Autism or Affectation?

[Dashenka]

I'm not sure if this is a thing for autism or just a general thought :)

I'm convinced that even the bad guys to things because they believe it's the right thing to do. So for their beliefs, it's not bad or evil.

[Chrystal]

I've never played Mass Effect. I don't have the money to spend on computer games. I tend to play free ones!

But I do take the point.

I think Batman is probably the most classic example of the lot. Ignore the 1970s camp TV series and movie. In ther original comic books,and the later movies, Batman is basically a psychopathic vigilante nut-case!

He deserves to be locked up.

Catwoman, on the other hand, is frequently portrayed extremely sympathetically. Selena Kyle is totally head over heels with Bruce Wayne... And yet Catwoman is a villain?

I'm not sure if this is a thing for autism or just a general thought :)

I'm convinced that even the bad guys to things because they believe it's the right thing to do. So for their beliefs, it's not bad or evil.

Heh. I think it is something to do with autists and aspies being able to see relationships and patterns that other people can't...

[Sabby]

Apologies if my ranting has taken up too much of the thread :( I've just been very curious since I found this place if other Aspies share my frustrations. It's not even that they exist that pisses me off, it's how universal and normal they are. I just feel like I'm the only one who see's a problem sometimes, and it can be a very isolating feeling...

[Chrystal]

Why do you think that many of us enjoy role-playing as the bad guy here on E?

*giggles*

I know I certainly do...

[Dashenka]

Apologies if my ranting has taken up too much of the thread :( I've just been very curious since I found this place if other Aspies share my frustrations. It's not even that they exist that pisses me off, it's how universal and normal they are. I just feel like I'm the only one who see's a problem sometimes, and it can be a very isolating feeling...

I had a similar thing with Lost. That TV show. First episode, about three minutes into the show, you see the engine of the plane still running at full tilt. The wing's come off so there's little to no fuel available so what's the damn thing running on? Got so annoyed by it that I turned it off and never watched Lost because of it. If they can't get the basic shit together it's not really worth my time.

So I guess it is something to do with autism :)

[Chrystal]

It's more to do with the fact that details like that irritate us more than "normal" folk because they stand out as glaringly obvious to us, and others don't spot them.

I have a sincere loathing of Arthurian TV dramas and films, because the characers are inevitably dressed in medieval costumes. The Arthurian legend took place during the Dark Ages, not the Middle Ages. The Romans had fucked off back to Rome after Honorius told the Britains to "look to your own defences", as us Saxons were kicking their backsides.

Arthur allegedly united the warring tribes of Britain against us, and held us at bay for a few years, before being betrayed by his bastard son.Point being, the armies would have used Roman weapons, Roman armour, and Roman tactics, not medieval ones.

If you want a great series of fiction books on the subject you can't go too far wrong with Bernard Cornwell's "Warlord Chronicles" trilogy.

anyway, hat's where I see a parallel in my own experience.

[Oniya]

A well-written villain can have you rooting for him/her despite being 'bad'.  Two classic examples would be Alex from 'A Clockwork Orange' - in the final scene of the movie, despite what Alex has done himself, there's a certain sense of celebration (that's actually a little disturbing to most people); and the other being Moorcock's 'Elric' - who runs around killing people and sacrificing their souls, but is written in such a way as to be both terrifying and pitiable at the same time.  In the original Trek II (with Montalban) I felt sorry for Khan - he'd been dumped on this planet (with all good intentions!), and then a global disaster took away everything.  Why wouldn't he feel at least some degree of resentment for the person/people who put him there?

[Sabby]

If anyone else is like me and tired of loud simpleton main characters (like the new Star Trek movies), watch Millenium. I've been marathoning it for a few days now. Absolutely fantastic crime drama with very restrained and subtle paranormal undertones.

The reason I recommend it is s for Frank Black, the main character, a father and FBI consultant with psychic visions. He's everything I've wanted from lead roles but haven't gotten. He's intelligent and logical without being an emotionally stunted jerk, just flawed enough to be believable.

[Dashenka]

It's World Autism Awareness Day my fellow autism sufferers... (I have no idea what somebody with autism is called in English :P)

So... Happy autism day... I guess.

Here's to hoping they'll never change the date....

[Chrystal]

It's World Autism Awareness Day my fellow autism sufferers... (I have no idea what somebody with autism is called in English :P)

So... Happy autism day... I guess.

Here's to hoping they'll never change the date....

Heh, and I wonder how many of us Aspies missed it because we weren't aware of it!

An autism sufferer is usually referred to as an autistic, or sometimes an autist.

[Dashenka]

I didn't know either. Accidentally stumbled upon an article in a newspaper about a software company hiring a lot of autistic people and that they released it on WAD. Then I went on google and found it was 2 april. :)

[Dashenka]

So I've been made this strange but interesting offer by my councillor. She has told me about a programme that allows people with an autism disorder to help other people with the same diagnosis. The idea is that the 'expert' sort of helps the other by sharing events and experiences.

If I accept, I get a little bit of training but the heaviest part is the self reflection. It can be rather confronting obviously.

I might not explain it too well but in short, because I (we) know better than any psychiatrist what we're feeling, we can advice and share experiences and help people 'like us' better. It's not a replacement of the councillor or psychiatrist but an addition.

She thinks I could do it and that I wouldn't be too bothered about the self reflection and the confronting bit.

So... would it help you or would it have helped in the past if you had somebody who has the same thing as you do? Could be autism or related or something completely different. Just curious to know.

[Chrystal]

*looks around at the thread, points to some of the earlier comments on it*

I think your answer is right here, Dasha, sweetie.

I for one would certainly have benefited if I had been told that such a thing as "High Functioning Autism" and Asperger's Syndrome existed, years ago, rather than discovering about them for myself. Knowing I was not some freak, the prodfuct of bullying and inatentive parents, but that I was suffering from an actual "illness" and was not the only person, heck that would have made a huge difference in my early years!

My answer is, go for it.

[Kingfisher]

So I've been made this strange but interesting offer by my councillor. She has told me about a programme that allows people with an autism disorder to help other people with the same diagnosis. The idea is that the 'expert' sort of helps the other by sharing events and experiences.

If I accept, I get a little bit of training but the heaviest part is the self reflection. It can be rather confronting obviously.

I might not explain it too well but in short, because I (we) know better than any psychiatrist what we're feeling, we can advice and share experiences and help people 'like us' better. It's not a replacement of the councillor or psychiatrist but an addition.

She thinks I could do it and that I wouldn't be too bothered about the self reflection and the confronting bit.

So... would it help you or would it have helped in the past if you had somebody who has the same thing as you do? Could be autism or related or something completely different. Just curious to know.

Not sure about PDD, but I work occasionally with stroke survival support groups and it sounds like a similar deal.

Just to set your expectations, you don't have to be 100% comfortable with your diagnosis to help others.  Talking to them from the position of a peer is just as, if not more, helpful as from the position of a mentor.  They have plenty of doctors and shrinks to tell them what they should do or feel, what they're looking for is someone who's going through the same thing, possibly with a few extra months/years of experience added.  Stories of your shortcomings will help just as much as your stories of success.

That said, while you don't have to already have confronted yourself and your diagnosis, it is imperative that you are willing.  Because, just like you predicted, it will come up in the sessions.  So keep that in mind.

Lastly, I wouldn't worry too much about the training just yet.  If you are interested, which from the sounds of it, you are - ask to see the program in session and listen to what's being talked about.  That will help a lot more than a bunch of strangers on a forum.

[Dashenka]

Thank you.

I'm not entirely sure what kind of people I will 'get' so to speak but I'm guessing since I've been diagnosed with Asperger's, it's those people I can help. I cannot help others.

As for the programme, what I've heard is that it's pretty new and not many people doing it. Also, knowing myself and my shortcomings, I wouldn't be comfortable with a third or fourth person sitting with me just 'seeing what it's about.'

I will ask around because I really am interested in doing this.

Secondly, Elliquiy has become a little more to me than 'a bunch of strangers on a forum' :) Probably my mistake and shortcoming.

[Rhapsody]

I have two kids with autism. My pediatrician has told me that, based on descriptions of my childhood and my current methods of coping with stuff, I probably land somewhere on the spectrum as well. I haven't decided yet if I want to get an official diagnosis or not, but chances are I will, just for my own benefit.

Secondly, Elliquiy has become a little more to me than 'a bunch of strangers on a forum' :) Probably my mistake and shortcoming.

Hardly a mistake or a shortcoming. Also, hardly yours alone if it is. :)

[Oniya]

While we are a bit more than 'strangers', the people actually involved in this program are going to know a lot more about it than we will.  If you can't sit in on a session, for whatever reason (and comfort-level in being an 'observer' as opposed to a 'participant' is a reason), then arrange to talk to the people involved outside of an actual session - like in the waiting room or something.

[Dashenka]

I have two kids with autism. My pediatrician has told me that, based on descriptions of my childhood and my current methods of coping with stuff, I probably land somewhere on the spectrum as well. I haven't decided yet if I want to get an official diagnosis or not, but chances are I will, just for my own benefit.

Hardly a mistake or a shortcoming. Also, hardly yours alone if it is. :)

I don't want to sound like a psychiatrist but from what I've learned is that autism is inherited. If your kids 'have it', either you or their father is likely to have it as well.
Welcome to the club :P

While we are a bit more than 'strangers', the people actually involved in this program are going to know a lot more about it than we will.  If you can't sit in on a session, for whatever reason (and comfort-level in being an 'observer' as opposed to a 'participant' is a reason), then arrange to talk to the people involved outside of an actual session - like in the waiting room or something.

I know. The information I've been given is really not that much, so I need to learn a few more things about it before I actually say yes. It also needs to fit in with my current job. So I do think I want it but the practical matters need to be sorted out as well :)

[marauder13]

I have just literally stumbled onto this thread, and while I have not read it all, I have gone through the first page, and seen a few other posts along the way.

I have two young sons, both ASD. My elder son was diagnosed with Aspergers before it was included as part of the spectrum. My younger son is mildly autistic. We have been most fortunate in that the mainstream school they attend have been most supportive of the boys and their conditions, and have come up with some truly brilliant ways of incorporating their respective coping mechanisms in a safe and ultimately constructive way. They are both incredibly bright, intelligent lads with ways and means of seeing ways around blocks in problems that makes me jealous at times.

I have seen how much of a challenge some things are for them, particular changed expectations, or in routines. Of course, there are many other things that are challenges for them, but I wont bore people with the nitty gritty details. But Dashenka, what you have spoken off is common with my boys, and a couple of other Autistic people I know.

Please, don't be alarmed about how things seem to be getting worse. Now you're aware of your condition, you are more aware of how it is manifesting, as well as being more concerned about how the symptoms are. But you know what it is, and that gives you the means to discover more about YOUR condition, and find ways to improve your quality of life. Tap into the strengths you have, and if possible, find ways of turning what you think of as negatives, or unwanted behaviours, into strengths.

Lastly, everyone is different. Everyone has a different view of the world, and some people interact with in a different way. You, like my sons, have an advantage that most others don't; you have a better idea of how your mind works, which gives you a leg up on those who don't. Use that wisdom wisely.

[Rhapsody]

I don't want to sound like a psychiatrist but from what I've learned is that autism is inherited. If your kids 'have it', either you or their father is likely to have it as well.
Welcome to the club :P

Oh, I live in Canada, where things are much, much easier once you have a diagnosis. It's a recognized genetic condition up here, even if it isn't very understood. They only two years ago learned that the brain actually wires itself differently from a neurotypical person.

[Dashenka]

Well the diagnosis helped me a little. Not financially or anything but simply in answering a lot of questions for me. A definative answer on what's wrong with me. That's how it helped me to hear what it was. Could finally close a chapter in my life.

[Rhapsody]

Well the diagnosis helped me a little. Not financially or anything but simply in answering a lot of questions for me. A definative answer on what's wrong with me. That's how it helped me to hear what it was. Could finally close a chapter in my life.

Completely understandable. I'll probably get assessed, if nothing else. I'm not sure if I could apply for any of the benefits available; my boys get them, but I have no idea if I would even qualify. I've learned to cope fairly well, am still learning in some regards, but a professional saying one way or the other might... I'm not sure. People I've spoken to haven't been very supportive of going to get tested. "What would it accomplish?" I don't know that I need it to accomplish anything.

[Ephiral]

So. I am right now waiting for the results of a test, but have been informally told that it will be shocking if I don't test positive. I'm not unfamiliar - my half-brother and several close friends have Asperger's - but... it's still kinda shocking and relieving at the same time. I finally have an idea about why I can't break certain patterns, and perhaps a way to move forward from here.

I know this was a while ago, but Dashenka... as someone who took forever to get anything figured out, and is extremely uncomfortable with mental health professionals as a rule, I must say that program sounds awesome. Hopefully it worked out well.

[Dashenka]

I felt that my councillor was more shocked about it then I was. She kept asking me how I felt about it and what it would change for me. Well nothing really :) Except I now knew what was blocking me so it's very familiar what you say.

May I ask why you decided to get tested? Just out of curiousity.

That programme has been put on hold at the moment due to some rules and regulations from both the government and the organization leading it preventing it from happening in it's current form. But I've signed up and hopefully soon something will start :)

[Ephiral]

I felt that my councillor was more shocked about it then I was. She kept asking me how I felt about it and what it would change for me. Well nothing really :) Except I now knew what was blocking me so it's very familiar what you say.

Yeah... "shocking" may have been the wrong word choice; "bracing" seems like it fits better. It feels like there have been walls in my way in some parts of my life... and now someone's showing me that there might be a door there.

May I ask why you decided to get tested? Just out of curiousity.

General policy: It's okay to ask me about anything, as long as you're prepared for an infodump.

Long story.

Honestly, it's been a slow build to this point. Several of my closest friends are on the spectrum, and I've always found it way easier to communicate with them than others. Upon doing my own research, I placed about a 30% probability that I would diagnose positive - and that low largely because I don't trust layman's diagnoses, especially self-diagnoses. So I was always somewhat curious, but not really in a position to commit the money and mental energy to finding out. (It is hard to overestimate just how averse I am to mental health facilities.)

Cue my mother, who was working with the local native community on a suicide-prevention initiative. One of the people she met there has extensive experience working with aspies. I came up in conversation, and he asked to be put in contact.

I'm honestly not sure what to call him, really - he works at a community resource center for people with mental health issues, and I know he's not exactly a doctor or therapist, but he obviously has some training in the field. What I do know is that I can actually feel relaxed and comfortable talking to him, and he's very helpful and encouaging. The test he administered isn't exactly a formal diagnosis, but it certainly covers extremely similar ground, and I'd be blown away if a doctor's evaluation differed substantially.

The one major problem I have: I'm still very uneasy identifying as on-spectrum without a diagnosis, given that "undiagnosed Asperger's" seems to be an Internet codeword for "I want an excuse to be an asshole"... but I'm nowhere near a place where I could actually go and get a formal diagnosis, and am unsure I'll ever be. Hopefully that doesn't disqualify me for this thread?

That programme has been put on hold at the moment due to some rules and regulations from both the government and the organization leading it preventing it from happening in it's current form. But I've signed up and hopefully soon something will start :)

That's a shame. Please keep us posted if and when that changes - I've long been of the opinion that a group of fellow travellers, tightly and positively focused, can be an enormous support in dealing with things like this - things that are difficult if not impossible to explain from the inside, and affect pretty much every aspect of your life in some form. Just having other people who can say "I know how you feel. You are not alone." is an incredibly powerful feeling.