Difficulties with comprehension

Post Reply New Topic

I have read that people with AS can have difficulties with certain aspects of language.

I have two personal examples:

1. My lecturer at university was using the phrase "time is of the essence" but I couldn't understand its meaning.

2. I have trouble understanding the jargon of the business world which is embarassing if I'm asked a question at a meeting by someone using this sort of language.

Do others have similar language comprehension problems?

A phrase I used to have problems with is "[adjective] is as [adjective] does"

A lot of business phrases have no meaning anyway, so don't worry about them overmuch

"Time is of the essence" means that it's important that things get done quickly. Jargon isn't meant to be understood.

Sometimes when I'm reading I'll think a word is a noun, but the author is using it as a verb. (For example, I'll think "drink" means "a drink" rather than "to drink".) Then it will take me five tries to understand the sentence.

I sometimes have comprehension problems. I'm Hyperlexic though, and I think this is why.

Comprehension is one of my huge pitfalls, especially earlier in life. It wasn't until college that something in my brain 'clicked' and was able to apply facts and variables to differing situations. This is a skill that I must maintain over time or else the 'use it or lose it' comes into play.

However, I found out recently that I still lack the ability to fully comprehend verbal instructions. It's a little embarrassing to be in a room full of Kindergardeners and not completely grasp what the teacher is telling us to do.

I find I often have to reread stuff or play stuff over in my head to get it. It's also gotten worse as I have gotten older.

Sometimes with verbal instructions I have to run through and visuallize what's being explained, and get suddenly jarred by further instructions that compromise my initial impression, causing me to fall behind what's being said and inadvertently "stop listening" as i try to catch up with what's already been said.

I have a problem understanding words and phrases that don't have strict definitions, like "it was meant to be"- meant by whom? (this is where I'd get into a discussion of how if fate existed then nothing would make sense blah blah blah) there's plenty of such empty phrases that people use when they have no argument and for some reson they think it will cut the discussion (not when I'm around, hahah!)

adj is as adj does basically means that the adj is an action.

Famous Forest Gump quote: "Stupid is as stupid does." was his mother's way of saying that someone can call you stupid, you might BE stupid, but the final question is do you actually DO stupid things!? It was her way of consoling him.

As for Jargon? Some jargon IS meant to be understood. P/E or ROI or NAV or Arbitrage, etc... is business jargon that has value.

I can never remember what figures of speech mean, and sometimes they just pop out when I'm talking but I've used them the wrong way.

For example, the other day I said, "I know I'm mincing words..." when I really meant I was being "nit-picky." I know this now because I Googled it later.

Other times when people use figures of speech I have to ask them what they actually mean to say.

I have comprehension problems because I constantly have to mentally talk to myself. I don’t do this vocally or by moving my lips so it isn’t observable. Does anyone else have the same problem?