Is there anything you like about having AS?

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When it all comes down to it, that, logic, ability to understand some things many consider very complicated, learning based on logic/association/patterns, and a HUGE bank of knowledge about interests present and past, are pretty much all the benefits **I** have seen from AS, that I can say at least MOST NT people don't have that have served me well and/or given me joy. But HEY, that DOES go a LONG way to offset the relatively few problems.

NOW, if I could improve my short term memory a bit, increase my confidence in it, and get rid of all the self talk, I would be all set!

Steve

Don't hold back, and listen to what people say and how THEY behave! Some things ***YOU*** take for granted may astound them, and they may mention it.

HECK, just today I asked my mother about how old I was when the doctors said I was allergic to feathers and peanuts. She didn't remember that, even though I have LAUGHED at the prospect for several decades! I had birds I was OK with, and I LOVE peanuts! I told her about how I remembered coming home from the doctor, and was walking into our green home, and we shortly later got rid of my birds. As I recall, we gave them to my uncle, who loved birds. She was ASTOUNDED and mentioned how great my memory is and how I astound her with what I recall, etc... That event happened over 42 years ago, and I was less than 2 years old! As for the times I slip up? The pauses? The lack of recall at times? I have seen this happen with everyone I know, and sometimes a LOT. So I am too hard on myself there.

You are right, the bad is WAY too easy to see. I learned long ago that I should look for failings in other people. NOT to belittle them, etc... Just simply to be able to be able to determine when they are telling you the truth, or not, and be fairer on judging yourself.

HECK, one person mentioned my name, and I asked how she knew. She claimed to have a photographic memory. When I tested her, she FLUNKED! She admited she didn't have a great memory. Her memory is far worse than mine. They obviously heard my name and their incessant use of my first name etched it into their memories.

It is also nice to know that, if someone belittles you for a minor mistake, that you can recall several MAJOR ones they made! I once missed a minor mistake someone else did that was TOO easy to make. Because of that, the project was set 3 hours behind schedule. My Project manager made a few MAJOR mistakes earlier that set the project over a week behind schedule! So I knew he really couldn't blame me.

Steve

If it weren't for my AS symptoms, I would have never gone to London or to Paris and travel around the UK. I would suck at remembering dates because none of them wouldn't be very important to me and I would have never traveled to Spokane and eat at Fergusons and explore the city and see the other Benny & Joon locations. Gosh I wouldn't be a talking encyclopedia then. Sadly I'm afraid I have been losing my good memory in the last few years. Why do you think I ask people the same questions. Because I talk to so many people, it's hard to keep track of whom and when I haven't spoken to someone in a while, I forget about them. Sometimes it all comes back as we start speaking again.

Not sure if proud is how I feel about my AS, but it does make me who I am and explains the way I have developed into the person I am, and I like bein me like this

Steve K,

I agree with you. I have improved considerably over my lifetime. I think my greatest problems now are minor compared to what I went through growing up.

No...wait, I think I do like something but I'm unsure if it's due to the ASD or not:

Since I've been a constant source for verbal abuse by pretty much everyone throughout my life...it's led to me being somewhat understanding of everyone and what they are; I might just be numb though due to the constant derision....

E: Also, just FYI and all that, personality isn't tied to ASD; otherwise we'd all be the same.... No, everyone here is as diverse as the people "out there".

Last edited by Danielismyname on 01 Jun 2007, 10:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

I don't know about the advantages so I am not proud I might use that as a thread one day when it comes to advantages

I am not happy with the fact that I have it

I'm 22 now and don't remember anything before being 8 years old.
With the exception of tiny schreds of memory that are extremely unclear to me ofcourse.

I can't say i'm proud about my AS because AS has altered my personality considerably to something that isn't really me.
I am however proud about how i am able to deal better with my problems by the week.
The main things i'm training for myself right now are my memory and my social skills.
The social skills are coming around really well.
And i think my memory is soon going to be at a average level for a NT.
AS definately didn't improve my memory, on the contrary.
When i was a kid before my AS set in i had an amazing memory+social skills

The one positive thing that my AS may have done for me was that i was able to speak fluent English at 10 years old.
This was 2 years after we got cable and i saw the first movies in English on the television.
That has made it easyer to communicate when abroad in Europe.
Unfortunately it seems most people in other European countrys never really bothered to learn proper English

When people talk about how i used to be it always stuns me.
It was the total opposite of how i was a few years ago.

No...not one dam thing
it's a curse!
that I have to bear until one day they can cure me

I think NTs are intrisecaly as diverse as we are, anyway they "play the same game" and look for the same, thus, they achive it, we dont.

I'm not proud to have autism, but I am proud of who I am!

You don't ACQUIRE AS. Oddly though, things DO get worse around 8 for most people with AS. *I* started appearing perhaps a BIT more normal. Some social things may have calmed down a bit, but better abilities did also. But most of my memories started perhaps around 5 although I am realizing more and more some WERE earlier than I thought.

Steve

well my great taste in music, my rock collecting abilitys, my sportscard powers. stuff like that. oh one more thing, my good looks

Daniel,

I would have believed you. HECK, you figure people HAVE to be different! STILL, a number here ARE like me, and others are as I might have or could have been. Still others have quirks, etc... I have. Some are TEXTBOOK AS!

I like how I never ended up taking drugs when I was in school.

Like dig this, I know that I have a lot of downs because of my being an aspie, ya kno? But like it isn't all darkness and gloom see. This AS thing, it has given me some strengths too, cool ones. Get hep to this cats; like my visual and dimensional skills are like zowie. And I am good at math so long as I can groove on the underlying concepts. So I can do a real keen job of architecture. AS is my groove!