Aeolienne

Former altar boy facing years in jail for planting home-made bomb on Tube train A weapons-obsessed student is facing years behind bars for planting a home-made bomb on a busy Tube train. Former altar boy Damon Smith built the device at home with a £2 clock from Tesco after finding an online al Qaida article entitled Make A Bomb In The Kitchen Of Your Mom. Smith, 20, claimed it was a hoax but was found guilty of possession of an explosive substance with intent following a trial at the Old Bailey. The autistic defendant, who smiled in the dock, will be sentenced by Judge Richard Marks QC later. On the morning of October 20 last year, Smith, then aged 19, packed a rucksack with explosives and deadly ball-bearing shrapnel as he headed to college in Holloway, north London. He was caught on CCTV as he travelled on the Jubilee Line, casually flicking through a text book before getting off and leaving the bomb on the floor, timed to go off within minutes. At least 10 passengers were in the carriage at the time and some of them spotted the abandoned rucksack and alerted the driver. The driver at first dismissed it as lost property and took it into his cab and carried on towards North Greenwich, jurors were told. During the journey, he spotted wires coming out of the bag and raised the alarm as he pulled into the station. Had Smith's bomb worked, it would have exploded just as commuters were being ordered off the platform, the jury heard. The defendant went on to college and, on returning home in the evening, checked the internet for news of what he had done. Upon his arrest by counter-terrorism officers, Smith admitted making the bomb but claimed he only meant it to spew harmless smoke as a Halloween joke. He told police he had been inspired from watching someone on a YouTube channel called Trollstation doing a bomb prank. A search of Smith's home in Rotherhithe, south London, revealed his fixation with guns, explosives and other weapons. Police seized a blank-firing self-loading pistol and a BB gun, both bought legally, as well as a knuckleduster and a knife which he showed off in an online video. Police also uncovered torn-off scraps of shredded paper with bomb-making instructions on it and a "shopping list" of components. Smith told police he was interested in Islam but denied being an extremist even though he posed next to an image of the Brussels-born Islamic terrorist alleged to have masterminded the attacks in Paris in November 2015 In his defence, extracts of a psychiatric report were read out confirming an autism spectrum disorder. He had been interested in bomb-making since the age of 10 and said it was "something to do when he was bored". Smith, who grew up living with his mother in Newton Abbot, Devon, said he had thought about putting a bomb in a park but decided it would be "more funny" to delay train passengers. Original link: http://www.aol.co.uk/news/2017/05/25/former-altar-boy-facing-years-in-jail-for-planting-home-made-bom/

And here's the result... Issue 6 The Autism Issue

No-one actually explains what CMT stands for.

Is the hospital passport related to the disability passport?

Are those related to the "Disability Passport"?

What language(s) do you use?

This article mentions Specialisterne, Aspiritech and ULTRA Testing: "Autism Without Fear: Don’t Get TOO Excited About Autism Employment Initiatives" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-john-carley/autism-without-fear-dont-_2_b_9365380.html

Further to my last post, I should clarify that Asperger's has been dropped from DSM-IV (or V, or wherever we are now) but not from ICD10 (the British equivalent).

I wish I could make my path come to me. It's been nearly eight years now.

I don't know whether the film X + Y (the one based on the true story of an autistic teenager participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad) has been mentioned on these forums already - it's impossible to search on the name. Anyways, there's a screening next Sunday (2 April) in Oxford: 17:30 - 20:00 at the Ultimate Picture Palace, Jeune Street, OX4 1BN. http://www.uppcinema.com Part of the "Brain Diaries" exhibition and event programme: http://www.braindiaries.org

A story of two brothers, 1 family, goodies, baddies and autism. Follow Jack Bray - a young man with severe autism - through the imaginary world he creates in his back garden. Based on his TRUE story, come with Jack’s brother, Lewis & fight inner demons, famous cartoon characters & a whole heap of baddies to stop ‘Mayor Sharp’ from taking over Cartoonopolis and killing creativity once and for all… After watching cartoons as a young boy, Jack found that they provided him with a gateway into communication and now, as a young adult he has created his own imaginary world: Cartoonopolis. Follow a host of well-known characters as well as some created in Jack’s imagination - like the evil Mayor Sharp - on an adventure to save the city! Told alongside this theatrical fantasy world is a real story about living with Jack and his autism… Of how, with his Mum and Dad, we see the family’s highs and lows and their ability to pull together through adversity. Lewis Bray is an emerging actor and writer. This is his first play performed by himself to outstanding reviews as part of Liverpool Everyman Playhouse Ignition Project and now touring. http://www.derbylive.co.uk/whats-on/cartoonopolis

Recently opened in Grassmoor nr Chesterfield in Derbyshire... http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/video-cat-cafe-is-the-purr-fect-place-to-unwind-1-8422025

According to the latest DSM, none. Traditionally the distinction comes down to whether there was a delay in learning to speak: yes for HFA, no for Asperger's.

For my part, I’ve never attempted to claim ESA, but someone I spoke to the other day seemed to think it would be better for me than JSA (assuming I’d be eligible for either). I’m not eligible for income-based JSA because I own a property I’m not living in. My eligibility for contribution-based JSA depends on my NI contributions between 06/04/14 and 05/04/16, but I was only in employment for five months during all this time. I’ve never applied for DLA/PIP because I can (for instance) cook a meal and travel independently by public transport.