AFOL

Writing myself a new car

jo2sn Autism, Family and fun, LEGO , , , , , , ,

I honor of the World Autism Awareness Day 2017: I have reward systems for myself and my two sons with autism. The principles are as follows:

  • Reward the behavior we want more of. Don’t reward required activities, but reward when we choose to do help with chores. Ignore when we choose not to, do not remove credits.
  • Rewards are things you would not get otherwise. Verbal praise and encouragement are given even so. You have to earn it – and get it when you finalize (a deal is a deal).
  • We use token economy and postponed gratification. Training for the mash mellow test improves forward thinking.
  • Rewards are usually LEGO. Specific piece request from Bricklink.  Every token/mark is a ten’er (DKR 10).

The teenagers (13+11) have been rewarded for doing the dishes, preparing food, taking out the garbage etc. Initially 15 tokens gave a trip to McDonalds, but as mastering progressed the rewards became bigger. One time 50 tokens/marks was needed for a reward. The options to help (“The Mark Menu”) was at one point over 20 chores. Over time they lost interest in saving but did the chores anyway, so some of the chores where made required. One day the oldest added “Do not fight” to the list of required (non-rewarding) activities 😉 Next up is to save for a game on Steam..

I’m being rewarded every time I run (5K, outside. Half a mark for treadmill), for my morning exercises and a few other thing I struggle with. I have just finished a sheet of 140 marks that I worked on since September 2016). The new target is to buy myself first a Bugatti and then a McLaren. Not a new minivan..

I am going to write myself a new car

“I hope this drives the right behavior”

Similar posts on leadership and praise at work: In a star team – the team gets the stars, I know it is your job – but thank you anyway

Similar posts on autism: Pragmatic choices of what is important and possible, Stakeholders,

Similar posts on drive and motivation: More than carrots and sticks, 16 points that may rock the boat

It all starts with an odd piece

jo2sn Family and fun, LEGO, Softwaretesting , , , ,

One of my coworkers had gotten himself a LEGO 10242 MINI Cooper, and by the help of the other consultants it had been build (to spec?). We look over the remaining pieces and discuss how come. All the 1×1 plates are quite expected, there are extras of these because the weights aren’t that precise and the pieces are cheap. Also customers easily loose them, so it’s cheaper to send some extra than to handle through customer service. On BrickLink inventory there is even a fan made list of the usual extra items….

But an extra black 2×4 plate – naa. That’s odd.. And surely it missed on the bottom of the car. I had prior knowledge .. but have not built this exact set.

Now I have another hunch that the two gray 1×3 tiles and 1×1 dark green bricks in to the rear are missing somewhere. A good thing those consultants have a test department, one could say…  Still the pieces seem not to be 1-CRITICALLY missing, so the model is DONE and accepted. So even if the LEGO tester gets to ask “what if” – we have to remember to hear the answer to “does it matter” – even if it is our favorite hobbyhorse

2015-12-18 13.49.28

Give me your testing worries

jo2sn LEGO, Softwaretesting , , , ,

In testing we handle risks, concerns, challenges, worries – we put the sore spots in the spotlight….

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!“*

Have the courage to stand tall and be the beacon where worries go to

ladylego

 

See also: Acceptance is more than what can be measured, Testing is your sensory nerves, Eating wicked problems for breakfast

That’s what friends are for

jo2sn Family and fun, LEGO , , ,

“Simon”, 6yo, wants a LEGO Friends set [3930]. The furniture and cakes is for their hero mini-figure “The Rescue Diver” of the city “Runkelberg”. Stephanie in the set will be a doll, that the evil villain “Thorkild” can hammer. The Rescue Diver has the power of having a shadow that can move independently – while the oldest sing “Batman’s  lone hero song – being a long way away from home“.

//Keep smiling – keep shining – Knowing you can always count on me – for sure //

A colleague brought homemade cupcakes to work yesterday. I had the day off – but they saved one for me for the next day. A colleague in another department is not in – text her. She’s ill and send my best wishes. Writing to a friend, about a former colleague just home from hospital – here chocolate is being ordered.