Do you see AS as a handicap?

Post Reply New Topic

when stuck with these choices i would say it is, but that it has its advantages...

but i am also reminded by a Japanese saying i got from a anime: "Specialization breeds weakness", but as a counter to this i would say, human advances are made by the strange, not by the common.

I see it as a good thing, but I guess it could be a handicap depending on how bad you have it.

I think and voted that it is. Because no matter how hard I try, how much I work on myself and my social skills, women still reject me because of my AS. God gave me AS so I will never have a real reltionship and God knows its the only thing I want to be happy. God is evil and likes to screw with people.

"good thing" and "handicap" are not mutually exclusive...

At this point in my life, I consider it a disability. It's not the AS in total so much as the sensory integration difficulties, which leave me in a state of physical and mental exhaustion. I am limited in how much I can be around people; I have to get a certain amount of sleep in order to function well. I could not work even a half-time job right now. I can't go to some of my daughter's events at school because the crowds overwhelm and exhaust me.

It seems as I've gotten older, my ability to work around the AS stuff has declined. When I was 25, I could power my way through tons of stuff. At 50, I'm struggling with just getting through each day with some dignity. I'm fortunate in that I have a husband and partner who does some of the things that are difficult for me, and I can concentrate on playing to my strengths. I'm getting involved in service to my community, so I get a feeling of satisfaction and get to be around nice people until I hit overload and need to go home.

I find that I am living a paradox that is perhaps not uncommon for people on the spectrum. On the one hand, I love all the good qualities I have because of the AS, and I feel so liberated by my diagnosis that I no longer do things to be part of social groups, but for my own interest and contentment. On the other hand, when I'm out in the world, I'm pretty clearly disabled from doing many of the things that NTs take for granted.

I don't have any trouble having a neurological disability. It explains an awful lot about limitations that I used to think were just neuroses or laziness. The worst part for me is to give up the shame I've lived with most of my life. The AS diagnosis is helping, but it's a work in progress.

Is it?

Only on this planet.

I don't dislike AS. I think it's a very handy lil gift in some ways... however, it's not always easy, and with it I can carry an extra weight that most people don't even think about.

I like it though. I don't see it as a disability.

I can't see me without my autism.

I like me for me -that includes Aspergers syndrome.

For my own part I'd say that I consider it (AS) to be a condition with both handicaps and advantages (and some mere oddities) within.

Parents will see it that way coz they cant understand their own child... Its annoying coz my mum has actually become LESS UNDERSTANDING recently!! !

Anyway, I voted for "I think it is better to have autism/AS than being NT" coz it is... I read about how NTs think and I think about how useful some Aspie stuff is (sucking up knowledge about stuff, being interested in more than just social stuff, very good long term memory) and I think that I would HATE to be NT... I would rather die.

Handicap: in video gaming

A limitation placed upon a stronger player to allow him or her to play against a weaker player without simply winning all the time.

I guess you could call it a handicap ^.^