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Autism or Affectation?

Started by Dashenka, August 30, 2013, 10:30:40 AM

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The Lovely Tsaritsa

Hey! I like my Dia de Los Muertos makeup, very much! I think it's very pretty!

But that doesn't stop me from finding the quiet corner, with you! ;)

Aislinn

Quote from: Oniya on December 31, 2013, 01:15:21 AM
Darryl Hannah.  Dan Ackroyd.  Satoshi Tajiri.  All of these people have been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.  People like Tim Burton and Bill Gates have 'shown signs' of being on the spectrum, but have not been formally diagnosed.  True, not everyone will wind up developing an incredibly popular video game, or having a long-running cinematic career, but these people show that it isn't in any sense 'the end of times'.

Jennifer Lawrence.

That girl is amazingly funny to watch in interviews because she just doesn't have that filter that checks words before they come out of the mouth. I think a lot of people relate to her because of it and why they just like her so much. She said in an interview once that she was diagnosed in the PDD spectrum but that acting became an outlet for her and as much of a therapeutic device as medication.
"I am the one thing in life I can control
I am inimitable I am an original
I'm not falling behind or running late
I'm not standing still,
I am lying in wait.”


Dashenka

That makes sense actually. From what I know is that one of the 'elements' of all three forms of autism is an above average imagination and creativity. Acting is a form of creativity and imagination, as is singing and so is writing.

That's why I guess there is so many of 'us' here on Elliquiy. I for one need something to express myself as I have troubles doing it by talking to people, so I write and dream up entire universes and all that. My school books were full of drawings and stuff, simply because I had to express myself.

A lot of people focus on the negative things about autism. I know I did when I got first diagnosed and perhaps I still do a bit too much, but there are also a lot of good things coming from autism, like the creativity. What we lack on one aspect, we make up for others, I believe that is how nature works.

I really struggle with first contacts and expression my emotions but I'm overly systematic, my desk is so neat it's almost obsessive and I'm very creative. My councillor told me to write down the good things about me vs the bad things about me and surprisingly, the good thing list was WAY bigger than the negative. It's just because I focussed so much on the negatives, it became overwhelming.

I wanted to post something that was more related to Aislinn's post but this so isn't :P Another thing about me and my Asperger. I can't focus at all. I'm like writing, writing.. hey that's a pretty butterfly... what was I doing again?  :-[
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Chrystal

A really good book - fiction, admittedly - that first made me realise that I may be somewhere on the Autism spectrum, is called "The Speed Of Dark" by Elizabeth Moon. It handles Autism sympathetically, and points out many of the positives as well as the negatives: The ability to percieve patterns that others cannot is a major one.

I recommend his book to anyone who is not autistic or AS, and wants to know something of how it feels to be.

We can't relate to you, but equally, you have difficulty knowing how to relate to us. We have the excuse of a "mental disorder", but for normal folk it's usually just lack of knowledge.

The book is a good read, as I said, and is an eye opener. When I read it, and saw many of the symptoms displayed by the central character in myself, that was what made me realise there was something actually worth investigating, rather than just me being peculiar. I looked into Autism because of that book, and found my identity.

I suppose I should write to Ms Moon and thank her? *chuckles*

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Oniya

The few times I've written to authors, they've generally been quite polite and appreciative.  (I still have the email that Jane Yolen sent me back :-) )
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
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The Lovely Tsaritsa

I struggle much with my writing, it's only this year I learn I'm dyslexic. Many of the wonderful people I meet here, they struggle with depression, or other things. I liking thinking, of E, as the place for forgetting troubles and not worrying of such things.

You're not alone, Dashenka, with your worries. And don't worry about not being focussed, I'm not either, and many others aren't too! ::) And you're always very positive and kind, with me. I know I think you're wonderful. :-)

Hugs for you, amazing girl!

Sabby

How do other Autists feel about Big Bang Theory? I hope I'm not the only one who wants to gravely injure Sheldon.

Dashenka

Quote from: Sabby on January 12, 2014, 11:26:49 PM
How do other Autists feel about Big Bang Theory? I hope I'm not the only one who wants to gravely injure Sheldon.

Nope you are not. Although I do like the show, Sheldon is what everybody thinks about when they speak of autism. All the cliches. Not very realistic and over exaggerated. Very annoying. But then again, the show is full of cliches so I can accept it and deal with it.
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Yukina

Quote from: Sabby on January 12, 2014, 11:26:49 PM
How do other Autists feel about Big Bang Theory? I hope I'm not the only one who wants to gravely injure Sheldon.

Hollywood and television have always been poor at properly portraying autism, so he hasn't really bothered me. It just seems like a common writing fault.


Chrystal

If you want a more sympathetic approach on TV, try the cop show "Numb3rs". It has Judd Hirsch from the 80s sit-com "Taxi" as one of the supporting roles, but it features two characters who are brothers (Hirsch's sons). One is an FBI agent. The other is a mathematical genius who displays many of the symptoms of Asperger's. I don't think the character of Charlie Eppes is ever formally identified as having asperger's or any other form of Autism, but as I said, the character clearly exhibits symptoms in his dealings with people, and the way he focuses in on something to the exclusion of everything else.

Numb3rs ran from 2005 to 2010. I don't know why they canned it. It's one of the few US cop shows (along with NCIS and In Plane Sight) that I actually enjoy. My wife loves cop shows. I don't!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Dashenka

There is another police show where they have what I suppose is a character with autism. It's called Criminal Minds. Very good show and actually a quite realistic character. Not like Sheldon. But I usually don't get too bothered about stereotypes. If I did, most US vs Russian movies would be a no no for me :)
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Chrystal

I've seen criminal minds.

It also has a character that is openly lesbian and is played by a lesbian actress... Kirsten Vangsness.

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Sabby

One thing that bothers me to no end is the way people answer each others questions. It seems to be entirely normal to give overly complex and waffling answers that don't really relate to the question asked of them. If I try and have a conversation with someone, I like to pin them down on this and make sure they give simple and direct answers, and it always ends up confusing and frustrating people, like I'm being unreasonable.

Dashenka

Haha I can relate to that. I run my own business though so I have learned to deal with it but it still annoys me sometimes that people just cannot give me a direct answer.
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Sabby

It's almost as if they have a few responses lined up already and unconsciously try to stick to that.

Dashenka

A lot of people try to give a politically correct answer.

Do you like my new shoes?

Well they look nice on you....


Annoys me to no end because it wasn't what I asked. But I've learned to deal with it and in some cases even read the true meaning behind it :)
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Yukina

Quote from: Sabby on January 14, 2014, 01:08:36 AM
One thing that bothers me to no end is the way people answer each others questions. It seems to be entirely normal to give overly complex and waffling answers that don't really relate to the question asked of them. If I try and have a conversation with someone, I like to pin them down on this and make sure they give simple and direct answers, and it always ends up confusing and frustrating people, like I'm being unreasonable.

The only time this issue probably bugs me is when I'm talking to my father. I don't exactly do anything about it though, because talking with him never really gets the idea through his thick skull.


Chrystal

It's interesting that other people find that.

I've noticed it myself, but never thought that it was an Aspie thing, I just though the people I was dealing with were particularly annoying!

However, there are two sides to this. One of our quirks is that we can get so fixated on explaining something that we totally fail to realise the other person has fallen asleep!

However, yes, I agree that obtuse answers annoy me. I want a simple straight forward answer to a simple question. "Can I make that fit in there?" (for example)

Instead of "Yes" or "No", I get told that I should use something else, make this bigger, twist that around.... I just wanted a yes or no answer! I usually end up confused, and when they finished, I ask my question again. This gets the other person annoyed, because they thought they'd answered it...

On the flip side to that, I might have a problem that, in order to explain why I need to ask it, I need to give some back-ground information. So I start by explaining the back-ground and the person I'm trying to ask assumes that I am asking something about this and goes off on a tangent, explaining stuff I already know, or sometimes going somewhere that isn't actually relevant because it's what they thought i was asking.

It can be very frustrating!

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Sabby

Uhg, I just watched Star Trek Into Darkness. Something has been bugging me lately about games and movies.

Does anyone find they usually end up liking or agreeing with the villain? Like, they end up having the right idea, and their only crime seems to be crossing some boundaries in order to make whatever it is they deemed necessary happen.

I find it very hard to side with the supposed 'heroes', because they just deflect everything the villain says, as if they had their hands over their ears going 'nope, your a bad guy, gotta stop you, nopenopenope'. Am I supposed to agree with blind and passionate declarations like this?

Seems I can't play or watch anything without having these mass produced, shallow children roaring over whatever grievance they've used to delude themselves into thinking they are right.

Yukina

Quote from: Sabby on January 18, 2014, 03:44:20 AM
Uhg, I just watched Star Trek Into Darkness. Something has been bugging me lately about games and movies.

Does anyone find they usually end up liking or agreeing with the villain? Like, they end up having the right idea, and their only crime seems to be crossing some boundaries in order to make whatever it is they deemed necessary happen.

I find it very hard to side with the supposed 'heroes', because they just deflect everything the villain says, as if they had their hands over their ears going 'nope, your a bad guy, gotta stop you, nopenopenope'. Am I supposed to agree with blind and passionate declarations like this?

Seems I can't play or watch anything without having these mass produced, shallow children roaring over whatever grievance they've used to delude themselves into thinking they are right.

Depending on the villian, I'm all for the "rooting for the empire" trope. An example for me is the Disney version of the "Swiss Family Robinson" movie, where by the end, the family seems more violent and cruel than the pirates. The "protagonists" employ rifles, avalanches of large log piles, varied pitfalls, coconut bombs, and a tiger pit all against a medium-sized pirates with cutlasses (and possibly a flintlock pistol here and there). The parents even praise their son as he properly catches some of the pirates in an explosion from the aforementioned coconut bombs. All the pirates did in the movie was plunder a single ship and commit one kidnapping (where they didn't even lay a scratch on the hostages I might add).


Sabby

I'm confused, how is that relevant? I'm talking about glorifying these loud and childish heroes, and cheering along their fight against characters whose motivations are ignored in favor of demonizing the lengths they go to. Even when the game/movie does give time to build the villain up and show they aren't Hitler, the heroes will treat them like Hitler regardless.

I'm not saying that it's okay to cross all the boundaries for the greater good, I'm saying it's annoying to see this ridiculously heavy handed demonizing. It's almost as if they can't have the heroes stop and consider the villains position, because the whole foundation of their RIGHTEOUS FURY would crumble.

Yukina

#96
Quote from: Sabby on January 18, 2014, 04:22:28 AM
I'm confused, how is that relevant? I'm talking about glorifying these loud and childish heroes, and cheering along their fight against characters whose motivations are ignored in favor of demonizing the lengths they go to. Even when the game/movie does give time to build the villain up and show they aren't Hitler, the heroes will treat them like Hitler regardless.

I'm not saying that it's okay to cross all the boundaries for the greater good, I'm saying it's annoying to see this ridiculously heavy handed demonizing. It's almost as if they can't have the heroes stop and consider the villains position, because the whole foundation of their RIGHTEOUS FURY would crumble.

I was thinking of a situation where the "heroes" completely go overboard with what they do just because they feel they are right. I may have misinterpreted your point, so I apologize for that. I was thinking the point was of heroes being so self-righteous that they ignore the plain facts of what exactly they are doing.


Sabby


Chrystal

Hmm.

I did have quite a long reply typed up, but decided it wasn't relevant!

But it seems to me that Yugoshogun's example is a good one.

Heh. Okay, this seems more relevant.... I watched "Space Jam" (Michael Jordan & Bugs Bunny) the other day. In that movie, the heroes (Loony Toons) actually stay pretty true to their ideals, and at the end, the bad guys change sides, because they weren't really bad, just intimidated by the real bad guy.

Who of course wasn't really that bad, he was just greedy, and unscrupulous, and had a business that was failing.... And came up with a scheme to save it that wasn't workable! I've worked for someone like that...

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Sabby

Mass Effect is a good example of what irritates me. One character is doing what they can to save the galaxy, and finding it harder and harder not to cross some lines in order to do what they think is right, and the other is a simple minded, raging idiot.

Try and guess which one your supposed to root for? But remember, HE'S A FUGITIVE, HE KILLED PEOPLE, so don't waste time thinking, you have to stop the bad guy!