The Autism thread

[Totdilepika!]

I have an 11 yr old brother who has Autism, he is on the high end of the spectrum, but his reading and math skills are about that of a seven year old. Despite that his teachers and my family believe he is extremely smart. After only hearing a song on the radio like once he can sing it usually perfectly, and he remembers random stuff from years ago. His speech is okay, he has a very limited vocab and he almost never pronounces words correctly. He has seen a speech therapist since he was 3 and still does so. He also goes to a special school meant for disabled children (physically and mentally).
He is slightly OCD (NO GERMS) and he has to be on a strict schedule and whenever the schedule is altered he kind of breaks down, like he cant cope. He is also funny, he physically mocks everyone its hilarious. He talks to himself and has imaginary friends, I believe they're there to make up for the friends he can't make.

Overall my little brother has a great personality and just because he has Autism, you shouldn't label him as Autistic.

That's so sweet!

 

[Misayu]

Some of the samrtest people are said to of had autism. Anyway..my sister Pikachu!84 got banned for week for having a signature over 46800 pixels, really she does not know how much that is, I don't even know how much that is, both me and my twin sister have autism, and I think that maybe part of the reason we don't understand stuff like that...

That's not because of Autism. o_o Autism isn't a learning disability. Autism is a developmental disorder.

the lol factor7: That sounds alot like me. Though, I don't have very good memorization...sadly. I did memorize the Scooby doo theme song once just by looking at the lyrics once. XD

I can't memorize any other things though. I have the math level of a seven year old too. :|

...Autistic isn't a term like calling someone a retard. It isn't offense at all and I'm positive of this.

I'm very normal too and just like everyone else, i can laugh at things, be a good friend and all that.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

...Also...pokemon characters don't have Autism. No character in ANY TV show has autism, unless it's stated in the plot or the characters profile.

So...everything has to be 100% stated then? Nothing can be implied or inferred? We can't theorize?

Boy, that takes the fun out of life!

 

[Misayu]

So...everything has to be 100% stated then? Nothing can be implied or inferred? We can't theorize?

Boy, that takes the fun out of life!

Actually, I have noticed one character that seems like he is on the spectrum but I haven't ever noticed it until now.

I'm sure you guys have heard of Spongebob Squarepants, right? Well, I've noticed that he has most traits of Asperger Syndrome. It makes much more sense with him too so allow me to explain.

The first thing you notice is how he wears the same thing every day; he's also the type that does things the same way over and over again. Spongebob also is very ritualistic and sticks to a specific schedule, that and also having only a few interests.

 

[sanjay120]

Also...pokemon characters don't have Autism. No character in ANY TV show has autism, unless it's stated in the plot or the characters profile.

k.

Would you say Inuyasha has Asperger Syndrome because he is nice one minute and a jerk the next and because he doesn't know how to help people unless it involved the jewel shards? No. Characters are just made that way because it's how they were created to fit the plot.

no, i would say he just has no social skills. but characters like jiri? it goes deeper than that with them.

Autism is way more complex than that.

yes, it is.

I mean it's the problem with Autism, that most of the symptoms can come from things seen in normal people everyday.

the less-extreme ones, yes.

Just because they might SEEM like they are. I can garuntee they aren't. >:|

ahahaha guarantee, it does not mean what you think it means.

spongebob? too social imo, though he seems to have the naievity down, though i think that's done mostly for humor. and most characters are always seen with the same clothes.

 

[Misayu]

spongebob? too social imo, though he seems to have the naievity down, though i think that's done mostly for humor. and most characters are always seen with the same clothes.

Then aren't all the other characters you talked about...aren't they same way? It's the way they were created. Here was what I believe autism at being...

People say that everyone have sensititivies, things that they hate and can't stand. They say that everyone taps their pencil on their desk or kicks their feet around under their chair, something considered stimming. I can see a difference in this, a difference between "normal" sensitivity and stimming behavior and "abnormal" sensitivity and stimming behavior.

See, if you're sitting at your desk doing school work and all of a sudden the person next to you starts talking to their friends and distracting you, you're going to say, "Hey um can you please be quiet? I'm trying to work." However, if you're autistic and this happens, you'll break down and start screaming and panicking. An autistic person has different ways of dealing with sensory overloads than a normal person. Same with stimming, because a person with autism will hum to themselves or make weird and random noises.

There can be a fine line between what is considered normal and what isn't. For me, I get emotional overloads because I lose control over my emotions and it's not normal because I panic over things way more than I should.

I mean really, there can be times when someone who might be autistic, could be misdiagnosed as getting OCD because they have to have EVERYTHING the same. Everything has to be done the same over and over and over and if this is messed up then it becomes a major panic.

Also, if anyone has watched the new Degrassi episodes, one of the characters has aspereger syndrome and the clues to this are his obsession with mechanics and computers, sensory overloads, outbursts/meltdowns, wearing the same outfit everyday and he shares a perfect example of what Asperger Syndrome is.

A lot of people with asperger syndrome will tell you they have it because they are very anti-social and don't like talking, which is one way to end up misdiagnosed since there is a good chance that person might just have social phobia.

I hardly ever get sensory overloads. I do think it's because of the stimulant medication I take but the one thing I get overloaded with is fire trucks.

 

[Pikachu!84]

Actually, I have noticed one character that seems like he is on the spectrum but I haven't ever noticed it until now.

I'm sure you guys have heard of Spongebob Squarepants, right? Well, I've noticed that he has most traits of Asperger Syndrome. It makes much more sense with him too so allow me to explain.

The first thing you notice is how he wears the same thing every day; he's also the type that does things the same way over and over again. Spongebob also is very ritualistic and sticks to a specific schedule, that and also having only a few interests.

Spongebob for sure!!!! I can't stand Spongebob it drives me nuts, not just me, but my boyfriend and my dad.

I bet a lot of people that I met when I'm out shopping or something would not even guess that I'm Autistic.

P.S. We just found out the other day that my dad is Autistic, it's not surprisingly tho, he sure does not act his age.

 

[sanjay120]

Then aren't all the other characters you talked about...aren't they same way? It's the way they were created.

Ah, true. So Spongebob might be autistic then? He still strikes me as being too social, though. I'm pretty high-functioning, moreso than most autistic people I have met on the internet, and I'm still a lot less outgoing than him.

 

[Misayu]

Ah, true. So Spongebob might be autistic then? He still strikes me as being too social, though. I'm pretty high-functioning, moreso than most autistic people I have met on the internet, and I'm still a lot less outgoing than him.

So? I'm pretty social when I'm around my parents. I just don't talk to people if I'm by myself because that's when I get struck by fear.

I'm more high-functioning offline. You'd really have to see how I acted but lately I've had meltdowns where I break down and cry, sometimes for just smaller things.

Other times I do it because my mom got really REALLY mad at me. I've been terrible at control my emotions to the point where I overreact.

I also don't act my age. I act more like a seven year old girl rather than a 20 year old because I am EXTREMELY immature at times. I still have huge tantrums if I don't get what I want.

There even times when I can repeat lines from my favorite movies or shows like from Jirachi Wishmaker my favorite lines are:

Wish the star. Wishmaker the comet. I wish you were here with me!

I can also recite the whole Scooby doo theme and Rika's Song, also called Promise from Digimon Tamers.

I have some talents with littler things. Though i can't use them to get a good job because I lack the ability. I have trouble with following directions or social rules and like doing things my own way. That's the most difficult part for me because you would think that because I can sit here and preach about my issues that I can but i can't.

I lack the right mind.

As I said, I have the mind of a seven year old. A seven year old that still cries over stupid things or because her parents yelled at her. Or even if she gets scared by other peoples negative emotions.

I have trouble with going up to someone and asking them to help me. I always have to have my dad ask them for me. If I want to go up and ask someone to let me get water, my dad has to do it.

I';ve even had an outburst at Subway once. I always get the kids meal because the sandwiches are too big for me and I waste them. I wanted grilled chicken on my sandwich but the guy said he wasn't allowed to do that and I started to sulk and panic.

The guy did put it on my sandwich because of that.

Anoither time was at the hospital with my mom, the registrar lady came in to ask me questions. So because I was over 18, she wanted ME to answer them and I would try to have my mom help but she was like, "No you are an adult and you have to answer." It made me panic and my mom saw I was getting ready to meltdown.

My mom goes over to the lady after getting off her cellphone with my dad (She can't drive and she called him to come pick us up) and said something along the lines off, "K she has Autism and ADHD. She isn't very good with questions and I would appreciate if you didn't ask her". And the lady understand and asked my mom instead.

That's the kind of thing that gets me really nervous. I have a so much limited understanding of certain things that it becomes hard for me to know how to react when asked.

Also I have something to ask. I've been wondering about it and he's also thought the same as well.

We both think that my boyfriend might have Asperger Syndrome. I've noticed that he only has very few interests and his social interaction is very limited. See, my boyfriend, is always having me drag him into group convos. He never talks to people on his own and never IMs them. He says that in public he doesn't have many friends that he spends time with outside of school.

He also has a very high intelligence. He knows alot about the things he is interested in. He really doesn't talk very much.

I haven't really asked him about anything else. He does say that he never has sensory overloads or meltdowns. I'm just curious because if he does have it then it make our relationship easier.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

See, if you're sitting at your desk doing school work and all of a sudden the person next to you starts talking to their friends and distracting you, you're going to say, "Hey um can you please be quiet? I'm trying to work." However, if you're autistic and this happens, you'll break down and start screaming and panicking.

Not me, I'd tell them to shut the hell up. I only panic if the noises are high pitched.

And if autistics couldn't be insanely social (at least in short bursts) I'd be willing to wager there wouldn't be nearly as many sci-fi or anime cons as there are. I'm all over the place at cons. It's nuts.

 

[Misayu]

Not me, I'd tell them to shut the hell up. I only panic if the noises are high pitched.

And if autistics couldn't be insanely social (at least in short bursts) I'd be willing to wager there wouldn't be nearly as many sci-fi or anime cons as there are. I'm all over the place at cons. It's nuts.

I think it depends on severity. If someone is only mild to moderate autistic than odds are they're going to be able to have some tolerance for social interaction. It really just depends on how you see the world I guess.

 

[Auraninja]

I guess I'll throw my two cents in.

As for me, I have Autism Spectrum, and I try to make the most of it. Right now, I am making excellent grades in college. I also try to overcome its barrier by trying to do things like being a little more social.

As to those that doubt that Autism exist, I have this to ask. If there is a mental condition, and it seems to describe several people pretty well, than is it existant enough?

 

[sanjay120]

So? I'm pretty social when I'm around my parents. I just don't talk to people if I'm by myself because that's when I get struck by fear.

But Spongebob goes up and talks to people out of nowhere. Blackjack you say you're social at cons but so am I, because I know I have things in common with people there. But Spongebob just goes up and makes small talk and tries to be friends.

I hardly ever have panic attacks about anything other than my transsexuality. It's a touchy subject and it's like all my PANIC AND MELTDOWNS AND RAAAAGE is focused there.

 

[Misayu]

I have a lot of emotional ones, like I've said. I can't really explain how they are though because alot of things can really set me off.

I've managed to push myself once for being ritualistic over my laptop. I'm so ritualistic when it comes to the time I spend but I've gotten better at my control.

 

[Kutie Pie]

Seriously, how is Autism like someone who has a heart problem? Autism isn't a bad thing and like we've said here, it can actually make you very talented in most fields, more talented then probably someone who is normal. I mean sure, I have to admit that I do wish I wasn't autistic but it wouldn't really make it better if I wasn't. If I was cured now, I probably would be way different from who I am and I probably wouldn't be able to cope with being normal.

People make such a big deal out of autism, they think of it as a curse rather than a blessing. My mom was actually upset when she found out my little brother was diagnosed with autism, and it turned her, correction our, world up-side-down. Though he's a high-functioning autistic child, he's still difficult to raise. It took lots of time, patience, and praying to understand Jacob and know that he's a special spirit that's going to need someone holding his hand his whole life. I just learned that he's unable to go on a mission when he turns 19, because he'll still have a mental capability of a twelve-year-old, and this is heart-breaking. But we know this is all part of life, and we've accepted that. And now with a second child having the disorder, I can say we're prepared, though still challenging. Ben is still being potty-trained (and he's four), doesn't like speaking except he shrieks and squeals, and other things that are unable to be listed.

Asperger syndrome can be of many things. One person with asperger syndrome can hate being in public, to the point where they start having massive panic attacks and sensory overloads and another one could hate having tags rubbing their skin and maybe can't wear seams in them either, while also being very hypersensitive to sound.

I have Asperger's Syndrome, but I don't freak out in public. Well, I might've a long time ago, but it's gotten better over the years, especially since I'm pursuing a career where I have to be with people and work with them. Okay, that wasn't very specific, so I'll mention going into digital animation.

Thing is, however, I'm really obsessed with anime. It's all I prefer to draw, though I've actually gotten into a Looney Tunes fandom after studying Warner Brothers at EVIT. My mom was actually worried about this, as she wants me to branch off to animals and fairies, and Disney-related areas instead of the characters I'm constantly drawing (like spin-offs from Pokémon and Digimon and all that). Well, the fairies thing is true, since I've made OC fairies, but I'd rather draw humans than animals, lol.

Oops, I'm starting to ramble. But this shows my disorder, huh x)? Moving on!

Someone mentioned Asperger's having wonderful math skills. Well, look at my math grades, and you'll start getting a second thought. They are TERRIBLE XDD. I haven't had a good math score since sixth grade. I blame my fifth grade teacher this, but maybe it's because I don't like the concepts its evolved to over the years, lol. Well, actually scratch that. I am good at math, I just chose not to like it xD. When I was taking a test all disabled teens take before going into EVIT, my highest score was math, at a score most adults at the school don't hit, proving I'm smarter than most of the staff, lol.

Oh, and before I forget, I've also been diagnosed with hyperlexia, the opposite of dyslexia. I think because of that, I'm unable to disobey rules, though that might be from Asperger's Syndrome, or whatever Mom said about it. Yeah, just wanted to mention that.

Actually, I have noticed one character that seems like he is on the spectrum but I haven't ever noticed it until now.

I'm sure you guys have heard of Spongebob Squarepants, right? Well, I've noticed that he has most traits of Asperger Syndrome. It makes much more sense with him too so allow me to explain.

The first thing you notice is how he wears the same thing every day; he's also the type that does things the same way over and over again. Spongebob also is very ritualistic and sticks to a specific schedule, that and also having only a few interests.

That's true, but we noticed that mainly because he's just a childish adult. My parents had a list of reasons, but I can't seem to recall them. I think you got most of them.

But who could forget Timon from Lion King? Dad was watching Lion King 1½, and he swears Timon has Asperger's Syndrome because he took the metaphor Rafiki said seriously.

 

[Strants]

As to those that doubt that Autism exist, I have this to ask. If there is a mental condition, and it seems to describe several people pretty well, than is it existant enough?

Well, I guess what people who question the existence of autism are thinking is that autism is really just a collection of behaviors that people see as going against the norm. I mean, I've seen people who have meltdowns, people who aren't that social, people who act immature, and doubtlessly countless other combinations of the symptoms of autism, but not necessarily on people I'd call autistic. And I happen to know a few people who act very similar, and sometimes against social norms, but I'm not sure I'd say they have a disorder, either. In the vast amount of people in the world, there simply have to be people who act similarly and go against the norms of their society, but I don't think they have a disorder, either. If we made every behavioral pattern that goes against the norm (how many times did I use that phrase?), I'd wager that almost everyone would have a disorder or two.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

*sigh*

It's more than that. It's not an action, it's an incapacity. It's how our brains are wired.

 

[Misayu]

Well, I guess what people who question the existence of autism are thinking is that autism is really just a collection of behaviors that people see as going against the norm. I mean, I've seen people who have meltdowns, people who aren't that social, people who act immature, and doubtlessly countless other combinations of the symptoms of autism, but not necessarily on people I'd call autistic. And I happen to know a few people who act very similar, and sometimes against social norms, but I'm not sure I'd say they have a disorder, either. In the vast amount of people in the world, there simply have to be people who act similarly and go against the norms of their society, but I don't think they have a disorder, either. If we made every behavioral pattern that goes against the norm (how many times did I use that phrase?), I'd wager that almost everyone would have a disorder or two.

So you're saying that a 20 year old who has massive tantrums and cries in public is normal? Or panics massively if her rituals aren't performed in the same way? What about if I get yelled at I start screaming back, throwing things and having outbursts? How about if I act like a seven year old and am unable to get a job?

You don't understand what Autism really is, it seems. It really is more complex than you think.

 

[Japanfam]

Well I have Aspbergers Syndrome, and might have ADHD. I have a weird life.
Well mind you I live with a family with it. xD

 

[Strants]

So you're saying that a 20 year old who has massive tantrums and cries in public is normal? Or panics massively if her rituals aren't performed in the same way? What about if I get yelled at I start screaming back, throwing things and having outbursts? How about if I act like a seven year old and am unable to get a job?

Well, I can't say that that is normal, I guess. But what I was trying to say is, does that make it a disorder? I mean, we can point to a cause for, say down syndrome, but there isn't really a know cause for autism (although there have been some guesses)

I'm really on the fence about whether autism is a collection of behaviors or a disorder, (now that I'm thinking about it more, it seems like it's most likely to be a disorder). I mean, there seems to be some evidence that is is a disorder (it's more likely to happen in older mothers, for isntance), but not really enough to totally prove anything one way or another. I just made my previous post to try to explain why some people may not think it exists.