There are many tips for how to dress and groom yourself for an interview. Google is a great tool for that so I will not recap that here. However, if you are like me (and many others on the Spectrum) checking yourself in the mirror just before an interview can be as rough as making eye contact. When I first read Dracula by Bram Stoker I thought that not being seen in a mirror was about the coolest thing I ever heard of and not a sign of Nosferatu. Yet it is essential you do one last check before you go into your interview to make sure your tie is straight, make-up is not smudged or a leftover from lunch is not stuck in your teeth.
To get over the anxiety from looking in the mirror at yourself you should practice this at home long before it comes time to go to an interview. Pick a big mirror and start by looking in the mirror only at a spot that feels the safest-- e.g. your belt buckle, the reflection of the wall behind you or a hand. Slowly move closer to your eyes until you feel the anxiety kick in. At that point stop looking in the mirror and let the anxiety subside. Keep trying to push the anxiety barrier closer to your eyes every time you try it (say daily).
It can take a while. If I remember right it was about five months for me before I could look into my eyes. I also noticed that if I had a meltdown or a poor social interaction the 'anxiety line' would move back out and I would lose ground requiring me to recover the lost ground (it went quicker the subsequent times).
Once you have conquered the anxiety of looking in the mirror you can then focus on the main point which is making sure your appearance is good for the all important first impression you make on someone.
PS I found my anxiety with eye contact in general lessened too but I am not sure this is because of my mirror work or not
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Improving your life with Fish Oil
I have always been rather skeptical of the quick cures and solutions in a pill that get promoted for various things like weight loss, hair restoration and autism. So when I read that Fish Oil had some efficacy in helping with autism I had to investigate. Turns out that it might help and I would suggest you look into it as a potential and inexpensive (compared to psychoactive medications) addition to your diet.
In the April issue of Human & Experimental Toxicology, Taha A Kumosani and Said S Moselhy found that the use of Cod Liver Oil helped increase levels of DHA and EPA fatty acids in the brains of rats. This in turn caused significant changes in the acetylcholine & norepinephrine neurotransmitters similar to medications used for treatment of depression, OCD, Alzheimer's and ADHD. This neurotransmitter activity is seen primarily in the hypothalamus though the additional benefits to Na+/K+-ATPase and Ca2+ ATPase can improve the circulatory system.
Considering that medications like donepezil (a.k.a. Aricept) show similar functions, though much more targeted-- as described by J. Helen Yoo, Maria G. Valdovinos and Dean C. Williams in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders-- the addition of Fish Oil can be viewed as a potential alternative with fewer side effects. Still it is worth noting that the actions of Fish Oil have a limit to their effectiveness so medication may still be indicated. If you are going to try the homeopathic route first keep in mind that it might not work or work as well as needed.
For dosing regarding Fish Oil in adults start with ~1000 mg a day and look for improvement. At about 3000 mg you will have capped out and if you have not seen the desired improvements by this time it is likely you should try another course of action. Above 3000 mg and your blood may have issues clotting. Additionally there has been no official governmental sanction that it will work, only peer reviewed studies indicating it might work. Here is the National Institute of Health's statements on the benefits of Fish Oil: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/993.html
In the April issue of Human & Experimental Toxicology, Taha A Kumosani and Said S Moselhy found that the use of Cod Liver Oil helped increase levels of DHA and EPA fatty acids in the brains of rats. This in turn caused significant changes in the acetylcholine & norepinephrine neurotransmitters similar to medications used for treatment of depression, OCD, Alzheimer's and ADHD. This neurotransmitter activity is seen primarily in the hypothalamus though the additional benefits to Na+/K+-ATPase and Ca2+ ATPase can improve the circulatory system.
Considering that medications like donepezil (a.k.a. Aricept) show similar functions, though much more targeted-- as described by J. Helen Yoo, Maria G. Valdovinos and Dean C. Williams in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders-- the addition of Fish Oil can be viewed as a potential alternative with fewer side effects. Still it is worth noting that the actions of Fish Oil have a limit to their effectiveness so medication may still be indicated. If you are going to try the homeopathic route first keep in mind that it might not work or work as well as needed.
For dosing regarding Fish Oil in adults start with ~1000 mg a day and look for improvement. At about 3000 mg you will have capped out and if you have not seen the desired improvements by this time it is likely you should try another course of action. Above 3000 mg and your blood may have issues clotting. Additionally there has been no official governmental sanction that it will work, only peer reviewed studies indicating it might work. Here is the National Institute of Health's statements on the benefits of Fish Oil: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/993.html
Jobs for Aspies - Astronaut
Hey, while you're dreaming, why not dream big?
Given that, depending on the criteria used for what constitutes space flight, there have only been 520+ people that have flown in space, ever, being an astronaut might be the most difficult position to obtain for anyone, much less someone with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Still it is not impossible if Lisa Nowak's (keep this name in mind) pretrial claims are true. Additionally it is likely that people with hidden or undiagnosed ASD have been able to make it into the military even as a pilot though any obvious mention or diagnosis could eliminate them from consideration.
With the addition of the Mission and Payload Specialist classes people outside of the traditional test pilot subgroup have been able to make it into space with NASA. This means that those with advanced education and training in various types of engineering or science have a shot at being selected for a mission based on their area of expertise. Given the high prevalence of ASD folk in engineering and science and the obsessive interest they take in specific areas, ASD may actually prove a strength.
As some with ASD experience clumsiness and a lack of coordination this alone might get them eliminated during the extensive screening process used by NASA. Should that not be an issue then it will come down to the mental evaluation part of the screening process. This process is not widely published (as near as I can tell) and that makes sense, it would be easier to game the system if the screening was known ahead of time. Following Lisa Nowak's highly publicized incident, NASA did a review of its behavioral evaluations (see here, here and here) and found that though their processes for screening were stringent they could be arbitrarily applied and lacking in overall consistency. What was good to see from a psychological evaluation point of view was that they do not claim to eliminate the chance of an 'act of passion' or development of an issue; just reduce the likelihood of such an occurrence. This does not necessarily mean removing the person from the program either, especially once they are selected. Keep in mind that even though you might pass the entrance criteria you will still be evaluated on an ongoing basis so mental health is a premium.
In the previously mentioned reviews Aspergers was never mentioned specifically even after the claim came up in Lisa Nowak's pretrial statements. Still NASA is a highly political environment and any such diagnosis of an ASD issue would likely result in some sort of disqualification though maybe not specifically mentioned. And even if the ASD does not get you the depression, OCD or even social interaction issues may rear their head and cause an elimination.
Aside from NASA there is now more serious commercial efforts to obtain space flight. At this time there is scant information on the selection process as this is still in the pioneer stages. Still with some effort you could find yourself attached to one of the projects (e.g. Virgin Galactic) already in place or even on your own coming up with some method. No one asked the Wright Brothers about their mental qualifications when they set out to achieve powered flight and as long as you obey airspace and safety regulations no one will stop you if you can raise the money and create a craft capable of reaching 80 to 100 km above the surface of the planet.
There is also the concept of paying your own way though if you had that much money would you really be reading this on how to get a job as an astronaut?
For more information on NASA Astronaut Selection go here: http://astronauts.nasa.gov/
Given that, depending on the criteria used for what constitutes space flight, there have only been 520+ people that have flown in space, ever, being an astronaut might be the most difficult position to obtain for anyone, much less someone with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Still it is not impossible if Lisa Nowak's (keep this name in mind) pretrial claims are true. Additionally it is likely that people with hidden or undiagnosed ASD have been able to make it into the military even as a pilot though any obvious mention or diagnosis could eliminate them from consideration.
With the addition of the Mission and Payload Specialist classes people outside of the traditional test pilot subgroup have been able to make it into space with NASA. This means that those with advanced education and training in various types of engineering or science have a shot at being selected for a mission based on their area of expertise. Given the high prevalence of ASD folk in engineering and science and the obsessive interest they take in specific areas, ASD may actually prove a strength.
As some with ASD experience clumsiness and a lack of coordination this alone might get them eliminated during the extensive screening process used by NASA. Should that not be an issue then it will come down to the mental evaluation part of the screening process. This process is not widely published (as near as I can tell) and that makes sense, it would be easier to game the system if the screening was known ahead of time. Following Lisa Nowak's highly publicized incident, NASA did a review of its behavioral evaluations (see here, here and here) and found that though their processes for screening were stringent they could be arbitrarily applied and lacking in overall consistency. What was good to see from a psychological evaluation point of view was that they do not claim to eliminate the chance of an 'act of passion' or development of an issue; just reduce the likelihood of such an occurrence. This does not necessarily mean removing the person from the program either, especially once they are selected. Keep in mind that even though you might pass the entrance criteria you will still be evaluated on an ongoing basis so mental health is a premium.
In the previously mentioned reviews Aspergers was never mentioned specifically even after the claim came up in Lisa Nowak's pretrial statements. Still NASA is a highly political environment and any such diagnosis of an ASD issue would likely result in some sort of disqualification though maybe not specifically mentioned. And even if the ASD does not get you the depression, OCD or even social interaction issues may rear their head and cause an elimination.
Aside from NASA there is now more serious commercial efforts to obtain space flight. At this time there is scant information on the selection process as this is still in the pioneer stages. Still with some effort you could find yourself attached to one of the projects (e.g. Virgin Galactic) already in place or even on your own coming up with some method. No one asked the Wright Brothers about their mental qualifications when they set out to achieve powered flight and as long as you obey airspace and safety regulations no one will stop you if you can raise the money and create a craft capable of reaching 80 to 100 km above the surface of the planet.
There is also the concept of paying your own way though if you had that much money would you really be reading this on how to get a job as an astronaut?
For more information on NASA Astronaut Selection go here: http://astronauts.nasa.gov/
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Aspergers: Why Programming?
I know, I know... the stereotype of the Aspie programmer is a hard one to bear for ASD folk not inclined to computers. However, there are three reasons that I want you to consider regarding programming:
- A level of oddity is expected from programmers in general making things easier for the behaviors that might hold you back in other jobs
- Scarcity is the rule for programmers so jobs are easier to come by, with less competition and more opportunity
- Pay is generally better than average
I know it is hard for some of us to overcome the barrier of doing something we do not love but think of it as supporting yourself to do what you really want to do. And if comes down to it would you rather sling coffee or create things?
It can be a daunting task to learn the languages on your own. Google is an extremely useful tool when you combine the name of the programming language and 'tutorial' in the search. And open source projects offer an ability to hone your skills along with more experience programmers.
Starving for a job
Hunger drives us to do strange things. I wonder how much of human endeavors could be traced back to being hungry. Societies undertake major migrations in search of food; humans will attempt to eat things previously not considered edible when they are hungry. Each of these are risks with either great or tragic outcomes; as an example consider what sort of trial and error went into realizing that rhubarb leaves were the toxic part of the plant.
Consider then how each of us may get when it comes time to evaluate if a particular job is good for us. Given the chronic under- and unemployment of ASD folk it is not surprising that many of us want any job as long as it shows promise of being better than where we are at. And it is hard to argue against that when we and/or our families lack something... especially food.
However how are you to protect against eating the toxic leaves and joining a place that will ruin you? Given the horrendous working conditions at some places it is possible that a bad work environment will harm you, your relationships or even drive you to attempt to harm yourself. If nothing else you could find yourself out of work soon enough.
Turning the traditional logic on its head-- it's easier to look for a job when you have a job-- it is easier to conceptualize your ideal job when you are not looking for one. So take a moment when you have a job to write out the criteria you would want in an ideal job and then stash it with copies of your resume on your machine. Later when you have to find a job you will have the clarity of the good times there to ground you when you go back out to find work. You may still not be able to find your ideal job but at least you will know how the current job in question deviates from your ideal and consciously know the deficiency rather than be surprised later.
Consider then how each of us may get when it comes time to evaluate if a particular job is good for us. Given the chronic under- and unemployment of ASD folk it is not surprising that many of us want any job as long as it shows promise of being better than where we are at. And it is hard to argue against that when we and/or our families lack something... especially food.
However how are you to protect against eating the toxic leaves and joining a place that will ruin you? Given the horrendous working conditions at some places it is possible that a bad work environment will harm you, your relationships or even drive you to attempt to harm yourself. If nothing else you could find yourself out of work soon enough.
Turning the traditional logic on its head-- it's easier to look for a job when you have a job-- it is easier to conceptualize your ideal job when you are not looking for one. So take a moment when you have a job to write out the criteria you would want in an ideal job and then stash it with copies of your resume on your machine. Later when you have to find a job you will have the clarity of the good times there to ground you when you go back out to find work. You may still not be able to find your ideal job but at least you will know how the current job in question deviates from your ideal and consciously know the deficiency rather than be surprised later.
Monday, July 25, 2011
New T-Shirts from Dude, I'm an Aspie
Matt at Dude, I'm an Aspie has some new T-Shirts out. I especially like "No evolution without Autism"
http://www.dudeimanaspie.com/2011/07/evolution-t-shirts-are-here.html
http://www.dudeimanaspie.com/2011/07/evolution-t-shirts-are-here.html
Aspergers Software Engineers: a 12 question list by Joel Spolsky that you should use
For those of you in software development who are looking for a way to determine if a place is good to work for or with, I suggest you look at the Joel Test created by Joel Spolsky. While not oriented towards Aspergers or ASD specifically it does address a major concern that many of us have regarding a workplace; namely, does it aim to produce something that we can be proud of. If there is one unifying thing I have noticed about ASD folk in software development is that we hate putting out schlock.
Joel's test focuses on asking questions about whether the tools and material are present in a company to produce quality software. Even non-software Aspies can identify some of the questions as useful: do you have quality testers? do you have a product specification? Seriously, some software shops are so bad that these would be revolutionary questions. The most appealing question for ASD folk would be: do people have a quiet working atmosphere?
So those of you in IT, the next time you go to interview, take these questions along and check them off as they are answered in the interview or ask them when it is your turn to interview them. Asking questions in the interview is strongly encouraged and here are ready made questions for you that will at least give you an idea if it is a good place to work for you.
And if you are not in IT, consider how they may apply to your own job hunt or check back here... I hope to have my own 12 question check list for Aspies that I shamelessly admit was inspired by Joel's questions.
Joel's test focuses on asking questions about whether the tools and material are present in a company to produce quality software. Even non-software Aspies can identify some of the questions as useful: do you have quality testers? do you have a product specification? Seriously, some software shops are so bad that these would be revolutionary questions. The most appealing question for ASD folk would be: do people have a quiet working atmosphere?
So those of you in IT, the next time you go to interview, take these questions along and check them off as they are answered in the interview or ask them when it is your turn to interview them. Asking questions in the interview is strongly encouraged and here are ready made questions for you that will at least give you an idea if it is a good place to work for you.
And if you are not in IT, consider how they may apply to your own job hunt or check back here... I hope to have my own 12 question check list for Aspies that I shamelessly admit was inspired by Joel's questions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)