If you could be so kind..

[Annaeir]

Hello my name is Anna and I want to begin by excusing my grammasr but english is not my native language.

I would like to ask people with asperger few questions because of a presentation that I am doing on asperger syndrome for my work related course.

Questions
1.
What is the worst/best about having asperger in your life?
2.
Did you struggle with edjucation/school?
(How?)
3.
What is your profession/edjucation or other life status today?

Also if you have a catzy perhaps a little humorous idea for a title on my assignment then please share that with me.

Thanks and have a nice day
My best regards
Anna

 

[Vanilla]

Hi Anna

I'm happy to answer a few questions for you. What kind of work are you in?

Answers:

1) For me, the best thing about having AS is having a vivid imagination, and an interest in various topics. The worst thing, is being misunderstood, which often means having to struggle without any support.

2) Lessons were always fine; the only thing I struggled with, was being able to relate with other students, and teachers. I always excelled in art classes though.

3) Currently studying a Bachelor in Animation.

I don't have any ideas for a title, but some advise would be to refrain from using a humorous title, as this may come across as offensive to some; even if this is not your intention.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

1. The best thing about having AS for me is (like Vanilla) having a very vivid imagination, and having passionate interests which means I never get bored. The worst part is the constant effort of trying to relate to other people and act "normal" which leaves me constantly exhausted.

2. I always excelled in the academic side of this and got on well with my teachers, but struggled with the social side of things. I had very few (if any) friends at school and was bullied constantly, which led to me having very poor attendance and dropping out at 17 despite my good grades.

3. I am currently doing an MSc in Environmental Science.

 

[Etzelaire]

Greetings,

I'd answer question 1 saying the best thing about this is I have a vision of the phenomenon that most people can't think about because they are wrapped up on social conventions. Worst thing is directly related with the aforementioned as the fact of not being subjugated to the standards leaves you in a state of social exlusion.

When talking about education I feel obliged to tell the truth, I was failing everything until I got to university. Teachers at elementary school told my parents I was intelligent and lazy, at high school teachers told my parents I was both stupid and lazy and that I'd never make it to university. Now that I'm at university at least 10/15 people have asked me if I am gifted.

I'm currently teaching tennis just on sundays so I can pay my education and I am at second year of university and taking a flight attendant course to change my path of life.

Hope it helped and if you want more just ask.

 

[CJinherPJs]

1. In my opinion, the best aspect of my AS is my ability to become immersed in subjects that interest me, leading to good grades. The worst would be the social awkwardness, e.g. being unsure of the "right" thing to say, people getting the wrong impression of me, etc. and the depression.
2. High school was an issue for me. I was fine with the academic stuff and in the top sets for most subjects, but like many others with AS, I had difficulty making friends and people saw me as odd. I've always been anxious, especially in social situations, and about halfway through Year 10 I felt like I couldn't cope any more, which led to me missing a lot of time. I'm sure some of my teachers thought I was lazy, but at one point my anxiety and depression were so bad that I felt unable to leave the house. Consequently, I didn't achieve the GCSE results I think I was capable of.
3. I'm now in my first year of university, studying BSc Psychology, and working part-time behind a bar.

 

[ExplosiveTMT]

1.) On the plus side of having AS, my best traits are having an attention to little details and my deep interest in humour and art, which is what has made me popular among my peers, I suppose. The worst traits were my social problems and finding it difficult to tell others what I'm going through, since it seemed many people I met seemed to not relate to my struggles.

2.) I was always good on the education side of things. Good results in art, english and maths, but in P.E, gosh I was shocking! Also, I had trouble making friends and got bullied in primary school quite a lot because of my oddness. At the moment, I'm in a special ed class in high school, and the people there, much like the ones I've seen on this site, have been amazingly supportive of me. And I believe I have grown more socially confident as a result.

3.) I am currently studying in art, since many people have praised me for it, so I'm trying to get that going. Also, I'm staying in high school an extra two years to study for more credits in my other school work (except P.E ).

 

[Cali Cat]

1. Best - Ability to hyperfocus, attention to detail, consuming interest in a wide variety of subjects, remarkable knack for analysis and synthesis of data (function of abstract thinking).
Worst - Social awkwardness; hypersensitivity to sights, sounds, tastes, textures, smells and some emotions; dependence on structure, routine and ritual to maintain a feeling of balance.

2. I didn't struggle with the education part at all. I was at the top of my class in grade school. I was better at English than math, but well above my grade level in both. Poor social interaction was my problem, and that ultimately ruined my education by the end of junior high. I dropped out after the 10th grade. I later went back for my GED (and scored higher than anyone ever had at that particular adult school). I went to community college and university, and since I could avoid socializing in that atmosphere, I excelled. However, I still did not like group projects and tended to score lower on those.

3. Self-employed as a real estate consultant for banks and loan companies. Much of my work involves data analysis/synthesis and report writing.

Also, I agree with Vanilla. Avoid the humorous title.

 

[AsheSkyler]

1. What is the worst/best about having asperger in your life?
Best: I reckon being very analytical and curious.
Worst: Sensory issues, hands down. I can deal with the social awkwardness and anxiety, but the sensory problems come close to getting the best of me. Bright lights, the smell of cleaning chemicals, loud and chaotic noise, problems with air conditioners, women's impractical clothing, bleh.

2. Did you struggle with education/school? (How?)
Elementary school was very, very boring. It wasn't challenging enough, the teacher kept holding me back instead of letting me do the assignments I knew I could do, and the kids were wild. Then my mom homeschooled me and I got to go at the pace I wanted.
College was terrible. I don't do well with speeches or presentations, but the biggest issue was the students. Loud, undisciplined, and lazy. I had a lot of trouble doing my lab work because multiple people would have music and movies blasting from their workstation, and I wasn't the only bothered by it. One guy nearly snapped in class one night because of how rude some of the students were and I seriously considered doing it a few times myself. The online systems weren't anywhere near as "online" as the schools claimed they were and I wasn't able to go to campus because I didn't have anybody to take care of my infant while I took a stupid 10 minute test I could have taken online and children weren't allowed on campus. I eventually dropped out and don't have intentions of going back. That crap just isn't worth it, I'll order whatever college textbooks I'm interested and go from there.

3. What is your profession/education or other life status today?
I am a tax preparer / accountant. Most of my work is early in the year filing income tax returns, and then I do a bit of bookkeeping the rest of the year. It's my grandparents business and I'm in training to take it over within the next few years. Also, I'm a professional artist. Mostly I do portraits, but sometimes I'll do freehand work like tattoos and people's personal characters they've created.
Also married and have a kid.

 

[Peace]

The best: Dreaming while we are awake, Seeing things in their simplest form and the ability to become one with our surroundings. The attention to infinite detail and the unwavering excitement of discovering about our special interests. The worst, the rejection from our social circles due to lack of understanding on both parts. Isolation causes not only heartache, but lack of physical support and quite often unemployment.
I struggled in school because I understood something the first time it was explained to me. Then we would have to sit and repeat it for a week. I was so bored by the first hour that I was constantly in trouble for not paying attention. I could not do homework yet aced my tests. They always thought I was cheating and I received poor grades.
I am a skilled tradesman with many licenses in my name .

 

[zurb]

Hi Anna,
Welcome to AC. Please feel free to introduce yourself further. What's your job?

1.What is the worst/best about having asperger in your life?

If you dig through the threads you will find a lot about the worst side as people come here to get support and find answers. At least in the early stages of diagnosis/awareness, it tends to be the difficulties we are most aware of. There have been a few threads about the benefits of being an aspie, but they don't get a lot of posts. Tony Attwood has tried presenting a general list. Have a look at The Discovery of Aspie Criteria
For me, the worst is the social aspect and being misunderstood. Other than that, characteristics of Aspergers can be a benefit or liability depending on context and on how they are perceived by others we relate to. For example, attention to detail, a common Aspie thing, can be great if you are an aircraft engineer, but may be a liability if you need to make quick high level marketing decisions.
I think we make natural anthropologists, and risk analysts due to the fact that we get plenty of practice of both from a young age.

2.Did you struggle with edjucation/school? (How?)

I excelled at sciences and maths where there was a right and wrong answer, and theories that could be applied. At school, airy fairy subjects which concentrated on writing opinions as essay like English did, I did badly at.
I had a love/hate relationship with art. I loved the process, but my perfectionism got in the way of enjoyment.
I was slow with wood/metal work, probably due to perfectionism, but also due to not being extroverted enough to claim the tools first.
Was bad at team sports requiring teamwork or physical coordination. Excelled at solo sports, particularly those involving endurance.

3.What is your profession/edjucation or other life status today?

Married, two kids. Full time work in a foreign country. Have worked in a few jobs including marketing/graphic design, technical communication and adult education.

 

[Gary Reese]

In reading the posts here I'm thinking..OMG, I'm home.

Best thing? Being able to visualize complex subjects. Remembering small details from 50 years ago is a mixed blessing.

There were a few issues early in school, till my mother toke me for evaluation. Had wonderful teachers. Passed up college, glad I did. I do however council college professors from time to time.

I do get along with "normals". They are fun and entertaining. Many are aspie and don't realize it.

I have no issues with sensory input. I learned early to deal with the flood of information. It's like an extra "buffer" like in a computer.

I have a work shop to keep me ..sorta sane. I make toys and the tools to make them.

Best part is I'm not alone, there is another.

My advice, relax, your different, not better or worse, just different.

 

[Annaeir]

Thank you all so much this was very helpful.