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Hi,

For over a month I have considered writing to this forum. I will try to summarize my life and what I feel about it and other people, here under this thread. Hope you can read the whole page.

I’m 28 and I live in Turkey. I’m currently not diagnosed with aspergers or any other disorder yet. But I think that’s just because I haven’t consulted a doctor yet

During my childhood, even before the school, I was very succesful compared to others. I began reading and writing at the age of 5.5 and I still remembered the amazement of my mother when she first heard me spelling the word “bee” (correspondent Turkish word) and then following other phrases and consequently complete sentences . I was probably marked as “gifted” and my family asked school administrators if I could start the school one year earlier or not. Eventually, I have attended the normal curriculum at my normal age.

Through the elemantary years, due to my success and my quiet and mild nature, I was admired so much that at one time, I was chosen to represent tho whole school in front of the mayor at the Children's Day Festival. “I’m bored” was the most freuqent phrase that I used to spell. I had some other developmental problems such as severe asthma and allergy. I was born with polydactyly meaning that I had 6 fingers with each of my hands and feet, a condition which is very rare. My family decided to get them removed by operation when I was even too small to remember. Fortunately, I have no difficulties using my hands and feet except that joints of my two fingers are merged –something that causes me to play the guitar a bit harder, but anyway I can play and enjoy it very much I was weak and unhealthy, I used to catch infections with high fever. You know, there is always a tendency of society to admire children who are good readers and who are quiet in nature. I had always felt privileged for his reason. Those were also the times that I was introduced with computers. I still remember my father coming home with a Commodore 64. That day was probably one of the happiest days of all my life. My love with computers grew so much that I was amazed with every bleep and flash of the machine. I was interested in everything related to computers, coding, making music, not just video games. Except from my disorders and boredom sometimes, I was a happy child. I didn’t have much friends but I didn’t care this too much, probably I had related it to my “giftedness”. I had other childhood interests like cartoons, dinosaurs, and magazines related children which contained similar stuff.

Like in all countries, in mine, there is a race among families to bring their children to their maximum academic performance. Partly due to this motivation and due to my excellent memorization capacity, in 5th grade I was able to pass an exam by which students were selected to attend a certain kind of school called “Anatolian High Schools”. These schools apply a 1 year preparation class for foreign language and then an intense science & math curriculum. That was I think a failure of our education system which assumes that people can effectively be classified at that early age. If a child is able to read and memorize everything given, this doesn’t imply that on further classes he/she will be succesful or again it doesn’t mean that he/she has abstract skills.

Anyway, my adolescence came earlier than other children and I think it lasted shorter. I haven’t a bright student as I was in elementary years. My high school years have been a greater disaster, because of my bad grades and lost self-confidence, I rejected to take a science class so I attended a Literature-Math class. I couldn’t do well in Science but I was rather good at math. My goal was to attend a law school, but I missed it with only a few points in university entrance exams. With some family pressure, and approaching military obligations I found myself studying Economics. There I had issues with certain kind of lessons, and I blamed myself, my family for my own situation. I think I was in major depression though, rejected getting help. After my graduation I couldn’t find a suitable job for myself for a period of 1 year. My interest with computers never faded and I had already started and maintained web-sites with various theme and size. I was even able to earn some income through advirtesement networks.

Then I passed another exam and interview (if you are in Turkey, these exams are never finished), this time I found myself as a banking specialist dealing with foreign transactions, letter of credits, and letter of guarantees. I love my job, becuase it lets me think in great detail and reasoning, -an envioronment which I would always like to be in-. I also have some issues in my career but I don’t want to disclose further right now. Maybe later I will tell about them.

So, Why do I think that I might have Aspergers syndrome and/or Non-verbal learning disorder?

First, I have to tell that I have read much about all the psychological disorders, from obsessions to paranoia, nothing else fits me better than this particular syndrome. Second, I know that I have always been very deep in my interests and hobbies. I had strange interests that I pursued till the end, learning about each dinosaur species, or keeping a notebook and recording each and every car model that I have seen, my interest in crossword puzzles, jigsaws, lego stuff and etc. Thirdly I think my linguistic abilities fits in this category and finally, I admit that I couldn’t make much friends until college years. I had depressions sometimes obsessions like hair picking, especially when I’m stressed. I’m talented at foreign languages but I fail in Science and I can do math in an average grade. I have been succesful at some lessons and a complete disaster at others. My particular hardships arise when things are needed to handled on both sides, like solving an equation or inequality; accounting lessons when you have to think for both sides, debit and credit etc. In contrast, I do OK in lessons which require pattern finding, matching, reasoning like Statistics and Econometrics.

I’m always accused of “asking too much question” to learn something, if I’m not given a precise order, the task becomes unaccomplishable for me. If someone tries do do something without asking to a more experienced person, there is always a chance to get out of the road.

Thanks for reading, that’s all for now

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

Sorry I wasn't able to read all of your message, it was a bit long for my brain.

Hello. Welcome to WP. I had to ask my husband about the Commodore 64. He talked about them for about 15 minutes. Now I now a lot about the subject. Hahahaha.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Welcome.

Hello Domates and welcome,
do you play chess?

I used to play, though I haven't played for a very long time.

Theres an excellent online chess site, where people can also have a general chat whilst playing if they want to. I love to go there every day and chill out and keep my mind active. It helps me by stopping me getting bored, and opens up my mind more. Its also very good fun.
I'd recommend it to anyone who can play chess. The site is chess.com.

Welkome to WrongPlanet.

The WP Kink