The Autism Thread

I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome as a child, and indeed my childhood went terribly, unable to interact properly with my peers and suffering from constant and debilitating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. As a teenager I went to boarding school, which helped me calm down a lot, the conutryside environment giving me space to think about my problems and set about fixing them, and I made some great friends, even if there were troubles along the way. Now, with school behind me, I don't so much stick out like a sore thumb as I stick out like a thumb that's been spending too much time on a PlayStation controller, but I still have issues, particularly around people I knew during my childhood. I think the main issue that I still have, even if it's not directly related to autism, is that I tend to get paranoid about the idea of people I knew in early childhood knowing anything about my personality, in case they get freaked out by the idea that I have "changed" and it causes me to revert back to something worse. I need to get over that, and I probably will at the most unexpected time, but as to when that unexpected time is, I can't tell.
 
@Roger the Horse -

Just want to drop a quick note in here to say that you have done well; not to be condescending, but to be encouraging.

I have worked with a few 'officially diagnosed' (and one - my own - diagnosed by several different specialists) kids that were classified as 'Autistic' to one degree or another.

Your story - and the style it is written in - fits that perfectly. You have managed to channel the special energies in you in the direction the world (at present) approves.
Hopefully you've haven't forgotten that those who sometimes take the path less travelled are the ones who stumble upon Shangri La.

👍
 
adam46
Good to know we're helping gman1647. I think the most important thing is to be clear with instructions and be patient. That's one thing I never had from my parents, but when I have experienced people who are patient and clear, it's helped me a lot. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Adam :cheers:. A big part of it for us is clarity. Our OT suggested using pictures instead of words only, so we've made charts for various routines (like bedtime) and for various behaviors. He gets stickers for doing things, like sharing with his brother, which he gets rewards for 👍 when he fills up his sticker chart. On another chart he gets X's for things he shouldn't do, like hitting his brother, for which he gets consequences like no dessert, or no bedtime cartoon when he fills up a row. We also make little charts if we are going somewhere out of the routine, like going to lunch with friends yesterday. It has really helped him understand our expectations. He's a great kid, and I think when he was younger, he often just didn't understand what we wanted or expected.

adam46
Is he a car nut like so many of us? :lol:
Click to expand...
ITCC_Andrew
And, I'm guessing, his father? :lol: :P
Click to expand...
Right on both counts! We have all the "real" (non-fantasy) matchbox cars, and most of the fantasy ones. His favorite movies are Cars and Cars 2. He always looks through my old car mags before I throw them out as well. He doesn't do races with them or anything (though he's started to occasionally, especially when we are outside). He mostly just makes what he calls a "set-up" or "car stop" where he arranges them all.
 
ImmalovemaGTR
Hahaha I did this too when I was little... my whole room was a car show off and parent's feet hurting place:)
Click to expand...

Same here, I'd create racetracks with Lego bricks and line up all of my Hot Wheels.
 
DK
Same here, I'd create racetracks with Lego bricks and line up all of my Hot Wheels.
Click to expand...

And from the age of six I was creating my own racing series with Hot Wheels. My favourite thing to do was Multi-Class racing with full P1, P2, GT1, GT2 class structure, I'd spend hours pushing these cars slowly around at the right speeds and a lap could take like 45 minutes. Simpler times :)
 
Same here, I even made up a "Formula GT" series in my head. Now I'm thinking of applying it to a GTR2 or Race07 mod.
 
DK
Same here, I even made up a "Formula GT" series in my head. Now I'm thinking of applying it to a GTR2 or Race07 mod.
Click to expand...

I think what we're trying to say is... gman, careful when walking into his room!
 
Seems like autism and playing with cars (physical when you were younger, in video games now) go hand in hand. I still, in a way, do that, by organising (or trying to) various online events and doing crazy stuff in racing games (just check the RSRBR thread :lol:).

Ah, the times when your room looked more like a garage, and you just couldn't wait to get home and continue said toy car race. I personally liked F1 cars made of Lego, because you could apply visual damage to them. Besides, Lego men never turned down a drive in one of them :sly:

DK
I even made up a "Formula GT" series in my head.
Click to expand...

More info please?

That's one thing we're good at, figuring out racing series that would put FIA to shame :D

Also, a big :cheers: to actually doing a full 24 hour race with Flexi-Trax 👍
 
I've known a good few others with autism, and I can tell you that liking cars isn't really that common a trait. It's more common than in neurotypicals, though, but still not a majority interest. There are a few things like that that I have observed to be slightly more common among aspies, but not really much more.
 
Roger the Horse
I've known a good few others with autism, and I can tell you that liking cars isn't really that common a trait. It's more common than in neurotypicals, though, but still not a majority interest. There are a few things like that that I have observed to be slightly more common among aspies, but not really much more.
Click to expand...

It isn't in general terms but here it's bound to be the case :)
 
Roger the Horse
I can tell you that liking cars isn't really that common a trait.
Click to expand...

Well, interests do indeed change from person to person, but looking at the last few posts as well as the only other autist I know in real life also being a car enthusiast (He's actually restoring a MK 2 Escort). Plus, I don't know how true it is, but when I was being "investigated" I was told it wasn't rare at all to be car enthusiast :)
 
Yes. I fully expect the majority of members to be car enthusiasts. However, having known a fairly large number of people with Asperger's Syndrome or High Functioning Autism in real life, I can say that I have known more openly LGBTQ aspies than I have car enthusiast aspies.

In both cases the number is higher than I would observe among neurotypicals, but I think it's just a case of autism making people be more prepared to stand out than neurotypicals, either by taking an interest in something which isn't particularly mainstream (Cars), or by just being less afraid to be open and honest about their sexuality or gender identity. Autism doesn't make you like cars or make you LGBTQ, but it may make you more comfortable to be different.
 
adam46
And from the age of six I was creating my own racing series with Hot Wheels. My favourite thing to do was Multi-Class racing with full P1, P2, GT1, GT2 class structure, I'd spend hours pushing these cars slowly around at the right speeds and a lap could take like 45 minutes. Simpler times :)
Click to expand...

After playing GT4 I loved the demo-vid with the R8 and the Speed 8 on George V Paris.... So I reconstruated the track with pencils (:lol:) and played with two Matchbox LMPs on it :sly:
 
Put me down as a straight, non-transgendered car guy.


I used to play with Hot Wheels. But, they had to take the perfect racing line, or crash, into the custom-made track I built. Yeah, bristol board, and the "marshmallow-like" packing things. I mean, who didn't want to have white concrete walls?
 
Of course, the fallacy with the argument I was making earlier, is, of course, that liking cars and being LGBTQ are completely separate issues, one (liking cars) is by and large a matter of personal choice that can only exist thanks to the environment in which we happen to be born, the other (being LGBTQ) a matter of hard wired feeling which one has no choice in, but coming out as LGBTQ is (or should be, in any case) a personal choice that an individual makes.

Honestly, seeing how many people on the autistic spectrum are prepared to come out, particularly as bisexuals, makes me feel very sorry for all the neurotypicals whose natural mentality presumably either stops them from being able to come to terms with who they are and leaves them in denial, or leaves them unable to open up to others, afraid of sticking out. :(
 
Wait, bisexuality included? Then, I know several LGBTQ (wait, what's that B stand for...? :dunce: I should've thought of that) Autistic people. They're all perfectly normally Autistic, though. They're not necessarily bent upon proving that pink is the only colour that should be worn, for example.

Fine by me! :D I just don't want any other guys to come up and tell me to wear more pink, and dress better. :odd: I'm fine, thanks. :lol:


adam46
LGTBQ? Am I meant to know this?
Click to expand...

Lesbian, gay, transgendered, bisexual, queer.
 
Since when it queer it's own sexuality? I thought that was what people from the 1950s called homosexuals...
 
It's today used to describe those who fit outside normal definitions of sexuality or gender, so someone who cannot be described as being masculine or feminine in gender may be described as being gender queer.
 
rallymorten
More info please?

That's one thing we're good at, figuring out racing series that would put FIA to shame :D
Click to expand...

It's pretty much entirely in my own head. I imagine teams like Audi, Nissan, Lamborghini and a few independent teams like "Evolution Racing" or "Scuderia Conti" (who are pretty much like Minardi).

I'm thinking of editing an F1 2009 mod that I have for GTR2 and creating some liveries.
 
adam46
And from the age of six I was creating my own racing series with Hot Wheels. My favourite thing to do was Multi-Class racing with full P1, P2, GT1, GT2 class structure, I'd spend hours pushing these cars slowly around at the right speeds and a lap could take like 45 minutes. Simpler times :)
Click to expand...

DK
It's pretty much entirely in my own head. I imagine teams like Audi, Nissan, Lamborghini and a few independent teams like "Evolution Racing" or "Scuderia Conti" (who are pretty much like Minardi).
Click to expand...

You have NO IDEA how far I went. Wait. No, am going with stuff like this... All I can say is that my series seemed to have a rather disproportionate number of female drivers, looking back.

DK
Same here, I even made up a "Formula GT" series in my head. Now I'm thinking of applying it to a GTR2 or Race07 mod.
Click to expand...

Now you're giving me ideas... :scared:
 
ITCC_Andrew
Well, Autism is a wide spectrum. It encompasses many types of people.


Some are outgoing, and some are very shy. Some are extroverts, and will talk to anyone, and others are introverts and like to be left alone.


But, don't feel bad. If you had triggered a strong reaction, you would've known. The student would have either rocked back-and-forth, or screamed. If neither, it's no problem.

Don't feel bad Stefan. 👍
Click to expand...

Really? I only took it for granted that those diagnosed as being autistic were extremely awkward at endeavoring to speak to people outside their circle of acquaintance, without the case of being outgoing toward strangers exceptionally.
 
adam46
And from the age of six I was creating my own racing series with Hot Wheels. My favourite thing to do was Multi-Class racing with full P1, P2, GT1, GT2 class structure, I'd spend hours pushing these cars slowly around at the right speeds and a lap could take like 45 minutes. Simpler times :)
Click to expand...

Heh. I remember doing that. I had a mat which had a cool track layout, and it would hold GT races (didn't have any LMP Hot Wheels cars). I did it until I was like... 10. :P
 
Skython
Heh. I remember doing that. I had a mat which had a cool track layout, and it would hold GT races (didn't have any LMP Hot Wheels cars). I did it until I was like... 10. :P
Click to expand...

I had a kind of GT1 90's/LMP combination with cars like the Ferrari 333 SP, Riley & Scott MKIII, Mercedes CLK-GTR, Porsche 911 GT1, Lotus Elise GT1 and cars like that.

GT1 had Ferrari 550's, Corvette C6R and C5R, Dodge Viper GTS-R and similar.
GT2 had various flavours of Porsche 911, Ferrari 355 Challenge, Ferrari F430, Ultima GTR, Nissan 350Z and Skyline GT-R R34 and similar. It was a little bit like the British GT of the Mid-2000's in that class.
There was also an Open Touring class with BTCC-type cars, NASCARS and a V8 Supercars Holden. I had like, no life! :) I did this stuff until I was 12.

Oh that's a point.... I'm very attached to these cars (Still have them) and many other inanimate things, not like a regular teen is attached to a phone, but I feel kind of... Guilty for throwing away or re-selling stuff that gave me so much joy. I feel like I'm hurting them by leaving them, and I tried once and got really upset about it. I probably shouldn't say this, but I still have favourite soft toys from my younger years as well, with the inability to let go. :indiff:



EDIT: I mean, I've had this dude since I was four, and now he lives on top of my little TV in my room beside a model of the Williams FW14-B of Mansell. It's... Sort of comforting.
 
Last edited:
I had (and still have, another side effect of my case, like adam46 is describing it) a quite big lineup of 1/43 rally cars. You know, Peugeot 205 and 405, Ford Focus and Escort, Lancia Delta, Subaru Impreza and a few more. Along with that, a lot of small trees, some rocks, LEGO people.. needless to say I was having a good time moving around cars and acting like it was real, and that Red Bull Focus '99 won nearly every time. I had even more smaller ones, but I can't remember them all :)
 
adam46
I'm very attached to these cars (Still have them) and many other inanimate things, not like a regular teen is attached to a phone, but I feel kind of... Guilty for throwing away or re-selling stuff that gave me so much joy. I feel like I'm hurting them by leaving them, and I tried once and got really upset about it. I probably shouldn't say this, but I still have favourite soft toys from my younger years as well, with the inability to let go. :indiff:

...I mean, I've had this dude since I was four, and now he lives on top of my little TV in my room beside a model of the Williams FW14-B of Mansell. It's... Sort of comforting.
Click to expand...
There's nothing to be ashamed of in holding onto personal items that are meaningful to you. 👍 I'm 26 and I have a stuffed bear that was given to me when I was a newborn, from my dad's mom, who passed away before I grew up. I also still have all of my Hot Wheels and Legos in plastic bins somewhere.
 

Latest Posts

Back