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Yo!!!I was surprised at first to discover that I'm on the spectrum, when I stumbled onto the traits that many females have. After I read the lists of indicators, it was an explanation for my entire life up to that point. Had lived in the neurotypical world and began to realize that I didn't have to 'placate' anymore.
Finding out about Asperger's has made me less 'hard' on myself, I'm no longer stressed and anxious about everything that should happen or be. My stress levels have gone down noticeably, my ulcers healed, (only in the NT world do things escalate) no longer a perfectionist or obsessive about what other people think. It took me less than two months to embrace the idea wholeheartedly.
I'm proud to be an Aspie, it accounts for many things I've accomplished in my life with little help. Along with genetics and other factors it accounts for my intelligence, my focus, determination, independence and my talents.
If you haven't already, read Tony Attwood's 'The complete guide to Aspergers'.
And then read Ian Ford's 'A field guide to Earthlings'.
For many aspies, reading the first is like reading a biography. After reading this, I couldn't deny it. Didn't want it, but couldn't deny it. It just made too much sense.
Reading the second, you'll probably think NTs are really messed up, and will be glad to be a reasonable aspie/autie instead.
I don't have Autism, I have Asperger's, there's a BIG difference.
I just ordered the field guide on Amazon. It seems like it doesn't put too much into it, but had a lighter view of things. We are who we are, they are who they are, and we'll all just do the best they can. Fuhgedaboutit!Yeah, I've got a copy of Tony Attwood's book that I've fully read. Some bits made sense, other's just didn't. It was too scattered in that book to make a cohesive answer from. I'll have a look at A Field Guide to Earthlings. See if that makes more sense, there are some things that people do which make them seem so damn worried of other people's opinions or they read too much crap into socialising that it makes me think I can't do with that, having a limited amount of friends is just better.
have you researched classic autism? it isnt as bad as you think.That's how I see it as well. I associate autism with uncontrolled temper-tantrums, extreme sensitivity to certain lights and sounds, an inability to communicate effectively, a complete inability to control emotions, and a complete dependence upon others for the accomplishment of basic tasks, whereas those with Asperger's Syndrome can look after themselves, have a higher than normal level of cognitive development, can debate with the best, have rather mild sensory issues and so on. The DSM-V is just a book, a guide that only applies within the country within which it is published (the U.S.), and I would take the personal testimony of those who actually have to live with Asperger's Syndrome any day over the views of a bunch of unknown corporate zealots who are just trying to make everyone feel 'abnormal' so they can push and sell the latest drugs to 'treat' whatever it is that is supposed to be wrong with us. Clumping Asperger's Syndrome with autism is, to me, just one more attempt to inflate the number of people who have, in the view of "Autism Speaks", an unspeakable illness that destroys families (and other such crap), and which therefore should be cured. The words 'Asperger's Syndrome' don't sound sinister enough, but 'autism' gets all the alarm bells ringing.
I get a little tired of those lines of utter nonsense myself. I fell into the classic category as a result of speech delays. A dumbass? I don't think so.have you researched classic autism? it isnt as bad as you think.
every one with it is different,einstein had a significant speech delay,and was thought to be classic autistic [despite the many who like to associate him with aspergers because he was clever which is an insult to classic autists,classic autism can come with the lowest IQ to the highest IQ and its harder to judge for IQ anyway as so many of us have communication difficulties].
i have low functioning classic autism and dont have tantrums;rather i have what the care and behavioral industry calls challenging behavior which is communication through frustration,anxiety and other feelings and i have what we as a worldwide community call meltdowns.
yes i need help with everything from putting on my clothes to writing to cooking to cleaning to understanding and information processing and i have to have 24 hr care,up until january this year i had had 2-1 support to.
but i am not the monster autism speaks and others likes to make me out.
i am a caring person who will help anyone and is passionate about animals and loves his nieces despite having had to learn how to have a relationship with them.
i relate to a lot of aspies in some ways,i love computers and like fixing them,im just a super intense version of aspergers and i see the world more rigidly-theres no need to seperate the spectrum,and see one form of autism as better than the other.
as for the original topic,i have never been bothered by having labels as i am in my own head all the time and have no care for names,the only time i was upset was when i found out i had mental retardation in my current diagnosis papers instead of the UK definition of learning disability;i had been rediagnosed under the DSM-i hate the word retardation as we are not slow we just process the world differently.