2 Types of people with Aspergers...

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Two types of Aspergers... two types of autistic ppl. I thought we left that behind us with the new DSM-5, but there will be propably always ppl who want to split up disorders even further.
In my cases I've "just" autistic tendencies, but also Tourettes, ADHD, recurrent depression and I'm also Transgender.
If I would have to group me in anything, I even wouldn't know witch disorder to choose as "main disorder".

Don't feel too bad. I have most of those skills you listed that you wished you had and I still have no career because of my aspergers.

The social parts of a job are the biggest problem for me. But for me it's not that 95% of my energy goes into the social stuff. I have other issues that are problematic and take up quite a lot of energy. But I can usually compensate for those things if I am left alone.

First off background noise can be very distracting for me, but (unless it is really obnoxious, like two radios playing two different stations) I can usually get in a zone where I just tune out the noise if I don't have to interact with people. But as soon as someone speaks to me, the flood of noise rushes back in, and I have really concentrate to distinguish the sound of their voice from the other sounds around me. That really slows me down.

The other thing is my working memory is terrible. If I have to concentrate on remembering something, say for instance while I am walking from one end of a building to the other, or going out to my car for something, I will most likely blank out at least once and forget what it is I am doing. If I can talk myself through it in my head, it may take me a minute but I will remember. However if I run into someone along the way and start talking to them, I won't remember anything. When I was in school I couldn't talk to anyone in the hallways between classes because I would forget what class I was going to, I would even forget what day it was.

Those two things are specific to my ADHD, but I can deal with those things if I don't have to do much social interaction. The problem is, I have to put so much energy into just being able to concentrate on the task at hand, I don't have any much left over to deal with the social aspects of the job. So it's almost more like it's the other way around, like I have to put 95% of my energy into just trying to do the job, and I only have 5% left over to handle the social part.

And it's like I NEEDED the 95% to do the social stuff but I don't have it, I only have 5%. For other people 5% might be all they need, and they can have social conversations while they are working but I can't multitask that way. So it's the social stuff that really puts me over the limit. I tend to just space out and sort of go on auto-pilot and feel like I don't really know what's going on. I just try to get through it the best I can, say the things I think I am supposed to say and get it over with.

Later when I get off work (or when I get home after any kind of social interaction) is I still have to process what happened, because at the time I only had 5% of my resources available for it and I still have to catch up. I have a delayed reaction to social things and I am very slow to process. So when I want to do other things on my own time, instead I am still trying to figure out what happened at work, why did this person say that to me, how was I supposed to respond, etc. It's kind of like I am shell shocked.

Where did WA5p go? He started this thread.

In case you haven't noticed, WA5p, I want to encourage you to fight your AS tendencies and seek out people who can help you move forward with your life. AS is not a death sentence. It's a challenge that you can rise above. Sure, you'll always be disabled, but you can learn to speak and live in the language of this planet.

I'm optimistic in your case because I did it, and when I was evaluated the doctor basically said to me, "Your AS is so severe, it's a miracle you're not in an institution."

Yep. It's because I fought like hell. You can, too.

^ I'm still here....

I'm in community college classes right now, which are going OK... The History class I am in is ridiculously easy for me, but the Science class I am in is dumbfoundingly hard. It kind of sucks for me as I feel like there is no "healthy middle ground" where I can feel like I am actually learning. I find the History class so easy and elementary that I am not really getting anything out of it. The Science is beyond my level of processing, and I feel like I'm "going through the motions" there and memorizing terms without really understanding.

When I was in earlier math and science classes, my confusion was so bad that I literally felt like the teacher was talking in Arabic as she was giving the class. My ability is just not there to make sense of numbers and equations. I do so well with words and narratives. For what good it does me, however, a math class might as well be taught in a foreign language. I think most things in life are just "beyond me," the way that most concepts in general are beyond a mentally ret*d individual.

We will see, I guess. Honestly, I've kind of given up any dreams of being "successful." In my opinion, even if I WAS a History Professor or an English Professor, I could not do all of the auxilliary things needed to succeed.... (speak it a podium, have PTAs, etc).... I can barely even talk without stuttering. Most people think I am ret*d when they actually talk to me.

Someone else made the point about the military earlier. Yeah, the military was absolutely awful for me. There were about 1001 reasons why this was so. I will try and hit on a few big ones.....


Most MOSs in the military put a huge emphasis on learning a technical skill and how to work on a vehicle. I was screwed as my motor vehicle skills are disastrous. I was dumped off in a unit and expected to immediatey perform (preventative maintenance checks and services) with almost no training. As I had no intuition, pretty much everyone else in my unit was ready to lynch me for not "keeping proper care of the vehicle."...... I was also a disaster with firearms and felt overwhelmed by carrying around a weapon. I once had a "negligent discharge" that almost got charges brought against me..... this was not because I was being negligent, but because I was an inept fumbler with the firearm and accidenaltly left a round in the barrel.

Another thing with the military is also the intense "social code of brotherhood" that you have to stick to at all times. You also have to generally be good at "getting in good" with your unit and playing the social game. You also have to be able to live in close-quarters and live on someone else's routine. If you struggle with things like personal hygiene, or you have odd personal habits, this is likely to be a problem. In the Army, you are also expected to generally "act normal" at all times, and if you are a bit of a dweeb, you are likely to get put upon.

I found most of the Army to be overwhelmingly technical and social, which was a big problem for me as those are the two main areas in which I struggle. In the army, the only thing I was good at was physical fitness. The Army also intentionally stresses you out to keep you "on your toes," and life doesn't really settle into a routine after Basic Training. There are all sorts of random details, deployments, and general bullshit-events that pop up. It is more than I can explain briefly but I think it is a generally bad place for someone with Aspergers....

Also, I think most of the high points of Army life...... (drinking, partying, strip-clubs, socializing,) were not things that really appealed to me. It was kind of a general disaster and not an occupation I was suited for. I only joined the Army as a "last resort" because I had failed in several previous jobs after High School and my life was unfolding in disaster.

Well, if it's any consolation to you, I was where you are. I couldn't speak in front of any group, large or small 25 years ago. I'd get nervous and my heart would pound even a week before I had to do it for classes and so on. Sometimes my thoughts would come faster than my words, so I would stutter and sound on occasion very disabled. I had speech therapy for stuttering. I actually once hid in the school to avoid a speech class because I was so scared. Eventually a teacher found me back behind a corner of the bleachers and I broke down crying.
Now I'm in a job where I speak in public every day, and on weekends usually two times to about 800 people at a time. I don't even get nervous and I don't stutter. I got to this point through "exposure therapy." First I forced myself to do radio in college. Then some silly meetings like ALANON. After ten years I was beginning to do okay. I think that if I could do it anyone would be able to. I think you could do it.

Sorry. Thought this was the thread that broke down the difference between autistics preferring dark chocolate and those who are milk chocolate lovers. [milk chocolate here]

I think I have a similar problem because I've always had trouble when someone tries to teach me something new, especially if it's something hands on.
I was in a vet tech program last semester and I struggled with it a lot because when the professors would try to explain how to do something I had a lot of trouble processing what they where saying to me.
It also takes longer for me to do something without it being awkward. When I have classes I usually really struggle in labs, but then I would usually do good in the lecture part of the class.
I wasn't really sure before if that problem was a part of having AS or not.

Last edited by slw1990 on 09 Feb 2014, 1:25 am, edited 2 times in total.

I was only half-way through the OP when I realised where it was all going. You're so right. People have expected me to write my own software programs and make millions of dollars.

I think there is third category: artists. I'm talking more about the visual type but it is very hard to get a job as an artist with years of training.

I like science because of, someone mentioned, the order. I have less than average math skills though. I like history too but have a bad memory for getting the names and dates in order.

I suppose these days I am more of a writer and artist. I've still not been able to find paid work yet. I have recognized skills in both areas, probably more on the artist side. I'm a photographer who volunteers for a website. Recently I got asked to write guest blog for a website so I hope that will open up new writing opportunities for me.