Autism People

[RemyZee]

I hope people don't take this wrong, but it's new years and I hope this doesn't come off too strong, but I wanted to just say that I truly love autistic people. I have never been around neurotypicals who are involved in so many profound discussions, who are so caring and forthcoming and funny and I'm so glad to be part of it.

 

[Xinyta]

That something that is even mentioned in psychology. No one knows what you go through better than those who have lived it.

Autism is no different.

Our experiences maybe mostly unique. But that's also part of the fun of meeting people on the spectrum. We can find common ground, but also encounter unique views on how we are affected.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

I have never been around neurotypicals who are involved in so many profound discussions, who are so caring and forthcoming and funny and I'm so glad to be part of it.

Yes. The main reason for me sticking around.

 

[Streetwise]

I hope people don't take this wrong, but it's new years and I hope this doesn't come off too strong, but I wanted to just say that I truly love autistic people. I have never been around neurotypicals who are involved in so many profound discussions, who are so caring and forthcoming and funny and I'm so glad to be part of it.

I recommend reading different a variety of members posts

 

[marc_101]

I think a symptom is not liking chitchat. I don't like it.

 

[Misty Avich]

I like autistic people too. Although I can't say I can relate to a lot of the common autistic views of the world and sometimes feel like I don't belong in the autism community, I still enjoy being on an autism forum where there are autistic people.

Sometimes I feel alone in my personal experience with autism, being so most people on the forum are recently diagnosed as adults and are relieved and happy with their diagnosis, while I was diagnosed in childhood, quite forcibly, with something I wasn't sure I fitted even then and wasn't happy with. I'd like to read more about people in my situation but whenever I search for it on Google it just comes up with parents with recently diagnosed teens, not autistic adults who are still having a hard time accepting their diagnosis like me.

 

[kriss72]

It's "funny", like am I the only one who have experienced that some of the people you can really talk with IRL aren't NT's ? I had two friends, that after I came to realize that I was AuDHD told me spontaneously, that they suspected them self to be ASD and AuDHD - like without me telling them that I was, I told them I was after they told me of their suspision Then there are two friends where I just silently think one is ASD and the other ADHD, I assume the rest of my friends are NT's - (all isn't many in my case) (friends are loosly defined in this context)

 

[marc_101]

@mystic
You don't have to accept a diagnosis. As an adult, you're in a better position to know if the diagnosis applies to you or not. Call yourself autistic-friendly? Or don't call yourself anything. You mention ADHD in your signature. Perhaps in ADHD forums there are a bunch of people who were diagnosed with autism as children who think like you as adults. The DSM is based on a cluster of symptoms, and it's very difficult to differentiate ADHD from autism. The differentiation is for treatment and insurance, but as an adult you're a better authority.

 

[Neri]

This is a warm, lovely, kind, thread. It made me feel a lot better.
Thank you @RemyZee

 

[Gary DuBois]

I hope people don't take this wrong, but it's new years and I hope this doesn't come off too strong, but I wanted to just say that I truly love autistic people. I have never been around neurotypicals who are involved in so many profound discussions, who are so caring and forthcoming and funny and I'm so glad to be part of it.

Im 32 years old with mild autism and im happy to be autistic =) We autistic people love you too because you care about us =)

 

[Ken]

I hope people don't take this wrong, but it's new years and I hope this doesn't come off too strong, but I wanted to just say that I truly love autistic people. I have never been around neurotypicals who are involved in so many profound discussions, who are so caring and forthcoming and funny and I'm so glad to be part of it.

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

I see so many people who are terrified of an autism diagnosis. I have always felt bad for those people, while also being mystified about that fear. Yes, I have (and still) suffer greatly due to my autism, but I see suffering in everyone - I mean everyone, regardless of their neural makeup.

I am just now finally beginning to understand the autism diagnosis fear. It is also something that tends to anger me - a lot. I see the source of that fear in the general public and even professional opinion that autism is a horrible "defect" or something tragically wrong, like a terrible disease - something to dread. Prior to my autism diagnosis, I was diagnosed as retarded. I was still regard as retarded even as I became a successful electronics design engineer. Is that conflicting??

It seems that people fear an autism diagnosis as if something dreadful is going to happen. Even though they must realize that they are who they are and that that is not going to change. An autism diagnosis is simply an answer, not a forecast of doom. A cancer or ALS diagnosis is something to fear because the outlook is indeed bad. Not so with an autism diagnosis. You are still you are and will continue to be you. It is not degenerative.

Autism should not be looked down upon. I feel that doing so is an act of bigotry. Yes, life is hard for an autistic, but life can be hard for anyone. There are a lot of autistic people who have lead some very beneficial lives. Being autistic is not a tragedy or something to dread, regardless of anyone's opinion; regardless what has been preached.

 

[Ken]

I had a very autistic cousin. His name was Richard. He was older than I and has since passed, but no one could be in Richard's company without smiling. He has the most contagious happiness. His autism was quite debilitating, but he did find some work. He had a very autistic obsession of managing things. I remember his huge collection of sodas. He had a notebook log that cataloged each one. They was logged before and after being opened, which ones were in the fridge and the location of each one of them. That notebook was precious to him and he had it on him at all times. He would delight in showing it to everyone in great detail. Richard was determined and resourceful. He couldn't learn to drive, so he got around on a golf cart. He was famous throughout his small town. Everyone knew Richard and no one could mention his name without smiling. Richard was even a frequent writer for the local news paper.

Yes, Richard had autistic difficulties, but he was happy, productive and made other people happy. Richard was a very successful person - autism an all.

 

[RemyZee]

Thank This is a warm, lovely, kind, thread. It made me feel a lot better.
Thank you @RemyZee

Thank you so much that makes me happy!

 

[Levitator]

I hope people don't take this wrong, but it's new years and I hope this doesn't come off too strong, but I wanted to just say that I truly love autistic people. I have never been around neurotypicals who are involved in so many profound discussions, who are so caring and forthcoming and funny and I'm so glad to be part of it.

I have nothing against normal people, but they cannot stand me, and it's bewildering how consistent they are in that tendency. I'm curious to meet new people (of any kind), learn about them, and look for understanding, but when you lose people at "hello", there's really nowhere to go from there. Then, if you make it past "hello", good luck making it to a second lunch or coffee.

I spent time with a wonderful girl who had massive damage to her motor and sensory stuff on one side due to a brain surgery when she was very young. She was very funny, very clever, and we got along great. I discovered a wonderful and new kind of intimacy knowing what her life was like, and I felt so much compassion and love for her, and such a strong desire to prop her up and take care of her.

So, after that, I asked myself why I'm denying who I am, and there's surely a fascinating tapestry of other wonderful people who have strange deficits which would be joyful to support, and which are easy to relate to because there's likewise stuff about me that's inexplicably odd.

 

[Levitator]

I think, maybe a key thing we have in common here is that we come here to admit that we're abnormal, we seldom know how or why, and we know it annoys the daylights out of people. So, this is a place for us to agree that we're going to treat each other the way we wish everyone else treated us. It's not hard, and if someone else has some bizarre tendency, or they assemble phrases by some alien process, why would we be spooked or confused? We go "Wow, I'd love to get to know you and find out how you do stuff your own particular way".

 

[RemyZee]

I have nothing against normal people, but they cannot stand me, and it's bewildering how consistent they are in that tendency. I'm curious to meet new people (of any kind), learn about them, and look for understanding, but when you lose people at "hello", there's really nowhere to go from there. Then, if you make it past "hello", good luck making it to a second lunch or coffee.

I spent time with a wonderful girl who had massive damage to her motor and sensory stuff on one side due to a brain surgery when she was very young. She was very funny, very clever, and we got along great. I discovered a wonderful and new kind of intimacy knowing what her life was like, and I felt so much compassion and love for her, and such a strong desire to prop her up and take care of her.

So, after that, I asked myself why I'm denying who I am, and there's surely a fascinating tapestry of other wonderful people who have strange deficits which would be joyful to support, and which are easy to relate to because there's likewise stuff about me that's inexplicably odd.

I know exactly what you're saying, and it does make me think of neuro typical, who have always disliked or ignored me, or even targeted me. It's sad to not trust people from that group--but I find it much more travailung because they just don't usually get it, and when that happens people can be aggressive. I find it much more gratifying to be around neurodiverse people: I get along best with autistics, people with adhd, although I honestly have some misgivings about the term neurodiversity--not that I'm against the word, but I hear some people say it's not really applicable because basically everyone is neurodiverse--you could have identical twins with the very same DNA. They would still be neurodiverse. On the other hand when the word is qualified (ie, of course every one has different neurologies. We are using this term to apply to people with neurologies that are outside the box--like autism. But I definitely get along best with people who don't think k like everyone else, and I totally appreciate people who don't fit into the norm--though neurodiverse people can also be cruel
as anyone: I just relate to them alot more.

 

[Levitator]

I know exactly what you're saying, and it does make me think of neuro typical, who have always disliked or ignored me, or even targeted me. It's sad to not trust people from that group--but I find it much more travailung because they just don't usually get it, and when that happens people can be aggressive. I find it much more gratifying to be around neurodiverse people: I get along best with autistics, people with adhd, although I honestly have some misgivings about the term neurodiversity--not that I'm against the word, but I hear some people say it's not really applicable because basically everyone is neurodiverse--you could have identical twins with the very same DNA. They would still be neurodiverse. On the other hand when the word is qualified (ie, of course every one has different neurologies. We are using this term to apply to people with neurologies that are outside the box--like autism. But I definitely get along best with people who don't think k like everyone else, and I totally appreciate people who don't fit into the norm--though neurodiverse people can also be cruel
as anyone: I just relate to them alot more.

It's true; being a neurological weirdo doesn't automatically make you a kind person either, and it's important to maintain an open mind and respond to the individual in front of us rather than preconceptions; again, the way we wish we were treated.

What I have found, though, is that people who don't live with any challenges to their normalcy demonstrate no compassion or tolerance for those who do, and it needn't be a consequential manner of abnormal. Subtle style differences are enough to obliterate your social existence. Well, we think they're subtle. Others clearly think otherwise.

The point here is; after you've been hung out to dry a few thousand times, you begin looking for that crowd which is statistically more likely to contain someone who will get you, and there is nothing wrong with that. The difference between setting yourself apart and responding to exclusion is subtle but important.

 

[RemyZee]

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

I see so many people who are terrified of an autism diagnosis. I have always felt bad for those people, while also being mystified about that fear. Yes, I have (and still) suffer greatly due to my autism, but I see suffering in everyone - I mean everyone, regardless of their neural makeup.

I am just now finally beginning to understand the autism diagnosis fear. It is also something that tends to anger me - a lot. I see the source of that fear in the general public and even professional opinion that autism is a horrible "defect" or something tragically wrong, like a terrible disease - something to dread. Prior to my autism diagnosis, I was diagnosed as retarded. I was still regard as retarded even as I became a successful electronics design engineer. Is that conflicting??

It seems that people fear an autism diagnosis as if something dreadful is going to happen. Even though they must realize that they are who they are and that that is not going to change. An autism diagnosis is simply an answer, not a forecast of doom. A cancer or ALS diagnosis is something to fear because the outlook is indeed bad. Not so with an autism diagnosis. You are still you are and will continue to be you. It is not degenerative.

Autism should not be looked down upon. I feel that doing so is an act of bigotry. Yes, life is hard for an autistic, but life can be hard for anyone. There are a lot of autistic people who have lead some very beneficial lives. Being autistic is not a tragedy or something to dread, regardless of anyone's opinion; regardless what has been preached.

I'm with you on the thing of being accused of not being smart in high school and high school was miserable for me, like many autistic. A high school counselor told my parents I wouldn't ever go to college and it had a major impact since I wound up expecting nothing from myself and proved them wrong. It was one of the first times i remember that people confused how i looked on the outside (awkward, occasionally unable to talk, clumsy, socially inept, slow). So I got two masters degrees. Don't know why so many of us are told we have learning issues as young people--but I constantly hear from autistic saying they were assumed to be unintelligent as young people, only to find their niche and thrive.

 

[Ken]

I'm with you on the thing of being accused of not being smart in high school and high school was miserable for me, like many autistic. A high school counselor told my parents I wouldn't ever go to college and it had a major impact since I wound up expecting nothing from myself and proved them wrong. It was one of the first times i remember that people confused how i looked on the outside (awkward, occasionally unable to talk, clumsy, socially inept, slow). So I got two masters degrees. Don't know why so many of us are told we have learning issues as young people--but I constantly hear from autistic saying they were assumed to be unintelligent as young people, only to find their niche and thrive.

Thank you for the kind words.

Actually, for me, it wasn't just high school; it was every grade of school from first to twelfth. My mother didn't even put me in kindergarten, because she thought I wouldn't be able to handle it. (Actually, I think she was right.)

I tried, but could not achieve any degrees, because my social anxiety was to crippling for college.

Yes, I looked retarded as per my expressions, mannerisms, posture, but also my speech. I was extremely withdrawn due to the social anxiety. I had a hard time answering any question and too often was frozen, unable to speak.

But, I ended up successful because, while I could not be taught, I could learn. So, I spent years worth of hours in libraries studying on my own. With that I was able to prove my abilities to any business that would allow me to prove myself. And that's where I ended up.