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Aspergers and beyond!


TCPeppyTc

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Hi everyone, I would like to bring up a topic called aspergers syndrome. As a person who has it, I find it sometimes hard to think or talk about. Partly I don't like talking about it because I fear the unwarranted pity I might get... What is your perception of it? I don't really like it when people think of us just as just disabled, ( which in my opinion sometimes does happen.) Any thoughts?

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Just don't try and use it for an excuse for every mistake you do and/or every shortcoming in your personality like some previous users tried to do, and I doubt anyone will care one way or another.

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Previous users on SFO? tut tut tut...... Ive tended to think though that is what aspergers does, not excuse, but jsut makes everything harder ( i,.e school, friends, driving, cleaning, etc.) But that is jsut it, just takes more work. Since Bill Gates has it, ( likely) it is no excuse for failure. I guess in and of itself, its not pitiable, only some people with it.

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I hate it when people use Autism and Aspergers as excuses for doing stupid actions. I may be slightly autistic, but I do not use it an excuse when I do something wrong. Not only that, but people who do that kind of stuff have become the biggest morons on the face of the internet. (E.g. Chris Chan)

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I'm looking in to getting tested for it, as it's extremely likely that I have it. I feel like if I do have it, it certainly would explain some of my behaviors, and the therapy would be covered by my insurance so I could learn to cope with it.

Fun times.

EDIT: To clarify, I have actually had an evaluation before, and they officially diagnosed me ADD. This is just the next step for me.

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I too have the same form of autism, not made better that I also have a moderate case of anxiety. For some time I've always had a hard time doing things all on my own like either school, work or planning for things for the future. These past few years have not been kind to me because of it.

I hate it when people use Autism and Aspergers as excuses for doing stupid actions.

Probably because they are nothing more than stupid people. I've had to deal with people who made jokes about people with autism.

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It probably would make sense to get treated or tested for it. What sort of jokes were they? It seems a fair number of users on here are slightly autistic. It is important though to only worry or think about things that are within your control to change or affect. I know it is bad to think this way, but I often feel if I showed more of a work ethic in high school ( instead of relying on my patient father to do math with me...) and gave more into the various activities I did, things woudl have been better. I just feel as an aspergers person, Ive been conditioned to try to " make friends" instead of doing it the way most neuros have... Just doing there own thing, and talking to people they like. I do regret quite a bit, but try to make every minute count now...

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It probably would make sense to get treated or tested for it. What sort of jokes were they?

Most of the ones i've heard are the "what do you get when...." kind of jokes.

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I'm Asperger and I have the luck of having a caring family that has helped me all these years to communicate better. I had the bad luck however to be French, and ADD is not well known in France. Or to be more precise, pure Autism is known but not Asperger. My parents knew there was something about me and they asked many doctors to understand the situaion. All of them just answered I was shy. Until one of them started to ask different questions. At the end he finally told my parents "Your son has Asperger Syndrome".

My mom read a book about one famous doctor, Tony Attwoood, who rediscovered Asperger. She said she felt like that doctor took me and studied me all days.

With others, sometimes it was hard. Aspergers have what we call a "tunnel" vision, as they only see the world in one aspect among others. As a consequence, I had trouble seeing and understanding others' feelings and real meanings. Since I have a tendency to "act" scenes I imagine, I ended with others laughing and taking me for an idiot. The fact that I couldn't talk fluently didn't make things better. When you're a kid, you're not aware you can act weird from someone else's point of view. I wasn't aware of my ADD before the teenage years.

Not only did I train with doctors to help me act "normally", but drawing was my salvation. Because it was my personal way of communication and kids now had a "reason" to befriend with me. As a result, I could make friends easier and I was able to tell them about Asperger. I think my passion from drawing comes from that : I couldn't speak "convientionally" so I came up with another path.

Fun fact : Sherlock Holmes was, throughout the years, shown by people as an arrogant and scornful man. The Sherlock BBC series, which take many things from the original novels, shows us a different man. He just points out the obvious and doesn't care much about courtesy manners. Where it gets funy is that I acted the same way in middle school : there was a cartoon-comics workshop I signed in, and when boys said to me "Hey, you draw really good" I answered them "Uh, yeah, I know". Now I understand that this sounds like an arrogant answer but I didn't mean it at that time. Just like Sherlock, when someone tells him "You're a great detective", says "Yes, sure". So maybe Conan Doyle inspired himself from persons who had ADD to create Sherlock Holmes. Holmes indeed share many Asperger attraits : hign attention to detail, great dictionary-like memory, mathematical way of reasoning, less receptive to feelings (which doesn't mean Aspergers don't have feelings).

I don't use Asperger to explain everything I do, but keep in mind that the person you're talking with might not know ADD and you don't have "Asperger" written on your front. Some people can't guess ADD from a simple look, so to avoid any misunderstanding it can be a good thing to talk about it. Just don't use it as a systematic excuse.

As a person who has it, I find it sometimes hard to think or talk about. Partly I don't like talking about it because I fear the unwarranted pity I might get... What is your perception of it? I don't really like it when people think of us just as just disabled, ( which in my opinion sometimes does happen.) Any thoughts?

Uh, set me clear on this one : if I recall well, you once wrote a fanfiction "StarFox vs. Aspergers" that got flakked, right? What was your meaning behind? I'd like to know please.

It seems like you could have changed between the time you wrote it and now, I just want to understand the full story.

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My friend has Aspergers and he seems to handle it very well. I may actually be moving in with him after my contract ends in this flat.

But yes, we've had our share of drama here because of this. So let me say this now, do not use this thread to badmouth anyone, please. We can talk about Aspergers, yes, but leave past members out of it. For the sake of peace.

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My friend has Aspergers and he seems to handle it very well. I may actually be moving in with him after my contract ends in this flat.

But yes, we've had our share of drama here because of this. So let me say this now, do not use this thread to badmouth anyone, please. We can talk about Aspergers, yes, but leave past members out of it. For the sake of peace.

Good to know your Asperger friend deals well with it. Some other people I met are not that lucky.

But if no one wants drama here, I shouldn't push it myself. Were you only talking about past members or regular members as well? Maybe I shouldn't have asked TC about that fanfiction.

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Good to know your Asperger friend deals well with it. Some other people I met are not that lucky. But if no one wants drama here, I shouldn't push it myself. Were you only talking about past members or regular members as well? Maybe I shouldn't have asked TC about that fanfiction.

She's really only making reference to one particular previous member. He was an ass, and that's all that was really important. Feel free to talk about his fanfiction if you want :)

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She's really only making reference to one particular previous member. He was an ass, and that's all that was really important. Feel free to talk about his fanfiction if you want :-)

Oh, ok, thanks for making it clear for me. Red did well warning us about "no drama", I was just too suspicious about it.

About that one particular guy, I didn't know him, so if you say so I won't ask more.

TC, I just want to know what exactly that Aspergers fanfiction was about. I couldn't read it so I cannot make a proper opinion on it. But I know it was flakked and now you say you have Aspergers too. From what I read here, you have gone through some changes in your life, so I don't make any judgement. I just would like to know the big deal about the fanfiction, no hate intented.

I'm just realizing that many people here have ADD or know somebody else who has ADD... Wow, what a small world!

Edited by Ala1n-J
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Yeah, I was mostly referring to a particular event, you don't need to worry too much. :)

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Yeah, I was mostly referring to a particular event, you don't need to worry too much. :-)

Indeed I have this bad habit to worry too much about many things. :lol:

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Sorry for my ignorance, but what's the link between ADD and Asperger syndrome ? I got Attention Deficit Disorder. But I don't have Asperger, and only barely knows what it is.

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Sorry for my ignorance, but what's the link between ADD and Asperger syndrome ? I got Attention Deficit Disorder. But I don't have Asperger, and only barely knows what it is.

You're right. I typo'd, sorry. The real term is ASD or "Autism Spectrum Disorder". It regroups Autism and Asperger, though the main difference betweem Autism and Asperger is that an autist has greater difficulties to communicate and interact with others.

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To answer your question, it was just a bad, thoughtless fanfic I came up with at spur of moment. Something about Andross infecting world with aspergers syndrome. I realized it was mistake as soon as first chapter written, and then asked to delete it to save face.

The kind of thing your talking about in middle school, happened to me me more in grade school. It is simply important to do your best to learn about social graces and try your best.

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To answer your question, it was just a bad, thoughtless fanfic I came up with at spur of moment. Something about Andross infecting world with aspergers syndrome. I realized it was mistake as soon as first chapter written, and then asked to delete it to save face.

The kind of thing your talking about in middle school, happened to me me more in grade school. It is simply important to do your best to learn about social graces and try your best.

Ok, I understand now. No offense taken.

This situation was the perfect moment to help me improve on my people skills. But it worked because the people around me were willing to listen to me and to accept me as I was, just like I was willing to make efforts in understanding the others.

We all experience that time, as an Asperger, in our lives. I have the chance to have a family that has supported me all this time. What about you? How did your family react about your Asperger?

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It's surprising how many here claim to be autistic/diagnosed with aspergers. Usually it's something looked down on, and fairly uncommon in the grand scope of things.

That said, I don't think I have it. I'm a little weird, but my friend's brother is a much greater example than I, so I write my own things off as just healthy variety.

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It's surprising how many here claim to be autistic/diagnosed with aspergers. Usually it's something looked down on, and fairly uncommon in the grand scope of things.

I'm just as surprised as you! And yes, "Aspies" are usually looked down because many people don't know about ASD. It doesn't help that Asperger Syndrome is known world wide in medecine for only two decades.

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I'm just as surprised as you! And yes, "Aspies" are usually looked down because many people don't know about ASD. It doesn't help that Asperger Syndrome is known world wide in medecine for only two decades.

quite frankly i am rather ignorant to what Aspergers is....I mean i have heard of it but what are the effects? From the very little i have heard, this may sound harsh, it sounds like one of thoase things every one claims to have like OCD or ADD (no offense sara). Is it just me or does every individual seem diagonosed with somthing :/. Like examing the human body closely of course your going to find somthing minorly wrong but so insignifgant it almost doesn't matter. I know Kids who are diagnosed with ADD yet its seems like i wouldn't have ever been aware with out them telling me. Of course i am likely to be completly wrong about Aspergers and it could very well impair soical functions. The thing is wouldn't ever have guessed any of you^ to have it. So is it a big deal?
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@Ajc3000Fx. It is a big deal, but can also be dealt with, with help and the childs efforts. It makes a concentration of talent in one area of study, and a deficiency of talent in another. In my case science and math ( my weaknesses) and english and history ( my strong suits.) some kids may have a hard time knowing what to say, or thining of good topics of conversation. Sometimes just making close friendships is hard, for whatever reason.

It has been a little bit depressing in my case or has been. When people learn about my condition I am complimented by people saying " you don't seem liek you have it" or " your the king of aspergers" and then have the stigma and embarassment of not having many close friends in high school ( though plenty of friendly aquaintances....for waht thats worth.) Anyhow I am in college and having a much better time of it. Basically aspergers is a very loose and flexible disability with its symptoms changing in time, sometimes quickly. Things are just harder, that is all.

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@Ajc, I understand that you feel confused about the matter. It's quite difficult to explain, not because people are idiots (they're not), but because the syndrome is not easy to diagnose.

Asperger is mostly behavioural. Though not really proven it may have genetic origins. We do know its effects : difficulty in language though having a generally good vocabular, lack of demonstrated empathy, impairment in social interaction, a tendency for routine which leads to stress about change, intense interests in specific subjects, physical clumsyness. The aspies usually have difficulties with management of expressions and emotions, but they are also mostly direct, honest, and their high attention to detail lead them to "see" things normal people can't see. Most aspies use their specific interests in adulthood, where they can become experts. Now it's usually regarded as a difference, rather than a disease to be cured.

It is true that there were cases of over-diagnosis, but Aperger is not totally recognized (it is the case in France, where it is still debated). Also in some people's mind, an aspie is this : "Hey, this guy is talking random s**t! He must be asperger!" Which leads to jokes on aspies, just because they're aspies (like jokes on homosexuals). So, it becomes a matter of saying "Yeah, I'm different. So what?". Aspies now are fine with their conditions and are not ashamed to say it (I personally tend not say it too much, only when I have befriended enough with others or when the subject is brought on the table). Then it leads to abuse, some guys using "Asperger" as an excuse for their mistakes or bad deals, whether being one or not. This happened here apparently but let's not talk about these events more.

Ah, TC answered to Ajc before I did! Oh well, better more answers than none at all.

Edited by Ala1n-J
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