are we really slow?

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I've been called "slow" and other similar words so often that I can almost believe it.

I am called "Slow". I am slow to tell stories, slow to answer, slow to get jokes, slow to remember names..

I wouldn't say I'm slow, more so I just spend more time thinking about my responses to people in order to cover all grounds. If it's factual data I can bring it up right away, but anything of an opinion I have to think about it first to make sure I articulate it in the right way.

For physical reactions I am quite agile. Though I find myself doing things like reaching for the bathroom lightswitch to turn it off even if I never turned it on in the first place.

What is the difference between careful and slow?

ruveyn

I've been called "slow" before, even had a job where they wanted me to make dough for their rolls. I lasted three days. It was the toughest job for me, personally, even though the people training me didn't have a problem with tasking. All I could think about was physical pain. My feet were hurting, and so was my arms and my back. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I am not cut out for that kind of work, no use decieving myself. It was too physically demanding and it was impossible for me to clean up all the flour when I was finished. I couln't live up to their meticulous standards of clean. So, the manager fired me, heh.

The key is to find your niche and work toward it. My mistake was being unfocused and thinking I could do anything. I found out quickly there are many things I am not good at despite all the brainwashing I'd recieved. If someone would have pushed me in the right direction...into something I had a genuine interest in (not rock science. Rock science, not rocket. My mom really believed I would be a geologist when I had absolutely no interest in it whatsoever and it was the most boring subject.) I would have been better off. Just find what you are interested in, realize a goal, and work toward that. Find people who will compliment you and support your efforts.

I've not been called slow, but I know I am in some areas. I am not good at thinking of quick witty replies to things - I find talking in real time (as opposed to writing, like here in a forum) quite daunting and I can often get muddled, because it's hard to focus simultaneously on what I'm saying, the act of talking, my tone of voice, how others are responding, etc. Because I can't multitask, I have to switch from one to the other, and it slows me down. And I don't process things on the spot very well when there are lots of different things going on - too much sensory information slows me down considerably.

But if I'm on my own, focusing on one thing (like doing maths problems, or reading a book, or writing something) I can be remarkably quick. And with many concepts, I can understand them instantly, without the need of an explanation. Often I get confused in lectures, because if I understand something automatically, the explanations that the lecturers give seem unnecessary and distracting.

A substitute band director that was at the school where I teach last week came in my room. We used to play music together. He told me a joke and I didn't get it (I rarely get jokes). The class was laughing at it, but I was standing there trying to figure it out.

You know, that would have bothered me in the past---but not anymore. I am the way I am and that doesn't bother me. I am autistic and proud.

The NTs may not understand those of us who are autistic, and we may not understand them either. It is a difference.

But to answer the question, yes, I have been told in subtle ways that I am sometimes slow to pick up on things.

same here
and i dont know how to explain why..

I think I'm slow in a lot of areas, but pretty intelligent in others. Asperger's syndrome doesn't affect intelligence one way or the other though, so really we're the same as NT's in that regard. Some of us may be a bit slow while others may be geniuses.

FYI this is one area where smoking weed doesnt help