Hello out there

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hanabiko
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Joined: 29 Nov 2009
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Posts: 33

30 Nov 2009, 5:37 am

Hi! I'm new here.

I'm not sure what to say. Um, my name is AJ. I like reading, painting, art, and soccer. I'm in my mid-twenties and attending university to be a Social Worker. (I like my major and I do well in it but I'm flunking almost everything else so it's taking me a really long time to graduate.) I speak English and ASL fluently and I can read French somewhat.

I worked with developementally different adult for a few months. I was very unfamiliar with autism before that. Since I'm hard-of-hearing and I sign my boss decided I would work with non-verbal and signing-only adults to develope ASL skills. Some of the adults I worked with were autistic. I got hit a lot because my clients would get frusterated when their signs that they'd worked so hard on we not clear enough for me to understand correctly. I hated that job because I hated being hit everyday. As a result, I kind of thought all austistic people didn't speak and would hit me or throw things at me.

I recently met someone who I really like and want to date. I spent a lot of time with him. He was very easy to get along with. I found that I didn't have to worry about what I said to him, either. He also didn't yell at me or get mad at me for being myself and he'd let me know clearly when I did something he didn't like. It felt like suddenly I met someone who understood me perfectly. One day on facebook he posted that in honor of Invisible Disablility Awareness Week he'd like to share about his experience with autism- specifically Asperger's. Since he didn't hit me and he could talk I realized I had made an general assumption and stereotyped people. I read what he had to say and then looked it up. It said it was abnormal but I didn't find the description weird at all so I read more to figure out why people thought Asperger's Syndrome was so odd. The more I read, the more it sounded like me. I felt kind of stupid when I realized that it didn't sound weird to me because it described me.

So that's how I ended up here. I wanted to see if I can find other people I can relate to. (I'm also curious about finding out about getting a diagnosis since I need help completing university and could really use the support services my college offers.)

Aimless
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Joined: 1 Apr 2009
Age: 67
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,187

30 Nov 2009, 5:58 am

Welcome

i_wanna_blue
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Joined: 9 Aug 2008
Gender: Male
Posts: 11,113

30 Nov 2009, 6:38 am

Hi there hanabiko. Welcome to WP

tektek
Bronze Supporter

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,814
Location: Brisbane, Australia.

30 Nov 2009, 8:27 am

hi hanabiko, welcome to WP

wired.com posted the Baron-Cohen AQ test ( http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html ) and there are more defined tests ( eg. http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php ). these online tests are only a guide though. you can complete the latter test and post your score if you like ( http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt5906.html ).

it's better to seek out a professional evaluation if you feel that you would like to know if you have Asperger's or are on the Autism Spectrum (for certain).

_________________
"see without looking, hear without listening, breathe without asking" - W.H Auden

superboyian
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Joined: 9 Sep 2009
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Posts: 14,704
Location: London

30 Nov 2009, 9:49 am

Hey hanabiko,

Welcome to Wrongplanet !

Feel free to post and make yourself feel comfortable, glad you joined us

_________________
BACK in London…. For now.
Follow my adventures on twitter: @superboyian
Please feel free to help my aspie friend become a pilot: https://gofund.me/a9ae45b4

weeksend
Velociraptor

Joined: 20 Nov 2009
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 411
Location: Charleston,South Carolina

30 Nov 2009, 10:44 am

Welcome to WrongPlanet.

JetLag
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Joined: 7 Aug 2008
Age: 75
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,762
Location: California

30 Nov 2009, 2:19 pm

Hello, and welcome greetings to the Wrong Planet neighborhood, AJ.

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Stung by the splendor of a sudden thought. ~ Robert Browning

Scientist
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Joined: 6 Nov 2009
Age: 49
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 1,524
Location: The Netherlands

30 Nov 2009, 2:39 pm

Hi AJ, welcome, and enjoy your stay on the Wrong Planet!

Interesting story about how you got here!
I'm a psychologist, doing PhD research, and I've recently been diagnosed with AS.
Before diagnosis I had no idea I had it.
Funny how things can go in life

_________________
1975, ASD: Asperger's Syndrome (diagnosed: October 22, 2009)

Interests: science, experimental psychology, psychophysics, music (listening and playing (guitar)) and visual arts

Don't focus on your weaknesses, focus on your strengths

lelia
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