Hello everyone.
My name is Jonas, I am 25 yo and live in Sweden.
I have never been diagnosed, but during my entire life my parents have considered me... well... odd.
I myself have always felt different and I have some signs of Asperger. Let me tell you my story...
I was born in 1982 when autism and Asperger was practically unheard of here.
My birth was difficult, they were concerned I had suffered from asphynxiation(?) (not my mother tounge, sorry)
I did not say a word before I was three years old, then I suddenly started talking, and as I have been told my language was highly developed. When I was about five my mother asked me why I had not started talking earlier, she wanted to know if I remembered and if I could offer an explanation. My answer was something like this: "But mom, I was only three years of age, I didn't know anything then, I had nothing (important) to say..."
As a child I was extremely sensitive to anything touching my throat. I absolutely hated certain types of (itchy) clothes and I repetedly pulled my shirt straight out from my throat, in a typical repetitive-behaviour. I have very vague memories of this. I remember my parents trying to make me not do it, but as I did not understand why or found any valid reason not to remove the itchy and strangling sensation, I continued. Somehow, at the age of six, my habit (or un-habit as we would say in Sweden) disappeared. (An un-habit is a habit that is bad for you, e.g. smoking.)
I had many problems with school. First of all, I had been told that when I start school, all my questions would be answered, by curiosity satisfied and I would learn everything. Ofcourse, school was a terrible disappointment.
I liked natural sciences. When I was 12 I learnt about the periodic table. I was deeply fascinated and read everything I could find. This was one of my first Asperger-type interrests.
My other interrests have been: chemistry, elementary particles, numismatics (that is: coins) the Easter Island and Tibet.
I had terrible difficulties with social sciences, religion, music and gymnastics. The ONLY thing I liked in gymnastics was orienteering. This was the only kind of sport of which I could understand the rules, as they were strictly defined and logical. I still have no idea why any one would ever want to play soccer. It is so predictable! One of the teams win, and that's it! Why not just draw lot and go home?
I had problems with history, political science, religions and arts because I could not find clear definitions and true answers. This has changed dramatically, I do not longer demand final correct answers but can accept that complex things like how societies work do not have absolute and fix answers. Today I am politically active and are often debating possible solutions to humaitys problems, and I enjoy it despite the lack of absolutely true answers.
I have perhaps some problems with social skills. I have noticed that I often start sentences with "I". People have told me that it is generally regarded as bad, since it implies that I am arrogant, egocentric and so on... I have an IQ of 130 and since I suspect I have Asperger, I have started to try to learn social skills and social conventions, (e.g. not to start sentences with I) so I do not have any social handicap or major problems in everyday life. However, I have found it very difficult to communicate love and affection. I have many close friends, including several of the opposite sex.
I often fall in love, and as I understand it, "normal" people often have problems with shyness and fear of rejection. This is not my problem, quite the opposite. I am too straight forward and often surprise or even scares the unfortionate young woman...
My message is already too long to be considered appropriate... I will stop here.
Anyway... Can you from this anecdotal evidence make any conclusion weather I have HFA or Asp.?
28 Jul 2007, 5:10 pm
