I have been on the yahoo group spdadultshare for a while. Dan is awesome. I want to support this forum. I'll mainly read it through my google reader. If you send a PM, I'll get notified.
I'm in my 30s, and my diagnosis stuff happened officially in 2009.
I have SPD and that is a big part of my experience of Asperger's.
I have a pet theory that autism spectrum involves primarily a sensory integration problem that affects development more or less severely. I have other pet theories. They are pets because I keep them in cages and don't let them out very often
because people are mean and cruel and argumentative and I don't like the internet because there are so many trolls and beligerent people who think they know everything. I don't know everything. All I have is my experience, and a husband who reads a lot and understands more about neuroscience than I ever will.
I was diagnosed as an adult with Asperger's Syndrome (by a professional who specializes in diagnosing adults) and I was diagnosed by an audiologist as having Central Auditory Processing Disorder. While I have other sensitivities aside from auditory problems, I believe that auditory dysfunction is the main challenge I face in day to day life -- insofar as it has been empirically measured and I am more aware of it.
For instance, in one dimension I was in the 5th percentile and in another, 16th, whereas other measures placed me at the 99th percentile. This means that in certain areas of auditory processing, I am very challenged.
I have a weighted blanket, and I love it.
I don't need any immediate help, I don't think.
I've been depressed. I'm looking for a job, and I think that things like the grocery store, or working retail in a noisy environment with fluorescent lights would be really hard. Actually many jobs feel like there's some sensory thing or another that would challenge me. I want to find something that is in an understanding environment. Part-time, so I can have ample time to re-integrate.
I'm currently experimenting a bit with trying to sensitize myself to offensive noises, and see if I can find strategies for remembering what people are saying, and keeping up in conversations. That's my main focus.
I'm a yoga teacher, and I find that yoga really really helps with proprioceptive and interoceptive functioning. It's also good for anxiety.
BTW "spockmonkey" is a bit of a tease at the stereotype that people with aspergers are vulcan-like. Actually no, many of us feel quite intensely, thank you very much. We also have empathy, and want to have relationships with other people.
And I always did like the character of Spock. I also like sock monkeys. but a sock monkey, in some contexts, is a "puppet" that one uses anonymously on the internet to troll, and I didn't want to be associated with that.
