• Living with Autism
  I wrote this to help non-autistics understand what it is like to live in the autistic world. I detail some of my struggles, but also talk about some of the simple pleasures that I have as an autistic.
  
   
• Unusual Sensory Traits
  On this page, I write about some of the unusual ways that I perceive the world through my senses. Many autistics have unusual sensory traits, which accounts for some of our unusual behaviors.
  
   
• Volume and Pitch Difficulty Test
  Can you tell which tone out of a set has the highest pitch? I can, so long as the volume of the tones remains constant. Test yourself on this page!
  
   
• Face Blindness/Prosopagnosia
  Face blindness (also called prosopagnosia) is a rare condition that makes it difficult to identify friends and family, due to a non-functional face processing center in the brain. This page provides some general information about this condition and my experience with it.
  
   
• Argumentative Autistics
  Not all high functioning autistics spend a lot of time arguing, but some can't seem to avoid an argument. There are many reasons for this, including self-esteem, black and white thinking, and difficulty with change. There are also some things parents can do to help their children.
  
   

A Glimpse Into Our World
 

• You Want to Take Away My Window
  I wrote this "letter" to an imaginary person who represents the people who are not willing to accept me as the person that I am. It expresses the joy I have living "inside myself." It also expresses the hurt and pain that I feel when others try to take away this joy.
  
   
• Growing Up Autistic
  This is "my story" - what it was like for me growing up. This is an eight chapter story that can hopefully give careers some insight into what some autistics experience as they grow up.
  
   
• Expressing and Feeling Emotions
  I don't feel the same set of emotions that others do, nor can I always express these emotions. Sometimes I express emotions, such as anger, too freely, while other emotions, such as sorrow, are very difficult for me to express.
  
   
• Being an Autistic's Friend
  The best way to find out about our world is to be a friend to us. There are many simple things someone can do which help an autistic enjoy your friendship.
  
   
• The World I Want to Live In
  (offsite, written by another autistic)
  Autistics often face pressure and depression as a result of who they are. This world can be a very difficult place for an autistic to live.
  
   

Overcoming Autistic Weaknesses
 

• Living With Executive Dysfunction
  Executive dysfunction involves problems with planning and executing tasks. Sometimes the "simplest" tasks, such as grooming, are very difficult for autistics due to executive dysfunction. However, there are some things which can be done to help overcome these difficulties.
  
   
• Help! My child is autistic!
  Parents struggle with many confusing emotions and thoughts when they first hear that their young child may be autistic. I provide my insights, as an adult autistic, into common questions a parent may have.
  
   
• Using Reminders & Checklists
  Because of my significant executive function difficulties, I have trouble organizing tasks, such as grooming or getting ready for bed. I also find myself needing to be reminded of certain things, such as going to work or remembering to eat. The format of these lists and reminders helps determine their success.
  
   
• Air Travel
  Flying can be a frightening experience for an autistic who fears being overwhelmed by strange sights and sounds. Some of these tips may help make the trip as painless as possible. Increased security at airports makes it more difficult for autistics to fly, but there are some things that can make it easier.
  
   
• Living With Face Blindness
  Many autistics are also face blind. There are some simple things that can make it much easier to cope with face blindness.
  
   
• Handwriting Tips
  Many autistics have poor handwriting, due to problems with their motor skills. There are several things an autistic can do to improve her handwriting.
  
   

Social Issues

 

• Murder of Autistics
  (New 16 Jan 2003; Updated 26 Jan 2003)
  Autistics have been murdered simply because they are autistic. Often, those who murder autistics receive lighter sentences then those who kill non-disabled persons. This page attempts to document some of these, and also answer some of the common explanations presented for these sad facts. Warning: I do not attempt to relate to, condone, or otherwise understand the actions of the murderers. I do not believe their acts can be justified, nor will they be justified on this site. If you are uncomfortable with this, please do not click on this link.
  
   

What is Autism?

 

• Autism? What is it?
  (offsite, written by another autistic)
  If you have any questions about what autism is, and desire some background information, this site contains both information and web links about autism and the related disorders.
  
   
• Autism-Related Disorders in DSM IV
  (offsite, written by a medical professional)
  The DSM IV is the book that is used by American medical professionals to diagnose psychological conditions. This article provides a summary of what it says about Autism, Asperger's, Rett's, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder - all of which share many of the same "evidences."
  
   

Autistic Programmers

 

• Hints for Employers
  How can an employer help an autistic individual to be as productive as possible? There are many simple tips that can help the employee not only be more productive, but also improve his enjoyment of the job.
  
   
• My coding just flies
  (offsite, written by a magazine writer)
  This Computerworld article details autism in one specific field - computer programming. Many autistics, including myself, are able to program using creative techniques to solve difficult business problems.
  
   

Other "Stuff"

 

• Autism Newsgroup Stats
  One of my many perseverations is writing programs to compute newsgroup statistics. Since another interest of mine is autism, I decided to combine the two. You can find statistics for two Autism-related newsgroups here.
  
   
• A Weekend in Wyoming
  One of my favorite activities is hiking. I took some pictures during one of my most recent hikes on the hills near my home.
  
   
• Autism Links
  (Updated 20 Jan 2002)
  There are many other sites related to Autism. This is my "linkpage" to some of these other sites. This will be updated fairly often as I learn about new sites.
  
   
• Contact Me
  I welcome email from visitors. I also hope that you will learn about other online places I like to visit.