It's all these little things that would make a huge difference in the long term. Would it cost? Sure, but I'm sure the extra taxes I'd be paying as the result of a better income would pay for it.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Cracks in the system
Well, What does a normal looking body and the ability to relate reasonably well to NTs get you? A tour of the cracks in out social support systems! While I don't qualify for (or want or expect) welfare, there are times I could do with a bit extra help in some matters of everyday life, like sorting out jobs and career, dealing with institutions and creditors, and getting started with official paperwork.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Make me an offer! Submit a proposal!
These have to be among the most annoying and frustrating words in the English language. Why? Because of the way my mind works. To be able to make an offer on anything, I need to know what it is, how much it is worth, under the current market conditions, and what's a reasonable amount I can then push the point, without putting the other person off.
My mind works largely on the principle of building mental models of the world. To do this, I need to know as much about what it is I'm supposed to be doing or thinking about. In the case of making an offer, I need to know:
1. What I'm making an offer on, and what it is
2. Can I make an offer in the first place? (if it's something overseas, I may not be eligible)
3. What's fair under current conditions? For example, what is a particular item worth right now?
4. What is a fair margin for haggling?
Now, I may or may not have this information on hand, #4 is particularly difficult, as that depends on the other person. In some cases, I may not know what an item is really worth, so even setting the base price for an offer is difficult.
Now for the worse one... Proposals. With proposals, whether that be a proposal to do some work, or a proposal to pay off a debt, I am working with limited information. The big thing I need to know is what are the boundaries that I can't go beyond? What can and can't I do? For example, if it's paying off a debt, some of these boundaries might be:
1. How long before I must make a payment?
2. What's the minimum payment the creditor will accept?
3. Can I put it on hold and extend the repayment period, or catch up in a few months?
4. Can I vary the repayment if circumstances change? i.e. can I pay a bit more if I have some spare money?
Now on the issue of debts, the Tax Office are very good. They state most of their conditions up front, so it's easy to put forward a proposal, because the boundaries are fairly well set. They state how long a debt must be paid off in full, which sets the minimum payment amount, and they offer a range of frequencies to suit. They also state what happens if you fail to meet the agreed repayments.
Some banks, on the other hand, just say "Put forward a proposal", without addressing any of the other boundary conditions. For me, this is akin to trying to simulate the behaviour of a rocket, without supplying any formulas to describe gravity, acceleration or other matters of physics!
My mind works largely on the principle of building mental models of the world. To do this, I need to know as much about what it is I'm supposed to be doing or thinking about. In the case of making an offer, I need to know:
1. What I'm making an offer on, and what it is
2. Can I make an offer in the first place? (if it's something overseas, I may not be eligible)
3. What's fair under current conditions? For example, what is a particular item worth right now?
4. What is a fair margin for haggling?
Now, I may or may not have this information on hand, #4 is particularly difficult, as that depends on the other person. In some cases, I may not know what an item is really worth, so even setting the base price for an offer is difficult.
Now for the worse one... Proposals. With proposals, whether that be a proposal to do some work, or a proposal to pay off a debt, I am working with limited information. The big thing I need to know is what are the boundaries that I can't go beyond? What can and can't I do? For example, if it's paying off a debt, some of these boundaries might be:
1. How long before I must make a payment?
2. What's the minimum payment the creditor will accept?
3. Can I put it on hold and extend the repayment period, or catch up in a few months?
4. Can I vary the repayment if circumstances change? i.e. can I pay a bit more if I have some spare money?
Now on the issue of debts, the Tax Office are very good. They state most of their conditions up front, so it's easy to put forward a proposal, because the boundaries are fairly well set. They state how long a debt must be paid off in full, which sets the minimum payment amount, and they offer a range of frequencies to suit. They also state what happens if you fail to meet the agreed repayments.
Some banks, on the other hand, just say "Put forward a proposal", without addressing any of the other boundary conditions. For me, this is akin to trying to simulate the behaviour of a rocket, without supplying any formulas to describe gravity, acceleration or other matters of physics!
About this blog
Staircase of the mind is a blog about the barriers of day to day living for someone on the autism spectrum, especially those who aren't receiving any form of disability support, because they are willing and capable of some form of work.
This blog is called "Staircase of the Mind", to draw an analogy to the effect stairs have on wheelchair bound people. Certain aspects of the social, political, legal and administrative systems of our society have similar effects on us - in effect, they are as formidable barrier to our optimal participation in society and the economy as stairs are to people in wheelchairs.
In here, I hope to start to describe some of these barriers. Maybe someone out there will see this, and is in a position to effect real change. Being more inclusive of autistic and other people who are not "typical" can only benefit society as a whole. If you're a hard nosed economist, this means we're paying more taxes and moving more money along, through our increased earning and spending power. For the more humanitarian, it means we have more control over our lifestyle, and a better quality of life. However you look at it, we win, and society as a whole wins. In short, this has to be better for all.
This blog is called "Staircase of the Mind", to draw an analogy to the effect stairs have on wheelchair bound people. Certain aspects of the social, political, legal and administrative systems of our society have similar effects on us - in effect, they are as formidable barrier to our optimal participation in society and the economy as stairs are to people in wheelchairs.
In here, I hope to start to describe some of these barriers. Maybe someone out there will see this, and is in a position to effect real change. Being more inclusive of autistic and other people who are not "typical" can only benefit society as a whole. If you're a hard nosed economist, this means we're paying more taxes and moving more money along, through our increased earning and spending power. For the more humanitarian, it means we have more control over our lifestyle, and a better quality of life. However you look at it, we win, and society as a whole wins. In short, this has to be better for all.
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