Mid-afternoon.
Carol is asleep. Paul is lying down on the shorter living room couch checking
his iPhone, Kim is sitting on the longer couch comforting Brennan who is still
mostly asleep. Owen, like Carol, is asleep only in the second bedroom. You
slept too then upon awakening and finding everyone else asleep you finished Paige
Adams Strickland’s autobiographical Akin to the Truth, the story of her
adoption, growing up in Mariemont and Indian Hill, her graduation from high
school and college, the eventual creation of her own family and the final
discovery and resolve after meeting as an adult with her birth family. Your
first words coming to mind upon completing Paige’s book are:
“This is an honest, unpretentious,
deliciously descriptive book – a pleasantly good read with a humane, upbeat and
life-settling conclusion about coming to terms with her very early adoption and
the rest of her life so far. I enjoyed the reading and thus feeling a part of
her personal life discoveries. I am also quite proud, as she is a delightful
former student of mine at Indian Hill High School. I am glad we have kept in
touch.”
1939 hours. We had morning time on the
beach then lunch outside at the Dockside Dave’s less than a city block away.
After naps, everyone was back to the beach and then some to the pool. I have
been doing my weight exercises as well as walking the beach with Carol. Last
night we had supper with Linda, Bill, Jean and her friend Vicki at the Daiquiri
Shack (used to be called the Daiquiri Deck), the wraps and sweet potato fries
are still good as are the daiquiris for that matter. Tonight we had leftovers
from last night or today noon. Carol is half way through Lee Child’s The
Hard Way. My next book is the loaner from Doug, Tammet’s Thinking in
Numbers. It has been rather pleasant not habitually carrying my MacAir with
me everywhere. When we go to the grocery I usually wait for Carol in the car –
I have been listening to XM’s 60’s and 80’s music mostly plus the Real Jazz
station instead of listening to Amorella through my fingertips. So far we don’t
have any plans but the beach and the pool for tomorrow.
I would like you to note your thoughts to a
few quotes as you read Daniel Tammet’s book. Today Kim was asking about the
book and you mentioned that you feel you have a very loose connection
with Tammet’s autism, but son-in-law Paul says, Asperger’s Syndrome is more
likely.
** **
Asperger's Syndrome -
Symptoms
Symptoms during childhood
Parents often first notice the symptoms of
Asperger's syndrome when their child starts preschool and begins to interact
with other children. Children with Asperger's syndrome may:
•
Not pick up on social cues and
may lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others' body
language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking.
•
Dislike any changes in routines.
•
Appear to lack empathy.
•
Be unable to recognize subtle
differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others?
speech. So your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment
literally. And his or her speech may be flat and hard to understand because it
lacks tone, pitch, and accent.
•
Have a formal style of speaking
that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the word
"beckon" instead of "call" or the word "return"
instead of "come back."
•
Avoid eye contact or stare at
others.
•
Have unusual facial expressions
or postures.
•
Be preoccupied with only one or
few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children
with Asperger's syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in
unusual activities, such as designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes,
or studying astronomy. They may show an unusual interest in certain topics such
as snakes, names of stars, or dinosaurs.
•
Talk a lot, usually about a favorite
subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often
verbalized.
•
Have delayed motor development.
Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or
catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.
•
Have heightened sensitivity and
become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. For
more information about these symptoms, see sensory processing disorder.
A child with one or two of these symptoms does not necessarily
have Asperger's syndrome. To be diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a child
must have a combination of these symptoms and significant trouble with social
situations.
Although the condition is in some ways similar to
autism, a child with Asperger's syndrome typically has normal language and
intellectual development. Also, those with Asperger's syndrome typically make
more of an effort than those with autism to make friends and engage in
activities with others.
Symptoms during adolescent and teen years
Most symptoms persist through the teen years. And
although teens with Asperger's can begin to learn those social skills they
lack, communication often remains difficult. They will probably continue to
have difficulty "reading" others' behavior.
Your teen with Asperger's syndrome (like other
teens) will want friends but may feel shy or intimidated when approaching other
teens. He or she may feel "different" from others. Although most
teens place emphasis on being and looking "cool," teens with Asperger's
may find it frustrating and emotionally draining to try to fit in. They may be
immature for their age and be naive and too trusting, which can lead to teasing
and bullying.
All of these difficulties can cause teens with
Asperger's to become withdrawn and socially isolated and to have depression or
anxiety.
But some teens with Asperger's syndrome are able to
make and keep a few close friends through the school years. Some of the classic
Asperger's traits may also work to the benefit of your teen. Teens with
Asperger's are typically uninterested in following social norms, fads, or
conventional thinking, allowing creative thinking and the pursuit of original
interests and goals. Their preference for rules and honesty may lead them to
excel in the classroom and as citizens.
Symptoms in adulthood
Asperger's syndrome is a lifelong condition,
although it tends to stabilize over time, and improvements are often seen.
Adults usually have a better understanding of their own strengths and
weaknesses. They are able to learn social skills, including how to read others'
social cues. Many people with Asperger's syndrome marry and have children.
Some traits that are typical of Asperger's
syndrome, such as attention to detail and focused interests, can increase
chances of university and career success. Many people with Asperger's seem to
be fascinated with technology, and a common career choice is engineering. But
scientific careers are by no means the only areas where people with Asperger's
excel. Indeed, many respected historical figures have had symptoms of
Asperger's, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie,
and Thomas Jefferson.
Other conditions
Many children with Asperger's syndrome also have
coexisting conditions and may have symptoms of these conditions also. They
include:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Anxiety disorder
Depression
Nonverbal learning disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Social anxiety disorder.
From webmd.com
** **
Sometimes
you do like to think on the order of light as a solid and then work backwards,
but I see this as coming more out of creative boredom than actual
Neo-Classic-like thinking. You are not the brightest light on the block but you
do tend to shimmer when you aren’t paying any attention such as when stumbling
up the stairs rather than falling down them. We will get back to the Dead Six
once you complete Thinking in Numbers. Post. Amorella
I
do have a sunset photo from tonight. Last night was cloudy.
Madeira Beach Sunset, 5 November 2013
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