Now listening to Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania by Christophe Beck and Black Celebration by Depeche Mode...

On Beatty Street in Downtown Vancouver. Summer of 2018.

Book Review # 266: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

https://thetorogichronicles.com/2021/07/18/book-review-266-do-androids-dream-of-electric-sheep/

Apart from horror and young adult fiction, science fiction is a part of the vast literary world that I rarely venture to. I admit, I am not a fan of any of these three genres. However, my aversion from these genres does not prevent me from indulging every now and then. One of these exemptions was Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Ship? It was my first work by the highly regarded American novelist. It was one of the books I purchased during the 2019 Big Bad Wolf Sale but I barely had an iota on what the book was about. I still bought it; after all, it was listed as part of the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. It is also often regarded as one of the best works of science fiction. So what else is stopping me from opening a classic of science fiction?

Do Androids Dream of Electric Ship? is not only Philip K. Dick’s most popular work. It is also widely regarded as one of the most seminal and most influential works of science fiction. The year was 1992 (although later editions used 2021) and the world was still recovering from the impact of the devastating global war referred to as World War Terminus. Earth has irreversibly been polluted by radioactive waste which prompted the United Nations to encourage mass relocation to off-world colonies. This was also promoted to preserve humanity’s genetic integrity. Those who opted to emigrate were provided with an incentive of free personal androids. The robot servants, which were akin to humans, were manufactured by the Rosen Association on a colony on Mars.

However, some androids go rogue and rebel against their manufacturers. They escape to Earth in the hopes of living undetected. These rebellious androids kept both the American and Soviet police departments on their toes. Thus commences the story of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Following the escape of six androids from Mars to Earth, the San Francisco Police Department commissioned Rich Deckard, a bounty hunter they keep under their payroll, to “retire” (kill) the rogue androids. It was going to be no ordinary manhunt, rather android-hunt as these androids are part of the new and highly intelligent Nexus-6 model.

Because of the similarities, distinguishing androids from real human beings is no easy task. So far, only a posthumous bone marrow analysis can determine the identity of a person. However, a new empathy test, the Voigt-Kampff Empathy Test, showed promise of being able to determine who is who without having to wait for death. To confirm the accuracy of the test, Deckard traveled to the Rosen Association’s headquarters in Seattle. Deckard was apprehensive of the test’s ability to distinguish an android from humans, especially on the latest android models. There was also a possibility that the police have been killing human beings. As the narrative transitioned into a combination of suspense and adventure novel, the question arises, “Is empathy enough a basis to segregate a real human from a humanoid?”

According to the post-apocalyptic society of the book, empathy was an important determinant in segregating humans from humanoids. By being able to feel for others, and living through their experiences by some mystic group connection, one can easily prove that he is a human. Androids, on the other hand, were not capable of either, hence, they were considered as subhuman. However, as the narrative progressed, this central statement was questioned. It was eroded by the fact that not all humans were capable of empathy either, or at least they don’t immediately act upon it. It is safe to infer that empathy alone is not an accurate metric to gauge who is humans and which is android.

The discourse on humanity was present all throughout the story. As Deckard moves to retire all the rogue androids, he got erroneously arrested and detained because the policemen were unable to identify that he was a bounty hunter. At the station, he was accused as an android with implanted memories. The scenes at the police station were seminal in the narrative as Deckard reached an impasse. He started to ponder on the ethics of his line of work. Questions of philosophical nature also filled his mind as he grappled with the definition and value of life. What humanity is left in a bounty hunter who seeks out androids and mercilessly “retire” them? He was on the cusp of an identity and an existential crisis which may very well alter the way he sees the world. This personal dilemma was also a mantle the narrative was painted on.

It was not only Deckard’s moral crisis that underlined the question on humanity. How can one be called empathetic when he leaves the elderly, the weak, and the intellectually below-average (collectively called “chickenheads”) to a dying planet to be stranded forever? As one moves forward with the narrative, it cannot escape one’s notice how the androids have more emotional maturity compared to their human counterparts. The plausibility that the androids can possess emotions was underscored all throughout the narrative. It was this glaring dichotomy between between the protagonist humans and the antagonist androids that was the masterstroke of Dick’s prose. The androids, who exhibited more compassion towards fellow androids and even humans, can be seen as a reflection of a society whose humanity is in decline.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, however, does not reduce itself into an exploration into the definitions of humanity and life. It is a multifaceted narrative that explored a plethora of subjects such as the consequences of a nuclear war, and war in general. The World War Terminus has drastically affected the environment, resulting to the extinction of many animals. The impact was so adverse that owning real animals has become a status symbol and only the rich were able to afford them. Poor people were relegated to owning robot imitations. Deckard, for instance, owned an electric black-faced sheep and with the bounty money from the success of his mission, he was hoping to procure a live animal. Replacing the machine with an authentic Nubian goat will also bring comfort to Deckard’s depressed wife, Iran.

The discourse on the real and the unreal was one of the ideas central to the narrative. These discourses were further complimented by the exploration of subjects such as mind control, intelligence and mental deficiency, and decay and regeneration. The value of individualism against the collective was also explored. On top of these subjects, Dick also incorporated a discourse on the fundamental value of religion to the lives of mankind. This was portrayed through the rise of a new technology-based religion called Mercerism. Centered on a Messianic character named Wilbur Mercer, Mercerism was an offshoot of the rise of empathy and used “empathy boxes” to link users to a virtual reality of collective suffering.

What worked on the novel’s favor was the gradual buildup of pace. It was slow at the beginning but as the story moved forward, the pace started to increase. Dick managed to keep his readers on the edge of their seats. He further complimented the rising tenterhook with unexpected twists. He kept the readers invested and riveted with the story. This was one of the novel’s redeeming qualities as Dick’s writing, for the most part, was dull. He did a commendable job with the worldbuilding but there was a lack of lyrical quality to the prose. This can be owed to the fact that the novel belongs to science fiction. Whilst the characters were believable, the character development was lacking.

With many good things executed properly, it was lamentable that the narrative started to crumble as it draws to a conclusion. Dick provoked his readers with the plethora of questions he raised. He managed to answer many of them but he also left too many questions unanswered in the end. These plot holes could have been excusable if the novel had a sequel but it did not. It was a digression from the progress that Dick made in the narrative. The conclusion was also in wont of something greater. The loose ends were never tied properly. It was rather confusing and, overall, it felt like it was an abstract idea that was simply juxtaposed into the narrative without much of a context.

For all its flaws and monotone storytelling, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was nevertheless a powerful narrative. It was parts-scientific, parts-dystopian, and parts-philosophical, a novel that explored a plethora of subjects and themes that remain seminal in the contemporary. Its exploration and prognosis of the human condition was scintillating, especially with the exponential rise of technology and how it is adversely affecting mankind. The novel gave a haunting albeit realistic picture of a future Earth. Its philosophical facet sets it apart from the typical science fiction and makes it stand out.

Originally published in 1968, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? has proven Philip K. Dick’s innovativeness and imagination. The complexity of his prose and the depth of his analysis proved that he was ahead of his peers. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is, without a doubt, a tremendous product of the science fiction genre, one that will withstand the tests of time and one that every fan of science fiction must read.

Autism and Bullying

https://tacanow.org/family-resources/autism-and-bullying/

Most parents worry about their child being bullied. While statistics vary across research studies, people with autism are undoubtedly victims of bullying at a much higher rate than typical peers.

Definition of Bullying

Although most people recognize bullying when they see it, there are multiple definitions and a lack of legal consensus on the definition.

- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not provide a definition for bullying.
- Therefore, individual schools or districts may have their own definition.
- However, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services provides a definition per the 2013 Dear Colleague letter as follows: “Bullying is characterized by aggression used within a relationship where the aggressor(s) has more real or perceived power than the target, and the aggression is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.  Bullying can involve overt physical behavior or verbal, emotional, or social behaviors (e.g., excluding someone from social activities, making threats, withdrawing attention, destroying someone’s reputation) and can range from blatant aggression to far more subtle and covert behaviors.  Cyber-bullying, or bullying through electronic technology (e.g., cell phones, computers, online/social media), can include offensive text messages or e-mails, rumors or embarrassing photos posted on social networking sites, or fake online profiles.”
- Additionally, the CDC defines bullying as repeated, unwanted aggressive behavior(s) that involves an observed or perceived imbalance of power.

Signs of Bullying

Bullying occurs most often when there is a perceived difference between people. Consequently, this leaves people with autism vulnerable to bullying. For example, poor social skills, slower problem solving, and an inability to defend oneself verbally or physically are just a few reasons why people with autism are at a higher risk of being bullied.

Because of this, parents and educators must be able to recognize the signs of bullying in order to intervene early and prevent further incidents from occurring.

The following is a list of warning signs that may indicate your child is being bullied:

- Unexplained bruises or other physical injuries
- Increased anxiety
- New or increased aggression
- New or increased self-injurious behaviors
- Depression
- Thoughts of suicide
- Acting angry, sullen, or having mood swings
- New or increased elopement behaviors
- Complaints of illness or faking illness
- Change in eating habits
- Difficulty sleeping
- A decline in schoolwork or grades
- Loss of interest in school
- School refusal
- Frequent visits to the school nurse or office to avoid going to class
- Lost or destroyed items such as clothing, books, electronics
- Loss of friends
- Avoidance of social situations

Laws That Provide Protection to Students with Autism

In some situations, civil rights laws protect students with autism against bullying.  For example, if someone is bullying, teasing, or bothering your child because they have autism, the public school has an obligation to resolve the harassment under federal law.  This is because civil rights protections emerge for victims who are targeted because of their race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability. In such cases, bullying is considered discriminatory harassment, which is a civil rights violation.

Additionally, IDEA provides protections to students with autism against bullying. These protections apply when bullying interferes with a student’s access to FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education).  So, if your child has an IEP/504, federal law requires the public school to intervene if the bullying results in a denial of FAPE.

However, it’s important to note that bullying does not need to overlap with discriminatory harassment to deny your child’s access to FAPE.  Rather, the bullying simply needs to interfere with your child’s ability to achieve their academic/IEP goals.  For instance, it is reasonable to argue that your child is being denied access to FAPE if the bullying:

- Prevents or inhibits their ability to pay attention in class.
- Interferes with their opportunity to learn with peers in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
- Triggers anxiety/behaviors that adversely impact their academic performance or attendance.

Reporting and Resolving Bullying at School

If your child is the victim of bullying at school, immediately send an email to the members of your child’s IEP team to report the bullying and call for an IEP/504 team meeting.

When meeting with your child’s team, prepare to discuss the following:

- Provide details about the bullying, in writing, such as:
Frequency and intensity of bullying
Number of students engaged
Time and location of bullying
Any changes in the student’s behavior
Any changes in the student’s emotional state
- Whether or not changes need to be made to the IEP.
If yes, what additional or different services does your need?
Please note: the IEP team is responsible for deciding what, if any, changes are needed – not the district.
- Placement: the student should remain in the Least Restrictive Environment unless FAPE cannot be met.

Provide Documentation

When dealing with the school, it is important to know that proving bullying requires documentation.

The following is a list of items that provide evidence of bullying:

- Assessments
Social-emotional assessments
Functional behavior assessments
Mental health services evaluations
- Documentation of progress towards goals
Progress slowing or regressing may indicate bullying
- Incident reports
- Student documentation
Use interviews, written statements, or pictures
- Witness statements
Ask witnesses to write what they observed

Prevention and Education

Ultimately, the goal is to stop bullying behavior before it starts. Even though prevention programs cannot totally eliminate bullying, it is important to remember that actions such as a bystander speaking up, reduces bullying behavior by 50%.

The following is a list of proactive strategies for preventing and confronting bullying.

Parents

- Model kind, respectful, and appropriate behavior at home.
- Talk to your child about bullying:
What is bullying? Why is it wrong?
Give examples of both bullying and acceptable interactions.
Use social stories.
Here is an example social story about bullying.
- Role-play situations involving bullies.
- Likewise, practice with your child reporting an incident using their preferred method of communication.
- Arrange for your child to stay near a teacher/supervisor during lunch and recess.
- Set up a buddy system with a trusted peer during recess, lunch, or times of transition.
- Do not send your child with valuables or money.
- Also, don’t forget to build their self-confidence and help them develop friendships:
Enroll your child in classes, extra-curriculars, or activities geared toward their interests.
Seek out positive, fun ways to practice Social Skills.
Help your child develop and maintain a network of support by Facilitating Friendships.

IEP Team

- Include goals for self-advocacy, social skills, and problem-solving in your child’s IEP.
- Provide individual or group counseling.
- Create a plan to monitor and address bullying.
Remember, the IEP team can only discuss issues and strategies specific to your child. Parents are not privy to actions taken with other students involved in the incident.
- Last but not least, add more or compensatory services to provide FAPE (if needed).

School District

- Create a culture of respect.
- Implement a school-wide bullying prevention program rooted in positive behavior supports.
- Create a voluntary school climate survey for students and parents.
- Revise anti-bullying policies to develop staff protocols in an effort to increase administrative response.
- Provide staff and parent anti-bullying training.

In Conclusion

Bullying is a significant issue within the autism community. Because of this, parents, teachers, schools, and the community must work together to decrease bullying.  Ultimately, IEP teams are responsible to take action if the bullying behavior interferes with a student’s ability to access FAPE and/or violates their civil rights.

Just finished watching Robot Carnival (1987) and Desert Hearts (1985)...

Finding out that I'm autistic made me realize many things

A still from The Bad Seed (1985), directed by Paul Wendkos

At the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, I finally became sick because of COVID-19. I didn't want to catch the coronavirus, and I didn't catch it when the mandates and the restrictions were in effect during the so-called pandemic, but at least now I know what it feels like to have this disease. In my case, the first symptom that appeared was diarrhea. This happened during the night. Then other symptoms appeared. I had loss of smell and taste, headache, fatigue, coughing, muscle and joint pain, and fever. I would say that COVID-19 is a slightly more severe disease than the cold. If you catch it, you definitely have to stay at home for at least a week. While the virus isn't very deadly, it's still not a pleasant thing to be affected by it, and I guess that if an old person or a person with certain health problems continues to exert oneself while being sick with COVID-19, that person can die. In my case, COVID-19 didn't leave me with any long-term complications, but I did get an ear infection three weeks after the symptoms appeared. Because of this, one of my ears ached and couldn't hear. An ear infection has to be treated as soon as possible because if the infection spreads from the ear to the brain, a person can die. So, this is how the COVID-19 virus, which was probably created at one of the American biolaboratories in Ukraine, affected me. It took about a month for me to fully recover from the disease. In general, this year has been a very important one when it comes to my health. Not only did I get sick with COVID-19 for the first time, I also realized that I'm autistic. I found out that I'm a person with autism very recently. I've never been diagnosed with autism, but it's now obvious to me that autism has been an extremely important part of my life. I realized that I have autism when I was reading about it on Wikipedia. After doing this, I read some articles about how autistic people act and about their problems. When I did this, I became amazed that until now I didn't know that I have autism, which is a very big deal for any person that has it. Why didn't I know that I'm autistic before? Well, first of all, no one has ever told me that I have autism. My parents didn't know. My mother, who was definitely concerned about my health when I was little, didn't know. She took me to see doctors many times, but none of them diagnosed me with autism. Well, it's not like she took me to see top experts. Let's not forget that I grew up in a poor family, and few of the doctors that I got to meet were helpful. When it comes to my father, I don't even have to say anything. My so-called father is a typical Russian monster, and I'll leave it at that. So, although my mother wanted to improve my health when I was little, she didn't find out about the two most important health problems that I have. I had to find out about these two problems almost entirely on my own, after I became an adult. Second of all, I realized that I have been able to conceal some of my autistic traits in order to appear like a normal person. Since my intelligence is normal, maybe even above normal, I've learned and taught myself to behave like a normal person most of the time, although acting like a normal person isn't natural for me. Acting like a normal person is stressful and exhausting for an autistic person such as myself. Well, now I know why I prefer to sleep for at least 10 hours every day. Moreover, I don't just prefer to do this. I need to do this in order to have the energy to get through the day. When important changes to my lifestyle have to be made, or when I simply have to think about making changes to my lifestyle, I have to sleep even more. Going out of my routines is a difficult thing for me. Perhaps sleeping for at least 10 hours every day is also the reason why I look very young for my age. People sometimes tell me this. Nevertheless, after reading a lot about autism for the last week or so, I realized that I still often behave in an odd way and that I still sometimes can't control my outbursts, since I'm autistic. Before I found out that I'm autistic, I attributed my odd behavior and my inability to socialize well to my character. Most of the time, I ignored the fact that I'm not normal and simply plowed ahead through life. I guess that there's a reason why autism is called the invisible disability. Still, I don't like to think of myself as a disabled person or as a person that's not normal. It's not easy for me to accept that I'm autistic because I'd like my life to be normal, but it's clear to me now that I'll probably never be able to overcome some of my autistic traits. I have many autistic traits, but I'll mention only a few here. Like some other autistic people, I walk faster than normal people do. Even before I found out that I have autism, I tried to walk slower, but I don't always remember that I should do this. I also don't always move parts of my body, especially my hands, like normal people do. I can't speak very well, and it's difficult for me to express myself by speaking. Therefore, most of the time, I try not to speak. And, of course, it's difficult for me to maintain eye contact with people. I've read that most autistic people don't marry and don't keep friends. Will I be able to marry and perhaps to keep friends for a long time? This remains to be seen. I hope that I will, but, at this time, I'm not sure. The thing is that for the last several years I've been learning to deal with that other health problem of mine that I've had for my entire life. And now it turns out that I also have autism. That other health problem of mine can be overcome. Sure, it affects my health and my intelligence, but at least it can be avoided. Autism, however, can't be avoided. Autism doesn't affect my intelligence, but it does affect my behavior and my relationships with people. Anyway, this post isn't meant to be a sob story. What I did realize recently, after reading a lot about autistic people, is that autistic people need understanding and support because their lives are difficult and problematic. I can testify to this since I now know that I'm autistic. Autistic people make up only about 1% of the population, but they're still there.

Since some of my followers usually ask me to recommend films to see, this is what I'll do because I've seen a number of films in the last several months that are worth recommending. I've already made many videos with lists of films to see, but, for some people, this isn't enough, it seems. No problem. First of all, the teen film genre was in bloom in Hollywood in the 1980s, and this genre is one of my favorite genres because it produced many stylish films that I find appealing. There are dozens of teen movies from the 1980s that are worth seeing. I did make a video, which can be found on my blog, about the best teen movies, but I can recommend more. Additional teen movies that I've enjoyed seeing are Youngblood (1986), Footloose (1984), The Prince Of Pennsylvania (1988), Modern Girls (1986), My Science Project (1985), Class (1983), Vision Quest (1985), Heaven Help Us (1985), Fresh Horses (1988), Less Than Zero (1987), All The Right Moves (1983), and the sequels to The Karate Kid, particularly The Karate Kid Part III (1989). Some people praise The Last American Virgin (1982), but, after seeing it, I found it to be pretty dull, even by today's standards. The Last American Virgin was released by The Cannon Group, and perhaps this is the reason why some people like it. For some weird reason, many films by the The Cannon Group, which was a film machine notorious for pumping out unintentionally funny and enjoyable turds, have developed cult followings. Well, I'll admit that I enjoy watching the American Ninja films starring Michael Dudikoff. But this is the case only because I got to see the first three American Ninja films in a marathon on television when I was little. The marathon ran late in the morning and in the afternoon on one sunny day in the summer, and I got to see the first three films, which I found to be very enjoyable at that time, almost without getting up from the couch. Well, I think that I did get up a few times to make tea because the kitchen was right next to the living room, where the television set was located. Therefore, because of so-called nostalgia, I can watch the American Ninja films without cringing. As for the films that I got to see lately, I can recommend Betrayal (1983), Blue Tiger (1994), Electric Dreams (1984), Ghost (1990), Farewell My Lovely (1975), Micki & Maude (1984), Tron (1982), Half Moon Street (1986), Outland (1981), Chicago Deadline (1949), Code Of Silence (1985), Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams (1973), Lost In Space (1998), The Running Man (1987), Death On The Nile (1978), The Bad Seed (1956), A Stitch In Time (1963), The 3,000 Mile Chase (1977), The Bad Seed (1985), Psychic Wars (1991), A Flash Of Green (1984), Forced Vengeance (1982), Lionheart (1990), Predator 2 (1990), and Flatliners (1990). The films that I enjoyed seeing the most in the last several months are The Running Man and the two Bad Seed films. The one from 1956 is highly acclaimed and it was somewhat of a hit. But I enjoyed seeing the one from 1985 just as much, perhaps more. As for The Running Man, I can say that it's very entertaining and uplifting, though, obviously, this wasn't the first time that I got to see it. The other films in which I liked the performances of the cast are Betrayal, A Flash Of Green, Ghost, and Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams. Although I didn't see many new films in 2023, I can say that I've tried to see as many big budget movies during this summer movie season as I could. When it comes to entertainment, Hollywood usually delivers in the summer. What's kind of funny is that I pointed out in one of my posts that in the summer of 2022 Hollywood released few films that are worth seeing. Well, I can say that in the summer of this year Hollywood has so far released too many films that are worth seeing. Few of them have been excellent, but almost all of them are enjoyable to watch on the big screen. In fact, there have been so many big budget movie releases so far this summer that most of them haven't been able to make much of a profit. In May and in June, there were simply too many big budget movies to see. I've tried to go to theaters as many times as I could this summer, but even I haven't yet seen every new film that I'd like to see. This year has already been a very good one for superhero movies. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse and Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, which are terrific films, became hits in theaters. Fast X turned out to be one of the most enjoyable superhero movies of this summer for me. In this tenth main installment of the Fast & Furious superhero franchise, Dominic Toretto and his team of superheroes (called Family) face off against the latest supervillain that drives in and interrupts their lives, the villainous Dante Reyes, who cooks up a plan that's just as complicated as Lex Luthor's plan from Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016). Sure, Fast X is ridiculous and bloated, but it delivers the laughs and the action. In fact, for about half of the film's run time, I couldn't stop laughing. It was that good. This year also saw the release of two enjoyable films by DC Studios - Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and The Flash. If Walter Hamada is the man that's responsible for the DC Studios films that got released in the last few years, he deserves praise, in my opinion, because I enjoyed seeing almost every DCEU film that got released from 2019 to 2023. The Flash, in particular, is my favorite film of this year so far. Sure, it's not as good as, let us say, Across The Spider-Verse, but it affected me the most. The Flash is admittedly silly at times, but almost everything else in this film works well. It's clear that plenty of effort and money went into making The Flash. After The Suicide Squad (2021), The Flash is my favorite film in the DCEU. First of all, the cast, especially Ezra Miller and Michael Keaton, delivered good performances. The Flash does seem like a star vehicle for Miller. There are a few scenes in the film that are actually moving. This is something that can be said about only several superhero movies that got made in the last decade because most of them attempted to deliver only laughs and entertainment. But The Flash still features some effective comedy. One of the reasons why The Flash is often effective is because it features a good music score by Benjamin Wallfisch. What's also worth mentioning is that The Flash is kind of like a comeback for the American flag. The American flag is in the film for a bit and it looks glorious when it appears. The American flag hasn't looked this good in a film for about a decade or more. Sure, the American flag isn't a very good actor. The performances of the American flag are mostly stiff and of one note. But the American flag doesn't get cast in films because of its acting chops. It gets cast because of its good looks. There were rumors that the American flag had turned to drugs, and perhaps this is the reason why it looked bad in the films in which it appeared in the last decade. But I'm here to tell everyone that the American flag is back! Not since the 1990s has the American flag looked this good on screen. Perhaps the American flag has been spending time at the gym and consuming dietary supplements. Anyway, I've got to say that before 2022 I was indifferent to the superhero film genre, but, in that year and for some reason, some of the films from Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe changed something in me. Since then, I've been looking forward to almost every new superhero movie release, and I realized that this film genre now has plenty to offer, mostly thanks to Marvel Studios, after about five decades of releases of varying quality.

Just finished watching National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) and Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (2023)...

Autism does NOT reduce your life expectancy – being Autistic does…

https://undercoverautism.org/2022/12/17/autism-does-not-reduce-your-life-expectancy-being-autistic-does/

This is an issue of equality, not biology or neurology. The life expectancy of autistic people is devastatingly low – yet it shouldn’t be.

Death has been on my mind for most of my life. The uncertainty and relative unpredictability of it has made it an attractive topic for a hyper-focused deep-dive; seeking answers, clarity and a desire to find a crumb of certainty.

Some of those thoughts have led to dark places and some have been refreshingly liberating. It does not surprise me that autistic people are nine times as likely as our non-autistic peers to die by suicide. We are more likely to experience traumatic life events including bullying and adverse childhood experiences. We are less likely to be in work – and it is well known that unemployment increases risk of suicide. Autistic people have higher rates of mental illness. We experience multiple social factors that relate to increased suicidality such as needing to rely on food banks or being isolated and/or lonely.

Suicide is an issue of inequality. Death due to suicide is not evenly distributed across genders, social class, geographical area, and ages. The Samaritans have plenty of data about this – and are a source of support if reading this blog is distressing, or for any occasion where you need to reach out…and do please reach out. There IS support, and suicidal feelings and thoughts can and should be spoken about. It IS possible to get through that moment when you’re desperate or on edge. Talking or texting or emailing can help make sense of feelings and thoughts that seem indescribable, and there is ongoing support out there. You don’t have to be suicidal to seek help.

Suicide is not the only reason why autistic people die younger than our non-autistic peers. Some of the social issues we face like unemployment, poverty and isolation impact our health. Many of us have lived with toxic stress.

A certain amount of stress is essential, but toxic stress in infancy and childhood can lead to increased vulnerability to a range of mental and physical health conditions and health-harming behaviours over the life-course, including depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, alcoholism and drug abuse.

Autistic children are not only more likely to experience ACEs (adverse childhood experiences), their sensory experiences are likely to be different to those of their non-autistic peers and may result in Sensory Trauma.

This combination of factors can lead to us experiencing poorer mental and physical health outcomes, and in itself may be significant in why we have a lower life expectancy than our non-autistic peers. Add to that the difficulties we may have in noticing, recognising and communicating what is happening in our bodies due to our interoceptive processing differences and increased risk of trauma, it does not surprise me that our physical and mental health outcomes are poor.

So what happens if we are able to pick up on what is happening inside our bodies and wish to communicate that to the relevant professionals? It is well recognised that autistic people face numerous barriers when accessing health services.

Research shows that autistic people have high levels of co-occurring mental health conditions, yet a number of case reports have revealed that autistic people get the wrong mental health diagnosis and are less likely to agree with a mental health diagnosis because they didn’t feel their healthcare professional understood their condition or how to communicate with them properly.

An event causing Sensory Trauma to an autistic person may be perceived as inconsequential by non-autistic people in the same environment – if perceived by them at all. The autistic person’s reaction may be viewed as “challenging behaviour”, overemotional, or maybe not even accepted or believed – simply because the event may not be recognised as traumatic to other people. The invalidation and mislabelling that accompanies this may – as in my case – lead to an autistic person doubting their genuine experiences and eventually mistrusting their own judgement and expertise on their health and life. They may avoid seeking help or speaking out about their physical and mental health experiences, or they may not receive the medical treatment they require – or even receive unnecessary and harmful treatments and interventions for conditions they do not have.

A study in Ireland reported 80% of autistic people had difficulty visiting the GP. Whilst people with a learning disability can access yearly GP health checks and liaison nurses in hospitals, the same is not true for autistic people, with large areas of the UK having neither.

Autistic people have significantly lower life expectancies than the rest of the population. A statement from the UK government in 2021 quotes the data reported by the British Journal of Psychiatry that autistic people will live 16 years fewer than their non-autistic peers. Another report compares the range of average life expectancy for autistic people from 39.5 years to 58 years, to the global average of 72 years.

Whilst there are numerous examples of autism’s co-existing physical and mental health conditions, I do not believe research should be focused on identifying whether there is a biological or genetic component to this or not. Too frequently I hear anxiety or some other condition described as “part” of autism and therefore to be expected and accepted. It is time these ideas were challenged. Autistic people, whether they also have a learning disability or epilepsy or gastrointestinal disorder or are like much of the human race – simply average or thereabouts – deserve to have a good quality of life.

We know that epilepsy often co-occurs with autism. We know that people who experience epileptic seizures have a reduced life expectancy. But whether epilepsy and autism share a genetic component that make them more likely to occur together is largely irrelevant to an autistic person’s life (unless you were considering terminating the person before birth, in which case it becomes very relevant). What is relevant is that the person can access the services they need and receive the support they require to understand, self-manage and accommodate their epilepsy. And that will come about by designing services and treatment that meet the needs of a wider range of people. It will come about by welcoming different ways of communicating and believing sensory experiences that are different to those of your own. It will come from adjustments to how society does things, so that more people can take part.

I am waiting to find out why my life expectancy is reduced. It seems ironic that after years of battling suicidal thoughts, I am now being handed death on a plate. I am certain that the mislabelling of my own mental health and the consequent medication has played a major part in my incurable physical health condition. But I cannot escape the trauma (both sensory and event based) I have experienced – the body most certainly does keep the score. The effects of toxic stress on my developing body and mind must have played a part too. The invalidation and gaslighting and self-doubt kept me unwell and unable to seek support. My muted interoception meant I did not always know I was in pain or what it was I was feeling – and my heightened tactile sense system meant I responded completely proportionally to excruciatingly painful light touch, but to others who experienced things differently I was interpreted as over-reacting – both these experiences adding to the inaccessibility of support. Even the design of hospitals and surgeries, and the sensory overload that comes with all that white brightness, and noise makes them inaccessible. When I do step inside, my overwhelm can reduce my ability to tap into the flexible thinking, reasoning and organising I require to navigate the communication requirements of finding the right place, at the right time and telling the right person, the right stuff about me!

This is a sad blog to be writing. Sad for me, yes. Sad for the autistic community. If we were any other marginalised group in society, would our reduced life expectancy be kept so quiet? What if gay people were thought to have had a long life if they made it to 55? Surely society would be doing something these days, even though they may not have in the past. How about if it wasn’t a marginalised group? What if it was white men, like the ones who dominate the research and the institutions involved in researching autism? I am certain there would be uproar and demands to change things. Reaching 60 years old should not be almost unheard of for any group of people, anywhere in the world in this day and age.

This is a complex topic with lots going on. It needs further research that listens to and values the input of autistic people from all walks of life. But I do not think we will find answers by looking inside the bodies and minds of those autistic people to find out what is supposedly “wrong” with them, so we can make them “better”. We need to look more widely and be disgusted and offended and outraged that any group of people is expected to have utterly appalling mental and physical health outcomes that reduce their lives to a fraction of what they should have been.

Helen Shaver interview with host Nina Rhodes 1997

Actress, director, mother and wife Helen Shaver talks abour her life and her career.

Dealing with bullying - a guide for parents and carers

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/bullying/bullying/parents

Autistic people can be more at risk of being bullied than their peers. However, your child may not be able to communicate this to you.

In this guide you will find information about what bullying is, the signs to look out for and how it may affect your child, and what you can do to help them.

You can also read about how to take your complaint further, if you are not satisfied that your child’s school has done enough to stop the bullying. 

What is bullying?

The is no definition of bullying in legislation. Anti-bullying organisations suggest that bullying could involve:

- name calling
- making fun or teasing
- spreading rumours 
- ignoring or leaving out
- threatening or humiliating
- pushing, pulling, hitting, kicking or other physical acts
- taking or interfering with money or other items.

The internet and mobile phones mean bullying can now happen both during the school day and out of school hours. Online or cyber bullying includes bullying via text messages, emails, websites, online gaming, instant messaging and social networks.

Autistic children and bullying

Autistic children and young people can be more at risk of being bullied than their peers because of the different ways they communicate and interact with others. Their peer group will often notice these differences more and more as they get older. 

Because autistic children and young people find it hard to read facial expressions and body language, they can't tell when someone is being friendly or if they are trying to hurt them. This means they may misunderstand the intentions of their peers. They can also be easy targets in the playground as they sometimes prefer to play alone.

As a result, other children find it easy to pick on them as they do not have a support structure around them. Other children may also pick on them if they see them doing 'odd' things such as hand flapping or making inappropriate comments.

Autistic children and young people can also display some bullying behaviours. They may become aggressive when a game is not being played the way they want and then try to control the situation. They may also become frustrated at being 'left out' in the playground and try to 'make' children become friends with them.

How to tell if your child is being bullied

It's not always easy to tell if your child is being bullied and they may not always realise they are being bullied. This may be because they have difficulty understanding the intentions of others and their communication difficulties can make it harder for them to tell you or school staff about an incident. 

As a result, you may need to look for other clues as to whether or not your child is being bullied. They may:

- come home with dirty, damaged or missing clothes, bags or books, with bruises or scratches, without money they should have or asking for more money the next day
- arrive at school or get home late because they have changed their route to or from school
- be reluctant to go to school and make excuses to miss attending 
- seem to be stressed, depressed, unhappy or unwell 
- show a deterioration in concentration or the standard of schoolwork
- show an increase or change in obsessional/repetitive behaviour

Your child may also show sudden changes in behaviour, which may be due to bullying. This might be increased anxiety, difficulty sleeping or outbursts at home. Your child may mimic the acts of bullies at home by bullying their siblings because they don't understand that this behaviour is unacceptable. To your child, they are simply acting out what their peers are doing.

The effects of bullying on your child and what you can do to help

The long-term effects of bullying can be serious. Research suggests bullied children can end up with long-lasting insecurities, behavioural issues and low self-esteem, as well as poor concentration.  

They may refuse to take part in social situations because they are afraid of being bullied or they may experience stress-related illnesses.

You may need to build up your child's self-esteem at home. Praise for specific pieces of work or good days at school can help remind your child that being autistic helps them to be good at things. You could make an achievement book or board with photographs and pieces of work to remind them of this, keeping it in an easy to access place for reference.  

You could also tell your child about successful and famous autistic people and find out about or read their personal accounts.

Some children or young people may need professional help to boost their self-esteem and confidence. You can try searching our Autism Services Directory for details of counsellors who work with autistic children.  

Alternatively, contact national counselling bodies, such as the National Counselling Society or the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy but check that individual counsellors have knowledge of autism. If your child would like support from someone over the telephone, they can call ChildLine.

Social groups are a good way for your child to meet others with similar difficulties and experiences, this can help to make them fell less isolated. Search our Autism Services Directory for information about social groups in your area. Your child might also find social skills training helpful.

My child is bullying others

If your child is bullying others, think about what they are trying to do or communicate. It could be that they are trying to get attention, fit in, or follow suggestions made to them by other children and consequently be completely unaware they are hurting others. 

They may benefit from social skills training or help on how to ask others to play with them. You could also ask your child’s school to set up some structured play activities for your child.

You may also need to teach your child another activity they could try if they do get frustrated. For example, you do not hit, but you find someone and show them your help card (this is a piece of card with help written on it for those who have difficulty communicating) or kick a ball.

It is important to explain to autistic children that they don't have to be friends with everyone in their class. They may not realise that they don’t need to be friends with everyone in their class/school.

You could use a social story such as:

We are all classroom colleagues. A colleague is someone who works with you and may also be your friend. Like your mum or dad, you will work alongside people you like and people you don't like. If we don't agree, that's interesting but we will learn to work it out and develop rules to keep everyone's body, feelings and belongings safe.  Gray 2001

What can I do if my child is being bullied?

Talk to your child and try to:

- speak to them without getting angry or upset
- listen carefully and give your full attention  
- make sure your child knows that you believe them, it's not their fault and they are not alone
- discuss with your child what they want to happen and what they want (or don't want) you to do 
- agree a way forward with your child

Some autistic children and young people will find it difficult to talk to you face-to-face and will find it easier to write about the incident or draw a picture about what happened.

You could try using a diary system, emailing, or have a box to leave questions in and write replies. These forms of communication may take longer, but you may get more information from your child this way. You could ask siblings if they have seen anything and make notes of what they say.

If keeping a diary of the incidents make sure you record:

- who was involved
- what happened 
- what action the school took (if any).

Your child may not realise they are being bullied. Try to help them understand the difference between behaviour that is friendly or bullying. Explain that when behaviour hurts or harms someone either physically or emotionally, it is bullying.

Talk to school staff

Once you have spoken to your child, make an appointment to talk to your child's class teacher and:

- ask for a copy of the school's anti-bullying policy to see what has put in place 
- be specific and make a note of what the teacher said and what action they agreed
- try to remain as calm as possible so that lines of communication stay open with the school and your concerns are listened to 
- ask if the school has suggestions of practical things you can do to help
- after meeting the class teacher, send them a letter outlining what was agreed so that everyone involved has a clear understanding of the situation and future actions. 

The class teacher and other staff at school may not be aware of the problem, however, this does not mean it does not exist.

Approaches to help your child

When you see your child's class teacher, it may be useful to put forward some suggestions of what you and the school could do to help.

Using maps

Make a map of your child's world and identify the areas where they feel most and least vulnerable. This could include a map of school as well as the route to and from school. It can then be used to identify areas that the school needs to be aware of. 

Social skills and communication training

Your child may benefit from social skills and communication training to help them learn to recognise when someone is being nice or nasty. You may find it helpful to use a favourite television programme to illustrate this, such as  Mr Bean and The Simpsons. These programmes have over-exaggerated body language and facial expressions, which can be a good teaching tool.

Teaching your child what to do if they are upset at school

You may also need to teach your child what to do if they are upset by an incident at school. You could give them a reminder to stick in their school diary, such as a prompt to go and see a certain teacher, or to write a note and leave it in the bully box (if the school has one) if an incident takes place.

Break times and lunchtimes

The school playground is one of the places where autistic children and young people can be most vulnerable. Unlike their peers, who find the playground the most relaxing time of the day, they can often find unstructured periods of time difficult as they are not sure what is expected of them. As a result, they may be alone in unsupervised areas of the playground.

It can be useful for your child's school to bring some structure to break times/lunchtimes. For example, your child’s school could: 

- provide lunchtime clubs 
- let your child go to the library 
- let your child use a computer during breaks 
- set up structured playground activities for your child and a couple of their peers so that your child gets to socialise, but also knows what is expected of them.

Buddies, befriending and friendship

A buddying or befriending scheme in the playground may also help to reduce bullying. School could identify some buddies for your child in the playground so they can widen their friendship group.  

Some schools have a friendship bench where children and young people can sit if they need someone to talk to or play with. A circle of friends can teach other children about autism and also helps autistic people with social skills.

Raising awareness of autism through lessons

You could ask your child's class teacher to teach other children about autism in a way that is sensitive and does not single out your child. Most schools now teach children about different faiths, disabilities and race. The teacher could plan a lesson that explains autism.

Bullying box

Schools need to be aware that autistic children don't always want to tell a teacher face-to-face about bullying. A bullying box enables pupils to report incidents of bullying secretly. This also means they have more time to think about what they want to say.

Outside help for schools

School may also be able to get some outside help with putting into action anti-bullying measures. Please speak to your local education authority who may have resources and professionals who can help.

Taking the issue seriously

It can be helpful to identify a team of people that your child can rely on rather than depending on just one member of staff. Ideally, this team should include staff who are around at different times during the day. School staff need to be aware of what to do when an incident is reported.  

Consistency is important to autistic children. If they feel they have not been taken seriously or a staff member has not done what they were supposed to do, they may become more frustrated and upset. They may also be reluctant to report future incidents if they feel there is little point in doing so.

Despite preventative measures, bullying can still happen. It is important that your child’s school take your concerns about bullying seriously and that your child has a point of contact. Any half-hearted measures may make the situation worse. For example, the school should make it clear to bullies that their actions are not acceptable and their behaviour policy should clearly outline the consequences of bullying.

A whole school approach

Studies have shown that schools taking a whole school approach to bullying often report a general reduction in bullying. This approach includes:

- providing all pupils with anti-bullying lessons as part of the curriculum
- encouraging children to tell someone when they are being bullied
- including all staff and pupils in preventing bullying
- having clear posters and literature to emphasise the zero-tolerance approach of schools to bullying.

Getting extra support

Your child may require an assessment of their special educational needs in order to get extra help in school. You can find out more on our extra help in education pages.

Dealing with cyberbullying

Autistic children and young people find social networking, forums, emailing, instant messaging, texting and online gaming an easier way to socialise. They can help children build up self-esteem and confidence with positive interactions and can encourage them to interact with others.  

However, your child may not be able to recognise cyberbullying as easily as their peers. As a result, you may want to monitor their use of the internet or mobile phones. Be aware of any changes in your child's behaviour. If they suddenly don't seem keen to get onto the computer, then this could mean some bullying has taken place. Here are some suggestions of how you can make things safer: 

- get to know more about the technology and social media your child uses
- understand the risks, and take an active interest in how and with whom they are interacting
- use parental settings for mobile phones, laptops, tablets or games consoles
- use filters for applications
- use privacy settings for online gaming and social media sites 

Try making an agreement with your child about how devices must be used. Establish appropriate behaviour online and help your child to identify when they or others are being bullied online. Encourage your child to share any messages that are nasty or upsets them with you.

As part of the agreement you may want to ensure that your child understands that:

- they must never disclose personal information
- everything posted online can be traced back to the individual
- online or offline, everyone must be treated with respect
- they should think before they post – written communication can be misconstrued

Health and safety

You may be concerned about your child's welfare and would like to keep your child off school until the situation has been dealt with. However, you must remember that, legally, you have to make sure your child receives education, normally by sending them to school. 

If you think your child is too unwell because of stress for example, then you should get a medical note from your child's GP or another NHS medical professional with whom they are registered. You should also let the school and local authority or education authority know about this and discuss arrangements for alternative education for your child.

Taking matters further

If you are not happy with the response you get from the class teacher and you have also talked to the head of year, then talk to the head teacher (and board of governors if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland). If necessary, you can involve your local authority or education authority (or governing body if your child attends an independent school).

Bullying behaviour that becomes a criminal act, such as theft, damage to property or physical assault, can be reported to the police. Local Police may also offer or take part in anti-bullying initiatives.

Exploring other options

You may decide to take your child out of school completely and instead send them to another school or home educate them.

Your next steps

- Contact our charity's Education Rights Service that can provide information, support and advice on education provision and entitlements for autistic children and young people
- Read Autism and bullying
- Read Autism Bullying and Me, the really useful stuff you need to know about coping brilliantly with bullying by Emily Lovegrove, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, May 2020
- Read The Department for education’s advice for schools and parents/carers on cyberbullying (England only)
- Read A Comprehensive Cyberbullying Guide for Parents – which equips parents with the tools necessary to recognise and prevent cyberbullying
- Visit the Anti-bullying alliance for tools and information about cyberbullying and SEN
- Visit Bullying UK which offers practical information and advice to young people and their parents
- Visit CEOP: Child Exploitation & Online Protection which offers advice and help to children and parents on online safety
- Visit Kidscape which aims to equip young people, parents and professionals with the skills to tackle bullying and safeguarding issues across the UK
- Visit KidSMART for information on how to get the very best out of the internet and use technology safely
- Visit Northern Ireland Anti-Bullying Forum which brings together over 25 regional statutory and voluntary sector organisations, all committed to tackling the bullying of children and young people in schools and communities in Northern Ireland
- Visit Respectme (Scotland) - an anti-bullying service funded by the Scottish Government

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (PC) review

http://www.honestgamers.com/690/pc/warcraft-ii-tides-of-darkness/review.html

"Warcraft 2 is a must-have for any serious real time strategy fan. Despite being around for a good many years, Warcraft 2 still boasts excellent, fun, and entertaining gameplay."

Once upon a time, Blizzard Software created a game. This game was called Warcraft. While not an insanely popular blockbuster like DOOM or Wolfenstein 3-D, it achieved a cult following, and made a considerable profit for Blizzard. Using this money, it began development on Warcraft 2.

Warcraft 2 started the massive online movement of real time strategy games. Later, the formula was improved and refined by Command and Conquer, Starcraft, Red Alert, and others, but most real time strategy games can find their roots in Warcraft 2. If you're not familiar with the genre, you basically control every aspect of a colony or group. This is usually executed with the mouse pointer, in conjunction with the keyboard.

At the time of its release, Warcraft 2 was revolutionary. It was the first which allowed you to develop multiple units, instead of having to wait for each one to finish. It also boasted a 150 character limit for each player, up to eight players, a significant upgrade. Everyone in the gaming engine, there were tweaks and upgrades to the format that were not surpassed until the releasal of Starcraft.

In Warcraft 2, you control one of two races, either humans or orcs. Each race has their own distinctive feel, and different types of characters. Your job in most stages is to build up a base and conquer the enemy forces, whether they be orcs or your own rebellious forces.

You do this by harvesting timber, mining gold, and syphoning oil. Timber is used to build most of the structures in the game, such as farms, barracks, and castles. Each structure comes with a benefit; ability to produce archers, ability to produce knights, more wood production, ect. Gold is used primarily in commissioning troops. However, gold is also needed to build structures. Oil is used mainly for water devices, such as ships.

The units are fairly well-balanced in the single player campaign. For each unit, their is a counterunit which can bring it down. Ogres are stronger then Knights, but they can not heal themselves. Archers are stronger than Orc Slingers, but don't have as much range. The game's characters are in a constant give and take which ensures that a single player game relies mostly on skill.

However, in multiplayer, the advantage clearly goes to the Orcs. Ogres, an Orc unit, has the ability of bloodlust, which substantially increases their attacking speed. A squad of nine can make quick work out of even the biggest village.

Outside of this flaw, the multiplayer experience is extremely fun. Campaigns between players can become long and drawn out epic affairs, with the advantage constantly swinging back and forth. On a large map, games can last more than three hours. However, there are also smaller maps, which can be played in as little as thirty minutes.

Graphically, Warcraft 2 somehow manages to still look fresh. The characters are not extremely well-detailed, but they're clean, crisp, precise, and most importantly, do not carry any slowdown with them. Likewise, the sounds are deep and majestic, carrying an orchestrated tint to them. The effects leave something to be desired though; most are heard in the first three or four stages, and repeated throughout the game.

Warcraft 2 is a must-have for any serious real time strategy fan. Despite being around for a good many years, Warcraft 2 still boasts excellent, fun, and entertaining gameplay. It can be found in most major computer stores, in the bargain bin, next to copies of Everquest and Diablo for ten bucks. It's a steal of a deal.

Autistic burnout, explained

https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/autistic-burnout-explained/

‘Autistic burnout’ is the intense physical, mental or emotional exhaustion, often accompanied by a loss of skills, that some adults with autism experience. Many autistic people say it results mainly from the cumulative effect of having to navigate a world that is designed for neurotypical people.

Burnout may especially affect autistic adults who have strong cognitive and language abilities and are working or going to school with neurotypical people.

Here we describe the emerging picture of this phenomenon, how autistic adults might be able to recover from burnout and how to prevent it from occurring.

What is the experience of autistic burnout like?

Like many aspects of autism, burnout varies greatly from person to person. Some autistic people experience it as an overwhelming sense of physical exhaustion. They may have more difficulty managing their emotions than usual and be prone to outbursts of sadness or anger. Burnout may manifest as intense anxiety or contribute to depression or suicidal behavior. It may involve an increase in autism traits such as repetitive behaviors, increased sensitivity to sensory input or difficulty with change.

Burnout can sometimes result in a loss of skills: An autistic woman who usually has strong verbal abilities may, for example, suddenly find herself unable to talk.

How did the concept of burnout arise?

Few studies have formally investigated autistic burnout. Autism researchers have only become aware of burnout as a phenomenon over the past five years or so. They have learned about it directly through discussions with autistic participants in person or online.

The concept reflects the growing self-advocacy movement in the autism community, which has led to an increasing focus among researchers on adults with autism and their inner experiences. But it’s not entirely new: Some researchers point out that children with autism can have meltdowns or lose skills when overwhelmed by the demands of a difficult environment.

What causes burnout?

Burnout is often a consequence of camouflaging, or masking, a strategy in which autistic people mimic neurotypical behavior by using scripts for small talk, forcing themselves to make eye contact or suppressing repetitive behaviors. These strategies can help autistic people in their jobs and relationships but require immense effort.

It can also result from sensory overstimulation, such as a noisy bus commute; executive function demands such as having to juggle too many tasks at once; or stress associated with change.

How do autistic people recover from burnout?

That depends on the person and on what burnout is like for them. A first step is for autistic people to remove themselves from the situation that triggered the burnout. This could be as simple as going back to a hotel room to rest alone after a day of unpredictable social interactions at a conference. Others may need longer to recover. Some autistic people have described burnout that is so severe its effects have persisted for years. Burnout may occur more frequently and be more difficult to recover from as people get older.

Is it possible to prevent burnout?

A key strategy for preventing burnout is self-knowledge. Autistic people can learn over time which situations are most likely to trigger burnout for them. They can also watch for signs that they are getting close to burnout: Some autistic people describe feeling disconnected from their bodies or experiencing tunnel vision in this state.

Armed with this awareness, they can develop strategies to avoid burnout, such as leaving a social event early or planning a recovery day after a trip before returning to work. They can also ask for accommodations that make it easier for them to avoid burnout, such as preboarding an airplane or working from home part of the time.

Now reading Captain Breakneck by Louis Henri Boussenard...

I’m autistic. I just turned 36 — the average age when people like me die.

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/2/19/17017976/autism-average-age-death-36-stress

On March 21, 2017, CNN published an article on a new study from the American Journal of Public Health that found the average life span of an autistic person is 36 years. I wasn’t shocked by this news. I know how dire things can be for so many of us on the spectrum, but that number struck me for a very specific reason. I had just turned 35 the previous month.

Since I learned this news, I’ve been anticipating the milestone of turning 36 with a mix of confusion, dread, and a host of other feelings I can’t quite articulate. I’ve had more existential episodes than usual, brooding about the meaning of life. It’s been a lot like a midlife crisis — except that (I kept thinking) my own midlife might have happened as long as half my life ago. The average age of death for autistic people who live to adulthood might be older than 36 (and as of now, there is still no age-specific data). Still, the figure from the research journal haunted me.

At some point between that moment and now, I made a pair of promises to myself:

1. I had to make it to 36.

2. Once I did, I needed to do something to mark this morbid accomplishment — perhaps writing something to help the next generation of autists approach their own birthdays just a little easier.

The good news is that I have officially, as of 8:35 am Eastern on February 7, made it.

The bad news is that living while autistic doesn’t always leave one with much energy to write all of the meaningful things that you want to write to improve your life and the lives of other people like you.

Turning 36 scared the shit out of me. I want the fact that autistic people die so much earlier than the average American to scare the shit out of you too.

Here’s why that number is so low — and all the ways I’m lucky to have made it to 36

Some caveats. First: Not all studies on autism and mortality agree on the average age of our deaths. If you think I’m being overly dramatic by picking one that appears to cite the youngest age, here are some other recent studies with more positive results. One says 39 is the average life span; another says 54. By “positive,” though, I mean “studies that determined autistic people live longer, on average, than 36, but still found that we die significantly earlier than our non-autistic counterparts.”

Second, whenever I write about autism, there’s always someone who shows up to point out that I’m not really autistic enough to count or that I’m not the kind of autistic person that people are thinking about when they think of the tragedies and pressures that face people on the spectrum.

Because I can speak, work, and maintain a semblance of a social life — and because I am able to hide my most severe symptoms from other people — they assume that I am too “high-functioning” to be considered autistic. Before that happens here, let me say that, yes, I am probably at a lower risk of death than many autistic people. Not because I’m “higher-functioning” or because my autism is mild, but because I happened to be born into a certain body and a certain set of circumstances.

For example, the study that CNN cites, “Injury Mortality in Individuals With Autism,” primarily focuses on — as you can guess from the title — death from injury. As a child, I was never a wanderer (as many autistic children are), which put me at a low risk for drowning and other related deaths. I’ve had seizures, but I don’t have epilepsy (as many autistic people do), which puts me at a lower risk of death.

I also don’t have to worry that my incredibly supportive parents will murder me for being too much of a burden to them. That  makes me luckier than others with my condition. More than 550 disabled people have been murdered by their parents, relatives, or caregivers in the past five years in the United States, according to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.

“We see the same pattern repeating over and over again,” ASAN says of the grisly phenomenon. When disabled children are killed, the media focuses on the “burden” that the murderer faced in having to care for them. People sympathize with them instead of the victim. And in the worst cases, this can lead to lighter sentencing.

There are also ways that I am safer than many of my fellow autistic people that we don’t yet have the statistics for but that I can definitely see in the world right now. As a cisgender white woman, I do not worry that I’ll be killed by the police like 15-year-old Stephon Edward Watts or 24-year-old Kayden Clarke. Nor will I have to suffer the serious long-term health effects that this kind of constant fear and dehumanization can have.

The stress of living with autism is exhausting

You can’t entirely separate my incredibly privileged and lucky autistic ass from these devastating statistics. Autistic adults who don’t have a learning disability, like me, are still nine times more likely to die from suicide than our non-autistic peers. Autistica, a UK charity, explores some of the complex reasons that might be behind this alarmingly high suicide rate in a report on “the urgent need for a national response to early death in autism.” Or you can just take a look at my own laundry list of issues to get the general idea:

I’m tired all the time. The coping mechanisms that I developed as a bullied and undiagnosed child — from learning to mimic the behaviors of people who are more naturally likable than me to holding entire conversations where I reveal nothing about myself for fear of being too enthusiastic, too annoying, too overbearing, or simply too much — are not great for managing a remotely healthy life or building self-esteem. The effort it takes to fit in is increasingly exhausting as I get older.

All that hard work to make other people more comfortable around me feels more and more pointless. I appreciate that I have people in my life who have assured me that I can just be myself, but unlearning almost 36 years of shitty coping mechanisms and performances also takes a buttload of work. My sleeping patterns, due to anxiety and possibly to autism itself, are erratic at best.

I value the social and career gains that I made when I had more energy and inclination to blend into society. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was old enough to read, and I’m now lucky enough to survive on writing alone. But with it has come chronic anxiety, which seems to increase exponentially. There is, however, one calculation that I’m always doing in my head: whether my contributions to my family, friends, and the world are at least equal to all that I feel like I’m taking from it. I always feel like I’m at a deficit.

I repeatedly have to tell people I’m not a math savant. I’m tired of watching people who aren’t on the spectrum tell shitty versions of our stories while I can’t find the funding or the audience to tell my own. I’m tired of watching people get feels and inspiration from shows like The Good Doctor while they can’t seem to give a shit about autistic people in real life.

I’m so, so sick of watching people pay lip service to the value of autistic life while funding research into prenatal testing for autism at one end and supporting euthanasia for autism on the other, all in the name of preventing suffering. As if these measures that suggest that autistic birth should be prevented  —  or that they have a duty to die if they are too much of a “burden” on their loved ones — don’t make me feel worthless.

Even when I’m not actively struggling with any of the above, there’s the constant stress and anxiety. My resting heart rate is in the 90s. My body aches in ways that I can’t entirely attribute to age. My energy level appears to be similarly deteriorating.

This should not be a good enough outcome for any autistic person. We all deserve better than this.

So what do I want you to do about it?

I’ve spent my whole life being told that non-autistic people are so brilliant and intuitive when it comes to social issues. Like many autistic people, though, I haven’t always felt like I’ve seen much empathy, compassion, or understanding. And the evidence is starting to suggest that we’re not wrong about the level of judgment and stereotyping we face.

If you want to understand people on the spectrum, I’d recommend starting with some of the following: Listen to us. Invest in our work. Invest in science and actions that actually make our lives better now instead of chasing a hypothetical cure. Don’t kill us. Think twice about sympathizing with the parents who do kill us. Don’t rush to armchair-diagnose every mass murderer with autism — like what happened with the most recent Florida school shooting. Give your money to marginalized autistic people instead of charities like Autism Speaks, which dedicate only a small percentage of their budget to programs that will actually help autistic people. Think about how hard we’re working to exist in your world and consider meeting us halfway.

Tell us we don’t bore you. Tell us we don’t drain you. Look at us somewhere other than the eyes — we’re really not comfortable with eye contact and are tired of being forced to make it for your benefit — and tell us that we deserve to be alive.

And then act like it.