Lovedtodeath Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 It is so hard to parent when I hate having to communicate. ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbmom77 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 There might be something here: http://autisticadvocacy.org/ I haven't looked at it much yet. My autie is 14. :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandellie4 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 One of my favorites is the Organization for Autism Research: http://www.researchautism.org/ There are other resources out there, too, if you feel comfortable sharing a little more about what you're looking for: Where on the spectrum is the adult? Are you looking for transitioning information? etc. Sandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 I started reading books on Aspergers after a friend loaned them to me for my daughter. And found that the profile fits me better than her. Myself and others had assumed that my difficulties were selfishness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, laziness, OCD, chemical sensitivity, sensory disorder, ADD and whatever other label seems to fit... No one wants to hear or believe that an adult has autism. The books that I read seem to have helped some because I realize why my anxiety level is increasing at times. My biggest problem is trying to shut out the world when I should be doing more to care for my kids. We have no medical insurance and quite a few medical bills for other things, so I don't know, I guess I am just looking for books/tips/support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandellie4 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 (edited) Darn, I don't have much in terms of resources for adulthood after about age 25 or so. Have you ever read anything by/about Temple Grandin? She has high-functioning autism and has learned to accept herself and is wonderful at translating the perspective of people with autism to the rest of the world. You might be able to identify with her somewhat, which might be reassuring. Something I can tell you, though, is that there are many adults who discover they have Asperger's or high-functioning autism (this will all be under a single autism heading, not pulled out into Asperger's, etc., in the upcoming DSM-V). It's actually common enough that adults, undiagnosed and diagnosed, born before 1980 or so have been dubbed "the lost generation." If you feel you have autism or if autistic traits are interfering with your life, have you thought about seeing a therapist? Maybe a cognitive behavior therapist? It might take a few tries to find one who is a good fit and who knows something about autistic thinking/reasoning, but I know a couple of adults diagnosed with autism who have managed to reach a degree of self-acceptance, as much as any of us do, with CBT. If you're reluctant to talk to someone right now, there are a few books about doing CBT with individuals with autism. I can't get on amazon.com at the moment (old computer that won't load up such heavy pages), but I've read a couple of them in my attempts to reinforce my adult daughters' therapies. I wish I had more on this. Try to muster up the strength to get some help if you can, and try not to be too hard on yourself. Recognizing that your life is out of whack is not the only step, but it's a good first step. I hope someone else has more information for you. Edit: Sorry, I just remembered you said that you don't have any insurance, so therapy may not be an option right now. Maybe reading a few books might help. I know it helped me to understand a little something about how the world looked through my daughters' eyes. You might recognize some of yourself in books like these and/or come across some strategies to help you. Sandy Edited April 3, 2012 by sandellie4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 There are some great books out there: Look Me In the Eye, Aspergirls (I hate the term, though), etc. I wish I could help. I have zero social or communication skills, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 :grouphug: Struggling with it here too. I never knew I had it until I took a Abnormal Psych class in college and read about it - my professor who was a clinical psychologist confirmed it. I always knew I was odd and that I didn't get social things or like to be touched, but I thought it was just me. And there really aren't a lot of resources out there that I've found. I worry about helping dd with social things as she gets older that I never learned or picked up on {like how to do hair or makeup} that she might want to learn. And how to help her understand how to date when I don't really understand it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Darn, I don't have much in terms of resources for adulthood after about age 25 or so. Have you ever read anything by/about Temple Grandin? She has high-functioning autism and has learned to accept herself and is wonderful at translating the perspective of people with autism to the rest of the world. I found her website. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 https://www.wrongplanet.net/forums.html a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I worry about helping dd with social things as she gets older that I never learned or picked up on {like how to do hair or makeup} that she might want to learn. And how to help her understand how to date when I don't really understand it myself. Same here! In a way, i'm glad she is autistic and will not be dating that soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 I am just now realizing what my dh has been missing out on and he is just now realizing why. Thank you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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