The Autism Thread

[ImmalovemaGTR]

The funny thing is, I've managed to bury the hatchet with those classmates who bullied me in 2008/9 and I'm really good friends with them now. I even shared a "Best Bromance" award with one of them.

As for the other bullies, it makes me sleep better at night knowing that they will never amount to much. The less I can say about the terrorising Traveller kids' futures, the better. It would probably violate the AUP, too, because I think I might invoke some Traveller stereotypes, but honestly these kids fit them. As for the girls, the highlight of their lives will probably be getting at least one of the fathers of their children to stay around for their child's 2nd birthday.

Okay... If they are now nice to you... interesting;-)

"OMG!!! You came to my 8th child second birthday!!! I love you"
"Meh errm I just wanted to tell you that I have enough of you..."
"wat?"

 

[PeterJB]

Wow, a lot of Aspies here.

I was diagnosed at nine. It made quite a lot of sense then because it explained my rather erratic behavior prior to it. I had very few friends in primary school, they tended to come and go when they got sick of me, and I did get bullied a lot. That doesn't bother me any more because those guys were idiots, and it's only made me thick-skinned, though I haven't experienced bullying for several years.

When I was a kid the most obvious feature was the narrow intense interests; cars, trains, planes, dinosaurs, all of which remain to some degree, but are not my primary interests. A fascination with skyscrapers hit me after 9/11, and that one caught a lot of people's attention, I didn't help that I tended to rant on and on without stopping!

I didn't necessarily mind not having many friends in primary school, I was happy to entertain myself and be off in my own world.

Things got a bit more difficult in secondary school. Virtually all my primary school friends abandoned me, and I ended up in a small group that involved me and someone else fighting for the attention for another. I was doing it because of, what seemed like an attraction at the time, and I think the other guy was too. I realize now that what I was experiencing was probably an extreme desire for friendship that manifested itself as sexual attraction. Even so, me and this guy were best friends for about three years, until he got caught up with drugees and basically ruined his life, these days we're still perfectly good friends, though we don't see each other every so often. We eventually assimilated into a peer group of about 30, and from that I have current 'wolf pack' of five.

When I started cello in Year 10 I was able to channel my compulsive nature into something useful, it's got me a performance diploma, into uni, and on stage at the Royal Albert Hall, all in less than five years.

These days the biggest effect Asperger's has on me is OCD. I have a sometimes crippling fear of disease and germs, which I've had for about 4 years now. It comes and goes, but I can control it relatively well. I also need to control my immediately environment and have a plan or routine that stays fixed. I've never received any formal treatment or medication for AS, I've to basically had sort it out myself. I've learnt from my mistakes, and I have a very supportive family and a secure and close-knit peer group. These days I don't think I'm suppressing it anymore, but it just is what it is. It'll probably never go completely away, but I think it will just continue to dwindle.

 

[ITCC_Andrew]

@ PeterJB, I was so obsessed with trains, my parents had to keep all of the doors locked, so I wouldn't run out of the house and down the street when I heard the horn of the local trains. And, cars, which is why I'm here.

Maybe we're all somewhat similar, too? Though, I've never been inclined towards dinosaurs in the slightest, I think Autistic people all have some amount of shared interests.

 

[adam46]

@ PeterJB, I was so obsessed with trains, my parents had to keep all of the doors locked, so I wouldn't run out of the house and down the street when I heard the horn of the local trains. And, cars, which is why I'm here.

Maybe we're all somewhat similar, too? Though, I've never been inclined towards dinosaurs in the slightest, I think Autistic people all have some amount of shared interests.

I was very into Trains until I was about 10, though I think a lot of my love for them came around because of a friend of mine. He passed away when I was 9 so I guess I kind of got fed up when I didn't have anyone to talk about Trains with. Cars have been a lifelong passion as well... I watch every race I can without movement and with 100% interest. Apparently it's been that way since I was less than a year old!

 

[PeterJB]

I've heard AS described as 'extreme boyness' because a lot of these interests are ones that most non-autistic guys have at that age anyway!

 

[ITCC_Andrew]

But, what of the girls/ladies with Asperger's?

 

[DK]

According to my parents, cars have been on my mind ever since I could talk!

I was diagnosed when I was about 2 or 3. That's my best guess, as I couldn't talk until I was 3, and I guess my parents thought there was something wrong with me if I still couldn't speak by my 2nd birthday.

When I was in secondary school, I spent up to an hour every week with a psychiatrist for about a year. I think it was a mixture of angry outbursts and just breaking down in tears. I'm not sure if it was depression - I felt miserable, but I still attended school, and function well when it came to homework, tests and exams.

 

[Danny]

I've lived with an Autistic guy for several years. He's a total jerk.

 

[adam46]

According to my parents, cars have been on my mind ever since I could talk!

I was diagnosed when I was about 2 or 3. That's my best guess, as I couldn't talk until I was 3, and I guess my parents thought there was something wrong with me if I still couldn't speak by my 2nd birthday.

When I was in secondary school, I spent up to an hour every week with a psychiatrist for about a year. I think it was a mixture of angry outbursts and just breaking down in tears. I'm not sure if it was depression - I felt miserable, but I still attended school, and function well when it came to homework, tests and exams.

Wait... The whole homework, tests and exams thing... Are people with Asperger's supposed to be good at that? Because I am certainly not good at those things.

 

[PeterJB]

Wait... The whole homework, tests and exams thing... Are people with Asperger's supposed to be good at that? Because I am certainly not good at those things.

Most typical curriculum essays and tests often work in a way that our brain doesn't. It's easy to think you're answering the question when you aren't.

 

[adam46]

Most typical curriculum essays and tests often work in a way that our brain doesn't. It's easy to think you're answering the question when you aren't.

Now that definitely makes sense to me. I am very good at completely missing the point when someone asked me something, whether it's a test or just a conversation.

 

[DemurgicDemon]

@Mr. Fusion, and I thought my life was hard! I'm so sorry to hear about Aaron, I know he's in a better place now. 👍 I'd like to say, though, congrats on making it through that, and ending up in the University of Gloucester. And, for game design? That sounds really fun!

Thanks man; I'm really looking forward to it. Went out shopping for university bits two days ago, burning a £130 hole in my pocket in the process...

I've lived with an Autistic guy for several years. He's a total jerk.

Hopefully that doesn't make you think bad of all of us who have autism. Despite being autistic myself I've known some autistic people, who've given me a strong urge to sling them off a rooftop. Just like the vast group of normal people (medically speaking), Autism has its jerks! But we're not all so bad.

 

[Furinkazen]

Aspergers affected me with work in one of two extremes. When I was given an assignment I would either nail it almost immediately and have it finished way ahead of everyone else, or I'd just look at it blankly and not understand a bit of it. With me it's one extreme or another, i'll maybe ignore one big thing and totally over react to something minor.

 

[R0ssingt0n]

Wow, I don't have Autism, Aspergers etc... (at least I'm pretty sure I dont!) but it's really cool how open you guys are about it. 👍 I know of a few people who are really easily offended and quiet about it.

 

[Vic Reign93]

I was Diagnosed with Aspergers when I was young, and I can relate an awful lot to what has already being said here. Being bullied, have an insane interest in cars and so on. For a while I didn't want to talk about it, because I didn't want to know what was in store for me when I looked up Aspergers. Now though I'm looking at the positives of Aspergers whilst working on my own weak points and I'm better off for it.

 

[ITCC_Andrew]

I remember being taught to answer the question on tests, exams, etc., at the start and finish of the paragraph, and being told to provide good reasoning in the middle. It has certainly affected my results at school. You (everyone here) need to make sure that, in school, you answer the question directly.


@ Vic Reign 93 👍

@ Danny , not everyone's perfect.

 

[Ellis]

I'm sorry I have to ask, but for some reason my interaction with people who suffer from these discussed syndromes is limited.

What are they (I.E symptoms etc)

 

[PeterJB]

I'm sorry I have to ask, but for some reason my interaction with people who suffer from these discussed syndromes is limited.

What are they (I.E symptoms etc)

For Asperger's it would be something like this:

Narrow, intense interests that change frequently and without warning
Underdeveloped social skills
Lack of empathy
Difficult reading sarcasm
Limited vocal inflection, often with a nasal tone
Poor hand-eye and motor coordination
Odd gait and posture
Above average intelligence
High, fast developing vocabulary
Mannerisms, tics, and idiosyncrasies, usually consistent with OCD
Difficult keeping attention for long periods of time
Mind-blindness
Literal understanding of metaphors
Emotional blankness, which can be contrasted with violent outbursts

 

[Furinkazen]

For Asperger's it would be something like this:

Narrow, intense interests that change frequently and without warning
Underdeveloped social skills
Lack of empathy
Difficult reading sarcasm
Limited vocal inflection, often with a nasal tone
Poor hand-eye and motor coordination
Odd gait and posture
Above average intelligence
High, fast developing vocabulary
Mannerisms, tics, and idiosyncrasies, usually consistent with OCD
Difficult keeping attention for long periods of time
Mind-blindness
Literal understanding of metaphors
Emotional blankness, which can be contrasted with violent outbursts

They are perceived traits. If I picked what applied to me it would be just:

Poor hand-eye and motor coordination
Odd gait and posture
Above average intelligence
High, fast developing vocabulary
Mannerisms, tics, and idiosyncrasies, usually consistent with OCD
Difficult keeping attention for long periods of time.

 

[Vic Reign93]

Some of those I do have, but sometimes the negative effects I do have don't always turn out negative.

 

[PeterJB]

They are perceived traits. If I picked what applied to me it would be just:

Poor hand-eye and motor coordination
Odd gait and posture
Above average intelligence
High, fast developing vocabulary
Mannerisms, tics, and idiosyncrasies, usually consistent with OCD
Difficult keeping attention for long periods of time.

Likewise, for me if would be this:

Narrow, intense interests that change frequently and without warning
Odd gait and posture
Above average intelligence
High, fast developing vocabulary
Mannerisms, tics, and idiosyncrasies, usually consistent with OCD
Emotional blankness, which can be contrasted with violent outbursts

 

[Azuremen]

I hate to burst people's bubbles, but intelligence isn't a symptom of Aspeger's. What people mistake for intelligence is the specialized interests in often complex fields that most people find difficult to approach, eg math and science. While you can be a genius and have Apseger's, it doesn't go the other way around. Plenty of average intelligence people have Asperger's.

 

[Furinkazen]

I hate to burst people's bubbles, but intelligence isn't a symptom of Aspeger's. What people mistake for intelligence is the specialized interests in often complex fields that most people find difficult to approach, eg math and science. While you can be a genius and have Apseger's, it doesn't go the other way around. Plenty of average intelligence people have Asperger's.

I wouldn't call it a "symptom" either, you can be as thick as a brick but Aspergers perhaps makes it "easier" to be intelligent due to the way your brain is "wired up" as I put it.

 

[Azuremen]

I wouldn't call it a "symptom" either, you can be as thick as a brick but Aspergers perhaps makes it "easier" to be intelligent due to the way your brain is "wired up" as I put it.

Collecting knowledge isn't intelligence though, that is just knowledge. Specialization isn't intelligence either. The quirky, obsessive nature of Aspeger's doesn't make one more intelligent because they spend more time studying physics than the average Joe. And it is guaranteed he is more capable in other fields that have never been of interested to a person with Aspegers.

 

[Furinkazen]

Collecting knowledge isn't intelligence though, that is just knowledge. Specialization isn't intelligence either. The quirky, obsessive nature of Aspeger's doesn't make one more intelligent because they spend more time studying physics than the average Joe. And it is guaranteed he is more capable in other fields that have never been of interested to a person with Aspegers.

But it is the way the brain works, whilst it might mean as a whole person they are more clever than someone without Aspergers, they may find it easier to do that and so learn quicker. I mentioned in my first post on this topic at College, when we were given an assignment I either found it much easier than everyone else to do it and would do maybe something that took others 1 hour in 30 minutes. Yet sometimes I would be given something else and would be totally stuck. Always one of two extremes.

 

[Azuremen]

But it is the way the brain works, whilst it might mean as a whole person they are more clever than someone without Aspergers, they may find it easier to do that and so learn quicker. I mentioned in my first post on this topic at College, when we were given an assignment I either found it much easier than everyone else to do it and would do maybe something that took others 1 hour in 30 minutes. Yet sometimes I would be given something else and would be totally stuck. Always one of two extremes.

And this is intelligence how? If we go to Wikipedia (yes, I know, I know)

Intelligence has been defined in many different ways including, but not limited to, logic, abstract thought, understanding, self-awareness, communication, learning, having emotional knowledge, retaining, planning, and problem solving.

Your situation of being baffled by some problems and excelling at others doesn't strike me as intelligent, just back to niche interests and specialization.

And the first definition in Merriam Webster is

a (1) : the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations : reason; also : the skilled use of reason (2) : the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one's environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria (as tests)

If you are baffled by new and trying situations, such as the problems you described, how does that qualify as intelligence? See where I'm going with this? You've effectively tailored the definition to suit what you want it to, rather than evaluating your intelligence as whole (as it should be done).

Oh, and "normal" people will get baffled by some problems simply because they don't have the knowledge you may have gleaned from random reading spree online.

 

[Furinkazen]

And this is intelligence how? If we go to Wikipedia (yes, I know, I know)



Your situation of being baffled by some problems and excelling at others doesn't strike me as intelligent, just back to niche interests and specialization.

And the first definition in Merriam Webster is



If you are baffled by new and trying situations, such as the problems you described, how does that qualify as intelligence? See where I'm going with this? You've effectively tailored the definition to suit what you want it to, rather than evaluating your intelligence as whole (as it should be done).

Oh, and "normal" people will get baffled by some problems simply because they don't have the knowledge you may have gleaned from random reading spree online.

There is no such thing as "normal". "Normal" is what is perceived as a standard thing for someone to do, in the eyes of another. What is defined as "normal" behaviour? What about it is so different from other behaviours? And on that case, if every person has there own unique traits, abilities, characters, Aspergers or not, how can one person be "normal" - we are all different.

My college support tutor who has Aspergers himself said he had a trait of always getting a coffee before getting on the train to go to work. He would miss a train just to get his coffee. Now as he has Aspergers that can be argued because he is "not normal" he does such things... but what if someone who doesn't have a medical condition, someone who is medically "normal" does the same thing? What is the difference?

I know I have digressed a bit here Azure, but the whole "normal" "not normal" thing really gets me going.

 

[Azuremen]

There is no such thing as "normal". "Normal" is what is perceived as a standard thing for someone to do, in the eyes of another. What is defined as "normal" behaviour? What about it is so different from other behaviours? And on that case, if every person has there own unique traits, abilities, characters, Aspergers or not, how can one person be "normal" - we are all different.

My college support tutor who has Aspergers himself said he had a trait of always getting a coffee before getting on the train to go to work. He would miss a train just to get his coffee. Now as he has Aspergers that can be argued because he is "not normal" he does such things... but what if someone who doesn't have a medical condition, someone who is medically "normal" does the same thing? What is the difference?

I know I have digressed a bit here Azure, but the whole "normal" "not normal" thing really gets me going.

I used quotes for a reason, but that apparently went over your head.

So back to the point I was making about Intelligence?

 

[Furinkazen]

It's not a case of "intelligence" as such as what you gain in one area you lose in an another. I'll provide an example. Say there are two methods to solving a problem - i'll call them "green" and "red" - a person without aspergers might be able to understand and use both methods to effect, in effect a 50/50 balance of what method they can use - they are equally apt in both methods.

Someone with aspergers may only understand one method, for instance, they may get the "green" method, but struggle to understand the "red" method, so they become cleverer in learning that "green" method, say 90/10 balance. They still have the same intelligence level as the person without aspergers, but they appear cleverer in that one area because they can specialise in it more, but if you asked them to use another method, they would struggle. Hope this makes some sense.

 

[Dan]

I think this thread is off to a terrific start!

I don't like sharing info about myself on the Internet, so I'll keep it brief with out revealing a lot.

I was diagnosed at a very young age. I wasn't even in preschool and from what my parents said, the psychiatrist said I was reading at a high school level (cool!). Skip ahead, elementary school and middle school were absolute hell. Bla bla blah, I had developed a small case of depression. Skip ahead to high school and things got better. I lost friends and stuff, but I made up for those by the friends I found. I took acting classes at the school and I fell in love with it. I liked it so much because I have a hard time with conversations and occasionally, I might pronounce a word a little weird. Instead of having to think of something new to say next, I already knew what to say. And I had so much fun being myself, but also playing the role of another person. When I was younger, I didn't show myself having fun, because I was afraid I would be made fun of. Now I don't worry about that. I'm still awkward at dances or parties and I sit quietly in a corner, even if friends are around. But I'll move on from that soon.

I personally think Asperger's Syndrome is a wonderful condition because it helps people see and do things differently. It has its problems, like being awkward in social situations and bullying, but I see past that for the good opportunities that can come from it. I think other people should too.

If you think I fit your definition of "weird" or "different", I would hate to be your definition of "normal."