Skip to main content

Visitor Q&A: Diet, Clothes, School, Books

I have received a few questions via e-mail and Twitter. As promised I will answer questions as best I can. You can contact me on this blog's "Ask the Author" page or via Twitter (@autisticme).

Q: Have you tried different diets? If so, do they have any effect?

A: I have a chlorophyl allergy (seriously), so I cannot eat a lot of green vegetables without incurring a lot of pain and misery. Unfortunately, I also love salads, so I must limit the amount to a small, small serving. We tend to eat fish and chicken. I react to grease and oil, so we bake and grill with fruit juices, coconut milk, and various marinades.

I absolutely adore breads and cookies. Not about to skip those, but we also try to control carbs because I want to lose weight. I've been avoiding pasta and other starchy foods.

Q: Are you sensitive to clothing?

A: Yes. I have always removed tags. I hate "itchy" clothes and really hate itchy bedsheets. I don't like wool, despise "sticky" clothing in summer and don't like seams. The list of what I do like is shorter than what I dislike. I like jeans, loose polo shirts, and lightweight canvas court shoes (Converse, Vans). When I have to dress "nicely" I wear high-end cotton shirts, lined slacks (to reduce itching), and well-padded dress shoes. I will say that Men's Wearhouse has been great at helping me deal with some custom needs. I also received great service at Brooks Brothers. No tags! Custom (loose) fit! Ideal.

Q: Were you bullied in school?

A: Do teachers count?

Q: What types of books do you read? I've heard students with Asperger's like science fiction and history.

A: I don't know if people with AS or any ASDs have particular book preferences. I like classic English literature, children's books, history, language, psychology, and art books. If I had an endless budget and more bookcases, I'd have every art book I could find. The problem with many art books is that they are little more than "coffee table" books. I want the history, some criticism, and insights.

The last two works of fiction I read were mysteries. The books I am reading currently: a history of America (1870-1940), an educational philosophy text from 1966, and one of the Sherlock Holmes collections. I have a long to-read list posted on both Goodreads and Visual Bookshelf ("LivingSocial"). I should check those accounts to see if my lists are updated.

Comments

  1. When I was a girl, my father had a art book series/collection. And they had biographies of the artists and information about the picures. Oh, it was terrific. I'll see if I can get the name of it.

    I remember the books were a medium-light green in color. I love art books too.

    I am glad to hear that you like to read. My aspie hates reading novels and never reads for pleasure.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can spend hours alone with books. I love wandering bookstores and libraries. We need to do a much better job of encouraging children and teens (especially young boys) to read. From books, I learned about science, math, and art. In our office, we have nearly 200 books: half on writing, half on page design.

    I'll read and take notes, which lead to more books and online research. I want to know everything I can learn about topics.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comments violating the policies of this blog will not be approved for posting. Language and content should be appropriate for all readers and maintain a polite tone. Thank you.

Popular posts from this blog

Autistic Burnout

Summer demands a lot of social energy, especially for parents. For autistics, the never-ending social calendar of summer can cause serious autistic burnout. Host C. S. Wyatt discusses his need to find a balance between social demands and self-care. Check out this episode!

ABA and NARTH

There must be something better out there. I'm not sure what, but the more I interview functional adults with autism who received ABA-based or similar therapies, the more I know there must be a better approach. The problem is, I have no idea what that "better approach" is. I'm not a psychologist. I'm a language arts and autism specialist. My research is on how autistic students learn to master written communication (which doesn't really mean "written" in all cases). I am not a therapist. I am not a counselor. But there has to be a better way to help students and young children. I am not suggesting all ABA-based therapies in use today are bad. I sincerely believe ABA must be revised, researched, and ideally all connections to anything Lovaas did forgotten to history. I'd even like to see whatever evolution occurs to have a name other than "ABA-based therapy." The history and associations are that troubling. So, understand I'm ca...

More on Autism Puzzle Piece Logos, Symbols, Ribbons

I joined Twitter on the first day of 2011 ( @autisticme ). I also joined a Twibe (seriously?) and registered with WeFollow.com to learn more about what autism-related Twitter feeds might exist. Within a few days, I was already observing a familiar debate. In fact, it the debate I described in the single most-viewed blog entry of The Autistic Me, which dates back to 2008 (see " Logos, Symbols, and Ribbons "). Various "Aspie Advocates" are still protesting the puzzle piece. I'm sure they will be protesting the puzzle piece next year, in five years, and a decade from now. The "neurodiverstiy" (ND) movement doesn't like the puzzle piece. (Everyone's brain is different: neurological diversity is a fact of life.) Honestly, I don't care for the puzzle piece either. I've written and said that I find it personally off-putting. If I am a puzzle, I'm not more or less of a puzzle than most human beings. I'm told, "Oh, no, it is autism ...