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What 1 thing do you wish non-aspies knew about Asperger's?

I'd like them to know how it feels. the sensory issues, feeling disturbed all the time. Agitated, the noises in a busy town. Then start asking them probing questions like, ooh why are you looking weirdly, oh what's the matter, it's only a moped, are u OK??? Are you. Explain?

Lol no, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, I wish they would understand why I can't find the right words.
 
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I wish more of them knew how much it exhausts me to portray neurotypicality.

If a neurotypical person and I were together and I gravely urged them to portray autism for a while, I'm sure it would discomfort them, even if we were alone. I wonder how many of them have pondered this viewpoint.

Since I'm capable of feigning neurotypicality convincingly, few understand how hard I work just to lie. The dissimulation isn't automatic; I have to consciously and assiduously strive to imitate others.

Footnote: aside from my first paragraph, I used the word "they" as a singular pronoun (in place of "he", "she", etc.) so that no gender assumptions would be made.
 
That you we can't simply "pull ourselves together" and instantly remove traits that might annoy them or that don't fit in to suit them.
 
Rich Allen said:
That contrary to popular belief, Aspies and people with mental health issues in general, are NOT retarded.

I've been called that word and worse on many a forum before now.
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I will second this one myself. It doesn't bother me in the sense that I find it personally insulting, as I have become fairly immune to insult. It's just that I absolutely despise willful ignorance on just about any subject matter and judgement that stems from it. A person should have some knowledge and facts on their side before they make a judgement about anything.

Judge said:
Ummm....both myself and my brother have been called that at one time or another. Truthfully, who hasn't?

Think context rather than the actual definition of the word alone. Work on not taking such a word so literally.

In all fairness to yourself, I think you need to deal with the reality of how commonly people can incorrectly use words to define their disagreement of the opinions of others. That no matter who you have interacted with, that they are not delivering a perceivable or professional clinical evaluation of your words and actions. That in fact, they are simply using the word "retarded" as a euphemism to define what they either don't understand, or vehemently disagree with in a socially polarized atmosphere. No more, no less.

Perhaps it's best to simply avoid or limit your exposure to polarized social atmospheres and subjects where people might be more prone to using such words in the first place. And no, it's not a professional opinion. Just a suggestion of one person on the spectrum to another. ;)
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The word retarded means something of the effect of "to be held back" or "to go backward." Taking it in that context it would not be entirely wrong to call an aspie retarded. In that context it would be fair to say the majority of aspies are "socially retarded."

However when coming from NT's or rude ignorant people, we know they mean "retarded" in the classical mentally retarded sense, to have a low IQ, to be a simpleton.

I have never actually been called retarded or that anyone really suspects I have a disorder. I have out grown many aspie issues and am good at faking my way around among NT's so no one suspects anything. Some may think I'm slightly odd sometimes but that's about it. The label doesn't get applied to myself but I'm bothers that people think that about autistic/aspies in general.
 
I don't think anyone would ever consider me retarded because I have managed to function relatively well ( or appear to) in an NT world. I've become fairly good at hiding my meltdowns from the outside world.
I have no doubt some people think I'm a bit odd or eccentric, but I can live with that.
My observations of people on this forum would be that they are generally above average if not highly intelligent. That doesn't mean we would score particularly well on conventional IQ tests though as they usually require thought processes we may not understand or be good at.
 
I just wish it was possible to get a job outside of the voluntary sector, as soon as I declare being Aspie, they bin my application because they've either never heard of it or are scared.
 
How much strength, courage and belief in life it takes to pick yourself up and dust yourself off after a collision with the NT way of doing things e.g., a rebuff, a snub, a devaluation or a downgrade. How much exertion is required just to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
 
That everyone has brushes with the “corroding awareness that we have been unable to convince the world of our value” (to quote Alain de Botton) but that this is often the defining feature of the Asperger experience on this planet. Therefore most Aspergers have grappled with their shadow-sides from the earliest age, as part of the fabric of their lives, whereas many NTs usually only grapple with their shadow-sides when some catastrophic life-event befalls them.
 
I wish they'd know that many of us get exhausted from faking neurotypicality all day long and that once we confess our neurodivergence, many of them falsely accuse us of "faking autism" because we "were normal for most of the day."
 
Fitzo said:
I don't think anyone would ever consider me retarded because I have managed to function relatively well ( or appear to) in an NT world. I've become fairly good at hiding my meltdowns from the outside world.
I have no doubt some people think I'm a bit odd or eccentric, but I can live with that.
My observations of people on this forum would be that they are generally above average if not highly intelligent. That doesn't mean we would score particularly well on conventional IQ tests though as they usually require thought processes we may not understand or be good at.
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Show off. :)

Kidding!
 
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