Autism, Aspergers syndrome etc.

[Idiot!]

I just cannot accept spicy food. The only exception are spicy flavoured chips, and it has to be on my favourite list, or its a no. The problem is... you guessed it, my immediate and extended family members LOVE spicy food and probably think it should be heredity.

Being the odd one out sucks real bad here where no one actually heard of any disorder at all in detail. The most famous one here is Down's, and at least 70% of people I interviewed said they never heard of disorders before. Our goverment had not educate the public about mental disorders, so even those who have it will most likely not even know it. So of course those who are NTs cannot accept auties and aspies.

IMO, there is at least one good thing about those who aren't NTs. We know what it's like to be different from others and therefore don't shun those who are daring enough to fight the flow.

 

[Amaruuk]

We weren't in the accident. We just witnessed it when we came out and this huge crashing sound it made, it was like a gunshot and it jumped us all.

I was the same age I am now, about 19/20 or so.

I like chicken salad but if I do eat salad, I have to have alot of ranch dressing on it. If not, I won't eat it and for asian food, I usually just eat Chinese and that's only teriyaki chicken and noodles. I won't eat the other stuff because even though I've never tried it, I'm very picky over trying new foods, especially if I can't sample them first. I used to be really picky and my mom got mad about it.

That's the same for me. Once I experience something scary or shakes me up, I can't shake it off. It stays with me for what seems like days.

Well, if I watch a horror movie, I get wicked nightmares for days on end. It's hard for me to keep saying that it's not real because it still freaks me out and it's so hard to accept that. Alot of people are truly misunderstanding when I say that horror movies scare the hell out of me because they'll be like, "Oh well I love them so they aren't scary for me. O.o" And I just think, "Yeah, well that's just you. I'm not like you because I'm autistic."

OMG I feel the same way about my mom and it's even more annoying when I'm focusing on the TV or something on here. It's like, I just snap at her.

I think it could be alot of sensory overload with so much going on, her talking the TV going and me doing something online. D:

Being forced to stick around after witnessing a car accident?

Didn't say you were in it. XD

Anyways, about horror movies. I actually don't get nightmares from them (I just have generic nightmares all the time regardless of what's going on in my life). My problem is that I can't keep the images or the tragic and traumatic ideas behind the movies out of my head for a very long time, and can't sleep. Lots of things actually cause me to lose sleep. I'll be as tired/worn out/sleepy as can be, but if my thoughts are still up and running for any reason, I'm lucky to sleep maybe 2 or 3 hours. It even takes that long just to fall asleep.

@ PkMn Trained: I have been shifted out of conversations myself for my entire life, even among good friends. I find that it's better for me to talk to/hang out with one person at a time, because it's so frustratingly easy to be forgotten even with just a third person. It makes me constantly doubt that anything I have to say is of any value or interest to other people.

 

[NoBel_ToKYo ™]

I find sometimes that my freinds just..don't really take me seriously. I've started feeling more anti-social towards people, but i suppose i'd better take all the time i need and calm down. It IS school XD

 

[Soul Eater]

Do you guys ever have sleep problems? I read somewhere that people with autism are prone to having problems with going to sleep.

I have a really bad case of insomnia. I've tried everyhting to make me sleep and the one thing I won't give up is watching a movie before I go to bed. I mean duh, Autism? I have a huge ritual when it comes to movies. If I can't watch one before I go to bed, guess what? I won't sleep.

It's hard for me to sleep when I'm away from home and traveling with my parents. I can't sleep enough when I'm forced to sleep on a hard bed because it makes me restless. I have terrible soulder problems that cause some impairment when I move them.

I wake up in the middle of the night though.

 

[Manaphy1128]

Do you guys ever have sleep problems? I read somewhere that people with autism are prone to having problems with going to sleep.

I have a really bad case of insomnia. I've tried everyhting to make me sleep and the one thing I won't give up is watching a movie before I go to bed. I mean duh, Autism? I have a huge ritual when it comes to movies. If I can't watch one before I go to bed, guess what? I won't sleep.

It's hard for me to sleep when I'm away from home and traveling with my parents. I can't sleep enough when I'm forced to sleep on a hard bed because it makes me restless. I have terrible soulder problems that cause some impairment when I move them.

I wake up in the middle of the night though.

Yeah, it's usually two in the morning before I get to bed. I usually try music or something, but it usually doesn't work and I just have to wait until I fall asleep. Which means I usually only get five or so hours of sleep. And it's also worse for me when I'm not actually at my house, especially when no one else in my family is there (such as if I go to a friend's house, which doesn't happen that often in the first place).

 

[Chibi-chan]

Yeah, it's usually two in the morning before I get to bed. I usually try music or something, but it usually doesn't work and I just have to wait until I fall asleep. Which means I usually only get five or so hours of sleep. And it's also worse for me when I'm not actually at my house, especially when no one else in my family is there (such as if I go to a friend's house, which doesn't happen that often in the first place).

Hey. Same deal with me. I don't think this is just something that people with Autism or Aspergers have...it's called 'I can't get to sleep' or 'I'm homesick'. It happens to everyone.

Same thing with watching horror movies, or not liking certain things on your food...do you really think that normal people don't feel the same way about these things? ~_~ I wouldn't blame common things like that on something like Aspergers. Honestly, I don't think it exists :\

 

[Soul Eater]

I wake up off and on every night. I've tried everything but nothing does me any good. D: Sleeping pills also do nothing for me. ;;

 

[Chibi-chan]

So do you blame that on your disease? There are plenty of people who wake up on and off every night. I'm one of them. Do you blame not being able to sleep on Aspergers?

 

[Amaruuk]

Chibi, I understand you're a mod and all, but you really ought to be more respectful about what you say.

Yes, "normal" people have sleep problems or have certain preferences about food. Those things in themselves are not limited to people with Autism/Asperger's.

Sleep deprivation can be caused by many things and the causes aren't always the same. For people with Asperger's, it can be a result of their symptoms, like having an overactive mind. No one said regular people didn't have that problem. With food, Autistic people tend to have over-sensitive palates, causing them to taste flavors and textures much more intensely than "normal" people. This often causes them to have a gag reflex or aversion to many many more kinds of foods than the average Joe.

Saying "Honestly, I don't think it exists" or accusing people of "blaming" things on Asperger's is simply uncalled for. Aspies can experience the same problems as other people, too. If you can't say something respectful, don't say anything at all.

 

[Chibi-chan]

I'm not going to agree with you, or sympathize with you. I'm just stating my own opinion on the matter. Totally disregard the fact that I'm a mod, it's got no backing to what I'm saying.

I have a gag reflex whenever I eat canned fruits. It makes me sick to my stomach. I have a rather vivid imagination, I don't like ketchup, and I have trouble sleeping at times. if you could find me some characteristic of Aspergers that..."normal"?...people have...that'd be nice. Otherwise, I don't believe it, and that's my opinion.

Also. Aspergers is NOT, NOT Autism. Austism is something completely different. Please don't confuse the two...

 

[luke]

Autism != Asperger's

Unfortunately, many people label Asperger's as 'high-functioning autism.' Unfortunately, this isn't the case. While they belong to the same group of disabilities, they are different from one another.

As an Education Major, I have taken several classes on disabilities and how children with this disabilities function and how to adapt classrooms/lessons to their needs. So my knowledge on the subject isn't limited.

 

[Savage]

My brother has a mild case of autism.
Having to negotiate daily activities around him, does get a little annoying. But he is my brother, and I will not tolerate any kind of discrimination against him.

 

[Rukario]

Ok lets get back on topic and lighten the mood a bit..

Remember, everyone is entitled to their own opinion but that opinion is just that, and no one has a right to force it on anyone else..

so lets just move on and get back to the subject at hand.

 

[Savage]

Ok lets get back on topic and lighten the mood a bit..

Remember, everyone is entitled to their own opinion but that opinion is just that, and no one has a right to force it on anyone else..

so lets just move on and get back to the subject at hand.

I am sorry, but how is the discussion not about Disabilities?

 

[Rukario]

I wasn't referring to you or your post Savage.. sorry if you thought that.

 

[Savage]

I wasn't referring to you or your post Savage.. sorry if you thought that.

Ahh, yeah kinda hard not to think that.

 

[Netto Azure]

Oh I was wondering what this thread was for... Well I don't think I have any disabilities at the moment. But my Dad has some neurological problems after someone hit him in the head with a Pipe before my parents met. I heard from my Grandma that his attitude changed after that,...

 

[Kylie-chan]

Hey. Same deal with me. I don't think this is just something that people with Autism or Aspergers have...it's called 'I can't get to sleep' or 'I'm homesick'. It happens to everyone.

Same thing with watching horror movies, or not liking certain things on your food...do you really think that normal people don't feel the same way about these things? ~_~ I wouldn't blame common things like that on something like Aspergers. Honestly, I don't think it exists :\

What's your basis for believing it doesn't exist? For all intents and purposes, it does exist -- it's a legitimate DSM-IV disorder, and it's just as real as autism. It's kind of offensive, to be honest, to be told that your problems are normal by someone who can't comprehend the full extent of them. A lot of Asperger's syndrome symptoms are quite normal, but the problem with Asperger's kids is that it's far more pronounced, goes on for longer due to developmental inhibition (and yes I can say that, I have it myself and was diagnosed years ago), etc. Do you have a major panic attack when you touch tags on your clothing? Do you feel like you can't breathe? My brother, also diagnosed, has massive sensory problems. The problem with Asperger's symptoms is that they overlap with a lot of other disorders (OCD and social anxiety, for example). But nonetheless it's a pervasive personality disorder and is characterised by things that 'normal' (lol) people don't often have -- severe developmental problems. Obviously it varies from person to person, but it definitely exists.

Here's the diagnostic criteria:

1. qualitative impairment in social interaction
2. restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behaviors and interests
3. significant impairment in important areas of functioning
4. no significant delay in language development
5. no significant delay in cognitive development, self-help skills or adaptive behaviors (other than social interaction)
6. criteria are not met for another specific pervasive developmental disorder or schizophrenia.

Do all those things as a combination -- remember it has to be beyond the limits of a normal kid's phase, and remember, this ISN'T a phase -- look like the characteristics of a normal kid to you? Have you ever been around kids with Asperger's? With a lot of us you can't tell immediately, but there are some that just make it so freaking obvious.

And last of all, yes, Asperger's isn't straight autism, but it's an autistic spectral disorder, so they are quite closely intertwined.

To be honest, it's also injust to imply that we can't have the same difficulties other people have, too, although I agree with you in that a lot of people tend to blame ordinary things on their disorders.

*poof*

 

[doesn't matter]

6. criteria are not met for another specific pervasive developmental disorder or schizophrenia.

I know it may just seem like I'm nitpicking, but how is not meeting criteria for another disorder or condition an item of criteria for having Aspergers?

 

[Kylie-chan]

It's not, per se -- it's a stipulation; what it means is that you have to fulfil those criteria and not meet the criteria for another disorder, because otherwise you could be diagnosed with that disorder.