Do you (or did you ) unintentionally ignore what people say?

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I used to do this for years until I realized what I was doing.

Man, I can't imagine what a pain in the ass I was.

I use to do lots of things before I knew discovered Aspergers and my other neurological differences.... in fact I use to think everyone a bit slow until I discovered i process information extremelly quickly, but I have as many weaknesses as strengths and yes it wasn't that I ignored as such but due to sensory overload, first can not always hear and second in new situations often focus on everything but whats being said..... saying that I now realize I communicate so much better one on one, so meeting, interviews etc... a total nightmare, its like I kind of over process and muddle

I think it's called "Auditory Processing Disorder" and I was just talking about it to someone today who described someone else who had it but didn't know the name. Yes, I definitely have it and it has caused me significant problems in life. People thought I was intentionally ignoring them when I wasn't.

I was always told that I don't listen, pay attention or follow instructions. They thought I was careless, lazy and rude.
In reality, I tried very hard to pay attention, listen and follow instructions. It is just that many times I really didn't hear what they were saying, due to sensory overload, and my brain being busy trying to process it all, and I did the best that I could, which was never good enough. I wasn't careless, lazy or rude. At the time, i didn't know what was making it so hard to focus and do what they wanted.
It is now that I am 34 and finally diagnosed as Aspie, and understand it alot more, I realize that my brain just wasn't processing the incoming info. and if someone claimed that i was ignoring them or not listening, Then I tell them that at times, my brain is in overload, and once full, it will not take in anymore, till it can process what it has. In those times, I don't really "hear" what is being said, and that I am not purposly doing it.

I think, it only happens to me on the phone. It's like I forget there is a real person on the other end of the line and I'm listening to the radio.
I've had a job which required me to make phone calls in German (which I speak very poorly). I had a note next to the phone saying "stay focused!". It happened to me several times that I forgot to answer and after "Hallo?, HALLO!!" from the other end, I suddenly realised they were talking to me, and I hung up in confusion and embarrassment. I think the combination of doing translations, keeping a conversation, and being on the phone without visual clues, is just too much for me at the same time.

No not really. It may seem like it though I did because I cannot listen for long periods of the time, I don't always understand what people say to me. I forget what people say. Also I don't always know if someone is talking to me if they don't say my name.

unintentionally and intentionally

I'm not sure if this is the same thing, but sometimes when people talk and I can hear what they say, I'm hearing it the same way that I'm on my laptop right now and the t.v. is on in the background and I can't really catch what it's saying. Sometimes this still happens even when I try to really pay attention. And there have been times with my parents where we're in the car and I sometimes pretend I've fallen asleep if they talk about something that I'm not interested in. That's bad, isn't it.

Often, if I'm not paying attention to someone specifically, I'll miss some or all of what they say. I know in a noisy room, even if I can hear someone talking to me, I need to watch their mouth to understand them.

i am not able to pay attention to things long so i got a shirt at wal mart about i think it is funny how you think i am listening

every person with autism should have this one

Sort of. Someone will tell me something and I think they used an odd word or sound and I know what they said, but it doesn't register because I'm focusing on something else like the way they said it.