I never understand.

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I'm not an Aspie, but I have a BIG Aspie problem. I'm a huge visual thinker. And I CAN NEVER UNDERSTAND ANYTHING UNLESS IT IS SHOWN TO ME. Never. NEVER. If someone gives me verbal instruction, I'm like a deer lost in the headlights. Wha? Huh? Who? It's like my brain avidly refuses to comprehend anything that isn't visual. No matter how much back I put into it, it's impossible. Written instructions, from how to tie your shoelaces all fancy to f*****g FOOD RECIPES, may as well be in another language. It makes me feel so inept.
My chemistry teacher was trying to explain electron configuration to me, and I didn't catch any of it. In one ear, out the other. When I asked her a question, she became infuriated, scolding me for not paying attention. Ugh. And now, I'm trying to do the homework for it, and it's incomprehensible. All of it. I've tried reading about it over the Internet, and I still just can't grasp it. I just want to know why this is. Why I can never get anything unless it's displayed in front of me. Does anyone else have this problem? Or am I just a moron?

Is your chemistry teacher an older person? The younger teachers I have had seem to realise that not everyone learns in the same way, although they still teach the way the majority of people know.
Can you find diagrams online? Or YouTube videos? I know one of my lecturers loves to use videos in class to demonstrate what we have learned. I assume some people gain better understanding through them or they wouldn't still be used. There are a wide variety of videos available so hopefully you will find something suitable.

Let's get this out of the way first: You're not a moron. I would argue that someone with a teaching credential who is not aware that people have different learning styles is the larger moron.

As I recall, we have the visual learners (movies, slides)--the "show me" people-- the "tell me" types, and the "let me figure it out" types.

I'm afraid I'm not as interested in education, so the knowledge is loose & dated. But here, I found this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJlEH5Jz80w

And if that's not exactly what you were after, poke around here a bit:
https://www.google.com/search?q=youtube ... +explained

Thank you all very much for your help. I'm trying to find YouTube videos but most of the time they're 10% stuff I need to know and 90% extra crap, so it's always a pain to find something that satisfies my classes' criteria. And I just don't have enough time to go shoveling through the Internet.

And to answer Kaede's question, yes, she is an older teacher. She stands in front of the class and drones for the full hour and a half. Think of your stereotypical, elderly, boring-as-hell college professor, and you've got it. I can never understand anything.

It just annoys me because I'm not just a "show me" learner. I'm a "show-me-every-facet-of-this-lesson-or-else-I-won't-understand-any-of-it" learner. Most people learn better visually, but they can still learn other ways. I can't.

I just wanted to know as to whether or not this is an Aspie thing. And if anyone else has it. I don't want to feel so outcast.

Common types of learning disabilities.

Dyslexia - Difficulty reading - Problems reading, writing, spelling, speaking

Dyscalculia - Difficulty with math - Problems doing math problems, understanding time, using money

Dysgraphia - Difficulty with writing - Problems with handwriting, spelling, organizing ideas

Dyspraxia (Sensory Integration Disorder) - Difficulty with fine motor skills - Problems with hand–eye coordination, balance, manual dexterity

Dysphasia/Aphasia - Difficulty with language - Problems understanding spoken language, poor reading comprehension

Auditory Processing Disorder - Difficulty hearing differences between sounds - Problems with reading, comprehension, language

Visual Processing Disorder - Difficulty interpreting visual information - Problems with reading, math, maps, charts, symbols, pictures

Other disorders that make learning difficult.

ADHD – Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), while not considered a learning disability, can certainly disrupt learning. Children with ADHD often have problems sitting still, staying focused, following instructions, staying organized, and completing homework.

Autism – Difficulty mastering certain academic skills can stem from pervasive developmental disorders such as autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Children with autism spectrum disorders may have trouble communicating, reading body language, learning basic skills, making friends, and making eye contact.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/learnin ... lities.htm

Not a learning disability, buddy, but thanks. Unfortunately, all of my problems can never be psychiatrically explained. That's why I came to this forum in the first place, but I don't meet the criteria for any disorder on the autism spectrum. It sucks, to be messed up, but not messed up enough to receive any explanation.

Check out Kahn Academy. Brilliant and all visual.

While I can't help you with the underlying issue, I might make a suggestion about a resource to help grasp the concept. This may sound strange, but that's why we're all here, right?

There's a series of books called The Cartoon Guide by Larry Gonick that do a pretty good job of explaining mathematical and scientific concepts visually. It might be worth looking at one of them to see if it helps.

Why does your profile say "have Aspergers-Diagnosed?"

I can't understand speechwise either, but written is OK, but visual is best, but needs to be still pictures, not videos, because I can't pay attention to videos for more than five seconds.

That's because when I was 10, some therapist I only saw once for 45 minutes said that I had it. I know that he has crededentials, but now that I'm older and know myself better, I'm 99.9% sure I don't have it.. But I forgot to go back to my profile and change it.

Isn't this some sort of auditory processing disorder? I have similar problems. Is it actually related to autism? Anybody can have it, right? My biggest problem is I can't understand speech if there's background noises. Small noises others don't notice sound loud and disruptive to me.

I can understand OK if the talking is not too long and I concentrate really hard. Most of the time I would like things written down or have someone else listening, though. I think we should be glad to live in today's world where everyone can write and there's so much info you can read by yourself. If I lived in an age where there's little to read and everything you know if spread by word of mouth and gossips I'd probably be very dumb.

It's not a disorder. Some people think they're so talented at explaining things that if you fail to grasp the word salad coming your way, they take offense. The problem is that usually the person explaining has forgotten, over the ten or twenty years they've known this information, how difficult it was for them to learn it in the first place.

If I can see things laid out visually, I can figure out a way to store that information in a way that is organized the way my mind organizes things. Some people use visual cues, like landmarks, or how the roads intersect, to put information together in a way that makes sense to them. A lot of people learn easier through visual representation. There's no shame in telling someone that's the easiest way for you to grasp a concept or understand information. When I'm driving, I want a map. If someone insists on giving me instructions, I want the simplest route, not the shortest.

If they still insist on complicated oral instructions, maybe it's better if they drive or if I stay home.