Do yall mind all the psych people in here using AC for generic research?

[Vanilla]

Last year, many of you were kind enough to respond to my request for an interview for my thesis research. I've gotten the pleasure of getting to know a few of you more closely, and I just wanted to thank the members of this community for being so willing to chat with me. I was self-conscious of the fact that it might have seemed like I was trying to put you under a microscope, and I hoped you didn't find me offensive!

I am a communication scholar, and your words prompted me to take a closer look at how we talk about autism, and the effect that this has on perceptions of autism and on the way people on the spectrum understand themselves--the difference between a biomedical understanding of an autism diagnosis and the social understanding of autism as a cultural and an intimate part of a person's identity. Thank you for the inspiration!

I agree, I am more than happy to ensure that people are properly educated in the area of AS, and so am happy to ensure that researchers, as yourself, obtain information that can benefit our cause in the long run.

I would be happy to allow any kind of research that would allow the general population to learn that we too are simply people, and an often misunderstood minority, who only want acceptance within society. Thank you for your interest.

 

[rollerskate]

I have mixed feelings, but doesnt really bother me that much. Id like to think people who join this site, in pursuit of physcological education, came to get to know us, more than just some survey questions. They have a real opportunity, but I suspect most will just fly in and then out.

I think I get it. We get treated so much like aliens else where, this is supposed to be our sanctuary where we are "normal", and then this person comes along with all these questions that remind us we're not " normal ", and mirrors the rejection we get in real life by ditching as soon as they've collected their data, having no interest whatsoever in getting to know us on a personal level. And I don't know how many times in real life I've been drilled for my knowledge on some topic like makeup then ditched as soon as I ceased to be useful any more. It hurts really bad when that happens...

Am I hitting the spot here?

 

[rollerskate]

Last year, many of you were kind enough to respond to my request for an interview for my thesis research. I've gotten the pleasure of getting to know a few of you more closely, and I just wanted to thank the members of this community for being so willing to chat with me. I was self-conscious of the fact that it might have seemed like I was trying to put you under a microscope, and I hoped you didn't find me offensive!

I am a communication scholar, and your words prompted me to take a closer look at how we talk about autism, and the effect that this has on perceptions of autism and on the way people on the spectrum understand themselves--the difference between a biomedical understanding of an autism diagnosis and the social understanding of autism as a cultural and an intimate part of a person's identity. Thank you for the inspiration!

Thank YOU for returning here a year later.

 

[Ste11aeres]

The thing is, given the set up of this and any online forum, we are free to respond to a post by a researcher or to just ignore it and read other threads instead. Quite different from someone buttonholing buttonhole - definition and meaning us in real life.

 

[Sparticus]

At first I was hesitant and not feeling kind towards a survey. That plus I was upset about something else. After reading members opinions here and thinking how, in a way, students coming here to ask us questions, can be both beneficial for Aspies and for AspiesCentral.com.

 

[Turk]

I think I get it. We get treated so much like aliens else where, this is supposed to be our sanctuary where we are "normal", and then this person comes along with all these questions that remind us we're not " normal ", and mirrors the rejection we get in real life by ditching as soon as they've collected their data, having no interest whatsoever in getting to know us on a personal level. And I don't know how many times in real life I've been drilled for my knowledge on some topic like makeup then ditched as soon as I ceased to be useful any more. It hurts really bad when that happens...

Am I hitting the spot here?

My life has been full of people wanting something from me. Perhaps my lack of connection with people, is why they feel compelled to hit and run. They feel awkward and only want raw detail. My AS makes the process of befriending others difficult. So im a little perplexed as to why NT's, dont at least make an effort. After all, my inability to make and hold friendships, is being measured against these very same people. Its not that I mind people seeking things from me, but lets be honest, very few have an interest, beyond that. So yeah what you have said, is pretty accurate. I hold no bad feeling towards others, that walk this path, but they are viewed with cynicism.

 

[Judge]

I think I get it. We get treated so much like aliens else where, this is supposed to be our sanctuary where we are "normal", and then this person comes along with all these questions that remind us we're not " normal ", and mirrors the rejection we get in real life by ditching as soon as they've collected their data, having no interest whatsoever in getting to know us on a personal level. And I don't know how many times in real life I've been drilled for my knowledge on some topic like makeup then ditched as soon as I ceased to be useful any more. It hurts really bad when that happens...

Am I hitting the spot here?

That's the beauty of this thread. Because of our added input, they're getting so much more than they bargained for.

It's a two-way dialogue. Good for them, but also good for us.

 

[Warwick C]

Thank you Sarah, for giving us feed back, from the other side of the research question.

 

[rollerskate]

My life has been full of people wanting something from me. Perhaps my lack of connection with people, is why they feel compelled to hit and run. They feel awkward and only want raw detail. My AS makes the process of befriending others difficult. So im a little perplexed as to why NT's, dont at least make an effort. After all, my inability to make and hold friendships, is being measured against these very same people. Its not that I mind people seeking things from me, but lets be honest, very few have an interest, beyond that. So yeah what you have said, is pretty accurate. I hold no bad feeling towards others, that walk this path, but they are viewed with cynicism.

Wow. You hit hard and deep with this post, Turk. I have often puzzled over that too. Seems I'm always being accused of not trying when it pretty well seems like I'm the one putting forth the most effort.

I just lost a friend of fifteen years tonight over some dumb Facebook comment. Had I known it would have offended them at all I would have never said it. They had been bugging the crap out of me to play some game they were enamored with and I finally told them straight up my logical reasons for disliking and avoiding games on there. Namely that I don't like the spam/mlm like marketing techniques and prefer my advance in game play to purely be based on my gaming skills and not my ability to recruit friends. I didn't say anything about them at all, no criticism or anything, even explicitly stated that it had nothing to do with my opinion of them and that I sympathized with the people that get sucked into those games because I did at one time too. Well, he went nuts over it and started trolling my profile and posting offensive memes to his wall about it. I ignored him and decided to just assume he was having a bad day and forgive and forget. I figured he would cool off in a few days max and everything would be OK.

Instead, he blocked me. Not just there but everywhere I could possibly use to make contact with him.

Now, here's some background. He typically has been an under dog, bullied because he's effeminate and emotionally sensitive for a guy. I've always had his back, defending him against cruel people and being there for him when he needed me to listen and or give advice. He's struggled with depression and cynicism/pessimism a lot, and there's not been very many friends that have stuck with him as a result. Despite his self defeating behavior though, I've always been there and even understood in a lot of ways others didn't, perhaps due to my own struggles with being an outcast. And when he goes insane like he did in this instance, I've just left him the time to chill and let it blow over without blaming him, because I understand he's sensitive and can have a hair trigger from being so accustomed to abuse.

So yeah... Right now... I'm not really feeling like I got a fair deal here. And it's exactly like you said. I'm expected to put forth all this effort and be not only the most perfect friend ever but the most perfect NT, and they in the mean time can be as completely irrational and insensitive as they want to be without having to do anything themselves to try to meet me half way. And in the mean time, I just get used over and over again, thrown away as soon as I fail to meet my purpose or have fulfilled it to the max. IT SUCKS.

 

[deathgrip]

No i am rather happy they are looking at us on here. Whatever gives them more accurate info for any kind of advance in understanding us.

If you are a profesional reading this, please feel free to pm me as i would be more than happy to volunteer info from an autistic female