Written by Brad Lain ...
Columbus, Indiana ..
 Brad's paper A LIFELONG PUZZLE AFFECTING THE BRAIN
AUTISM IS NOW THOUGHT TO AFFECT ONE IN FIVE HUNDRED PEOPLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE AUTISM DO NOT RECOGNISE FACES AND GET PEOPLE CONFUSED WITH OTHER PEOPLE ALL THE TIME PEOPLE WITH AUTISM NEEDS A LOT OF PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING SOMETIMES PEOPLE WITH AUTISM DO NOT ASSOCIATE ONE THING AS HAVING TO DO WITH ANOTHER UNLESS IT IS EXPLAINED TO THEM PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LIKE TO MAKE ASSOCIATIONS THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPLAINED FOR OTHERS TO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE WITH AUTISM HAVE A LOT OF SENSORY PROBLEMS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LIKE TO STAY BUSY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM TAKE THINGS LITERALLY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LIKE TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THEMSELVES PEOPLE WITH AUTISM THINK THAT OTHERS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE THINKING WITHOUT TELLING THEM PEOPLE WITH AUTISM ARE VISUAL LEARNERS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM DO NOT UNDERSTAND PUNISHMENT AS HAVING TO DO WITH SOMETHING THEY DID WRONG PEOPLE WITH AUTISM GET TEASED AND YELLED AT A LOT BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO TEASE AND YELL AT THEM BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN ACT NORMAL AND AUTISM DOES NOT EXIST PEOPLE WITH
AUTISM ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO SOUNDS AND SMELLS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM DO NOT LIKE TAGS IN THEIR SHIRTS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO CERTAIN TYPES OF CLOTHING PEOPLE WITH AUTISM NORMALLY DO NOT GET MARRIED OR HAVE CHILDREN PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LOOK NORMAL TO THE UNTRAINED EYE PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TELL OTHER PEOPLES EMOTIONS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY SCREAM YELL OR HIT IF THEY BECOME FRUSTRATED IT IS HARDER FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM TO BE TOILET TRAINED PROPERLY SOME PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LOVE THE WAY DEEP PRESSURE FEELS AND THEN SOME DO NOT LIKE TO BE TOUCHED AT ALL SO IF SOMEONE GETS BUMPED WHO HAS AUTISM THAT MIGHT MAKE THEM GO FLYING OFF THE WALL PEOPLE WITH AUTISM HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF ABILITIES AUTISM COMES
IN ALOT OF DIFFERENT STRENGTHS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY NOT LIKE TO GO TO CHURCH PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY NOT LIKE CROWDS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM HAVE MORE TROUBLE FIGURING OUT WHO THEY CAN AND CANNOT TRUST PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT START LAUGHING OR SCREAMING JUST OUT OF THE BLUE BECAUSE THEY MAY SEE OR THINK OF SOMETHING THAT NOBODY ELSE NOTICES THAT IS GOING ON PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND OTHER PEOPLES JOKES PUNS WISECRACKS INSULTS PUTDOWNS SLAMS TRICKS ETC ALOT OF PEOPLE WITH AUTISM ARE VERY CREATIVE SOMETIMES PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT NOT APPEAR TO BE LISTENING VERY CLOSELY AND DO OTHER THINGS AT THE SAME TIME SOMETIMES IT MIGHT BE HARDER FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM TO BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH RIGHT FROM WRONG OR GOOD FROM BAD IT IS HARDER FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM TO UNDERSTAND LYRICS WHEN LISTENING VERY CLOSELY TO MUSIC PEOPLE WITH AUTISM NEED TO BE GIVEN CHOICES WHEN THEY NEED TO MAKE A DECISION PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT NOT SAY THEY WANT TO STOP SOMEWHERE OR THEY MAY NOT SAY THEY SEE SOME PLACE THEY WANT TO STOP AT AND YOU JUST DRIVE RIGHT PAST THE PLACE THEY SEE OR THAT THEY WANT TO STOP AT AND THEY MAY GET VERY SURPRISED OR UPSET IF YOU ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE DRIVER DOES NOT STOP THATS BECAUSE THE DRIVER THINKS NOBODY WANTS TO STOP BUT REALLY THE PERSON WITH AUTISM DOES BUT THE REASON THEY WILL NOT SAY THEY WANT TO STOP IS BECAUSE THE PERSON WITH AUTISM THINKS THE DRIVER ALREADY KNOWS WITHOUT TELLING HIM OR HER PEOPLE WITH AUTISM THINK OTHERS KNOW WHAT THEY ARE THINKING ALL THE TIME PEOPLE WITH
AUTISM MAY TRY TO KEEP THEIR CLOTHING OFF OF THEIR BODIES BECAUSE THEY MAY
NOT LIKE THE WAY IT FEELS ON THEIR SKIN OR THEY MAY NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY
HAVE THE CLOTHING ON THAT THEY DO SO THEY MAY JUST TRY TO KEEP TAKING THEIR
CLOTHING OFF PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT GET SAME SOUNDING WORDS MIXED UP THAT HAVE DIFFERENT MEANINGS AND SPELLINGS SUCH AS KNOW AND NO FOR FORE AND FOUR TWO TOO AND TO MALE AND MAIL WINE AND WHINE DOE AND DOUGH KNIGHT AND NIGHT BARE AND BEAR POOR POUR AND PORE WRITE RITE AND RIGHT GREAT AND GRATE FARE AND FAIR DEAR AND DEER PEOPLE WITH AUTISM NEED TO BE TOLD IF THERE WILL BE A CHANGE IN THEIR ROUTINE PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY NOT TAKE THINGS AS SERIOUSLY AS NORMAL PEOPLE DO IT IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM TO HAVE SOMEBODY FOLLOWING THEM SO CLOSELY THAT THEY CANNOT SEE THE FRONT BUMPER OF THE VEHICLE BEHIND THEM SOMETIMES PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY NOT KNOW WHEN THEY BECOME THIRSTY AND NEED TO DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS AUTISM USED TO BE BLAMED ON POOR PARENTING BUT NOW THEY KNOW IT IS CAUSED BY A PROBLEM IN THE BRAIN SOME PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY NOT LIKE TO TALK ON THE TELEPHONE BECAUSE PEOPLES VOICES SOUND DIFFERENTLY OVER THE TELEPHONE THAN THEY DO IN PERSON AND IT IS ALSO HARD TO UNDERSTAND WORD FOR WORD WHAT THEY ARE SAYING AND PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY NOT LIKE TO TALK OVER THE MICROPHONE BECAUSE THEY CAN ACTUALLY HEAR THEIR VOICE SOUND DIFFERENTLY AND IT MIGHT MAKE THEM NERVOUS TO HEAR THEIR VOICE SOUND DIFFERENTLY SOME PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY NOT LIKE THE WAY CIGARETTE SMOKE SMELLS MORE THAN NORMAL PEOPLE SOME PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY NOT GET DIAGNOSED UNTIL THEY ARE AT AN OLDER AGE SOME PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MAY THINK SOME THINGS ARE FUNNY AND START LAUGHING WHEN THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY AT ALL PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT SAY OR DO THINGS THAT THEY THINK ARE VERY VERY FUNNY AND THEY THINK IT WONT GET THEM INTO TROUBLE BUT THEY DONT UNDERSTAND WHY IT GETS THEM INTO TROUBLE AND SINCE THEY THINK IT IS VERY FUNNY THEY ASSUME THAT EVERY BODY ELSE THINKS IT IS FUNNY TOO PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE RUDE PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT TRY TO SAY OR PRONOUNCE WORDS THE EXACT WAY THEY ARE SPELLED PEOPLE WITH AUTISM HAVE ALOT MORE PROBLEMS WITH ALLERGIES LIKE MOLD POLLEN DUST AIR POLLUTION SMOKE PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LIKE TO JUMP SWING SPIN STAND ON THEIR HEAD BE IN WATER STOMP THEIR FEET BECAUSE THEY HAVE SENSORY PROBLEMS THERE ARE ALOT OF THINGS THAT NORMAL PEOPLE WOULD CONSIDEER THEM BEING RUDE BUT PEOPLE WITH AUTISM WOULD CONSIDER THEM FUNNY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT NOT RECOGNISE WHERE A PERSONS YARD STOPS ANOTHER BEGINS PEOPLE WITH
AUTISM LIKE TO KEEP A ROUTINE SET UP AND IF SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN
THAT IS NOT SET UP IN THEIR ROUTINE THERE MIGHT BE A CHANCE OF SERVICE
PROBLEMS UNLESS YOU LET THEM KNOW AHEAD OF TIME IF THERE IS GOING TO BE ANY
CHANGE IN THEIR ROUTINE PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT NOT LIKE TO USE A MIRROR BECAUSE OF THE REVERSE EFFECT FOR INSTANCE IF SOMEONE WITH AUTISM IS WASHING THEIR FACE ON THE RIGHT SIDE IN A MIRROR TO THEM IT WOULD LOOK LIKE THEY WOULD BE WASHING THE LEFT SIDE OF THEIR FACE WHICH CAN CAUSE ALOT OF STRESS AND CONFUSION PEOPLE WITH AUTISM WILL ALWAYS NEED TO BE PREPARED AS TO WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AHEAD OF TIME SO THERE WONT BE ANY DISASTERS BECAUSE OF ANY SURPRISES PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT NOT LIKE TO PLAY SPORTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALOT HARDER TIME UNDERSTANDING THE RULES PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT HAVE THEIR OWN SET OF RULES THAT THEY EXPECT EVERYONE TO FOLLOW THEM AND THERE MIGHT BE A DISASTER IF THEY DONT FOLLOW THEM PROPERLY PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT NOT LIKE TO TAKE THEIR MEDICATIONS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT REALIZE WHAT IT IS FOR OR THEY DO NOT LIKE THE WAY IT TASTES SINCE THEY HAVE STRONGER SENSES PEOPLE WITH AUTISM LIKE TO KEEP A ROUTINE SET UP AND IF SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN THAT IS NOT SET UP IN THEIR ROUTINE THERE MIGHT BE A CHANCE OF SEVERE PROBLEMS UNLESS YOU LET THEM KNOW AHEAD OF TIME IF THERE IS GOING TO BE ANY CHANGES IN THEIR ROUTINE PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT NOT LIKE TO EAT CERTAIN TYPES OF FOODS BECAUSE OF THE TEXTURE TASTE SMELL AND LOOKS PEOPLE WITH AUTISM GET LOST ALOT EASIER AND QUICKER IN CLOSED CONCEPT BUILDINGS LIKE COLUMBUS EAST HIGH SCHOOL THAT HAVE SO MANY FLOOR TO THE CEILING WALLS AND HARDLY NO WINDOWS INSIDE THE BUILDING AND WITH PEOPLE WITH AUTISM GETTING TEASED AND PICKED ON ALOT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM IF THE PARENTS HAVE A CHILD IN SCHOOL WITH AUTISM PLEASE DO EVERY THING YOU CAN DO TO GET YOUR CHILD THEIR OWN RIDE DURING SCHOOL TIME BECAUSE YOUR CHILD OR RELATIVE OR FRIEND OR ADVOCATE DOES NOT DESERVE TO GO THROUGH GETTING TEASED AND PICKED ON ALOT OR GETTING LOST ALL TIME BECAUSE OF THEIR AUTISM PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT LIKE TO HOARD THINGS THAT THEY SEE THEY WANT PEOPLE WITH AUTISM MIGHT CUSS BECAUSE THEY HAVE HEARD THE WORD SAID OUT LOUD AND THEY THOUGHT IT SOUNDED REALLY FUNNY BUT THEY DO NOT REALIZE WHAT IT REALLY MEANS
This paper was written by Brad Lain. Brad
is 28 years old, and was born on March 15, 1975, he was diagnosed with
Asperger's Syndrome at the age of 16. It was then, after many years of
struggling to find a place in the world where he could live in peace, Brad
wrote this paper. At this time he encountered problems relating to the
people with whom he was expected to work. Because they had no knowledge of
his disability, it was his intention to educate the community with his
personal perspective on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Brad does not like to use
a keyboard, so the entire paper was created with a paint program. One in
which he made all the letters, then, cut and pasted them to form this paper.
Brad's paper has been used as training materials by several therapists and
social workers. Brad also enjoys sharing his thoughts with almost everyone
he meets. I would like to thank Brad for allowing us to put his incredible paper on our website. The reason why we feel it's so important is because Brad gives you such an enlightening explanation on what a person with Autism may be experiencing that as parents we found it to be very helpful on so many levels. So that you Brad for your sensitivity, your generousity and for being you. Maribel Danta... |