Calling all Autistics of the Escapist

[NerfedFalcon]

I was diagnosed at eight, I think, and for the past eight years I've been seeing this one psychologist every few weeks. Even after he left his old group and became independent, I kept seeing him. I tend to procrastinate more than I should, not just from work but from my hobbies too. I've never really tried to do anything about it. Maybe I should.

(I bought Minecraft during the beta but haven't played it very much.)

 

[Iron Criterion]

This is thread is entertaining reading. Today I've learnt 99% of the people on The Escapist have Asperger's. Utterly ridiculous.

 

[Soviet Steve]

I play Minecraft. I am self-diagnosed with autism.

Don't diagnose yourself.

This is thread is entertaining reading. Today I've learnt 99% of the people on The Escapist have Asperger's. Utterly ridiculous.

As long as you ignore the ones that don't and completely fail to account for factors that may increase the proportion of such individuals present here.

----

As for me I grew up in a messed up family that broke down before I could remember things. I always behaved oddly and was frequently bullied because of it. The people in the place I lived at had no idea what autism was so nobody saw the signs and teachers weren't above bullying themselves. After a series of unfortunate events I was cast out socially and there was even a murder attempt. I haven't been too social after that.

Growing up into my later teens I started worrying if I really was insane, though when I was diagnosed with aspergers and figured out what I needed to keep on my toes about things got a lot easier. I have a good life ahead of me now.

 

[Khanht Cope]

I don't have autism, but my close friends and siblings often compare me to those with Asperger's because of my social skills and tendencies; my siblings say I'm "spergy," and my mother, who works with autistic children, says that sometimes the similarities between their behavior and mine is uncanny, to the point where she occasionally asks me for insights into their behaviors. Furthermore, part of why she's so good with autistic students is because of raising myself and my siblings.

I do have sensory processing disorder, which is in some ways loosely related to autism. I was told I had the disorder at age 10, and I was also told that there was no reason for it to ever stop me from doing anything, which I have done my best to take to heart.

I never had any trouble learning as a kid, but I did have really horrendous social skills; I never realized quite how bad until recently, because I did very well in school, which meant no one labeled any of my behaviors as a problem -- my grades were high, all was well. In retrospect, though, I wish I'd somehow spent more time learning proper social skills, especially for a work-related environment. I think that I'm worse off than many "average" people who didn't have high grades, but who learned the social skills they'd need.

I've also come to realize recently that my bad social skills made (and still make) me act in incredibly selfish ways that are hurtful to those around me; I am currently in the painful process of trying to identify my selfish behaviors and replace them with healthier ones. Not an easy or fun task!

Sounds like you're HFA.

 

[JochemHippie]

Diagnosed at.. 4? Something like that. Though there's only one medical file referring to it.
I have never brought it up and never intend to, I have a lot of friends and no intention to let it create a negative stigma around me.

 

[Random berk]

Aspergers Syndrome here. I was told about the diagnosis when I was 11, it was made some time before that. I'll say this, it did not make life easy when I was in school. As I neared the end of my school days though, I made a conscious effort to overcome it and adapt to dealing with other people, and as a result when I went into college, I immediately became socially successful. Now as a way to help others out I give talks for the DSS to parents who have recently had kids diagnosed, to show them that ASD is not as big a thing as its made out to be sometimes. The point that I always make is that a person just needs some support, and plenty of determination to overcome many of the negative aspects of the condition. Oh, and of course knowing about it helps as well, gives you an idea of what you have to deal with.

Thats my two cents on this topic, take what you will from it.

 

[TwiZtah]

What in the blazes, never did I think that so many of my fellow escapists was autistic. I'm not autistic, however, my childhood friend who lives across the street does have mild asperger. He did not have many friends in school except me, he does have quite many friends now though.

 

[Pat8u]

by autism do you mean austism spectrum or just autism

because I was diagnosed with something along the lines of Pdd-nos(the doctor was vague on the details) diagonosed well offically around when I was 12, but I was going to doctor appointments long before then, I eventually had enough and I stopped all the people who were helping me from helping me, why because they were starting to take away some of my freedoms which I did not like them doing.

the thing that they took away was spending my lunch times at the school library playing games but the funny part is that is how I made new friends and they just wanted to take that away from me, so with the help of a couple teachers from the special education program that I had befriended I stopped getting any more help from them, so I began to start living a normal life, the funny thing is my friend with aspergers syndrome is currently going through the same experience.

one other story that I have to tell is the one of me making my first friend who is still my best friend today and in many ways helped me overcome my disorder, anyways when I was 5 I used to sit on the oval(playground) pulling grass all lunch, I never talked to anyone but the teachers and I didn't really care, but one faithful day a classmate started talking to me, it turned out we had stuff in common and it really helped me out socially.

anyway thats my experience with the disorder, I was really lucky though

I still have it but it manages itself better

 

[cahtush]

I havent been diagnosed with anything, but i suspect i might be.
Or im just REALLY awkward. Also a possibility.

 

[Powereaver]

I was diagnosed at 12.. then struggled a long time with massive amounts of fear and stuff due to it.. couldnt even really leave the house much till like 18... now at 26.. altho i still have a few issues.. i dont think people believe me a lot of the time if i said i was aspergers/autistic because i look and ACT like a normal everyday person.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

(Waves) Hi, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome when I was four or five years old, but have been in mainstream schooling ever since third grade (and whoever said people with Asperger's are good at math never met me...)

I have much disdain for people who are "self-proclaimed" Autistics, as well as people who use it as an excuse to be assholes, such as "he-who-shall-not-be-named"...

 

[JoJo]

That picture is awesome, must remember that

This is thread is entertaining reading. Today I've learnt 99% of the people on The Escapist have Asperger's. Utterly ridiculous.

...

You really think that every neurotypical person on the Escapist would log onto this thread and post "Not diagnosed with Asperger's or autism, nothing to say here."? That the title "Calling all Autistics of the Escapist" might not lead to just a little bias towards people with our condition?

This thread is full of misdiagnosed Americans blaming poor social skills on a wishy-washy "disease" (assburgers) which they then use as an excuse, making a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Well it's clear that someone didn't actually read the thread before they posted as most of the replies here aren't excuses, they're stories of how people have overcome disorders and bettered themselves. Still, I'm glad you must know more about me and my fellow Escapist's diagnosis's than qualified doctors or psychologists.

 

[MammothBlade]

Not as of yet diagnosed, but I "very likely" have aspergers. I have a proper assessment this month.

It's hard to comprehend body language or understand peoples' motivations. Makes me really paranoid and distrustful of what people are actually thinking at times. It is largely responsible for my social phobia.

I'm not sure what else there is to say about it. I just cope and I've never used it as an excuse, even when I've said some really tactless and insensitive things without realising it.

 

[Jazoni89]

This thread is full of misdiagnosed Americans blaming poor social skills on a wishy-washy "disease" (assburgers) which they then use as an excuse, making a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I hate those people so much, all my rage!

I have diagnosed high functioning Asbergers myself, and while I do have problems with communication, and reading body language (which has got me into trouble on more than one occasion). I always try to better myself, and become social, and try to challenge myself in any way possible. For example, going to various pubs, and events such as concerts, even if it is on my lonesome.

Also, my life skills are incredible, I have a neat and tidy flat, financially I'm fine, and I always clean, dress, and feed myself well.

I usually don't give myself a lot of credit for the things I do, but considering I have other friends that have Asbergers, I'm incredibly able bodied in comparison to them.

 

[persephone]

I don't have autism, but my close friends and siblings often compare me to those with Asperger's because of my social skills and tendencies; my siblings say I'm "spergy," and my mother, who works with autistic children, says that sometimes the similarities between their behavior and mine is uncanny, to the point where she occasionally asks me for insights into their behaviors. Furthermore, part of why she's so good with autistic students is because of raising myself and my siblings.

I do have sensory processing disorder, which is in some ways loosely related to autism. I was told I had the disorder at age 10, and I was also told that there was no reason for it to ever stop me from doing anything, which I have done my best to take to heart.

I never had any trouble learning as a kid, but I did have really horrendous social skills; I never realized quite how bad until recently, because I did very well in school, which meant no one labeled any of my behaviors as a problem -- my grades were high, all was well. In retrospect, though, I wish I'd somehow spent more time learning proper social skills, especially for a work-related environment. I think that I'm worse off than many "average" people who didn't have high grades, but who learned the social skills they'd need.

I've also come to realize recently that my bad social skills made (and still make) me act in incredibly selfish ways that are hurtful to those around me; I am currently in the painful process of trying to identify my selfish behaviors and replace them with healthier ones. Not an easy or fun task!

Sounds like you're HFA.

Hmmm ... I don't *think* so, but your comment made me curious, so I looked HFA up (to be sure what you meant by the acronym), and discovered there's a self-diagnosing test for that sort of thing (which obviously holds no weight in medical circles, but it's something). I took the test, and literally scored *just* above the line dividing "normal" from "high functioning autistic." I would have to take the test a few more times (spaced out by a week or so each time, to be sure I don't remember my previous answers) to be sure of my results, though. And obviously, such a test isn't a true diagnosis per se.

That said, I still don't think I quite qualify as HFA. Why? Well, I think a lot of the reason I never learned quite how to make and keep friends is that I never had to, because I have a same sex twin I spent all my time with instead. In fact, most of my selfish behaviors involved being very controlling towards her, which I am now trying to stop doing and make up for generally. I'm a lot like my older brother, who doesn't have a twin, and he makes friends fine; I may just be borderline-HFA, but missed a few critical windows in my childhood by spending time with my twin instead.

I'm a firm believer it's never too late, though. In fact, part of the reason I got an account and started posting on these very forums is that I am trying to be less reclusive and to better my social skills!

 

[Rastien]

Ass burgers.

Anyway i do worry that way to many people are being mis-diagnosed with this but its a tricky area... its like people need to find an excuse or reason for being the way they are rather than trying to change it.

An example being Agrophobia people either self diagnosing or putting it on, through my online interactions i have met a fair few people who claim to be agrophobic. Yet they were more than happy to go out and buy food/drink when their parents were gone and revealed in the fact they could buy what they want. Its like come on dude... your just lazy and using this as an excuse so you don't have to grow up and can sit around playing games all day.

Back on topic, we have a guy in a tech support team he has asperchers but is able to function fine with customers over the phone and actually works well within IT one of our go to guys he literally knows all the gritty little details that are relevant once in a year. He is social but often puts his foot in it by saying something out of turn which he percieves to be okay. Or if a joke is made about a taboo subject he will get upset, or if you forget to ask him out for smoke he takes this personally. BUT he is a fully functioning member of society and generaly a nice bloke just a few quirks.