Asperger's Awareness: I'm Writing a School Newspaper Article

[Kit Hunter]

Hello all,

April is National Autism Awareness month here in the USA and I'll be writing an article on Asperger's Syndrome for my high school newspaper. I figured it would be useful (and fun) to get some information from you guys, rather than just relying on my own experience and research.

Here's what I wanted to do: Below is a list of questions that you can answer, which would really help. Feel free to do as many or few as you wish. Anything helps.

• Give an analogy to explain Asperger's Syndrome (or just briefly describe what AS is, as if to someone who doesn't know anything about it)
  
• How does Asperger's affect you, personally?
• Do you view AS as a disorder? Why or why not?
• Are there any pros of AS? Explain.
• When did you find out you had AS? Did you ever get a diagnosis and if so, what do you think about it?
  
• Do you have any advice for other Aspies? How about for NTs?
• What are the most common misconceptions about people with Asperger's?
• List some good resources on AS where people could learn more about it.
  
• Feel free to add any other pertinent information.

Also, I wanted to do an interview with someone (anyone, anyone?) so let me know if this is something you'd be interested in. We could perhaps use a chat board, message system, email to communicate. I really don't like talking on phones so I would prefer utilizing a text system for this.

Thank you all.

 

[Ylva]

As always.

• Maybe a fairy tale? Often when I read one, I feel like some aspect fits quite well. For instance, Vassilissa/Cinderella in every version has to sort grains by hand, or separate lentils and peas. (Even knowing it was her punishment, I always thought, what a peaceful task!) Little Red Riding Hood smiles at the wolf and is nice to it because her social training overrides her instincts, not because she is stupid. (Well, who knows, but I think she's supposed to be around seven, so her behaviour seems pretty average.) Oh, and she scripts.
• I have it, so it affects me by being my basic layout.
• I view it as an order, a system that could have worked far better with more well-adjusted input.
• I sometimes feel like a mutant from X-men. Varies which one.
• Early 2013. I was twenty-five. To be fair, my father suggested that I might have it when I was nineteen, but I didn't take it seriously.
• What advice I give depends on the problem you're asking for my help with, so in a word, no. I simply don't have the stomach for handing out generalised words of wisdom.
• Not sure about the stats, but I'd say the idea that we are not "real people" and that our boundaries need not be respected is pretty widespread.
• Amythest Schaber's YouTube videos, and the links she provides in the info section.

 

[Slithytoves]

Give an analogy to explain Asperger's Syndrome

Asperger's is like a being a Mac vs. a PC. On the outside, a Mac looks fundamentally the same as a PC and has the same external components for input and output. Inside it has the same basic internal structures and processes. Still, in many ways it operates differently and can be hard to navigate/understand for someone used to PCs. A Mac isn't always compatible with software (situations, experiences, behaviors, etc.) that is designed for the much more common PC, but on the other hand, it's resistant to many viruses (social influences) that affect PCs and has some cool bells and whistles (gifts) that a PC doesn't have.

How does Asperger's affect you, personally?

It's made fitting into certain situations (school, the workplace, relationships) difficult, but it has also given me a unique perspective, an ability to resist convention and cut my own path, and a number of other gifts that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Do you view AS as a disorder? Why or why not?

As a highly adapted Aspie, I would like to say I believe people with Asperger's are simply a perfectly healthy variation on a theme called "human". But as I know there is a significant spectrum of severity such that some Aspies are significantly disabled by their symptoms, and that co-morbidity with other conditions that are unquestionably disorders is very common, I personally have to call AS a disorder.

Are there any pros of AS? Explain.

This is a great list from The Asperger Advantage: Learn to Use the Advantages of Asperger . I feel many of these apply to me.

1. Focus
Your ability to focus on one objective over long periods of time without becoming distracted allows you to accomplish large and challenging tasks.

2. Unique Global Insights: Your ability to find novel connections among multi-disciplinary facts and ideas allows you to create new, coherent, and meaningful insights that others would not have reached without you.

3. Independent Thinking: Your willingness to consider unpopular or unusual possibilities generates new options and opportunities and can pave the way for others.

4. Internal Motivation: Rather than being swayed by social convention, other's opinions, social pressure or fears, you can hold firm to your own purpose. Your unique ideas can thrive, despite naysayers.

5. Attention To Detail: Your ability to remember and process minute details without getting lost or overwhelmed gives you a distinct advantage when solving complex problems.

6. 3-Dimensional Thinking: Your ability to utilize 3-dimensional visioning gives you a unique perspective when designing and creating solutions.

7. Cutting Through The Smoke Screen: Your ability to recognize and speak the truth that is being "conveniently" ignored by others can be vital to the success of a project or endeavor.

8. Logical Decision Making: Your ability to make logical and rational decisions and stick to your course of action without being swayed by impulse or emotional reactions allows you to navigate successfully through difficult situations without being pulled off-course.


When did you find out you had AS? Did you ever get a diagnosis and if so, what do you think about it?

Two friends, both AC members, told me in December that they believed I have AS, but I blew it off for a while because I didn't fit the conventional profile (I'm extrovert-type). One of them kept bugging me to take some online self-tests and I was shocked by how highly I scored. I went to my doctor on January 21st, 2015 and left with an official diagnosis.

I was thrilled to be diagnosed, because it answered longstanding questions about why I couldn't keep a job for very long of finish college despite having a high IQ and a broad set of skills and competencies, and it also explained many other differences I saw between me and most other people. Now that the "A-ha Moment" is over, I have mostly just gone on with business as usual. The lasting effect has been a greater sense of peace and self-understanding.

Do you have any advice for other Aspies? How about for NTs?

To Aspies: You can't choose whether or not you have AS, but you can absolutely choose how you handle it and which aspects you focus on.

To NTs: We are are an incredibly diverse group in every way, so please don't get caught up in stereotypes.

What are the most common misconceptions about people with Asperger's?

• That we're all introverts
• That we are also science, math, or computer geeks
• That we have no empathy
• That Asperger's is an illness
• That we are all disabled
• That we can't be good partners, parents, or employees
• That we'd rather not be Aspies

List some good resources on AS where people could learn more about it.

See the AC resource section.

 

[ExplosiveTMT]

I got a little one to add to the list of common asperger's misconceptions:
Aspies don't understand humour.

It may be true for some aspies, but I am definitely not one of them. Most people who know me, know me to crack jokes.

 

[artfull dodger]

I dont understand or realize when someone is being scarcastic. Usualy just pisses me off when someone is being a smart arse with me. I do better post diagnosis than before but it still can get to me if the person persists with thier behavior. I prefer to be alone most of the time, I can get upset when my routine is changed abruptly. While I have learned to exit out of a situation before I end up in a violent meltdown, I still tend to have the ones where I just curl into a ball on the floor, or the bed if I can make it there, and cry my self to sleep. I will usualy sleep an hour or two after a meltdown as I will be exhausted. My job centers around one of my obsessions, but even with that I am mentaly and emotionaly exhausted after work to the point that I want to do little other than sit on the couch on the computer, reading a book or watching TV. I really need the income from a second job to deal with my broke down truck and other money related issues, but I know it would not be a wise move to take on any more stress. Mike