E-Mail 'Guess What? We Grow Up, by The Autistic Prepper' To A Friend

30 Comments

1. Thank you for sharing your story. My limited knowledge of people on the autism spectrum seems to follow your story, and in the new world, your ideas and thoughts will not only be welcomed, but also, essential. God bless!

2. Fantastic article!!
   have 2 diagnosed grandchildren –

3. Wonderful article. Thank you for the education and insights. Sometimes “different” can be a marvelous voyage of discovery if you are willing to open your mind and heart. All of us could learn a lot from you.

4. I think this article is well written and an interesting profile, but what value does it have to prepping or survival?

   1. Kind of brings attention to the fact that autism is not an often published consideration in prepping. Many autistic folks would prefer to survive a SHTF event, the author being one of them.

      I remember a recent TV show where the young lady says, “You feel sorry for me because I’m different, I feel sorry for you because you’re all the same.”

   2. Kind of brings attention to the fact that autism is not an often published consideration in prepping. Many autistic folks would prefer to survive a SHTF event, the author being one of them.

      I remember a recent TV show where the young lady says, “You feel sorry for me because I’m different, I feel sorry for you because you’re all the same.”

   3. I think what she is getting at is that thinking from a different viewpoint maybe an asset in a collapse. A common term would be “thinking outside of the box”.

      I have some of these characteristics so I can relate. I think a strength that we have is that we have studied ourselves from a very early age and are very aware of our limitations as Dirty Harry might say, It is hard for most to confront their weaknesses so those of us with autisium are ahead in this area.

5. Thanks for the insight, I’ve come to realize that I relate more to you than many of the “normal” people. I have often been told “you’re not normal”….I look around at society and see what is taken as “normal” and say, “thank you for the compliment”….

6. Thank you for the informative and revealing article. Nature goes by its own laws, and that includes a sprinkling of fascinating diversity. In times to come, a person who can think out of the box, as it were, could come up with an idea that will save an entire community. One thing I’ve learned from a lifetime of experience is that in a group situation, EVERY person in that group contributes something unique and necessary to the functioning of the group.

   I am much closer to the end of life than the beginning, so my physical strength and endurance are not what they once were. But, like you, I have been paying attention and analyzing, and observing patterns, and investigating anomalies, and thinking out of the box in my own way, for a lifetime. I remember my grandmother’s stories, who was born in the late 1800’s, who lived through the Spanish flu epidemic, the two World Wars, and became a widow with five children to support at the beginning of the Depression. My mom was born when Model T’s were new, in a house with no electricity or indoor plumbing. Polio and smallpox loomed over everyone. People starved to death, poverty was the norm. I carry the echoes of all that knowledge and experience, the lessons learned, the determination to go forward in spite of trials.

   We all bring our own unique contribution, and survival will demand that we utilize every scrap of knowledge, wisdom, and ability from EACH person in our community.

7. Thank you for this. It has been very helpful.

8. Thank you so much for sharing. Insightful.

9. Thank so much for sharing some very personal information. I have a ten year old son who is autistic. We have fretted a great deal about his future. You have shined a ray of light on what I have been considering a dark place. As a hardened 42 year old man I don’t cry much but I certainly have tears in my eyes right now. I wish you peace and love and happiness for all the days of your life.

10. Our adult daughter lives with us and she has autism. I am in the field of education and yet she has been my teacher for more than 30 years. I appreciate your article so very much as it is important for everyone to know that everyone has something to contribute. Our daughter has a gift of remembering every name and most details she encounters each day. I rely on her for people’s names as this is not my strength. She is very social but in her own way. Small chit chat is impossible but the love that flows from her is incredible. She connects with the marginalized, lonely, folks with disabilities and those that are often ignored. She does not bat an eye when she feels someone needs attention and will cross crowds to meet and greet a person but ask her to sustain a conversation or make small talk and she cannot do that. She too has learned to keep the most prominent of her needs to the confines of our home where she feels safe. Scripting or saying small phrases are common as is the comfort she receives from watching certain videos over and over again. With all of her unique gifts she has unique avenues for making a difference. In a SHFT situation, she will be the first to comfort those who are anxious and won’t think twice about giving a hug. Her memory for details will be important as we loose reach out and touch resources. We need everyone and will come to rely on those unique difference when the most modern of distractions are not present.

11. Thank you for your comments. We have a son who is a young adult (19) and we often have a challenging time dealing with his eccentricities. But it is OUR problem, and we know it. We are attempting to teach him that Life does throw you curves – you have to make accommodations for them.

12. I really appreciate your article! We spend most of our lives trying to be identified as “normal” but I think a lot of us preppers could be called eccentric, anti-social, weird or strange.

13. Fantastic article! Thank you for sharing your insights about autism from your perspective. To answer the question one of the commenters had about how your article relates to prepping, I’d say for me it helps me have a window into how a person with autism thinks and why, and that it’s not such a scary thing for those who are “normal” to accept. Knowledge is power. I thank you for sharing!

14. I’m asking about a meltdown. How could I (a stranger off the street) assist you with your meltdown?

15. I also am probably slightly on the autism spectrum, though not diagnosed. I figure that it doesn’t really matter. I cope extremely well, I’m just not as good at chit-chat in person as I am online/writing. I have spent a good amount of time with friends who had different disabilities like this. Most of them are incredibly brilliant in what they do. One guy could tell you which day of the week you were born on. And he never, ever forgot a birthday. It was incredible. I have found that my memory for numbers is better than most. And I remember random facts well, though not names as well. I do quite often wonder how some people have so many words to say. I obviously write better, since I have time to formulate my thoughts.

16. Absolutely fascinating article! Trekker Out

17. Thank you for your excellent and very thoughtful post. As a number of others have responded, many of us have family members who are diagnosed with autism or other challenges. I hope that we, who hope to survive the worst, can be welcoming and supportive in planning for those who have differences, and can see the Christ in everyone. “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me”

18. Thank you for the insight. Informative. I have heard it said that “normal” is a setting on your clothes dryer. Don’t invest too much in “normal”.

    . Perhaps you could elaborate more on things the rest of us could be aware of when dealing with autistic folks. I.E. how do we deal with meltdowns and such? Is our trying to be accomodating a help or a hindrance? Thank you for the start of understanding.

19. Fantastic article. First one here that interested my whole family and made them laugh. This hit home with my daughter. She shares many of these characteristics. Thank you. I would welcome you to my compound.

20. Thankyou for sharing your heartwarming life with us. You are indeed a beautiful person and we understand the characteristics you have described and the challenges you face. We have three grandchildren [in the same family] with varying degrees of autism. The teenage granddaughter has aspbergers. Her mother has taught her to have beautiful social graces, to work, and lead a full life. She has been on the student council in her school, in school plays and plays the piano amazingly and has been on a competition soccer team for several years. Her 19 year old brother lost all of his speech and eye contact after a series of vaccinations when he was about 18 months old. He had severe streopathic movements, went into rages night and day, threw furniture and could not communicate. His mother worked with him, giving her whole life to bring him back. When he was about 7, he got up in Sunday School and sang the Star Spangled Banner by himself. [I still weep with emotion and gratitude as I write this]. He is now a 6′ 3″ 19 years old–handsome , so loving, polite and kind and working to put himself through college. He is an absolute constitutional conservative and is not afraid to politely and with conviction, take on class mates as they spew the liberalism of today. He understands the perils we live in today and is part of our survival plan. His brother who is 2 years older also is under the autistic umbrella. He is a foreman at his job, putting himself through college and will do anything to help us, his grandparents. [ Both boys have been up on our 2nd story steep pitched roof today shingling.] He is also very much into prepping as he understands the constitutional crisis we are in today and will teach conservatism to those around him. We thank our Lord for these children and wouldn’t have them any other way than they are. God bless all of us who are different–I think that is all of us.

21. A follow-up article on how best to interact with Preppers with autism would be helpful. I can see a grid-down situation being much more difficult due to all the “non-routine” events, schedules, diets, and other stressors.

    BTW, you do yourself and those around you a disservice by categorizing everyone else as “normal”. Most Preppers are anything but normal. 😉 Everyone has their quirks and oddities if you get to know them well enough.

22. I often say that autism and ADD are not indicative of a “broken brain”, but are indicative of a “brilliant brain”. Many of our top ER docs and critical care nurses have ADD; some of the most talented engineers I have known fall somewhere along the autism spectrum. The world is a far finer place because of people with these so called “disorders”. Thank you for sharing your story.

23. Thank you for the article. Maybe one day we will meet. I rarely, aka never, find anyone who is interested in the same things I am. Your list of subjects to talk about is my list. Blessings to you. You made me feel less alone.

24. Thank you for your story. I too share some quirkiness characteristics. Last night I had to feign interest in my daughter’s description and questioning on why I would avoid a family gathering of @100 people. I too am perfectly happy being in a remote area, away from family and friends with just my wonderful wife and a “quirky” special needs cat. I find comfort in textured things and read voraciously and watch old movies till I can recite dialog. Good on you for being the way you are!

25. Makes me wonder if ADD / ADHD, “social anxiety”, and other behavioral quirks, in all their ranges, are all part of the fabric of “extended normal” human behavior. I wonder if we, as a society, have defined “normal” too narrowly.
    I have ADD / ADHD, to a lesser degree. I have to concentrate to complete tasks at work, instead of being distracted by “SQUIRREL”! (such as, reading and commenting on this web site).
    My grown daughter has social anxiety, to a degree. It took her forever to get her driver’s license. She never finished HS. When she comes home, she goes down to her basement room and spends most of the rest of the day. She does come up, and go out for various friends and events.

26. I see why you value freedom so highly. Being who you are, without government or society creating negative connotations or forcing you to conform are the very definition of freedom.

27. Wow this is so familiar to me, I’m on the spectrum combined with a heavy dose of ADD. I’ve moved to the country now and given up the office job which was pure, unadulterated torture. Luckily I inherited a bit of money which gives me a basic income so I can pursue my life without interference. I haven’t managed to meet a person I can stand to live with, but recently I was invaded by feral cats, and I find they meet my needs for company in the best possible way. Sure the townspeople think I’m ridiculous, but I don’t care. Being able to live your life as you see fit is a real privilege

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