Does anybody hate how we're mentally challenged?

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Goldfish- You must be extremely high functioning if you speak quickly and such. I can't even orally express a event in my life due to speech difficulties. I find it hard finding the right word and I stutter.

Meh... I would say it's more than a "social delay" it's not like we're just socially immature and we need to get caught up because even children can pick up on social cues no problem. Social skills and empathy don't depend on mental maturity they're generally inborn pretty much. Asperger's is more like a non verbal learning disability (Definitely wouldn't compare it to retardation) that only interferes with how we read and interpret other peoples actions.

And ease off on that formal vocabulary. Seriously, it's like flauting your intelligence in everybody's face and sometimes that can make you come off as a snob or an elitist. It's just like those rich people that flaunt their wealth; flashing their Rolex and Loius Vuitton trying to make us "middle class folk" feel bad and put us in our place.

People like down to earth people that don't put on airs or act like their hot important sh*t. Just be relaxed.

and odd prosody? maybe what you're hearing is your Canadian accent lol. I live in Canada too, a lot of Canadians definitely have that tripped out way of speaking.. "canadian raising" as it's called with a weird prosody.

One, gross generalization. I for one have plenty to talk about, covering any one of my special interests that I've ever had. I'm even learning to make small talk.

Two, you can't always tell how smart someone is by how they speak. Plenty of people can wow a crowd, but don't know their left from right. What people with Asperger's are is socially challenged. There's a difference.

As for imagination, do you draw? or write? Do you have something that you do whether its as basic as finger-drumming on the table or as advanced as music composition? That's expressing your creativity. I like punning. I write sometimes. Nothing amazing, I assure you, but it makes me feel better. Your special interests are an expression of yourself. Pretty much, everything anyone does is expressing themselves. Don't worry too much about it.

And look at it this way: Only a fool talks more than he/she listens. We have two ears and one mouth. Take the hint. Maybe not having as much to talk about is a gift, because once you stop trying to make yourself heard, you can better hear what others are trying to say.

Eh, that's what I got. Cut me some slack, it's early.

I agree. We have some functional defects.

Although I know I am intellectually very capable in certain ways, such as in numbers and logic mostly, it's very hard to make others see that. Some quick-to-judge people simply dismiss me as not worth listening to. However, those who give me a chance do get to see my abilities. Some people have acknowledged that my work quality is outstanding and my explanations of practical/logical matters are far better than others'.

I still feel rather "disabled" though. I don't feel equal to those around my age. Compared with them I feel like a child. In general I'm very ignorant though I excel others in certain specific ways. I don't know much about local/world politics, how economy works, how the world works, how to deal with practical life matters, such as relationships with people in general, how to purchase a property, how to interact on equal terms with peer men etc. I can't even drive. I'm certainly affected in many ways by my "disability".

Correct. It's more of a social impairment than delay, my mistake.

My vocabulary and word usage is what it is and comes completely naturally to me. It's not intended to offend anyone. I type the way I speak. Why should I have to make a conscious effort to "dumb down," my vocabulary instead of just being myself? Why take offence to someone using proper words for things? We're all different - you just be relaxed.

Yes, odd prosody. Normal for me and many aspies, but odd compared to NT voices. You've not heard of this trait? Apparently it's unique to us. It's caused by the flow of words being recalled from various memory storage locations in the braind and assembled as a sentences not conforming to NT norms, so speech comes out with a bit of a choppy-singsongy prosody that's unique to aspies. I've had my speech pattern described to me by an NT, and can now recognize it when I speak as well as recognize it when I hear other aspies w/ this trait speak. Sometimes it's not so obvious, sometimes it's very obvious.

"All my words for the world to see, makes them think they know a piece of me." ~me

I wouldn't say we are ret*d. I have always looked at it as quality over quantity, when I have something to say I do I just don't most of the time because I can not find the words.

I can lie just fine, but I only do if it will really help the situation...I don't lie to hurt anyone but complete honesty with everyone all the time would not work in my life. Sometimes not talking about stuff and being a bit un-truthful is the way to go, if you're in my family as it might prevent drama.

i can not feel pride or shame.

There is equal reason to say that NT are socially ret*d. Read this WP post for an example of what I mean --> Offending people...

Looking at things objectively, we do have difficulties that NTs do not have. However many of us also have strengths that NTs lack. I usually take this view and acknowledge my difficulties while focusing on my strenghs. However there are times that I feel I can't do anything right and get in a very low mood. This is usually after making some sort of mistake or having some great difficulty that NTs take for granted. I am more likely to have this view when sick, tired or for some reason stressed. I have a love hate relationship with my brain. I love my abilities and would not trade them to get rid of my difficulties. However, I hate that there are some things that NTs do with ease that I struggle with. I don't want to become a socially talented extrovert but it would be nice to handle a grocery store for more than 30 minutes without getting stressed.

I think there needs to be a good balance. I don't believe that Aspies/HFA are superior to others or just mentally challenged. I believe we have a unique set of abilities and difficulties. That the difficulties should be acknowledged, and that we should pursue anything that could genuinely help us with them. On the other hand, we should recognize our abilities. Even if our talents are of no use in a social setting we should still set aside time to pursue and develop these abilities.

This is wrong on many levels.

Firstly, autism spectrum people are found at every level of intelligence, from profoundly MR to profoundly gifted. It's not a low IQ, it's certain specific weaknesses that define autism. The very definition of autism requires that their social skills be poorer than would be expected for their IQ. You could have an IQ of 20 and not be autistic if your social skills are at the same level as your cognitive skills.

Secondly, you can't tell how smart someone is by their speech. A lot of people think you can, but they're wrong. While most NTs (and many MRs) have speech skills similar to other cognitive abilities, about two-thirds of autistics would be misjudged by that measure.

Skill scatter is universal in the autism spectrum. No autistic person has skills that are all readily predicted by their IQ - they all have some peaks and/or valleys in ability. (Even if, like some LFA, all their skills are delayed, they'll be delayed to different degrees).

And not all autistics have poor speech skills, either. The two-thirds whose speech skills don't match their overall cognitive ability are evenly split between speech as a strength (NVLD-type) and speech as a weakness (visuospatial type).

I am socially challenged because I don't perceive social cues. This is like someone being visually challenged because they're color blind.

Anyone who believes that ASDs are a form of mental retardation is either trolling or sincerely ignorant of the reality of ASDs.

You can't assume that. Some people with the NVLD type learning style can speak quite well but have fairly severe nonverbal difficulties. I heard of one guy who used full sentences at 18 months but couldn't tie his shoes even as an adult.

Well.....it makes me feel ret*d when people start imitating/mocking me or making exaggerated faces at me and laughing their asses off because I don't pick up on subtle social clues.

I get sick both of having it assumed that I'm generally slow (I'm not, I have a high IQ, near perfect SAT & GRE, etc.) or that I am capable of everything because I'm "smart".

I wish people would get it right. Ability in calculus or physics is no help whatsoever when it comes to saying the right thing or keeping up with social banter and politics, and being unable to do the latter doesn't mean I need to be treated as "special" intellectually (or, in my case, creatively either). It seems as though it is impossible for NTs to understand this, and they assume you must be generally stupid or else that you are just faking the social difficulties. It isn't so hard for them to understand that a visually impaired person isn't stupid (although sometimes they do even that!)

We are impaired in our social "vision". We are socially "blind". Maybe they can understand that? I don't know.

I spend a lot of time feeling like I generally don't get it, whatever it is, but I suppose mostly social type situations or situations involving people in general. So it makes me feel rather mentally challenged and its not uncommon people try to treat me like a kid, because they can't take me seriously at all or they think since I seem to have mental differences that must mean I have the intellectual abilities of a child or something.

I also process things slowly so I suppose that doesn't help matters as I am rather slow to respond.