Interview Hadron

[Christopher McCandless]

Here is your opportunity to interview a minor celebrity. Go ahead...

[Adam]

how's university going?
you getting whatever support you need for AS?

[Christopher McCandless]

University has been going pretty well, been very busy recently with all the social and other activities that I have been involved with (like setting up some events). Having a couple of days off atm for the most part.

Most of the support is in place, waiting on a few things but it all should be set up by the end of this week. Put it this way, it should be impossible for me not to get a high first this year, I am basically getting all my essays written by iterative process (so I can basically redo them until they are worth a first).

Plus I have been using it to get support with public speaking and other stuff - should help me with career building. Also been applying for internships and so.

[jman]

Why do you feel the need to challenge every decision made on this site?

[Christopher McCandless]

I don't actually - but you only seem to notice the ones that I challenge. Nor do I normally challenge every decision in its entirety, just parts of it.

Asides, what is wrong with pointing out mistakes. Hopefully some people here will avoid making them in future as a result.

[Celticgoddess]

What are you majoring in and what do you hope to do with your degree post grad?

[Christopher McCandless]

What are you majoring in and what do you hope to do with your degree post grad?

Mainly Mathematics, though that would be boring to do in its own, so for the last 3 years I have been taking modules in other departments. Probably will do a PhD in either Maths or Psychology, preferably something on the boundary of a discipline where I can actually discover something meaningful.

Though I am also thinking about Teaching or Autism Rights politics as a career.

['andersom']

Would you be coming out, if you go for a career in Autism Rights politics?

[Christopher McCandless]

Would you be coming out, if you go for a career in Autism Rights politics?

I wouldn't have much of a choice would I there - but at the moment I am already involved very discreetly, without having to publically reveal anything. To go much further, I would have to be out there, unless I went for a backroom job.

[Celticgoddess]

Would you be coming out, if you go for a career in Autism Rights politics?

I wouldn't have much of a choice would I there - but at the moment I am already involved very discreetly, without having to publically reveal anything. To go much further, I would have to be out there, unless I went for a backroom job.

Not exactly. I get a good number of speaking gigs and have yet to actually ever publically say I'm an Aspie. It's kind of interesting because no one has ever asked me during my Q&A. Unless I'm just that bloody obvious. Never thought of that until I started typing my response. Damn. Maybe I'm not as under the radar as I originally thought. Ha.

[Christopher McCandless]

Would you be coming out, if you go for a career in Autism Rights politics?

I wouldn't have much of a choice would I there - but at the moment I am already involved very discreetly, without having to publically reveal anything. To go much further, I would have to be out there, unless I went for a backroom job.

Not exactly. I get a good number of speaking gigs and have yet to actually ever publically say I'm an Aspie. It's kind of interesting because no one has ever asked me during my Q&A. Unless I'm just that bloody obvious. Never thought of that until I started typing my response. Damn. Maybe I'm not as under the radar as I originally thought. Ha.

Depends what you are talking about - if you are talking about something else then you can be under the radar. The fact you have an AS child helps, I can't exactly play that deflection. Asides, I think its time an Aspie who is a good public speaker takes the stage and starts to say what needs to be said. We need to be a lot more direct. We need our people to gain some self-respect and stand up against the system. It is a matter of freedom, if nothing else - we need a certain degree of freedom from social expectations if we are to live comfortably in this society. At the minute, for most Aspies its pretty shit - employment rates being a prime example.

['andersom']

Would you be coming out, if you go for a career in Autism Rights politics?

I wouldn't have much of a choice would I there - but at the moment I am already involved very discreetly, without having to publically reveal anything. To go much further, I would have to be out there, unless I went for a backroom job.

Not exactly. I get a good number of speaking gigs and have yet to actually ever publically say I'm an Aspie. It's kind of interesting because no one has ever asked me during my Q&A. Unless I'm just that bloody obvious. Never thought of that until I started typing my response. Damn. Maybe I'm not as under the radar as I originally thought. Ha.

Depends what you are talking about - if you are talking about something else then you can be under the radar. The fact you have an AS child helps, I can't exactly play that deflection. Asides, I think its time an Aspie who is a good public speaker takes the stage and starts to say what needs to be said. We need to be a lot more direct. We need our people to gain some self-respect and stand up against the system. It is a matter of freedom, if nothing else - we need a certain degree of freedom from social expectations if we are to live comfortably in this society. At the minute, for most Aspies its pretty shit - employment rates being a prime example.

I worked in an ASD/ADHD information centre for a while, as a volunteer. We also had awareness meetings (not that much, the organisation was a mess). The founder/boss of the organisation never revealed her ASD diagnosis. But she did present her volunteers as experts through experience. This was one of the reasons for me to distrust her more and more. She was flaunting with the dx-es of her kids and volunteers, and playing the NT herself. Coming out, well, can't be done everywhere, I am aware of that, but it is important that it happens.

I am more ready to tell about my own diagnosis, than about the one of my child. Because I don't like making her someone to talk about in gossip. She has no control about what I say about her. I rather respect her privacy. She can come out, when she wants. That's not really my task. Unless it is necessary for school, dentist or things like that.

[Christopher McCandless]

Would you be coming out, if you go for a career in Autism Rights politics?

I wouldn't have much of a choice would I there - but at the moment I am already involved very discreetly, without having to publically reveal anything. To go much further, I would have to be out there, unless I went for a backroom job.

Not exactly. I get a good number of speaking gigs and have yet to actually ever publically say I'm an Aspie. It's kind of interesting because no one has ever asked me during my Q&A. Unless I'm just that bloody obvious. Never thought of that until I started typing my response. Damn. Maybe I'm not as under the radar as I originally thought. Ha.

Depends what you are talking about - if you are talking about something else then you can be under the radar. The fact you have an AS child helps, I can't exactly play that deflection. Asides, I think its time an Aspie who is a good public speaker takes the stage and starts to say what needs to be said. We need to be a lot more direct. We need our people to gain some self-respect and stand up against the system. It is a matter of freedom, if nothing else - we need a certain degree of freedom from social expectations if we are to live comfortably in this society. At the minute, for most Aspies its pretty shit - employment rates being a prime example.

I worked in an ASD/ADHD information centre for a while, as a volunteer. We also had awareness meetings (not that much, the organisation was a mess). The founder/boss of the organisation never revealed her ASD diagnosis. But she did present her volunteers as experts through experience. This was one of the reasons for me to distrust her more and more. She was flaunting with the dx-es of her kids and volunteers, and playing the NT herself. Coming out, well, can't be done everywhere, I am aware of that, but it is important that it happens.

Coming out has a lot of risks - I could never do it in my own university as things stand for example. People might treat me like a leper. The situation there really is that bad, which is something I am trying to get changed on a low key basis for now.

I am more ready to tell about my own diagnosis, than about the one of my child. Because I don't like making her someone to talk about in gossip. She has no control about what I say about her. I rather respect her privacy. She can come out, when she wants. That's not really my task. Unless it is necessary for school, dentist or things like that.

I guess this is one of the things that really puts me off the public speaking trail - in effect by coming out then I am casting light on my family around me and that is not something they can control easily.

[Parts]

Are you one of those perpetual students that stay in school forever or do you plan on some sort of career

[Christopher McCandless]

Are you one of those perpetual students that stay in school forever or do you plan on some sort of career

Well I have 4 years to get my Masters and undergrad, if I fail the year I get kicked out. Then I have to go onto a PhD or get a job outside of academia. Its kind of impossible to be a perpetual student in the UK, unless you are independently rather wealthy to begin with.