Why High Functioning Autism is So Challenging

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[quote=""People with high functioning autism are, in general, very aware of their own difficulties and extremely sensitive to others’ negative reactions."[/quote]

I don't think I have ever had a quote sum me up so well. Great article!

This. I also definitely feel this.

The points your niece made are accurate, but I would like to add one more. Because we are high functioning, people often think we are normal, but a little off, so they don't understand when we have problems, often with things that are not a problem for normal people. And some normal people get annoyed, or even angry when you try to explain, and they feel you aren't trying hard enough, or are letting something silly get to you.

Yes, exactly - and when I think: This must be AS, - the "impostor-syndrome" strikes back:
"I must learn. Others can".

brain good
Mouth good

Sometimes things go from brain to mouth as if they were right next to each other

Brain - actually there like neighbors.

Other times
Brain here's a thought Mmm

Brain here's another thought Nnnna I shouldn't say that

Na I shouldn't say that
Mouth - I'm saying that
Yss I just said it

Can I borrow this for a danish aspie thread?

Yes.

Thanks for asking.

In the world of bloggers, writers and comedians there are ethical people.

____\

Edit. The routine may join the puppet less Ventriloquist routines.

me also known as
Zvi --- "Reader and Righter"

My mother accuses me of being self absorbed and being in a rush of doing things. I have told her my mind is too focused and I can't do more than one thing at once and I have also told her I forget to do things because I am doing more than one thing. I get that parents want their kids to be normal and the closer you are to normal and the more normal you seem, the easier it is for your parents to see you as normal so they find excuses. But then Imposter syndrome kicks in again and I am thinking what if she is right and I just need to try harder? What if I am just bullshitting myself?

Getting involved in something and forgetting to do things is a big one with me. My mom will often remind me to do something while I'm at school. I go to school and perform the same normal routine, and then come home completely unaware that I was supposed to do something, until my mom asks me about it. While I'm at school, I'm thinking about school and what I'm studying in my classes, not some meeting I was supposed to have with someone or some form I was supposed to hand in to the office. I find that the old trick of tying a string to your finger as a reminder helps me a lot with this.

I often had this problem at my old job. I am at work and I am focused on my tasks and then I am told to do something when I am done with whatever I would be doing. But then I would often forget. I told my office clerk I needed reminders because I tend to forget and he wouldn't understand why I needed reminders. His excuse was he can't be reminding me because he is too busy. Uh how long does it take him to pick up his radio phone and to beep me and tell me to do something? It only takes like five seconds. Just ask me if I have done it yet and I will do it right now so I won't forget again. Even writing it down wouldn't have worked either because then I would forget to look at my notepad I have stashed in my pocket. This sort of behavior happens in more than one setting but it was more observant at work because he made a big deal about it and reminded me about this problem I had every time.

Now as a parent, I have to quit what I am doing to take care of my kids and I forget to do other things so I forgot about my son's messy underwear on our vacation and then someone tossed that underwear with the dirty clothes and that load got tossed in the washing machine and it stained the clothes. My mom had to work all day soaking them and then putting them in the washing machine again using dish soap as the last resort. My mom accused me of not thinking about others and I told her it was an accident because I had forgotten and I couldn't seem to do more than one thing at once and she said "No you are in a rush." That hurt a little because it felt like she was calling me a liar and saying I can do it but I just need to slow down and this won't happen. The other problem is transitions so I have to force myself to switch in between activities because of my children and I get forgetful because I am too focused on getting what I am doing now and trying to get it over with. So this problem is more noticeable again because I have kids. I get distracted so I forget.

My dad is the same way too, he will often forget and you have to remind him about it and he does it now. But he has ADHD.

This is a good discussion.

Please explain some what you mean by "impostor syndrome"? I am getting a vague idea from context but I haven't encountered this phrase before. I want to be sure I'm not making up an inaccurate definition of it based solely upon its use in this thread.

In this context, imposter syndrome just means thinking what if you are just normal and you don't really have a disability or it could mean what if you are just using autism as an excuse to not get better when you can overcome a issue you have and it has nothing to do with autism.

From my recent experiences, once you're over a certain age people expect you to "just be you". My mum's been putting the pressure on me to "grow up" by not doing the things that make me happy. I still feel young and I want to have fun. I want to do the things that make me super happy. It gets pretty ugly for both parties when my mum wants me to grow up and act my gender and I want to have fun with all of my favourite things. I'm taking a mental health break from my family right now.

THIS!
It takes a LONG time to alter that one.

sometimes i look back at very clear and specific memories of how i reacted to certain situations a year or two ago and i think to myself "only an autistic person would ever do that". and sometimes i look at all the abilities i have and all the issues i don't remember having ever had and i think to myself "no autistic person would ever be like this". it never stops... i'm used to it by now. i'm not normal, that much i know for sure

Yes, so do I. The ever ongoing discussion. Why is it so hard to believe, even though it is clear as daylight? Probably because we once learned, that we should pull ourself together, be like others and stop using excuses.
The conflict pops up any time, there is a collision.

Last edited by Jensen on 18 Jul 2016, 5:31 am, edited 1 time in total.