indignant_meerkat

What would you say is your greatest contribution to Reddit?

First off, your daughter is absolutely adorable! Love the pic you posted. Second, I've been reading through your comments, and I'm so impressed by your outlook on your family's situation. One of the most important things for any child is to have parents who are able to have an optimistic view on life regardless of the circumstances. It is clear that you will be providing a good model for optimism as your daughter grows up!

On another note, thank you for the AMA! I work at a camp for kids with a range of dif-abilities, and we have a child coming this summer with 22Q and I was talking with my coworkers today about how we really need to read up on it. So this has been most helpful! Thanks!

And as for my question, I know it's a little bit down the road for you, but have you thought about what sort of school setting your daughter will benefit from when she reaches that age (inclusion vs. specialized program)? Do you feel as though your local school system will adequately meet the needs of your daughter?

I'm sure you're not really that "strange" bro, that's just how people perceive you because they're often too damn close-minded to try to get to know someone different than themselves. We live in a world where being "different" is stylish to a certain point, and then once you go beyond that point, people just don't know how to connect with you. And it's not that they are unable to connect with you, it's that they are unwilling to try. Often, I think they're just too nervous or self-conscious to put themselves out there to meet someone who might challenge their perceptions of normalcy. Luckily, there are people out there who are willing to look beyond a little "strangeness" and really want to get to know you. I hope you are able to find someone like that. They're far and few between, but they're out there. Trust me.

High school is a judgmental time. Probably a lot of the people who are laughing at you are doing it just because they want to win the praise of their friends. Imagine a group of three people who might be making fun of you...each one of them may be thinking, "Damn, I wish I had the confidence to really talk to this guy, but I don't. My friends won't think I'm cool if I do that." In actuality, all of may want to get to know you, but none of them want to be judged by their peers so they hold off. Lots of people, girls included, get over this need to be constantly accepted as they get older. Not everyone, but definitely more than in high school. Just keep your confidence up as best you can and some girl is bound to notice. Then you might get a little high school romance coming your way.

My psychology professor was telling me the other day about the link between dopamine levels in the brain and Parkinson's. My basic understanding is that a lack of tonic dopamine in one part of the brain can be cited for the trouble with voluntary movement in someone with Parkinson's. However, my professor also said that in moments of stress/adrenaline (e.g. a tree falling, about to crush a person), someone with Parkinson's is sometimes able to have complete control over their motor functions. Essentially, the person is momentarily "cured" of their motor difficulties. Something in the brain seems to be compensating for the lack of tonic dopamine. Have you ever experienced this?