So I just wanted to ask how everyone thinks of autism and aspergers. I know its like on a spectrum and if you met one person with autism you met one person with autism. Do you see it as a different way of thinking? This whole things seems really confusing when you think about it. I was diagnosed with pdd- nos when I was like 8 or 9. Maybe people can tell me there experiences and what they think about it.

[Hypopup]

It is a different way of thinking generally but there are aspects of it that are truly a disability like having poor spatial awareness.
The reason it is thought of as a disorder is it is disabling in a neurotypically driven world. For example part of social interactions often involves lying. If you can't help but be too honest then obviously you're going to find it to be a disability that you can't lie well. But in this case it shouldn't be because people should really work on being more honest.

[englndm]

It is a neurological condition. It makes up the core of me. It affects how I see, hear, and experience the world I live in. It sometimes even enters my dreams. Autism (Asperger's) never sleeps. I wouldn't get far from running from it since I would be running from myself. It leaves me with a lot of reasons for what I do or not experience.

It is a daily task to make my constant companion as invisible as possible. For example, I don't purposely stim in public. If I rock too much in a chair that isn't a rocker, if I pace in circles, or carrying on a conversation with myself, I would receive unwanted attention. Since I'd rather not be the headline story amidst my social circles, I follow the social do's and don't's. I "pass".

There are positives to it. My passion is writing and I don't believe I would have that if I were NT. My obsession with exercise, for instance, isn't a bad thing since there is ample evidence that exercise is much better for one than being in idle mode. The downside is the exhaustion of wearing a smile when a volcano is erupting inside.

Originally Posted by Hypopup

It is a different way of thinking generally but there are aspects of it that are truly a disability like having poor spatial awareness.
The reason it is thought of as a disorder is it is disabling in a neurotypically driven world. For example part of social interactions often involves lying. If you can't help but be too honest then obviously you're going to find it to be a disability that you can't lie well. But in this case it shouldn't be because people should really work on being more honest.

Yeah that makes sense I just had someone with aspergers say that autism/aspergers say its not acutually a disorder. People I know will say its a higher way of thinking but I know its on this spectrum. I always thought that theres strengths and weaknesses to it. Throughout my life I questioned my knowledge about it. I feel like I need to know more about it.

Originally Posted by englndm

It is a neurological condition. It makes up the core of me. It affects how I see, hear, and experience the world I live in. It sometimes even enters my dreams. Autism (Asperger's) never sleeps. I wouldn't get far from running from it since I would be running from myself. It leaves me with a lot of reasons for what I do or not experience.

It is a daily task to make my constant companion as invisible as possible. For example, I don't purposely stim in public. If I rock too much in a chair that isn't a rocker, if I pace in circles, or carrying on a conversation with myself, I would receive unwanted attention. Since I'd rather not be the headline story amidst my social circles, I follow the social do's and don't's. I "pass".

There are positives to it. My passion is writing and I don't believe I would have that if I were NT. My obsession with exercise, for instance, isn't a bad thing since there is ample evidence that exercise is much better for one than being in idle mode. The downside is the exhaustion of wearing a smile when a volcano is erupting inside.

I've been thinking about it a lot and I sometimes wonder if I don't pick up on social cues and sometimes I think I didn't but then sometimes I think I did. Stimming is something I also do and I feel like its like this impulse or something that just happens.

[avlady]

is it autism when i can't express myself sometimes which is every day at least one time a day. i shun from conversation because i forget what i am saying and feel like a weak person. just wondering

[Turtle_Rider]

Originally Posted by avlady

is it autism when i can't express myself sometimes which is every day at least one time a day. i shun from conversation because i forget what i am saying and feel like a weak person. just wondering

People with autism have hard time to express theirself. But it doesn't mean that if you can't express yourself, you have autism. Social anxiety has that symptom too. If you wonder whether you autistic or not, check the other autism symptom and had theraphist diagnosed you.

Originally Posted by ExplodingSun56

Yeah that makes sense I just had someone with aspergers say that autism/aspergers say its not acutually a disorder. People I know will say its a higher way of thinking but I know its on this spectrum. I always thought that theres strengths and weaknesses to it. Throughout my life I questioned my knowledge about it. I feel like I need to know more about it.

Wonderfully said. I honestly think it's a higher way of thinking, but like you say there're strengths and weaknesses.