Call Me Captain Caveman: AS & The Caveman Theory

I was recently looking at the Neanderthal Theory of Evolution how caveman acted and what the driving forces were behind their behavior.  I recalled that some AS test had many of the same premises and I began to wonder why. I enjoyed laughing to myself as I said 'yes' to many of the questions listed. But, the one thing that separated Cro-Magnons from Neanderthals, intelligence, I do have an answer for. It's called learning and adaptation and the old saying "Mind over matter".

A couple of the questions (and I realize the list isn't perfect) that address sensitivity to heat, cold, wind and/or changes in air-pressure, humidity etc , difficulty with throwing and catching a ball and whether or not I notice small sounds that others don't, feel pained by loud or irritating noise (but only the second part of that last question matters here) and ability or lack thereof of fine motor skills. Before I start I would like to say that the whole comparison makes sense. I am not sure, but I feel, by my own intuition, that there is an upper as well as lower functioning parts of the brain at work in people on the autism spectrum. The amygala, the little almond shaped things that are in all vertebrate brains is enlarged in people with any type of autism. This clearly explains why I feel a definite 'fight-or-flight response' in many situations. This can be shown as anxiety or nervous looking around the room upon entering. If you were to put a woman that I was unfamiliar with, and I daresay an attractive woman, then my brain goes a little haywire. This all depends on a number of things and just meeting a female for me is fine, pending I have no sexual desire for her or we previously know one another. A stranger at a bar, forget about it. I'd rather sit there and drink alone rather than talk to her, and this isn't because I'm not into her; rather the opposite, but my fear of breaking the social ice and anxiety of rejection, embarrassment in public and mumbling all keep me from doing so. How else do you think I have remained single all these years (and no, I am not proud of that, the opposite in fact. Besides the whole female thing, there are ways I can tell you how I overcame the response that my amygdalas try very hard to initiate.

Starting with the first one I have to say that in season, I don't mind extreme heat or cold. I always wear pants outside, no matter what temperature it is. This stems from necessity in my workshop and the fact that molten silver/gold touching your bare leg doesn't feel to good (I have been doing this for years and wear a leather apron/gloves so don't worry about my safety). The only weather that bothers me is a fifty degree day in December or thirty in April. The sudden shock can be overcome. Right now its around 30-40F and most days I subject myself to a 105F Bikram Yoga room for ninety minutes. I even feel a breeze in there now and again; although some think that may be ghosts in the old mill building its housed in. In that class I have my spot in front of everyone else, except the rest of the row, right up in front next to the mirror. I'm one of the better ones there but Stephanie still puts me to shame most days. The heat didn't take much to get over and just hydrating before class helps a lot.

As for difficulty throwing and catching a ball, well you can say I defied that one many times over, but I think I had a little help with that, in more ways then one. I was always good at baseball, from five years old and up. Most other sports I'm not good at, but only because I never put the time in. Before high school I did have a pitching coach I went to each week and he taught me how to really throw. That was money well spent. I didn't just do OK, I was a conference all star senior year of high school and I went on to play baseball in college at UMass Lowell. As far as D2 school go it is one of the premier schools in the NE-10 Conference. I was a pitcher and my fastball velocity was 84-87mph with 88 as a top out. If I was taller than 5'5'' and 165lbs I probably could have gone somewhere better, as college coaches take size over heart in most cases. I loved playing in an actual stadium at Lowell and wouldn't change a thing about my college experience, baseball wise. The thing about getting loose in the bullpen vs being in a game was the introduction of adrenaline to my system. I figured what I am about to say after I was done playing. I wouldn't begin throwing my hardest until I either heard the pop of the catcher mitt or, and I think this one was more important in terms of stimuli response, a batter fouled a ball off. In the conference we played in it was wooden bat. I guess I should call it the 'connecting sound' when the ball I threw was made contact with released a flood of adrenaline into my system. My velocity went up 8-10 mph very quickly and I could sustain that through the rest of the game. I am not entirely sure adrenaline can last that long but I guess it can when it needs to. Being 'locked in' for a couple hours, especially in a team atmosphere is very draining and its a wonder I could do it at all. I still can, most likely but I'd need to get my arm back in shape before trying to throw off a mound again.

As for being sensitive to small sounds and loud annoying ones,I have come to terms with that, too. I notice just about everything and if anything is changed my brain has little trouble distinguishing what has been altered. I take that as a defense mechanism type thing. If you get a haircut I'll be all over it. I'm not sure if loud sounds used to annoy me but I am fine with them now. That came from conditioning myself to either block them out or, put bluntly, not be a little bitch about it. One thing I have learned is that you never know what is going to happen next, so be alert and ready for anything, anything.

As far as fine motor skills go, well, I'm in the process of training to be a goldsmith. The type of work I am talking about isn't that cutesy bead stringing you would expect from someone on the autism spectrum. I use a 3,700F-6000F oxy-propane torch and various hand tools which include flex-shaft. This involves infinite patience, which I have, and the ability to concentrate for hours on end, which is an Aspy trademark. The only trick is learning the motor skills, which can be hard at first, but if you take the time to repeat them enough then you can learn anything you wish. For me the motor skills do take longer, I admit that, but I have done so better than I even thought. After I go to and get back from training I will most likely work for someone before I go out on my own. I want to concentrate on platinum work, which is a whole different animal as far as jewelry goes.

Adaptation and learning can go a long way for anyone. I refuse to believe people who say I cannot do something. That's one reason to keep AS a secret (except from my readers of course). My dad never thought I would be able to drive a car. When he realized I wasn't quite Rain man, can take a person beeping at me, drive 80mph in the fast lane and that I actually see things on the road before they happen, well, I'd say he was more than surprised. You work with what you are given. If that means you have to refine those skills and adapt to your surroundings, then so be it.

Questions or Comments? Let me know.