Poll: Asperger Syndrome [please vote, even if you don't know what it is]

[tthor]

My mother seems to think I might have it; I am way too old to be diagnosed, however, and unlike what I've heard about most Aspies I can carry on a conversation and even have a sense of humor.

Mmm, I doubt you're too old, this isn't the Jedi here, you don't have to have been diagnosed at a young age. Although, there's no point anyway if you don't see it as a problem or it doesn't have such a significant impact on your life that you would need to.

Second, the socialisation bit isn't true for all, and as has been said, for many, you really can't tell the difference of someone with aspergers from someone without.

Yeah, but see I talked EARLY and not late; isn't speech delays one of the criteria for having it? Also my aunt--who is a counselor; works with special-needs children for a living and can recognize when they're messed up--never said anything to my mother about getting tested ever; one would think it would be apparent.

I don't flap my hands or spin, or rock, or stack things; I just don't like direct eye-contact all that much and know a lot about certain topics.

i find that slightly insulting the way you depict Aspergers, as if u think we are but jittering retards, when in fact we are often intellectually superior to most nurotypical ppl, commonly having very high IQ's (tho i admit this also makes us a bit socially inferior)

I have Aspergers, and i dont "flap my hands or spin, or rock, or stack things"
also, early speech delay isnt a significant symptom of Asperger Syndrome,

 

[Duh]

all i know about asperger's sindrome is that Encyclopedia dramatica sometimes call it Assburgers

 

[PayNSprayBandit]

It is also not an excuse for anything, if you have a hard case you will get medical treatment, if not you just can learn to not bee socially awkward.

If you do not like to take pills then its not societys fault for discriminating you.

It is also not an excuse for anything, if you have a hard case you will get medical treatment, if not you can just learn to not be socially awkward.

If you do not like to take pills, then it's not society's fault for discriminating against you.

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Happy now, jackass?

 

[I3uster]

It is also not an excuse for anything, if you have a hard case you will get medical treatment, if not you just can learn to not bee socially awkward.

If you do not like to take pills then its not societys fault for discriminating you.

It is also not an excuse for anything, if you have a hard case you will get medical treatment, if not you can just learn to not be socially awkward.

If you do not like to take pills, then it's not society's fault for discriminating against you.

------------

Happy now, jackass?

Yeah thanks!

 

[Inarticulate_Underachiever]

I was mistakenly diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome for most of my pre-adolescent years but my "symptoms" were so mild the doctors couldn't decide if I actually had it or not so I decided I didn't to prevent me from using it as an excuse for acting in socially negative ways.

There is a book where the main character suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, it's called "The Curios Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time" and it is written by Mark Haddon. Interesting read, I advise everyone to check it out.

But I think you're doing a good thing with this thread, Asperger's Syndrome is often confused with less severe social inhibitions, such as shyness, and gets brushed off

 

[Chibz]

I've been professionally diagnosed with aspergers syndrome at the age of sixteen.

It annoys me greatly when people "self-diagnose" as having such.

 

[Higurashi]

I know a guy with Asperger's syndrome, and I think it's a crock of shit. The guy is a socially retarded, self-centered asshole who brands himself a 'creative genius'. He's a guy the rest of us have to put up with because he really doesn't have any other friends.

The guy also uses his 'condition' as an excuse, in a lot of things. He blames it for his semi-illiteracy (something which doesn't even make sense), used it to get out of boot-camp, has a week-day off for some reason, and is in general an obnoxious twat.

I haven't met any other sufferers, however, if they are all like him, they should be euthanized.

I like your style, and agrees. I have met several individuals who have been diagnosed with AS. Most seem mostly distant, like me. I also have a wonderful friend who is diagnosed with it, and she is a very loyal friend and a loving person. Creative and passionate as well. Now, I am sure you know all of them could not possibly be like that. =)

If you really want to expand your experience, I would suggest contacting a group for it and visit it. Extensive experience is the best experience, and I am sure it would not be a problem i vår fagra huvudstad.

Now watch the rest scratch their heads in confusion and then giggle.

 

[Yegargeburble]

Lack of empathy: Check.
Impaired non-verbal behaviors: Not so much.
Strange speech patterns / habits: Most likely, but not due to a disorder. I just like rambling and what this page calls "abrupt transitions."


Not all of the things the wikipedia page talked about, but I am dismissing my odd behaviors as me not getting enough sleep and the fact that my thought process is like a runaway train that occasionally splits and explodes...

 

[Nova Tendril]

Bloody hell I hate people who blame medical disorders for their own flaws.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Sigh. This topic poped up on the first page again. A wall of ignorant hate has depressed me. This is why people with AS say nothing about it.

 

[000Ronald]

Bloody hell I hate people who blame medical disorders for their own flaws.

Forgive me if this is out of line, but that seems naive and berative.

I don't blame having aspergers for my flaws; some things people would call flaws, in fact, I would call strengths. An unwavering moral compass and compassion, for example (both of which have caused me grief). I'll only do something if I know it's right, or because I can, the latter aplying to buying a soda, usually.

An example of the difference between me and other people; I remember this assignment we had, we had to write a resume, and list (I think it was) thirty people we knew as references. Since the teacher couldn't prove or didn't care if we actually knew the people, everyone else was just looking up random people in phone books. I tried to think of thirty people I knew, and, what's more, would trust as a reference. Two weeks in, the teacher even asked, "Why don't you do what everyone else did? You know I won't care." I told him that I was better than that. To me, that would have been cheating, and I'm above cheating. I think that's the only reason I passed the class, because I only got ten references.

I have trouble with people because they think I'm a pretentious ass. I'm not; I just try to be the sort of person I wouldn't be ashamed to be.

Apologies if this is confusing. To be fair, I learned when I was young that I couldn't expect other people to understand why I do things. I hardly do, sometimes...

 

[NATO.Caliber]

I like your style, and agrees. I have met several individuals who have been diagnosed with AS. Most seem mostly distant, like me. I also have a wonderful friend who is diagnosed with it, and she is a very loyal friend and a loving person. Creative and passionate as well. Now, I am sure you know all of them could not possibly be like that. =)

If you really want to expand your experience, I would suggest contacting a group for it and visit it. Extensive experience is the best experience, and I am sure it would not be a problem i vår fagra huvudstad.

Now watch the rest scratch their heads in confusion and then giggle.

Wooh, grave digging.

Turns out, another one of my friends, one of the super-awesome ones, might be affected. So I guess the whole assholish thing with the other guy is most likely an individual thing, and not to be blamed on AS as previously thought.

 

[Agent Larkin]

I have it but was misdiagnosed with ADD so i never got any proper help with it leading to me being inspected by numerous psychologists as well as having to take ridillan for two years unnecessairaly. Also the thing i focus on uncontrollably is weapons most specifacally british service weapons from the late eightennth century. Needless to say i am generraly given funny looks over this. Also due to the fact that i just don't get used to people who aren't as abnormal as me i am frequently bullied and generally abused.

 

[Neonbob]

I've been diagnosed with both Aspergers and ADHD, so I don't know what the hell is wrong with my head-meats. I do know that I have very little to no emotional attachment to people in my life that most people do(like family), and I despise being around lots of people, talking to strangers, and generally being in public.

 

[Internet Kraken]

No, this is fucking stupid.

You don't determine if you have a medical disorder. Get a doctor or psychiatrist to do it. Half the people who say they have a medical disorder don't really have on and it's annoying.

 

[Nmil-ek]

Was diagnosed at around age 7 or 8 with AS I have always had massive problems socialising at one point being so genuinley afraid of anyone who wasnt a close family member or friend to locking myself in the house and refusing to go outside. These days im alot better, still cant socialise for shit but i guess thats down to lack of experiance. Still dont make firends easily down to one really old mate now but hes like a brother and a few online pals. School was the real ***** i get heavily claustraphobic in crowds and at times panic attacks but the school was small, crowded and full of people i could not stand, even today 4 years later I cant approach the building.

Wish there were some magic cure all but there really isnt, lifes alittle bit tougher but rememebr someones always got it worse and try to improve where your weak, things can and do get better if your resourceful and put in the effort.

 

[Dr.Sean]

I know a child with Asperger's Syndrome. No wait, that's autism.

EDIT: Ok, so I know a guy on the internet who claims to have Asperger's syndrome. I highly doubt he actually has it.

 

[Scythos]

There are more books dealing with people with Autism than Asperger's Syndrome. People know who Rain Man was because there was a movie about a guy with autism, but I haven't seen anything directly about people with Asperger's Syndrome. Only last year in Australia were people with Asperger's given eligibility for government support to pay for medication, but once you turn 18 they take some of that support away from you even though you still have a need for that medication to manage your related anxiety issues.

There are a few books about what Asperger's Syndrome is, but not fictional examples with characters who have the condition. Wish there were more characters people like me could look up to, I'm stuck with Noe from True Tears and Osaka from Azumanga Daioh, and I don't even know if it's canon whether they have Asperger's. There is the manga "With The Light" but that's about autism, not Asperger's.

There are autobiographies of people with Asperger's I haven't read yet, but I would personally like to see more fictional characters with Asperger's for people like me to look up to. Maybe because if nobody sees them in the popular culture people won't know/will continue to deny it exists as a real condition. I don't know how many times I've had to tell people it isn't a disease, but a condition.

The Curious Incident of the dog at night-time is a very good book following the story of a young adult with Aspergers syndrome, it got alot of book of the year awards as well I think. Definately worth checking out.