Old aspie in "career college" - appalled

Post Reply New Topic

I basically took over the whole thing. It was really just quicker and more painless for me to do the whole thing by myself. And everyone got an A.

This has happened to me as well in the past. Sometimes it's best to allow yourself to be used as opposed to doing poorly because of the group's collective incompetence.

The group was not incompetent. It was simply the case that I was especially competent, and fast.

NTs set things up, Phagocyte. We Aspies are 1 in 10,000? So we Aspies didn't set it up, NTs did, who else are there in the world? I have met 3 other AS that I know of in my life, Phagocyte, and I have lived over 50 years. It is obvious that AS didn't set up the world. So try to enter our reality, Phagocyte

there are so many of you, Phagocyte, and so few of us. Naturally we would see anything organized that we were subjected to and had to do all the adapting to as 'you NTs' do it.
remember, we don't have 'theory of mind', Phagocyte, we don't know that most students hate group projects and what ever irritating task that is the subject matter. We certainly wouldn't do anything we didn't want to do, we don't know why students or teachers would do something they don't want to do?


Merle

This huge world division is such a joke. When was AS first actually characterized as an actual syndrome, it was the seventies, right? Some of the most brilliant people from history are suspected to have AS, I mean, did you ever read a biography of Newton? If Asperger's syndrome was established at the time he would have likely been diagnosed, and I can't really think of anyone more guilty of having "set up the world" than him. People with AS aren't a separate species living under a rock, they're people who have most likely - in spite of their lesser numbers - done their part to make our world what it is today. Even Albert Einstein and Bill Gates are considered likely candidates.



In my eighteen years as an introvert I have met two people that I know for certain are diagnosed with AS, so maybe you're in the wrong place.



Well, I have stereotyped AS behavior to the point where my psychologist was willing to pursue a diagnosis if I felt it was an issue. And my best friend and one of the people I admire most has Aspergers, partly because of our mutual understanding and similarities, and I scored with a likelihood of an ASD on Baren-Cohen's test, so let's be honest, the barrier between "your world" and mine seems arbitrary at best.

I'm sorry if I seem testy, I really am, but I think this division that both "neurotypicals" and people with AS impose on society is part of the problem.

so I am saying I hope we all come together in some Kumbiyah moment, Phagocyte. I read the signature you have that proclaims you are an NT that is rather confusing if you think you are not, really. Maybe you would like to change your sig line if you are not an NT any more?


Merle

I am an NT because I was not diagnosed, and I did not feel that I had enough of the symptoms (for example, I do not stim and I felt my high propensity for introversion and my dislike of small talk and normal socializing was more a matter of personal choice and not due to any neurological inhibitions). This was actually quite coincidental, because I always maintained a high interest in ASD from a psychological and neurological standpoint (I am a biology student) and joined this forum before I was aware of any suspicion that I exhibited some of the symptoms. I had read all the articles and papers and I was interested in AS from a personal standpoint, and even though I felt out-of-line by registering since I was NT, some of the people here were too interesting and fun to talk to so I couldn't resist. I indicated "NT" on my signature to avoid misleading anybody.

so you are saying that until the doctor waves his magic wand, or voodoo stick or what ever and all the research you have done you haven't figured out for your self if you are or not?

humm. . . I just heard about AS from a 3 minute segment of a radio program (I had never heard of it until then) and I knew immediately! Three years (on WP) later I got evaluated and, oh boy, am I ever AS!

Let's agree that we have had different lives, and frankly, I have had a longer time to assesses my behaviour than you have. But what we were talking about was that dichotomy of US and THEM of the Aspies and the Neurotypicals. There are FAR more neurotypicals than there are Aspies, and that is why I say that Aspies didn't make the world we have to force our selves to live in.

Einstein, Jefferson and Newton and even Bill Gates don't have to be Aspies to be brilliant. Your wanting to withhold your pronouncement of yourself being AS should help you to understand why. If THEY are not deemed so by a competent professional, why should YOU pronounce them AS? I think it is highly probable they might be, but then again, like you, I am unwilling to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Anyway, as mentioned many times on this forum, most of it is wishful thinking, because far more of us were neglected, abused, institutionalized and molested than make it to the big leagues of Scientific Thought.

Merle

I don't think it matters. Either I'm an extremely high-functioning person with Asperger's or a socially low-functioning neurotypical with signs of Asperger's. Personally, though I have the symptoms, I do not feel that I have them in the magnitude to actually be on the spectrum, it was here that I disagreed with the psychologist (I initially saw her for anxiety).



I fear that I may be coming off as arrogant and incredibly naive, so I don't intend to bother you, I like talking to you and reading what you have to say Sinsboldly, but I don't think this dichotomy has to exist (if it even truly exists in the first place). I become incredibly aggravated when I see people proudly displaying signs and bumper stickers championing autism speaks or claiming BS like "autism is another name for mercury poisoning", likening it to an illness. It really upsets me because this huge divide is harmful to people on both sides of the fence, awareness needs to be raised about AS and people with the condition, I think education and awareness is the name of this game.



Exactly, so who is to say that people with AS did or did not lend a hand in making society what it is today?

no, don't worry about how you come off, we are just from two very different environments. I have seen only ONE autism speaks bumper sticker in my life (the little jigsaw ribbon with no wording on it) Autism just isn't a big deal where I live, most people still hide them away in the attic, I suppose. I am forever casually blown off by professionals because I am 'not like them' and they couldn't care less if I won the Nobel Prize or stimmed myself to death.



Exactly, so who is to say that people with AS did or did not lend a hand in making society what it is today?[/quote]
well, they certainly didn't design labels inside of clothing, polyester, florescent lighting (or those little intensely hot bright lights they put in lobbies and art galleries)!

Merle