tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post3583233154847268795..comments2024-03-19T08:40:36.481+11:00Comments on Life with Aspergers: Cactus Hour and Anti-Meltdown ShoppingGavin Bollardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13833941398375568706noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-36509031978692495192014-12-29T07:52:12.352+11:002014-12-29T07:52:12.352+11:00An absolute worst case of holiday shopping mall me...An absolute worst case of holiday shopping mall meltdown. <br /><br />Warning: a bit graphic at times. But a true story. <br /><br />This is truly a terminal case:<br /><br />http://youtu.be/gga6AvrvEck<br /><br />RIP to the man and may the witnesses and loved one have found peace afterwards. <br /><br />Miguel Palaciohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02311154354365423829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-22790544746352678722010-06-15T20:24:36.826+10:002010-06-15T20:24:36.826+10:00I LOVED the description of cactus hour!
AndI also ...I LOVED the description of cactus hour!<br />AndI also loved the part about people thinking that sometimes these children are viewed as "spoiled brats". I too have encountered that many a time with my 2 ASD sons.<br />Your blog has been a great read. Thank you <br />FI :)Fiona2107http://www.fiona2107.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-12021979321902065092010-04-22T10:22:17.378+10:002010-04-22T10:22:17.378+10:00One of the things that people often say is "t...One of the things that people often say is "that child is a spoilt brat" and if it's broken well, that's just too bad.<br /><br />The thing is, that with trickery and diversion you might well be able to get away without too much crying - or you might be able to "tough your way through it" but you need to consider the invisible consequences.<br /><br />I've already talked about this in <a href="http://life-with-aspergers.blogspot.com/2009/02/do-aspie-children-know-at-they-are.html" rel="nofollow">this post</a>. See the section on <b>Loss of Innocence</b> <br /> to get feel for how these things can affect children in the long-term.Gavin Bollardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13833941398375568706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-47102462090272020312010-04-22T03:46:11.197+10:002010-04-22T03:46:11.197+10:00The "Cactus hour", I like that. We have ...The "Cactus hour", I like that. We have similar issues balancing needs for freedom and structure in the summer, but I always come away wanting more holidays at the end anyway.<br />Thankfully now at age 10, I can now direct my sons to ebay and amazon for their own anti-meltdown shopping. We recently replaced a highly prized but damaged Star Wars action figure, with almost no upset. It was a miracle! But even 6 months ago would have had my husband scouring the city, so I totally get where you're coming from.Evangelinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03364960377582088174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-51326244361964757162010-04-20T09:30:39.616+10:002010-04-20T09:30:39.616+10:00Gavin,
Thank you. I appreciate your input.
While...Gavin,<br /><br />Thank you. I appreciate your input.<br /><br />While I adore Paul, my fiance, as he is, his lack of social skills and his not quite 'fitting into the world' has plagued him most of his life.<br /><br />He has a degree in honours Physics but has almost always worked low level jobs in other fields because of his extremely poor interviewing skills and subsequent low self- esteem. Generally he has done work that other people have arranged for him.<br /><br />I was hoping that there was assistance here that might help him with the red tape as there are in some places in the United States. <br /><br />With my assistance -and I should note that I do have prior experience with ASD in relatives- we have been working on his interviewing skills and tendency to be literal and have made some progress. <br /><br />It seems best that he and I simply continue to work on our own in developing his interviewing and social skills. We both have learned much from your blog as well and will continue to come here and read. <br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />SerenaSerenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16634339002042494410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-84375414934067376932010-04-19T05:06:01.252+10:002010-04-19T05:06:01.252+10:00I am right there with you Gavin, driving from stor...I am right there with you Gavin, driving from store to store to avoid the cataclysmic disappointment that our sensitive kids can often feel. To the NT world it most certainly looks like we are spoiling them, but I'm well on my way to letting go of caring about appearances. I know that for my son, he feels things much more intensely than NT kids. That's just the way it is.<br /><br />Last Christmas Simon sat on Santa's knee in our local shopping mall, and whispered what he wanted for Christmas in his ear. Santa BURST out laughing a huge belly laugh that amused and perplexed the mile-long lineup of parents and kids. What had Simon said that made Santa double over in hysterics? I asked him as we departed and he said "Oh nothing... I just told him I want a rubber chicken that goes "buckock-buckock"".<br /><br />Pretty much guaranteed that Santa never heard that one before. I scoured store after store and finally realized that I needed to stop looking in toy stores and start looking in PET stores. Lo and behold, Simon got a shiny new dog-toy rubber chicken from "Santa". You've never seen a happier 5 year old :)Caitlin Wrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06683662224096157734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-19972143260062457042010-04-18T01:31:53.107+10:002010-04-18T01:31:53.107+10:00Hi Gavin,
I too have spent days looking for some ...Hi Gavin,<br /><br />I too have spent days looking for some needed item that just couldn't be done without (usually a stuffed lion)! And trust me, with our kiddos, that is known as "GREAT parenting"!<br /><br />And I love the graphic, and even more so, your kid's need to correct you on the location of the incident! LOL <br /><br />Hartley<br />www.hartleysboys.comHartleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02463016780946119637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-51377631572581375332010-04-17T23:04:02.090+10:002010-04-17T23:04:02.090+10:00Love your description of the cactus hour! What a ...Love your description of the cactus hour! What a PERFECT description.<br />I am afraid I take the easy way out. I don't generally take my children, ANY of them, shopping with me. That way I can shop in peace. The poor things are going to grow up and not know what to do in a store, but at least our lives are peaceful. (I know, I'm a bad, selfish mom.)<br />Lindsey Petersen5 Kids With Disabilitieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08609530174946427058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-87747960536074526722010-04-16T12:46:07.671+10:002010-04-16T12:46:07.671+10:00Serena,
While there are some doctors in Sydney wh...Serena,<br /><br />While there are some doctors in Sydney who can and will diagnose aspergers in adults, the question you should really be asking yourself is whether your fiancée really needs a diagnosis.<br /><br />In Australia, there aren't any benefits or acommodations specifically for adults with aspergers unless you really can't work at all and a diagnosis may cost thousands. The cost of the diagnosis is largely dependent upon the number of tests your psychiatrist wants to run and where those tests are held.<br /><br />At 43, there's not much that a formal diagnosis can provide you with. Your fiancée will still be the same individual regardless of the label he has. If he's already being treated as an aspie, then the coping methods too, will be the same.<br /><br />If you still want to proceed with a diagnosis, you'll need a referral from a GP, so the logical place to start is there. Your GP should be able to find someone close to you and may even be able to find medical assistance depending on your health fund. Unfortunately the Government assistance plan is only available for children.Gavin Bollardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13833941398375568706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-64326747778005843502010-04-16T12:30:23.286+10:002010-04-16T12:30:23.286+10:00My fiance and I, mostly I, have been reading your ...My fiance and I, mostly I, have been reading your blog since last October. It took me until now to catch a post that indicated that you are in Sydney.<br /><br />I am from the United States but am living in Sydney now with my fiance who has Asperger Syndrome. He is not diagnosed though anyone who knows him who knows of ASD knows that he has it.<br /><br />We have been trying to find out the best way to get him diagnosed here but seem to find only resources for children. He is 43. We aren't even entirely sure if it would be beneficial or detrimental to get a diagnosis.<br /><br />Any advice or assistance that you could give would be appreciated.<br /><br />Thank you,<br /><br />SerenaSerenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16634339002042494410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-6147778477890473912010-04-15T08:16:11.321+10:002010-04-15T08:16:11.321+10:00So funny that you are in search of whoopie cushion...So funny that you are in search of whoopie cushions. My kids received one in their Easter baskets and lo and behold they popped them. I was off to the store replacing them the one and ONLY time. They haven't popped them since.Foursonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07470306593323990269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841851020927689161.post-34949250023984486732010-04-15T01:32:19.979+10:002010-04-15T01:32:19.979+10:00My sypathies are with you. When my kids were litt...My sypathies are with you. When my kids were little, they wanted us to own a Nintendo like everybody else. We lived across the street from a store that rented out the machines and games, and on a snow day off school I might rent a Nintendo for the day. I always introduced rules up front (for length of turns, etc.), and in spite of everyone's best intentions, overstimulation would result in cranky children and sore thumbs all round. I held the line based on my experience, since I knew the limits of my sanity. Here's to your wife and yourself surviving the holidays. You should go through the yellow pages and telephone first to establish who sells whoopee cushions. If there's one thing our children will never give us, it's credit for time served.eaucoinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03572252291115673745noreply@blogger.com