Forum For NT's

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Well I could have been diagnosed with Aspergers in order to get the "Resoruce Services" I feel that I am NT. I think that NT's can put thier shoes in a person with Aspergers. I happen to read so many books on the subject that it's easy for me to feel what others are going through. I have read books by Michael Powers,Tony Attwood,Karen Seroussi and more about this subject. I would like to go into the field of Special Education. I have some friends with cognitive and physical disabilites so I understand what they are going through and try to help them the best I can.

Yesss LadyBug... there is definitely an "Autistic spectrum" out there, and it may even be the type of range that may be difficult to be represented by a typical 2D image like a pictogram and may have to be extracted into the 3D dimension or something. Each person is a unique individual, and "Asperger's" for me is a placeholder term ATM until they come up with some other way to calculate this like they can BMI for physical health -- that is, if they ever can! We'll see where science gets us. But in the meantime,

I don't see how anyone could be accurately diagnosed on a cold, clinical basis alone -- for me, you really have to get to know someone over the years, especially in the cases of diagnosing people who are way past adolescence, and look back towards youth for clues and see how it all manifests in the present.

I don't want to compare it to a drawn-out courtroom case, but really, the evidence must be weighed over an extensive span of time. Most of the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's, when presented alone, can be linked to other conditions as I'm sure you're aware , but when you have a whole bunch o' them and have acted this way throughout time and space, there's definitely something going on there and it's how I have found out things about myself. I got the "little professor" anecdotes from my teachers. I have the hyperfocus. I don't have serious eye contact problems, but body language misinterpretation, yes (old friend just told me I sure did cross my arms a lot, even when I wasn't defensive). And for example, I don't really have the nervous tics and shaking anymore, but that's because I was able to use my willpower to stop the majority of them over a span of a decade. But I did have that, as well as the lack of common sense, and the whole ALIEN FEELING!! ! MWA HA HA... *laughs*

I think that this is indeed a funny question; I am NT and I have a son on the spectrum; My husband is undiagnosed; but I am positive AS........... How can I understand them better and help myself in understanding if I can not participate in these forums or chats????? (because they will not help me out with this)
Everyone whether NT or not, think alittle different and have different opinions; but I think that the main point is to let everyone understand all that are on the spectrum.
we can all learn from each other.
michele

Hi There

Why not try talking to your husband and son about it then? Just kidding! I know what you are saying, and you are more than welcome here. Conversely, there are hundreds of other sites where personal experiences of autistic individuals in various scenarios can be sourced! Everyone is different (autistic people are often more unique) - so the experiences of others may not help you to understand your relatives in the slightest.

What I am saying pertains to issues regarding life for autistic individuals specifically; matters of which autistic people (diagnosed or undiagnosed) can be aware, by nature's hand. Is it right for people who are do not believe themselves autistic to surmise as to what it might be like as an autistic person? Can you see what I am saying? Although the opinion of non-autists has its place, in some cases it is inappropriate/irrelevant/offensive. I feel that some (such as me), who live in mainstream society, mainly successfully, need the chance to drop all pretentions to "normality" somewhere [without being criticised for doing so]. If not here - where?

I suppose, I would often prefer to converse with people who may understand where I am coming from. How many others have similar thoughts

Thankyou for your input

Regards

Greg

Greg, I truely understand what you are talking about...
Since my son was dxed- I have learned so much through reading, attending conferences, seeing key note speakers that are autistic themselves.....
I think I have read every book about autism...
I continue to research and read everything I come across....
I am a board member to the local chapter of the Autism Society
I am a member of the PA Autism Task Force (which includes NT, and autistics)
I create my sons home programs
I continue to go to conferences that will teach me something new and refresh what I have learned........

BUT>>>
I still have so much to learn and every resource that is available I will check out...
I think that there is a wealth of information here....
thanks for letting me take a peek...
Michele

PS>>> my husband in talking to me alittle more about this stuff, and my son is able to express some things but his language is not good enough for him to tell me the things that I need to know......

Ladybug,
I am not sure if you are saying that I am trying to change my son for what I think is better......
I hope that you take this as a clarify matter, I will just clarify myself-----
it is not an attack on anyone- it is just my clarifications as to what I want for my son and how I go about teaching him....

First, I am not trying to change my son to be NT, but I am teaching my son what he needs to know....
My home program (for instance)....
he has learned every word that he knows now- by drills.....
he has learned that it is ok not to eat a donut at the supermarket.... (routines can be changed gradually)- he now gets his donut but eats it in the car.... - Why do I feel this was important for him to learn?????
Because I have forgotten to pay for his donut a couple of times and could easily understand that as he gets older he would do the same and then he could be charged with a crime....
I try to teach him he has to wait for something (longer than 1 minute)
I teach him that hitting is not good and it hurts other people...
I have taught him simple feelings- through drills and other techniques; like happy and sad.... which he still does not fully understand, but he is getting better...
I try to teach him that he can not ask/or talk about the same thing over and over....( example asking the same question every 2 minutes for 4 hours straight; when he knows the answer)...... He is good at this one...
( he can ask but there is a limit, we are working on this slowly- he has 10 times )
I do not change things that are irrelevant to any one else-
like when he calls an object by the wrong name because of how he remembered the object....
ex. the movie Cody banks reminds him of this building we live near, everytime he see's the building he calls it- cody banks... my other kids always correct him and he gets very upset......
I do not force him to interact with kids on a daily basis; when I do try playdates it is very easy and carefree; not forced....
I do not try to change his fixations/obsessions- I use them as fuel for the learning process


I think that you get my point.....
everyone has flaws,
some flaws are ok and others are not....
I try to change my NT childrens behavior sometimes.....
I try to change my behavior sometimes.
I dont think anything is wrong with changing some behaviors..... others can be left alone...
I love my son for who he is and I don't want to change him, I just want to make sure that as he gets older he does not stick out as much and that he can be independent, I want people to treat him like I do ( if this were a perfect world- which we all know it is not; I would not worry so much)....
Michele

ladybug,
well, that is the problem with chats, one may read it one way and another a different. I thought that you were stating that I wanted to change my son into a "NT" .
Sorry.
Many aspies have problems with NT people- and some think that we NT parents want to change our kids to be more like ourselves....
(at least alot of the aspies I have talked to)
I don't.
I think my son is amazing, the things he can remember (of course, no importance to anyone but him) like were every train in the city is, or how to get to somewhere; directions.... he is amazing,
I just wish more people could accept and see him the same way I do.
Michele

No

I've made two NT friends join...

Well, I'm NT and I understand your point.

I try to make it very clear that I am not autistic so my position is not misconstrued, and the time I spend in the General Autism Discussion is spent talking about subjects that do not require the insight of actually having autism. That is, I am interested in AS and it's possible causes and feel free to discuss it, but I would not, for example, post in threads that specifically require AS input based on experience with the condition. I participate in Autism discussion related to, say, thimerosol's supposed role in causing autism, but I wouldn't post a thread about aspie's difficulties with school or relationships.

My bfs an NT and hes on this site, just posted something today in fact. NTs are very welcome here, actually anybody is welcome here, doesnt matter the disability or not.

_________________
Being Normal Is Vastly Overrated

I find the whole premise ridiculous. I will give an example as to why I find it silly:

If a person is interested in American Muscle Cars but owns a Toyota, is he/she not allowed to join that forum or rather any fora catering to vehicles?

For a people who claim to be accepting and unprejudiced, there seems to be alot of NT apartheid going on here.