The Autism Thread

ITCC_Andrew

ITCC_Andrew

(Banned)
18,532
Canada
Kitchener
I've recently realized that there are quite a number of Autistic GTP members.


I'm hoping, with this thread, to discuss everything about the Spectrum.


Please post anything and everything you've experienced with the Syndromes on the spectrum, what you do, or just discuss it. Talking is therapeutical, and for Autistic people, it can be the difference between a tantrum/depression and feeling okay.



Please, non-Autistic members, be respectful, polite, and supportive; we were born Autistic. It's not a choice we made. It's not something we made up. Please respect us. If you don't have anything constructive, it's better not to say anything. The AUP is in effect, and this isn't the "Opinions and Current Events" forum.



And, my story:


I was diagnosed in 2004 with a very slight case of Asperger's Syndrome. In Grade 1, my teacher noticed my unwillingness to stop doing one thing and move on to the next thing, my slight speech impediment (gone, by now) and my general personality, and advised my mom to have that looked into.

She was right.


I experienced 10 years of very vicious bullying, as an indirect result of the Autism, and the psychological differences caused. Even still, I occasionally feel that the Autism is making me uncomfortable and nervous around large groups of people. I find that I occasionally miss the tone of what people are saying, because I focus on the words.

So, I'm battling with some of the negative social aspects of Autism, but, I also feel blessed to be Autistic, too.

Many of my friends and teachers accredit my ability to learn things relatively quickly to my Autism. I speak four languages fluently. I play several musical instruments. I have several hobbies and interests.


I believe it stems from a photographic memory, and a keen interest.


Alright, your turn. If you want to post your personal story, the results of recent studies, dietary plans or any relevant "stuff," please feel free! :)
 
Are you serious? You too? No wonder we're pretty much on the same wavelength :)

I was diagnosed with a slight degree of Asperger in '10 or '11, I don't remember nor really care much, but I think it goes all the way back to school as well.

I wasn't the one to play with classmates after/during school. I'd rather be on my own, and I believe I felt more comfortable that way. Nobody could hurt me. In that context I should perhaps mention that I had been bullied quite a bit in school.

Anyway, I behaved differently than everybody else, yet nobody seemed to notice. So it just went on and on. And the class I was in probably didn't help much on it (I actually learnt myself how to turn off my ears. Go figure). I often didn't really want to go to school because of before-mentioned "problems with me". I think what kept me going was my determination. I would not want to drop out of school. I had to do good in my exams. Everything else didn't have priority to me. You could call me a perfectionist. And, as some may have noticed, that's also still at play today.

I was, and still is, a pretty quick learner. Something that was particularly obvious during the mandatory "practice" in 8th/9th grade. One of the times, I was at a bank. When, by coincidence, my grandmother went to the same bank not long after, they said they were quite surprised by how fast I could learn new stuff. They just had to show me once or twice, and I'd be working as if I had done it for a long time. That experience, among others, helped me realise I just need to turn it into something positive.

Looking back at it there's probably so many details I've forgotten with time, but long story short I improved on my social abilities after I was diagnosed, and since then, I've accepted and lived with it, and while there still are some side-effects of it (like aforementioned determination to do good), it certainly has improved. As of today I'm on 2nd grade at Business College, and I look back at the negative period as a kind of exam. And I'm glad to say I passed :)
 
I don't think I'd need to write a wall of text to imply that life with Asperger's is complete hell, at least when you're still a kid. I used to get offended more easily than a fundie back at elementary school and didn't make a whole lot of friends back at the day.

Flash forward to the near past, where the way I spend all my time at home playing games or being in the computer has basically made me feel like an outsider at school despite having more friends than at any past stage. (With most of the asshats being weeded out of high school basically) You know, I was going to talk about the way I didn't take part in any big-time events either, such as the prom or cruise, but can't seem to find proper words to describe that. Let's just say that was probably a decisive sign for everyone else on my year that I wasn't perfectly normal.
 
Last edited:
Andrew, MrM, whichever you want to be called by, I give you a massive 👍 for making this thread. Long post, but this is something I got a lot to say about, even though structuring this kind of thing isn't my forte :lol:

I was diagnosed with Aspergers in around 2006 I think, and it has had many effects on me. Aspergers has the one unique feature, that it is totally unique in every person. I began to go to a Youth Club in a neighbouring town for people with Aspergers, and one thing that struck me was the wide variety of personality traits that people had - unlike a "disease" where there are common symptoms, Aspergers is so different. For me it was partially related to my ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) which meant that I struggled to concentrate sometimes and I got very hyper and giddy - it would be a common joke at the end of the night for a staff member to say to me "Alex, have your batteries not run out yet??" :lol:

For me Aspergers has had both positive and negative implications on my social life. Mostly it has seemed positive somehow, as I find it incredibly easy usually to go up to a person and just start talking with them. Yet it surprised people immensely when I mentioned at college I had it - a tutor of mine was talking to our entire class about Aspergers and someone who was a friend of mine, and how it meant that person had little particular quirks and habits, such as waiting in the exact same spot for his brother outside college, walking the exact same way home with the exact same routine and timing... and then I just popped my hand up and said "I have Aspergers as well!" , which shocked people. People could not tell I had it, which says a lot about how different it is in people.

Since I left that Youth Club a few years back I have kept in contact with most of my friends from there and the people who work there and for the last two years have been to another place some of them go to, that is a general place for people with disabilities and conditions, and there are people with Aspergers there, and I have seen more examples of how wide ranging it is - I know one young girl and she is totally in a mind of her own, loves Jedward, has crazy hair, the mind of a 12 year old, and then there is someone else I know who is a video game obsessive with a compulsion for everything game related (He has most consoles going, SNES, N64, PS2, PS3, DS, Wii...)... which brings me onto something else I have experienced.

Carbonox above talks about live with Aspergers being a complete hell, and a shame for him as that is HIS Aspergers and the way it has affected and continues to affect him. If you put him standing in a room next to me, and the people I have described above, I bet that you could not tell that they all suffer from the same medical condition.

One thing I find difficult to understand which I have dealt with, is how Aspergers gets put in a box on a form when it comes to telling people what you have - at College I was lucky, I managed to get in and not let my Aspergers get in the way of my studies too much, though I had some mad moments (I get stressed easily sometimes by the littlest things and just can't stop over thinking on certain subjects and matters), but I was eventually told mine was a "mild" diagnosis of Aspergers, whereas some of the other people I knew had a more "severe" diagnosis.

The thing is, the way Aspergers affects people as I previously said was totally different in every respect, so when it came to at College people trying to arrange support for me learning I was entitled to due to my diagnosis, that was easy for me, but the people I knew with more a more severe form found it immensely difficult to get help, as they where all being treated the same way as me, but you can't really do that... it's unique in everyone, sometimes a help, other times a hindrance.

I think I am lucky that Aspergers has in many ways helped me, and certainly since I understood more about the condition and the affect it has on my personal life, i've tried to help others with it to understand it more because it is for me such a large area...

I hope what i've said has made some assembly of sense, but my closing comment is a couple things from my time at college - firstly I was in a computing department, and I found the most effective way to explain Aspergers as being like linking a computer up. If a so-called "normal" (computer) brain is linked up normally, then one with Aspergers has everything still linked up, but just merely in a different order. Also my support tutor for years, who has Aspergers, said he believes that everyone has a bit of Aspergers, it explains your little routines and extra things that you do that are unique to yourself.

Alex :)
 
I have nothing of this syndrome (If this sentence sounds offending, please forgive me I am bad at English...) You also get an EPIC 👍 for this thread... good idea;-)
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate it.


I never realized until Morten brought it up in his User Title. But, then I slowly started to realize that there are people on GTP whose thought processes are indicative; I can tell, now, who's Autistic and not, by the little things.

On with the questions:

ImmalovemaGTR, do you mean that you have the Syndrome? Yes, you have it, or no you don't? If you can't translate what you mean well enough for me to understand in English, I'd invite you to Private Message me in German. I'll send a translation back, you can post it. :)


And the encouragement:

Morten, Carb, Furi, I never knew until recently or today. I think it's safe to say, racing with you guys is great fun, and it's just taken a whole new meaning. The world thinks we're escaping socializing, and yet, we've made friends a world apart who share the same interests, and the same diagnosis. While it's co-incidental, it's probably something that makes a lot of sense, too; Autistic people... We like to be alone, or with people we can trust. (Trust became a big issue for me when I was betrayed by an ex-gf) And, so, we ended up racing together. I always thought it was extra cool racing with you guys, but I didn't know why.


I think I get along best with Autistic people. Yes, some can be stubborn, but I can overlook that. Some of my best friends, including my best friend, are also Autistic. It surprises me, how many Autistic children there are in this generation, but I've been through elementary school, I've been through high-school. I had a job, and got laid-off so I can go to college. Now, I want to give back.

Drew
 
While never having been diagnosed with anything like this, I can relate and understand what it must be like due to friends that have things like this. I try to keep a positive look on it 👍
 
Apologies in advance, for the fragmented wall of text...

Compared to others here, I was diagnosed very early; seven years old to be exact. It was after noticing my lack of social skills, and obsessive interests, that they got me checked out.

After my diagnosis it became clear to them that my academic struggles were related; so they discussed this with the school. In class I'd always struggled to concentrate, and end up missing things; and finding the work hard to understand, as a result. Thankfully after a meeting between my parents and the school heads, I always had a teaching assistant in lessons.

Other difficulties I had throughout primary school included bullying, due to my strange behaviour (for example playing by myself, talking to myself, etc); which never improved during primary school and got worse going into secondary school, even though my strange behaviour was decreasing, albeit rather slowly.

Also while my work improved quite a bit due to the extra support I was receiving in class, the outlook still seemed rather bleak; not that my parents let on, but it's obvious to me now that they were putting a brave face on things...

Around a year ago I found a report which my parents received when I finished primary school, during the July of 2004. On the results of my SATs tests which I undertook at around the age of eleven, my primary school predicted that I'd leave secondary school with no higher than a low D, in the three mandatory subjects (English, Maths, and Science)...

Another concern of my parents with secondary school looming, was my state of mind. While I was in Year 5 I became good friends with a boy in my year called Aaron; and I quickly became happier, more sociable, and confident because of this. However midway through Year 6, having only just turned eleven a few weeks prior, he was hit by a car. After a few weeks in hospital, he succumbed to his injuries. Following this I once again became very withdrawn, and became prone to anger management problems.

Due to their number of uncertainties, they did what was best for me, and got me into a special unit (called the Spectrum Center) within the secondary school I was to be attending. Now the upside of this was that the people there specialized in teaching and dealing with autistic children; and my academic potential substantially increased because of this. However the downside was that because I was in this unit (where I only did some of my lessons), it was easy for kids in the main-school to single me out as different; and I got bullied to 🤬 for it!

Unsurprisingly I got tired of the bullying very quickly. While swimming on a school camping trip at the end of Year 7, I took a friends joke the wrong way; and preceded to attack him, and others who tried to stop me (I'd had counseling earlier in the year after having snapped at another friend, which clearly wasn't effective enough). Everyone else was asked to get out of the pool when I refused to do so myself, and I was sent home from the trip early.

Thankfully this did not harm my friendships with either of them (both are still friends of mine; the one I snapped at has been my best friend for nearly ten years now). Due to those two incidents and a number of others however, I was put on medication. From what I can remember I wasn't happy about it then, but I can say for sure now that it not only helped me to control my temper, but it also helped my focus in class even more.

By the beginning of Year 9 I had straightened my behaviour out and my anger became much better controlled; I no longer got sent home from school at all. However I stayed on the medication to help with my concentration. Despite this however I still had issues at school, and as such I was never really motivated. By the end of school my results were better then had been predicted when I had left primary; but by that point I felt I was capable of achieving much more than I had done.

With this feeling of unfulfilled potential, I moved onto college (to study motor mechanics) at the age of seventeen (after a year of sixth form) looking to make amends. However to say it didn't go well would be an understatement! Along with not enjoying the course as I had hoped, commuting stress and yet more bullying problems; I felt it wasn't worth it, after just seven weeks, and left!

To say I felt rotten at that point is justified. I felt I hadn't achieved enough and I had very little confidence; neither could I see where my life was going. I can't say I was feeling depressed; as unhappy with the situation as I was, I was determined to make changes. And this is where things started to turn for the better...

I decided that I would make another attempt at college; albeit on a different course and campus. However it was to be a year before I could do that, so I decided to volunteer in a charity shop during that time (where I still have a Saturday job to this day). It may come as a surprise, but working there has really done a lot for me. Having worked with a lot of different people there (some of whom I am now good friends with) and having assisted lots of different customers, has boosted my confidence a lot.

Even better yet, my second attempt at college was amazing! I started studying a two year computer graphics and animation course (which I completed successfully in the June of this year) in September 2011; where I finally found myself with a group of people who accepted me, and who I could get on with easily. What's more I actually enjoyed the course and for the first time I actually felt properly motivated. As a result I finally started to achieve what I wanted...

I finished college this year with mostly high grades, and (not to sound cheesy here) all awesome memories! I am now only a month away from starting a computer games design course, at the University of Gloucestershire. Never thought I'd be saying that two years ago! :lol:

So along with the volunteer work I've been doing and my success at college, my confidence has increased tenfold. And no longer do I feel like an underachiever. What's more a lot of the problems my Asperger's Syndrome caused while I was younger, have greatly diminished. For example although I still have angry outbursts, they are mild and few at the most. Also I came of the medication three years ago, and have managed fine without it.

Anyhow, that's my story. My apologies for it's long length; I shall leave a warning at the top! :lol:
 
@Andrew... I'm sure you read my PM

@everybody else... I do NOT have the syndrom, but I think it is great, that everybody here on the forums accepts people with this syndrom AND I must say it is really good that you can speak about getting bullied in the past without problems... 👍
 
I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at a VERY early age, around 2004 when I was only 6 if I can remember.

In school, none of the teachers recognized my problems until 2nd grade where I had a teacher that has an Autistic child. This made 2nd grade easier as she could cope with the problems that I have. Throughout these years, I didn't talk to my classmates very much so I wouldn't consider them to have been 'friends', though I would play football during recess.

After 2nd grade, my parents pulled me out of regular school in order to register me for a home-schooling program (after my sister was being bullied, not me). This would prove to be a terrible mistake as I did not have a teacher to help me, only my parents who had no clue what the program was trying to teach me. My grades fell from A's and B's to C's and D's, even F's at one point. Up to this day, I am still homeschooled, though I am to switch to a regular high school if I can pass 8th grade (It's August and I'm not done with school yet!). More importantly, I feel that having people around me would help me deal with my problems of being hesitant to talk to others.

Interest wise, I've been hooked on video games all of my life. For as long as I can remember I could pick up a controller and start playing a video game. Perhaps my video game addiction is a result of me having Asperger Syndrome? Recently this has come to bite me in the rear, as being homeschooled with video games right next to me would lead to a massive amount of procrastination. This can easily contribute to my low grades, though I just can't help but to start playing video games due to school being too difficult for me.

All my life I have been too focused on my interests to care about any other things. This has led to me becoming extremely lazy - I'm even posting this as I lay down in bed. Years ago when I was living with my dad, I couldn't be bothered to do anything but play video games. He'd tell me to clean my room, but I wouldn't do it. I'd say that I would clean it, but I never did. I'd also have everyone else do things for me such as making me food and cleaning up after me. This continues to this day, and I am starting to panic considering adulthood is coming up in the next few years.

Now I feel that some of the personalities that my parents have did not help me at all. My mother has a tendency to forget things extremely easy and my dad can get angry very easily. These two things (which I consider to be the most major), combined with myself having AS, is not a good combination. Often I would flip out at someone after they tell me to do something, and if somebody tells me anything I am going to forget about it within the next few seconds. Not a good combination with someone with Asperger Syndrome.

As you can see, these are some major problems I suffer from having AS. Worse, having a control-freak sister that thinks I should do everything for her, and the fact that I lay down in bed all day (I really want to stop being so lazy, but I've adapted to this 'lifestyle' too well to break out of it) doesn't help me one bit.
 
@ Slashfan, I must warn you against "diagnosing" yourself. If you have strange behaviours that you can't explain, I'd recommend going to a proper psychologist. We've all been there in this thread. As Mr. Fusion's story describes, sometimes the best thing for a person is a psychologist. If there's a stigma attached to "quacks" in your state, it's ill-founded and incorrect.


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


@ ImmalovemeGTR, great post. That fully explains what you sent me in German, and without a mistake. 👍 Congratulations, your English is very good! :)


@ Stormtrooper217, hey, it's been a while (I'm MrMelancholy15,) how've you been? I wish you the best of luck with the high-school thing. Since you're just going in, I want to tell you something about it:

1st: This is the first time when you'll have, depending on the size of your high-school, between 60-400 students in your grade. You'll have a lot of chances to meet the friends that you like. Don't be overly hesitant to tell tasteful jokes. Nothing offensive, but, just take it easy. Tell jokes, laugh at people, and if anyone says anything you don't like, tell them. Don't lose your temper. People won't trust you as much, and it's better preparation for the adult world.


If someone insults you, just say "please don't say that."


2nd: The classes are your top-priority. I'm going into college now, but, if I hadn't paid attention in maths class (I struggled here,) I would have been stuck at the job I just quit, as a janitor, for 50+ years.

50 years is a long time, when you're a janitor. Please, stay in school, do a good job, and then get a good job. Then, play all of the games you want. :) the games will be better by then anyways. :P


Thanks,

Andrew
 
@Andrew: Thanks! Your German is also very good;-)

No, I don't know anybody with that Syndrome... but wait ...
Maybe... in another class at my old school there was a guy who never spoke to anybody, I thought he was bullied and so I got over to him and tried to talk to him, but he ignored me... then I asked (maybe a little bit too loud :scared: ) : "Can you please speak to me?!"
Then suddenly one of our teachers, who was normally very nice, came over and told me (also a little bit loud) to leave him alone... I got :confused: and left him...

May this be something like this syndrome?

EDIT: Ahh, and @Andrew and Stormtrooper: If someone insults you because of the Syndrom, do not say: "Please do not say that"... believe me, they will just try harder to insult you when they see, that this is a weak point of you... Just ignore them, laugh at them... in my actual school, there is a guy who sometimes tries to bullie me, but in the meantime everybody is laughing at him because I laugh at his poor tries...
I don't even know why he tries to bullie me, I do very well with the rest of the class and so does he (Well, except for the others laughing at his poor tries...)
What I find intresting about this guy, he always claims that he is half of a year older than most of us, which is true, but man, we are 16!!!! I do not know anybody except from him who acts like a 10-year old at this age!!!
 
Last edited:
@ ImmalovemaGTR,


I'm not using your real name, because I don't know if you want it to be public or not.


Anyways, there are cases of Autism, on the lower-functioning side of the spectrum, who can't speak. They simply can't use their vocal cords in that way.


Another problem, is that most Autistic people, including myself, are uncomfortable with people who speak loudly. Many Autistic people will feel so uncomfortable that they'll almost "stop working," which is the Autistic reaction. If people really yell at me, I can at least leave the area before I "shut down," but for some people, the trigger is much quieter. Even if someone speaks at a reasonable volume, it's often too loud.


You'll often see in movies, if someone with Autism is touched, or yelled at, (and this includes me) they'll sit and rock back and forth, to a degree. Some will scream. I get worked up, but control my temper for long enough for me to send messages full of swearing and things to my friends.


Like, when my supervisor (at work) touched me, and raised his voice at me, without my permission, I was able to walk away without breaking down, but I immediately went to the washroom, and calmed down in private. The next day, I told him that I don't do well with people who touch me, nor raise their voice at me.
 
I have no problem if you tell my real name:)

Oh... now I feel sorry for this guy... but I saw him sometimes speak to some other students I did not know... and at first I really tried to start a normal conversation

I think these other students were from his old class, you know he had to repeat the grade because of bad marks... and in the new class, nobody ever talked to him!!! And I really knew that the others in the class were idiots...
 
Well, Autism is a wide spectrum. It encompasses many types of people.


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


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

Don't feel bad Stefan. 👍
 
So how do you know if it's autism or if it's an excuse?
 
I was diagnosed in 2004 by a Dr. May I say his name?


Anyways, I went to "CPRI" for many years. The place is basically a children's hospital with pediatric psychologists.


The doctor noted my good grades, "remarkable memory" and various other things, and after several years of consideration (I am a very border-line case,) he diagnosed me.
 
I have Asperger's too, and it's been a double-edged sword for me.

On the plus side, I think it has contributed a fair chunk to my intelligence. Doing well in school and uni was relatively effortless for me - all I have to do is pay attention in class/lectures, and then I can get the hang of something without spending hours revising. On the other hand, I think I've a lot of unused potential in that area, and a little bit of revision wouldn't hurt on a regular basis.

However, I'm really shy. I've known most of my friends since primary school, and when I entered secondary school, shyness struck. It didn't help that I was bullied viciously for what was pretty much the entirety of 2008 and 2009. My classmates would kick my chair, snatch my bag, knock my stuff off my table, slam their table into mine or at my chair and shove me in the corridors. Ever since then I find it hard to start up a conversation, even with my friends. The bullying reached a low point a week before Halloween 2009, when a group of three girls aimed a firework at me. It went screaming past my ear (looking back on it, I think that was their intention) and I broke down during lunch break.

The crap thing is, I still have to watch my back. Every now and then I get harassed by a gang of Traveller kids (about ~15 years old, but if you were to look at them you'd probably think they're 11/12) and I can't do anything about it. Up to about 2 years ago, I would also get harassed by a gang of girls who would shout my name at me in a ridiculous American accent.

I've tried making new friends at uni, and to be honest I'm not doing so well at that. I've made a few friends, but because I commute I can't go to any meetings of any of the social clubs that I've joined without paying ~€13 for a train to Dublin and a bus back home. The only time I got involved with my club was a trip to Berlin back in January, where I was pretty much silent unless I was drinking.

And one final down side of my Asperger's: I have anger management issues. My theory is that it's because of my Mum - she doesn't do anger by half measures. Even the look of her face when she's angry is enough to scare me. There's a few times when I erupt, almost entirely because of a video game where there's a frustratingly hard level or if I'm playing GTA 4 online and I'm sure that someone's using hacks.
 
@DK: WOW... the people you had to handle are really a**holes, b*tches... sorry that I use these words, but people who do this without any reason deserve a hard punch into their face... with a chair... mounted on a shovel... handled by a wookie
 
Yup. And Morten. It's the whole GT5 gang.



DK, I feel sorry for the bullying. I've been there. Most people don't know, but the reason for the "MrMelancholy" nickname stems from bullying in a way. It's a long story, so I won't say as much, because it's off-topic, but, the bullying I went through has shaped my life and inspired me to hit it big. If I get into racing, I'll use the publicity for Autism Awareness, fundraising, and anti-bullying campaigns.

Sure, it's doubtful that I will, but, I've got "too many jerks to prove wrong" in my friend's words.


Also, @ DK, I wouldn't mind PM'ing you, I've got questions about Ireland. :lol:
 
ITCC_Andrew
I was diagnosed in 2004 by a Dr. May I say his name?


Anyways, I went to "CPRI" for many years. The place is basically a children's hospital with pediatric psychologists.


The doctor noted my good grades, "remarkable memory" and various other things, and after several years of consideration (I am a very border-line case,) he diagnosed me.
Click to expand...

If you're borderline, why wouldn't you just consider yourself normal? Do you like being autistic? Does it provide identity? Just curious.

I know someone who was diagnosed with Aspergers-- the real deal. Most people I encounter that mention they have aspergers are nothing like him, so it makes me wonder how legitimate their diagnoses are. Of course, some of that is over the internet (NB: I'm not challenging the legitimacy of the conditions of those in this thread.) and I find that social symptoms are compensated for by virtue of the medium. After all, it's just an open channel sent out for anyone willing to listen. Unlike in person, the reader can just skip interaction.
 
Well, most psychologists agree that the Autistic brain is filed entirely different... Like, if it were a computer, it'd be a Linux, with 800 file folders to hold 400 files. :lol: it's been proven, through cognitive testing, that Autistic people see things differently, think in a different order, etc.


But, I'd like to remind you that it's called a "Spectrum." There's the high-functioning "almost-normal" side of the syndromes, and then there's the other side. Then, there are different types, and different symptoms.


But, I've recently been given the choice, by the Canadian government, whether or not to consider myself Autistic, given my successes. Of course, I'm proud of it, and I want it to shape my life. I want to fundraise for Autism-related charities. I want to help raise awareness. I want to help Autistic people's parents to flee countries that persecute their children based purely on the viewpoint of them as "useless" or "retarded" or mentally unfit.



To think, if I were born in 1933, Germany, for example, I would've met the same fate as so many Jewish people, just because I reach the same thoughts after a different process... It's scary, and unjust... And it's still happening, in different countries.


I want to be a role model, someone who survived-and thrived- after the bullying, and I want to ensure that this gift I've been given comes to good use.


So, once I'm a mechanic, and I get my life on-track, I expect I'll be volunteering a lot, etc. I'm happy to remain Autistic, because it's something that's shaped my life, and it shall continue to do so until I die. Sure, it's a part of my personality, but, it's much more than that, too.


I'm looking at all of these wonderful stories of survival, and thinking "wow, this is my purpose in life. I made it through the suicidal phase. Now, I want to be the proof that it's possible to survive, and thrive, with Autism." Whether I'm winning Canadian Rally Championship events, volunteering, fundraising, or just raising awareness, this is what life has brought me.
 
ImmalovemaGTR
@DK: WOW... the people you had to handle are really a**holes, b*tches... sorry that I use these words, but people who do this without any reason deserve a hard punch into their face... with a chair... mounted on a shovel... handled by a wookie
Click to expand...

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

As for the other bullies, it makes me sleep better at night knowing that they will never amount to much. The less I can say about the terrorising Traveller kids' futures, the better. It would probably violate the AUP, too, because I think I might invoke some Traveller stereotypes, but honestly these kids fit them. As for the girls, the highlight of their lives will probably be getting at least one of the fathers of their children to stay around for their child's 2nd birthday.
 
Omnis
If you're borderline, why wouldn't you just consider yourself normal? Do you like being autistic? Does it provide identity? Just curious.

I know someone who was diagnosed with Aspergers-- the real deal. Most people I encounter that mention they have aspergers are nothing like him, so it makes me wonder how legitimate their diagnoses are. Of course, some of that is over the internet (NB: I'm not challenging the legitimacy of the conditions of those in this thread.) and I find that social symptoms are compensated for by virtue of the medium. After all, it's just an open channel sent out for anyone willing to listen. Unlike in person, the reader can just skip interaction.
Click to expand...

Because that is the point - it varies massively in people. Aspergers is more of a general label because it is such a wide ranging diagnosis, hence the term autistic spectrum.
 
Furry tree'd.


Amazing how you summed it up better than I did, though. Interesting, how I can draw a parallel in the context, and use your quick summary, vs. My elaborate explanation, as being a difference in our personalities. It just makes the point so much more clear... :)
 
I have Asperger's Syndrome as well as Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. I used to struggle with bullying a lot, which doesn't happen so much now I'm at a special school. One problem I've always had in day to day life is something I find very difficult to explain. Basically, people seem to sort of have a rule related to whatever we're doing which I simply can't grasp, while they say it as a clear to understand given thing.
Also happens at home, like, things are so apparent or blatant to others yet not to me. It works both ways because I find some things blatant while others struggle. Note this is not speciality subjects, just day to day normal things.

EDIT: Sorry, I really have no idea how to get what I'm trying to say across.
 

Latest Posts

Back