For those who believe Asperger's/Autism is some sort of gift

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Alright then, as an Asperger sufferer myself, I have taken notice of this on here.

Most here should be very aware that Asperger's/Autism is usually seen as something negative by Neurotypicals. The evidence is all around us and is extremely overwhelming. I just can't understand those who sincerely think and see the neurological condition as some sort of positive gift, yet when they felt self conscious enough to join a support forum for it.

Hello?! You're here because you want to be normal, live your life to the fullest potential you'd like, and also have the social acceptance just like what any human being needs. There's no point in hiding behind 'sugar coated' words so that you can deny the very discrimination you've faced from the socially normal. Phhht.

For some, this is an oxymoron.

What?!

We're NOT magical "Indigo People"?

Say it ain't so!

Some people are more privileged than others, some are just at another point in their lives where it might not be relevant yet/anymore. I think we all struggle to a certain degree but particularly us on the spectrum putting ourselves in the shoe's of others. I think there is probably a defence mechanism by some to cling to something positive as well.

No way I want to be "normal". I come here to talk with other non-normals, and see how others have dealt with the discrimination and still managed to stay abnormal.

I have "breaking news".....No one is normal or not normal. We exist and we shall embrace our challenges, which also put us more in touch with social norms. Hence I break them often.

Exactly!

I expressed that view to an NT girl once in response to her question, "do you think you're normal?"
She replied "Oh no, there is such a thing as normal, and you're not it."

Now I think she really meant neurotypical, and her observation was simply true and not the gratuitous and incomprehensible insult I then thought it to be.

who says i'm here to learn to be 'normal'? normal is boring

aspergers has some strong negative effects, sure, but there are some good things that come with the condition too; it's a mixed blessing.

i am here to join in a shared effort to make sense of the illogical lives of the so-called "normals", but i'm not trying to join them.

Up until a few years ago, I would have considered Asperger's a gift because I was very happy with the way my life had turned out. Going through all of the hell in my teens and twenties had seemed worth it. Life wasn't perfect, but I was happy with what I had, which I wouldn't necessarily have had if I'd been NT. There are plenty of NT's living very unhappy lives.

However. Now that my life has turned upside down I realise that I'm not equipped to deal with major setbacks, it's all too apparent to me now that being an Aspie leaves me very vulnerable and at an obvious disadvantage when it comes to dealing with the sort of problems that most people will have to deal with at some point in their lives. Also, being the age that I am, I no longer have my parents to fall back on for support. So I'm scared, really scared, of what's going to happen to me.

If you have the support from either family or an understanding partner, then Asperger's/Autism can be a gift, but if you don't, then trying to navigate your way through this system as it's currently set up can be a very serious challenge.

I've never saw my AS as a gift. I feel ashamed of it, and nobody can talk me out of feeling this way about it. I hate the stigma, and the way it describes lacking empathy, and the way it makes you an odd person. I hate the amount of loneliness it has caused for me, making me the class outcast through school. People tell me to just focus on my special interests but that's not good enough. I'd rather have lots of friends than have some intense interest. Besides, I don't have special interests anyway. And no I don't have a high IQ either.

I don't want to be normal.

I do have trouble making friends, and I was bullied a lot when I was younger, but that's not because I'm autistic - that's because many NTs are intolerant. That's no more a natural consequence of AS than homophobic bullying is a natural consequence of being LGTB. Why should I have to change to suit the society around me? They're the ones who decided it's worth excluding and being cruel to a nice, caring kid just because she acts weird. They're the ones with a problem, not me.

Apart from that, I haven't really suffered much as a result of AS. I'd maybe accept having my auditory sensitivity turned down a bit. But I wouldn't give up my quirky way of seeing the world, or my intense interests. Even my executive dysfunction - while it causes me more actual impairment than any other part of autism, I'm convinced that it's part and parcel of my creativity. And I love being creative so much, I actually sometimes wonder how people can find meaning in life if they're not creative.

Also, the asexuality that I got with my autism has saved me a lot of trouble with relationships. Although it's also made becoming a mother more challenging, so I guess it evens out.

You're absolutely right that autism is not a superpower, but that doesn't mean it's something terrible either, and indeed it can sometimes provide advantages.

So what if it is "usually seen as something negative" by the outgroup majority? So what if we face discrimination? The same is true of having dark skin, a vagina, or a sexual interest in the opposite sex. All those groups have forums where they can talk to each other about their experiences, and mostly don't believe they're inherent failures.

These days we're called "Crystal Children"

spirit science needs to go away

I don't see it as inherently good or bad, just a mental orientation I was born with. The rest of the world can take whatever spin on it they want, I'll just keep doing what I do regardless of their opinion.

Yes, I don't see why being shamed for stimming or not making eye contact or having intense interests is our fault. It's NT failure to be accepting of others that is the problem, not neurodiversity.

Growing up was not easy for me. I was treated like my sensory issues with food were just "pickiness". I was punished for weird and rude behaviors I had no clue I wasn't supposed to do. I often wasn't included in "cool kid" things because I was weird. I was called names because of my differences. I had chronic migraines from sensory sensitivities, an eating disorder which is common for Autistic girls, anxiety and depression. However, I love being Autistic.

I love being Autistic because being normal where I'm from is not a glamourous life. I'm from a working-class, undereducated area. People often can't afford heat in the 10-month long winter or enough food for every meal. My state has the second worse heroin problem in the country, and my neighborhood is particularly bad. My elementary school had buckets in the hallways to catch drippping water and kids wore down jackets inside our high school because the town couldn't afford to heat it properly. It was my geeky Autistic special interests that helped me to stay on track with my personal education even when my schools were not adequately challenging me. It was my Autism that made me good at standardized tests. It was my Autism that prevented me from being distracted with the social ills that could have gotten me in trouble and instead stay inside alone and read. It's my Autism that has given me an excellent memory (though I am an absentminded professor-type).

I just graduated from a top-14 law school with my Autism compared to many of my NT peers who never went to college and work ridiculous hours to afford to barely make ends meet. Lastly, my Autism will mek me a great attorney because while I sometimes miss big-picture concepts, my greatest skill is making obscure arguments that are absolutely correct but no one else sees.

Yes, my Autism is a disability and impairs my everyday functioning. However, my everyday functioning is much higher to begin with as an Autistic person than if I had been born NT.

It has always annoyed me to no end how my interests are somehow suppose to compensate for my shortcomings, they're trivial interests with no practical applications or way to share at best. There isn't anything particular smart or clever in being able to memorize, what else is suppose to occupy that part of my brain? It isn't like I have life experiences that I am pushing out of the way, I would think anybody would "smart" by that measure if that's all they had and spent the amount of time reading about it. I don't get joy out of my interests any more, they're useless unless you can share them. You're really lucky if you can find any applicable use for it let alone a job, people just assume what I am going to school for is something I am naturally interested in but its 100% practical and I would have never learned what I have learned without being trained for it and having a good relationship with my instructor. Hopefully I can cultivate a genuine interest and at least be somewhat fulfilled but I am afraid that I will be miserable no matter what I do.