Autism

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Autism

Post by Pratzelwurm »

I'm curious if anyone else here is on the spectrum. I was professionally diagnosed earlier this year, but it came as no surprise to anyone; I'd suspected for a long time lol.

Talk about your special interests, your stims, how you live with your diasability -- whatever you want. If you're not autistic, feel free to join the conversation anyways (just be respectful).

My primary special interests are cats, genetics (especially cat genetics), linguistics (especially phonetics), colours, speech synthesis, artificial intelligence, and Sonic the Hedgehog (specifically chao). I have others that kind of fluctuate in their level of importance to me; I just call them "temporary special interests," but I'm not currently obsessing over anything not listed under my main ones. I love talking about them and info dumping, so if any of you guys want to know about them I will more than happily answer your questions.

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Re: Autism

Post by CitrusCat »

I have high-functioning autism/Asperger Syndrome. I believe I was diagnosed during early Elementary School.

I guess my main special interest is video games. I got into them at a young age, so it was all I wanted to talk about for a while!
More specifically, I really liked Sonic (mainly for the Chao Garden), Mario, and Pokemon. And I still do, but of course I have a lot more video games to choose from now. :P

I do like other things as well, including animals (such as cats) and drawing cartoons. But I never really obsessed over those as much as I did with video games.
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Re: Autism

Post by Rox64 »

I am on the spectrum. Asperger's Syndrome, more specifically. I can't remember when I was diagnosed, though I can safely say that the diagnosis occurred very early in my life. Since my built-in social skills are non-existent and most people aren't really educated about mental disorders beyond "they exist" unless they actually have one, my list of friends is quite small. For my money, I'm fine with this, because the tradeoff is that the friends I do have are understanding and not prone to the "backstab at random intervals and don't think things through for more than a single second" teenager stereotype.

My special interests are pretty much never permanent. I was obsessed with black holes when I was little. Video games are still an interest, but not nearly to the extent that they were earlier in my life. My greatest current interest is sexuality. As in the topic as a whole, not just what typically comes to mind when a teenager says they're "interested in sexuality." I also tend to develop a temporary special interest with whatever stories or games I've recently engaged in. Going through a Harry Potter phase at this particular point in time.

I had to look up "stims," because I've never heard it called that before. I do the "hand-flapping" thing. Particularly if i'm thinking of story ideas. Honestly, it's something I've been embarrassed of it for my whole life because I didn't know it was a common thing for people like me. Kinda relaxing to know that isn't just me.

So, yeah. That's basically my relationship with my disability.
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Re: Autism

Post by Pufflehugs »

I have Aspeger's Syndrome. I like to pace around while I think because it helps. A couple years back I was super obsessed with Furbies. I still like 'em, but not as much as I used to.
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Re: Autism

Post by Ivogoji »

I have Asperger's Syndrome and stuff. I don't think about it much

My main interests are Sonic the Hedgehog, Daikaiju, Pokemon, and Disney comics. I draw up genealogies, world histories, and biography sketches for fictional characters from these works frequently. I guess you could call this an obsession. I have a family tree for the Pokemon anime cast's parents and children covering three generations, two Sonic timelines and notes on different outlines for the history of the Echidna civilizations/Robotnik family/nations in Sonic's world like the United Federation, three separate Godzilla/Mothra ancient history timelines, an aborted Wold Newton Universe timeline with family trees, various family trees for Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck trying to reconcile different aspects of Floyd Gottfredson and Carl Barks continuity with Don Rosa's canon, an attempted Zelda timeline with family trees and maps as well as a hypothetical constructed language glossary (this was bad, and extremely non-canon post-Hyrule Historia, which proved much superior to my childish efforts), a Mario universe timeline and history synopsis with maps, DC Animated Universe timeline, a Kirby timeline, a timeline for The Dark Crystal, several abortive efforts at fantasy world cosmology with family trees and history sketches, and numerous other like things taking up space in notebooks and hard drives.

I'm just obsessed with genealogy and timelines for some reason
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Re: Autism

Post by Tsui »

I get the temporary special interest thing too - While I can pinpoint recurring main special interests, I'll go through short periods where I'm very passionate about specific things. A recent one was chiptune and sound chips. I just tend to call them interests though.

My special interests themselves as I can tell are visual novels, denpa games, and Warcraft.

I like to think my interest in visual novels actually started after I played the point-and-click Bionicle game Mata Nui Online Game at a young age. While most visual novels are of course not typically the same as point-and-click games, something about the first-person story-driven "game" thing clicked, particularly later on around 6th grade when I found Key. (Though I also once got the Chronicler mask in a pack of Bionicle novels and it's a cool thing to have.)

You guys love your Clannad, right? That was a visual novel by Key, and there's an English release on Steam, successful through a Kickstarter. iirc, two volumes of Corona Blossom have successfully been crowdfunded, though this is Frontwing. Even Caramel Mokaccino got funded, a female protagonist OEL project (and it looks really cute!). Back to Clannad, I haven't gotten it because it got a resolution up (likely to stay up to date with the more recent ports/rereleases) and I'm picky, and afaik it does not offer the original Japanese script, which I would like, thank you. Importing games would be pricey though and Visual Art's (Key's publisher) loves their PC region lock (though it can be worked around...). I have the Dreamcast port of AIR (another Key game) which is special because I believe it is the only all-ages release where the protagonist is not voiced. But it freezes whenever I try to save... D: Still a nice thing to have in my possession.

As for denpa, as I understand it, it's a nonsensical genre, referring to games that are more like a trip or psychotic episode (and it can get quite dark and serious), or music that's cutesy and high-pitched and also nonsense. For the former, I think LSD: Dream Emulator is a good example.

And Warcraft! I played WarCraft III and World of Warcraft vanilla when I was younger, but I never made it past The Culling of Stratholme in WC3 or to level 30 in WoW, until I came back, played through WC3 and its expansion and also hit level cap in Warlords of Draenor. At one point recently, doing Hellfire Citadel (WoD) regularly was nice. I'd humorously quote the bosses a lot, but I do that with a lot of WoW raids and memes - at least my mother plays it religiously and knows the references, but most other people don't. I think it's nice my mom understands this part of my echolalia. Occasionally she'll ask me what I want to do, I'll quote a boss speech, and she'll understand I want to do that specific boss or the expansion they're from.

When it comes to Warcraft lore, I like it but I'm not too familiar with events that happened between WotLK and WoD, or anything prior to WC3 that wasn't in the lore recap manual. So mostly just WC3-centered lore interests me, and its direct sequels BC and WotLK.

Legion spoilers: I'm still not done crying over Ysera

I remember feeling legitimate joy throughout the movie when I watched it in the theater. I was gonna watch all the credits like I usually do for movies but everyone started to leave the theater so I had to go too so it wouldn't be weird. I got the Blu-ray the day it came out. Was very happy. I don't care if they changed the lore a bit or retconned the way Draenei look or changed Medivh's hair color, I enjoyed it. I'll probably cry if they do a good movie for WC3 and TFT. I'd probably read all those novels out there but I don't have the attention span.

Uhh... my Asperger's itself... I got really flappy and excited in the process of writing this, so there's that ^v^;

I've been really sensitive when it comes to my sensory issues lately, but when it gets bad I try earplugs and playing stereo-heavy music I like. I usually default to Kakichoco's cover of Koshitantan. It doesn't help much, but at least I try.

I also lack pretty much all empathy, and my ability to feel and/or identify emotions is below average to say the least. Regardless, I do care about my friends to the best of my ability and worry for them when bad things happen. I used to be really bad at telling tone and facial expressions but now I read and express them to where I may probably possibly be manipulative.

So um. Yeah.
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Re: Autism

Post by Jeffery Mewtamer »

I was drugged as a kid for ADD/ADHD, and all but cussed out a school psychologist in high school for trying to deliver a Adult ADD diagnosis. Because of these experiences, I've been distrustful of clinical psychology and psychiatry for more than a decade, and if I have any extant mental disorders, they remain undiagnosed.

That said, I do display some of the symptoms associated with higher functioning parts of the autism spectrum.

I have relatively high IQ coupled with relatively low EQ.
I tend to have obsessive focus on whatever hobby or media currently holds my attention.
I'm fairly introverted, but can easily talk your ear off if you get me started on something that interests me.
I enjoy activities that keep my hands busy and have trouble keeping my hands still when they aren't occupied.
Even when I could see, I was crap at reading facial expressions and body language, though I'd attribute some of that to being visually impaired since birth.

Don't know if it's common among those on the spectrum, but wearing shoes does feel like a form of sensory deprivation, though I'd credit touch being my dominant sense for that.
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Re: Autism

Post by Pratzelwurm »

ADD and autism gave some pretty similar symptoms, so they can often be misdiagnosed as the other. Heck, when I was a toddler I was almost given an ADHD diagnosis -- but it turned out that psychiatrist was just sitting in the pocket of a drug company and wanted to sell my parents Ritalin. Luckily my parents are smart enough to know that putting a two year old on moon altering medication is a TERRIBLE IDEA and can seriously impact their development. My dad got pissed and ended up yelling at the dude lol.

I'm fairly sensitive to most stimuli, but I'm especially sensitive to taste and mouthfeel. I do like several foods, but there are just as many, if not more, that I won't touch. I can't handle really spicy or tangy foods, or any level of bitterness, and if I don't like how something feels in my mouth then good luck ever getting me to eat it. I especially hate whipped cream; the best way I can describe it is that I can't handle anything that feels "overly smooth." I don't mind thicker milks / creams, like pudding or soft cheese, but some of them are pushing the limit, like mousse and soy milk.
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Re: Autism

Post by Ivogoji »

I hate sounds. Feet shuffling, paper rubbing together, sounds like that.
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Re: Autism

Post by ShadriaFan »

I'm being tested, however it's been accepted by family and myself for years. It's kinda obvious after one of my many therapists told my mom about Asperger's Syndrome, all the symptoms match up to a T.
Special interests happen to be video games (Pokemon especially.), art, and Flight Rising (a computer game/dragon raising sim).
I tend to be a bit sensitive to loud sounds, and often get headaches when dad's working due to all the loud machinery he has. Pacing/fidgeting/messing with my hair when nervous or bored, and I tend to stutter if I get really excited while talking (I went out shopping for the first time in 5-6 months and I couldn't stop messing up while talking, I was so excited).
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Re: Autism

Post by SwifterTheDragon »

Wow more people than I really thought had it.. Not that I have anything against it, just I'm surprised by the number of people.
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Re: Autism

Post by Tsui »

^It's been noted that a fair part of the Sonic fandom is on the Autism spectrum. Why? Could be coincidence, could be a number of things. There's discussion on the internet if you feel like Googling, but not all of it is necessarily friendly toward Autistic people.
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Re: Autism

Post by taco chao »

High functioning/Asperger's here. The diagnosis came late (2-3 years ago), pretty much every person we went to back when I was a kid just figured "eh, he's a kid, kids are weird, he'll grow out of it."

That did not happen. The biggest stim I have is pacing, which, since my mom's room is right underneath me, is not very appreciated. I do occasionally do the hand flappy thing, though it's for the most part only when I'm so excited I can't contain myself. I'm usually obscenely interested in western fantasy and games, which leads to me hooking on to one fantasy world after another and looking into every nook and cranny of them. Runescape was the first big one, currently I have spent entirely too many hour in the Elder Scrolls universe just because of how big and wonderful the world is to me, looking through all the books and seeing just how deep things go.

As for sensory processing issues... food's mostly good minus a few things. The whole squash family can go away for all I care, and I really can't deal with fatty parts of meat, porkchops and steak tend to get the edges cut off so I don't have to deal with that. Noise gets right on my nerves, mostly sharp increases in noise, I could stand around in a woodshop all day and not be bothered because it's steady assuming I've got hearing protection on, but it takes about two seconds for a barking dog to drive me up a wall. And odors are mostly good minus one thing, and that's Lush stores. Seriously, I get a headache being near one, how do people tolerate it? How do you even test the smell of things with eighty different soaps and other things open near you? It's just a cloud of smells colliding.
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Re: Autism

Post by Pratzelwurm »

I do find it kind of interesting that certain fandoms (Sonic, Homestuck, Pokemon, furries in general) seem to attract a lot of autistic people. I wonder why. Perhaps there's just something to be said for media with diverse casts of colourful characters, most of which are nonhuman? Also, Pokemon being created by an Autistic person based on what he likes, i.e. the objective of the game being in part to collect many, many things (as autistic people tend to like), could definitely be a reason for that. I know it's definitely part of why I like it, since I have kind of an obsession with collecting and categorizing things.

But, like Rea said, fandoms with a significant amount of autistic members tend to get a lot of negative attention because of it; it's unfortunate. I wish people would stop looking at autism like it's a bad thing, or something to be ashamed of, or even an insult to throw at neurotypical people for acting outside the status-quo.
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Re: Autism

Post by Jeffery Mewtamer »

In all fairness, there's a lot of things that overlap between Asperger's Syndrome and the nerd stereotype, to the point you have many nerds self-diagnosing as Asperger's. Probably doesn't help that you have some who use Asperger's as a blank check to be an asshole online, giving the demographic a bad name.

Of course, in general there's a bit of a knee jerk reaction to anyone with any kind of neurosis and many, if not most, people are convinced that the range of neurotypical behaviors is much narrower than reality.

That said, with how prevalent asperger's diagnoses have become in recent years, I find it more likely that the condition is over diagnosed rather than it truly being so prevalent(and I swear ADD/ADHD was in the same position when I was a kid). Then again, my general distrust of clinical psychology and psychiatry probably grants me biases that make me more likely to believe psychologists are overeager to slap certain labels on their patients.
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Re: Autism

Post by Mephilesfan1 »

My mom thinks I have it, as well as my sister. I've never been officially tested for it, mainly because I'm too old to get a diagnosis now. People sort of refuse to test me now and I don't exactly like self diagnosing. Uh..I'm not sure why they think I have it. I'm not sure if I think I have it myself..a part of me thinks I do, but I also think I don't? I tend to have short obsessions, or long obsessions with certain things. A big chunk of my childhood was dedicated to cabbage patch kids and littlest pet shops. Mostly just cute toys, but especially littlest pet shops. I have had many obsessions growing up (Twilight, Justin Bieber, Sonic (still like him a lot), Pewdiepie, Blood on the dance floor, Avril Lavigne, Smosh, Dan and Phil (getting back into them), My little Pony, Falling in Reverse, Black Veil Brides) Many, many others that I can't name off the top of my head. They all came and went, some lasted for awhile, some were pretty short. I would just become completely obsessed with them and that's like, all I wanted to talk about.

Sometimes I think I stim? I get very excited when seeing kids toys in stores or things I'm interested in so I'll jump up and down or make excited noises. I'm not sure if those count. Uhm. I still like kids toys even now, very much, especially littlest pet shop and dollhouses and stuff like that, however my mom thinks that it might be because I was born early and am still developing emotionally. I'm not sure. I'd have to be analyzed and stuff.

Uhm. I..guess that's it? Yeah.
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Re: Autism

Post by Pratzelwurm »

It's never really too late to get a diagnosis, but it can be hard to get tested if you're older (my high school refused me on the grounds of I made good grades). It took me about four years before I found a place willing to test an adult.
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Re: Autism

Post by Jeffery Mewtamer »

I frequent two forums dedicated to children's toys, both of which have a significant number of adult members, and one of which has several Ph.Ds. among its membership and even some members old enough to be my parents. Even among the forums I frequent not dedicated to toys, all have adult members that have confessed to playing with toys.

In short: Only boring adults denounce toys as kids' stuff. Same goes for cartoons, anime, comics, E-rated video games, etc.

Also, the difficulty of finding someone willing to test an adult kind of reaffirms my belief that many psychiatrists are more interested in helping sperm and egg donors in drugging their offspring into submission than helping the parents of children with real problems in helping their children cope.
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Re: Autism

Post by Pratzelwurm »

I definitely agree about liking things that are "for kids." The notion that you at some point become "too old" to enjoy something is ridiculous, and honestly denouncing things as only for children is a sign of immaturity, imo, because the people who do that are usually too insecure in their own maturity to be confident in their interests.

I stopped worrying about if what I enjoy is up to standard years ago. It bothered me for a long time in middleschool since I would get made fun of for carrying Pounce (a Beanie Baby) everywhere or wanting to go to playgrounds or liking Sonic, but eventually I kinda just realized that, hey, this stuff makes me happy, and I'm not hurting anyone, so I might as well just do what I want and not give a heck what other people think of me.
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Re: Autism

Post by eblu »

sperg checking in

crazy how there's a lot of people with autism here. guess any insults to this website are kind of true (assuming it's just dumb nerds that are like "STUPID AUTISM HAVEN, 12 YEAR OLD PARADISE." i don't hate you guys)
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Re: Autism

Post by Tsui »

Any insults to this website are generally not that, I can assure you.
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Re: Autism

Post by Jeffery Mewtamer »

This site is well known enough outside its niche to get insults?

And do people really use autism as an insult?

Or am I just that good at avoiding the more cesspool parts of the Internet?
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Re: Autism

Post by Rox64 »

Jeffery Mewtamer wrote:And do people really use autism as an insult?

Or am I just that good at avoiding the more cesspool parts of the Internet?
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Re: Autism

Post by Pratzelwurm »

People definitely use Autism as an insult, unfortunately...

They equate it with being stupid and/or painfully awkward and/or just having "weird" interests
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Re: Autism

Post by Mephilesfan1 »

About kids toys, my mom and aunts/nana (grandma) and even my sisters tend to say I'm too old for them. It really upsets me.. I just wanna like what I like without being criticized. I'm going to try and learn to ignore their comments though. They usually say something along the lines of "youre 19 you shouldnt like that stuff" or "youre too old for that, grow up" or "stop watching kids shows, those are for babies" (because I like watching shows like Sophia the First, Paw Patrol, etc) and it upsets me but eh. What can I do? Sorry, just thought I'd put my input in
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