glider18's Wonderful World of Autism

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Hi Dustintorch---yes it was me. If I get intensely interested in an instrument, I can play it very good within a week. I don't know, it's just like I get so obsessed with the instrument that it's like it becomes part of me. Then, it's like some instinct pops up and I am able to play them and know what to do with them. I had my gifted class watch Steven Wiltshire paint (on a youtube video). We were amazed.

I haven't been to Cedar Point in several years, but yes, I have been there a few times. I believe the Kingda Ka at 6 Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey at 456 feet tall is now the tallest and fastest, it goes 128 mph.

Hi ghfreak13579---That is a wonderful savant skill/talent with the dates. I am so happy that you see autism as a special gift too. That is such a healthy attitude.

I look forward to seeing more of your posts on this wonderful topic.

Wow, thanks outlier!- and everyone else!- for the positive feedback about the recent posts.

Well, in any case, I am NOT a savant...not by any means. Too bad. I always felt like I had to work doubly hard in my life to accomplish anything, whereas it seemed so easy for other people...maybe I´m wrong about this, maybe it´s just my perception. In fact, throughout much of my life I was convinced I was stupid, and I made a great effort to hide it and fake it and pretend that I knew what was going on. Well, at least one thing....I think I became a master BS artist!

I mentioned earlier that I have an interest in spirituality, and if I have any natural talent at all, it is probably a sensitivity to "other phenomena" that most people don´t normally perceive...(and I only perceive it sometimes, I never really learned how to cultivate this talent, so when it happens, it happens out of the blue). I read on a website of an AS person that it was believed that in the past, it was possible that autistic people may have been the shamans or mystics of certain cultures. I find this idea intriguing, and I wonder if it´s the other side of savantism- (is that even a word, savantism?) William Stillman sort of touched on this idea too, in his books about autism and spirituality.

Anyway, the brain is fascinating, isn´t it? That´s also why I find savants interesting. I can´t believe there´s a thing called "Savant Syndrome", why is that a SYNDROME??? My, what a funny world we live in...

I doubt I am a savant, though I believe I have talents that are due in large part to hypersensitivity to sound as a kid. I've had absolute (i.e. "perfect") pitch as long as I can remember. Apparently it's far more common in autistics than the general population. I think it gave me an ear for music that most people had to work much harder at.

Sound "mimicry" comes really easily to me, especially on the fiddle. There are so many different fiddle styles out there, but I can reasonably switch back and forth between many of them and do it convincingly. Most people can't do this very well, or at all.

On an unrelated note... I don't really like the term "savant." It kind of has a precocious feel to it. They say that a common Aspie trait is to have a high opinion of yourself. While I guess that's true to a degree for me (you have to have some ego to be confident in yourself), I try to be extremely humble.

Morgana---we do live in a funny world indeed. It is amazing at how many syndromes I have learned about just by scanning through these WP forum pages. It seems like there is a syndrome for everything. I wonder if there is "Normal Person Syndrome"? Wow---wouldn't that be a rare condition---to be perfectly normal---whatever normal is supposed to be.

Your mention of spirituality intrigues me---with reference to "other phenomena". I may have to look into this William Stillman---sounds like interesting reading. I wish I had been more appreciative when I met my autistic savant cousin around 30 years ago when he was released from the Athens (Ohio) psychiatric hospital. He died a few years ago at the age of 80. He was so much like the Rainman stereotype. And it is neat that we share this autism gene in the family. My father has a savant like skill for multiplying 4-digit numbers in his head faster than can be done on a calculator---but he doesn't really show autistic traits in my opinion. The autism gene is on my mother's side of the family. However, there are plenty of eccentricities on my father's side too---so who knows. Thanks for posting.

Fiddlerpianist---good to hear from you again. Everytime I see your name I see in my mind that video of you playing for the dance. That has to be a lot of fun. About the high opinion and confidence---I struggle with that. I even told my therapist that applause for my playing sort of embarasses me, but yet if I don't get applause I feel like I didn't do well. I am seen as humble too. Thanks for posting.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

My Autism is a blessing...though it came in disguise, initially.

Thank you TheDoctor82, I am glad you find autism as a blessing too. Your mention of it coming in disguise is intriguing. Would you care to elaborate?

Funny how that is, isn't it? I love to know that people appreciate my music, but I get really embarrassed when someone comes up to me and showers me with praise. I think it's probably the social uncomfortableness of strangers coming up to talk with me more than anything, but it does almost make for a love/hate relationship with it.

Because of my autism, I would not have been able to delve so carefully into life's mysteries and then to write a book about it! It is on it's way to be published.. right now it is going through the editing department but this is all pretty exciting. I am also incredibly detailed with my astrology readings (so I have been told by my clients) and it's because of the autism. And Morgana, I think you will like my book! Hopefully it will be out in print by either the end of the year or very early next year.

I'd be honored!

Due to Autism, I may have sh*t-poor social skills, but have found the world of socialization to be quite over-rated anyway, not to mention basically half of it being nothing more than deceitful rhetoric, with flawed reasonings to back it up.

I automatically turn off 99.99999999999999999999999999% of the opposite sex due to my Autism and its tendencies...but at the same time, it's certainly helped me "weed out" all the wrong ones; it wound up saving me time and money on the dating circuit that NTs otherwise don't really get to benefit from, as they spend more time playing the field. Another thing to consider is this: consider the divorce rate in the United States; it's above 50%

Chances are, my Autism helped me to avoid all the wrong ones that would've contributed to that statistic, because they were only interested in what was on the outside, whereas mine cared about who I am on the inside.

I own my own business, and my Autism helps me do hours of research that otherwise I would've surely cracked under the intense pressure of; it also gave me leadership capabilities I may not have otherwise had.

Because of my Autism, I came here...and found the 48 Laws of Power. Already being a fan of Ayn Rand, reading those Laws--and really taking it what "drives" society--got me to uncover my own newfound philosophy on life, which I'm still using, and enjoying every minute of; things make sense to me as they never have before, and I don't waste time getting into stupid political arguments because of it either.

Because of my Autism, I also have mind-blowing writing skills, which provide me the ability to write jaw-dropping essays, blogs, and even things for my website. They also help me join in very interesting discussions here.

In fact, those discussions are something else I enjoy about Autism. As I like to tell people "you haven't had a thorough discussion/debate until you've scoped out a debate between Autistic people". Reason being: I read a piece a while back here, discussing the belief in Jesus, and why some people believe he existed and others didn't. Let's just say the amazing thoroughness of both arguments--while still remaining civil--is something I can only experience with like-minded folks; I can't find that in the world of NTs..but I think you already know that.

Fiddlerpianist----------Interesting how we relate on this issue. You really nail me with the strangers that come up to talk---very awkward indeed. I often enjoy my private concerts in my home when I'm alone.

Lionesss----------Life's mysteries are fun to research. Congratulations on writing a book on it. I would like to read it when it comes out. I am still plugging away at a novel. Your interests sound very fascinating. Let us know when the book can be bought.

TheDoctor82----------Thank you for the response---very fascinating. Congratulations to you on owning your own business---no boss . Of course, I'm sure there are still concerns, but it sounds like you really enjoy yourself---that is so important. Your writing skills and debates with religion sound interesting. Thank you again for the great post.

Autism is not what makes you talented in those stuff (and we're excluding Savant Autism here).

You can be a non-autistic yet you can be talented in playing all these musical instruments.

You should rename this thread to : glider18's Wonderful World.

Autism doesn't make one's world wonderful.

Interesting. I don't know that I agree that, because of autism, I "automatically turn off 99.99999999999999999999999999% of the opposite sex." Whether it's due to autistic tendency or not, being on the "fringe" socially helped me put my priorities in the right place to find a true life partner. To me, she is the most incredible person in the world, and our love gets stronger every year.

I think it helps me too, in that way. With survival on a basic level. I've heard all kinds of horror stories people have had with others and since I am so aloof and don't need people that much, I stay out of these messes others get themselves into because they "have to have someone". I can't tell you how many times I have felt this sense of gratitude and also perplexity. Most of the time I wonder what it is in people that makes them put up with it. I can't even count how many times that question has silently filtered thru my mind which is why people do not come to me with their relationship problems. I had one friend who did that all the time and I began asking her that very question on a regular basis and she would end up getting angry at me when I wasn't the one causing her problems in the first place. I just don't get people.
I am the type of person that would rather be on my own than deal with them. I think if they were more like me they would be happier, they wouldn't be suffering thru this. I've told friends this and they get mad at me for it. I don't understand why they would get so annoyed over that because to me it's like second nature and I have no problems with it. But they do.

Of course you can be non-autistic yet be extremely talented.

Causation is really difficult to prove, of course. But people have their hunches. My hypersensitivity to aural stimulus (which could be argued is related to autism) certainly had a large role to play in my absolute pitch. Maybe this isn't true for everyone, but I know for a fact that, in my case, absolute pitch has been a huge advantage for me as a developing musician. Of course there are many other elements that contribute to becoming a good musician, but that is certainly a component.

At the end of the day, though, I am not a label; I am "just" me. Who knows what role autism ultimately played in the development of my personality?

I can't speak for the others here, but I am a savant in music because of autism. The intense narrow focus I have for certain musical instruments due to autism has created such a fascination (at the expense of social interaction) that it caused me to play those instruments. The love of the electronic organ was due to the narrow intense focus of all the knobs and controls (autism), otherwise, I would not have been interested in it---and therefore never played them. The same with dulcimers, harmonicas, synthesizers (talk about knobs), etc. So no, glider18's wonderful world of autism is the perfect name for this thread---because it began as my own personal testimony to the things that being autistic has done for me. And, I welcome others to see that intensity in their lives due to autism. And it is a great way to feel good about ourselves in a world that is socially confusing.

Often times, Asperger's launches in us the intense desire to research a mystery. I have practically shut out a huge part of what's around me today to work on a mystery in my life. Though not as bad at this today, I used to eat, sleep, and breathe roller coasters. The mere mention of my name became a synonym for roller coaster for those people around me. Today, as is typcial in Asperger's obsession, I have acquired a large amount of roller coaster "stuff." One such thing is a one of a kind original 1928 blueprint to a roller coaster that was never built. My recent obsession has been finding who the designer was since he/she did not sign it. Oh...it is a challenge, but it is fun trying to compare the way the numbers are drawn and analyzing it against other blueprints---handwriting analysis. I am studying the design elements and comparing/contrasting it to other coasters to find signature trademarks in the design style. A model of this mystery coaster resides on my work desk because it has become a part of me. But...this is fun. I will probably never get the answer to this mystery---but as long as it is a mystery, it will be fun.

I often feel like the Borg on Star Trek---I swallow up intense interests and they become a part of me. Resistance is futile .

Well...anyone else go on a mystery quest that was autistically fun? "Autistically"...hmmm...I guess that's a good word, because when I go on these quests---I shut the door and remain isolated socially and launch my intense narrow focusing beam and analyze minute details of these topics that have now assimilated into my very being.