Thank you to Hannah for her fascinating presentation on “Autism and Later Life” given to our recent Post-Diagnostic Support Group meeting.
Thank you also to all those who attended, and for those who were unable to make it, you can watch the presentation below. We look forward to seeing you at our next PDSG on 6th October.
Dream
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Thanks Hannah for a great presentation which was well researched. After reflecting on some of the comments made perhaps a useful topic for future presentations could be along the lines of how to advocate for yourself, especially in stressful situations like health care.
Thanks Again, Hannah!
Yes, there was plenty to reflect on there; both at the original ‘broadcast’ time, and when I watched it again yesterday. It’s good that I should continue to be informed how things work out for adults in the UK who experience different widely-varying manifestations of autism, but I am again struck by the sad realisation that there is almost zero awareness of adult autism in the country where I now live; and it continues to look like that awareness is being deliberately denied by government policy. And I can’t see that changing anytime soon.
Kathy’s suggestion (above) is also interesting. Just a few days ago I discovered that there is a self-advocacy network , in the country where I have long lived as an expat. Until recently, I had only found local ‘resources’ for children & young people. Anyway, thinking to myself that it might be a good place to discover other adults (of a similar disposition) to interact with socially and thru’ work, I volunteered my services to the cause. Proof-reading and document preparation is one of my numerous job hats, and as a self-identified (later diagnosed) person I thought to myself that I would easily find plenty to do there. The reply came back that I should send in my resume; which I prepared to do. It then occurred to me that an Autism self-advocacy site really needs a resume that is at least partially composed of one’s occupational and social experiences, as influenced by one’s ‘condition’. So I decided to take a look at the site again to make sure I met their aims etc. “Hold on, there’s something wrong here”, I thought. I noticed the site had no means to become a member and comment. All comments had to be sent to the co-ordinator to use as he/she saw fit. There were a lot of quite high-profile projects connected to the site., but they all looked kind of top-down and patronised by VIPs and large organisations; I began to think that almost anything I could contribute to such a site might well end up running contrary to government policy. It also looked like the coordinator was making an excellent job of self-advocating his/her own career. I decided to forget rewriting the resume for the time being and go looking once again for connections with the local autistic community, instead. As a former teacher, I know just what it is like to be continually imposed on by completely top-down national policies. Not something I would wish to continue doing in my old age! 😉
Thank you so much for this wonderfully uplifting presentation. This truly gives me hope. One important point that was mentioned, I no longer am physically that able so I am used to have less spoons than average people, and all the more important it is to keep the mind busy… And I noticed that too, I kept wondering, why people don’t have that curiosity like I do. I no longer send that many links to people, they don’t seem that interested, they are too busy with their own life and family, it seems. I love to learn new things, even if it is not about my special interest. It just adds to the data collection and sometimes helps connecting the dots with things I have been thinking about. I love it. Reading and researching and learning new information. Maybe it is a form of stimming. Reading for sure is.. HYPERPLASTICITY,. I guess so. One lady once told me, it makes her feel dizzy with all the different kinds of topics I keep myself busy but to me it is what makes me feel ALIVE… One other thing that comes to mind, what Dr.Linda mentioned: Being CAREFUL in the way you move your body, mindful, in order to prevent bad things from happening, which also means, you think in advance, where you put your bag, so nobody will fall over it, you don’t just put things on the floor carelessly…things like that… I guess it keeps your mind agile.
I suppose I might be regarded as rather lucky in that I have largely avoided any major ‘issues’ in my life. On the other hand, I have invested massively in careful/mindful behaviour for decades. I would say that in my late 20s and early 30s I realised I was very prone to both social gaffes and accidents. So I very consciously adopted what I still think of as a very low-risk lifestyle. I can take a few more risks with solitary reading, research and listening to music. And I suppose I had already learned to ride a bike and drive quite well because I tended to do these things mostly beyond the public gaze. But as soon as I start getting in the least bit ambitious about public performance, things start to get really messy. So I tend to regard myself as dyspraxic. And I can easily become overloaded by too much incoming and conflicting data; so ADD seems highly likely too. However, I have found considerable comfort in being constantly vigilant about where I am going and what I am outwardly doing with my mind. It is all a bit exhausting, and not at all conducive to making real friends. I’d like to be a bit more adventurous now I am over 60, but even before COVID started I was very aware that I might have left it way too late. I’d like to be out and working a bit more creatively in public, but other people would probably prefer it if I confined myself to my normal solitary and mindful activities.
These are just some of the things I really wanted to say after having seen Hannah’s presentation.