive boys
who are really, really good at grabbing opportunities and running
with them; and they all push for medication so hard you'd think they
were sponsored by Big Pharma. Get them from the library if you have
to bother at all.
I know relatively little about ADD. Go with what Pat says. :)
3) Again in my observation, Aspies come in roughly two flavors: the
organized, single-focused, linear mind; and the absent-minded
professor/free-spirited idea mill. Inattentive ADD goes with the
latter. If you have any use for the Myer-Briggs at all, these map
very roughly onto INTJ and INTP respectively. I mention this because
books on the Myer-Briggs (a system which is totally non-judgmental
and IMO the only system that does NOT make judgments) has a lot of
good tips for life, love, acreers, and living with your... in this
case, I'd say INTP --- which are quite useful even though they're
designed for the 'normal' end of the spectrum.
It's a reasonable generalization, although a few come up as S on the S/N
divide, or as F on the F/T divide. I've never seen an aspie declare their
MBT as Exxx, though, even the ones who seek more social interaction. :)
Generally figuring out what strengths and weaknesses are, which MBTI does
for a number of things, is a Good Thing.
4) Book: my all-time favorite is Liane Holliday Willey's "Pretending
to be Normal." And it's Dr. Willey; she has a PhD in, I think, some
branch of linguistics. And is happily married with children. But
there are others including some fictional characters I find quite
likeable, even loveable. (Terry Pratchett's Leonard of Quirm,
anyone?)
OK, now I'm REALLY regretting I didn't buy it this morning.
Next time I order from amazon. Next time.
I may get to borrow it before then.
Or I may go back to that bookstore sooner rather than later.
5) The very first thing I'd do in your shoes is find out her
strengths and work from there. Also her obsessions if she has any.
Don't let her dismiss them as "Oh, that's EASY" the way some people
do, apparently thinking the only way to make a living is at something
you have to work on. Wrong. Then mildly correct her weaknesses
through *teaching.* A lot of stuff can be learned, I'm here to tell
you.
And don't dismiss *anything* that anyone makes a career in as a possible
career.
Oh, and work on figuring out what her specific learning style is -- if you
go with that way working on things at home, at least, it will make things a
lot easier on her. It will probably be harder on her anyway with the ADHD,
even if her "easiest" method is applied; don't make it harder for her than
it has to be. (There was a post very recently on the "Processing in Parts"
blog about this, and someone with ADD contributed some good stuff in a
comment.)
6) Beware doomsayers (Some on wrongplanet and other nets but also out
there among the medpros) who wail "It's a Horrible Disability! That
must be Cured! With Medication! And once she gets an official Dx, she
can Go On Welfare!" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Anyone promising a cure should be shot.
Any medication should be prescribed by a doctor with some expertise in the
area. A pediatric neurologist would be good, if you're hooked up with one.
I would not have my own kid getting brain-targeted meds from anyone but a
neurologist.
Oh, and http://crazymeds.org, very NSFW for language in spots (including
the front page), has good info on meds. (A decent number of them have been
used by the people running the site, and the site may be a better source of
info on weird side effects than many.)
7) Workarounds for inattentive ADD include one that's really useful
and really, really cheap. You get a hard-blacked flip-top pad down at
Walgreens and the associated input device. Make a To Do list of
whatever seems to be needed. Wild Ideas and For the Future on a back
page. Obvious but let's not lose track on the front page. If need be,
"Have done Today." Sounds anal, I know, but there are times it;s
really worthwhile to have a little list.
Sounds like good advice. Does having a small pad and appropriate input
device on hand most of the time help, as well? I've heard that for a lot
of things. My problem is the size of the system; I've just started using a
more expensive, more technologically advanced device that works while I'm
driving, as well. (But I'm not ADHD, none of my children have a dx of
that, so I have no idea how that part of the equation works into it from
anything resembling a personal standpoint.)
Well, enough rambling and babbling.
Hope this helps,
Pat
You've given *me* a lot to think about, and I think you made an absolutely
wonderful post.
Julia
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