hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

Youtube Channel!

Hello everyone, so sorry it’s been a long time since my last blog.

I have a relatively new youtube channel dedicated to Asperger’s Syndrome- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzsVNHs3RUNtS4Z-qNAkZQ please check it out!

Also my other social medias are:

www.facebook.com/womenandautism

www.facebook.com/hannahbarlett

www.twitter.com/hannahbarlett

www.autismandwomen.com

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hannah-Barlett/e/B00M05Q6TM - books link

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

More Blogs, Please!

I would really love some more autism/mental health blogs to follow! Reblog or follow me & I will follow back!

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

5 *

Thanks to a lovely person from over the seas in the US who gave my book a 5*!

This is a perf time to buy my book. I’ve just added two brand new chapters and lowered the price as low as Amazon will lower it.

Btw it’s a memoir of myself battling through Autism and Mental Health issues. It’s highly dramatic, truthful & well written (if I do say so myself!) if you want the police, A&E (ER in the US) and borderline abusive professionals then my book is a good place to start & for only £1.99 for over 120,000 words of drama written by a young autistic woman, it’s an offer you can’t refuse!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Different-World-Teenagers-Battle-ebook/dp/B00RO4QCMA

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

This looks good. Where can you get it from? If it is of any use, great will share it on Facebook/Twitter, I know a few people who may find this useful

My support worker recommended this to me, so I think it’ll be a good and helpful read :)

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

New Blog To Follow!

Due to the fact that we have just started our organisation, there is a new blog to follow that is managed by yours truly.

www.autismandwomen.tumblr.com

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

Portrayals of Autism on the big screen

I’m interested to hear your views regarding the portrayal of autism played on the big screen. There are several films that have someone with autism or asperger’s in it and I think often they are over played. For example, Dustin Hoffman as Rain Man in 1988 was quite an early portrayal of autism. Even though Rain Man is one of my favourite films I think he over did it quite a bit. Didn’t he memorize half a phone book or something? Another portrayal of Aspergers is by Shah Rukh Khan  as Rizwan Khan in My Name Is Khan. Its in an interesting portryal however as of course Khan is Asian and there is not many films that depict people with autism from different countries other than Europe and North America. Another, quite interesting performance is by Noah Murallo as Gus in Tracy Beaker Returns. Only Brits will really of heard of Tracy Beaker, it’s a British children’s/teen’s drama about a children’s home. One of the character’s in the more recent series has Asperger’s Syndrome. 15 year old Noah plays Gus and I think he’s pretty much got it spot on- despite him being young and not having Asperger’s himself. If you haven’t seen any of the series it’s on youtube, it’s a children’s programme but I love it and I’m 20!

Are there any other portrayals you can think of?

Let me know!

Noah Murallo as Gus

Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man

Shah Rukh Khan in My Name Is Khan

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

The Cat Cafe- A Lovely Form Of Therapy

Cat cafes; I've discovered are a lovely form of therapy if you like cats. It's great for everyone, but can be therapeutic for people with depression, anxiety, autism or whatever else. The particular cat cafe I'm talking about is Lady Dinah's (not to be confused with Lady Diana) cat emporium in Shoreditch, East London (nearest tube Shoreditch High Street, Bethnal Green or Liverpool Street). You have to pay £6 a head to get in but it goes towards the keep of the cats. the cats have a lovely environment to play in and it's an incredibly relaxed atmosphere. The cats and happy and content. The rules of the cafe suggest however that the cats come to you; rather than you going to them. This can bring some drawbacks but the cats are less aggressive because of it; they know that they are not going to be played with when they don't want to be. Although having said, no ones going to object to you going up to a cat and giving it a stroke. The cafes quite small and is divided into two floors but you can get up and walk around, you are not assigned to one area. The cafe does not sell hot food, but does sell tea and cakes. If you are interested book in advance. It's a popular attraction. They do have walk ins when they have cancellations, for more info follow them on Twitter. I didn't want to leave when I went last week, I was in my element and the happiest I had been for a while. I don't like animals but cats are an exception. The relaxed atmosphere calms you and the cats are absolutely beautiful.

Here’s a few pictures that I took when I visited last week

Moo is one of the eldest cats- also known as Mama. She’s mum to most of the cats there. Who the fathers are I don’t know!

The gorgeous Petra, oblivious to everyone taking pictures, in fact, I think she was posing after a while- she knows she’s beautiful! 

Alice is one of the youngest and newest cats- Moo isn’t her mum but she has got a sister the same age called Lizzie

They also do lovely tea and cake! I recommend their red velvet cake!

If you are local- pop in! If you are visiting London from overseas this should be your first stop!

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

PLEASE HELP MAKE MY BOOK FREE!

Amazon won’t put books on their kindle store for free unless there is a free version of the books elsewhere on the internet. I would love for everyone to read it and not have to worry about paying it, but I do need your help. If you follow the link above (it should re-direct you to your countries amazon page) and scroll down until you see “Tell us about a lower price” which is just above the “about author” section. It will make you log into your amazon account and will ask you to type in the web address where the free book is. 

Please type in:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/529611

Thanks in advance!

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

This is an interesting blog post I found last night. It’s interesting for the fact that not all of them apply to me, in fact, quite a few don’t. I’ve done a list of traits that I either agree with or that they apply to me, or that I don’t agree with....

I’d be interested to see what traits everyone else has

Agree With/Traits apply to me

“Dresses comfortably due to sensory issues and practicality “

“Will not spend too much time on grooming and hair. Hairstyles usually have to be “wash and wear”. Can be quite happy not grooming at all at times”

“Uses control as a stress management”

“Usually happiest when at home or another controlled environment”

“May be highly educated but would have struggled with social aspects of college”

“Can be passionate about a course of study or job, then change direction or go cold on I very quickly”

“Will often have trouble holding onto a job and may find employment daunting”

“Will not do well with verbal instruction, needs it to be written down or a diagram drawn”

“Will have obsessions, but they are not as unusual as male counterparts”

“emotionally immature and sensitive”

“anxiety and fear are predominant emotions”

“more open to talking about feelings than males with AS”

“strong sensory issues”

“moody and prone to bouts of depression”

“stims to soothe when sad or agitated: rocking, face-rubbuing, humming, finger flicking, leg bouncing, finger or foot tapping”

“Physical when happy: hand flapping, clapping, bouncing, etc”

“Hates injustice and hates to be mis-understood”

“Words and actions often misunderstood by others”

“Perceived to be cold-mannered and unfriendly”

“can be very shy or mute”

“Will shut down in social situations once overloaded”

“Doesn’t go out much. Prefers to go out with her partner or children if she has them”

“Doesn’t have many girlfriends and will not do girly things like shopping and hang out”

“Will have close friends in school but may not when she’s reached adulthood”

“If she has a relationship, she will take it very seriously but she may prefer to be alone.”

“Either will really enjoy sex or strongly dislike it”

“If she likes a male, she can be noticeably awkward in her attempts to let him know”

“Often prefers the company of animals but may not due to sensory issues”

Traits don’t apply to me

“Eccentric personality; may be effected In appearance”

“Is youthful for her age, in looks, dress, behaviour and tastes.”

“Usually a little more expressive in the face and gestures than male counterparts”

“May have many androgynous traits, despite an outwardly feminine appearance thinks of herself as half male/female”

“May not have a strong sense of identity”

“Enjoys reading and films as a retreat”

 “may have been diagnosed with aspergers when young, or may have been thought as gifted, sensitive, shy etc”

“Often musical, artistic”

“May have a savant skill or strong talent”

“May have strong interest in computers, science, games, graphic design…”

“May have been a self-taught reader, been hyperlexic as a child and will posses other self-taught skills”

“Highly intelligent, but can sometimes be slow to comprehend”

“probably given several prescriptions to treat symptoms…”

“mild to severe gastrol-intestinal difficulties”

“prone to temper or crying meltdowns”

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

Hi, I'm an Aussie. I've only been diagnosed really recently, so I'm still figuring out my country's attitude to autism. But. Everything I'd looked up before seeking diagnosis (mostly from the US & UK) indicated it would be really hard to get diagnosed as an adult. In the end, it only took 4 weeks, would have been 3, but I tend to put off making phone calls. Out of pocket expense was about $80, but it would have been half that if I had qualified for a low income concession.

That’s interesting. Your diagnosis didn’t take that long; mine took about a year. It’s interesting that you had to pay, we don’t have to pay anything in the UK as we have a free health service. Although I think my mum would of rather paid the fee to get me diagnosed quicker- to save the stress! I was diagnosed when I was 8 so I was quite young. Ps I would love to live in Australia, it must be lovely!

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

Best countries to live in if you have Autism?

I’m interested too see how your country takes to autism and other mental health problems.

I’m in the UK and it has it’s pros and cons. The NHS (our free health service) is disastorous when it comes to mental health and I’m only hoping it can improve. Although my school like in British state schools haven’t been great, I’ve heard lots of people’s experiences differently. 

There is a lack of services for people with autism, but there are loads of friendly charities and organizations dedicate themselves to try and help vulnerable young people

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

I'm a girl diagnosed with Asperger's and am the opposite of bisexual, if you like - as in, not interested in males or females! I've heard there is a link between autism and asexuality.

Oh really? That’s interesting. I personally think it all links in with the problems people with Asperger’s have concerning relationships

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

Autistic boys when completely overwhelmed are usually:

This is actually really accurate... Autistic girls when completely overwhelmed are usually:

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

Shaving is such a bitch! My skin is getting more used too it. Epilating hurts but I think it’s better for the skin. In the UK it’s hot like one day a year so tend not to even worry about it too much.

Hi! Um, sorry if this is TMI, but I was wondering if any autistic people who shave find it uncomfortable shaving b/c of the feeling of the razor against your skin? Besides possibly cutting myself, I hate the feeling of the razor against my skin. :/

I’ve actually heard this is really common, I don’t personally have that problem but it seems like a very common sensory issue that a lot of autistic people deal with.

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

Bisexuality and Aspergers/Autism

Quite a personal topic- however more and more people are appearing to be more and more open about it. I've got Aspergers Syndrome and am bisexual. I find myself about 60% straight and 40% gay. I'm genuinely attracted to men but if a nice woman comes along I'm not going to turn her down! I've been looking at a few blogs here and there and most people with aspergers seem to be bisexual. I'm not sure whether there is a link to this. Oh- sorry, when I meant most people I meant most girls, I haven't seen many boys that are bisexual. I just find this a bit of a coincidence and would be interested in doing a bit of research in it to see if there were any links. Of course people with aspergers find relationships difficult and difficult to understand- it could all be a major puzzle, with links to misunderstanding relationships to being bisexual or being confused about sexuality. Any input from fellow aspies bisexual or not would be great!

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

Facebook Page

Thanks so much for the people that have followed me on tumblr! I'm not sure whether you guys have read my book or just like my blog but is thanks anyway! I've got an author page on Facebook which I would be so grateful for you to like! I haven't got many likes at the moment so even one will do! The link is www.facebook.com/hannahbarlett You could also give my book a read if you so wish- it's a memoir on a young woman struggling with autism and mental health and battling against services that are meant to help her. It's called in a different world as I literally feel that I do live in a different world! I'm sure other people with autism can relate. You can read it free on smashwords and authomony and read it on kindle from those websites. You can also buy it on Amazon. Links are on my Facebook page

[hannahbarlettauthorblog-blog]

I'm just going to have a rant about the Duggars now

The Duggars aren't well known in the UK, where I live. Their TV show is on some crappy channel called home and health, which no one really watches. I used to quite like them in fact, despite the fact that they are Christian and I am atheist. At first they seemed like a respectful family, but now I couldn't hate the buggers more. So there's been all this scandal about eldest son Josh fiddling with young girls, including his sisters. Am I surprised about this? No, and I'm shocked that many people didn't seem to be either. You need to think of the psychology behind it- have you seen that family? They live in their own twisted world and as the children are homeschooled the twisted world is all they know. A twisted world where children almost fear a woman who has a skirt above her knees, or a girl wearing trousers. This is the twisted family where the elder girls work like slaves around the clock and the so-called superior men- excuse my French- do shit all. As the children are homeschooled, what are they learning at home? I'm sure sex education isn't to far up on the Duggars list of educational priorities. I don't think people realise how much this links up to what josh done in the first place. Sex education is vital for young people for so many different reasons. The family stated that Josh was curious about girls. To me, that translates into Josh was confused about women and the feelings that come with that along with all the hormonal feelings that teenagers go through yet no one was there to talk to him about it. Obviously we don't know this- but the Duggars are so conservative they save their first kiss for the wedding day and it's almost a sin to even talk about sex beforehand. They are hardly going to be Americas best educators in sex and the issues surrounding it. Why does everyone blame josh? I think his nutters for parents have some explaining to do as well, don't put all the blame onto a confused young boy who hasn't been properly educated. Why are some Christians defending them? Some Christians seem to be passing Josh's actions of as a mistake. "All kids make mistakes." One of them said. What planet are these people on. Apparently the Duggars "disciplined" him. Instead of discipling him talk to him- teach him. All young boys are curious and have strong feelings when they are teens- it's easy to get confused. Oh and apart from that little scandal they are also homophobic, against transgender people and apparently use a "rod" to hit their children. Although no one seems to care about that nugget of information. It's a scandal when one of them molests girls but no one cares about the fact that they get physically assaulted. Pretty much sums up children's rights in the USA to be fair.. Besides, like I'm ever going to take someone with a name like Jim Bob seriously.. I'm going to stop now as I'm getting quite angry!