Poll: How many of you have Asperger's/Autism?

[phantasmalWordsmith]

I was diagnosed with asperger's at the age of 9. However, I've sort of outgrown it, if that makes any sense; I used to have the standard social issues but I taught myself how to read moods better so now most people can't even tell I've got it. I still have a couple symptoms but they aren't very pronounced and I'll suppress them when necessary.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

Yes I am definitely an Aspie.

I have major issues with understanding why people seem to get sad or angry over little things. How friendships break apart because trust was broken or something like that. There are far worse things lurking in the corners of our lives that could drop in our laps any day, why be so destructive over the little things?

I also have issues with social settings in real life interaction. Online I can edit my words any number of times (even go back and edit them after I posted). I have all the time in the world to get what I want to say out. In real life however, I've been told I am rude, insensitive, and tend to interject myself into conversations.

For example: When your wife says shes fat you don't agree and say you love her anyway.
During a funeral of a close relative you should look sad even if you don't feel sad and don't get upset when others rain down their emotions on you.
A masturbation joke is probably best kept to online friends and not with friendly co-workers.

Luckily for me I married a very patient, very awesome geeky wife. Not only does she play video games, watch star trek, and kick my ass in mortal kombat. She is also is my tether to social normality.

We have developed hand signals that are basic commands for when we're in social situations. For example. A slight swish diagonally means "enough, stop", a "thumbs up" means I'm doing fine (I sometimes think I did something social awkward when I haven't, it so hard to read peoples expressions sometimes.) There's more, but those are the two main ones and they tend to be small minor physical expressions so others aren't made aware as easily.

I would highly recommend anyone in a relationship who suffers from aspergers to attenot a form of non-verbal communication for social situations. We barely fight now and I am actually learning to become a better individual socially.

 

[For.I.Am.Mad]

22%? Jesus Christ. Even taking in account the bullshit factor that's still high.

 

[Naeo]

Sometimes I find myself doing some small thing and thinking "well that could be taken as a sign of Asperger's/Autism," but that usually would only apply to something taken totally out of context or something being tied to one of the two conditions for the sake of a diagnosis. But I've never been diagnosed, and I have no real reason to think I actually have Aspers's/Autism.

 

[Soviet Steve]

Wow, 22% of people in this topic have Asperger's? I love it how people who have some tiny little social quirk immediately diagnose themselves with a mental disorder. I'm willing to bet the majority of the people claiming to have it just decided they have it.

Or perhaps this site and the internet in general attracts people with social issues.

 

[Gerishnakov]

Even though I already posted about my brother having Aspergers, and I think I have many of the symptoms, I'm not going to go and self diagnose myself, because I'm not a medical professional. It's probably far more likely that by growing up with an Autistic brother my character has been shaped by that experience.

 

[icaritos]

I have self-diagnosed "Read the Wikipedia Article and Identified With It" Aspergers...

Which probably means I'm normal and just like to have a convenient label that also makes it sound like I have special mental powers in exchange for my social awkwardness.

You have looked into the void and beheld the beasts true nature.

That is just about 90% of every kid that declares himself to have Aspergers. It is a bit silly.

 

[Maze1125]

The reason for their isolation comes from Aspergers sufferers' inability to form connections that I spoke of. Being prevent from forming these connections inhibits all kinds of learning, from a very early age, in true cases at least. An Aspergers child is prevented from learning simple social skills, elementary (primary for those of us in the UK) education, even things such as the ability to handle change. Certain things can be taught, but only very slowly and gradually, through slight changes to the sufferer's routine over time, and immense patience on the part of the parent or guardian.

What you describe that sounds a hell of a lot more like full blown autism than Asperger's.
A lot of people with Asperger's have absolutely no trouble with education at all, and are often more able in academic matters than their peers. Further, many of them have little trouble with simple social skills, only faltering when it comes to more complex situations and ones needing an implicit understanding of theory of mind.

Edit: And remember, it is a spectrum, and where the line between Asperger's and autism lies changes depending on who's doing the diagnosis. And just because your brother may be one way, doesn't mean everyone who has the same diagnosis must have as severe symptoms as him, or be misdiagnosed.

 

[Phlakes]

I don't have it, but my brother did, to the point where he only graduated high school because the counselors made it happen, dropped out of college because he couldn't live alone, still doesn't have a job or any friends.

And I think it's also overdiagnosed, like ADD. A better line needs to be drawn between Aspies and just being antisocial.

 

[KefkaCultist]

I've never been diagnosed or tested for it, but I believe there's a chance that I might have Asperger's because I exhibit more than a couple symptoms of it. If I do have it, then it's probably a low-end of the spectrum case of it. Voted no anyways because I'm not sure and I may just be over thinking things.

 

[Meight08]

I have it
i got diagnosed by a doctor and a psychiatrist
my social life sucks I cant make friend i need alot of medicine's And they have backfired around 20 times and caused me:depression,sickness, tiredness, aggression
I think i got a real case unlike Fuckwad's who just claim it to get sent to an easier school.

 

[Reggie Rock]

My cousin has autism.

I don't know much but from what im told, he loves trains. He'll start getting really excited and hyper if he sees a train. He also has a lot of trouble with math and word problems. Then again, i don't know if he does because i've only been told he has it.

And i agree it is overdiagnosed. My GM said i have it, but i don't really feel different other than the fact that im a huge asshole apparently.

 

[Gerishnakov]

What you describe that sounds a hell of a lot more like full blown autism than Asperger's.

A lot of people with Asperger's have absolutely no trouble with education at all, and are often more able in academic matters than their peers. Further, many of them have little trouble with simple social skills, only faltering when it comes to more complex situations and ones needing an implicit understanding of theory of mind.

Edit: And remember, it is a spectrum, and where the line between Asperger's and autism lies changes depending on who's doing the diagnosis. And just because your brother may be one way, doesn't mean everyone who has the same diagnosis must have as severe symptoms as him, or be misdiagnosed.

He's definitely towards the more extreme end of the Aspergers scale, but trying to describe him in one forum post doesn't do him justice. My brother can communicate, hold conversations, etc... He just more often than not has absolutely no interest in doing so. For him, communication is purely utilitarian, something he does to get a tangible result or reaction.

I of course understand that others may be more towards the higher functioning end of the scale, but this is where the problem with Aspergers comes in my mind. Many people might be better off not being diagnosed at all. I believe some of the problems my brother has are a direct result of my parents knowing about his condition from such a young age. To this day they would happily treat him as an incapable child, were it not for my (and my two step parents') constant chiding.

 

[RuralGamer]

Nope, I'm just socially inept, but I was tested for a couple of things when I started high school and I was diagnosed with mild dyspraxia.

 

[R3dF41c0n]

Who knows I might have a minor case but in all honesty I wouldn't want to be diagnosed be I feel it would limit my career options.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Nope.

Just plain, old, normal Daystar.

I do wonder how many of the people who voted aspergers actually have it, and don't just think they have it.

Tip: Not being able to talk to girls doesn't mean you have aspergers.

 

[farscythe]

i dont but i used to live with a cousin that has aspergers . i learnt not to use sarcasm around him and in general to watch what i say to him jokingly as most of the time its entirely lost on him and will lead to some very awkward situations. but hes 20 now and learned how to live with it pretty well
he still has a tendency to take anything out of a book or said by someone he trusts as fact but meh hes still pretty much one of the nicest people i know (heart of gold kinda thing) and his memory is just incredible

 

[Macgyvercas]

I have Asperger's Syndrome, diagnosed in kindergarden. After the doctors in Pittsburgh diagnosed me, my mom did a shitton of research and learned anything and everything there was to know about it (which admittedly wasn't much at the time).

Truth be told, I'm a lot better than I was as a kid. Really the only thing I notice anymore is that I can't read body language, and I still have trouble grasping sarcasm from time to time.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

I don't have either Asperger's or Autism, and to be quite blunt while I do believe that both are real conditions that people actually suffer from, the fact that 21% of the respondents here claim to have Aspergers would suggest to me that a large number of them have either been misdiagnosed or have the sort of hypochondria which is fairly common amongst those who have studied psychology. There is simply no way that one fifth of the community here has Aspergers. For such a thing to occur would be a genuinely strange statistical phenomenon. Much more likely is that a website devoted to the nerd subculture (a traditionally socially awkward group) would have many members who find it much easier to accept that they were cursed with a debilitating disorder, than that they just aren't quite as good at talking to people as they would like to be.

 

[Meight08]

Nope.

Just plain, old, normal Daystar.

I do wonder how many of the people who voted aspergers actually have it, and don't just think they have it.

Tip: Not being able to talk to girls doesn't mean you have aspergers.

Tell me about it i hate those guys claiming they have autism because i got it and i know people who have it so badly they would have been put in a mental ward if they hadn't lived in holland.
Seriously there is a part of my school where the teachers have to get 3 self defence courses and pass them all
some teachers leave with concussions and broken bones.
The kids are brought in in busses and there are people the size of a Russian bear wrestler ready to yank them out and take them to class.
Once a kid slipped out went to our school walked up to my classmate punched him in the face.
my teacher intervened stopped him he then walked away.
My teacher grabbed him by the shoulder and he snapped called her a ''COCKSUCKING'' ***** and started kicking her.
3 teachers 5 student a half broken arm and a headlock later he was escorted back to school.
That people is real autism.
my teacher left for 2 days.
Oh and the kid who did it?
he was not even expelled just put under watch.