10 Apr 2007, 1:52 am
Hiya! I registered here like a billion years ago and then never really did anything, so I better introduce myself again (not even sure if I did before). I'll start with the icebreaker questions and add from there:
What is your first name?
Bonnie
Age:
21
Location:
Florida
Hobbies and Interests:
My special interest right now is bands I like (see music section below). I also like to play piano (badly) and read about genetics and pathology. I'm also interested in canoeing, yoga, and sign language. Oh and I intend to teach special education so reading up on developmental disorders and teaching methods is another hobby.
Why are you here?
I've become increasingly aware of how AS affects my life and that makes me want to talk to other people and see if it has similar effects on them.
When were you diagnosed?(skip if you don't have a disorder):
Not officially diagnosed with AS yet. I've been diagnosed with ADHD and had a couple different counselors admit that AS "sounds like" me but that they didn't know enough about it to diagnose me.
Favorite subjects:
Ones that actually relate to what I'm interested in (education, psychology, biology, sign language), and any music courses.
Year/Grade:
About to enter my junior year of college
Favorite music:
My big three bands are Queen, Erasure, and Scissor Sisters. I also really like MIKA, Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, the Beatles, Home Video, the Whitlams, the Cure, and ABBA. (Basically I have a gay man's taste in music but without all the trendy pop divas :p)
Books:
"One Child" by Torey Hayden, "Elijah's Cup" by Valerie Paradiz which everyone here should read, and "The Language Instinct" by Stephen Pinker. I almost never read fiction unless it's juvenile fiction like Harry Potter, and even that gets a little complex for me.
TV shows/Movies:
My absolute favorite show is the Simpsons and I'm one of those annoying people who quotes it all the time instead of thinking of my own jokes 
I also like shows like Mystery Diagnosis and Dr. G Medical Examiner, and I'm pretty good at "solving" what's wrong with the person before the show reveals it. Again, I don't watch too many fictional shows unless they're light and silly or medical-based.
My favorite movies are: "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", "I Am Sam", "Eight Crazy Nights", and "The Birdcage". It's very hard to get me to watch movies unless they relate to my special interests, because I have a short attention span and would rather do things or talk to people than spend two hours sitting and watching something. (This seems to be my biggest obstacle in socializing lately, because apparently in my age group you cannot hold a conversation without someone bringing up whatever movies are popular, with the assumption that you've seen them.)
Instrument:
I played clarinet in middle and high school and I play some piano now. I'd like to learn acoustic guitar as well, just enough to strum some chords to a few songs
Do you like sports?
I hate watching sports, but I like participating in stuff like canoeing, bowling, swimming, etc that you don't have to be on teams for (or that you take turns doing if you are on a team). Team sports confuse the hell out of me.
Family:
Right now I live with my mom, two dogs (a Dachshund and a pit bull), and two cats. My parents are divorced and my grandparents have all passed away, and I'm an only child.
Clothing:
I just wear whatever looks good on me and is comfortable. Usually I like to wear solid colored shirts with a lot of colorful jewelry.
How did you find this website?
From the OASIS website
Job:
None at the moment, trying to find some kind of part-time job at the moment
Plans for the future?
I want to be a teacher and hopefully be married (I'm a lesbian, but I'll have some kind of commitment or something even if we don't get full rights by then. I want to be settled down with someone is the point.)
As far as AS itself, I've noticed many Aspie traits in my family as well as many disorders that may be related (my mother is schizophrenic and I'm convinced an aunt has OCD). Sharp noises drive me insane to the point where I generally can't even stand listening to soprano voices, regardless of whether I like the song or how talented the singer is. (Having a Dachshund is torture, I love mine but I'll never get one again after her.) I like to be visually stimulated and like to surround myself with bright colors, shiny objects, colored lights, etc. although sometimes I need to sit in the dark to get rid of visual stimuli. Also I drive myself crazy trying to explain to my NT friends why I don't agree with "cure" causes, they think I'm a beast for not wanting to "help the poor little cute children" until I give them a very long lecture explaining every detail of autistic culture which they usually don't want to hear. (Next time I'm just going to tell them to watch X-Men 3 and then walk away.)
As I mentioned before, I'm a lesbian, and quite proud of my dual identity on the spectrum and over the rainbow 
But it does make me feel like I spend my entire life explaining things to people! Hopefully it'll be a relief to spend some time here where I don't have to justify everything I do 
10 Apr 2007, 2:51 am
10 Apr 2007, 3:17 am
larsenjw92286
Veteran
Joined: 30 Aug 2004
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Posts: 8,062
Location: Seattle, Washington
10 Apr 2007, 9:39 am
10 Apr 2007, 10:28 pm
Nice to meet you all! okar, I'm glad to see someone with similarities to me, thanks for sharing them
10 Apr 2007, 10:29 pm
larsenjw92286
Veteran
Joined: 30 Aug 2004
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Posts: 8,062
Location: Seattle, Washington
10 Apr 2007, 10:34 pm
10 Apr 2007, 10:42 pm
11 Apr 2007, 9:26 am
