Comments on: The Myth of the Person Alone https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/ Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:42:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: ballastexistenz https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/#comment-10421 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:42:33 +0000 http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=30#comment-10421 There’s an enormous difference between needing solitude and not ever wanting people around.

]]> By: Clay https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/#comment-10420 Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:30:49 +0000 http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=30#comment-10420 I don’t get the staff in these institutions. How can they assume you are not interested in people, knowing that you are autistic and so, will not necessarily respond with same type of body language or words as they would. You would think they would realize that they would need to interact with you to find out whether or not you were interested. Or do they not know what autism is, or is like?

What’s wrong with being alone? I presume that when you have had enough of solitude you socialize of your own accord? Unless being alone means standing in the middle of the road or something dangerous, there can’t be anything wrong with it. NTs like to be alone sometimes, albeit for different reasons.

Speaking of being alone, Edith Rose seems to be the opposite. She is constantly in our face demanding attention (I’m not using “in our face” in a perjorative fashion, but, sometimes quite literally as a fact). Could it be that some of her screaming and sometime violent fits are the result of her not knowing that she needs to be alone, and so overloads her self by her constant interactions with us? Or is it that each autistic person is different and their are some autistics who don’t need solitude but the opposite?

]]> By: laurentius rex https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/#comment-10419 Fri, 10 Feb 2006 08:15:00 +0000 http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=30#comment-10419 I like being alone,

Well not entirely alone, if I have my flutes and my cameras

I can’t understand people who need to be around people all of the time, when do they ever find time to do anything meaningful ?

]]> By: Jannalou https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/#comment-10418 Fri, 03 Feb 2006 01:58:00 +0000 http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=30#comment-10418 As you well know…

…I have some of the same problems with overload, with language and communication, and with meltdown. I am not affected to the same degree, nor as often, but I absolutely have experienced this precise thing – more than I would like.

It is the explanation of such things that weighs on me. It is so difficult to explain it to someone who has never had it happen to them.

But at least I can put it into words for those who cannot. Even if those words aren’t quite what I want them to be.

You do it so much better than I do.

]]> By: An American https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/#comment-10417 Wed, 01 Feb 2006 22:40:00 +0000 http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=30#comment-10417 Great Post,

I just have problem with people being about about that so called protest letter. If you look at the signers no aspie groups. But people are so happy about “autism awareness” whatever that means. It is like people are overjoyed about jewish awareness when NAZI go to great lengths to explain the jewish “problem”
http://www.aspergianpride.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=134

]]> By: Kristina Chew https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/#comment-10416 Tue, 31 Jan 2006 20:00:00 +0000 http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=30#comment-10416 I believe I am the “someone” you refer to, i.e., Kristina Chew of Saint Peter’s College. Sue Rubin ends her “Conversations with Leo Kanner”:

“One thing I have never felt is aloneness, although at times retreating to my own world, there has always been someone there to pull me out and drive me to a rational and logical person in our perplexing society.” (Rubin qtd in Biklen 108)

Happily, by including interviews and writing by many author in his book, Biklen presents an array of opinions about the “myth” of “autism” and “aloneness.” Adults with autism whom I have long, long known do seem to swerve between both the need for solitude and and for wanting to be with others.

]]> By: Estee https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/#comment-10415 Mon, 30 Jan 2006 01:26:00 +0000 http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=30#comment-10415 Thank you for writing this post. I just discovered your blog today. I also applaud Biklen’s book and have been quoting it my blog.

I am a mother in search of meaning and I find that you, people labeled autistic, help me understand so much about him.

Please come over and tell me what you think about my “interpretations.”

Estee
http://joyofautism.blogspot.com

]]> By: Autism Diva https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/#comment-10414 Sun, 29 Jan 2006 04:38:00 +0000 http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=30#comment-10414 Your writing takes much out of you but it is consistently of such high quality and of such an enduring nature, that Autism Diva and many others are grateful that you do write.

Hopefully, that doesn’t sound too much like flattery, it is not intended to be flattery. :-)

]]> By: hollywoodjaded https://ballastexistenz.wordpress.com/2006/01/28/the-myth-of-the-person-alone/#comment-10413 Sun, 29 Jan 2006 04:09:00 +0000 http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=30#comment-10413 Brilliant and beautiful ~ thank you for writing this important piece.

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