Gordie

I (a 24-year-old with Asperger's, living with Mum) appealed my DLA decision, after having had no award given whatsoever, and I won a lower rate award for the care component of DLA. That was about 6 months or so ago. I think the key thing with an appeal is that you need to add some new information that wasn't included in your original form, or submit amended information from the original. I don't think you'll have much success in your endeavours if you don't do this. Instead you can ask for the decision to be looked at again (by someone else) - this is different to an appeal as it shouldn't require any additional information to be submitted. If you do launch an appeal, always remember to make sure you describe the situation as it would be on the worst possible day for your sister-in-law - that was the advice I was given. Think "worst case scenario" and put it on the form, so that the DLA people are aware of all possible eventualities. Good luck. James

Every time I've seen this thread on the front page of this forum, as the last one posted on in this sub-forum, I've thought it was talking about something called "eye g"!! It's the underlining of the subject to make it into a link that made it look like a 'g'. I never had a clue what it was all about, but today finally decided to click on it so I could find out, and at last I see it's actually "eye q"!! Until now, I thought perhaps it might have had something to do with Ali G!! James

Yeah - a friend (one that I've mentioned here before in days gone by) mentioned this programme to me today. Might be worth a watch ... James

Greenie here too. Dunno why really - that's just always been the way it is! James

Overeating?! Nope - anything but. I undereat, missing meals quite often. (Just trying to illustrate we don't all overeat. ) James

supersec: Just a technical note ... (Yes - I'm a typical Aspie - always correcting people, and looking for perfection! ) If you look again at your posts and find something is wrong with them, you can click on an "Edit" button which is in the top-right-hand corner of all your own posts, and you can make your changes without need for any apologies! Welcome to the crazy gang. James

Well at least my vote was plain and simple enough! James

Yes - it's normal for someone with AS ... I'm still like that now, aged nearly 24. Maybe it's the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality - if we're happy with what we're eating now, why the need to try anything else? I don't even put milk on my Rice Krispies! It's probably best to try and keep encouraging him to try new stuff though, otherwise it'll make life difficult when you have meals out or away from home, and he's forced to have something different to the norm - believe me, I know from experience that that can be pretty awkward! James

I always thought I was "not disabled enough" to get DLA, so I never bothered applying. Paid if you need help looking after yourself Paid if you are aged 3 or over and have severe difficulty walking, or aged 5 or over and need help getting around None of the above apply to me, even though I do have Asperger's, so I very much doubt I'd get anything. My best friend on-line (who knows a lot about these things) seems to think I would, but I've already lived independently on my own for a number of years when studying at uni. James

Thanks for those little anecdotes there, folks, but ummm ... Sorry - what I didn't make clear in my last post, about when I asked my best friend on-line about whether that picture was her dad when he was in fact dead, was that she had already told me about it before (or I'd read about it somewhere). It might have been years ago now, but something like that I really ought to have remembered. It wouldn't have been so bad if she had never told me before, but she had, so she did actually take offence a bit. But it wasn't too bad - we often clash about one thing or another, but because we're both guilty of messing up sometimes, we get over these things quickly too. James

CarolJ: The first thing I thought when reading that was "Keep doing it, Carol!! Don't stop!" - maybe it'll sink in eventually!! Going the other way, becoming more thick-skinned (which I actually can't do, no matter how much I'd like to), it leaves the critics of your child thinking they're right. At least shouting at them made them think about their words, whether they thought you were right to say them or not. pookie170: Speaking of putting my foot in it, I recently exposed a classic Aspie trait - remembering useless, insignificant things, and completely forgetting the more important things in life. The person I regard as my best friend on-line (because she's been consistently supportive of me for 6 years now) showed me photos she'd taken from a wedding party she went to. On some of them were pictures of an old-ish fella, with "dad" as part of the filename on each photo. I asked her if they were pictures of her dad (coz I'd never seen a photo of him before) ... only to be told he was dead. How could I forget something like that?! And ignore the offside rule changes - they'll only change it all back again before too long, coz even those involved in the game don't get it either!

CarolJ: So where am I in that big, long list of Aspies then? Must say the "contemporary" part of that list is pretty interesting - some names there that I really didn't expect to see, like Tony Benn and Michael Palin, among others! And, well, I tend to upset people without trying, when I'm communicating on-line anyway. I have no idea when it's gonna happen - it just does, often when I least expect it. I sometimes think people almost twist my words just so that they upset them - like they almost want to find something negative in what I've said. And they think it doesn't upset me, to realise I've caused them unhappiness for some reason. But it affects me just as much. They're friends of mine - why would I want to upset them? *shrug* As for the off-side rule, that's so much easier to explain visually than in just the spoken/written word. It's much easier if you've got pictures, or a Subbuteo set with players and ball you can move around. So I can't really help you there! James

Here's all the info ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3767313.stm Anyone with ADHD, or parents of someone with it, planning to start using this medication, or at least look into it? (This doesn't affect me personally - I'm just trying to get a bit of discussion going if it's relevant to anyone! ) James

CarolJ: Yeah - that's a good theory! One that I would subscribe to as well, having to live in such a way. I knew a kid at school who was in some of our lessons (usually Science and Maths), even though he was about 4 or 5 years younger than the rest of us, and even though we were a top-set group! He showed incredible intelligence in those classes, and was extremely enthusiastic about them. In fact he was so enthusiastic, it got him a reputation, coz he'd put his hand up to answer virtually every question that the teacher asked, and he was always correct with his answers. He got very excited every time he was right as well. Obviously I knew nothing about ASDs then, but now that I do, looking back, it was very obvious he showed signs of an ASD, probably ADHD. I used to snigger at his funny ways, just coz everyone else in the class did - it was just the done thing, and remember I was always trying to "fit in" myself. It was almost a relief to me that the target of everyone's jokes wasn't me for a change, and that at least I wasn't quite as "weird" as he was. Of course now I wouldn't be laughing - I'd be much more sympathetic, knowing I'm on the same autistic spectrum as him, me being much milder than him though. But it was obvious he lacked social awareness that everyone else takes for granted, but made up for it with amazing intelligence - there was no way my mainstream school should have been teaching him really. It may have good for me, coz it integrated me into regular school life. But as I say, I'm at the much milder end of the autistic spectrum compared to him, and I think he should have got more specialist help than he appeared to get. James

I first heard about Michelangelo, as the latest famous person from the past who might have had Asperger's, on the radio yesterday. Here's an article from BBC News' "Magazine" section (indeed it's today's Lead Story in that section!) about what how Asperger's makes us into geniuses (genii? ) - even though I sure ain't one!! ... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3766697.stm What I don't get is how it links the condition with creativity, coz I don't have a creative bone in my body - never have done. I'm a logical thinker, not a creative one. Attention to detail, yes ... but not creative detail. So I take Professor Simon Baron-Cohen's standpoint more than I take Professor Michael Fitzgerald's. And on that lighter note, maybe I should watch more of the Simpsons if Lisa is meant to have Asperger's traits! James

Uh-oh ... this is gonna be confusing! A mother giving herself the title of "Master"! I'm gonna think you're a bloke every time I see a post of yours! Anyway, master yoda, welcome to the gang. Sounds like you've had a pretty rough time, but hopefully you'll find some comfort in the forums here. James

If I could take a pill, I would - no doubt about it. I might not have done pre-16, before my depression started to kick in, but I certainly would since then, and I certainly would now. James

No problems here at all, regarding light, or anything to do with eyesight or headaches - I have very good eyes, and always have done, never having required glasses or contact lenses at all. Looks like I'm fortunate, by the sounds of it. James

Thanks all, for the very warm welcome. As for my honesty, you ain't seen nothing yet! It's probably my most strongly-held principle, and being honest is no effort to me. I'm very honest about the way I am and various other things with people who aren't knowledgeable about Asperger's, and in places that aren't specifically related to the condition like this is, so it's really no problem here at all. And as for the amount I put into my introduction, I found myself actually struggling to keep it down to a minimum! I didn't actually think I was terribly humorous in that post, Elefan. By my standards, I was actually quite serious! In my experiences at chat sites over the course of the last 6 years or so, I've found myself constantly using humour. Sometimes I overdo it, and the teasing of my friends becomes a bit mean, and they take offence. I can be very tactless and insensitive in many of my comments (definitely an Aspie thing), especially as I get to know people more, so I feel more confident with them. Many a friendship I've had on-line has taken a huge step backwards because of an ill-thought-out comment meant only in jest, and certainly never meant to hurt. So maybe this is an early warning to everyone, in case I end up doing it to any of you. I think what prompted me to post here last night was a huge low mood I was in. It may not have appeared like I was a terrible mood last night, but I was. I guess I just made an effort to put on a mask for that intro. I was at a wedding on Saturday - probably my two best friends off-line getting married. And for lonely people like me, as enjoyable as the event itself was, it's easy to come away from it feeling slightly bitter that I'm still very much single. Seeing everyone married off already, and me having to try and enjoy the occasion on my own for the majority of the day. It really led to a crisis of confidence once the high of being at the reception was over - it lasted from late Saturday night, through yesterday, and part of this morning too ... until a freaky coincidence happened. I was at Tesco's getting a couple of essentials for Mum coz she's just got back from a week away from home, and I happened to bump into one of my old school friends who was also at the wedding! I'd not seen her for years until Saturday, and we didn't get the chance to catch up on Saturday, so it was really nice to have a chat with her for a couple of minutes. I've always fancied her a bit, but she's married now as well (I think) - she used to live on the same road as me when we were really young. Bizarrely, the last time I randomly bumped into her, quite a few years ago now, was at Tesco's as well! So those few minutes alone have perked me up again. Okay - I'll leave it there. Just for you though, nellie ...

Hi, folks. Kris may vaguely remember that I first registered here last September, but I haven't actually posted anything since then. Sorry about that. By the looks of things (I've skimmed through the topics posted a few times in the last 6 months), this is a truly wonderful forum, that seems great for someone with Asperger's Syndrome like me (although it's probably slightly better for the parents of those with the condition). So that's why I joined as a member last year. But when it came to fully reading the messages posted here, and making my own contributions, I suddenly realised I wasn't comfortable doing so. I felt like I was dwelling too much on my problems if I did that, and that I wouldn't be able to find any solutions to them anyway - partly because I feel stuck in a rut with the way I am, and partly because I'm stubborn to change (I suppose that's an Asperger's symptom, so it may apply to many here) and so any possible solutions suggested would probably have side effects or aspects to them that I didn't like, so I'd just avoid doing them and stay stuck in my ways. Anyway, as for basic info about me in case I ever do post anything here, I'm 23, living in Somerset - currently unemployed after struggling through university and ultimately not coming out the other end. You can read links to more information about me if you're interested: http://soiuser.hyperchat.com/gordy/ provides general info about me - it's based at the chat site (the State of Insanity, or "SOI" for short) that I am a member of; http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~cns/james.html provides very detailed account of my life with Asperger's through university - it only covers up to October 2002 though, when I wrote that page, which is at the start of my ultimately unsuccessful final year. My main problem, one that bothers and depresses me more than anything (and, yes, I do have depression as well), is being unable to get a girlfriend, either on-line or off-line. Communication is far easier for me on-line, but I've not had a girlfriend of any sort for nearly 3 years now. And I never meet anyone off-line to even make friends with, never mind generate any sort of romantic relationship. I just desperately want to be wanted and loved, which I know is, in itself, a big turn-off (coming across as desperate for love, that is), but something that I can't do anything about. One other thing that seems to annoy my mum more than myself (mainly coz she has to watch me doing it) is my OCD tendencies. I see there is a post about this on one of the boards, which I may reply to in time, with more detail on this, but these seem to have become more pronounced over time - I just get more and more bogged-down with them, finding more and more little things I need to do to keep me satisfied. And bizarrely, I either do all of them or none of them at all. I mean once I've started, I have to do everything, but the thought of having so much to do often puts me off even starting. Anyway, that's plenty enough for an intro. Good to see the recent introduction of a "hug" emoticon here! I'll be looking for these in particular - hugs are definitely under-rated. <'> Maybe I'll get around to regular posts on the forum boards eventually.