Traveling 40 Years on Mars: What I Have Learned as an Asperger

By Orlando Javier Jaramillo Gutierrez

This book is a practical testimony of an adult asperger person (within the autistic spectrum), who have faced difficult situations in life because of his condition, but who, through adequate help has managed to overcome himself and set an example of resilience. An example for other people, because their writings become an excellent tool for parents, educators, family members, and people who want to know what it means to be Asperger, its implications, scope, and to know a different vision to motivate and get ahead.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orlando Javier Jaramillo Gutierrez
• Release date: May 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463356425

Orlando Javier Jaramillo Gutierrez

Orlando Javier Jaramillo Gutiérrez es tecnologo, emprendedor y escritor.Co-fundador de 6sigma IT SolutionsCo-fundador MHM - Mi Historia MédicaNació en el seno de una familia colombo-venezolana diagnosticado de forma tardía con síndrome de Asperger (Autismo), se graduó como tecnólogo en Informática, con grandes inquietudes para emprender en varias áreas de tecnología digital, creando la comunidad y centro de soluciones Asperger para Asperger, los programas educativos de Aprender Divirtiéndose: Informática Creativa para Todos, Informática y Robótica, Ciencia y Tecnología al alcance de Todos, enfocadas en la enseñanza de habilidades de informática creativa, pensamiento sistemico a niños dentro del espectro Autista.Ofrece soluciones de soporte de tecnologias de información, marketing digital, ciberseguridad.Escribe de todos esos temas en el blog de Autismo (Asperger para Asperger) y Tecnologias de Información (6sigma It Solutions)Orlando, es autor de su primer libro sobre autismo: Viajando 40 años por Marte - Lo que he aprendido como Asperger------ENGLISHOrlando Javier Jaramillo Gutiérrez is a technologist, entrepreneur and writer.Co-founder of 6sigma IT SolutionsCo-founder MHM - My Medical HistoryBorn in a Colombian-Venezuelan family late diagnosed with Asperger syndrome (Autism), he graduated as a computer technologist, with great concerns to undertake in several areas of digital technology, creating the Asperger community and solutions center to Asperger, the educational programs of Learning Having Fun: Creative Computer Science for All, Computer Science and Robotics, Science and Technology available to Everyone, focused on teaching creative computer skills, systematic thinking to children within the Autistic spectrum.It offers support solutions for information technologies, digital marketing, cybersecurity.Write of all these topics in the blog of Autism (Asperger for Asperger) and Information Technology (6sigma It Solutions)Orlando is the author of his first book on autism: Traveling 40 years on Mars - What I've learned as Asperger

Book preview

Dedicatory

I dedicate this book to:

To God, who put me on the road all these situations to transcend and help other people.

To my beloved parents, my heroes, who have always accompanied me, because while I was on Mars, they on the Moon trying to understand me, they have been present, in good times and in bad times, supporting me in moments of joy and sadness. And they have supported me to achieve my goals in all areas. I love you.

* * * * *

Acknowledgments

I want to thanks:

To Dr. Edgard Belfort and Dr. Xarifa Sarache, who helped me in the most challenging moments in Venezuela.

To Dr. Christian Muñoz Farías, who has supported me and encouraged me in Colombia.

To my sisters, Lorena and Vanessa, who have learned to know me all these years. And additionally, they helped me in choosing the name and translation to the English version of the book and cover design, respectively.

To my cousin Juan Carlos Salgado Jaramillo, who encouraged me and helped edit this book.

To family and friends who, knowing or not about my Asperger condition, have always accepted me unconditionally, as I am, with my peculiarities, and they have been part of this story, and who unknowingly accept diversity and difference, setting an example to others People in society.

* * * * *

Index

Cover

Dedicatory

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1. Day Zero. Accepting my reality

Chapter 2. My Parents journey of not knowing my condition: my early childhood

Chapter 3. What is Asperger Syndrome (and ASD)

Chapter 4. Bullying

Chapter 5. My life after Bullying

Chapter 6. My relationship with Technology

Chapter 7. My neighbors and friends

Chapter 8. The big positive change

Chapter 9. Entrepreneurship and the restless mind

Chapter 10. The big negative change

Chapter 11. The big frustration

Chapter 12. Some collateral damage from my first crises

Chapter 13. Light on the road: A new beginning

Chapter 14. Different worldview: Binary thinking, ambiguity, and literalness

Chapter 15. Relationships and intimacy

Chapter 16. My independent life

Chapter 17. What made the difference?

Chapter 18. Suggestions for Inclusion in the workplace

Chapter 19. Another Great Change: An additional one that increased my confidence and from a different perspective

Chapter 20. Asperger for Asperger

Chapter 21. The Fourth Industrial Revolution and ASD

Chapter 22. What I have learned about the Internet and social networks

Chapter 23. My current life. Your Technology Manager

Conclusion

Annexes

Bibliography

About the author

Foreword

Traveling 40 years on Mars is not just any book. It brings together the experiences, uncertainties, and learnings of Orlando Jaramillo, a man who, from a very young age, had to learn how to read and understand the emotional world. People ridiculed, stigmatized, criticized, judged, not recognized, and in many cases, snubbed. This book recounts and exemplifies extraordinarily the lives of millions of young people with Asperger's Syndrome, from the perspective of someone who lives it and not from the distance that the Society usually has, with those individuals who, because they are different, and end up being labeled. These individuals run out of spaces, opportunities, and scenarios to be able to develop on a par because we mistakenly presume to be normal.

When you read this book and have it in your hands, you will understand how parents, family, and friends who have had to see their children with the same condition, have had different paths and have had to reinvent themselves within the limitations of a non-empathic, distant and sometimes hostile Health System. Only parents and relatives of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder have the tenacity and courage to change paradigms, generating opportunities for these individuals, helping their development and emotional growth. They can achieve these due to their deep bond and affection to their children.

This book brings together the life of a human being who grows up without understanding the reason for many of his behaviors, reactions, and difficulties in his development process.

He shows us that to understand his emotions and those of others; he had to go through unfortunate situations and read an environment that also lacks the necessary understanding of inclusiveness. Most importantly, it allows us to see 40 years in the life of an individual, with circumstances that medical books cannot tell us and that many mothers of children with the same reality can process positively and thus changing the erroneous expectations that make them think that their children cannot think with autonomy, independence, goal setting, and entrepreneurship.

Therefore, dear readers, you were not mistaken when you allowed this book to enter your homes, and it is not necessary to have a child or a relative with Asperger's Syndrome to read and appreciate it. The book is the vindication of millions of young people who suffer on this planet for