Making A Quick Post

I thought I would make a quick post tonight from my phone. 

I've been feeling extra but lately and I'm mostly glad that none of it has anything to do with being online. I've been reading a few books, blasting through a stack of magazines, you know, when I'm not being mom. 

I feel like I have been doing a better job if just being mom lately. I like this because I've had a lot of guilt regarding doing my own thing and not doing things that moms "should" do. I end up feeling a bit overwhelmed hen I do get online because my computer is running slowly or irradiance and I just wanna get done and get off it now but the performance issues get in the way. 

If I remember right I think my blog told me I have 8000 views?!? When did that happen?!? Awesome! Welcome and thank you for reading. I hope that I'm making something happen in your life and I hope that I'm not making anyone offended. Lol. I feel like I need to be more careful about what I say and that I should go back a d rewrite or at least check that I haven't been mean anywhere lol. I don't think I recall writing anything to be mean but people misunderstand me all the time. 

I have had more overwhelming times lately, but with less physical symptoms. I think I can once again thank my diagnosis, self awareness, and other aspies that I am learning from for that. 

Now all I need to do is get more sleep. If I could rearrange so I'm up earlier in the morning, I think I might not have to stay up at night.... And I wouldn't be so drained and tired hahahaha! Good luck to me!!

Any topics you readers what me to cover? Any questions you have? I'm open to suggestions. As long as it's sensible and aspie/me related. Thanks for reading and I do have a post idea coming up soon!

Muscle Tone, Core Strength & Aspergers - LINKS

As I've been doing my physical therapy for core strength and whatnot, I keep thinking to myself, "Isn't there some connection between Aspergers and strength"? I keep thinking I had to have heard or read about this somewhere, and I have just forgotten to actually google it. 

So I found this:
http://life-with-aspergers.blogspot.com/2008/04/what-does-low-muscle-tone-hyptonia-mean.html

"As children, aspies often find that they are able to easily perform feats which require flexibility but not strength or balance, such as splits, backbending and shoulder rotation. They may display unusual flexibility in other joints such as fingers."

Yup. I was the kid who could touch the ground BEHIND her feet, while maintaining straight legs. I could do (and still can do) backbends/bridges. I can scratch almost every spot on my back with a little effort. I could do the splits, though not perfectly, and had I cared more, some simple stretching would have solved any imperfections on that move. Even the chiropractor tells me that I am very flexible to adjust. Doing certain physical therapy positions takes great effort to get them to do anything for me because of that flexibility. I could, for a period, dance like Shakira (though I have NO interest in that anymore at this point in my life). Shoulder rotation is a lot better than my husband, and I just thought he was a stiff guy (he does have a lot of tight muscles). 

"Such flexibility comes with a price and aspies are usually quite uncoordinated and clumsy. In running, this contributes to the famed "unusual gait". It's easy to imagine that low muscle tone only affects the big muscles but this isn't the case, it affects all activities requiring muscles including most notably, speech, pencil grip and writing."

True. I feel I'm clumsy, I feel like I don't run well, and I had and still have pencil grip and writing issues! My son is having these same problems and has also been determined to have little core strength, just like me. Interesting, right? 

"When sitting or standing for long periods, aspies tend to slump quite a bit. Sometimes, they will stand with their legs crossed in what appears to be an uncomfortable fashion. My mother was constantly trying to correct this stance and while I'm reasonably aware of it at work, I still find myself standing that way regularly. I'll point out now that although this looks uncomfortable, this is actually a very comfortable stance for aspies."

I TOTALLY do this. I know I stand oddly. People usually don't comment on it, but when they do its usually wondering if I'm comfortable, or even if I have to go to the bathroom. It is neither, it is just oddly comfortable to stand like that. I don't know why. (I wish I had a picture of me standing like that. I might try this later.)

"Aspies often sit with their head and shoulders rolled forward and will frequently lean on walls, furniture, door frames and desks."

Exactly. This is my major problem. Bad posture. Terrible posture.

"Dangers inherent in Low Muscle Tone

While the slumping and leaning behaviours aren't necessarily great posture, they're not particularly dangerous to the aspie unless the position is adopted for very long periods without proper breaks.

I have first-hand experience with this problem as I've had episodes of "overuse syndrome", a kind of RSI, with my hands, arms and shoulders from sitting at my computer for too long. It took quite a while for OH&S to work out that the issue wasn't with my hands, or even with my workspace. It was simply due to excessive time spent in an unsupported position. 

Fixing the ProblemAs I said earlier, the fix isn't normal weight training, it's physiotherapy and specialized muscle training. There is also a need for awareness and constant correction of one's position. In my case, the muscles most needing training were small ones high on my back. Correcting my keyboard "slump"moved my arms and shoulders back into less damaging positions. I have to be constantly aware of my position and correct it thoughout the day. I also do a bit of stretching and strengthening work on them at the gym."

WOW. That is exactly how it is. I have to work on these things. It is terrible how bad my muscles are in my shoulders. They hurt, and they are the ones that prevent me from good posture, they are the ones that are super tight, and screwed up. 

So, basically, I see a lot that there are connections between Aspergers/Autism and muscle tone or strength issues. Oddly enough, the information I'm running across indicates that there should be delays in speech, and crawling and walking. For myself, I don't think I had any delays whatsoever, and my son, whom I suspect has Aspergers as well, definitely didn't have any delays, as he was walking at about 7-8 months old. So, I don't think that everyone has their act together on this information and how it relates to ASD. 

Anyway, what are your thoughts/experiences with muscle tone/strength and ASD?

Routine & To-Do List

I used to live by routine. You could clock it. You could almost tell what time it was based on what I was doing.

Once I was on my own, however, I don't know that I settled into a routine very well. I remember missing a lot of class in college. I actually don't know how I managed not to miss something important. Or, perhaps, I did.

Having babies did not improve the routine. I do not tend to run on a schedule, or so I think. It isn't like we do x at a certain time, then y, then z. I fly by the seat of my pants because things can get wild with kids, can't they! So I think I try to avoid too much schedule because I'd rather not have one at all than have one that keeps getting messed up. No schedule because of the inconveience/frustration of changing it, right? Yes.

However, we do have a rhythm. I've noticed this because since having my daughter 4 months ago, and starting physical therapy, I am having trouble getting things done or remembering to do things. With a lot of things that isn't a problem really, but its the new things that are the hardest to deal with I suppose. I have a hard time remembering to do my physical therapy! Or, I think of it when I am unable to do it; when I'm cooking, when I'm nursing the baby, or when its 11:30 and I'm finally settled in bed next to the sleepy nursing baby. I have forced myself to do it, even at 11:30, but it is really hard knowing how tired I am and how tired I will be in the morning, and the feeling of wanting to try to get up earlier in the morning, mostly for my son who wants me to be up. :P

I think this is an issue Aspies have to deal with. I think that there is a sort of overload of "to-dos", and it is hard to add anything to your rhythm. Like, it feels like my brain processing is running at max capacity, and adding things to it is very difficult! 

I have been thinking about this post for a while, and I think I have forgotten most of what I wanted to say, but I have a feeling I'm going to hear from other Aspies who have difficulties in this area. 

My son got referred to physical therapy for some of his back pain, leg pain, and pain while writing. She said he has very little core strength. These kids can be moving moving moving, but if they slow down at all, theres no muscle strength to hold them and it falls apart. She also said that some occupational therapy can help him too. Hopefully it will be as simple as her writing to the doctor and getting the referral. But it was reassuring I suppose that he is indeed dealing with some issues other than normal "being a boy". 

I say that to say this: Now I'm sure it's going to be interesting because he is going to have his own kind of work to do for physical therapy as well! I'm hoping that this will help me to do mine, because I can do it the same time as he does his. But a part of me is afraid that I'll drop the ball on this and I know that my problem and his problem is probably related, and that helping him now can  help to avoid him being my age and trying to fix these problems. 

Anyway, anyone have trouble fitting things into their schedule, especially when it's something new? Like, even starting taking a vitamin is hard for me to remember!