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quaker
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07 Feb 2013, 2:28 am

As the autistic spectrum is so huge, so wide and so diverse. I was curious how many people here feel their needs are not being met here because although their autism makes life a challenge, they are more able to integrate and adapt into society.

I am curious as to where these people go for support, or connection?

It was watching daryl hannah on YouTube talking of being in the autistic spectrum that got me thinking of this.

The 'mild' issue is complex. I know a good friend of mine who thinks she is mild, she thinks she can appear very NT, yet I observe others seeing her as 'affected' awkward etc. Perceptions are complex.

I would particularly welcome responses from people who feel 'mild' or too 'NT' for the autism community / support groups and too ASD for the 'NT' world.



EstherJ
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07 Feb 2013, 2:39 am

I feel more severe than mere acquaintances say I am, but those who know me more know that I am more severe than I look at first glance.

I'm not too mild for WP - but people I know would be surprised if they knew I felt that way.



redrobin62
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07 Feb 2013, 2:40 am

<--- Mild aspie caught somewhere between the NT's and the Auties. Would probably do just fine in an aspie meetup group but he doesn't have the guts to leave his comfort zone for an hour or two.



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07 Feb 2013, 2:44 am

I personally exhibit very little signs of aspergers. As a matter of fact my girlfriend's parents say I'm hands down the most "normal" boyfriend their daughter has had. Even psychologists disagree on whether I should be considered aspie or not (great eye contact but not a lot of empathy...or so they think) A lot of people have different perceptions of themselves though.I think I look clumsy when I'm inline skating, my girlfriend says I am one of the fastest out there (and I am...I know that for a fact) and that my technique looks fine. I'm not self conscious about my running (I ran really slow till I was 12, then I became an absolute speed demon) but now people say I run funny....but they're always behind me. Some people think they are nice but they are complete a-holes.

I love who I am though, I may not have my needs met by society because I don't like having 90 million friends who I don't ever talk to and I may not have my needs met by *SOME* of my aspie peers but the fact is I do find that when other aspies aren't being dramatic they are by far more intellectually stimulating and supportive than the rest of the world. Really being "mild" is as awesome as life gets in my book cause I have all the advantages of the logical mind without the obviously crippling social inability.



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07 Feb 2013, 2:50 am

quaker wrote:
As the autistic spectrum is so huge, so wide and so diverse. I was curious how many people here feel their needs are not being met here because although their autism makes life a challenge, they are more able to integrate and adapt into society.

I am curious as to where these people go for support, or connection?

It was watching daryl hannah on YouTube talking of being in the autistic spectrum that got me thinking of this.

The 'mild' issue is complex. I know a good friend of mine who thinks she is mild, she thinks she can appear very NT, yet I observe others seeing her as 'affected' awkward etc. Perceptions are complex.

I would particularly welcome responses from people who feel 'mild' or too 'NT' for the autism community / support groups and too ASD for the 'NT' world.

I feel my problems are a lot less severe than those of many here, but worse than a few. It's not that I feel I fit in so much as I have a great respect for the existence of the site to begin with. I find that I feel as misunderstood here as I do anywhere else, but it's okay, because I think everyone here feels that to some degree AND that most people here sympathise with that feeling, having felt it most of their lives. Whereas in other venues, there are a lot fewer people who can identify with that feeling of not fitting in.


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FishStickNick
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07 Feb 2013, 2:51 am

I'm "mild" insofar as I can pass for "normal" for the most part and hold down a job, though I did have a coworker say to my boss that she wondered if I was autistic, so I might not always seem as normal as I think I do. I come across as "geeky" and "shy" in real life, it seems. I feel like I do some things really well, but struggle with some relatively basic tasks, especially at work.

I don't feel "too mild" for WP; I may not be as severely affected as some (or at least I don't think I am), but I can relate to the experiences of others here.

My support network consists of a small core of friends, coworkers, and family members that I feel like I can discuss almost anything with. I've considered going to a local AS meetup, but haven't worked up the courage to do so. I'm relatively new to the ASD community--I realized I may have AS less than a year ago--but I was surprised as how relatively few resources exist for adults on the spectrum.



Dillogic
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07 Feb 2013, 2:55 am

quaker wrote:
... feel their needs are not being met here ... .


What exactly are these "needs" you speak of?

What, a place where people don't talk about symptoms of autism?

Wrong forum there, dude.



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07 Feb 2013, 2:56 am

I guess someone on the outside looking in might reach that conclusion. I am by no means intellectually challenged but I am socially (maybe I've just reached a point where I say F#^* It; I don't care what people think about me socially) I have a college degree and I have had the same job for 13+ years. Although I may feel I have "mild" Aspergers and can function quite well,
people still view me as a ret*d because of my social limitations. They don't take my intellectual abilities into consideration at all.



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07 Feb 2013, 2:57 am

I am quite able to integrate myself into society, yet I enjoy being here.

WP is a great opportunity to learn. By learning from others, I also get to understand myself better. I learn more about dealing with my weaknesses and making the most out of my strengths :D


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Ai_Ling
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07 Feb 2013, 3:31 am

I dont feel too mild. We all have a range of function and different strengths and weaknesses. I suppose I'm pretty normal until you realize that I dont say much. There seems to be some NTs that post a lot on here as well so. I think the only thing I dont like about the mildness is the high expectations people have of me. I get scard of letting people down socially.



Paulie_C
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07 Feb 2013, 3:32 am

redrobin62 wrote:
<--- Mild aspie caught somewhere between the NT's and the Auties. Would probably do just fine in an aspie meetup group but he doesn't have the guts to leave his comfort zone for an hour or two.


Snap.
I'm like a socially awkward Dime Bar; autistic on the inside and 'normal' on the outside. As a result people expect me to be as normal as they are, yet I'm crippled by fear and struggle to be as social as others. but I don't come off as 'autistic enough' to get any help. Perhaps I just need someone to give me a rock hard slap.



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07 Feb 2013, 3:32 am

When I read other people's posts about their struggles, I feel maybe mine is rather mild. When I read those posts mentioning their friends, marriage etc, I feel my case is pretty serious because I have very few people around. Although many people around me seem to think I'm a freak because of my exterme social awkwardness, I still feel I'm rather normal. So I don't really know where I stand in this community.

Even on WP I feel I'm kind of left out. Other people's posts sound very confident. They seem to be communicating and connecting well with each other through their posts. Maybe that means I'm not that mild.

I don't have any support. Once in a while I go out with friends for dinner/lunch/coffee. That's pretty much all personal contacts that I have.



quaker
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07 Feb 2013, 4:25 am

Thank you everyone so far. I really value everyones
thoughts.

Hello Dillogic. By needs in my OP I mean the human
desire to connect and identify with other human beings.



Stalk
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07 Feb 2013, 4:38 am

I've read the book Asperger Syndrome and Long-Term Relationships. It gives a list of traits and walks through them. I ticked all the check boxes. It is written from the perspective of a NT and with a positive tone to it. I'm reading it because I wanted to reverse engineer my own behaviour, to understand what I appear to other people or potential relationship partners as. When I tell people I have it, they would reply by saying you are placing a label on yourself and there for limiting yourself. I see it as a way to see what is missing and work on those skills. Even if I have to fake it until I believe I become it. I feel sometimes mild compared to what I read on here, but now and again I find a little treasure of self help. You have to dig a bit deep to find it.



eric76
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07 Feb 2013, 5:02 am

Much of the time I think that I don't have any form of Autism at all. The rest of the time I think it is quite likely.



League_Girl
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07 Feb 2013, 5:10 am

I feel too mild to even have an ASD but yet I know I have something. But my husband is sure I have it and thinks it doesn't matter. He says I am until they say I'm not anymore, doctors he means.


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