Autism and Vision Problems
25 Mar 2011, 12:44 pm
OJani wrote:
aghogday wrote:
All my life I have been fearful of anything happening to my eyes. My experience of life has been visual. For me there was not much internal verbiage of self, mostly the experience of the environment in pictures, sounds, and sensations. The visual familiarity of objects and places gave me comfort. I often wondered how people could tell long stories, jokes, or describe books or movies they saw in detail. The idea of memorizing a poem seemed painful to me.
To tell long stories, jokes, describe books, movies in detail requires abilities that I lack of, too. Maybe this is what they call "weak narrative language". I believe that being unable to tell jokes (or maybe just a few) does not necessarily imply that one hasn't got a good sense of humor. Anyway, I don't see the connection with visuals.
aghogday wrote:
I could observe the world and listen to others contently with hardly any motivation to say much most of my life. It seemed I was more patient, than most, in regard to this ability.
Interesting, that I'm also more a listening type than a talkative type. I listened people telling me lengthy monologues on subjects I showed interest in. I could never build up such monologues even when I was telling about my favorite subjects.
aghogday wrote:
I have problems wearing prescription glasses now and have lived in a blurred world for the last three years. I have tried to change my way of thinking from pictures to words and it has been extremely difficult. I have also been forced to communicate verbally for intellectual stimulation rather than to absorb information for stimulation; it was so much easier just to observe others, listen, and insert a few factual comments here and there.
Most of my social skills were gained by mimicking others. I had done it all my life, and didn't realize how dependent I was on it before I had vision issues. This for me, has by far been the biggest challenge of my life.
The hardest part of all was coming to the realization that my sense of self was almost entirely the visual experience of my world.
I was wondering, if anyone else has gone through this and had similiar experiences. Also, if you think it would be more difficult for Autistic people to deal with vision problems than others.
Most of my social skills were gained by mimicking others. I had done it all my life, and didn't realize how dependent I was on it before I had vision issues. This for me, has by far been the biggest challenge of my life.
The hardest part of all was coming to the realization that my sense of self was almost entirely the visual experience of my world.
I was wondering, if anyone else has gone through this and had similiar experiences. Also, if you think it would be more difficult for Autistic people to deal with vision problems than others.
Well, I guess one must realize first that one is using merely visual experiences. In my case, I don't think so. My experiences of the word always were visual, auditive, and trough sense of smell. However, I see your point that autistic people depend more on visual experiences, since they haven't got social relations on pair with NTs.
I enjoyed the auditive and smells of my environment and used them as a guide in life as well. The nerve pain in my face seems to affect these two senses also in a way that is a little more pain than joy.
I could just sit in my back yard watching and listening to the birds; smelling the flowers, content as a cat basking in the sun. That was all I needed for joy; my wife had a hard time understanding it. That is the thing I miss the most. Sanctity.
25 Mar 2011, 1:41 pm
leejosepho wrote:
ZeroGravitas wrote:
... recently got prescription glasses ... [and now] I can clearly not notice these things.
Yes, well said! But in my own case, my ever-worsening vision has become less correctable, and that leaves me suffering what Aghogday has mentioned ...
aghogday wrote:
... have lived in a blurred world for the last three years. I have tried to change my way of thinking from pictures to words and it has been extremely difficult ...
The hardest part of all was coming to the realization that my sense of self was almost entirely the visual experience of my world.
The hardest part of all was coming to the realization that my sense of self was almost entirely the visual experience of my world.
Whew, exactly. I got my first pair of glasses at an early age, and for years I have known it was time for a new prescription whenever the "experience of my world" became blurred or cloudy ... and now it is like I am still wide awake on the inside but always looking out into foggy surroundings.
It took me along time to get rid of the trapped feeling; not sure I will ever completely rid myself of it. I thought I was doing a great job of aging because I didn't feel any different.
It is amazing how much more difficult the world is with health problems as compared to having none for so long. It was a challenge growing up weak and becoming strong to fit in. Going in the opposite direction is humbling and requires acceptance of limitation; I'm still having a tough time accepting real physical limitations, after a lifetime of trying to break through the limitations of AS. Maybe another question might be is it harder for people with AS to face aging and the inevitable physical limitations that accompany it.
27 Mar 2011, 6:58 pm
Oops sorry hopefully you read this AgHogDay!
Yes, my eye doctor referred me to a vision specialist because I went back three times complaining that my glasses prescription wasn't correct and she found it was correct every time so she referred me to this other place. And they did the most thorough analysis I could have imagined of my vision problems. They actually took into account my autism when they figured out what my problems were, which was pretty darn impressive I'd say!
Ah yeah. I wish I could go back to being that young again, It was so nice and magical. It felt like time wasn't moving and I had all the time in the world. Anyway maybe I should just switch into that worldview again. Why not.
27 Mar 2011, 7:41 pm
purchase wrote:
Oops sorry hopefully you read this AgHogDay!
Yes, my eye doctor referred me to a vision specialist because I went back three times complaining that my glasses prescription wasn't correct and she found it was correct every time so she referred me to this other place. And they did the most thorough analysis I could have imagined of my vision problems. They actually took into account my autism when they figured out what my problems were, which was pretty darn impressive I'd say!
Ah yeah. I wish I could go back to being that young again, It was so nice and magical. It felt like time wasn't moving and I had all the time in the world. Anyway maybe I should just switch into that worldview again. Why not.
Yes, my eye doctor referred me to a vision specialist because I went back three times complaining that my glasses prescription wasn't correct and she found it was correct every time so she referred me to this other place. And they did the most thorough analysis I could have imagined of my vision problems. They actually took into account my autism when they figured out what my problems were, which was pretty darn impressive I'd say!
Ah yeah. I wish I could go back to being that young again, It was so nice and magical. It felt like time wasn't moving and I had all the time in the world. Anyway maybe I should just switch into that worldview again. Why not.
Thanks, do you remember what the other place was, and what kind of Doctor was involved?
For an Autistic person I had amazing luck in living largely the same life for 18 years in a relatively stress free job with exceptionally nice people to work with; along with the additional advantage of meeting my wife there. That 18 years was an extra large slice of heaven in my life. My worldview was Pollyannish at that time. It was like living a life in the "Cheers TV Show".
The naivety caused by Autism can be difficult, yet at the same time, I think it may allow for a level of joy that most people can't imagine, given the right circumstances.
28 Mar 2011, 10:32 am
aghogday wrote:
(...)
I enjoyed the auditive and smells of my environment and used them as a guide in life as well. The nerve pain in my face seems to affect these two senses also in a way that is a little more pain than joy.
I could just sit in my back yard watching and listening to the birds; smelling the flowers, content as a cat basking in the sun. That was all I needed for joy; my wife had a hard time understanding it. That is the thing I miss the most. Sanctity.
I enjoyed the auditive and smells of my environment and used them as a guide in life as well. The nerve pain in my face seems to affect these two senses also in a way that is a little more pain than joy.
I could just sit in my back yard watching and listening to the birds; smelling the flowers, content as a cat basking in the sun. That was all I needed for joy; my wife had a hard time understanding it. That is the thing I miss the most. Sanctity.
I wish you could somehow ease the pain. Nature can be so peaceful if someone has the sense for it. I like to cycle to places in nature so peaceful, like mild mountains with green forests and meadows, blue sky, no artificial sound, mild air... I remember listen to birds when I was 2 or 3.
28 Mar 2011, 1:08 pm
OJani wrote:
aghogday wrote:
(...)
I enjoyed the auditive and smells of my environment and used them as a guide in life as well. The nerve pain in my face seems to affect these two senses also in a way that is a little more pain than joy.
I could just sit in my back yard watching and listening to the birds; smelling the flowers, content as a cat basking in the sun. That was all I needed for joy; my wife had a hard time understanding it. That is the thing I miss the most. Sanctity.
I enjoyed the auditive and smells of my environment and used them as a guide in life as well. The nerve pain in my face seems to affect these two senses also in a way that is a little more pain than joy.
I could just sit in my back yard watching and listening to the birds; smelling the flowers, content as a cat basking in the sun. That was all I needed for joy; my wife had a hard time understanding it. That is the thing I miss the most. Sanctity.
I wish you could somehow ease the pain. Nature can be so peaceful if someone has the sense for it. I like to cycle to places in nature so peaceful, like mild mountains with green forests and meadows, blue sky, no artificial sound, mild air... I remember listen to birds when I was 2 or 3.
Thanks, I did the same; it always seemed like home to me.
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