Category Archives: Projects

Projects

Big Giant Giveaway: Books, Stim Toys, Chewy Jewelry

194 Comments

It’s been a year since I’ve done a giveaway and to make up for that long gap (and to celebrate the launch of Stimtastic) I’ve decided to give away a whole bunch of things this time.

First,  the rules:

  • To enter, do at least one of the following:
  1. Leave a comment on this post
  2. Reblog the Tumblr post announcing the giveaway
  3. Like or comment on the Facebook page status announcing the giveaway
  • Maximum of 3 entries per person (1 for a comment here, 1 for a reblog on Tumblr, 1 for a comment/like on the Facebook status)
  • The giveaway is open to everyone (over 18 or under 18 with parental permission), including those outside the US.
  • Giveaway ends Monday, November 24th at 11:59 p.m. EST
  • 10 winners will be chosen at random on November 25th. The first winner chosen will get first pick of the items. The second winner can choose from the remaining items and so on. The tenth winner will receive the remaining item.

Good luck!

Giveaway Items:

WINNER: Cecily Shaw 1.  2 Spinner Rings: Arrow and Infinity (your choice of size 6,7,8,9 or 10)

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WINNER: Pam Fikter 2. Chewable jewelry necklace and bracelet set #1 (your choice of colors):

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WINNER: Daniel Obejas 3. Set of 5 Building Block Highlighters

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WINNER: Gallonjug 4. Set of 3 Stim Toys

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WINNER: A. M. 5. “Nerdy, Shy and Socially Inappropriate” Book (Your choice of Paperback or Kindle version)

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WINNER: xkrisxcross 6. Thinking Putty (Choice of Blue, Green or Lilac) and Gel Ball

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WINNER: Leah Kelley 7. Bike Chain Bracelet (Blue/Silver or Black/Silver)

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WINNER: BLUE 8. Chewable jewelry necklace and bracelet set #2 (your choice of colors):

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WINNER: toxiccanary 9. Dog Fidget Necklace and Paracord Keychain (Your Choice of 4 Colors)

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WINNER: Mae 10. “I Think I Might Be Autistic” (Your choice of Paperback or Kindle version)

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Also, this will be the last substantial post about Stimtastic here so if you’d like to get notifications of giveaways, contests, etc. in the future, please go ahead and follow the Stimtastic Blog, Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr.

Projects

Where Am I Going, Where Have I Been

191 Comments

Unlike the short story that the title alludes to, this post is about happy things.

August 2012

When I started blogging, it was scary to be writing about myself. I had no idea what me talking about me sounded like. At first I think I simply imitated the voices of other bloggers I liked, holding myself at arm’s length as a defense mechanism.

I probably shouldn’t have been as worried as I was. Few people read those early posts in real time. A lot of you have since mainlined the entire blog (in chronological order, no less), but at the time, I was mostly shouting in the wilderness.

There have been times when I’ve been tempted to go back and revise some of the early posts. I had little knowledge about autism and no right sounding as authoritative as I did. But I’ve let them stand as they are because I like the record they create and I like the evolution I can trace in my writing and in the way I’ve come to think about autism and being autistic. I’ve learned a lot in 26 months, some through research and self-examination, but just as much through the comments that so many of you have generously shared.

As the number of comments on each post has grown, I’ve come to see my writing as a conversation starter and I look forward to seeing what readers will add to my initial thoughts.

I’ve never been good at writing conclusively. Endings are my nemesis. Thankfully, blogging is suited as much to asking questions as to providing answers.  Continue reading Where Am I Going, Where Have I Been →

Projects

Melange Survey

76 Comments

We’ve arrived at the final set of survey questions for this round. Phew. These are the questions that didn’t seem to fit thematically in any of the other surveys. I wish I had a snappy title for it, but I ended up going with the obvious. Okay, maybe not that obvious.

You can answer here or anonymously at Survey Monkey

  1. Do you think you would have performed better academically if you hadn’t devoted part of your brain power to performing “normally”?
  2. What [stereo]typical ASD trait you lack would you want to have? Eg maths genius 😉
  3. Do you have a job or volunteer activity that you are particularly suited to because of your autism?
  4. Do you group letters on things like signs and license plates until you can get an even number?
  5. What can’t you still believe everyone doesn’t think?
  6. If you are interested in something typical for your gender (e.g. fashion for girls) are you interested in a different way? (e.g. hats not shoes or historical costume rather than being “bang on trend”)
  7. Do you think some of the appeal of a favourite subject/special interest is that immersion in a topic acts as priming making it easier and more comfortable to remember and think about it? Do you have trouble remembering facts on demand for other subjects you aren’t spending time on even though you know it and find it interesting?
  8. Do you have difficulty concentrating when listening to radio/audio drama?
  9. What was the most helpful thing after you received your diagnosis? Why?
  10. Do you dislike wearing jewellery?
Projects

Health Care Survey

43 Comments

We have two more sets of survey questions. This week’s questions are all about health care related topics. Next week is a mix of all the questions I couldn’t figure out how to categorize.

As always anyone who identifies as autistic is welcome to participate. You can answer here in the comments or anonymously at Survey Monkey.

  1. Do you have more dental issues than your peers? Do your autistic children have more dental issues? Do cleanings hurt you more than fillings?
  2. Do you find there are certain medical staff that are better at your autism disclosure than others (nurses better than doctors, blood test/ lab workers better than nurses, specialists better?) ect?
  3. Do you have a code word or phrase that helps you the most during emergency appointments?
  4. How do you manage sensory issues at the doctors?
  5. Does the anesthetic or freezing cause more pain after than not having it for fillings that do not involve the roots? Do you have unusual reactions to the freezing agents?
  6. Do you find you act more or less autistic at the Dentists? Do you prefer to disclose or leave out your diagnosis at the Dentists? Is there any trick that helps you get through the appointments?
  7. Do you go for the usual tests or do you wait them out longer because the side effects of said tests usually cause you more problems than the test themselves? ( e.g. colonoscopy, mammogram, gastroscopy.)
  8. Do you have unusual side effects to anesthetics,  painkillers or other medications?
  9. Does naturopathy generally accept you and address your issues better than allopathy?
  10. Does mental health support normally apply to you or do you find you defy the odds of symptomatic depression, anxiety etc. and need alternatives? What would you suggest to a doctor if you could in this regard?
Asperger's Tests, Projects

Social Interaction Survey

148 Comments

This week’s questions are all about general social interaction (next week is social communication). Some of these questions might hit a little close to home for some of us  because they touch on trust and vulnerability. Please don’t feel pressured to answer any questions that make you uncomfortable.

If you prefer to answer anonymously, you can do so at Survey Monkey.

1. Have you dated knowing you had Aspergers/Autism? If so, when and how did you disclose? How did that turn out?  How did you go about getting someone to date you?

2. How often do you like to go out? Do you prefer to do stuff alone? Do you find it difficult to motivate yourself to go out sometimes?

3. Do you talk a lot to people? A lot of books go on about how Aspies can talk the hind leg off a donkey about their pet topics  but I don’t have the desire to really talk to people.

4. For people diagnosed as an adult, do you have a changed perception of how others see you? for example how friendly/outgoing/confident you seem to them.

5. Do you see yourself as vulnerable because of ASD? Are you more likely to be persuaded to do something or taken advantage of than most other people might? Has your perception of this changed with age?

6. Trusting other people – over the years I have learnt that I am very poor at reading peoples intentions and have been taken advantage of. I have adjusted to this by needing to understand what is happening and needing to be able to logically join up what someone does and says into a consistent picture – or I don’t trust them. How do other people manage this?

7. Do you ever feel like you’re living on a different scale of time from other people? For example, do you hear about a new TV show and only watch it years later because it just didn’t seem urgent?

8. My therapist explained that extroverts gain energy from others and introverts gain energy from being alone, and that autistic people can be either or anywhere in between. She also said there are challenges for extrovert autistics because of the social difficulties making it hard to achieve needed social interaction. (more details) Thinking about it in these terms, where would you place yourself on a continuum from introvert to extrovert? Is this different from how you would think of yourself using the terms in a broader sense, and is this different from how others see you?

 

Projects

Coping Strategies Survey

191 Comments

This week’s questions are all about coping strategies. Traveling, panic attacks, aging, job hunting, emotions, obsessions – it’s a great mix and I think we’re going to come up with a great big pool of potential strategies that we can all draw on when needed.

You know the drill–if you’re on the spectrum, either formally diagnosed or self-identified, you’re welcome to join in. Answer as many or as few as you like. Do it here or anonymously at Survey Monkey.

 

1. I am wondering if travelling is hard for all Aspies as they age or if it is just me?  I like my home at night and my own environment. I prefer to be as close to it as possible…and I get sick or upset if I stay away…my tolerance is two days from home max and two weeks to recover…Does anyone else feel this way? Does it get worse with age or in certain decades? more details here

2. Is liking or disliking foreign travel related to ability to pass for NT at home?

3. Do you experience problems with long flights? If yes, which aspects are most problematic? (which travel stages: e.g. planning, navigating airports, flying, unfamiliar surroundings at the destination etc – and which problematic factors: e.g. sensory overload, executive function issues, anxiety / panic attacks etc) How do you cope with long flights? (what are your coping strategies)

4. How do you cope with panic attacks in unavoidable situations that you can’t leave, such as during flights?

5. Do you find yourself getting more autistic as you get older? Did your coping strategies improve with age due to experience or psychological assistance (I shy away from the word ‘treatment’) or did they deteriorate over time because of a decrease in overall energy?

6. How do you cope with strong emotions, especially strong negative emotions, especially if you’re also alexithymic? How do you support someone going through a very difficult time emotionally (nothing practical to be done)? How do recognise what the feelings are, and how do you respond in a way that comforts the person?

7. How do you motivate yourself to job hunt? more details here

8. A question that is specifically for people who menstruate: do you notice changes during your menstrual cycle. With changes I mean changes in sensory perception, abilities to cope and/or compensate, EF, etc.

9. If you’ve been heavily obsessing about an interest for a while do you find you have to have a short break from it because it has got too intense?

10. Has anyone taken concerta/ritalin/other stimulant drug prescribed to help ADHD type symptoms and reacted very badly to them physically? What effect did it have on you in the short and long term?

 

Projects

Giveaway Winners and Call for Survey Questions

184 Comments

Congratulations to the 5 winners of  Ultraviolet Voices – Stories of Women on the Autism Spectrum :

  • Otterknot
  • Lana
  • Nicole G.
  • Mama4science
  • Tagaught

I sent off emails to the winners, so be sure to check your inbox and get back to me with your mailing address if your name is on the list above.

Survey!

There was enough interest in doing another round of surveys so let’s go for it. The last time we did surveys, I had a lot fewer readers and we still ended up with 5 weeks worth of survey questions so I have no idea how manageable this will be, but we’ll give it a try.

The Concept

Do you have a question you’ve always wanted to ask other autistic people? This is your chance. Some of the questions in the last survey had over a hundred people answer them and often the answers went into a lot of detail. For an idea of questions that were asked and answered last time around, take a look at this post and the posts linked from it.

How it works:

1. Leave a comment on this post with your question(s). You can post more than one question and I’ll try to include everything, but if there are too many questions, I may have to limit the number of questions per person that get used.

2. I’ll collect the questions and organize them by theme.

3. I’ll post the first survey on a Tuesday (tradition!) and then post a new survey once a week until we run out of questions or we get tired of talking about ourselves. 🙂

Projects

Giveaway: Yay! Autistic Artists

56 Comments

Congratulations to the Autistic Artists Giveaway winners: 

Tiny Brush Pendant winner: Trains with Sophie
ABCs of Stimming book winner: Natalie Jerkins
Because Patterns Journal winner: Lucy
unspokenVisuals Communication Buttons winner: Schenley Pilgram

Thank you to everyone who entered!

——-

It’s time for another giveaway and I have exciting news:

  1. There are 4 giveaway items, which means 4 winners!
  2. The giveaway is open to international readers too so everyone can enter this time.
  3. All of the giveaway items are made by autistic individuals.

Thanks to Lei over at the Parenting Autistic Children with Love and Acceptance Facebook page, there is a holiday shopping guide with links to the work of autistic artist, writers, and creators. I’ve selected 4 artists from that list and chosen one item from each for the giveaway.

Here’s what you can win:

#1: Set of 14 communication pins made by Annabelle at Unspoken Visuals

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#2: A Journal with your choice of geometric pattern on the cover by Alyssa at Because Patterns

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#3: Custom pendant by Amythest at TinyBrush

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#4:  The ABCs of Stimming book by Paul at Catspergers

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To enter, do at least one of the following:

Some rules:

  • Giveaway ends December 2nd at 11:59 p.m. EST

  • Max. 3 entries per person (1 for a comment here, 1 for a reblog on Tumblr, 1 for a comment/like on the Facebook status)

  • 4 winners will be chosen at random on December 3rd. The first winner chosen will get first pick of the items. The second winner can choose from the remaining items and so on. The fourth winner will receive the fourth remaining item.

Good luck!

Projects

Weighted Blanket Giveaway

53 Comments

When I published “I Think I Might Be Autistic” as an e-book earlier this summer, I thought about giving part of the proceeds to a charity that supports autistic people. Then I thought some more and realized that, “Hang on, I know lots of autistic people!” Why not use the proceeds to give back to the community directly?

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Sooooo .  . . thanks to everyone who bought the e-book (or the print version!), I’m excited to announce the first giveaway for a 38″ x 50″ weighted blanket from Mosaic Weighted Blankets. The blanket pictured about is mine, which I absolutely love and use every day. The winner will be able to choose from the fabrics and colors that Mosaic currently has available.

To enter, do at least one of the following:

Some rules: 

  • Giveaway ends September 14th at 11:59 p.m. EST
  • US residents only (due to the shipping cost)
  • Max. 3 entries per person (1 for a comment here, 1 for a reblog on Tumblr, 1 for a comment/like on the Facebook status)
  • 1 winner will be chosen at random on September 15th

Good luck!

Projects

Stop Signs For Tommy

38 Comments

Hi Tommy,

Your mom told me that you like stop signs a lot. When I was your age, I really liked old coins and when I got a little older, I really liked baseball cards and now that I’m grown up, one of the things I like a lot is old buildings that people don’t use anymore. I especially like looking at pictures of old buildings and I spend a lot of time searching online for them.

So when your mom said you like to look for stop sign pictures, I thought it would be fun to ask my friends who read my blog to take some stop sign pictures for you. They asked their friends and a whole bunch of people went out and took photos of stop signs all over the world just for you.

We hope that you like them!

Cynthia

P.S. If you click on the photos, some of them have bigger versions and you’ll be able to see the stop signs better.
P.P.S. Some people took a bunch of photos so I put one here and linked to the others. Go have a look!

Continue reading Stop Signs For Tommy →