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Hi,

I am new to wrong planet, newly diagnosed (Monday the 12th at 12:25 p.m. to be exact) with "Autism Spectrum Disorder". The psychologist further specified I am "high functioning/severe".

I am currently wrapped up in studies, and not sure what to do, but am being pro-active and trying to notify my doctors and notified the college and am just sort-of stunned. I told my children because I am concerned for them, (as far as pro-creating goes). I don't really talk to people and have been having issues for my entire life and just feel I don't understand how the world works, or what I do understand is just stupid and nonsensical.

I am a visual artist and that is what I love, and have no real room for anything else in my life other than trying to figure out how to make enough money to live on and buy more art supplies. I don't know why I am studying right now, but am close to a degree. Degrees are quickly becoming worthless in our current economy, especially for an older person, but I am doing it anyway.

Oh yes, I am older, 47, hoping to meet others here who are familiar with issues I have been facing and perhaps can steer me a bit. I see a lot of twenty and thirty-somethings here, so hope this is not a place for just younger people. Input from younger people welcome as well.


Thank you.

Welcome to wrong planet. There's a few of us old farts about.

I'm 53 years old.

I get the feeling you are your own worst enemy. I wish I could be a visual artist like you.

ASD's might be hereditary; but it doesn't mean a person with an ASD will necessarily have a child with an ASD. It's more random than that.

Many people with ASD's successfully raise children, both with and without ASD's.

I hope you enjoy navigating this site, and all the various personalities within it.

kraftiekortie and opal,

Thanks for the reassurance that I am indeed at least not pissing off a bunch of young people here. Not that I have ever remained in my peer group anyway.

I am learning about what to do slowly, self advocating is one of the hardest things. I have been telling doctors for years that I do not communicate well verbally and have problems understanding, this had the effect that they spoke louder to me, like I was deaf.

I am very verbal sometimes, but quiet most of the time. I am told I make no sense when I do speak, and speak way too softly. I fully understand little that I hear. so I have been notifying my doctors this week about the ASD like the psychologist said to do. So I am asking for things either in writing, or to have someone have me repeat things back to them to clarify that I understand them.

The results so far have been magic! My neurologist ordered tests for me that I have been waiting on since February, I got accommodations for extra testing time from my college, everything is lining up.

I think I will be able to become independent if things continue to go like this. I am sad there is no cure, but happy that there are adjustments I can make to make life less of a headache.

Thanks

[quote="kraftiekortie"] I wish I could be a visual artist like you.

I played alone all of the time as a child, and just drew things over again, like ten, twenty thirty times or more until I was satisfied they were like the original. My mother accused me of tracing. I hear there are people that can poop out perfectly rendered images and have a perfect eye (like perfect pitch?) but I worked for what I had because I was consumed with an interest in art from the time I was a toddler. I struggle some with proportions still, but it depends on what state of mind I am in at the time and mood.

I think we are all born artists, just quit somewhere early in our development because the arts are not nurtured in our culture (the United States, at least) because they don't make us "good workers". I suggest Sir Ken Robinson videos for an overview of how schools crush creativity, I suppose TED has one of his better know talks.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Nice to meet you!

I have trouble with receptive and expressive language also. Your ideas for dealing with it near doctors sound good. I also find bringing someone with me (when possible) is very useful.

My daughter wants to be an artist when she grows up. Do you have advice for her?

I had to look up what NT meant, I think neurotypical (normal) is correct? The psychoogist told me that the Aspergers term is not longer being used, so I have the HFA/Severe or Level 3 Diagnosis. I am assuming what I have is what you have, just two different labels?

I am glad to hear your positive attitude about Asperger's. I went into the Psychologist's office with a "find-out-what-the-heck-is-wrong-with me-so-I-can-fix-it" attitude. I think just knowing what it is makes me able to deal with it. I can relax and work with it, instead of fighting against it.

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Thank you. I do wish I had someone to bring with me at times to help facilitate communication, but I am afraid I am on my own for the most part. I do have someone who will help when I get my next surgery (hopefully) sometime this summer, so that will be great.

Re: Your daughter. I know a secret. You can tell her this secret or keep it to yourself. She is already an artist. We all were born artists. Somewhere along the way this knowledge was stolen from us, and we thought we could not draw.

She is therefore, free to be what and who she is without waiting for adulthood to suddenly bestow some magical title upon her. So, I wave my wand and say "poof" she is an artist!

Oh wait, were you referring to earnings? Heh heh... that is another thing, wicked gremlin that comes later to steal the joy away from art even if your daughter does accept her royal blue-blooded title of "Artist".

An artist makes art, therefore if your daughter wishes to be an artist, she simply must make art.

If she wants to sell art, she must learn marketing strategies, sales, and dealing with (or not dealing with) galleries, etc. She must develop social skills because monetary success is often determined by who one knows.

She must determine if she wants to go to University or not, knowing that grant recipients are often (not always) overlooked if they do not have the magical MFA. Arts funding is difficult to get.

If she loves art with all of her heart, it will give her the fuel to keep going.

Money is no longer an issue with me, not because it is not an issue, but because I make art for myself, not for the money. I finally freed myself as an artist when I made this shift in my mind from pleasing people with my work, to reverting back to a child-like approach of doing it for myself.

Which brings me back to the original thought...

Tell her not to wait until she grows up, do it now.

Right there with you

Welcome. I'm 58, so if you need a bit of perspective from been-there-done-that, feel free to contact me.

It is a hard economy, but degrees are still quite necessary for certain jobs, if you are thinking about employment options.

You may not need to tell very many people you have ASD. There are often certain very close people (ie family) that you do let know, but it is never certain how much others will understand and it has different effects on people, sometimes negative in how they view you. Anyway, its just something to think about before sharing.

P.S. I have always liked art as well, but in my career as a hobby. I have done some painting, usually actual places (and often with medieval themes) but eventually moved mostly into sculptural work, specifically figurines.

It is a hard economy, but degrees are still quite necessary for certain jobs, if you are thinking about employment options.


Toy Soldier, I agree about needing a degree for certain jobs. The art world is one of those so/so areas. It used to be that the MFA was the gold standard (sort-of replaced the guild) by which one was guaranteed a job and grants would fall from the sky like magic. Now it is not so. An MFA only guarantees one will be saddled with a crap-ton of debt upon graduation. Grants and funding for visual arts are being cut drastically, and jobs for artists (for those who are not into graphic design or Computer aided illustration trades of whatever zilllions of types there are) are very slim. The entrepreneurial spirit wins out, and that requires *gulp* social skills! I am horrible at sales, but have had a few good ones. I think there are better options out there than college, and most are abroad.


P.S. I have always liked art as well, but in my career as a hobby. I have done some painting, usually actual places (and often with medieval themes) but eventually moved mostly into sculptural work, specifically figurines.[/quote]

I adore sculpture, but not have the space for it at present, I envy you!

Thanks so much! I'll do that.

Hi ArtAttack, welcome aboard!. You are definitely not alone here. I am a semi-undiagnosed 51 year old. My son was diagnosed with Asperger's when he was 7 and his doctor strongly implied that I likely have it as well. I also always come up as "very likely" on the various online tests available. My late husband was my conduit to the NT world and since he passed away I have had more trouble managing this world on my own. I would probably get officially diagnosed if I didn't have such crappy insurance. On the bright side, don't worry too much about the procreation thing. I was driving home with my son the other day (he is now 15 and in high school) and he said "Asperger's is the curse of being awesome". I told him not to say that too loud or everyone will want to do it.

Edited to add:

I'm back in school too, trying to finally earn a degree, so we have that in common too!

Hi there! I, too, have been recently diagnosed (my psychologist did use the term Aspergers). I am 41.

I wish that I had been assessed correctly earlier in life (I spent years on antidepressants) as I would have made different choices but am now in the position to better understand myself and to work from now.

I am glad that things are coming together for you. Message me if you'd like.