If autism is so spectral and varied, how do I find people with what I have?

[Servelan]

I have a diagnosis of Asperger's and it was me who went out to get it because I was so sure I had it after reading the symptoms.

Hi, Sumi...sounds like how I self-diagnosed, except I did it in the middle of a college class at the age of 60 when someone else self-identified and in typical Aspie fashion I yelled out 'that's me, too!' because I finally could put the pieces together. : )

• Why is autism separated on such an extreme that while some Aspies have incredible intelligence and high IQs, some autistics have incredibly low IQs and low intelligence or learning difficulties like dyslexia? Why is there almost no in between as well?

I'm currently working on my Bachelor's degree in education, and one of the classes I took last quarter was an intro to special education. The book was pretty good, although the chapter on autism was too short and unlike 'Uniquely Human', the book that just came out and identified stimming as a strength and response to stimuli, the special ed book identified it as a 'symptom' of autism...one thing I learned while doing the required reading for the course is that autism is often co-morbid with other disorders, hence, what appears to be a wide variety of experience. As far as 'why is there almost no in between as well', I wager that there is an in between but given how different it is for everyone on the spectrum, how does one identify the 'between' given that vast diversity of experience and effect?

• It was my assumption that autistic people's logical and black and white reasoning would lead them do deduce that there is no divine being due to all the laws of physics it would break, but my Do You Believe In God? topic received incredibly varied answers. Why is this and does it mean autism or Aspergers doesn't always lead to black and white thinking, and if so, then what is it that makes my thinking so robotic? Does it have a name?

I think what you call 'robotic thinking' might possibly be 'not enough life experience [data?] yet to see the grays between black and white'; remember that you're 17, not 71. At 61, while I have definite ideas of the pros and cons of different issues, there are some that are much more nuanced; typically they are things that do require some time and thought before you decide what you believe. For example, I'm against the death penalty, mostly because of the many mistakes in the US justice system, but I used to be for it; up here in the Pacific Northwest we had serial killer Ted Bundy making the rounds, and the Green River Killer (one of Washington state's crops is apples, and the other one sometimes seems to be bad guys), and until I started reading about innocent people get incarcerated and executed for crimes they didn't commit, I thought it was a good idea. As far as believing in God, I used to go to an evangelical (conservative) church, but I always had doubts about some things...I read several books by someone who pointed out the problems with the text but who himself believes the historical Jesus existed (he's a New Testament scholar, and makes a good case for what he writes) and I found myself in agreement with his conclusion. That's a change that happened over the course of about 20 years.

I've noticed tonnes, too many people with Aspergers or autism who seem to display so much empathy online, despite lack of empathy being a defining characteristic of ASD. I know most people want to 'be nice', but there's a clear difference between 'being nice' and actually having empathy, one of which is meant and the other not. I'm obviously not going round offending people (despite sometimes accidentally doing so) but I would find it incredibly cringey displaying so much emotion online despite how I feel about a person, and I've seen such warming messages being posted which even though I recognize are nice I could never do so myself purely because it gives me, the best way to describe it is a feeling of incredible cringe.

Well...I think people tend to let down their guard online, for one thing. The relief of finding community sometimes results in people being kind of over the top until they find their center...

Now that having been said I want to know what all of the above makes me...

What all of the above makes you is uniquely YOU.

 

[Ste11aeres]

due to all the laws of physics it would break

Which laws of physics would it break? I'm not trying to sidetrack this thread into a religious discussion, I'm just sincerely curious about this question.

 

[Judge]

How are there people WITH an autism spectrum disorder who display fundamentally non-autistic behaviours?

Keep in mind "displaying" can amount to little more than mimicry for many of us.

It isn't that we necessarily have Neurotypical traits and behaviors, but that some of us have learned over time and bitter experience to fake them for limited amounts of time often at a cost of emotional and physical stress.

I'd like to think I may have some of such traits...but when I dwell on it I usually realize that such behaviors are not much more than an act for others. To go along...just to get along.

In other words, acting the part is not the same as actually being the part. But I suppose some might actually be fooled and think otherwise. It's allowed.

 

[Skeleton Canyon]

This has actually been a struggle for me to the point where if you think you do please contact me.