Author Archives: musicbeerautdan

What people with disabilities have to deal with when we make the decision to not work a job is dealing with the stigma of not working a job. Stigma is a negative stereotype and discrimination is the behavior that results from this negative stereotype [1]. The discrimination can come in the form of coercion, interference,Continue reading “The Stigma of Not Working a Job”

I did not find out about my autism until I attended a four-year college at University of California, Riverside (UCR) when I was unable to finish midterm exam. When I informed my professor, she told me that I should find out if I qualify for extra time. I took her advice and went to theContinue reading “How the SAT affected my life”

I have described autism as an ever constant need for stimulation. How did I come to speak of it in that way? My family’s chiropractor has a son, Garrett, who straddles the line of being a nonverbal and verbal autistic. He can talk, but you have to coax it out of him. I have myContinue reading “What is autism?”

When I started learning more about my autism, I found out that high functioning autistics are either good at math or music, or both. I got both. The first instrument I learned how to play is the piano. When I was in the 6th grade, I started learning how to play the drums. As aContinue reading “How my autism affects me as a drummer”

As I was attending community college, I joined my first real band called Lust for Loonies. I played the drums for this band. I was still learning the drums at the time, but I got to start applying what I was learning. When I started writing my own songs on the piano in tandem withContinue reading “How my autism influenced where I am today and a new viewpoint for disability benefits”

To this day, my father still asks me if I am playing my “GameBoy.” After learning what the stim is an adult, I understand that I was self stimulating myself by playing my GameBoy as a kid. My parents did not understand why I played my GameBoy or the Nintendo they got my sister andContinue reading “Let the stim open our world”

I did get help for my autism during the course of my life. When I went to elementary school, music helped me when I started getting piano lessons. As an adult, I started getting neurofeedback, both linear and nonlinear. I started earthing myself when my family started sleeping on earthing mats on our mattresses. DuringContinue reading “The help I got for my autism”

When you hire me, you end up getting an employee that will know the store or workplace by heart. The attention to detail that comes with my autism makes me a great teacher for any job that I work. I learn new jobs or work areas really fast. I end up learning and understanding theContinue reading “What I was like as a high functioning autistic and employed, and why I am self employed”

As a toddler, my mother tells this story about a certain toy of mine: I remember a rectangular wooden toy that has pegs that I could hammer into its circular holes. By flipping it over, I could keep doing it. For whatever reason my mother could not figure out, I would do it for anContinue reading “Autism and stimming”

Another key feature of my autism is my inability to compartmentalize. What is compartmentalizing, or compartmentalization? “In psychology, compartmentalization is defined as a defense mechanism where someone suppresses their thoughts and emotions. It is not always done consciously but this can often justify or defend a person’s level of engagement in certain behaviors.” An exampleContinue reading “I do not compartmentalize”