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One Giant Leap from Autism[ More Articles ] | This is a continuation of the article "DIY Autism Therapy"
Speech: Speech is a complex process requiring the precise coordination of the lungs, vocal cords, throat, tongue and jaws. This proved too much for me as a child. Poor control of my diaphragm led to a soft voice. Not opening or closing my jaws and lips properly led to my words "running into" each other, making it difficult for people to understand me. The Vocal Charisma course I took has put me on a good start on how to pronounce properly and speak clearly. Self Vocalization: I often talk to myself, especially when I make my plans or manipulate objects in my mind. I would like to find a way to convert these into internal thoughts to avoid freaking people out. Odd Body Language: I have unusual body language. For instance, when I am learning something new, I would draw shapes of the concepts I perceive as well as write mental notes or manipulate mental data with my fingers. [Starting from 1998, I developed a new "Mental Operating System" to organize and manipulate my thoughts.] I would like to find a way to make such activity less obvious to others. Poor Fine Motor Control: Involuntary trembling often interrupts my fine motor control, causing problems with using chopsticks and threading string.
Poor Verbal Attention: I have difficulty paying attention to long verbal instructions. When the words overrun my verbal buffer, I will lose track of all the remaining words. Fortunately, I have no problems with written instructions no matter the length. General Forgetfulness: I have difficulty remembering events and tasks to do. I rely heavily on notes and improvised reminders like tying a rubber band to my phone. Social Forgetfulness: I have difficulty remembering names, background information as well as developments in people's life. Facebook is a god-send to me!
Social Etiquette: I have difficulty remembering social etiquette to the extent that I might consider myself a "social idiot". [This is an analogy to a computer idiot, who has difficulty with computers despite much practice, tutoring and explaining.] The cultural practice of Christmas presents provide the most difficult challenge for me - I must take into account multiple factors such as social status of recipient, past reciprocation of recipient, value of presents given to me, wealth of recipient, cultural gifting norms applicable to myself, etc while also minimizing my budget. Leadership: I have difficulty getting unmotivated or unwilling subordinates to help me get the job done. Other people seem to have mysterious ways to overcome these difficulties. Group Thinking: I still have some difficulty with hidden group dynamics like who is the (unstated) leader, the roles that each member play and how I am expected to perform certain roles. Legacy Emotional Bonding: I still have problems bonding with some people I knew before I activated my instincts, including my mother. [ More Articles ]
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