I've thought a lot about how much I feel. It's a lot. It's overwhelming.
While I think I lack communication skills to demonstrate empathy in a typical way, I think it's partly because I get so overwhelmed by feeling what's happening in a room, with another person, even an email interaction. I feel blocked, or choked up with words. I wish telepathy existed because maybe then people would *know* what I so desperately struggle to communicate.
My husband's father died this week. We flew down to visit him in his final days. It was very tough -- it'd be tough anyway, but there were a lot of strong emotions because of J's difficult relationship with his father (due in no small part to a stepmother who didn't want anything to do with J -- jeez, don't get with a man who has a kid then). Anyway it's not my stuff to process, but I can't help but feel how much J is hurting, and while I know that J needs words of comfort I tend toward the non-verbal because with my body I can comfort better than with words.
Messy thoughts. I gotta go lay down. We might've both caught norovirus somewhere in our travels. :(
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
social vs socially awkward
The scope of this post is mainly about employment and Aspergers.
The Social Aspie kind of breaks the stereotype, but oh well; I think many people on the spectrum (maybe all of us) actually do want to connect with people, it's just difficult. I think there's a difference between being social and being socially awkward. And there's also a difference between being social and being extroverted. I'm an introvert. But I care deeply about people and I want to connect with them. I just have trouble doing so.
Employment can be tricky. Barbara Bissonnette of Forward Motion sent out her Aspergers and NLD newsletter today and it was about how only about 20% of skills that count in the workplace are hard skills and 80% are the interpersonal soft skills that help us get along and get things done in the workplace. Temple Grandin, among others, cites certain jobs as better for those on the spectrum; one of the jobs usually on the "not great for spectrumites" list is retail/cashiering.
While I tend to agree, I work in retail and can share some of the positive things about my experience. I never thought I would be good in a retail setting. I briefly worked at a jewelery store (one of those cheap jewelery franchises), and I hated it; I didn't like interacting with the women and teens who came into the store. I found processing credit card transactions stressful, and there were so many little things to try and keep clean. I've never been a stylish person, so I couldn't get excited about fashion accessories. It was horrid, and I lasted three months.
Aside from another stint in a department store restaurant where I worked as a cook behind the scenes, I've stuck mainly to office temping and factory work. I enjoyed the factory because it was repetitive detail-oriented work and there was no interacting with the public; I could wear comfortable clothing and a smock.
When I moved to Boston, I couldn't work for a while. Once I could, I considered going to a temp agency to work in corporate office settings but the more I thought about it, I realized that I really didn't like that environment. The office politics always felt too intense for me; I had to wear clothing that was uncomfortable, and I just felt like I didn't fit there.
One day I found myself at a outdoor gear retailer and on a whim, inquired about job opportunities. I love backpacking, hiking, cycling and kayaking, and I thought this might be a good place. I got hired there. It's on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. Their benefits are great, and it's a good work culture; the people who work there are generally passionate about the outdoors, and just all-round good people. It's not your average retail sales job.
I work as a cashier. Cashiering is challenging, and I think people on the spectrum are potentially challenged by this type of job in a number of ways, and maybe my experience isn't really representative of anyone else, but I figure it's worth sharing...
The Challenges
- The job involves a degree of multitasking that is challenging.
- The environment can be noisy and chaotic at times. Enter screaming baby.
- Difficult customers/conflict can be really challenging
- There are many complicated things to remember/learn about operating the cash register, and policies/procedures that, while documented, need to be applied appropriately.
Suitable Aspects
Good for someone detail-oriented and who is good at being accurate. I'm meticulous about doing the job properly, but it's made clear to us that most any mistakes can basically be undone, and we're not punished for making them, we get corrected and it's a learning opportunity.
This is key -- there is a kind of prescribed formula for interacting, a role if you will, which can make this less stressful than an open-ended interaction like in an office. Effective cashiering kind of involves guiding a transaction from start to finish; Greeting, ringing, providing information (like a particular discount is being applied here, etc), and finishing the transaction by taking payment, and a farewell greeting (Have a good day!). In other words, there is a basic script that one can follow, which helps reduce the stress of the interaction.
Benefits
There are some things about customer service that I really feel have benefited me. A few of these may be specific to the company I work for, perhaps, but are still relevant in a broader way.
I have an employer who supports diversity in the workplace, and I have an accommodation plan with them. I provided a letter from my doctor and they have worked with me to identify areas that I need support in - for instance, there is one cash register by the door that is supposed to be staffed at all times, but it is more challenging because people are always approaching that end cashier to ask questions, so it requires more multitasking. I have an accommodation that I don't work that register, because when I try to do that one I make mistakes when I normally don't make mistakes. I get overloaded and stressed, and my employer is fine with having me manage this by avoiding that register.
I have the opportunity to interact with a large number of people in one day, but within parameters that I can handle (because of the script, or prescribed role I can take). Now that I am fairly comfortable with the basics of taking payment for someone's purchase, I can interact with them to the degree I feel comfortable. If I'm more overloaded that day, I can simply ring stuff up and say only what I need to, but if I feel more social I can ask them questions about their upcoming backpacking trip or vacation, or tell them about a piece of gear they are buying that I have experience with.
When conflict arises, like if a customer is complaining or is asking for something I don't know how to handle, I have supportive managers I can ask for help. They are always willing to answer my questions. The return policy at this store is very liberal, and I generally don't have to say no -- this makes the job much more enjoyable. I am given all kinds of tools to give great customer service, and I rarely have a customer leave me feeling dissatisfied.
I can practice being friendly and receptive; I notice, for instance that when I make eye contact with the customer, the interaction is much more positive and friendly. It's really damn hard to do, but cashiering offers a low-stakes way to practice getting used to doing it. My job involves a tiny bit of sales, but there's no pressure with it, and I find that when I apply more or less effort I get results. This has been a great growth experience, and one that offsets my experience at that crappy fashion chain.
I get to experience interacting with ALL kinds of people. I meet laid-back Californian climbing buffs, bratty moms with their bratty teens, controlling middle-aged women who are addicted to shopping, scruffy city public works employees, police officers, military base personnel, extremely rich Boston executives who are weekend warriors, old hippie couples who are getting back into hiking, and lots of parents buying their spoiled kids The North Face Denali jackets. All kinds. Nice people, rude people, controlling people, prickly people, crabby people, super-positive friendly people, gay couples who aren't sure how I'll treat them, type-A runners, closet yogis, health freaks, alpine backcountry skiers, exhausted new parents, twenty-somethings getting ready to hike the Appalacian trail, ladies looking for a sporty 'cane' to help them walk after surgery. I would not get this in an office, or a factory. This offers mini-lessons in human nature and how I do or do not handle these different personalities.
I get to learn that how an abusive person treats me, a random cashier they know nothing about, has nothing to do with me because I'm treating them the same way as everyone else. I learn that the person who may seem snobby and inaccessible is actually a really down to earth person. I learn some people really are maybe-gangsters who pay with giant rolls of 100s. I learn that many people walk around anxious and when I am relaxed and I interact with them, it's a mirror for me how much I can be difficult to deal with when I'm anxious.
In general, I feel like cashiering is a training ground for social skills. There are a set of rules, which makes the interaction less stressful, but there's also plenty of opportunity to practice small talk and also how to handle different personalities. Because the workplace empowers me to do what I can to provide good service, for the most part interactions are positive, but the odd time when there is difficulty, like if a credit card gets denied, or someone wants something we cant do, or someone is being unreasonable, I learn assertiveness skills, or through my manager, learn how to handle that situation assertively.
I think it definitely helps that I have disclosed to my employer and have an accommodation plan. My six-month review was excellent. I exceed expectations, and my manager said, "Don't go anywhere". :)
For someone who is social but socially awkward, has sensory processing problems but can manage some degree of sensory bombardment (as long as they get downtime too), retail employment with a supportive employer may be accessible. It's not for every person, NT or spectrum, and I'm not even suggesting that it'd be a great thing to do long-term (it also doesn't pay very well). Some people could handle it. They may be struggling to find a workplace that can accommodate them, and dismissing retail jobs completely for all people on the spectrum may be robbing some of us of both opportunities for viable employment, and a space to practice valuable soft skills.
Fortune's Best Companies to Work For (retail)
The Social Aspie kind of breaks the stereotype, but oh well; I think many people on the spectrum (maybe all of us) actually do want to connect with people, it's just difficult. I think there's a difference between being social and being socially awkward. And there's also a difference between being social and being extroverted. I'm an introvert. But I care deeply about people and I want to connect with them. I just have trouble doing so.
Employment can be tricky. Barbara Bissonnette of Forward Motion sent out her Aspergers and NLD newsletter today and it was about how only about 20% of skills that count in the workplace are hard skills and 80% are the interpersonal soft skills that help us get along and get things done in the workplace. Temple Grandin, among others, cites certain jobs as better for those on the spectrum; one of the jobs usually on the "not great for spectrumites" list is retail/cashiering.
While I tend to agree, I work in retail and can share some of the positive things about my experience. I never thought I would be good in a retail setting. I briefly worked at a jewelery store (one of those cheap jewelery franchises), and I hated it; I didn't like interacting with the women and teens who came into the store. I found processing credit card transactions stressful, and there were so many little things to try and keep clean. I've never been a stylish person, so I couldn't get excited about fashion accessories. It was horrid, and I lasted three months.
Aside from another stint in a department store restaurant where I worked as a cook behind the scenes, I've stuck mainly to office temping and factory work. I enjoyed the factory because it was repetitive detail-oriented work and there was no interacting with the public; I could wear comfortable clothing and a smock.
When I moved to Boston, I couldn't work for a while. Once I could, I considered going to a temp agency to work in corporate office settings but the more I thought about it, I realized that I really didn't like that environment. The office politics always felt too intense for me; I had to wear clothing that was uncomfortable, and I just felt like I didn't fit there.
One day I found myself at a outdoor gear retailer and on a whim, inquired about job opportunities. I love backpacking, hiking, cycling and kayaking, and I thought this might be a good place. I got hired there. It's on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. Their benefits are great, and it's a good work culture; the people who work there are generally passionate about the outdoors, and just all-round good people. It's not your average retail sales job.
I work as a cashier. Cashiering is challenging, and I think people on the spectrum are potentially challenged by this type of job in a number of ways, and maybe my experience isn't really representative of anyone else, but I figure it's worth sharing...
The Challenges
- The job involves a degree of multitasking that is challenging.
- The environment can be noisy and chaotic at times. Enter screaming baby.
- Difficult customers/conflict can be really challenging
- There are many complicated things to remember/learn about operating the cash register, and policies/procedures that, while documented, need to be applied appropriately.
Suitable Aspects
Good for someone detail-oriented and who is good at being accurate. I'm meticulous about doing the job properly, but it's made clear to us that most any mistakes can basically be undone, and we're not punished for making them, we get corrected and it's a learning opportunity.
This is key -- there is a kind of prescribed formula for interacting, a role if you will, which can make this less stressful than an open-ended interaction like in an office. Effective cashiering kind of involves guiding a transaction from start to finish; Greeting, ringing, providing information (like a particular discount is being applied here, etc), and finishing the transaction by taking payment, and a farewell greeting (Have a good day!). In other words, there is a basic script that one can follow, which helps reduce the stress of the interaction.
Benefits
There are some things about customer service that I really feel have benefited me. A few of these may be specific to the company I work for, perhaps, but are still relevant in a broader way.
I have an employer who supports diversity in the workplace, and I have an accommodation plan with them. I provided a letter from my doctor and they have worked with me to identify areas that I need support in - for instance, there is one cash register by the door that is supposed to be staffed at all times, but it is more challenging because people are always approaching that end cashier to ask questions, so it requires more multitasking. I have an accommodation that I don't work that register, because when I try to do that one I make mistakes when I normally don't make mistakes. I get overloaded and stressed, and my employer is fine with having me manage this by avoiding that register.
I have the opportunity to interact with a large number of people in one day, but within parameters that I can handle (because of the script, or prescribed role I can take). Now that I am fairly comfortable with the basics of taking payment for someone's purchase, I can interact with them to the degree I feel comfortable. If I'm more overloaded that day, I can simply ring stuff up and say only what I need to, but if I feel more social I can ask them questions about their upcoming backpacking trip or vacation, or tell them about a piece of gear they are buying that I have experience with.
When conflict arises, like if a customer is complaining or is asking for something I don't know how to handle, I have supportive managers I can ask for help. They are always willing to answer my questions. The return policy at this store is very liberal, and I generally don't have to say no -- this makes the job much more enjoyable. I am given all kinds of tools to give great customer service, and I rarely have a customer leave me feeling dissatisfied.
I can practice being friendly and receptive; I notice, for instance that when I make eye contact with the customer, the interaction is much more positive and friendly. It's really damn hard to do, but cashiering offers a low-stakes way to practice getting used to doing it. My job involves a tiny bit of sales, but there's no pressure with it, and I find that when I apply more or less effort I get results. This has been a great growth experience, and one that offsets my experience at that crappy fashion chain.
I get to experience interacting with ALL kinds of people. I meet laid-back Californian climbing buffs, bratty moms with their bratty teens, controlling middle-aged women who are addicted to shopping, scruffy city public works employees, police officers, military base personnel, extremely rich Boston executives who are weekend warriors, old hippie couples who are getting back into hiking, and lots of parents buying their spoiled kids The North Face Denali jackets. All kinds. Nice people, rude people, controlling people, prickly people, crabby people, super-positive friendly people, gay couples who aren't sure how I'll treat them, type-A runners, closet yogis, health freaks, alpine backcountry skiers, exhausted new parents, twenty-somethings getting ready to hike the Appalacian trail, ladies looking for a sporty 'cane' to help them walk after surgery. I would not get this in an office, or a factory. This offers mini-lessons in human nature and how I do or do not handle these different personalities.
I get to learn that how an abusive person treats me, a random cashier they know nothing about, has nothing to do with me because I'm treating them the same way as everyone else. I learn that the person who may seem snobby and inaccessible is actually a really down to earth person. I learn some people really are maybe-gangsters who pay with giant rolls of 100s. I learn that many people walk around anxious and when I am relaxed and I interact with them, it's a mirror for me how much I can be difficult to deal with when I'm anxious.
In general, I feel like cashiering is a training ground for social skills. There are a set of rules, which makes the interaction less stressful, but there's also plenty of opportunity to practice small talk and also how to handle different personalities. Because the workplace empowers me to do what I can to provide good service, for the most part interactions are positive, but the odd time when there is difficulty, like if a credit card gets denied, or someone wants something we cant do, or someone is being unreasonable, I learn assertiveness skills, or through my manager, learn how to handle that situation assertively.
I think it definitely helps that I have disclosed to my employer and have an accommodation plan. My six-month review was excellent. I exceed expectations, and my manager said, "Don't go anywhere". :)
For someone who is social but socially awkward, has sensory processing problems but can manage some degree of sensory bombardment (as long as they get downtime too), retail employment with a supportive employer may be accessible. It's not for every person, NT or spectrum, and I'm not even suggesting that it'd be a great thing to do long-term (it also doesn't pay very well). Some people could handle it. They may be struggling to find a workplace that can accommodate them, and dismissing retail jobs completely for all people on the spectrum may be robbing some of us of both opportunities for viable employment, and a space to practice valuable soft skills.
Fortune's Best Companies to Work For (retail)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Hope and then
Thanks to wave mom -- I have been thinking about waking up this blog, and her recent comment is the extra little push I need. A combination of things had me pulling inward and this has been a useful period of introspection and internal shifting toward what I hope is a more balanced view of myself and the world.
In other words I've been damn depressed but I think there is some positive function to this depression. A psychologist I've been seeing said that I'm clinically depressed and have been for a long time. I'm not sure what's a long time (I don't know when I haven't been depressed), but yeah, it's been a long time, though the quality of depression changes over time. Lately it's been a very thick, tiring kind of sadness and feeling stuck. I think that rather than resisting it, I've realized that if I honour that place I can glean important insight from it. So I'm sitting with it. Indeed, changes come.
Heh, anyway, I think I have some writing in here somewhere. Keep an eye out (but don't let it dry out har har)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Autism Blogs and Trainwrecks
I continue to love on Rachel Cohen-Rottenberg's blog. Her latest on "coming out", and the comment thread that that follows, is interesting.
I used to read the blogosphere for self-interested self-discovery-type information about autism, in order to find language to articulate my experience as I relate it to family, friends and professionals.
My friend said that she doesn't read anymore about autism because the bottom line is that they don't really know anything. I've likewise lost interest in articles about autism and scientific "progress" on the main, because of this. I don't need to repeatedly read inaccurate descriptions of how autistics have problems with empathy, lack emotion, and don't have theory of mind.
I now read the autism blogs for self-interested sociological intrigue, at a special interest level. That is, autistic people who write about their experience and their struggles with the wider "autism community" (read: people "affected" by an autistic person and continue to use the sledgehammer against autistic people for not representing the tragedy of autism as they see it)...
As I think I've written about before, I'm interested in the sociological development of autism as Identity. In the politics of enacting an identity and how that is politically significant.
In how the power politics of the label play out, in who has the "right" to speak, and how they speak as it relates to wider power politics in medicine, disability movements, and popular culture. As such, I peruse twitter as a representation in real-time, a kind of CB radio of how people are thinking about autism. I read with intrigue the ugly, messy personal politics, that grey area rife with black and white thinking and mud-slinging self-righteousness in pursuit of a Truth which doesn't exist.
My experience with the medico-parental discourse is ALL second-hand, because engaging directly with it is far too anxiety-provoking for me. I read about others' struggles with those people. I feel somewhat guilty for not engaging, for why I'd rather blog about why I don't attend protests [than attend protests] or engage with any but the most open and interested parents. I don't write about my rage at medication or ABA or "Autism S(qu)eaks" or misconceptions, for the most part, because I'm not yet prepared to be attacked for it.
So, I continue mainly to consume first-person accounts of people thinking about autism, and blog about my own navel-gazing and pragmatic difficulties in the world. That said, I want to support the writers of blogs and I have started trying to comment on other blogs, and this has earned me a bit more traffic, which then expands my desire to write more politically, more openly, and more assertively about things, instead of whining about sensory overload and such.
If you are autistic and write a blog about autism, post it in the comments. I follow a lot (more than blogroll suggests) so I'm not looking for particular recommendations of other blogs, but if you personally write online I'd like to support it with readership and discussion.
I used to read the blogosphere for self-interested self-discovery-type information about autism, in order to find language to articulate my experience as I relate it to family, friends and professionals.
My friend said that she doesn't read anymore about autism because the bottom line is that they don't really know anything. I've likewise lost interest in articles about autism and scientific "progress" on the main, because of this. I don't need to repeatedly read inaccurate descriptions of how autistics have problems with empathy, lack emotion, and don't have theory of mind.
I now read the autism blogs for self-interested sociological intrigue, at a special interest level. That is, autistic people who write about their experience and their struggles with the wider "autism community" (read: people "affected" by an autistic person and continue to use the sledgehammer against autistic people for not representing the tragedy of autism as they see it)...
As I think I've written about before, I'm interested in the sociological development of autism as Identity. In the politics of enacting an identity and how that is politically significant.
In how the power politics of the label play out, in who has the "right" to speak, and how they speak as it relates to wider power politics in medicine, disability movements, and popular culture. As such, I peruse twitter as a representation in real-time, a kind of CB radio of how people are thinking about autism. I read with intrigue the ugly, messy personal politics, that grey area rife with black and white thinking and mud-slinging self-righteousness in pursuit of a Truth which doesn't exist.
My experience with the medico-parental discourse is ALL second-hand, because engaging directly with it is far too anxiety-provoking for me. I read about others' struggles with those people. I feel somewhat guilty for not engaging, for why I'd rather blog about why I don't attend protests [than attend protests] or engage with any but the most open and interested parents. I don't write about my rage at medication or ABA or "Autism S(qu)eaks" or misconceptions, for the most part, because I'm not yet prepared to be attacked for it.
So, I continue mainly to consume first-person accounts of people thinking about autism, and blog about my own navel-gazing and pragmatic difficulties in the world. That said, I want to support the writers of blogs and I have started trying to comment on other blogs, and this has earned me a bit more traffic, which then expands my desire to write more politically, more openly, and more assertively about things, instead of whining about sensory overload and such.
If you are autistic and write a blog about autism, post it in the comments. I follow a lot (more than blogroll suggests) so I'm not looking for particular recommendations of other blogs, but if you personally write online I'd like to support it with readership and discussion.
A Circuitous Route to Language
I've yet to research this, but in therapy yesterday I came across an interesting insight into my thought and language process: sometimes, when I want to recall something I want to share, I need to go "the long way" through a series of steps that get me to the point.
For example, J asked, "Tell me again what that idea [you shared yesterday] about the weekend was?"
In order to tell him, I will think and say something like, "So, as I was telling you yesterday, because I have been feeling lately that we aren't getting enough exercise, I was thinking about maybe this weekend going bike riding".
This is a theoretical example (and may be understating the way I do this), but it does convey something about my speech and thought process. I actually need to start where I started, and reiterate the thought in almost the same way I shared it before. If I don't do this, I can experience a kind of "speech impotence" where I just. can't. get. words. out.
From the point of view of people with "normal" cognitive processes or speech abilities, I used a whole lot of extra words to take a long time to "get to the point". It may be entirely frustrating to listen to me, with all my redundancies and circuitous speech.
Interestingly, I can be more "clear" with the lights off, and with some grounding physical contact. I've noticed that some people with AS close their eyes when they speak. This could be an adaptive strategy to reduce input. As annoying as it is to listen to someone who has their eyes closed and therefore is taking in no information about their listener(s), I can see how it'd be useful if the words just aren't coming as fluidly as I wish.
I'm not sure what this circuitous language process is called, but my therapist said she has known other people who do this kind of thing, and at this point, I can't change it but can develop strategies to deal with it. In the meantime, I hope the people around me continue to have patience as I take "the long way".
For example, J asked, "Tell me again what that idea [you shared yesterday] about the weekend was?"
In order to tell him, I will think and say something like, "So, as I was telling you yesterday, because I have been feeling lately that we aren't getting enough exercise, I was thinking about maybe this weekend going bike riding".
This is a theoretical example (and may be understating the way I do this), but it does convey something about my speech and thought process. I actually need to start where I started, and reiterate the thought in almost the same way I shared it before. If I don't do this, I can experience a kind of "speech impotence" where I just. can't. get. words. out.
From the point of view of people with "normal" cognitive processes or speech abilities, I used a whole lot of extra words to take a long time to "get to the point". It may be entirely frustrating to listen to me, with all my redundancies and circuitous speech.
Interestingly, I can be more "clear" with the lights off, and with some grounding physical contact. I've noticed that some people with AS close their eyes when they speak. This could be an adaptive strategy to reduce input. As annoying as it is to listen to someone who has their eyes closed and therefore is taking in no information about their listener(s), I can see how it'd be useful if the words just aren't coming as fluidly as I wish.
I'm not sure what this circuitous language process is called, but my therapist said she has known other people who do this kind of thing, and at this point, I can't change it but can develop strategies to deal with it. In the meantime, I hope the people around me continue to have patience as I take "the long way".
Monday, October 4, 2010
Everyday Needs
Many peers have written about the sheer exhaustion of being out in the world every day. With autism, the demands of social interaction, modulating sensory input, and the extra work to decipher and integrate all of it can leave us collapsed and overloaded at the end of the day.
Ultimately, I am seeing how important it is to make choices, set limits, and give myself permission to pace myself.
I have an everyday need, for instance, to shut out the world at the end of the day, to turn off the lights and wrap myself in a blanket. To completely relax. The tougher the day, the more this is necessary. Like each activity or environment I encounter has a certain "debt" level. Some things incur little energetic debt, like going for a hike (in fact this can be beneficial to integration and renewal). A movie on opening night incurs a lot of debt. So does work as a cashier. So does trivia night at the bar.
I choose to not limit myself. I prefer a movie not on opening night, but if my husband really wants to see it and it's opening night, I'll gauge how prepared I am to deal with it, and will often go. I'll sit near the front to minimize the number of illuminated cell phones and other movement in my field of vision.
I'm working on getting parts of my life together related to executive functioning, and am going to be working with a social work student intern on day to day living. I have to be mindful of how much debt I'm incurring, so that I can focus on building skills. It means a bit more isolation than I'd like, but I have to spend my energy wisely.
Ultimately, I am seeing how important it is to make choices, set limits, and give myself permission to pace myself.
I have an everyday need, for instance, to shut out the world at the end of the day, to turn off the lights and wrap myself in a blanket. To completely relax. The tougher the day, the more this is necessary. Like each activity or environment I encounter has a certain "debt" level. Some things incur little energetic debt, like going for a hike (in fact this can be beneficial to integration and renewal). A movie on opening night incurs a lot of debt. So does work as a cashier. So does trivia night at the bar.
I choose to not limit myself. I prefer a movie not on opening night, but if my husband really wants to see it and it's opening night, I'll gauge how prepared I am to deal with it, and will often go. I'll sit near the front to minimize the number of illuminated cell phones and other movement in my field of vision.
I'm working on getting parts of my life together related to executive functioning, and am going to be working with a social work student intern on day to day living. I have to be mindful of how much debt I'm incurring, so that I can focus on building skills. It means a bit more isolation than I'd like, but I have to spend my energy wisely.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Conversational Much?
I realized after the last few posts I did which garnered comments, that this medium isn't much different from my face to face interactions, in that I have a hard time reciprocating. This isn't 100%, I sometimes do have back and forth conversations with people, but usually I don't.
This is social pragmatic language, and I was recently assessed as having weakness in this area.
When the Autism Women's Network posted my profile mid-September, as part of their Pepsi Refresh campaign (go vote for them!) I got a lot of comments and I didn't respond to any of them. I feel bad about that. But I was overwhelmed. Sometimes when I do respond I feel like my responses are like.. cardboard? Dry and awkwardly bent.
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