hadapurpura

Well, I'd like to make a thread about this, because this is a silent .. ¿disease? ¿circumstance? well, I don't know, but it affects - positively and negatively - the lives of the ones who have it...

I have Asperger's Syndrome, wich is a mild form of autism. This can be a little difficult to me, becuse my IQ is 153, so I'm a gifted girl - but I'm also a disabled girl.

All my life I have been very good at learning things, and at using the rational portion of my brain, but I am not able to have empathy with other human beings, wich makes me look like I'm egocentric, spoiled and unemotional since I don't cry the death of somebody, or laugh when I shouldn't. I didn't have friends at elementary school, and at high school my grades went from excellent to depriment because I wasn't able to work with my school's methods. The problem is, I'm from Colombia and here we don't have anything like special programs for people with Asperger's or something like that, so I had to try to adjust to the normal system, or simply go to an special school (which I didn't want). I haven't found love yet, allegedly because I am not able to notice when a guy likes me or tries to get close to me. But I know my special person is there somewhere, and I'll know when the time comes.

I don't like hot colors like yellow, orange or brown (except for chocolate), adn I'm obssesed with music. I am a singer/songwriter, and people say I have a lot of talent, but then again - I'm too unemotional. (However, I know I will be a well-known artist one day...). It's weird because I am on stage and singing in front of a huge crowd, I am not afraid or nervous at all, I enjoy myself, but in other circumstances I feel bad, asfixiated when i am with other people. I'm very much into reading and writing, in fact, when I was a child, I didn't play with toys, but I wrote a lot of tales and poems, and played chess...

I understand this faces: and , but I don't undestand completely the other faces here, fortunately you put the mouse there and you can read what do those faces mean... Some times I am very quiet, sometimes I talk a lot, and usually I lock myself in my room or even when I am outdoors and with other people, I lock myself in my own toughts (I made a verse without doing my best!!!). I am too elevated, but I also see things that nobody else cares to see.

This can bring good and bad things to people... I made this thread for people here with Asperger's or autism, or people who want to know about it, or people who know people with Asperger's Syndrome or autism, so we can talk about it, or about our interests, etc...

Jane

That's really strange. I feel incredibly lame responding to this, because I don't have either disease, though I do have experience with autism and what happens when it goes bad. I thought it was interesting to read some of the things that you had written, and I just say that because I was able to relate to it a lot. I don't have Asperger's Syndrome or autism at all, but I assume that a huge reason that I'm so separated from the world around me is because I sheltered myself my whole life... either that, or I was simply born and programmed with those sorts of traits.

I tend to have lots of problems feeling empathetic towards people, understanding when people are feeling certain ways (I just can't pick up on it)... and a lot of people that I know in real life (i.e. that talk to me in person) will admit I'm one of the most unemotional and indifferent people they've ever met. I don't have any friends as a result... (and no, I don't say that because I'm in some teenage melodramatic wasteland, I say it because it's the truth). Though, I do tend to have a much better time with people in writing correspondence... like those on EvBoard and such like.

Just wanted to mention that a lot of those things you said about yourself, reminded me of myself and my personality... there were some strange similarities there.

My cousin has autism. He's nearly ten. He doesn't speak to anyone, has no manners, no sense of right or wrong, acts like an overgrown baby, most likely has limited intelligence, watches TV endlessly (things like Barney, VeggieTales,...), etc. The reason I say these things is because I wanted to show that people with autism, at least, can wind up incredibly different, depending on how they're treated.

My mother works with doctors all the time, and she's always the one we run to in our family for medical advice. (She's been all over the medical field.) When my cousin was one or two, she recognized the signs of autism extremely fast. She told both my aunt and uncle, suggesting that they get him checked, but I think that they were unwilling to believe such a thing... as a result, they did nothing about it. My cousin cannot go to schools now, because he doesn't know how to behave properly and react with other children. He has no sense of what to do, what he's supposed to do, etc.

I'm just wanting to educate people that with autism, someone can turn out incredibly normal (or ab/subnormal). They could go to school with you right now, and you wouldn't even notice... but if nothing's done to help them in the early stages of their development... they'll wind up like my cousin - who will be dependent upon my aunt and uncle for the rest of his life, and will never have the skills and the mindset to achieve any kind of independence. He's beyond the stage where he could get help... and if he were to get help now, it wouldn't nearly make so much difference as it would have if he had gotten help at a younger age. Autism comes in many different forms, and it's always interesting to learn more about these kinds of differences.

Hope I gave you a little bit of insight? Maybe?

End.

Dark Star

im sorry im not giving advice but more seeking it myself. i hope its ok to post in this thread.

i have a friend with aspergers. he's going out with my best mate but all her mates apart from me hate him because his condition causes him to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. i've always been able to put up with it as it wasn't bad at all. he was a really good friend to me and he loves my mate so much. but lately i've been falling out with him a lot! he's got very lazy, he never wants to go out anymore and all he does is sit indoors and play guitar and watch the music channels. his girlfriend and i are at uni so when ever we're home we want to make the most of it and have fun but he never wants to do anything.

now, that on it's own i can just about cope with, but it seems that everything he does annoys me. he doesn't appriciate my friendship even in the slightest even tho i've been there for him the whole time. but i feel bad for thinking like that coz i know i shouldn't. he always used to say bad stuf to me like he did with with everyone else, but he's always been ok. but now he's got worse like he really doesn't care if he pisses me off.

its getting me down a lot! im a bit conflicted coz i feel bad for getting annoyed but then i think, well should i be making exceptions because of his condition and would i be making that exception because i pity him.

does any of that make sense?

ntersnhere

I understand you on that one. My nephew is so much like that and pretty much fits the description this thread's starter gave. It's not "official" yet that he has asperger's, and it may be just medication inflicted, because he has to take a whole frickin bunch of ritalin (he's 7), and i think it makes him kind of.. overconcentrate. but he always gets mad or says he hates me or my sister (aka his mom) when we try to get his attention or ask him to do something, especially when he's playing on the computer (which he does for at least 3 hrs a day). anyways, im only at their house for about a month during the summer, but it does get frustrating. sometimes i dont know how to cope with it, but i know it works out better when i just walk away from it for a while... but i think u and ur friend are in a different situation.

witch baby

I have asperger's.

That sounds just like me. The only person I ever empathize with is my girlfriend.

I don't get along with people very well, I come across as bitchy and uncaring. I like to be by myself. If I like something I can get very, very obsessive. I've got mild OCD from it, too. I go to a small school with different learning methods now because I couldn't work with the public schools' learning style. I've always done terribley in school no matter how hard I try.

I got it from my grandpa and my mom.

hadapurpura

this is likely the most reliable test on internet to see if you have autistic traits (this doesn't replace a formal diagnosis, but it helps). This is the direction: http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

ih82nd

I was going to post about this because I have mild Asperger's syndrome but I didn't know how to explain what it is!!!

I have trouble reading peoples faces too and I don't often understand if they are joking or not. I get really uncomfortable in social situations and it takes me ages to make friends with someone because I don't talk much and say weird things! I read a really good book written by a boy who has Asperger's syndrome *trys to think of the name* anyway I'm glad I'm not the only one.

I don't like fantasy and have trouble reading fiction books and watching things like Harry Potter, it has to be realistic. I'm quite brainy

hadapurpura you are not disabled!!! That's not true at all! I am very similar to you and almost agree with everything you said so I won't repeat you! Thanks for making this thread

-Emily-

Jane

Thanks for the site, it was interesting. I took it:

Quote:

Thank you for filling out this questionnaire. Your score: 114 You seem to have quite a few Aspie-traits

I knew I probably had a lot of the traits, because I sound very similar to those of you that are stating how you act, think, behave, etc. That's interesting... I'm a little mutt, but whatever. I think it's really great you guys are posting all this information, it's really interesting! I wonder just how many people actually have these traits... it makes you wonder about all of the people you pass/see in daily life.

End.

Black_Shadow

I did the test and got a score of 131 (You seem to have quite a few Aspie-traits). Over the last few years I've increasingly felt that I might actually have Asperger's syndrome or autism. My mum is a doctor and thinks that as well. I find it really hard being with people time and also show quite a few other traits of autism. Can I just ask, are you born with autism or is it something you get during early childhood etc. ?

spiderfall

My brother has aspergers - I worry for him because he's still being spoon fed in the education system but once he has to work for a living and be self sufficient I don't know what he can do. He's 20 at the moment - but he has the initiative of someone alot younger. However he is very clever - excels in writing and he is currently in Japan for a year as part of his japanese and business course. He's also a good listener, he sits there and takes it all in thinks and then speaks. To anyone who met him they'd just think he was quiet, but I sort of know the issues that go through his mind when faced with new situations.
Does anyone else here with aspergers hat the smell of fruit? My brother ahtes Apples - he can actually smell apples!

If anyone wants to chat to my brother as someone a little older with Aspergers then I'll let you know he has a blog of his travels in Japan
http://spaces.msn.com/members/nihonn...e.aspx?owner=1
and you can make contact with him via that.