Does anybody hate how we're mentally challenged?

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MjrMajorMajor
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13 Mar 2013, 12:37 pm

Sweetleaf wrote:

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


I do also, and by the time I've formulated an answer the conversation is miles away sometimes. I push myself to keep up with the flow sometimes, but that doesn't do me any favors. I had the best conversations with an old friend, who would actually give me those couple minutes for me to respond with no pressure. Not always, but there are many times where I can't find the words or I'm unable to express myself in a normal and succinct manner. Maybe it's a matter of severity, but I do feel mentally challenged in ways beyond strictly social.



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13 Mar 2013, 3:07 pm

I'm not mentally challenged, just a little socially awkward and smart.



MannyBoo
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14 Mar 2013, 12:40 am

Speak for yourself honey.



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14 Mar 2013, 2:18 am

Can you remember lots of facts and reiterate them? That's how you get more things that you can talk about.

I don't think I'm just slow. I do have some gifts, my focus and perseverance is one of them.


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TheRedPedant93
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07 Apr 2013, 1:15 pm

The high-functioning end of the spectrum doesn’t equate with intellectual disabilities (PC term for mentally handicapped or ret*d), as it definitively excludes anyone with that particular diagnostic classification. It is considered a developmental disability, and this form of diagnostic terminology includes autism and mental retardation as separate conditions; however, it is often misused as synonymous with intellectual disabilities.

A small percentage of people with Asperger's syndrome and HFA may also have a co-existent developmental disability, such as blindness, cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol syndrome, spina-bifida, and muscular dystrophy, which results in substantial functionality limitations (dependent on severity) such as self-care, mobility, independence, and economic self-sufficiency. Although by definition, a diagnosis of AS/HFA excludes the coexistence of mental retardation.

The autistic spectrum encompasses a highly diversified range of cognitive, intellectual and linguistic abilities that range from non-verbal and profoundly physically and intellectually disabled people with Classical autism (autistic disorder), whose social impairments are of one item amongst a multitude of severe medical problems, to the exceptionally gifted, articulate, and highly verbose individuals with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome who may or may not be prodigiously creative in their area of expertise. AS is distinguished from Classical autism by its normal or near normal preservation of intellectual, cognitive, and linguistic development, which is significantly hindered or impaired in low-functioning individuals diagnosed with autistic disorder. The ASD continuum occurs in all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.

People with ASD's may be considered "socially challenged" due to their inability to interpret social cues, non-verbal communication, and demonstrate a sufficient level of what's termed "social reciprocity" (which I lack considerably). In an exemplified case of these inabilities, someone with a privileged social status may negatively stereotype or act with prejudice unfairly towards one with AS because his/her social behaviour may be perceived as non-compliant or that it is aberrant to the NT norm; nevertheless, every autistic adult is unique with regards to their own set of abilities.

It's important to distinguish the cognitive, sensory, linguistic, behavioral and adaptive profiles between more than at least a few individuals who may be formally assessed for a diagnosis at the high-functioning end of the spectrum, as that end maybe a "spectrum within a spectrum" itself. For example, an individual with a HFA diagnosis who holds a WAIS (Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence Scale) FSIQ score of 125, may perseveringly develop a normal adaptive-behavioral profile that is correspondent to a NT in adolescence, and will be able to function normally in a mainstream classroom with little support (due to good executive functioning skills); whereas, another individual with an official diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome who has a WAIS FSIQ of 188, which is classified within the range of “profound giftedness,” may be considered lower-functioning than the HFA individual because the individual with Asperger’s syndrome may have a much more predominant clinical profile of sensory sensitivities which effect his ability to learn and function independently without supports in place. In early adulthood, the same person may have developed a severe mental illness, which would therefore lead to a substantial impoverishment of his/her adaptive behavioral capacity, which may now be equivalent to that of a 10 year old and may be considered a mandate for social and independence support in the developmental services sector (provides qualitative support services for those with mental retardation and developmental disabilities), irrespective of the AS individual's exceptionally high intellectual quotient (IQ).

You can’t necessarily presume one’s intelligence by the eloquence of their expressive speech either. For instance, if one person with AS had his cognitive abilities assessed by a clinical psychologist (based on a self-administered WAIS test), the results that are presented may signify a statistically significant discrepancy between his VIQ and PIQ, such as having a VIQ (Verbal Comprehension & Working Memory sub-tests) of 145, which is precisely + 3 standard deviations (SD) above the mean FSIQ, and a PIQ (Perceptual Organization & Processing Speed sub-tests) of 62, which is approximately - 2 & half standard deviations below the mean FSIQ. This person may have an advanced vocabulary as-well as being grandiloquently expressive in one’s speech, but has a very slow processing speed and substantially lacks the ability to carry out tasks requiring adequate visualization-spatial abilities. This form of discrepancy may be indicative of a nonverbal learning disorder (NLD), and this cognitive profile associated with higher verbosity skills and lower motor, visual-spatial skills may be of presence in a moderate proportion of individuals diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
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Last edited by TheRedPedant93 on 07 Apr 2013, 4:53 pm, edited 4 times in total.

androbot2084
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07 Apr 2013, 1:32 pm

Autistics think in a manual mode but neurotypicals think automatically.



ThetaIn3D
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07 Apr 2013, 5:49 pm

I have things happen socially that make me feel momentarily stupid,

But I know I'm not in any way stupid.

I think of my brain as being "glitchy" and under stress, and quirky and always trying to find something to occupy itself with. Whenever I have trouble processing something, I feel like I'm having an acute "traffic-jam" of thoughts that will soon clear up.

I feel like I'm demonstrably not slow, ret*d, mentally ill, developmentally-delayed, brain-damaged or anything like that, and I think it's a mistake to think of me that way.

All the parts of my mind and brain are there for me to use, and they're all healthy, and I know how to function with them in such a way that I work around my trouble-spots. True, the social part doesn't perform spectacularly, but not much gets by me. My brain just does some funny stuff in addition to everything else. :P



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07 Apr 2013, 5:53 pm

alakazaam wrote:
Autism/aspergers is a just another term for being mentally challenged/slow. That's why we're all socially ret*d. You can always tell how smart somebody is by their speech. I always feel like I don't have much to talk about. I can talk about something simple like how my day was. Here and there Ill add a joke once in a blue moon. I don't know how to use my imagination or use my creativity. I get lost when people start talking about those things. I feel like I am another mentally challenged person. Anybody else feel this?

Yes, it sucks so much :(



ThetaIn3D
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07 Apr 2013, 6:02 pm

TheRedPedant93 wrote:
The high-functioning end of the spectrum doesn’t equate with intellectual disabilities ... encompasses a highly diversified range of cognitive, intellectual and linguistic abilities that range ... to the exceptionally gifted, articulate, and highly verbose individuals with ... Asperger's syndrome ... normal or near normal preservation of intellectual, cognitive, and linguistic development.

People with ASD's may be considered "socially challenged" due to their inability to ... demonstrate a sufficient level of what's termed "social reciprocity". ... every autistic adult is unique with regards to their own set of abilities.


Thank you!! :thumleft: :salut:



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07 Apr 2013, 6:03 pm

Skilpadde wrote:
alakazaam wrote:
Autism/aspergers is a just another term for being mentally challenged/slow. That's why we're all socially ret*d. You can always tell how smart somebody is by their speech. I always feel like I don't have much to talk about. I don't know how to use my imagination or use my creativity. I get lost when people start talking about those things. I feel like I am another mentally challenged person. Anybody else feel this?


Aspies can't be mentally challenged because we have normal or higher IQ. The very definition of mentally challenged is having low IQ.


According to the psychological test -made by profesional psychologist -my full scale IQ is 82. Does that mean that I´m actually not an aspie?

On the other hand, many people tell me how smart and inteligent I am. Is it possible that the result was mistaken? I read somewhere that it´s common for aspies to have mistaken results in IQ tests, even if they are made by professionals, since cognitive skills of us not equable. According to the psychologist, my skills are not equable and varies from retardation to above average.



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07 Apr 2013, 6:15 pm

androbot2084 wrote:
Autistics think in a manual mode but neurotypicals think automatically.


Very true.

Autistic people have to participate in the world consciously, while neurotypical people participate automatically.

The world we live in is designed for survival and the autistic brain is not wired to do that very efficiently. It's much better at doing some special tasks (art, music, mathematics, programming, memory, facts, design, etc.), and it does that a lot better than the brain of neurotypicals.

But the neurotypical brain is wired to handle the survival skills needed in this world. Having Aspergers the only work-around is to use the intellect and develop coping techniques, there is no auto-pilot.



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07 Apr 2013, 8:35 pm

To a point yes. But even people with "severe" difficulties are good at something, can be positive to others.


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Last edited by Lumi on 07 Apr 2013, 9:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Mirror21
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07 Apr 2013, 8:53 pm

alakazaam wrote:
Autism/aspergers is a just another term for being mentally challenged/slow. That's why we're all socially ret*d. You can always tell how smart somebody is by their speech. I always feel like I don't have much to talk about. I can talk about something simple like how my day was. Here and there Ill add a joke once in a blue moon. I don't know how to use my imagination or use my creativity. I get lost when people start talking about those things. I feel like I am another mentally challenged person. Anybody else feel this?


I am above average intelligence and I had a doctor say after two meetings that I displayed below-average intelligence.



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07 Apr 2013, 9:33 pm

I'd rather be Mentally Challenged than dead.


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07 Apr 2013, 10:31 pm

I am physically slow. My poor bilateral co-ordination seems to be the cause of this. I do things more slowly.


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10 Apr 2013, 12:50 am

alakazaam wrote:
Autism/aspergers is a just another term for being mentally challenged/slow. That's why we're all socially ret*d. You can always tell how smart somebody is by their speech. I always feel like I don't have much to talk about. I can talk about something simple like how my day was. Here and there Ill add a joke once in a blue moon. I don't know how to use my imagination or use my creativity. I get lost when people start talking about those things. I feel like I am another mentally challenged person. Anybody else feel this?


No way.
Tonight I was taught that bread has capillaries (what did he say??) and that if mayo is spread just right and faced down, (something to do with gravity) that the bread stays fresher longer on the sandwich. Ok, I admit the only thing I learned was where to put the mayo but he totally has some scientific explanation for it. And this is not even close to any of his interests.
Only thing "slow" there is him taking 9 years to correct me on how I make his lunch, but hey, I never asked. :D