Discussion in this thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25705.0 about how people couldn't raise kids due to various issues, some of them mentioning the spectrum, had got me thinking about how many other people on this forum are on the spectrum to some degree. I myself haven't been diagnosed, but I show a lot of the telltale signs and I have an identical twin who was diagnosed in 2015.
A lot of the symptoms and social qualities many people on the spectrum are lacking I've been able to respectively suppress or learn how to do. In the past I had horrible, violent behavior, and I could never speak normally to anyone, but my potential Asperger's wasn't bad enough to where I wasn't self aware of it, and over the time I've got to the point where I manage to pass as having a normal brain, although I slip through the cracks sometimes in regards to suppressing my symptoms. The social discomfort related to the disease is still there, I'm just good at allowing it not to surface.
Given that this forum's central focus is a niche topic - roads, it doesn't come as surprising there'd be people on the spectrum here. One of the symptoms of this disease is intense fixations on specific topics, in this case, roads. I do have other fixations beyond this, though, namely geography and politics (although the latter never goes over easy on this forum).
I have Asperger's Syndrome. It has fluctuated in severity throughout my lifetime (of almost 20 years) so far. It was never severe, but it was moderate throughout my early childhood (from birth to around 10 years old). I had a minor speech impediment where I could only make the "f" sound when I tried to make the "th" sound, but that was fully corrected after a few years of speech therapy in elementary school. By the time I was a pre-teen, the overt obviousness of my autism had largely subsided. The beginning of my teens (late 2012, 2013, early 2014) was the most normal I ever was, and it was also the golden age of my life (so far), with the most abundance of joy and least pain. During this time, my autism was least severe. After this, mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, psychosis, etc.) started creeping in, and these have ultimately actually made my autism more severe since then, to where it is now once again probably mildly overtly noticeable in many situations. Although, at no point in my life have my social skills and ability to do things perfectly normally in this area been extremely superb.
I agree that the reason interest in roads may be correlated with Autism/Asperger's a lot is since many times we people that have it often have very intense and unusual interests, as you said. This is actually the primary reason why I consider my Asperger's to be a gift (if it was very severe autism, that obviously wouldn't be the case). I wouldn't want to live without this strong interest of mine I hold so dear. It's such a big part of me and it brings so much joy. It also brings the benefits of a photographic memory and special insights and ways of thinking. I think that the other mental ailments (depression, OCD, etc.) have absolutely zero benefit, and they have done nothing but severe harm, and they are definitely not gifts to me. But I feel differently about my Asperger's (which also differs in the fact that I've had it my whole life, where I've only had psychological disorders since mid-2014). All in all, autism has its pros and its cons, but it is definitely a part of me.
I've never been tested/diagnosed, but am probably on the spectrum, albeit with less significant impacts on my life than many who have been diagnosed.
I went down a websurfing rabbit hole on Aspergers several years ago, and had that "a ha!" moment of realizing "this would explain so much...", and my wife had an analogous reaction when I showed her some information.
I lucked out in the sense that my occasionally-obsessive interests aligned well with school work, and that I was able to find a profession that was similarly aligned and where there are enough mostly-diagnosed folks on the spectrum that my quirks fall within the range of one set of actuarial stereotypes.
I am on the spectrum and so was my mom. I at least figured it out on my own, as doctors either said I just had plain depression or the clinic in NJ had me see a fresh out of college therapist who thought I was just lazy and when I said I had a sadness that would not go away, he said it was me just dwelling on it despite my efforts to assure him that it was more than that. Also when I said I was getting angry thoughts at the time of harming others or fantasizing about hurting some people, he was not even concerned about it. He just interrupted me, and said I needed exercise and that would channel negative thoughts away from me.
Anyway, recently I saw a new therapist after seeing the one by Polk County Sheriff as I applied for a job in the EMS department which requires a visit to the shrink to examine your mental state. She found that I had anger that needed to be brought out by a therapist. Needless, to say, I saw a collegue of hers, and he pointed out that I can get treatment easily for a spectrum and that my anger was related to me being frustrated from my mom's lack of seeing it as well as me wondering the nature of my state.
I now am officially diagnosed with part Aspergers and now I can learn with meds to relate to others as in the past I could not especially my mom. She, I know had it as well, as when dad died and was alone with her to see that she was missing cues and not relating to others and most of all not making friends, as well as lack of focus and never listening to what I had to say as her mind was always appearing to be closed, but actually because her lack of focus really. Most of all, mom never asserted herself and ranted to me constantly instead. Could not get through to her and even me admitting I could have a spectrum did not help as she still put the demands that normal (people without spectrum that is) people could barely tolerate. So with me it was to the extreme breaking point as if normal folks are driven to discomfort, I would be driven beyond that. So I was and up until she died.
I now have my life back, but not what I missed since childhood, so my years of potentially settling down with a wife and family are now no longer a thing of desire do to my late age (I am 54) and lost desire for it being single for many decades.
Haven't we had this discussion multiple times before?
I believe we have. I did a post last year on this same topic, because I'm also on the spectrum.
VS988
I had searched this board for 'aspergers', 'autism', and 'spectrum' before creating this thread and the only other similar thread discussing this topic from those results is seven years old. Oh well. Guess I missed something, then...?
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
Uh, what? This has never been a problem for me...
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 22, 2019, 01:43:42 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
He must be confusing it with Asspooper syndrome.
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 22, 2019, 01:43:42 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
It may sound outlandish but there is actually legitimate research (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart)) into a possible link between gastrointestinal/gastroenterological issues and Asperger's/autism - I myself experience pretty severe issues related to the two, although to be fair, I think the delivery of that statement could have been better in the post we're quoting here as it isn't
quite right. It should be noted, however, though, that neither would cause the other, if there is a link it's simply because they're frequently comorbid.
About a year and a half ago, right before I discovered AA Roads, I attended the coding bootcamp Code Fellows. During the all-day introductory session, we split into groups to create a rudimentary website. I wasn't jazzed about my group's topic, a site about the Seattle Seahawks. Another group did a site about pizza. Even that would be better than yet another Seahawks site. With that in mind, when it came time to do another group project, I volunteered to form a group to make a game. I had successfully made a version of Columns for an ApplesoftBASIC emulator, so I thought I could adapt that into a different game. Someone else in the group decided on a simpler idea, but this was the one time there when I felt I was firing on all cylinders. I never contributed much at all for the next two group projects. Later when we were discussing job interviews, I happened to mention that I didn't see me going through the interview process, and I might not even bother to apply. Someone overheard me, and I was soon placed in front of the student coordinator. She asked me if I was on the spectrum, and I knew what she meant. By this time, I had already read the first two John Elder Robison books, and I figured autism could be one of the things affecting me. On the plus side, the coordinator said that Microsoft has a hiring program for people on the spectrum. I still have to know the stuff, but it's an alternative to the normal interview process. I thought the next step was to contact a clinic and get tested, but they haven't gotten back to me yet. What I would need to do is get into counseling again and have the counselor refer me to an autism tester.
My mom said her brother was autistic, staring at water going down the train. She was concerned that my younger brother might be on the spectrum, but she didn't seem at all concerned that she or I might have it. It would explain so much about her if she was diagnosed.
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
I just finished reading the book "The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe," and this was briefly mentioned.
It's quackery with a side of woo. Don't do it. In fact, gut bacteria has nothing to do with mental conditions.
I have two children on the spectrum. My oldest has asperger's, and my youngest is full blown on the autism spectrum (My middle child isn't on the spectrum at all, but she has her own health issues.) I have ADD, major depression and persistent depressive disorder. It's possible I may have asperger's myself, but I've never gotten tested.
Quote from: index on September 22, 2019, 05:24:04 AM
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 22, 2019, 01:43:42 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
It may sound outlandish but there is actually legitimate research (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart)) into a possible link between gastrointestinal/gastroenterological issues and Asperger's/autism - I myself experience pretty severe issues related to the two, although to be fair, I think the delivery of that statement could have been better in the post we're quoting here as it isn't quite right. It should be noted, however, though, that neither would cause the other, if there is a link it's simply because they're frequently comorbid.
The only study I've seen had 18 participants, and no placebo was used, and all the participants knew they were getting the treatment. Reeks of homeopathy bs.
Quote from: inkyatari on September 24, 2019, 09:22:44 AM
Quote from: index on September 22, 2019, 05:24:04 AM
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 22, 2019, 01:43:42 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
It may sound outlandish but there is actually legitimate research (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart)) into a possible link between gastrointestinal/gastroenterological issues and Asperger's/autism - I myself experience pretty severe issues related to the two, although to be fair, I think the delivery of that statement could have been better in the post we're quoting here as it isn't quite right. It should be noted, however, though, that neither would cause the other, if there is a link it's simply because they're frequently comorbid.
The only study I've seen had 18 participants, and no placebo was used, and all the participants knew they were getting the treatment. Reeks of homeopathy bs.
That doesn't sound like the definition of homeopathy to me...I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to get at here, please elaborate
Quote from: inkyatari on September 24, 2019, 09:22:44 AM
Quote from: index on September 22, 2019, 05:24:04 AM
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 22, 2019, 01:43:42 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
It may sound outlandish but there is actually legitimate research (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart)) into a possible link between gastrointestinal/gastroenterological issues and Asperger's/autism - I myself experience pretty severe issues related to the two, although to be fair, I think the delivery of that statement could have been better in the post we're quoting here as it isn't quite right. It should be noted, however, though, that neither would cause the other, if there is a link it's simply because they're frequently comorbid.
The only study I've seen had 18 participants, and no placebo was used, and all the participants knew they were getting the treatment. Reeks of homeopathy bs.
Did they know they were getting a real poop transplant, or did some of them think they were getting fake poop? :-D :-D
(Yes, I know it said that no placebo was used, but what would they substitute for poop? Baby Ruth bars?)
Quote from: index on September 24, 2019, 09:50:37 AM
Quote from: inkyatari on September 24, 2019, 09:22:44 AM
Quote from: index on September 22, 2019, 05:24:04 AM
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 22, 2019, 01:43:42 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
It may sound outlandish but there is actually legitimate research (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart (https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=gastrointestinal+issues+and+autism&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart)) into a possible link between gastrointestinal/gastroenterological issues and Asperger's/autism - I myself experience pretty severe issues related to the two, although to be fair, I think the delivery of that statement could have been better in the post we're quoting here as it isn't quite right. It should be noted, however, though, that neither would cause the other, if there is a link it's simply because they're frequently comorbid.
The only study I've seen had 18 participants, and no placebo was used, and all the participants knew they were getting the treatment. Reeks of homeopathy bs.
That doesn't sound like the definition of homeopathy to me...I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to get at here, please elaborate
Reeks of the homeopathic process of "proving," which is not a scientific method at all.
I think there's something to the gut issue. My digestive system has always been a little wonky and Mom swears my Aspergers and whatnot always improved when I wasn't having artificial flavors/coloring in my food.
Quote from: vdeane on September 24, 2019, 12:47:40 PM
I think there's something to the gut issue. My digestive system has always been a little wonky and Mom swears my Aspergers and whatnot always improved when I wasn't having artificial flavors/coloring in my food.
Thinking about it now, yeah, that could be possible.
I've been in and out of the doctor for almost a year now with various tests to see what might be wrong with my digestive tract and why it has so many issues and so far they've come up with nothing. I've had an endoscopy, had samples from my stomach and lower digestive tract tested, and a fluoroscopy recently (which is basically a fancy x-ray that lets them see and record moving images of what's happening in your system) and that's looking to possibly come up dry as well.
After all of this my gastroenterologist (yes, a real doctor, she's prescribed me tons of medication, not some phony or a homeopath) suggested to me these issues could be caused by something mental, she herself was talking about there being a link between our gut and our brain. She suggested it might be anxiety, and I know I do have some form of it, I just haven't had it diagnosed. I know for sure some of the anxiety I experience ties into my aspergers, if you're ever high functioning like I am but also self aware enough to know how awkward you can be it's pretty darn tormenting sometimes, especially in places like school.
Quote from: US 89 on September 22, 2019, 03:14:54 AM
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 22, 2019, 01:43:42 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
He must be confusing it with Asspooper syndrome.
It's actually Assburgers Syndrome.
Quote from: kphoger on September 24, 2019, 02:28:11 PM
Quote from: US 89 on September 22, 2019, 03:14:54 AM
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 22, 2019, 01:43:42 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
He must be confusing it with Asspooper syndrome.
It's actually Assburgers Syndrome.
"You were sticking these in your ass, Cartman!?"
No one likes peta anyways (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190924/e1407ce649509c9bc2a4ce95386d3048.jpg)
SM-G965U
IMHO, autism, et al, is not a noun, rather it is an adjective. It is not something that one has, it cannot be 'caught' nor 'cured' nor transmitted to anyone else, instead it is what one 'is'. One 'is autistic', not 'has autism. It is part of the base programming of the brain, a certain set of several combinations of one's personality traits, set at the instant of conception and as such, cannot be changed.
One can learn coping mechanisms, how to work to fit in as best as he or she can with the knowledge of what makes him or her 'tick' and ways of how that can mesh with his or her surroundings.
It cannot be 'cured' such that the subject can be forced to fit in with any perceived notions of normality.
Mike
Quote from: SectorZ on September 24, 2019, 04:16:50 PM
Quote from: kphoger on September 24, 2019, 02:28:11 PM
Quote from: US 89 on September 22, 2019, 03:14:54 AM
Quote from: SSOWorld on September 22, 2019, 01:43:42 AM
Quote from: Brian556 on September 22, 2019, 01:06:33 AM
Possible cure or symptom reduction:
One of the side effects of Asperger's is that you always have diarrhea. Because of this, they believe that Asperger's is related to gut bacteria. There is this new treatment where they shove somebody else's shit up your ass in order to give you the proper gut bacteria.
I would be very hesitant to get this. I would be afraid of it taking away the good parts of Asperger's, including my interests.
seriously? Where do you get your facts from????
He must be confusing it with Asspooper syndrome.
It's actually Assburgers Syndrome.
"You were sticking these in your ass, Cartman!?"
I have my share of digestive and bowel issues (which I didn't have until the past few years, and they don't look like they're going away anytime soon). My acid reflux (aside from a few sporadic incidents previously) started in Summer 2016, and has been mildly successful to manage (with over-the-counter meds and more), but impossible to completely get rid of (at least in my case). My bowels have given me problems for the past 5 years, with a particular increase in severity for the past 2 years. I attribute my bowel issues to my Depression (which can cause both bowel and digestive issues), which had started not long before it did. I attribute my acid reflux to likely being caused by four things: 1) Depression, 2) medication to treat such (antidepressants), which can also cause acid reflux (with both depression and its medication possibly causing heartburn, I might as well be on the meds to help treat depression since I'm at risk either way), 3) genetics, and 4) weight (I was slightly overweight at the time I started having acid reflux). I never really considered that my autism could also be another potential cause and/or risk factor for digestive and bowel issues, since I never had these problems until my teen years when I developed depression and et al., but perhaps that is indeed worth thinking about. From personal experience, I'd say anxiety can definitely make acid reflux worse. With increased anxiety, my acid reflux is phenomenally exacerbated, and it can become a very debilitating combo. And my anxiety is also heightened in social situations, and my awkwardness in such situations can make it worse.
Quote from: mgk920 on September 24, 2019, 09:54:11 PM
IMHO, autism, et al, is not a noun, rather it is an adjective. It is not something that one has, it cannot be 'caught' nor 'cured' nor transmitted to anyone else, instead it is what one 'is'. One 'is autistic', not 'has autism. It is part of the base programming of the brain, a certain set of several combinations of one's personality traits, set at the instant of conception and as such, cannot be changed.
+ 1
With the absurd myths running around that "vaccines cause autism," which has produced a developing public health crisis, and a cloud of utter stupidity, this knowledge needs to be known and accepted now more than ever.
Quote from: kphoger on September 24, 2019, 02:28:11 PM
It's actually Assburgers Syndrome.
I'm now recalling the meltdown that occurred on MTR when someone there called it that years ago.
Quote from: mgk920 on September 24, 2019, 09:54:11 PM
IMHO, autism, et al, is not a noun, rather it is an adjective. It is not something that one has, it cannot be 'caught' nor 'cured' nor transmitted to anyone else, instead it is what one 'is'. One 'is autistic', not 'has autism. It is part of the base programming of the brain, a certain set of several combinations of one's personality traits, set at the instant of conception and as such, cannot be changed.
One can learn coping mechanisms, how to work to fit in as best as he or she can with the knowledge of what makes him or her 'tick' and ways of how that can mesh with his or her surroundings.
It cannot be 'cured' such that the subject can be forced to fit in with any perceived notions of normality.
Mike
I'm now recalling the meltdown that occurred on the "There is NO way that is MUTCD-compliant" Facebook group when this subject was broached recently.
I'd guess the forum is 95% neurodivergent, with approximately 60% on the spectrum.
Quote from: TXtoNJ on September 25, 2019, 03:16:43 PM
I'd guess the forum is 95% neurodivergent, with approximately 60% on the spectrum.
I'm neither, and most of our members don't seem like they are, at least from what I see.
Quote from: hbelkins on September 25, 2019, 02:38:44 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on September 24, 2019, 09:54:11 PM
IMHO, autism, et al, is not a noun, rather it is an adjective. It is not something that one has, it cannot be 'caught' nor 'cured' nor transmitted to anyone else, instead it is what one 'is'. One 'is autistic', not 'has autism. It is part of the base programming of the brain, a certain set of several combinations of one's personality traits, set at the instant of conception and as such, cannot be changed.
One can learn coping mechanisms, how to work to fit in as best as he or she can with the knowledge of what makes him or her 'tick' and ways of how that can mesh with his or her surroundings.
It cannot be 'cured' such that the subject can be forced to fit in with any perceived notions of normality.
Mike
I'm now recalling the meltdown that occurred on the "There is NO way that is MUTCD-compliant" Facebook group when this subject was broached recently.
I saw that, too, and it was strangely awesome to watch. I could say more about that group...
Quote from: SectorZ on September 27, 2019, 07:01:53 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on September 25, 2019, 02:38:44 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on September 24, 2019, 09:54:11 PM
IMHO, autism, et al, is not a noun, rather it is an adjective. It is not something that one has, it cannot be 'caught' nor 'cured' nor transmitted to anyone else, instead it is what one 'is'. One 'is autistic', not 'has autism. It is part of the base programming of the brain, a certain set of several combinations of one's personality traits, set at the instant of conception and as such, cannot be changed.
One can learn coping mechanisms, how to work to fit in as best as he or she can with the knowledge of what makes him or her 'tick' and ways of how that can mesh with his or her surroundings.
It cannot be 'cured' such that the subject can be forced to fit in with any perceived notions of normality.
Mike
I'm now recalling the meltdown that occurred on the "There is NO way that is MUTCD-compliant" Facebook group when this subject was broached recently.
I saw that, too, and it was strangely awesome to watch. I could say more about that group...
That group is an odd place. I don't think the administrator is really a road-oriented person -- at least not like us, or not as into roads as this forum is. I'm not sure what her interest is; her other interests seem to be more social activist in nature. And they're really sensitive about some of the comments that get raised on controversial subjects, like one earlier this week about FHWA requesting the removal of yet another non-compliant crosswalk. (Guess the subject, I won't raise it here and start a war.)
I think that digital food fight I referenced earlier was over a sign that said "Autistic Child Area" and someone vandalized it, modifying it to say "Child With Autism."
Sorry for bumping this thread, but I really want to tell my story.
When I was 3 years old, I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. This was not an entirely surprising development – my dad's pretty certain he has Asperger's although he was never formally diagnosed, and I displayed many of the telltale signs (prolonged and intense interest in relatively abnormal topics, natural social anxiety, precocious intellectual development, etc).
I'm actually a lot like you, index – when I was younger I struggled with violent outbursts, social anxiety (I still struggle with that), and I share your interests in geography and politics! I developed my interest in roadgeekery when I was 2, sitting in the car seat in the back of my parents' car. I started to read aloud billboards I saw along the highway, and then started to do the same with highway signs (I'd read all the numbers and text I saw from top to bottom as best I could) and street signs. Later, when I was 4 or 5, I'd start to picture what the signs looked like in my head and then make replicas of them on construction paper. I'd even construct street sign assemblies with wooden dowels and tape – I'll have to see if my mom has saved any of them. That innate ability to perceive things visually has contributed to my graphic design career – my work in the Road-Related Illustrations board and as the design editor for my school newsmagazine speak for themselves. :)
My mom has been the saving grace for me. When I was diagnosed, my neurologist recommended a pretty heavy prescription of ritalin for me, a psychostimulant designed to alleviate symptoms of ADHD. Not only did my parents believe Asperger's, being a relatively mild form of autism with the benefit of being very high-functioning, could be overcome through cognitive behavioral therapy (a position more and more psychologists are adopting), but ritalin is some harsh shit and has been linked to gynecomastia in males (http://www.cpn.or.kr/journal/view.html?uid=861&vmd=Full&) (the development of breast tissue), for example. Because of my mom's unwillingness to allow my Asperger's to be medicated out of me, she was derided by pretty much every psychiatrist or neurologist with whom she spoke, especially because the therapeutic approach takes a longer amount of time and I was being ruthlessly bullied at school for my social ineptitude in the meantime. In third grade, the bullying became so severe that my parents pulled me from school for the rest of that year as well as my fourth grade year and my mom homeschooled me.
Fortunately, after years of hard work with help from my parents, I look the part of suburban high school society. I still have some social anxiety especially around huge crowds (you won't find me at football games, pep rallies or homecoming), but I have a small group of friends and I love to meet new people, two claims I certainly couldn't make a decade ago. And of course I'm always thankful for this forum's existence to provide a social network for my niche interest in roads.
Quote from: wolfiefrick on November 27, 2019, 01:03:03 AM
Sorry for bumping this thread, but I really want to tell my story.
When I was 3 years old, I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. This was not an entirely surprising development — my dad's pretty certain he has Asperger's although he was never formally diagnosed, and I displayed many of the telltale signs (prolonged and intense interest in relatively abnormal topics, natural social anxiety, precocious intellectual development, etc).
I'm actually a lot like you, index — when I was younger I struggled with violent outbursts, social anxiety (I still struggle with that), and I share your interests in geography and politics! I developed my interest in roadgeekery when I was 2, sitting in the car seat in the back of my parents' car. I started to read aloud billboards I saw along the highway, and then started to do the same with highway signs (I'd read all the numbers and text I saw from top to bottom as best I could) and street signs. Later, when I was 4 or 5, I'd start to picture what the signs looked like in my head and then make replicas of them on construction paper. I'd even construct street sign assemblies with wooden dowels and tape — I'll have to see if my mom has saved any of them. That innate ability to perceive things visually has contributed to my graphic design career — my work in the Road-Related Illustrations board and as the design editor for my school newsmagazine speak for themselves. :)
My mom has been the saving grace for me. When I was diagnosed, my neurologist recommended a pretty heavy prescription of ritalin for me, a psychostimulant designed to alleviate symptoms of ADHD. Not only did my parents believe Asperger's, being a relatively mild form of autism with the benefit of being very high-functioning, could be overcome through cognitive behavioral therapy (a position more and more psychologists are adopting), but ritalin is some harsh shit and has been linked to gynecomastia in males (http://www.cpn.or.kr/journal/view.html?uid=861&vmd=Full&) (the development of breast tissue), for example. Because of my mom's unwillingness to allow my Asperger's to be medicated out of me, she was derided by pretty much every psychiatrist or neurologist with whom she spoke, especially because the therapeutic approach takes a longer amount of time and I was being ruthlessly bullied at school for my social ineptitude in the meantime. In third grade, the bullying became so severe that my parents pulled me from school for the rest of that year as well as my fourth grade year and my mom homeschooled me.
Fortunately, after years of hard work with help from my parents, I look the part of suburban high school society. I still have some social anxiety especially around huge crowds (you won't find me at football games, pep rallies or homecoming), but I have a small group of friends and I love to meet new people, two claims I certainly couldn't make a decade ago. And of course I'm always thankful for this forum's existence to provide a social network for my niche interest in roads.
Huh. Yeah, my behavior was pretty miserable in elementary school. I had uncontrollably violent outbursts, made my teachers cry, and even injured them...I was the type of kid that people thought would grow up to become a serial killer or something. According to my mother they were seriously considering hopping me up on some sort of medication for crazy people or sending me to an alternate school. My mother, however, refused those options. Thankfully I'm not that stupid anymore. I ended up never needing therapy or meds and ended up growing out of it myself. Kind of hard to explain how I did that. I don't really know either. All the crappy behavior just kind of slowly died out, although I was having violent outbursts up until I was 11 or so.
On the downside, I became incredibly reserved. I'd like to not be...but...oh well. I only have like, two friends now... I can get along with most anyone and carry on a normal conversation about normal things with random people all the time, so I don't come off as very isolated, but god forbid I actually bond with anybody. I have no idea how people manage to do that.
Quote from: wolfiefrick on November 27, 2019, 01:03:03 AM
I still have some social anxiety especially around huge crowds (you won't find me at football games, pep rallies or homecoming), but I have a small group of friends and I love to meet new people, two claims I certainly couldn't make a decade ago.
That right there sounds like a normal existence.
Quote from: kphoger on November 27, 2019, 12:19:41 PM
Quote from: wolfiefrick on November 27, 2019, 01:03:03 AM
I still have some social anxiety especially around huge crowds (you won't find me at football games, pep rallies or homecoming), but I have a small group of friends and I love to meet new people, two claims I certainly couldn't make a decade ago.
That right there sounds like a normal existence.
Exactly. While Asperger's can't necessarily be cured because it's a difference in one's though processes, it may certainly be suppressed through hard work.
The coping mechanism that I developed for handling large crowds (ie the throng who always shows up at local civic festivals, which I do like attending) is simple - the small circle of people who surround me, two to three deep max, is it. Everything beyond that is little more than 'wallpaper'.
How did I learn that? For as long as I have been alive, my family has had a season ticket subscription with the NFL's Green Bay Packers - and I LOVE going to the games. It does help that nobody ever sits in front of us (we're in the front row of the south end zone), so it's almost like a small private party about 3-4 people on either side and 1-2 rows behind us. Beyond that is essentially 80K pieces of wallpaper.
:cool:
Mike
I have autism and it has caused me to be obsessed with GSV from day one. :-D
Quote from: wolfiefrick on November 27, 2019, 01:33:20 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 27, 2019, 12:19:41 PM
Quote from: wolfiefrick on November 27, 2019, 01:03:03 AM
I still have some social anxiety especially around huge crowds (you won't find me at football games, pep rallies or homecoming), but I have a small group of friends and I love to meet new people, two claims I certainly couldn't make a decade ago.
That right there sounds like a normal existence.
Exactly. While Asperger's can't necessarily be cured because it's a difference in one's though processes, it may certainly be suppressed through hard work.
It *cannot* be 'cured', nor should it ever be. Many of society's greatest advances would likely never have happened if not for history's eccentric 'Aspies'. It is the base programming of the brain, done at the instant of conception. It would be like trying to make a Windows computer think like a Macintosh. It is not something that one 'has', rather it is something that one 'is'.
The correct tack is to develop and practice coping mechanisms to best fit in with the 'neurotypical' aspects of society while celebrating one's uniqueness in it.
Mike
^
Quote from: mgk920 on November 28, 2019, 01:21:10 PM
Quote from: wolfiefrick on November 27, 2019, 01:33:20 PM
Exactly. While Asperger's can't necessarily be cured because it's a difference in one's though processes, it may certainly be suppressed through hard work.
It *cannot* be 'cured', nor should it ever be. Many of society's greatest advances would likely never have happened if not for history's eccentric 'Aspies'. It is the base programming of the brain, done at the instant of conception. It would be like trying to make a Windows computer think like a Macintosh. It is not something that one 'has', rather it is something that one 'is'.
The correct tack is to develop and practice coping mechanisms to best fit in with the 'neurotypical' aspects of society while celebrating one's uniqueness in it.
Mike
Yeah, in hindsight I probably should've left out the "necessarily" – sometimes my autism has had effects on the people around me, especially when I was younger, but it no longer does. So, to me, it seems almost as though the tangible symptoms of Aspergers that have negative effects on my social and personal life are "cured," but of course I'd never want to have Asperger's cured out of existence.
It takes a lot of work to cope with the fact that you're different. It was really hard for me to understand why I wasn't like everyone else I knew as I grew up, and even still, once I understood, it was hard to overcome my challenges. I had a steeper hill to climb than my neurotypical peers, but climb that hill I did. But I certainly didn't want it medicated away or magically cured, and I especially don't today – given my relative maturity compared to a decade ago, I have a profound appreciation for my difference because it no longer causes as many problems for me as it did then.
I couldn't tell you if autism is linked to the stomach. I can tell you that I haven't suffered from major stomach issues, besides being slightly anemic. I suspect the stomach linkage is much the same vein as those who want to link autism to vaccines. I'll spare you my thoughts on those people, because I would probably get moderated if I did and my comments are non pc :rolleyes:
I do have autism and a witches brew of other mental health disorders that renders me with a lot of anxiety of the outside world, although I am able to do basic day to day tasks like shopping, cooking, and paying my bills. Noise bothers me in small locations, but places like Wal-Mart (or any other big box store) doesn't bother me because the noise is spread out over a large area. I do attending sporting events, but that is more because it is in a larger open area (typically) and my desire to do it overwhelms my anxiety about doing it, although I do not do it often. I hate large cities and downtown areas (especially at night) and I have issues at night in general (which is one of the reasons I stay up until the wee hours of the morning, unless I need to do something the next day). I also have issues with auditory processing, sometimes I will hear a different word than what was said, or I will hear a sentence out of order. I will also have trouble picking which conversation I should listen to if I am within hearing range of multiple conversations. Sometimes I combine words when I talk, and I start to combine words when I type, but normally I catch it and correct it before hitting send.
I do make myself go out and socialize on a few occasions each month, but sometimes I leave those occasions lethargic and drained and need a nap afterwards.
I am.
I'm an Aspie. I'm also a trans lesbian. Guess that makes me a Twainbow. :bigass:
hey spectrum buddies :colorful:
I was 4 years old when I was diagnosed with (a mild or high-functioning form, but don't use these labels) autism and now I'm 40, I've managed to have a job, own a home and get married. I'm able to follow social graces like manners, morals, ethics and the law, recently I was told to be careful discussing the COVID pandemic with others (My half-sis had a mild case back in July with her BF, they traced their case from the time they went to a reopened restaurant before CA closed indoor dining again). Then there are people in the world who are NTs (or "neurotypicals") who are rude, corrupt and abusive towards others, and they have no excuse ("I don't care" doesn't cut it) for their actions, but I'm capable to learn proper socialization in my life.
Quote from: Desert Man on October 25, 2020, 06:02:48 PM
proper socialization
That's an ever-moving goalpost, my friend! As soon as you think you've gotten it down, society changes it. It's like having to change your password every month.
I was unofficially diagnosed. My parents decided not to let them "stamp the passport" because they thought it would follow me around in life.
My dad was never accepting of it and actively worked to get me to suppress it. Around 20 I decided I couldn't live like that anymore and I needed to learn how to integrate autism into my life, but the long-term damage was done. I still often feel like I don't have any sense of who or what I really am. I've kind of soured on it because of what it's cost me in my social life. I just turned 30 and am realizing all these "young and dumb" things I will never get to experience and that has been very difficult on my mental health.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on October 26, 2020, 04:24:39 AM
I've kind of soured on it because of what it's cost me in my social life. I just turned 30 and am realizing all these "young and dumb" things I will never get to experience and that has been very difficult on my mental health.
And see, from my perspective, that doesn't seem like much of a loss. Perhaps even a blessing.
Sometimes I worry that I can't be trans because I'm autistic. I feel like that's how my parents, at least, would think of it.
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 26, 2020, 12:07:27 PM
Sometimes I worry that I can't be trans because I'm autistic. I feel like that's how my parents, at least, would think of it.
That doesn't even make any sense to me. Granted, I know little about autism; is there something about it that makes that sentiment make sense?
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2020, 12:10:13 PM
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 26, 2020, 12:07:27 PM
Sometimes I worry that I can't be trans because I'm autistic. I feel like that's how my parents, at least, would think of it.
That doesn't even make any sense to me. Granted, I know little about autism; is there something about it that makes that sentiment make sense?
There seems to be a correlation between being trans and being autistic, especially among those assigned female at birth (AFAB; trans men, transmascs, and nonbinary people). Being that I'm a trans girl (AMAB), I worry that I'll be somehow invalidated.
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 26, 2020, 12:32:29 PM
There seems to be a correlation between being trans and being autistic ...
Wow, the human brain sure is weird, isn't it?
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 26, 2020, 12:32:29 PM
...I worry that I'll be somehow invalidated.
Invalidated by what? Or whom?
Quote from: jemacedo9 on October 26, 2020, 01:16:08 PM
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 26, 2020, 12:32:29 PM
...I worry that I'll be somehow invalidated.
Invalidated by what? Or whom?
There's a theory that autism is caused by having an "extreme male brain". Such was proposed as an explanation for why so many more boys than girls are diagnosed. These days, however, it's considered more likely that autism tends to be less visible in girls and consequently gets underdiagnosed.
Quote from: jemacedo9 on October 26, 2020, 01:16:08 PM
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 26, 2020, 12:32:29 PM
...I worry that I'll be somehow invalidated.
Invalidated by what? Or whom?
My parents, honestly. I'll just leave it at that.
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2020, 10:32:25 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on October 26, 2020, 04:24:39 AM
I've kind of soured on it because of what it's cost me in my social life. I just turned 30 and am realizing all these "young and dumb" things I will never get to experience and that has been very difficult on my mental health.
And see, from my perspective, that doesn't seem like much of a loss. Perhaps even a blessing.
I get where this is coming from. I'm going thru it personally now in fact. And I'm very sure many people don't get this way, or they feel they've done that young and dumb stuff and they're glad they're over it. But others truly believe they miss out. When I was young, I worked Fri & Sat nights at a bowling center. I enjoyed the job. Many of those I worked with I became friends with. But they were off Friday and/or Saturday night. I missed out on many of the activities they did.
And it doesn't even have to be young and dumb stuff. I never went paintball shooting, for example. I had the opportunity to go one time as part of a group, but the person organizing the event screwed up, and I was informed on my drive there it wasn't going to happen. I guess that event was never rescheduled. Never been invited otherwise, and of the few people I asked if they would be interested, including someone that was heavily involved in the industry, didn't seem interested. At my age, in my mid-40's, there aren't too many people out there whom I know that suddenly have an interest in doing it.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 26, 2020, 02:24:00 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2020, 10:32:25 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on October 26, 2020, 04:24:39 AM
I’ve kind of soured on it because of what it’s cost me in my social life. I just turned 30 and am realizing all these “young and dumb” things I will never get to experience and that has been very difficult on my mental health.
And see, from my perspective, that doesn't seem like much of a loss. Perhaps even a blessing.
I get where this is coming from. I'm going thru it personally now in fact. And I'm very sure many people don't get this way, or they feel they've done that young and dumb stuff and they're glad they're over it. But others truly believe they miss out. When I was young, I worked Fri & Sat nights at a bowling center. I enjoyed the job. Many of those I worked with I became friends with. But they were off Friday and/or Saturday night. I missed out on many of the activities they did.
And it doesn't even have to be young and dumb stuff. I never went paintball shooting, for example. I had the opportunity to go one time as part of a group, but the person organizing the event screwed up, and I was informed on my drive there it wasn't going to happen. I guess that event was never rescheduled. Never been invited otherwise, and of the few people I asked if they would be interested, including someone that was heavily involved in the industry, didn't seem interested. At my age, in my mid-40's, there aren't too many people out there whom I know that suddenly have an interest in doing it.
I was formally diagnosed last summer.
Honestly, I suffer from the same sort of thing. Not even just ”young and dumb” stuff but just experiences and memories and social ability in general. People have tended to stray away from me because I had a reputation as some weird asshole due to my behavior in elementary and early middle school, and despite outgrowing that, that was forever how I would be seen as. Coupled with already having a screwed up brain that made it very difficult to make much friends, made it difficult to act normally, and, as a result, I have none of the memories and experiences many people do by my age, I more often than not can't relate to people, and I have nothing in common with anyone nor can I hold a meaningful discussion with anyone, because only stupid obscure niche topics can get my interest. I can't even enjoy playing video games or anything. Nothing brings much satisfaction to me other than a ridiculously narrow range of things.
I hate the stigma around mentioning my disease too because it always makes people think a certain way of me or judge me. They talk to me like a child, dumb down their vocabulary, etc, etc. Very patronizing and demeaning. I think the same as everyone else, I have the same feelings and same thoughts. My mind is essentially the same as any person reading this's mind. The difference being my brain sucks at handling that input and output others do fine.
I'm good at feigning being normal and masking everything when I first meet someone but as I get to know them and I run out of normal, introductory topics, the mask slips, and I have nothing to maintain any type of relationship with anyone. From that point, they usually get sick of me and leave. I've been treated like shit and belittled my whole life and I always get talked to like I'm stupid even by teachers and such. Every attempt I've had to reach out to people to try and build relations with one another has failed because I come off as so off-putting despite years of trying. I rarely ever swear on this forum so, take that for what it's worth for the strength of my statements here. I tend not to get like this as well, I feel it's not a good look and only looks attention-seeky, but, I have nowhere else to say anything.
I am turning 18 soon and as a result of all this it's just made it a kind of sad, miserable milestone rather than something to be celebrated. "Congratulations, you wasted your entire childhood due to a stupid disability you were born with and the decisions you made as a result of its isolation and a lack of help and intervention at an early age, also giving you lifelong trauma because you were punished for behaviors you could not control as a result of having developmental delays! And you're never going to get it back! And you have no friends anymore because you're a social idiot thanks to you screwed up brain!" is all I can think of.
Quote from: index on October 27, 2020, 05:23:04 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 26, 2020, 02:24:00 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2020, 10:32:25 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on October 26, 2020, 04:24:39 AM
I've kind of soured on it because of what it's cost me in my social life. I just turned 30 and am realizing all these "young and dumb" things I will never get to experience and that has been very difficult on my mental health.
And see, from my perspective, that doesn't seem like much of a loss. Perhaps even a blessing.
I get where this is coming from. I'm going thru it personally now in fact. And I'm very sure many people don't get this way, or they feel they've done that young and dumb stuff and they're glad they're over it. But others truly believe they miss out. When I was young, I worked Fri & Sat nights at a bowling center. I enjoyed the job. Many of those I worked with I became friends with. But they were off Friday and/or Saturday night. I missed out on many of the activities they did.
And it doesn't even have to be young and dumb stuff. I never went paintball shooting, for example. I had the opportunity to go one time as part of a group, but the person organizing the event screwed up, and I was informed on my drive there it wasn't going to happen. I guess that event was never rescheduled. Never been invited otherwise, and of the few people I asked if they would be interested, including someone that was heavily involved in the industry, didn't seem interested. At my age, in my mid-40's, there aren't too many people out there whom I know that suddenly have an interest in doing it.
I was formally diagnosed last summer.
Honestly, I suffer from the same sort of thing. Not even just " young and dumb" stuff but just experiences and memories and social ability in general. People have tended to stray away from me because I had a reputation as some weird asshole due to my behavior in elementary and early middle school, and despite outgrowing that, that was forever how I would be seen as. Coupled with already having a screwed up brain that made it very difficult to make much friends, made it difficult to act normally, and, as a result, I have none of the memories and experiences many people do by my age, I more often than not can't relate to people, and I have nothing in common with anyone nor can I hold a meaningful discussion with anyone, because only stupid obscure niche topics can get my interest. I can't even enjoy playing video games or anything. Nothing brings much satisfaction to me other than a ridiculously narrow range of things.
I hate the stigma around mentioning my disease too because it always makes people think a certain way of me or judge me. They talk to me like a child, dumb down their vocabulary, etc, etc. Very patronizing and demeaning. I think the same as everyone else, I have the same feelings and same thoughts. My mind is essentially the same as any person reading this's mind. The difference being my brain sucks at handling that input and output others do fine.
I'm good at feigning being normal and masking everything when I first meet someone but as I get to know them and I run out of normal, introductory topics, the mask slips, and I have nothing to maintain any type of relationship with anyone. From that point, they usually get sick of me and leave. I've been treated like shit and belittled my whole life and I always get talked to like I'm stupid even by teachers and such. Every attempt I've had to reach out to people to try and build relations with one another has failed because I come off as so off-putting despite years of trying. I rarely ever swear on this forum so, take that for what it's worth for the strength of my statements here. I tend not to get like this as well, I feel it's not a good look and only looks attention-seeky, but, I have nowhere else to say anything.
I am turning 18 soon and as a result of all this it's just made it a kind of sad, miserable milestone rather than something to be celebrated. "Congratulations, you wasted your entire childhood due to a stupid disability you were born with and the decisions you made as a result of its isolation and a lack of help and intervention at an early age, also giving you lifelong trauma because you were punished for behaviors you could not control as a result of having developmental delays! And you're never going to get it back! And you have no friends anymore because you're a social idiot thanks to you screwed up brain!" is all I can think of.
I can understand that feeling wholeheartedly. I don't want to be treated like a child, and it feels somewhat condescending when my parents have to explain every single step of every single process, and get on me for not doing my chores because I only think they want me to do the one thing. Sometimes I wonder if they actually think I'm lesser because I am autistic, since I have been punished for things more severely than I assume an allistic person would.
Also, happy birthday. I hope yours goes as well as mine.
Quote from: index on October 27, 2020, 05:23:04 PM
I'm good at feigning being normal and masking everything when I first meet someone but as I get to know them and I run out of normal, ...
Just gotta say... When I first read your post, I thought the highlighted words formed a complete phrase, and I got the biggest grin on my face. "Running out of normal" just might be one phrase I continue using in the future.
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 28, 2020, 11:07:20 AM
I don't want to be treated like a child, and it feels somewhat condescending when my parents have to explain every single step of every single process, and get on me for not doing my chores because I only think they want me to do the one thing.
Both I and my eldest son are known for taking things too literally sometimes. I remember, one day in high school, my mom told me to fill a saucepan with water, put three eggs in it, and put it on the stove. I did so. A while later, she asked me why I hadn't turned the burner on. Well, she hadn't told me to do that part, so it never occurred to me!
Quote from: kphoger on October 28, 2020, 12:12:52 PM
Both I and my eldest son are known for taking things too literally sometimes. I remember, one day in high school, my mom told me to fill a saucepan with water, put three eggs in it, and put it on the stove. I did so. A while later, she asked me why I hadn't turned the burner on. Well, she hadn't told me to do that part, so it never occurred to me!
LOL, I can relate to that! :-D
Wow, I am just glancing at this now, so many AS people here like myself, I guess we are attracted to TP?
I'm also surprised at the amount of members with an autism spectrum disorder here, and I can concur with most of what has been said. Strange for someone with such a disorder, as we tend not to accept sudden changes, I decided to follow the scientific community and dropped the term "Asperger's" when they did so a couple years ago. I'm also trying to ditch February 18 as the annual awareness day of our disorder and instead observe April 2 along with "classical" autism, but obviously it's not that easy (and besides, it wouldn't have worked this year due to obvious reasons).
One complain I have about our disorder is that it seems to "disappear" when we grow up, when in reality it doesn't. Lots of research effort is put on children, but almost nothing on adults. Heck, recently I refused to answer a questionnaire simply because it was clearly written for children, and I'm not one anymore. And having overcome the difficulty to speak in public, I may go Greta Thunberg with this. Recently I appeared on regional TV speaking about this.
Even though our spectrum is not a disease, I still find myself on the rare disease networks quite well, as we share several common goals, namely research and awareness. Obviously there are others not quite fitting our needs, such as a cure, since there's no disease to cure!
That is so true. There's this perception it seems that AS just disappears when one turns 18. That couldn't be further from the truth.
Quote from: bluecountry on October 29, 2020, 04:24:00 PM
Wow, I am just glancing at this now, so many AS people here like myself, I guess we are attracted to TP?
Are you saying the Charmin bears have AS?
Quote from: bluecountry on October 29, 2020, 04:24:00 PM
Wow, I am just glancing at this now, so many AS people here like myself, I guess we are attracted to TP?
:confused:
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on October 29, 2020, 05:29:26 PM
I'm also surprised at the amount of members with an autism spectrum disorder here, and I can concur with most of what has been said. Strange for someone with such a disorder, as we tend not to accept sudden changes, I decided to follow the scientific community and dropped the term "Asperger's" when they did so a couple years ago. I'm also trying to ditch February 18 as the annual awareness day of our disorder and instead observe April 2 along with "classical" autism, but obviously it's not that easy (and besides, it wouldn't have worked this year due to obvious reasons).
One complain I have about our disorder is that it seems to "disappear" when we grow up, when in reality it doesn't. Lots of research effort is put on children, but almost nothing on adults. Heck, recently I refused to answer a questionnaire simply because it was clearly written for children, and I'm not one anymore. And having overcome the difficulty to speak in public, I may go Greta Thunberg with this. Recently I appeared on regional TV speaking about this.
Even though our spectrum is not a disease, I still find myself on the rare disease networks quite well, as we share several common goals, namely research and awareness. Obviously there are others not quite fitting our needs, such as a cure, since there's no disease to cure!
I relate with this a lot. I have had to do forms and evaluation sheets and stuff and send them to others around me that are clearly meant for small children...very embarrassing. Even the medical professionals making this stuff seem to not consider that adults can have these sort of things too. Either that or they think we're all stupid. Hardly any attention is paid to adults with stuff like this and I'd bet you that's why the unemployment rate for my demographic (86%) is so high, and when people with these difficulties do get employment, it's menial, poorly-paying, demeaning work. And unemployment is just those actively looking for work who can't find it. If you factor in the amount of people who have simply given up, or are unable to look for work, that number is probably much higher. Also why mental illness among the homeless is so high, and homelessness is so high among those with mental conditions - a lack of awareness.
Quote from: vdeane on October 29, 2020, 09:01:36 PM
Quote from: bluecountry on October 29, 2020, 04:24:00 PM
Wow, I am just glancing at this now, so many AS people here like myself, I guess we are attracted to TP?
Are you saying the Charmin bears have AS?
I assumed "AS" was a synonym for "bottom", and we was saying that people's bottoms are attracted to Charmin.
Quote from: index on October 27, 2020, 05:23:04 PM
... People have tended to stray away from me because I had a reputation as some weird asshole due to my behavior in elementary and early middle school, and despite outgrowing that, that was forever how I would be seen as. ... I have nothing in common with anyone nor can I hold a meaningful discussion with anyone, because only stupid obscure niche topics can get my interest.
As far as I am aware, I'm not on the spectrum, but growing up in a small town and having similar experiences, I think this has more to do with the nature of socialization in high school than it does anything else. I was a labeled a nerd who was annoying and undesirable to hang out with. I couldn't make friends easily because that reputation reached people before they had a chance to get to know me.
Once I started working, and thus had the opportunity to regularly socialize with someone that isn't a high schooler or a family member, I found myself being respected for the very reasons I was abhorred by the high schoolers. I wasn't a "nerd", I was now "knowledgeable". Rather than shunning me for being annoying, my insights on how to improve the workplace were sought after. And of course there wasn't a history of stuff I did in fifth or sixth grade hanging over my head, because none of them knew me then.
I'm not saying that you won't have things harder being on the spectrum, but I think there's a decent chance that in about five years you will be experiencing a wholly different world than you outline in this post.
Quote from: index on October 27, 2020, 05:23:04 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on October 26, 2020, 02:24:00 PM
Quote from: kphoger on October 26, 2020, 10:32:25 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on October 26, 2020, 04:24:39 AM
I've kind of soured on it because of what it's cost me in my social life. I just turned 30 and am realizing all these "young and dumb" things I will never get to experience and that has been very difficult on my mental health.
And see, from my perspective, that doesn't seem like much of a loss. Perhaps even a blessing.
I get where this is coming from. I'm going thru it personally now in fact. And I'm very sure many people don't get this way, or they feel they've done that young and dumb stuff and they're glad they're over it. But others truly believe they miss out. When I was young, I worked Fri & Sat nights at a bowling center. I enjoyed the job. Many of those I worked with I became friends with. But they were off Friday and/or Saturday night. I missed out on many of the activities they did.
And it doesn't even have to be young and dumb stuff. I never went paintball shooting, for example. I had the opportunity to go one time as part of a group, but the person organizing the event screwed up, and I was informed on my drive there it wasn't going to happen. I guess that event was never rescheduled. Never been invited otherwise, and of the few people I asked if they would be interested, including someone that was heavily involved in the industry, didn't seem interested. At my age, in my mid-40's, there aren't too many people out there whom I know that suddenly have an interest in doing it.
I was formally diagnosed last summer.
Honestly, I suffer from the same sort of thing. Not even just " young and dumb" stuff but just experiences and memories and social ability in general. People have tended to stray away from me because I had a reputation as some weird asshole due to my behavior in elementary and early middle school, and despite outgrowing that, that was forever how I would be seen as. Coupled with already having a screwed up brain that made it very difficult to make much friends, made it difficult to act normally, and, as a result, I have none of the memories and experiences many people do by my age, I more often than not can't relate to people, and I have nothing in common with anyone nor can I hold a meaningful discussion with anyone, because only stupid obscure niche topics can get my interest. I can't even enjoy playing video games or anything. Nothing brings much satisfaction to me other than a ridiculously narrow range of things.
I hate the stigma around mentioning my disease too because it always makes people think a certain way of me or judge me. They talk to me like a child, dumb down their vocabulary, etc, etc. Very patronizing and demeaning. I think the same as everyone else, I have the same feelings and same thoughts. My mind is essentially the same as any person reading this's mind. The difference being my brain sucks at handling that input and output others do fine.
I'm good at feigning being normal and masking everything when I first meet someone but as I get to know them and I run out of normal, introductory topics, the mask slips, and I have nothing to maintain any type of relationship with anyone. From that point, they usually get sick of me and leave. I've been treated like shit and belittled my whole life and I always get talked to like I'm stupid even by teachers and such. Every attempt I've had to reach out to people to try and build relations with one another has failed because I come off as so off-putting despite years of trying. I rarely ever swear on this forum so, take that for what it's worth for the strength of my statements here. I tend not to get like this as well, I feel it's not a good look and only looks attention-seeky, but, I have nowhere else to say anything.
I am turning 18 soon and as a result of all this it's just made it a kind of sad, miserable milestone rather than something to be celebrated. "Congratulations, you wasted your entire childhood due to a stupid disability you were born with and the decisions you made as a result of its isolation and a lack of help and intervention at an early age, also giving you lifelong trauma because you were punished for behaviors you could not control as a result of having developmental delays! And you're never going to get it back! And you have no friends anymore because you're a social idiot thanks to you screwed up brain!" is all I can think of.
I have done a lot of stupid things in my years of school in this town (especially elementary and middle school, but also high school and even a couple of goofs in college), so my reputation is likely permanently stained to some degree even though I have transformed and improved greatly (hell, I've even made a fool of myself online and done my fair share of stupid things on the internet). Some people held resentments, but even those who didn't may not find it easy to forget those stupid things I had done in the past. As echoed upthread, that's the beauty of having a fresh start in a new town or a new workplace where your peers were not in school with you when you were younger and are not aware of whatever mistakes you had made back then.
Sometimes I can briefly pass off as normal when I meet someone for the first time, but with enough social interaction it doesn't take long to reveal that I have some difficulties in socializing. And I've had innumerable awkward moments in socializing due to my shortcomings, and I can only hope that the people I'm interacting with might understand that I simply struggle in that area and don't think that I am a bad person or that I had any bad intent.
I will be turning 21 years old in a short couple of weeks. I am taking life extremely slow. I will likely remain in college for the next several years, I don't have a job, and it will likely be an immensely long time before I get to the stage of life where I get married and possibly have kids. I've probably missed out on some of things that a lot of people are doing around this age, and I may never have the experiences. I've had to reflect on that possibility. There is of course the double-edged sword, as people mention, where on the one side a lot of people make mistakes at this age that they regret and wish they didn't do, but the other side is the missed opportunities to have partaken in more favorable endeavors–the feeling of regret for what one was
not able to do. I've joked that for my 21st birthday I'll get a magnadoodle and a glass of wine. This perfectly encapsulates where I am in life–getting on as usual in some ways, but lagging behind in others. And above all I am taking life super slow, which may indeed deprive me of a typical experience that a person might have at this age. And as absolutely crazy as it may sound, I do not kid when I mention the magnadoodle. I actually still use those things, if for no reason other than to have the ability to constantly draw road-related things in a quick fashion without wasting any paper (and even then, I still draw tons on paper and in notebooks, which is why the magnadoodle is important so I don't waste any more than I already do :D ). This month I actually did buy a new magnadoodle, as my old one (from 2008) is simply no longer functional due to the old age and heavy use across years.
Quote from: kphoger on October 28, 2020, 12:12:52 PM
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on October 28, 2020, 11:07:20 AM
I don't want to be treated like a child, and it feels somewhat condescending when my parents have to explain every single step of every single process, and get on me for not doing my chores because I only think they want me to do the one thing.
Both I and my eldest son are known for taking things too literally sometimes. I remember, one day in high school, my mom told me to fill a saucepan with water, put three eggs in it, and put it on the stove. I did so. A while later, she asked me why I hadn't turned the burner on. Well, she hadn't told me to do that part, so it never occurred to me!
I also take things way too literally. In addition, I can often be extremely gullible. Sometimes I have somehow genuinely believed something (temporarily) when someone was joking around, which the average person would immediately know was concocted.
I also agree that the notion that autism magically disappears when one reaches adulthood is false, problematic, and unfortunately very prevalent. In my life this has most manifested itself when some people at my high school tried to take away my IEP. The same thing happened to my friend who is also autistic. We were all flabbergasted at why they were suddenly trying to take away our IEPs. Autism is from birth to death. Nothing causes it, and nothing makes it go away. And it doesn't spontaneously go away when you "grow up." I will continue to need accommodations in my present and future endeavors in school, work, and whatever else. There was never a need to try to take it away. The reasoning was so that I would be "prepared for work in the real world." Well even then, I still need accomodations, and I don't want to be part of a workplace anyhow that doesn't understand that. The irony is that my autism is actually worse right now than it was when I was, say, 13 or 14 years old (the reason being because my subsequent mental illnesses have made some parts worse).
I was not aware that terms such as "high-functioning" and "Asperger's" had become more antiquated, as I have been using them up to the present. Now that I know this information after reading this thread, I will try to remember to stop using these terms.
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 30, 2020, 08:21:03 PM
Quote from: index on October 27, 2020, 05:23:04 PM
... People have tended to stray away from me because I had a reputation as some weird asshole due to my behavior in elementary and early middle school, and despite outgrowing that, that was forever how I would be seen as. ... I have nothing in common with anyone nor can I hold a meaningful discussion with anyone, because only stupid obscure niche topics can get my interest.
As far as I am aware, I'm not on the spectrum, but growing up in a small town and having similar experiences, I think this has more to do with the nature of socialization in high school than it does anything else. I was a labeled a nerd who was annoying and undesirable to hang out with. I couldn't make friends easily because that reputation reached people before they had a chance to get to know me.
Once I started working, and thus had the opportunity to regularly socialize with someone that isn't a high schooler or a family member, I found myself being respected for the very reasons I was abhorred by the high schoolers. I wasn't a "nerd", I was now "knowledgeable". Rather than shunning me for being annoying, my insights on how to improve the workplace were sought after. And of course there wasn't a history of stuff I did in fifth or sixth grade hanging over my head, because none of them knew me then.
I'm not saying that you won't have things harder being on the spectrum, but I think there's a decent chance that in about five years you will be experiencing a wholly different world than you outline in this post.
For me, going off to university was a life changer. Now, it wasn't the whole "college experience". No, I immediately proceeded to get my new girlfriend pregnant, stopped going to class, flunked out, got an entry-level job pushing shopping carts at Target, and took classes at community college in the evenings. But what was a game changer is that I was suddenly surrounded by a thousand people who
didn't know me yet. I could completely reinvent myself, start over fresh. What I used to be embarrassed about because everyone growing up had teased me about it–I could either discard that part of myself or embrace it as "me". I found a new confidence in myself as a person from simply getting away from home and starting over.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on October 31, 2020, 02:48:05 PM
it will likely be an immensely long time before I get to the stage of life where I get married and possibly have kids.
Don't sell yourself short. All it takes is one person to love you for who you are, and whom you can love likewise. Every married couple is unique, so don't count yourself out just because there are things about you that aren't "normal". You may find that your best qualities are a lot more important to someone than your quirks or flaws or struggles or whatever.
Quote from: kphoger on October 31, 2020, 02:52:38 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 30, 2020, 08:21:03 PM
Quote from: index on October 27, 2020, 05:23:04 PM
... People have tended to stray away from me because I had a reputation as some weird asshole due to my behavior in elementary and early middle school, and despite outgrowing that, that was forever how I would be seen as. ... I have nothing in common with anyone nor can I hold a meaningful discussion with anyone, because only stupid obscure niche topics can get my interest.
As far as I am aware, I'm not on the spectrum, but growing up in a small town and having similar experiences, I think this has more to do with the nature of socialization in high school than it does anything else. I was a labeled a nerd who was annoying and undesirable to hang out with. I couldn't make friends easily because that reputation reached people before they had a chance to get to know me.
Once I started working, and thus had the opportunity to regularly socialize with someone that isn't a high schooler or a family member, I found myself being respected for the very reasons I was abhorred by the high schoolers. I wasn't a "nerd", I was now "knowledgeable". Rather than shunning me for being annoying, my insights on how to improve the workplace were sought after. And of course there wasn't a history of stuff I did in fifth or sixth grade hanging over my head, because none of them knew me then.
I'm not saying that you won't have things harder being on the spectrum, but I think there's a decent chance that in about five years you will be experiencing a wholly different world than you outline in this post.
For me, going off to university was a life changer. Now, it wasn't the whole "college experience". No, I immediately proceeded to get my new girlfriend pregnant, stopped going to class, flunked out, got an entry-level job pushing shopping carts at Target, and took classes at community college in the evenings. But what was a game changer is that I was suddenly surrounded by a thousand people who didn't know me yet. I could completely reinvent myself, start over fresh. What I used to be embarrassed about because everyone growing up had teased me about it—I could either discard that part of myself or embrace it as "me". I found a new confidence in myself as a person from simply getting away from home and starting over.
I'd like to be able to just go and reinvent myself and starting to suck less at meeting people/relating to them. When I say the stuff I did stuck, I really do mean that it stuck. No matter what. Pretty much everything from having suicidal ideation and violent behavior when I was 7 years old (and up till the very end of 5th grade too) and trying to write picture books about how that was a good thing to all the acting out I did in middle school as a stupid attempt to try to distance myself "from the normal", as a really, really stupid attempt to distance myself from my already horrible past. Somehow, at least some people still remember all of it, and words spread.
Don't know how long it's going to be before I can even try to do that and just have a clean start. Even my own family members have their own stupid perspective of me that involves being a person that I'm not. I'd really like to just shove myself out into it all and do my own thing as sort of a rebuke to all the past years of my life but I know that's probably not practical especially at this point in time. And my parents with their indecisive and vague approach to whether they may be moving or not absolutely does not help me with trying to plan for the future during a time when I absolutely need to be doing that regardless of what my approach is.
Do you guys ever feel that you have been on the receiving end of ableism by people you know due to your autism?
I have had major COVID anxiety when I go out, touching things as if they are biohazards, like pinching things by the corner if they are at least partially flat. I do this because I feel like whatever I touch in these environments is a potential contaminant; a similar sensation can be when you get out of the pool and still feel the waves on you. My parents don't want me acting that way because they don't want me to make them or others more anxious (translation: it embarrasses them).
Quote from: Hwy 61 Revisited on November 08, 2020, 07:04:19 PM
Do you guys ever feel that you have been on the receiving end of ableism by people you know due to your autism?
I have had major COVID anxiety when I go out, touching things as if they are biohazards, like pinching things by the corner if they are at least partially flat. I do this because I feel like whatever I touch in these environments is a potential contaminant; a similar sensation can be when you get out of the pool and still feel the waves on you. My parents don't want me acting that way because they don't want me to make them or others more anxious (translation: it embarrasses them).
I'm really, really, really ashamed of it, as such I don't ever tell anyone that I have it so I can't really say I relate. Maybe I can? The a-hole teachers who talk to me like I'm a child would definitely be worse on that front if they knew I had any sort of condition.
I also don't really have those sorts of "picky" for lack of a better term, behaviors, I know that sounds kind of pejorative but I wasn't really sure of anything better to use. Loud noises don't bug me, I'm not that touchy with things, but I hate wearing short-sleeved anything or shorts. I feel the holes of the sleeves/pantlegs of those things right up against my skin ALL the time and it feels like needles or some shit. Super unpleasant. So I just brave the souplike air we have here because the alternative is worse.
I have aspergers. I have trouble with social skills sometimes although I can fake normal most of the time.
I can usually pass for an allistic person, but there are times where I've kinda seemed "special."
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on November 24, 2020, 02:26:09 PM
I have aspergers. I have trouble with social skills sometimes although I can fake normal most of the time.
meh. "Normal" is overrated and often shorthand for "annoyingly uninteresting". People with quirks make better friends anyway. Of course, that's coming from someone with enough social quirks to create a whole new category in the book.
I am not popular enough to be different.
Quote from: Big John on November 25, 2020, 10:21:46 AM
I am not popular enough to be different.
Not sure what you mean by this. What does difference have to do with popularity?
^^The popular people can afford to act differently. The unpopular have it best if you tow the line. I was quoting Homer Simpson.
If popular people act differently, then don't they typically stop being so popular?
Quote from: thspfc on November 25, 2020, 08:24:11 PM
I've found that it's difficult to sustain actual friendships with more than like five or six people at a time, if that.
If you're talking about "true friends" rather than just "acquaintances", then I'd say it's difficult to sustain that many friendships
no matter who you are. Most people, I think, only have a handful of real friends. One's Facebook friend count is a gross lie.
Quote from: kphoger on November 27, 2020, 12:01:15 PM
Quote from: thspfc on November 25, 2020, 08:24:11 PM
I've found that it's difficult to sustain actual friendships with more than like five or six people at a time, if that.
If you're talking about "true friends" rather than just "acquaintances", then I'd say it's difficult to sustain that many friendships no matter who you are. Most people, I think, only have a handful of real friends. One's Facebook friend count is a gross lie.
I know people with over 10 friends.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on November 27, 2020, 12:23:26 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 27, 2020, 12:01:15 PM
Quote from: thspfc on November 25, 2020, 08:24:11 PM
I've found that it's difficult to sustain actual friendships with more than like five or six people at a time, if that.
If you're talking about "true friends" rather than just "acquaintances", then I'd say it's difficult to sustain that many friendships no matter who you are. Most people, I think, only have a handful of real friends. One's Facebook friend count is a gross lie.
I know people with over 10 friends.
Yeah, I think I have more than a handful of good friends. But, I also agree Facebook counts are silly.
Then again, whoever has the most Facebook friends wins.
Well, I rather like a principle that was written about in a Christian non-fiction book a few years ago. It's called the LEGO principle. The idea is that each person has roughly six "dots", each dot corresponding to a close relationship with another person. Once you get past that roughly-six dot point, then the quality of the relationships diminishes. If you want to develop a new friendship beyond that point, then you need to spend less time and effort on another, or else both will end up being short-changed. Each person only has so many "dots".
So, for example, if there's a new person at our church, and I want to get to know him better because we really hit it off as potential friends, then I must realize it'll take, say, spending less time and energy with another friend I already have. Similarly, if I find myself not spending enough time and effort with my wife, then it could be I'm trying to be too much for too many people.
We might be defining "friend" differently, though. What I consider a "real" friend is someone you can talk to about nearly anything, whom you spend time with, who really cares about you, whom you can count on if something goes awry in your life. I don't think most people out there have that type of friend in the double digits.
Quote from: kphoger on November 25, 2020, 09:55:15 AM
"Normal" is overrated and often shorthand for "annoyingly uninteresting".
I agree whole-heartedly. I've had many friends in my life, in the various places in which I've lived, and I can't think of even one who was or is what would be called "normal." Every one was at least a half bubble off plumb. Those are people who are interesting, have interesting interests, talk about interesting things, and have interesting friends. This is the kind of person I enjoy spending time with.
"Normal" is boring.
Is there such a thing as an autistic radar? I could kinda have told that David Byrne was autistic from the way he acted onstage and his lyrics, especially since his behaviors are so similar to mine. It's at least part of the reason Talking Heads are my favorite band.
Weighing in on the subject of "friend count" to say that I think I have fewer than six close friends no matter how it's determined...
Quote from: webny99 on December 11, 2020, 07:59:04 AM
Weighing in on the subject of "friend count" to say that I think I have fewer than six close friends no matter how it's determined...
I have one close friend
I was recently told I had Aspergers.
Quote from: STLmapboy on September 07, 2021, 06:33:36 PM
I was recently told I had Aspergers.
Hopefully they were qualified to do so.
Quote from: index on September 21, 2019, 09:01:05 AM
Discussion in this thread: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=25705.0 about how people couldn't raise kids due to various issues, some of them mentioning the spectrum, had got me thinking about how many other people on this forum are on the spectrum to some degree. I myself haven't been diagnosed, but I show a lot of the telltale signs and I have an identical twin who was diagnosed in 2015.
A lot of the symptoms and social qualities many people on the spectrum are lacking I've been able to respectively suppress or learn how to do. In the past I had horrible, violent behavior, and I could never speak normally to anyone, but my potential Asperger's wasn't bad enough to where I wasn't self aware of it, and over the time I've got to the point where I manage to pass as having a normal brain, although I slip through the cracks sometimes in regards to suppressing my symptoms. The social discomfort related to the disease is still there, I'm just good at allowing it not to surface.
Given that this forum's central focus is a niche topic - roads, it doesn't come as surprising there'd be people on the spectrum here. One of the symptoms of this disease is intense fixations on specific topics, in this case, roads. I do have other fixations beyond this, though, namely geography and politics (although the latter never goes over easy on this forum).
I am autistic, and have been since I was 2.5 Years old. Bit another kid in the playground in my aunt's daycare for a basketball. My parents took me in, and sure enough, I had Autism. I have also ADHD since 2011.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on September 21, 2019, 09:36:19 AM
I have Asperger's Syndrome. It has fluctuated in severity throughout my lifetime (of almost 20 years) so far. It was never severe, but it was moderate throughout my early childhood (from birth to around 10 years old). I had a minor speech impediment where I could only make the "f" sound when I tried to make the "th" sound, but that was fully corrected after a few years of speech therapy in elementary school. By the time I was a pre-teen, the overt obviousness of my autism had largely subsided. The beginning of my teens (late 2012, 2013, early 2014) was the most normal I ever was, and it was also the golden age of my life (so far), with the most abundance of joy and least pain. During this time, my autism was least severe. After this, mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, psychosis, etc.) started creeping in, and these have ultimately actually made my autism more severe since then, to where it is now once again probably mildly overtly noticeable in many situations. Although, at no point in my life have my social skills and ability to do things perfectly normally in this area been extremely superb.
I agree that the reason interest in roads may be correlated with Autism/Asperger's a lot is since many times we people that have it often have very intense and unusual interests, as you said. This is actually the primary reason why I consider my Asperger's to be a gift (if it was very severe autism, that obviously wouldn't be the case). I wouldn't want to live without this strong interest of mine I hold so dear. It's such a big part of me and it brings so much joy. It also brings the benefits of a photographic memory and special insights and ways of thinking. I think that the other mental ailments (depression, OCD, etc.) have absolutely zero benefit, and they have done nothing but severe harm, and they are definitely not gifts to me. But I feel differently about my Asperger's (which also differs in the fact that I've had it my whole life, where I've only had psychological disorders since mid-2014). All in all, autism has its pros and its cons, but it is definitely a part of me.
Same here.
Saying Baff instead of Bath REALLY baffles me. :ded: :pan: :confused: :colorful: :wow:
I have Asperger's Syndrome as well. It was diagnosed when I was 12. I can act mostly normal the majority of the time though. It's what gave me my gift of geography.
Probably the family members who have best understood it are / were my mother, maternal grandmother, and late sister. My late father thought it was an illness / disease that needed to be cured and, as he was relatively affluent, spent tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to "cure" it. My younger brother and first cousin even to this day constantly compare me to them thinking I am inferior to them, less intelligent, and less mature than them and ask me questions like "why do you not have a family / children like we do?" They don't actually understand Asperger's, although my uncle used to like talking about highways and my aunt likes to talk about travel so I did used to talk to him occasionally and still do talk to her periodically regarding our common interest.
It is my opinion that a good percentage of us roadgeeks probably have Asperger's.
Quote from: Daniel Fiddler on September 07, 2021, 08:13:18 PM
I have Asperger's Syndrome as well. It was diagnosed when I was 12. I can act mostly normal the majority of the time though. It's what gave me my gift of geography.
Probably the family members who have best understood it are / were my mother, maternal grandmother, and late sister. My late father thought it was an illness / disease that needed to be cured and, as he was relatively affluent, spent tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to "cure" it. My younger brother and first cousin even to this day constantly compare me to them thinking I am inferior to them, less intelligent, and less mature than them and ask me questions like "why do you not have a family / children like we do?" They don't actually understand Asperger's, although my uncle used to like talking about highways and my aunt likes to talk about travel so I did used to talk to him occasionally and still do talk to her periodically regarding our common interest.
It is my opinion that a good percentage of us roadgeeks probably have Asperger's.
wowee. :wow:
My father has autism and aspergers. Thats probably where i got it from.
Tell me I'm not the only one who, whenever I get ready to tell someone a story about this forum, has to start with a preface about autism. I'm not on the spectrum (as far as I know), but it seems like, whenever anything dramatic and story-worthy happens on here, autism is likely to have been a key contributing factor.