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.

Yay!!! Welcome aboard!

So glad you decided to set up an account and introduce yourself here!

You were the first person in the SPD community to ever email me! Now that very same Yahoo account has 10 different folders all dedicated to SPD related emails, lol. I can't stop them anymore! *Ducks and hides!* (But I can't hide for long because I love getting them and replying to them.)

(06-11-2010, 02:41 PM)spockmonkey Wrote: 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.

Yeah... (blush)... thanks, lol. Thanks for hopping in to help support the place. We need more like you .

Quote:I'm in my 30s, and my diagnosis stuff happened officially in 2009.

Just to clarify this to others, you were diagnosed 'officially' then, but you knew you had it for a couple years before then. This is especially true because we were on SHARE together back in early '08.

Quote: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.

Good theory . Although I have to support the theory that it is a separate diagnosis for now (only way it's gonna get in the DSM, after all), I do believe there is a very strong link between the two. Is it strong enough to say that ASD is, for sure, a very severe form of SPD? It's possible, but we just don't know for sure yet...

Quote: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.

Not on my board!!!!!
I've had to kick people from the Yahoo groups for stuff like that before (not too common fortunately), but on this new site, I have a new and shiny banhammer. I'm not afraid to use it .
Trolling, being a jerk, flaming, telling people you know better... all grounds for swift action on my part. I'm not out to ban people, but I do want to keep this place as clean as possible. Please, if anyone ever finds this crap on my site and I don't seem to have noticed it, let me know, okay?

Quote:I was diagnosed by an audiologist as having Central Auditory Processing Disorder.

A-ha! CAPD! I forgot about that... or didn't hear about it. Either way, sorry to hear about that struggle, but glad you got the diagnosis. I think CAPD diagnoses are very common in SPD/ASD cases. It's a thin line between CAPD and plain SPD auditory processing issues, so it's likely CAPD is just a more severe form of it. Again, something to know later that we don't know just yet.

Quote: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.

Key signs of disorder... unexpectedly low performance in some areas when compared to others. I had my own abilities tested (learning wise) about 9 months ago, and they revealed scores that fluctuated from 16% (visual coding) to 99.7% (writing). So, I got an LD-NOS label out of that, heh.

Quote:I have a weighted blanket, and I love it.

I need a weighted blanket, and I would love it.


Well spockmonkey, I'm sorry to hear about your depression issues of late. I know this is not a new struggle. Not to you... not to most of us SPD adults. I just hope you are taking good care of yourself, as you usually do; and it seems you are, so I'm glad . Are you seeing a therapist of any sort? I'm just forgetting at the moment.

Well, again, welcome to SPD International. I hope you enjoy your time here, be it posting, reading, or whatever. Stay in touch and take good care of yourself ,
-Dan

Oh, and btw: I loved the explanation of your username too, lol. It's a cool name and avatar you've got there. I'm also a bit of a spock fan myself, though unofficially.
So... "live long and prosper." </cheesyquote>

(06-11-2010, 03:31 PM)D1G1T Wrote: Well spockmonkey, I'm sorry to hear about your depression issues of late. I know this is not a new struggle. Not to you... not to most of us SPD adults. I just hope you are taking good care of yourself, as you usually do; and it seems you are, so I'm glad . Are you seeing a therapist of any sort? I'm just forgetting at the moment.

Oh, and btw: I loved the explanation of your username too, lol. It's a cool name and avatar you've got there. I'm also a bit of a spock fan myself, though unofficially.
So... "live long and prosper." </cheesyquote>

Thanks D1G1T
live long and prosper! hehehehe

I'm hanging in. Actually what prompted me to register was a post that has since been deleted but it came through on the RSS. It was from someone (I don't know who) writing about failure, and then wryly proclaimed they were posting the first emo post on this forum. Anyway, I related to it. I'm seeing a therapist, yeah.

And yes -- to address the other point I didn't quote, yes I have suspected Aspergers since 2005 and I found SPD-related stuff in 2008.

The sock monkey picture is something I drew with my graphics tablet. He's available on buttons or stickers or t-shirts.. if anyone is interested PM me.

I think that SPD makes individuals with Autistics and Aspergers have a much harder time processing what others are doing/saying/thinking. I think that one of the reasons Autistics tend to get famous for focusing on one or two things, is those things let them block out the rest of the world so that it isn't constantly overwhelming them.

Those are my theories about SPD and Autism.

Not sure that SPD causes Autism, but their is definitely a large number of Autistics with sensory issues. It is through Autistics that I found out about SPD originally when I was trying to find out why I was so extraordinarily sensitive to light.

I do find that focusing on something really helps me block out Sensory input that is upsetting me. Things I "focus" on: board games, computer usage, and reading books. I have a much easier time in a car if I am reading a book and ignoring my body as much as possible. That way I only notice if I get so floppy that I end up with my head on my lap and the book dropped.

So nice to meet you, spockmonkey! (waves) Sounds like you've had a heck of a journey. Look forward to hearing more about it.

I don't think I talked about it on the board, but I'm still struggling with depression and panic attacks. I try not to get too emo when I post, but that's my defense mechanism. I'll have one eventually, I'm sure. Especially since I've made some connections learning about SPD and realizing that my panic attacks are brought on by some of the more severe SPD events in my life.

And hey, so far things have been very supportive here. And I certainly plan to use my report button if they don't. Hopefully, we'll all do the same.

On Depression, I am not often depressed, but when I am it hits hard and fast. Some inner demon starts endlessly repeating every insult anyone has ever thrown at me. I will get flashbacks to back up the inner demon's claims.

For me this Depression is resolved by drinking Potassium (Klor Con EF). I have learned that low Potassium can trigger these bouts of severe depression in some people with Periodic Paralysis and Sensory Processing Disorder.

There is a Researcher who is looking into some families with SPD where Potassium helps lower the sensory intensity levels and improves Depression problems. http://jcn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/22/12/1408

I am not saying I am never down mentally due to real world stressors. Life sometimes bites hard. However, the low Potassium triggered Depression feels different and more brutal to me. I am much more likely to do something self harming during a low Potassium triggered Depression.