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Hmm... where to start... I've just recently learned that I'm possibly visual HFA, or Aspergers.. I'm not sure where I quite fit... But I recently just watch Temple Grandin's T.E.D. talk. And I am shocked to my core into directly understanding why/who I am...

I grew up with my parents not understanding what was quite wrong with me. I would daydream for hours in school, but show me a documentary film or how something is made and I'm glued to my seat. They took me to specialist, during the 80's the conclusion was that I suffered from ADD. I grew up taking Cylert, as a child. Not wanting to feel dependent on medication, I was able to live without it as an adult. Until the internet came about, can't concentrate, too easy to be distracted, unless it's something I really wanted to do. I’m supposed to be working, but what am I doing? I’m writing this.
I have always been a visual learner, always wanting to know how things work. Or to show people how things work,. Spending hours putting together models, making something, and constructing items for hours on end in my room. Looking at patterns, looking for symmetry, looking for errors, and seeing incorrectly placed tiles in floors. Talking to myself, creating work, and wondering how I knew how to do XYZ or even understand it. My profession is as a technical artist in game development. I specialize in creating artwork, optimization and making things work and fixing what is broken, I don't have crazy math skills, but I can visually categorize large amounts of data. I have a visual memory of clutter in rooms, and if you were to ask me were a specific item was in that room, I could find it, or tell you where it is exactly. Even if the item is inside a box, among many boxes, and it’s been in that box for years.
I understand maps and geography with ease, understand 3D spatial works. Logic puzzles are like CRACK to me. But give me an algebra math problem and I am useless. I have a family, and I do things with them, but I really enjoy being alone or with just one other person. Thanksgiving is a holiday I don’t really enjoy. I enjoyed theme parks as a kid, but hate them now. I don't want to deal with the interaction. I’ve gotten better with it in life. Does any of this make sense?

My mind sometimes wonders if you’re talking. “Look them in eye and nod.” If I’m not interested in what you’re saying, I’m off to some other world in my head or trying to solve a problem. It’s not intentional, it just how I’m wired.

Am I in the right spot? Do you think I’m HFA, Aspergers, or None of the Above? From what I’ve read in the forums, this seems like the place I belong.

- DrewMack

Welcome to WrongPlanet.

Welcome to WP. It definitely sounds like you are on the spectrum, but since I am just learning about it all myself, I don't know where. I am sure one of our more knowledgeable members would be able to give you an idea.

Welcome to the Wrong Planet community, DrewMack.

Hello DrewMack, welcome, enjoy your stay on the Wrong Planet!

Thank you, this understanding that I'm partial autistic helps explain so many things about me. It's help open a new window of understanding. I'm just sad it's taken this long to find out...

Welcome to Wrong Planet I hope you feel at home here.

Welcome to WP! I do that "uh-huh" thing and mentally telling myself, right, now I do this, now I do that, insert polite quip here (this is where I bungle it - I can't talk in social settings), smile there. But it's awful! Your intro was very interesting. I hope you enjoy it here. I just watched the hbo movie about Temple Grandin movie a little while ago. It was so great! And there were so many things I really understood. And I just watched a presentation on youtube that she did - maybe it's the same one you watched - about an hour long? Anyway, there were times when I had tears in my eyes because finally someone was saying it adn putting it all together.

Welcome!!

To WrongPlanet!! !