I had a neighbor who I suspect is autistic

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patrick6
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03 Apr 2008, 3:32 am

After joining up to this site and becoming a little more familiar with autism I remembered this neighbor that used to live across the street from me. Thinking back of all the things that he used to do just makes think of how autistic-like he was. Everybody used to think he was weird. He used to watch baseball in his living room while pacing around (people with aspergers/autism often pace around to calm themselves down). Whenever his team would lose he would scream cuss words loud enough for everyone on the block to hear (aggression is extremely common in most people with autism/aspergers) He was quiet and had no friends (also common in aspergers/autism). He was unemployed his entire life (once again, common in aspies). He had a routine where he would drive his car to the local restaurant EVERY day at 12:00 PM to eat (aspies stick to a routine often). Anyways, I could probably list some more things but these are enough to make me believe that this neighbor of mine was autistic. I can't really comment on his intelligence because I'm not sure how bright he was. In my opinion he seemed more like he had autistic disorder than aspergers though, since he seemed to be "somewhere else" when you'd talk to him.



Last edited by patrick6 on 03 Apr 2008, 4:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

Grey_Kameleon
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03 Apr 2008, 3:37 am

They say you can't diagnose someone else, but hey, you can speculate all you want. That does sound a little odd, at best.



poopylungstuffing
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03 Apr 2008, 4:14 am

hmmm...possibly maybe..

I had an across-the street neighbor who always dressed the same...conservative slacks, tie, and button down shirt.
He lived alone with his dad.
They posted American flags and republican candidate signs on the front lawn.

He would walk around his house naked with the blinds deliberately open so that we could see him.
Sometimes he would hang out in his doorway smoking a cigarette completely naked except for dress shoes and socks.
This went on for years....it was soooo strange....not saying he was an aspie...but who does not have "weird" neighbors?...

Fast forward to years later...
I had a neighbor who was this very thin, reclusive, eccentric woman who lived all alone with her pets. Whenever we ran into eachother in public...I could sense her discomfort in the "obligation to acknowledge" not out of rudeness, but out of akwardness..(same as me)...Of the little that I know of her, i know she was an avid online gamer, and had been involved in the theatre in the past...was pagan, and obsessed with the well-being of her pets..(several dogs, and elderly indoor cats)
don't want to be quick to call people I don't know very well aspies...but she was a good candidate...on one of the few occasions that I had a conversation with her, it was between myself, my (very ASish) mom and her...there was an eerily similar vibe....even though I don't really ahve much in common with her in general...

Then...at the other end of the block (at the same time) was the real, and true bonified "crazy old cat lady"...she had huge glasses and dredlocks always under a scarf...(not often seen on a caucasian (or otherwise)woman of her age).....extremely reclusive...I never spoke to her once, but would see her at the grocery store once in a while....at least a very peculiar looking person...



Tim_Tex
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03 Apr 2008, 8:45 am

How do people on here suspect whether someone else is an Aspie or not?

I don't have the know how, so if I meet anyone outside of an organized Aspie support group or online forum, I just assume that person is an NT.


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Danielismyname
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03 Apr 2008, 8:57 am

I'm the autistic one around here.

My mother told everyone so they don't assume the worst of me as I don't acknowledge their existence when they wave to me, try to talk to me, etcetera.



Sora
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03 Apr 2008, 10:15 am

The only person whom I consider AS or HFA is a child I knew in elementary school.

And I only think that because a) it was 1994 when he was b) acknowledged as disabled but nobody knew/talked about the specifics and finally because c) he was a textbook HFA (AS) case. The possibility that it is an ASD is huge.

But I have never seen any other maybe-autistic stranger.



LostInSpace
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04 Apr 2008, 10:32 am

I don't have any autistic neighbors that I know of, but my next door neighbor and his mom are schizophrenic.