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K_Kelly
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03 Feb 2017, 3:13 pm

I found out that maybe I shouldn't try to learn how to program in general. I think it's the logic of it that makes me literally freeze up. But I thought aspies/autistics were supposed to be gifted in that area. If you were to ask me how to do something, I can't name all the details, let alone in sequential order. I'm an illogical person. I must be close to mentally incapable or something. In daily life, I always tend to screw up on the little things. Like automatically remembering my hygiene, etc. stuff like that.

Am I doomed or is there hope? I feel like as soon as I get stuck on something I'm practicing, I have no choice but to quit. I literally can't expand my mind's comfort zone, it's stuck. It's like trying to study rocket science when you know nothing about the subject. You can grasp what I'm trying to say, can you?



whatamievendoing
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03 Feb 2017, 3:21 pm

I know I'm probably not helping much here, but "practice makes perfect" is about all I can say. I know how to do some basic HTML and CSS from computer classes back in high school - I've been meaning to learn C, but I haven't taken it upon myself to learn it yet because it looks kinda terrifying. :lol: I'm sure I could learn it with enough perseverance, though.


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PhosphorusDecree
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03 Feb 2017, 3:30 pm

It's a bit of a stereotype that us lot are natural-born programmers. Not always true... I never got further than some rudimentary HTML myself. I reckon it's worth perserving anyway, even if you're no better than neurotypical at it!

Temple Grandin has a story about how the school she went to had the same model of computer that Steve Jobs got started on at /his/ school. She was really keen to use it, but found she couldn't do a damn thing with it.


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MisterSpock
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04 Feb 2017, 6:47 am

If you do want to learn, maybe start with meterial meant for kids. Scratch is designed to make programming as simple as dragging blocks into a builder to make a game. I've not used it myself - I jumped in at the deep end - but if remembering if-else-then is difficult for you, as previous people have said, practise practise practise. If you enjoy the learning, or have a goal and programming is just the tool for that, then I think you learn better.

It's all about thinking like: IF I drop this ball THEN it will fall. IF it is night, THEN it is dark, ELSE it is light.

As someone who flops between several programming languages, there's no shame in cheat-sheets for syntax



Chronos
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24 Feb 2017, 2:26 am

K_Kelly wrote:
I found out that maybe I shouldn't try to learn how to program in general. I think it's the logic of it that makes me literally freeze up. But I thought aspies/autistics were supposed to be gifted in that area. If you were to ask me how to do something, I can't name all the details, let alone in sequential order. I'm an illogical person. I must be close to mentally incapable or something. In daily life, I always tend to screw up on the little things. Like automatically remembering my hygiene, etc. stuff like that.

Am I doomed or is there hope? I feel like as soon as I get stuck on something I'm practicing, I have no choice but to quit. I literally can't expand my mind's comfort zone, it's stuck. It's like trying to study rocket science when you know nothing about the subject. You can grasp what I'm trying to say, can you?


It's a stereotype that people on the spectrum are geared towards programming. Most people on the spectrum that I know are not programmers, and most programmers I know are not on the spectrum. I can program but I prefer not to. It takes me longer than others due to my visual processing differences and I don't have nearly the passion for it as some people do. If I do program, it's out of necessity. Nevertheless, I'm constantly faced with people who want me to take jobs as a programmer, or write a program for them, despite my proclamations that I really don't care for it.