Hey guys and girls thanks for reading my blog it really means something to me for your support. I just want to say I am watching south park. I will leave you some new pictures. They are pretty cool pictures. Im going to have my Bday party on Sunday and im going to a dance on Friday night. The world series is wrapping up and I am cheering for the tigers. adam's stuffpeace out!

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Words of Support

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2007-09-04 22:55.

Hi Adam, I have seen the movie about you and your family twice now on CBC Newsworld. It is really touching for me, and hits close to home. My brother Matthew was diagnosed rather late in life with AS; he is now 25. He went through absolute hell during grades 7 and 8, and throughout high school, with bullying and general ignorance from teachers, school administrators and classmates as too his condition. When he got diagnosed with AS, his psychiatrist held a meeting with Matthew's teachers, my parents and his school principle to explain his condition to them, and his principle refused to believe that AS was a real disorder and refused to do anything to help Matthew. He eventually spiraled downward to the point where he was so depressed he wouldn't leave his room for days on end, and wouldn't eat or sleep. He finally got through it and with the continued help of medication and therapy, he leads a great and fulfilling life. He is currently about to start his 2nd year of university, taking a double major in Chemistry and Calculus towards a Bachelor degree and wants to continue after with a Master's degree in teaching. With help from our provincial government here in Ontario, he has received help with paying for his schooling, and buying a laptop to assist him with his studies. He is also an excellent musician (he plays the trumpet), and the biggest hockey fan I know! Since receiving help with his AS, he has been able to develop and express himself much better, and is absolutely brilliant and constantly blows people away with his abilities and knowledge, and is quite the popular guy, let me tell you! Watching your film, you remind me a lot of Matthew, and I can assure you that if you work hard at it, you will lead a full and wonderful life as he is. Best of luck to you buddy, you'll be fine, and I can assure you that no other part of your life will be as difficult as high school; if you can make through that, you'll make it through anything! Sincerely, Mike Timmermans Ottawa ON

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MLB Season

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2007-04-24 12:51.

Hi Adam: I took in the screening in Toronto recently - great to see you there! Loved your post-screening comments as well. I know you're a big baseball fan - one thing I didn't hear you say is who you thought would win the World Series this year. Cheers, William Barron Telefilm Canada

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Loved your movie

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2007-04-03 21:18.

Hi Adam, My name is Sandra, I'm a University student in Montreal. My husband & I just watched the film that you and your mom made and I wanted to let you know what an inspiration I found you to be! I don't have AS, and I do have friends, but that doesn't mean it's always easy for us so-called "normal" people all the time! I've always been painfully shy (even if it doesn't show), and I often worry if what I'm saying sounds "silly" or if I'm at a party, I worry that maybe I'm boring or not as funny as everyone else. Watching you in the film I thought how I wish I could be more like you in some ways: extroverted and not afraid to dance or to talk to people! So, there are always 2 sides to every coin! Also, please don't think that all those kids that you want to be friends with (who look "cool" to you), don't have problems either. I work with kids and even the most popular kids often feel lonely, left-out, stupid, and just not good enough. You're much more just like them on the inside than you probably realize. It was a real pleasure getting to know you through the film, thanks for sharing a bit of your life & struggles. Take care & be proud of yourself for who you are! ALL of us have our good and bad points, ours strengths and weaknesses, and in that way you're just like everyone else, no different at all... Best wishesh, Sandra ps - you're also a real cutie, if I were 15 years younger I would have loved to dance with you!

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To Sandra

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2007-04-13 10:15.

Thanks for the comment about that. The movie portrays me 2 years ago so you need to know that ive changed a lot. Yours Truly, Adam

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Advice to your younger yourself

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2007-03-24 18:32.

Hi Adam, I was really happy today when you took my question and said it was the best question anyone had ever asked you. What an honour! I'd like to ask it again and hope you can share your answer with others on your blog: "Now that you have a movie and can look at yourself from a couple years back, if you could go back to that time, what advice would you give yourself and how would you word it so that the younger you could understand and act on it?" I learned so much today listening to you and your mother and from the movie. All the best, Khoman

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Hi

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2006-11-18 17:40.

Hi Adam, I met you and your Mom when you were in Halifax promoting your film. I have a four year old son with autism and found your story very interesting and moving. I'd like to thank you and your mom for sharing your story. I think you're a very cool kid and you have a great sense of humour. All the best to you and your family. Bobbie-Lynn Halifax

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film/birthday

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2006-10-30 20:16.

Hello Adam, I watched The Boy Inside, and it was fantastic. My friend's son (grade 7) has Asperger's, and he is such a fantastic young boy. He has difficulty making friends, though, because he sometimes makes comments that are "different". I hope that you had a great birthday, Adam. Good luck with Van Tech, I really hope you do well there. Kate PS too bad about the World Series, Adam. Maybe next year?

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Happy Birthday Bro

Submitted by Graham Kendall on Sun, 2006-10-29 11:26.

What are you now 14? Nice man Happy Birthday. Smile today, you never know what could stem from it. Graham

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Hi Adam

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2006-10-28 19:28.

Hi Adam -- I wanted to say I really think you are awesome and thank you so much for sharing your story. I hope you have a great birthday and a nice time at the dance ... I never have been much of a dancer myself but it's fun to go and watch and listen to the music, I think. My wish for you is that you experience something wonderful every day and wake up each morning excited about what the new day will bring. Don't ever think that you are not friend-ful because you have many friends, Adam -- you just haven't met them yet. I will be watching for updates! Thank you again for sharing your story. Your friend, Stacey.

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To Stacey

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2006-10-29 19:56.

Hey the birthday part was pretty good and I enjoyed it. Thanks. You dont really need to be good at dancing. Anyone can bump and grind with anyone. Id tell you more but id get banned. One person got punched up so you have to be careful and if a girl says no than thats how it is. Yours Truly Adam

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Hey Adam

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2006-10-29 20:34.

Glad to hear that the party was good. Ha ha -- please don't get banned by giving me dancing advice - I suspect I am better off not knowing. That's pretty bad that someone got punched up - hope he's ok. You're right, though ... when a girl says "NO" then it really means no. Was it a Halloween dance? Did you wear a costume, or did you just go as your charming self?

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Hey Adam

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2006-11-02 22:33.

I was downtown on Halloween afternoon and I had forgotten that it was Halloween and I thought the world was going cuckoo because first I saw a Sumo Wrestler cross the street and then I saw a lady with a red tail and devil ears walk past me -- good thing I figured out what day it was. It was super cold for the trick-or-treaters -- we have quite a bit of snow already. Any snow where you live? How is school going? Only one more day til the weekend - yay! Do you have any plans, or are you just chillin'? Talk to you soon - Your friend, Stacey

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Hey Adam

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2006-10-27 07:34.

First of all...Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great time at both your party and your dance. My twelve year old son (who has both A.S. and A.D.H.D.) and I watched your documentary a couple of nights ago and we both realy enjoyed it. You are very brave to share your story with so many and I want you to know that you did a great job in showing others how hard and frustrating it can be to have Asperger's. You are also teaching people to be more tolerant toward others who may be "different" than themselves. Not everyone fits into the same little box that is expected of them and we all need to be aware that this is not a bad thing. Have a great day!

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hey adam ^-^

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2006-10-25 14:52.

HEY ADAM! im a 12 year old girl named kitten! i though ur thing on tv was awsome :P the coolest thing is im a aspie my self! i was diagnost with it in grade 5..i donno y all those kids are being such jerks to u! ur awsome :P i'll be ur friend! i would love that!...im trying to get my mom to set up something so i can viste u or u come viste me! XD ur like the coolest person! i would never have had the guts to be on tv! im just to shy :P but really we gotta chat sometime on msn or something O.o that is if u have email! but if u dont :P oh well ill get my mom to set up something! ill try...

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Hey Adam,

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2006-10-25 12:51.

Your mom is going to be setting up a meeting with you and I next week some time I belive (nov 7th so I guess the week after). I live in Victoria and am an aspie myself. I saw your program and immediately after watching I said to my mom "I have to talk to him and his family." Its probably the hardest thing to do but I think you need to learn a lot about yourself first before you can progress. One of the best things anyone has ever told me is that "He who fears failure limits his worth, failure is the opportunity to bign again more intelligently,"(Henry Ford). In other words, it takes a few really big falls before you take a good step up. You have to remember that being an aspie is not a bad thing. Yes, it does effect you socially and being socially capable is important, but knowing what steps can be taken in order to get past being just a kid with aspergers is going to be most important. You have to remember you've still got your family. Those three people in your life: your mom, dad, and sister are all gonna be there no matter how hard the time gets so don't be affraid to fall if it seems like you're going too. If you learn a few things such as looking at people and showing an interest when they are talking to you as well as thinking before you speak you will be sure to succeed no matter what. I know you probably hate the label of "aspie" and believe me when I was your age I hated it too. I hated that everything I did socially led back to me being an aspie and the frustrated me to the point where I almost exploded. Try to take an hour everyday in the evening and think about what you did today: Think about how you talked to others; the way you looked at them; whether or not you asked questions; what you did with your hands when you spoke; When you last got angry what did you do; when plans didn't go the way you wanted how did you react. All these are just a few of the questions you want to ask when you deal with the events of the day. These are the questions that help you try and understand what you did wrong and help you come up with ideas for solutions to them, ways for you to hide the apsie label and better make yourself a life out in the world. Its hard to understand but because you have aspergers your parents are always going to seem to be twice as worried about you then they'll be with anyone else. I'll never forget when I took up climbing and within two months I was going to a mountain that was a 150ft vertical drop. My parents begged me to not go. I went anyways but it did give a chance to show what I was capable of. My story is a lot like yours only yours is still in its earlly stages. It takes a willingness to learn if you want to get past this. Remember, the term "aspie" is just a label, but no matter what you're real personality is only what you choose to make of it. You're willingness to take advice will be your key to opening that door getting past that label. Adam, you are your own destiny, as in you are only what you make of yourself. It takes listening as well as speaking in order to get through what you and I are both going through. Like you, my journey is still in its beginnings. Ciao bro, Graham Kendall 3rd Year Sociology at the University of Victoria

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Hello Adam

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2006-10-24 20:30.

Hello there Adam. I am the parent of a 7 year old girl with Asperger's. My husband and I watched your film and it really helped us to understand things through our daughter's eyes. Have a great birthday and enjoy the dance. Keep your spirits up and Go Tigers Go!!!

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Hi Adam I have aspergers too!

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2006-10-24 19:59.

Adam, My name is candace Cochrane and I'm in the Canadian miliatry. I know how frustrating being a aspie, because I am one. I have been closed out, shunned and I called your mom tonight, to try to talk to you and say, your not alone! I have been bullied, called named, and feeling different and strange, and not feeling right about what I do and what I feel. I am impulsive and I don't understand what people say and why they say them. I try to let people understand and they just ignore me. I'm often alone, hanging out by myself watching people and wishing i could talk like that but i can't do it. I don't understand why they say things the way they do and why they act that way. I was your age and I didn't understand fads. I was picked on so bad like you. I was chased off the playground once with umbrellas and knocked unconsious. You said about how you wanted to die, i feel that. Anwyay adam, I just want to say that one day i hope I can meet you and and tell you that you are just like me. Please don't be depressed. if you need to talk to me or if you just need to vent, you have friends, Like me, it's ok. Your parents have a very hard time understanding, but seeing through our eyes, it's like seeing through a glass box, your vision is blurred and they can't understand, I hate myself to this day because I make a fool out of myself by opening my mouth. I am depressed and I lash out now too from time, You and me both are a strange people and you know, and you can't help but try to defend yourself. I know whats it's like, i was you, only in girl form. when you were talking about baseball on the show, and you spoke to the girl, i knew what you were talking about. Aspergers isn't just about comunication and misunderstanding it's about trying to unerstanding the world and why it does what it does and trying to belong. You can never talk right and say the words you want to say. please contact me when you want to, candace.cochrane@shaw.ca, You are awesome Adam!

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Reply to Candace, Aspie in the military

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2006-11-01 23:54.

First of all, Adam, I have not yet seen your film. I hope I can see it someday. Meanwhile, I hope you thrive! Candace, how are you doing in the military? One of the questions that comes up as Aspies talk about surviving is WHAT OCCUPATIONS WORK BEST FOR ASPIES? I worked in publishing, where I was able to focus narrowly on a task and enjoyed some success with various employers over 30yrs. I was not dx'd Aspie until I was 60 and had not worked for a while, being distressed about conflicts that drove me off my job. I've had difficulties communicating on jobs all of my life, so have changed jobs often. The tasks of publishing are not a problem, but communicating with people who are casual about their work has always been a problem for me. I am now nearly 63 and am still glad to have found my Aspie dx. Why? Now I no longer spend a lot of time wondering why I'm out of step. I now know why! One of the most fertile forums I've found for discussing Aspie issues is http://forum.asperger.asn.au/ and I hope to see some Aspies from this blog popping in to share their insights with Aspies and others who seek info on how to survive - how to manage marriage or career or how best to protect a young Aspie just starting off. Do come! -Zer (SoCal Aspie who is delighted to find Aspie friends all over the world; I'm not as alone as I sometimes feel I am!)

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JObs

Submitted by Graham Kendall on Thu, 2006-11-02 16:05.

I'm studying to hopefully one day become a proffessor in sociology. Why? Because we love to know how things work, why they work, and what they eventually do. Society works the same. Not only that I have noticed that it has helped in my learning of how to better communicate with people. Graham Kendall Youth Moderator

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You shouldn't...

Submitted by Graham Kendall on Thu, 2006-10-26 18:38.

you shouldnt hate yourself because of it. It is something we can't change with all the drugs and psychologists in the world, so why not make an effort to embrace it and do our best to build off of it. Yes things are complicated but we need to be able to say, "hey I can make things better." Just think of it as being born a step behind the rest who are all walking. All we gotta do is save up enough energy so that one day we can run and catch up. Its the lack of being able to look at the good things in life that leaves us depressed. When we're feeling down, why not try and think of things that makes us feel good. I had the last four weeks be some of the worst days of my life but I used the idea of looking forward to the weekend in order to feel better. Every weekend I go surfing and try and enjoy something after work or school that is appropriate (no drungs, no alcohol, no smoking). That helps because while I know there is a lot of work to do or a lot bothering me I know that if I take care of it now to the best of my abilities I WILL feel better aftarwords. No doubts about it. All the best and please think about what I have said, Graham Kendall

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Hey Adam

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2006-10-24 19:57.

Hi Adam My name is Cheri, and I just wanted to thank you for sharing your story. I don't have Asperger's but I've suffered from a mental disability most of my life and have felt 'different' because of it. The most important thing is that to keep moving forward and do more of the things that make you feel good. Enjoy the world series!! Did you see that pine tar on Kenny Rogers hand?? tisk tisk hehehe Have a great week Adam! Cheri from Toronto

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Cardinals win :(

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2006-10-28 22:40.

I was cheering for the Tigers too, but I guess it's not their year.

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