Questions for an Aspie? Ask Kate Goldfield!
Kate Goldfield is a 22 year old psychology major who recently discovered her own Asperger's Syndrome last August. Since then, she made it a point to read everything she could get her hands on regarding autism or Asperger's Syndrome, which to date numbers more than two dozen books. Last October, she wrote an opinion piece about what it felt like to be on the autistic spectrum that was published in the Baltimore Sun and Hartford Courant. She has spoken about her life at the Penn Autism Network Annual Conference and at the last ASPEN conference in New Jersey. Kate co-founded a support group for college students with autism spectrum disorders in Baltimore, where she attended college, and whenever she travels, she makes it a point to try to meet it up with other people on the spectrum that she knows from Internet autism spectrum websites. She welcomes any and all questions about life on the autism spectrum for teens and adults; whether you want to figure out why your loved one acts a certain way and how to best help them with their challenges, or understand why you do something yourself, she is here to help.
If you have questions for Kate, you can add them to "comments," below, or email me at autism.guide@about.com!
Comments
I have a 11 year old daughter with aspergers, I of coarse think shes wonderful, I love her imagination, her sense of humor, her uniqeness. On the other hand I worry about how she is going to cope with the pressures of her upcoming move to a middle grades school. That is a difficult age for any child and most people don’t accept her as she is; She loves singing acting, fantasy, facts on all kinds of subjects. My husband worries and thinks we should focus on making her more acceptable to the majority; and that she will be constantly picked on or targeted and she may lash out at the other student. I don’t think she should have to change who she is, and he feels as if when I say that; I am giving her permission to talk back, be rude or hurtful. That is not the case. I teach her to respect everyone. She has good days and bad just like everyone else. She has a very high IQ and an unlimited vocabulary and most kids her age don’t “get” her but thankfully she has found some kids that admire her intelligence. I know I am rambling but I haven’t heard from anyone who has been through those middle & high school years and I am terified!!!
My name is Jim Golden and I edit a newsletter for The Autism Project of Rhode Island. I recently read your article, apparently written for the Baltimore Sun, and thought it would be very good reading for many here in Rhode Island who are dealing with Aspergers. Would you give permission for us to print it in our Newsletter? We are a small non-profit organization dedicated to the support and education of parents and teachers dealing with Autism in our state. We would also appreciate any other writings on the subject which would be appropriate for us to pass on to our readers. Thanks very much in advance.
Jim Golden
(401) 884-0562
ajgolden1@cox.net
PS You can see more about us on our website at :
www.theautismproject.org
Wow! how do we fit all our feelings in this little box? my son is 18..he is very high functioning and would appear to be very neuro-typical to the public..that is the scary part I guess..tomorrow he is going on a job interview to sell vacum cleaners (not naming brand) and he is so darn excited ! he says that he needs “fancy pants” now..and other than that he is mostly my very odd high-risk sadly 18 year old..and I say high-risk as that is what has seemed to happened as he became a teenager..lots of dangerous situations with no conceptual of cause and effect..very taxing for me as his mother..I would love to meet other mothers who are going thru the same thing..it is not easy to say the least..
My 12 year old Aspie son lost his Bart Simpson Halloween mask on Halloween nite. Needless to say he is devistated! He doesn’t handle losing things very good. Fortunately I found another. Do I tell him I found his lost mask or do I tell him the truth that I bought another?
My seven year old aspie cant read. He can do advance math and science but when it comes to memory he has tested at a disadvantage hes creative and has a great imagaination. But how do I teach him a skill like reading which is basicly memorization.
My son was diagnosed at age 31 with Asperger’s. He suffers from depression and anxiety. He is a college student and lives in a condo his father and I bought. I get so frustrated trying to talk to him. He argues with everything and “whines” constantly. He insisted on getting a cat so I had the cat neutered and declawed. I explained the cat would stay inside but he let him out and that was three days ago. He has a gas credit card and I explained that the card is for gas only but he charged food and drinks. I explained it to him again and guess what? He totally ignored me. I took the card away and he became sad that I don’t trust him. Am I missing something here?