A message for Mr Cameron

Ok, So I had some problems with my auto publisher yesterday and this is a bit later than planed! However I think you will agree it was worth the wait. Colin explains how life is like for him today and back when he was a child. He tells us about his late diagnosis and the effects its had on his life. He even sends out a message for Mr Cameron, stating a few home truths.

Here’s my interview with Colin… A man with Aspergers

Enjoy.

Claire… Hi Colin, firstly let me thank you for taking part in the interview and also a big thanks for your continued support with the facebook page ABWA by way of the great advice and input you give within the page. So my first question to you is…

Would you be so kind to Describe yourself  in five words?

Colin… Obsessive, Stubborn, Shy, Intelligent, Creative

Claire… It’s my understanding that you were diagnosed as being on the spectrum as an adult… If you don’t mind me asking, how old was you when you were diagnosed and what diagnosis was you given?

Colin… I Was diagnosed at age 44, with Aspergers Syndrome

Claire… Can you tell us a bit about how the diagnosed came about? Did you always know you were somewhat “different” to your peers as a child?

Colin… My diagnosis came about through a councillor I was seeing, through talking to me about my past and how I interact socially. He thought I might have aspergers , so then arranged an appointment for me to be assessed to see wether I was or not. as for knowing if I was different or not, yes I did feel different even though I didn’t know exactly what was wrong, I always put it down to shyness and lack of self-confidence and being a little eccentric.

Claire… Wow I’m guessing that the diagnosis was quite a shock then?

Colin… Yes the diagnosis was a shock, even though it confirmed a lot of behavioural patterns that I had put down to something else…  The meltdowns, obsessions, not being able to talk to people etc.

Claire… Has a diagnosis changed anything for you?

Colin… Well if anything the more I know about my condition the more I feel im not in control. I was told that I would either just get on with my life without a hiccup or it would take over my life. Well, its taken over my life, ive let the diagnosis affect me. if that makes any sense.

Claire… That’s a really interesting statement… Do you think in a way you would have been better off not knowing then?

Colin… In my case I would have to say yes, only from my point of view, others might say I havent really changed at all, that the diagnosis has highlighted that it’s a condition not an attitude

Claire… How did family and friends react to the news?

Colin…  My family don’t know about my diagnosis. I havent been in touch with them for six years. I’ve not many friends at all in fact the ones I do call friends live over a hundred miles away but I haven’t seen them in five years, they don’t know! The friends I have online I’ve only told a select few

Claire…” I’m very sorry I didn’t know that you had not spoken to your family for so long and your friends live so far. I’m pleased you have those few people online to be open with (Me included)”

What would you say to the ignorant people who claim our children on the spectrum will grow out of it?

Colin… I would say that my case proves that you don’t grow out of it, as I’ve been told you either have aspergers from birth or you don’t have it at all, well for 44 yrs I wasnt diagnosed but when I was I certainly hadn’t grown out of it from childhood, it just didn’t suddenly appear it’s always been there I just slipped through the net for many years.

Claire… I mean all children with ASD become adults with ASD and sometimes I think people forget this. What do you feel is lacking within the current system in terms of support for adults on the spectrum?

Colin… There is no or little support from the government for adults, cause its taken as read that the diagnosis will be realised early enough to support them at an early age the support seems more geared towards children than adults, we are left to really fend for ourselves. There is a charity drop in center I can go to, but no 24/7 service. Basically I was given a diagnosis and go.

Claire… “I would have to say that this concern is voiced by every adult on the spectrum that I’ve come to know. It would seem the government just ain’t “getting it” either that or they don’t give a S**t!!!”

If I told you Mr David Cameron reads the blog (u never know lol) what would be your message to him?

Colin… We adults deserve support just as much as anyone else! Sweeping us under the carpet don’t help anyone, everyone talks about inclusion but if it cost money or difficult then you can forget it!

Claire… As an adult with AS can I ask you… Do the meltdowns, anxiety and extremely challenging behaviours improve with age, are you better able to control such  meltdowns now?

Colin… In my case the meltdowns still happen, but are less frequent than they used to be. As for controlling them I’m not sure I can control them… All I can say is that they don’t last as long as they did.

Claire… If you could go back in time and do things differently knowing what you know now what would it be?

Colin…  Not sure to be honest, I would have liked to have finished my degree in mechanical engineering, but let things slip. Not sure if that was down to my aspergers or not.

Claire… ” I would say it’s never to late to finish the things you started Colin”

How was your school life growing up?

Colin… I Was bullied at school, was a quiet and shy child who was quite happy to play on my own as well as with others. My obsession with music was noticeable to me at an early age about 10 years old.

Claire… “Oh my goodness I’m now getting an insight into the mind of my own little Aspie! Little man is 10 totally obsessed with buses and nothing has ever come closed till…… Now that is. He is a fan of Bruno Mars has stored a huge amount of info on the guy and after getting his album two days ago has memorised every song lyric for every track on the album. He can’t sing through and can drive me a bit potty with his singing lol”

So a quick change of subject! What do you think of our current educational system given that ASD is much more known today?

Colin… I Can only go from my own experiences, since I left school in 1979, can only say that the educational system is slow to react to things even when highlighted. Bullying is still rife now so what does that say?

Claire… “No Comment Colin”…. You know what I think!

So… Do you have any “special interest” Passions that take hold of you? Are these long-standing or do they change over time. Is music still a big part of your life?

Colin…  Music has always been a big part of my life, I’ve  been collecting music in various formats since I was 13. I’m obsessed with downloading music, writing poetry. All other obsessions come and go.

Claire… When are you happiest?

Colin…  Plugged into my iPod and writing poetry.

Claire… Do you or did you have Sensory processing problems as a child? Have these changed, improved or just been replaced?

Colin… Noise affects me and always has…  Just different levels or situations are more difficult to deal with than others, people eating, dogs yelping, get woken by the slightest noise so my sleep pattern is bad.

Claire… “I’ve always thought that Little mans father is an undiagnosed aspie and his pet hate is hearing others eat. You crunch he freaks out”

So, they say some people with AS have a high pain threshold! Do u? Little man don’t really get ill or catch bugs that often (unlike his younger sister) but he feels pain “big time” (if there’s blood we are in trouble) so, this don’t apply to us lol.

Colin…  Not sure if I have a higher threshold for pain, but I have a high threshold for dealing with low temperatures, don’t seem to feel the cold as deeply as others do.

Claire… “Yep Little man is the same…. No coat in winter and don’t take it off in summer”

Did you have many friends as a child and do you now?

Colin…  None, that’s my problem I don’t seem to be able to keep friends. People come into my life and then I let them fade away.

Claire… How do you find social situations?

Colin…  Still difficult, even with people I know.

Claire… What subjects did you excel in at school and what ones never made sense?

Colin… Technical Drawing and Maths.

Claire… Interesting… Can I ask is it mental math that your good at? Just that little man is ace at mental math ( better than me) and other parents have reported the same.

Colin…  Yes mental maths… I used to go to the shops at age 5 for my mother and was always able to count and know it was the right change I was getting for the items I was getting. still don’t use a calculator much in daily life.

Claire… It’s said by some that those with AS lack empathy! What do you say?

Colin… Maybe we lack social skills, but we are loving we just don’t know how to express things well, as for myself I express my self better in my poems than actually speaking etc

Claire… What advice would you give to an adult reading this that suspects they are on the spectrum? Is it to late for a diagnosis, is it really needed?

Colin… It really depends on his or her situation, whether it is affecting work and home life never too late for diagnosis.

Claire… What advice would you give to a child/teen that is struggling to come to terms with their diagnosis seeing themselves as someone who is  “abnormal” with very low self-esteem?

Colin… We are normal, we just look at the world in black and white rather than shades of gray, we can be too trusting. but as people we are no different from what is described as normal! We want to be loved, laugh, etc

Claire… “I just showed this to little man and he said thank you… He likes that!”

Colin… Tell little man I said thank you, us Aspies stick together.

Claire… What advice would you give to parents like me raising a child on the spectrum?

Colin… It will be hard, but if you keep giving your love and support as much as you can, the rewards will come, you will see your child grow into adulthood… I’m not saying with less problems but with more understanding and maybe more control.

Claire… Finally, I’m a big fan of your beautiful poems… I’m wondering if you could write one for us to sum up how life on the spectrum is for you. This would be a great ending to our interview.

I am seen but not seen

They see the book cover

Not the story inside

I breath, I bleed, I think

But I am not part of the crowd

My world is black and white

I can not understand

Subtle shades of grey

Warm bloodied

I am still bereft of love

For emotions are hard to fathom

What is easy for most

I find a mountain to climb

Do not pity me or scorn me

Do not hate me or ridicule me

Born from the womb

I am of flesh and blood

I am human too

By Colin Weir

That was fantastic Colin 🙂 Thanks again for giving us all an insight into the mind of a man with Aspergers.

Please feel free to leave your messages for Colin and I will see he gets them. If anyone would like to contact Colin you can friend request him on Facebook. Let me know and I will be sure to pass you the link.

THE JOHN AND ROBIN KIRTON INTERVIEW

So the time has come, It’s time for the big Interview. This Month I have John Kirton joining me. He and his wife Robin are the only parents in America who have six children on the autism spectrum. WOW. This Interview is a great insight into the lives of a family with six amazing children. Welcome to the Big Interview. ENJOY 🙂

Hi John it’s really great to have this chance to chat with you today.

How are you?

I am doing FANTASTIC, thanks for asking.

 

And how is your wife and the children?

 

We have had a really good winter this year.  The last few years one of the children would bring home a cold or the flu from school, then another would get it. The next couple of weeks it would go through the entire family.  And that happened 3-5 times during each winter season.  It wasn’t much fun.  This year?  Just once and it affected only a few of the children.  We feel that taking supplements and a special diet have helped quite a bit.

 

So John for those that do not know! Why is it that you understand so much about Autism spectrum?

Well I’m no expert on Autism itself, but I am learning all the time.  

Is it true that all six of your children are on the autism spectrum ?

 Yes, it is true.

 

How is life for you and your wife?

 Well, six children were as much as we were counting on. However, when Autism came into the picture it added to the time and emotional requirements.

My son has ASD ( Aspergers ) He can be a little bit of a handful at times! But having Six children on the spectrum wow I’m guessing family life can be a little hectic.

 Very true, people do not know the half of it unless they have an Autistic child.  I read somewhere that having an Autistic child was the equivalent of having 3-4 “normal” children. If that’s true, we have 18-24 children!  No wonder we are a little crazy at the end of the day.

 

So Where along on the spectrum are your children?

 

Bobby (15), Emma (11) and Nephi (10) are all Aspergers.  Sarah (7) and Ammon (5) are classic or the most severely Autistic.  And Mary (4) is PDD-NOS.  We have had a number of people ask about the origin of the children’s names.  Some are because of my English heritage and some are from the Book of Mormon.  My Great-Grandfather, John Kirton, joined the Mormon Church in the 1890’s and immigrated from Wallsend, England to Coalville, Utah.

 

How does autism affect each one of your children?

 

Whoa! I can write a book on that question alone.  Bobby is very quiet, does very well in school (mostly A’s), has no real friends and has few social skills.  Emma varies from being quiet to very emotional, she does OK in school, she will have emotional ‘meltdowns’ but has done better with the diet, and she is a fantastic artist, writer and likes to design clothes for her Barbie dolls. Nephi varies from being quiet to very emotional as well, and is a more outgoing male version of Emma. Instead of Barbie dolls, he likes Bakugan and Star Wars/Clone wars.  Sarah is very happy and bounces and moves around a lot. One of our many nicknames for her is ‘Tigger’ from Winnie the Pooh. Her favorite ‘stim’ right now is tearing and ripping any kind of paper.  She’ll sneak away with a roll of paper towels or dinner napkins and we’ll find her bedroom ankle deep with the shredded remains. She has just a few words that we must coach her to say. And she is not potty-trained.  Ammon is much like Sarah in many respects.  His favorite ‘stims’ are flapping his hands, bobbing his head and watching doors that he can open and close (see him at the Zoo on my YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbdkstTZhOE).  He can climb anywhere and up and over most everything.  He has NO fear. He too is not potty-trained.  Mary is our child that is the most ‘normal’ of the bunch.  We thought the Doctor would say she was not Autistic, but she was diagnosed as PDD-NOS.  She talks well, has friends at school and is just a bit delayed right now.  However, at 4 years, 4 months she too is not potty-trained.  But she is at least working on it.  Looks like I did write a book.

 

Are any of the children home schooled? 

 No.  Robin says, “What, do you want me to totally lose my mind? LOL.

 

I love your site Autism Bites , I’m a big fan. Where do you find the time to add to this fantastic site?

I do it in spurts and usually when the children are in bed.

 Do you get much time for anything other then parenting?.  

To get anything else done, Robin and I take turns keeping an eye on things. Much of the time we are both on the job and rely on each other a lot.  During the times that we take an eye off of things… well that’s when we find surprises the children have created for us. Without one another we would never make it.

 

I am in the UK but I have still seen some of the shows you and your family  have appeared on. Good morning America and Larry king being a few of them. How do you find all the media attention? 

 Well, I put the ‘media ball’ into motion.  We went through a lot of grieving, emotional lows and soul searching as we found out about our new lives with Autism.  By having our story told we hope that we can help other parents with their trials. We blog, belong to various Autism groups, do TV, radio and Internet (wink!) interviews.  We get many emails though our website and so far have answered every one.  I’ve just been accepted as an Internet reporter for Autism on examiner.com and will be posting there a number of times each week.  People that ask or need more answers or help, we will contact by phone.  We have a number of Autistic adults that we talk to quite often.  We hope that our experiences can help others with their journey on the road of Autism.

 

And tell us a little about autism 6 on the Discovery Health Channel.

 

I got a call on my cell phone one day from the president, Bill Hayes, of the production company, Figure8 Films.  He told me that Discovery Health had been looking for a family that had multiple children with Autism to do a story about.  They discovered us from a local newspaper story in Salt Lake City, Utah.  They especially liked the idea that we have the entire Autism spectrum in one family.  Robin and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to increase Autism awareness and acceptance.  We were of course concerned about how we would be portrayed. Bill said we would be able to see the show first before it was broadcast to insure we were happy with the final product.  We are.  The film crew started shooting every month for 2-4 days, from December 2007 to May 2008.  The crew was four people, the Producer, cameraman, soundman and crew assistant. Some people have expressed concern about our children being exploited or being put through undue stress.  We are a very loving family and our children just do not have much of the change of routine problems we hear that other families do.  Ammon would climb on the camera tripod and want to be picked up and hugged by all of the crew.  He was very persistent and got in the way of filming much of the time.  Sarah was going through a ‘sniffing everyone’ stage and did.  All the time.  When the crew followed Nephi at school, he introduced them to everyone they walked past, “This is MY film crew!”  The crew got a big kick out of that. The story is a piece on each of the children, with mom and dad comments throughout.  We have teachers from the schools and one of the doctors from the University of Utah’s Autism Research Project talk about their Autism.

 

As you know like yourself I’m a member of model me kids ( A great social network for autism ) Do you find it important to meet other parents of children with ASD and raise awareness for the condition? 

 

I really do.  It’s great to be able to find someplace that you like and are accepted.  Model Me Kids is the best I’ve found and I’ve been all over the Internet. (Thanks MT!)  There are too many places where parents fight, call names and are just plain nasty.  No one needs that, especially parents dealing with Autism already.  I just wish I had more time to be available to give comments or suggestions, but sometimes just getting up in the morning is a great day.

 

As it’s Autism awareness month would you be so kind to give us one reason to love and embrace autism. I know there are plenty but I only have the one blog:)

 

Love and embrace your Autistic child, advocate for them and get you and them out into the world so the rest of the world will know and love them too.  I’m not saying it will be easy, but I am saying it will be worth it.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me John. I know you’re an extremely busy man and I thank you very much. Look forward to learning more and more about yourself and wonderful family. 

 

Thanks Claire.  Please ask your readers to be my friend on Model Me Kids (http://modelmekids.ning.com/profile/JohnKirton) and to visit and comment on our blog (http://autismbitestheblog.blogspot.com/). 

COMING SOON TO A BOY WITH ASPERGER’S

MY UPDATED VODPOD ON A BOY WITH ASPERGERS

The vodpod has now been updated.

Yes there are some fantastic new autism and Asperger’s related videos added. You have to check out the two Autism 6 videos. These films are clips of  life with the Kirton family the parents of six children all with ASD.  Im very pleased to say that John Kirton himself will be taking part in the Big Interview on this very blog A boy with Aspergers. Check this out on the 24th, April, 2009 This is one not to miss. 

Another video that grabbed me was the video explaining sensory overload. You have gotta see this one. I watched this with a pair of earphones in my ears. It really got me and I have to say that yes it brought tears to my eyes. My god anybody that copes with any type of sensory problem are really brave. This film let me see things that my little man may see on a day to day basis, even though it was for a short time, it gave me a much better understanding.

The next Big Interview with John Kirton.

Wow I’m really looking forward to the next Big Interview.

The last two Interview’s have gone down a Storm and I hoping all the readers will enjoy the next one just as much. 

With it being Autism awareness Month this April I fault who better to Interview then John Kirton. For those that may not of heard about John or his wonderful family then Please don’t miss this fantastic Interview. John and his wife raise six children on the Autism spectrum. As well as appearing all over American television on shows like Good Morning America and Larry King they also have there show autism 6 on the Discovery Health channel. John talks to me about his life raising six children on the spectrum, the highs and lows ups and downs. It really is one not to be missed. Catch the Interview on Friday the 24th of April. Want to learn more about the Kirton family visit Autism Bites Now:)

UP AND COMING.

Oh yes, It’s drawing closer to my favorite time of the month. 

THE BIG INTERVIEW 🙂 

As many of you know last month was my first big Interview! It was a great, really enjoyed the interview with Cale Irwin a 20 year old with Asperger’s. 

This months Interview is going to be just as great. I was extremely pleased when Kyra Anderson contacted me. Mother to Fluffy and writer of  the fantastic blog  This Mom agreed to a joint interview with her amazing 8 year old son fluffy. Fluffy has Aspergers and is the same age as my little man so it was wonderful to be able to hear what life was like for fluffy and his mum. I received the interview back from Kyra today and I must say it is a fantastic and wonderful read that you really must read. 

THE BIG INTERVIEW IS NOW TAKING PLACE ON THE  20th OF MARCH, NOT ON THE 30th AS PLANED.

GREAT NEWS FOR APRIL !

John kirton will be joining the fun in the month of April ( Autism awareness month ) to take part in the Big Interview.  WOW I’m so looking forward to it.

For anybody that  don’t know John, he and his wife are the parents of six children on the Autism spectrum. This amazing and remarkable family have been featured in People magazine, appeared on Good morning America, inside edition Larry King. There newest project a documentary Autism x6 is currently being shown on the Discovery health channel. Check out the families website Autism Bites 

DATE FOR THE JOHN KIRTON BIG INTERVIEW TO BE ANNOUNCED

IN THE  FIRST FEW WEEKS OF APRIL.

Monday finds drawing to an end.

Today and next week will be the last of the blog feature Monday finds. Don’t worry a great new Monday feature will be started in it’s place. So watch this space, updates will be added through this coming week. Thanks to everyone that supported the Monday finds. I hope you all enjoyed it 🙂

THE SIBLING SUPPORT PAGE.

Yes it’s almost ready!  The sibling support page is still in the process of being created. Some great features are in the pipe line It’s a page that I hope will help many. There will be information and related links for siblings of autism, A problem page, listed events and more.

ARE YOU A SIBLING OF SOMEONE WITH AUTISM? IF THAT’S A YES WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS FOR THE SIBLING SUPPORT PAGE. TELL US WHAT YOU WANT AND WE CAN TRY AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.

RE..THE BIG INTERVIEW

I had the most enjoyable time doing the big interview with Cale. I’m looking forward to the next one which will be scheduled for the end of march. Stay tuned to find out who is up next. Let me just say it’s gonna great. Look out for the big Interview poster which will list the name of the next guest participating in the interview. Post will be up on the site within the next week and again a week before the event.

Interested in taking part? Then leave a comment with a contact email or email me at parkinson.claire@yahoo.com

The Big Interview with Cale Irwin

At last it’s here! The Big Interview.

This month I’m speaking to Cale Irwin a 20 year old with the condition Aspergers. Not only did i enjoy this interview but i learnt a great deal from it’ so thank you Cale.

Hi cale. so you have Aspergers? Is that correct? How old were you when you discovered you had Aspergers? And how old are you know?

I have Asperger’s Syndrome, diagnosed by a psychiatrist in 1997, when i was 8. I was informed about the diagnosis when i started asking about it when I was 17. Since my brother has classic Kanner’s, and autism is genetic, and I know my social skills were awful, it seemed Asperger’s was a possibility. So that’s when i found out about it directly from my parents. im almost 20 now.

Did you ever see yourself as different when growing up? Do you remember what age you were at the time these fellings came about?

I felt different from my peers from the moment I started meeting my peers; the age difference between us was the first factor. Because I was fully conversational at around 14 months, Iwas involved in programs for late toddlers before i’d even learned to walk. By kindergardenthe differences between myself and my peers began to lead to bullying which continued on into my late teens.  However, it was not until 14 that I began to understand just how different I was from my peers. I always knew I was smarter ( not in a cocky way, but in a testable IQ way ), and less socially competent. But  it wasn’t until then that I realized I perceived the world differently then they did. It was then that i become aware of how they perceived me, as an other, and one who had always been an other and simply hadn’t realized it. I would compare it to when the ugly duckling looked up for the first time and realized he wasn’t with his family, but rather with individuals who bore some similarities but also major differences from himself.

Cale what was school life like for a child with Asperger’s?

I obviously can’t speak for all individuals with AS, but for me, all elementary classes besides my gifted-LD class were hell! I was physically assaulted daily from K-4th, and verbally abused from 3rd on. I knew the material before we learned it in class, but teachers became angry when i sat and read rather then paying attention to their lessons. My gifted-LDclass which was all individuals who would later be diagnosed with Asperger’s or PDD-NOS was the major highlight . I was surrounded with kids who were like me. Offered material that challenged me intellectually, and in a classroom built for kids with sensory sensitivities.

Could you tell me is it true that all children with Aspergers develop special interest?

I think most do! Though i know i didn’t develop my special interest ( which happens to be ASDs ) until I was 15 or so. Before that I sort of bounced around, reading a bit of everything, but never finding anything that stuck. Now I eat, sleep and breathe books on autism, and no one can make me shut up about it.

Do you have any sensory sensitivities or problems with moter tics?

I have both! I can’t be suddenly touched or be around loud noise ( classifying loud as at or above normal television volume ). I can’t filter out background noise so i need conversations to be in a quiet environments. I have proprioceptive difficulties, so I stim almost constantly to gain information about the location of my body in space. I also have prosopagnosia ( face -blindness ), but I’m not sure whether that’s classifiable as a sensory issue in the same way.

Recently I have developed a slew of moter tics, and very recently some vocal ones, which would warrant a TS diagnosis in any country but the US (as DSM says 18 or under onset, but ICD-10 says 21 and under). It would be difficult to say whether the TS is more bothersome because of the activities it prevents me from doing ( I’ve had to change my focus in neuroscience as i can no longer operate needles/scalpels ), or because of the unkind and judgemental remarks i get from others.

So Cale, What’s life like for you now, how are you spending your time, are you happy with where your life is heading?

Life for me know is better then it has ever been . I’ve gained a position in the college which allows me to utilize my devotion to and fascination with autism ( my professors were quite excited to find an Aspie with a special interest in ASDs. Now i can do all their grunt work for them, because it’s far more fascinating to me then to them. ; ) I spend about a quarter of my working hours in class and doing hw, a quarter reading informative materials for fun, a quarter reading informative materials for research purposes, and as of late a quarter with autistic children, one of whom I’m setting up an ABA program for. I tend to get the majority of my social interaction with peers during meals or in the half-hour before sleep, but i do try and schedule a few hours each weekend to associate with friends.

I’mvery happy with where life is heading at this point. Academia was made for Aspies and i’ve certainly found my place within it. I have found a job goal to aim for ( BCBA) which I know will be immensely personally satisfying. And adopting children is certainly in my future, either with or without a partner.

Wow they are some pretty amazing goals! I wish you every luck in succeeding  with them. It’s been fantastic speaking with you Cale. Your a person with a strong sense of where his meant to be in life. Your story is one of a young man that never gave up on what he wanted no matter what was but in his path Maybe the years of bullying have made you the strong man you are today. I hope so!

Please come back again some time in the feature with an update on your journey through life, But before you leave would you be so kind to finish by giving us a cool  Aspie fact! one you would like to express to the world?

I can’t think of a cool fact off hand ( other then the speculation that both Steve jobs and Bill Gates are Aspies ), but i will offer my favorite Aspie quote: “For success in science and art, a dash of autism is essential.” – Hans Asperger.

I could not agree more:)

Want to read more on what Cale has been up to? Visit http://frogger11758.wordpress.com or follow frogger11758 on twitter .

IT’S ALMOST HERE