Well, we are like normal people Baron. We think like normal people do, We act like what people do. It's all the same, but some people think we are really "different".
Everyday in School, I always get called a "WIERDO" or "FREAK" because i'm different but really, there just saying that for nothing from my point of view.

I myself care for other autistic kids who have a more severe case of Autism or Aspergers than me. Some of them can't control themselves of what they say or do.
They tell me that they get bullied a lot for what they are and I respect that.
When I see people with Autism or Aspergers, I won't think different to them cause there are the same as other people.

Thanks for reading this.

Please help by giving FREE therapy to help people in the future:
http://www.theautismsite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=11

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Damn! Do I really look that Sexy?

I have aspergers too.
It only really affects me in real life, I am too shy to ever talk to anyone or do anything.
My internet persona is pretty much me past shyness, be glad you know me on the internet, not IRL.

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^ Yeah
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I don't know if this has got anything to do with Autism but i'm gonna say it anyway.

About a year ago, I used to have a girlfriend. We did everything together, We were best of friends. About 3 Week's after, she left me with another guy who is more normal than me, she didn't even tell me that she went out with another person at the time. A month later, we meet again. She said to me, "I'm sorry I did this, I felt bad." She was really sad. I decided that we could have another chance, she didn't accept.

So at this present day, we were still friends, I see her at recent times. After that, I didn't have another girlfriend again.

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Damn! Do I really look that Sexy?

Hi Baron von Gikkigen, SpoofFilmsinc, and Salariedcat7507:

I used to mask my AS, even when I was around my girlfriend (now my fiancee), and my close friends. They offered me the best advice: just be who you are. If anyone dislikes you because of your disability, then they are not worth forming a companionship with anyway. Personally, whenever I read comments posted by Baron von Gikkigen, SpoofFilmsinc, and Salariedcat7507, I notice that each one of you has something interesting and wonderful to say. RE Virus also has become extremely supportive of the autistic community, and I am very grateful for his decision to do so.

Take care.

Best Wishes,
QuotidianPerfection

Thank you, QuotidianPerfection.
I hope that Me, Baron and Salariedcat will be succesful in the future too.

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Damn! Do I really look that Sexy?

Hi SpoofFilmsinc:

You are very welcome!

I, too, hope that you, along with Baron and Salariedcat, are successful too!

Take care,

Best,
QP

Well, since we're all helping each other, I suppose I should update you all as well. A few weeks ago, my dad was diagnosed with Bipolar. It's pretty damn hard, not just for him, but for the whole family. My dad's doing things that either embarrass me, my mum, or are dangerously reckless. My mum's cracking under the pressure of needing to keep a bipolar husband and an autistic kid both in line. Hell, i'm cracking as well, with that depression I had coming back, and my on-and-off insomnia getting worse. At least I have loyal friends who visit everyday, although i'm beginning to mindlessly shun them, and pretty much everyone. We're pretty much going down the drain, and i'm not sure if there's a way back. I'm worried that they might divorce, and I don't want to end up in a foster home. It's just all going to hell. I really hope I can get through this, but i'm not sure. The inane banter in my title and signature is pretty much just a facade hiding my fucked-up (pardon me) life. I just want my family to be back to normal.

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I have absolutely no idea what I am doing right now.

Hi Baron von Gikkigen:

I'm sorry I can't be of much consulation. My best advice would be to "plan ahead." Write down every concern which you have on a piece of paper (i.e., in order of importance). Voice your concern over living with a foster family with both the lawyer who represents you and the judge presiding over the case. Do not wait to be asked, though--take initiative, and make sure that your feelings about the case are heard by all parties, especially those who will decide whether or not you will be placed in foster care. Request, instead, to live with a relative, or a friend. You should add that you believe that it is unfair that you should be punished--and, worse still, placed in a compromising position--due to your mother's and father's actions. However, keep fine-tuning your native talents, so, should you get "stuck" in a foster family situation, you have "a clear path in life" once you leave your foster parents' guardianship.

Take care--I'm sorry you are "stuck in between a rock and a hard place."

Best Wishes,
QuotidianPerfection

I believe I may have worded it the wrong way. They are not getting divorced, but I am worried that they might.

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I have absolutely no idea what I am doing right now.

Hi Baron von Gikkigen:

"Don't lose hope." Everytime "something goes wrong," find a positive event greater than the negative transpiration which will net a positive yield. Read a book, write a poem, play some video games, or listen to a great Beethoven piece--anything to offset any unpleasant event which might occur. Here is a good formula to remember: Negative Events + Positive transpirations (i.e., assuming such occurences are greater than the negative events) = Positive Outcomes.

Take care.

Best Wishes,
QuotidianPerfection

Baron,
I am a 16 year old girl with Asperger's Syndrome... so I get it. I know how hard it is. I am extremely shy myself. I don't look at people. But anyways, I am OBSESSED with SSX Tricky. I have Elise up to Sensei. I just have to get a gold medal in Aloha Ice Jam and Alaska showoff. My name is Trisha so you can find me under kaorielise2014

Yeah, sometime's i'm shy myself. I'm 13 and I have a Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Everytime i know someone or I look at someone i don't wan't to look at, I get nervous and look away. Some people accept the fact that i'm "WIERD" but they don't see the full potential. I was obsessed with SSX Tricky too since it came out. My favourite was Eddie years ago. 10 years later, i still had the game on XBOX, then i liked Marty(Mac). I got him to MASTER status and I unlocked all boards and outfits. On every level I go on, i get like (about) 2,000,000 points. When I play for a long time, the game feels easier for me. Also i learn from people who broke records. Then I accepted the fact that i did too much so i stopped playing.

I still play it today, but I feel like i don't wan't to play it for some reason. It just stops me. Every week I check on Merqury City and look at post's like this and others that can help me. When I first started, I really wanted to express my thoughts with other people to form a community. It makes me feel like that i'm not alone and it makes me free.

Sorry if i wasted your time and my own. SpoofFilmsInc

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Damn! Do I really look that Sexy?

Another member of the autistic spectrum here.

In fact, not long after was born, my mother was told that i would never be able to speak.

I had a obsession with reading when i was younger. I knew the alphabet before i could speak fluently, and not long after, i had a tiny collection of books, in preschool i was reading the Berestain Bears, and some Disney Books, they were my favorite at the time.

I also eventually liked playing games. That grew into a obsession after Sonic, Road Rash, TMNT tournament fighters,

By second grade i got a playstation! my first game on it was cool boarders 3. I loved it,( although my mom didn't like me punching people in it) which probably started my interest in snowboarding games.

I will say that the "problems" i have are all possible to grow out of, in the beginning i was far more "irregular" than the other kids, but i was also more naive.

Around 14 is when i would often do some very stupid things, like get into debates on things i know nothing about.

Back then i had friends (they became real friends later on) that weren't afraid to tell me i was being a idiot. Even though i was a "Idiot" sometimes they let me hang out with them and invite me to do shit with them.

So i guess im saying that because of them i ended up like i did.

Hi kaorielise2014 and Starwisp:

Luckily, I was always fortunate to have friends and teachers who encouraged me to make positive decisions.

Nevertheless, I found the majority of individuals who called themselves "guidance counselors" particularly nervy at times, as most of them were ventriloquists for books stating what autistic people should do rather than intelligent persons who worked with people who had the Autistic Sprectrum Disorder on achieving their goals, even if the autistic individuals seeking advice held dreams that varied from the texts which the guidance counselors regurgitated. I therefore advise autistic individuals not to internalize anything guidance counselors say which may be construed as demeaning towards persons of that given population. It is especially laughable when guidance counselors holding an Associate's Degree tell an autistic person holding a B.A. or B.S. from a four-year university that it will be too difficult for them to pursue a Master's or Doctorate's Degree in the Arts or the Sciences. What is especially farcical in these situations is that guidance counselors who have two years less college experience than their autistic "patient" are attempting to speak to that person in a condescending manner. In reality, though, the fact that the autistic individual possessing twice as much college experience as his or her JUCO advisor implies that the patient is more well-rounded educationally than the guidance counselor Consequently, unless a guidance counselor makes a concerted effort to comprehending an autistic person's individual ambition--and makes a concerted effort to help that individual--he or she is not worth listening to.

Although it might seem that I am highly critical of guidance counselors who think that they know more about what it feels like to be an autistic individual than the autistic "patient," I am similarly critical of medical doctors (i.e., those without the Autistic Spectrum Disorder) who delineate in a same manner. Just because a person studies autism, and claims expertise in "treating" autistic persons, does not give that person the right to claim that he or she understands more about the prejudices the autistic patient faces on a quotidian basis than the autistic person seeking treatment does.

Starwisp, I think kaorielise2014 has unknowingly provided a hint on how to attain more friendships. As much as individuals may not like to admit it, schools are comprised of cliques (i.e., the Preppies, Jocks, Skaters, Rappers, ad infinitum). If you want to establish a bond with an individual, the key is to find an activity of a common interest, which, in your case, involves playing video games. Find other persons who enjoy playing SSX video games, and use it forge new and interesting friendships.

Finally, forget about being part of the "in-crowd," or being ostracized because you are a member of the "out-crowd." Perceptions of peer acceptability undergo unending fluctuation, and so it is possible for "cool people" to be labeled as "uncool people" in the future, and vice-versa.

Take care, kaorielise2014 and Starwisp, and let me know if I can help you with anything else which is autistic-related. Remember, I am only offering you advise--both of you have to make your own decisions, and I pray that the ones which you choose will bring you many socioeconomic blessings!

Best Wishes,
QuotidianPerfection

Hi. My cousin has Autism he is 12 years old. He is a very good 10-pin bowler, he has been doing it since he was about 5 years old and he wins a lot of tournaments. His average is 187 but at the last tournament he averaged 198. If he makes a mistake he just seems to give up though and deliberately gutters the ball. Sometimes I have been talking to him and he has suddenly turned around and walked away without a word - if he isn't interested then he just leaves.

After reading some posts here, I relate to a lot of the things you mention, such as finding eye contact difficult and personal relationships difficult. I have recently been watching Dexter and it dawned on me that I am just like him - minus the killing of course, but personality wise, Dexter feels that connecting with a person is the hardest thing in the world, and I agree with him. I have even felt uncomfortable around my best friend of 14 years at times, and I feel I have to talk myself into things... like, "ok just be calm there's nothing to worry about" when I go into his company. I spend most of my time alone and when I am with people I often look forward to being alone again like I'm on edge when I'm with people.

Somehow my awesome girlfriend hasn't left me

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When should I open my eyes?!

I had Cool Boarders 3 too. I was obsessed with that game, the music was great and wow.. just what an awesome game. Powder Hill man! Slope Style! The avalanche level at the end with the boulders coming at you and the plane you jump over! Great game... good memories. I loved PS1, Rollcage and R-Type Delta were two other favourites

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When should I open my eyes?!

Hi TaysteChampion:

I read about your suspiciouns and worries that you might be autistic. If you are anxious that you might have autism, and you are comfortable discussing your suspicion about your disability with your girlfriend and close companions, then I would advise you to do it. Don't panic: you, during the course of your life, have established close friendships, and even a romantic relationship, achievements which some autistic persons are still striving to fulfill. However, I would not recommend telling casual friends that you might have autism--they might loosen, or even severe, their bonds of friendship with you based on their perception that you are an abnormal anomaly which exists in a realm of normal people. A probable reason for this transpiring is because some individuals believe that, if they attempt to form companionships with an autistic person, this move will be considered unpopular in the eyes of their friends, who will, in turn, distance themselves from a person who offered a disabled individual his or her friendship. After all, certain cliques are ignorant, and see any handicapped person as "uncool" through the eyes of so-called "cool" people. For this reason, I will offer the following suggestion: tell only your girlfriend and your closest companions about the fact that you might have autism, and then only confide in others about your possible difficulty when you become close friends with them.

The possibility that you might be autistic could help you make connections with your twelve-year-old autistic cousin. If you discover that you have the disability described herein, it will be a great way to talk to your cousin (i.e., whenever you are ready), and inform him of the fact that even autistic individuals are capable of establishing longstanding friendships and intimate relationships (i.e., when he reaches the appropriate age to digest such material). Place emphasis on the idea that there is hope that individuals will befriend him, and that one day a woman will accept him as her boyfriend based on the positive qualities which he exhibits, rather than reject him because he has a debility.

The fact that your cousin is both interested in and skilled at a social activity, such as bowling, should help you bond with him. You can bowl together, and, by doing so, forge a close relationship as cousins in that manner in lieu of relying heavily on situations which demand verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and proxemics (i.e., an understanding of personal space), all of which might frustrate your cousin, leading to outcomes which could exacerbate your relationship with him. It is also an excellent way for your cousin to maintain existing companionships and / or to forge new friendships with other people. While competing at any activity can be unsettling, it simultaneously places one in a scenario where he or she is housed with others who share a common interest. In your cousin's case, the interest will be bowling. Perhaps, in the future, you can convince your cousin that being born with autism is not a declaration of doom, and you can use illustrations drawn from your personal life to assure him of this point. You can then encourage him to seek friendships, and maybe even romantic relationships, with fellow bowlers.

I apologize if I come across as intrusive, but I just thought that, in your scenario, I had to, as individual living with Asperger's Syndrome (AS), offer guidance to both you and your cousin regarding the most effecacious way to confront both your perceived handicap, and the estabilished disability of your cousin.

Take care,
QP

Thank you QP. Well she does nag sometimes and try to get "something" out of me, she doesn't know what she's trying to get out of me and I don't, really, either. But it's along the lines of "what's wrong?" when there is nothing wrong. I don't know what to say because nothing is wrong. I'm just trying to enjoy the time. Sometimes (like last night) she asks 3 or 4 times in as many hours, and it begins to upset me, I get self conscious and wonder what it is I am doing that makes her think something is wrong. It's frustrating. I don't want to go to a doctor to find out if I do, I was depressed for 3 years before I was finally taken to the doctor by my dads girlfriend, and then I only kept up the medication for a couple of months. I don't like going to the doctors. So maybe I will talk to her about how I feel, maybe my best friend. I don't have to worry about cliques as I am not part of any cliques and I don't have any casual friends. Only a few close friends. I am 27. My best friends have been my friends since school they are 27 and 28 my girlfriend is 29.

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When should I open my eyes?!

Hi TaysteChampion:

First of all, et me commend you on your desire to persevere despite facing certain setbacks in your past. In earnest, I wouldn't be concerned about not being popular. You mentioned that you have a girlfriend and, also, "a few close friends." From a practical perspective, it is better to have a couple companions and an intimate relationship with an other person than it is forge many casual friendships where close companionships or intimate relationships are nonexistent.

As far as your cousin's "nagging" conversations is concerned, it might just be case of perseveration. Sometimes, as an individual with AS, I sometimes find myself dwelling on topics for extensive periods of time. When autistic persons focus on the minutae for extensive time periods, their obsession and compulsion with a specific topic might strike others as annoying, when, in actuality, they are attempting to share a topic which they find wonderful and interesting with people. Persons with the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are prone to displaying obsessive-compulsive tendencies in conversation, and I am no exception. Keep this in mind next time your cousin perseverates on a specific subject. It might be difficult, but, by being patient, and by listening to her conversation as she intended it to be received, you will be able to respond in a way that could please her.

Although I have made many casual friendships in my lifetime, I, too, have close companions and a girlfriend, and happen to be very lucky that when I told everyone about my disability, they were accepting of it.

Take care, and feel free to ask additional questions if you need clarification.

Best Wishes,
QuotidianPerfection

Thank you QP. I agree with you that it's better to have a few close friends then a lot of casual friends. I choose to focus on a few close friends, I don't have any desire to be popular. I'm not particularly social in real life, I feel much more secure with strong friendships with people I have known a long time. I am lucky to have these.

There was a bit of a misunderstanding, I was not talking about my cousin in my last post, it was my girlfriend who kept asking me "what's wrong?" - and I don't know why she thought something was. I over think things sometimes. We talked about it today, I explained nothing is wrong and she said I seemed distant. Like Dexter I find connecting with people difficult sometimes, and because she kept asking me was something wrong it made me self conscious. But again, we talked it over today and all is well

Thanks again and all the best to you!
Tayste

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When should I open my eyes?!

Hi TaysteChampion:

You're welcome--and thank you! I wish you, your cousin, and your girlfriend nothing but the best in the future!

Best,
QP

P.S. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. Topics like the ones we are discussing, however, can become terribly complicated at times.

Totally zombieposting here but...

I have ADHD, Aspergers and Tourettes (Major case of ADHD, and minor of the last 2)

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Join the club night!

Remember, the more forms of mental conditions you have, to more interesting you are as a person!

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Hi Nightcrawler and Salariedcat7507:

Prior to 1994 (I believe) Autism was known as a mental disease or defect. In 1994, the DSM4 no longer considered Autism as a mental disorder, but, rather, a disability. Three forms of Autism existed then: 1) persons with Classical Autism, where someone is "in his or her own world," and fails, oftentimes, to acknowledge or respond to stimuli; 2) Autistic Savants, who are brilliant in one aspect in life, but often deficient in all others; 3) people with Asperger's Syndrome, who can have genius IQ's, but often possess difficulty communicating verbally, non-verbally, spatially, or a combination of two or all of these things. Unfortunately, now psychiatrists are trying to collapse Autism into a disability called "Autistic Spectrum Disorder, or ASD," just merely to conserve money. Continuation of the following trend could prove problematic, though, as psychiatrists who do not want to invest in costly funds necessary to carry out research on Autism might eventually decide that it is better to reclassify the disability alluded to herein as a mental difficulty. Some psychiatrists' attitudes towards Autism irritates me, as the same persons would not place homosexuals, transvestites, and transexuals under the umbrella of "Queer Behavior." (In Critical Theory, instances of gay conduct, cross-dressing, and characters who metamorphose from men to women, and vice-versa, are analyzed by a critical tool called "Queer Theory.") It should be duly noted that, in 1994, homosexuality, which the DSM4 once listed as a mental deficiency, was reclassified as a genetic condition. Please don't misundserstand me--although I am a heterosexual, I care about others who can be publicly scorned as the consequence of, to paraphrase Lady Gaga, being born a certain way. Nevertheless, the reason that people with ASD, rather than the second group of individuals mentioned herein, are likely to be treated more favorably by some psychiatrists is linked to political correctness. People seem to understand genetic difficulties more so than disabilities, even though many debilities are determined by DNA. Even in colleges, this particular line of thought is prevalent, as calling someone a "retard" leads to verbal chastisement by the dean, but telling someone he or she is a "faggot" gets you expelled. I hope psychiatry returns to its strength, namely, analyzing the mind, rather than acquiesing to the Zeitgeist of New Age thought, which has absolutely no room for people with disabilities (as my girlfriend and companions have noticed) in their philosophy.

Take care,
QuotidianPerfection

That was the most offensive sounding without being offensive post I've ever read. O.o