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Taffi Abernathy

Bill Gates: A Testament in Resiliency

Bill Gates is a person I admire.   He also happens to have Asperger's syndrome, a high functioning form of autism.   For those of you who may lack familiarity with autistic disorders, symptoms typically include a deficit in social functioning (autistic individuals are often described as living in their own worlds), repetitive behaviors, an intense focus or fixation (usually in one or a few areas) along with above average intelligence.  We are all familiar with the results of Bill Gates' intense focus.

I found this youtube video which features Gates exhibiting stereotypic autistic rocking behavior at a meeting. In contrast, I found another video of Gates speaking at Harvard University, his alma mater (I was unable to post both of them together).  In that one he appeared confident, self-contained with no hint of autism.  What a fascinating life and a fascinating person.

Link
Lisa

Very interesting.  I didn't know he had Asperger's.  

I used to work with a guy who did... he, too, was very bright and capable - but quite eccentric and "odd" acting.

Thanks for the vid, Faith.

Stick around more, would you?
Lion

I'm sorry he has a medical condition but with all his dough I'm sure that eases things a bit!!!
Carolina

I had no idea he had that Asperger's. Wow!

Yes, please stick around!  
away36

It is my understanding that it's the media that keeps pushing the issue of Bill Gates having  Asperger's Syndrome and that he has never actually made a public declaration regarding the issue, unlike Dan Akroyd. Asperger's is a spectrum disorder, and autistic traits appear in varying degrees. Because of the nature of my job, I'm around autism and all its spectrums, including Asperger's, every day. I'm always amazed at the tenacity of those at the end of the autism spectrum who are high functioning. One in particular that I see daily has such a wicked and warped sense of humour about life and life's situations that he has us laughing with delight on a daily basis.
Carolina

I didn't know Dan Akroyd had it either. I think it must be pretty unusual for someone with that diagnosis to be in his line of work (and so successful)!
Taffi Abernathy

Many people in Gates' immediate circle have discussed his repertoire of autistic behaviors, and as a public figure, I can understand why he might not want to make a declaration.  (Look at NY Times article "Diagnosing Bill Gates.")  What is incontrovertible is that he scored a 1590 out of 1600 on his SATs.  I'm wondering what question he missed?
Jimbits76

Gates gets a lot of stick...mainly due to his fortune and bloody windows being regarded as useless.

I like him. His charitable work is tremendous yet internationally still quite low key and he is an amazing man. Many compare him to Jobs and unfairly talk about the sucess of the Ipod, Iphone etc but we should be happy that both of these guys are around and also for what they have done for the modern world.

People can knock windows all they like but I for one would hate to posting on this forum using DOS.

J
Jimbits76

Ps Faith...

We miss you, I hope things are working out!

Jim
jdc

spent 22 years of my life working with adults with learning disabilities. 5 managing a challenging behaviour unit where the majority of people had autism. Its such a wide spectrum. The people I worked with were unable to connect with the world without having a lot of support on a 1:1 or even 2:1 staffing basis.
Jimbits76

jdc wrote:
spent 22 years of my life working with adults with learning disabilities. 5 managing a challenging behaviour unit where the majority of people had autism. Its such a wide spectrum. The people I worked with were unable to connect with the world without having a lot of support on a 1:1 or even 2:1 staffing basis.


You have a big heart, a kind soul and a great temperament!

I salute you...just this once.

     

Jim
away36

jdc wrote:
spent 22 years of my life working with adults with learning disabilities. 5 managing a challenging behaviour unit where the majority of people had autism. Its such a wide spectrum. The people I worked with were unable to connect with the world without having a lot of support on a 1:1 or even 2:1 staffing basis.


I had no idea, Martin! I applaud you!  I certainly know what a demanding job it is, in many ways. Bet you're sense of humour got you through lots of rough days.  
jdc

away36 wrote:
jdc wrote:
spent 22 years of my life working with adults with learning disabilities. 5 managing a challenging behaviour unit where the majority of people had autism. Its such a wide spectrum. The people I worked with were unable to connect with the world without having a lot of support on a 1:1 or even 2:1 staffing basis.


I had no idea, Martin! I applaud you!  I certainly know what a demanding job it is, in many ways. Bet you're sense of humour got you through lots of rough days.  


yes its a mentally demanding job as you know, hardest thing was managing staff and the stresses the job had on them. Lots of funny times though.
BigBird

jdc wrote:
spent 22 years of my life working with adults with learning disabilities. 5 managing a challenging behaviour unit where the majority of people had autism. Its such a wide spectrum. The people I worked with were unable to connect with the world without having a lot of support on a 1:1 or even 2:1 staffing basis.


Who knew we have met.   Tough work and I am proud of you and the effort.
Taffi Abernathy

jdc wrote:
spent 22 years of my life working with adults with learning disabilities. 5 managing a challenging behaviour unit where the majority of people had autism. Its such a wide spectrum. The people I worked with were unable to connect with the world without having a lot of support on a 1:1 or even 2:1 staffing basis.


Your point is well-taken, Martin.  I was speaking with a school psychologist the other day who told me about a woman with Asperger's - another remarkable person.  Evidently, her "focus" was in veterinary medicine.  In fact, she earned a V.M.D degree.  Long story short:  She invented a machine that would humanely kill cattle for which she received great recognition.  The kicker is she is unable to dress herself without assistance.  (She sounded to me like a true savant.)  I swear some of the greatest people are attractuve precisely because of their differences.    

I, too, had no idea of your background, Martin.  Wow, extremely impressive!  What a rich history:  Perhaps you can share one or two stories of unusual or surprising events, I would love to hear about them.    
jdc

Taffi Abernathy wrote:
jdc wrote:
spent 22 years of my life working with adults with learning disabilities. 5 managing a challenging behaviour unit where the majority of people had autism. Its such a wide spectrum. The people I worked with were unable to connect with the world without having a lot of support on a 1:1 or even 2:1 staffing basis.


Your point is well-taken, Martin.  I was speaking with a school psychologist the other day who told me about a woman with Asperger's - another remarkable person.  Evidently, her "focus" was in veterinary medicine.  In fact, she earned a V.M.D degree.  Long story short:  She invented a machine that would humanely kill cattle for which she received great recognition.  The kicker is she is unable to dress herself without assistance.  (She sounded to me like a true savant.)  I swear some of the greatest people are attractuve precisely because of their differences.    

I, too, had no idea of your background, Martin.  Wow, extremely impressive!  What a rich history:  Perhaps you can share one or two stories of unusual or surprising events, I would love to hear about them.    


Thanks Faith I will get my thinking hat on  
jdc

A few observations of mine on autism. The spectrum of autism is vast with people who can function at a very high level as discussed by Faith, my experience was generally with people at the other end of the spectrum who often had no verbal communication.

To understand autism you have to put yourself in the person's shoes and understand that people with autism do not relate to others and understand the world in the same way as the vast majority of society. Often people seem distant, find it difficult to convey affection, seem in their own world and react in ways that seem anti social. Therefore to understand a person with autism you have to have an understanding of how they view the world and make adjustments to them and their environment. Trying to get a person with autism to adjust to your view of the world will just end up in tears.

People with autism understand the world in chunks, but have difficulty linking events and situations together. A person could recite paragraphs in a book but be unable to tell you what the story was about.

Autistic people develop their own coping strategies to understand the world around them often displayed by ritualistic behaviour. Bill Gates' rocking is a classic example of trying to regain control over a situation he was uncomfortable with. Others are fiddling with objects between fingers, repeating questions and giving answers to said questions.

Actually all of this is very similar to our own mechanisims that we develop to cope with situations that put ourselves out of our comfort zones. Ours are generally a bit more subtle.

People with autism generally do not have much control over their lives and and this can lead to outbursts verbally or physically. Swearing, hitting inanimate objects, self injury or violence against others. Once you understand that this is all a form of communication you can make adjustments to the persons environment and adjust your way of interacting with the individual.

We all can be anti social in the way we deal with others but are generally aware of the effect this has on others. A person with autism will not have that understanding. So many of the staff I worked with used to take behaviour personally, its not until you can get over this barrier that you can work effectively with a client.

To understand the day to day anxiety a person with autism feels have a think about a situation that puts you out of your comfort zone. Then think about your reaction, do you withdraw, make excuses not to do something, get verbally aggressive maybe even physically?. Most of these situations are when you are being asked to do something you have not done before, you are anxious and have a fear of the unknown because you do not know what to do or is expected of you. This is why routine is a comfort to people with autism.

People with autism also have a different concept of time. You and I know if we get up in the morning catch a bus to go somewhere we will return home. These concepts are difficult to understand for someone with autism, what we think as obvious and part of life are not. To get over these fears the steps have to be broken down into parts and explained.

I will give an example of a person I worked with. I took over managing a service where a lady was deemed violent and a couple of times the police had been called. She attacked and bit staff, other clients, used to break chairs and throw things. Staff had a coping strategy of pushing her into a room making her listen to new age/whale music to calm her down.

I spent quite a time getting to know this young lady found out she hated this music and loved the Osmonds. I must admit if I had been out in a room listening to chill out music I would have probably wrecked the place. I devised a strategy to channel her aggression which was really frustration and her lack ability to communicate. Actually the fault was with the staff and their lack of understanding her communication needs.

Being autistic she found the change in getting up in the morning, traveling in by minibus, and arriving at the day service too much. I spoke to the home and we made up a picture book with photographs breaking down her day. She could refer to this at anytime during the day and if she wanted to know what she was doing next we encouraged her to look at her book to gain reassurance. I also arranged for a member of staff to meet her on arrival at the day service to ease this event for her.

Within a few days after years of violent behaviour, her outbursts became a thing of the past. She also got to listen to the Osmonds on her own terms. The staff were also made to give her time when she was calm to listen to what she wanted.
uncle aj

That's a remarkable insight Martin, thanks.  

Mind you, listening to the Osmonds would drive me crazy.  
Taffi Abernathy

I very much appreciated that story.  You conveyed an understanding of what it is like to be autistic and how difficult it can be to adapt to the rest of the world.  That person was forutnate to have someone like you,  who possessed the wherewithal and sensitivity to "reinterpret" the world and structure it in a way that made sense to her and allowed her to feel safe.  Fabulous account, thanks so much, Martin.  
jdc

uncle aj wrote:
That's a remarkable insight Martin, thanks.  

Mind you, listening to the Osmonds would drive me crazy.  


Thanks Adrian, actually what was worse was having to listen to her singing  
jdc

Taffi Abernathy wrote:
I very much appreciated that story.  You conveyed an understanding of what it is like to be autistic and how difficult it can be to adapt to the rest of the world.  That person was forutnate to have someone like you,  who possessed the wherewithal and sensitivity to "reinterpret" the world and structure it in a way that made sense to her and allowed her to feel safe.  Fabulous account, thanks so much, Martin.  


Cheers Faith, I will have too think of a few more  
Lion

Martin, Thanx for sharing your experience with us and I found it very interesting. Everyone has something to offer the world but sometimes people need help and it's up to us to find the key to unlock their  minds!!!
ColinB

This is the 3rd time I have started this post, it isn't easy for me to communicate sometimes.

My son Joe (now 11 years old) was diagnosed with autism last year. This only happened because we had moved him to a new school and someone noticed the signs.
We had no idea at all and it came as a great shock!
A lot of research was done and his "odd" behaviour suddenly made sense.

Living with autism is a big challenge and sometimes you don't know where to turn. Some days go well but others are very hard (my wife describes them as "treading on eggshells days").

Martins post could have been about my son, he cannot understand stories in books (he only reads for facts), he finds it hard to connect to other people, he dislikes any kind of change (end of school term, change of normal routine etc).

You have to be careful what you say to him as he will take things literally. For example if you ask him "can you get the remote control?" He just says "Yes, I can". You have to say "Please bring the remote to me."

On the upside, he is a very special person who is very intelligent and loved by everyone who gets to know him.

The last year has been a steep learning curve and one of the thing I learned is that I display many autistic traits as well.

It is not easy to talk to people about these things as it makes me nervous and insecure.

Colin
uncle aj

Nice post Colin.  Your son is very lucky that he has such special parents who love him no matter what and help with his difficulties.  I'm glad to know you.  
ColinB

Thanks Adrian.
Taffi Abernathy

[quote="ColinB"]This is the 3rd time I have started this post, it isn't easy for me to communicate sometimes.

I can appreciate how difficult it must have been for you to put aside some of your feelings in order to post.  You also inadvertently raised an important point, namely, labels are a double-edged sword.  No one wants to hear "Your child has  or you have_________ (fill in the blank), but the label also enables you (sometimes) to make sense of certain behaviors and to move forward with effective treatment.  As I stated in my last post and believe on a visceral level, some of the very differences people exhibit are exactly what lends to their sense of uniqueness and attractiveness.  I don't doubt that many of the world's greatest contributions were likely made by many whom other's might describe as "different, quirky, eccentric, etc".  The world is unquestioningly a better place because of Bill Gates and others like him, marvelously bright and creative individuals blessed with radar focus and considerable cerebral wattage which enable them to tackle seemingly insurmountable problems and invent things which improve our quality of life.  If I am really honest with myself, I am more than slightly envious at times of these characteristics.  Once again, Colin, thanks for sharing your perspective - I know it took a lot of courage.  Best wishes, Faith
Lion

Colin, I'm sure your life is not easy and your son is facing hurdles that many of us can not relate to. But I appreciate your courage with coming forward and I'm lucky to know you!!!
Lisa

Colin - very courageous post.

Faith - very well said.

You are both inspiring!
jdc

Colin it takes a lot to post things like this. Our eldest son now 20 years of age has his learning challenges and I know from experience it can be hard to talk about.  Clear and concise communication as you have identified really helps. I'm sure you have been made aware of support services you can access but if you ever want to talk about it feel free to PM  
away36

ColinB wrote:
This is the 3rd time I have started this post, it isn't easy for me to communicate sometimes.

My son Joe (now 11 years old) was diagnosed with autism last year. This only happened because we had moved him to a new school and someone noticed the signs.
We had no idea at all and it came as a great shock!
A lot of research was done and his "odd" behaviour suddenly made sense.

Living with autism is a big challenge and sometimes you don't know where to turn. Some days go well but others are very hard (my wife describes them as "treading on eggshells days").

Martins post could have been about my son, he cannot understand stories in books (he only reads for facts), he finds it hard to connect to other people, he dislikes any kind of change (end of school term, change of normal routine etc).

You have to be careful what you say to him as he will take things literally. For example if you ask him "can you get the remote control?" He just says "Yes, I can". You have to say "Please bring the remote to me."

On the upside, he is a very special person who is very intelligent and loved by everyone who gets to know him.

The last year has been a steep learning curve and one of the thing I learned is that I display many autistic traits as well.

It is not easy to talk to people about these things as it makes me nervous and insecure.

Colin


Colin, I work in the Special Education Department of a large high school where all children with many types of disabilities are fully integrated. Several of our students are Autistic. Please know that I am here for both you and your wife, even if just for a listening ear.  PM me at any time if you wish.
Carolina

Martin, that is a fantastic story and says volumes about you.  


Colin, your post showed a lot of courage, and I know your son is lucky to have you!!  
Lisa

Caroline, isn't this a great place?  You guys are the cream of the crop.
Carolina

Seriously! I feel like we've got the best of the best here...  
Lisa

Good people gravitate to each other, I think....  good people in a good place.
jdc

Thanks Caroline & Lisa, this is a very friendly forum, riff raff has to be tolerated (sorry boys - Jim & Joe)     . Greatly benefits from having the girls around    
ColinB

Thanks for all your kind words.  This is a great place to be.
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