How did you get to this web site?

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Hi everyone,

I'm a NT with a recently diagnosed Aspie brother in his 30s. I have been checking out this site and am so encouraged by all the wonderful folks here talking about things that my brother and I talk about all the time. My brother is not really sure how to feel about his diagnosis, so I thought that talking to others will help him feel more at ease. My questions for all aspies who joined this website:

1.) How did you get here (to this web forum)?
2.) What are your experiences using the discussions, reading the articles and blogs? Are they helpful?
3.) Were your experiences on here overwhelming at first? Welcoming?
4.) How would you convince a fellow aspie to reach out and join this community?

Thanks, and I'm looking forward to your responses!

1. I don't remember how I got here. Probably through another AS website.
2. I like being able to talk to other Aspies online. But then again I like talking online in general and it helps that the other people here are mostly Aspies too.
3. Yes, it can be overwhelming, especially cause there are so many subforums and posts. I usually check out only a few boards when I come here because of that.
4. I wouldn't really convince anyone. I'd inform them that it existed and offer to help them around should they need guidance, but I think someone needs to fidn out if it works for themselves.

1.) How did you get here (to this web forum)? I was doing some reading on EQ-SQ Theory and happened to find this website because there was a topic discussing peoples scores.
2.) What are your experiences using the discussions, reading the articles and blogs? Are they helpful? For me personally, very helpful, up until I came to this site I had no real contact with other people diagnosed with ASDs other than my two brothers, as such it was nice to come here and meet other people and find out more about how the condition affects them.
3.) Were your experiences on here overwhelming at first? Welcoming? Welcoming, I read through the "YMBAAI" topic and found a lot of the responses to new posters friendly.
4.) How would you convince a fellow aspie to reach out and join this community? I would suggest that some of the topics here might be useful. I have a friend whos daughter is currently pending diagnosis so I linked her to the parent forum in the hope it might allow her some better understanding of her daughters behaviour and it might help her to talk to other parents.

Hopefully my answers will help you.

1) I came here through the link on the Asperger Article at Wikipedia about the time I was diagnosed. The very name of the site brought me instantly to tears, because I'd been saying exactly that thing all my life - that I was born onto the Wrong Planet.

2) Are the discussions helpful? Hmm...in terms of life advice? No. I trust my own judgment at least as well or better than, that of any stranger on the Internet (much love, my homies!). In terms of the emotional support one gleans from seeing that others are having the same experiences and encountering the same hurdles I've faced all my life - this place is invaluable...priceless.

There are many weeks that go by during which interacting in discussions here is the closest I come to actually socializing with another human being, with the possible exception of a random checkout clerk. Without that minimal interaction, the depression (especially in the dark winter months) would overwhelm me in a hurry. So in that sense, its helpful, yeah. My friends are here.

Its also a great way of keeping up with information on the disorder itself and how the Mental Health Care profession and the Media are viewing and/or portraying it to the rest of the world.

3)Its always been pretty friendly here. I've encountered a genuine jerk or two, but most don't stay for long (or the mods get rid of them and I just don't realize that's what happened), in any case they usually go away after a short while. There's the occasional spirited debate or heated argument, but the community here seems pretty good at policing itself and keeping things civil.

4) How would I get another Aspie to come here? Thats tricky, because I'm kinda funny about things like that myself and sometimes pushing an idea on me is the fastest way to get me to ignore or resist it. I have in fact recommended it to a couple of people and I don't think any of them have paid much attention. Fine with me, I might feel crowded if they decided to set up camp here anyway.

1. I googled "gay Aspergers Vancouver" and wrongplanet.net was the first hit

2. In the month that I have belonged her, I have enjoyed posting, reading and learning from this site.

3. My experience was that I felt at home from the first post.

4. I would point it out as a resource that I go to daily--but it's not in my nature to expect someone to find value in the same things that I do.

I found the link in a book. The book was one thing in a long list of things that made me suspect AS in myself, so I thought I'd check out a community of individuals with such to see if they seemed like me.



They were, and are, very helpful.


Welcoming. My reaction was along the lines of "My people! At last I have found you!"



Blackmail?

1.) How did you get here (to this web forum)?

Hard to remember now - it was the first christmas break after my initial self-diagnosis and I was browsing a lot.

2.) What are your experiences using the discussions, reading the articles and blogs? Are they helpful?

When I first dropped by, I knew little about aspergers and learned very little more. Went away and didn't get back for some time.

3.) Were your experiences on here overwhelming at first? Welcoming?

No. Underwhelming. Now - three years later - I feel like I belong here, but more like a stain that's soaked into the woodwork than as a member.

4.) How would you convince a fellow aspie to reach out and join this community?

I'm not sure that I would. Except that the things that float to the top of an aspie's awareness are common currency here, whereas through the rest of the world they're strange.

1.) How did you get here (to this web forum)?

In October of last year, I first heard of Asperger's Syndrome through a student I had in my gifted class (I teach the gifted---IQ 127 and up). I researched the term and was hit with the most incredible feeling ever---wow! I was reading a biography of myself. I read and read and read and realized that my eccentric nature, sensory issues, social awkwardness, etc. had a reason behind them. I asked myself the question, "Am I autistic?" I told my wife and showed her the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's, and she was amazed. She agreed, it fit me completely. So, somehow, I wanted to see if there were any blogs out there in cyberspace, and I found this strange sounding one called WrongPlanet. I sifted through the forums and decided it was where I belonged. But since I had already made an appointment to be diagnosed, I waited to join until the day after my diagnosis. Then I joined and made my first post introducing myself. That was on November 9, 2008. Now at 45 years old, I have been officially diagnosed with Asperger's just barely over one year. I wished I had known about Asperger's earlier in my life.

2.) What are your experiences using the discussions, reading the articles and blogs? Are they helpful?

The WrongPlanet has educated me more than any of the text books can. Since I do not socialize much, this site has provided me with a socializing life. This is my socializing life outside of my family. I enjoy looking at posts made to threads I make, and I enjoy reading new threads made by others and then responding to them. Whenever I hit a low point in my life, I can post to The Haven and be quickly met with support that lifts me out of the low points. I sometimes use the search window on this site to find discussions about things I am curious about.

3.) Were your experiences on here overwhelming at first? Welcoming?

I wasn't overwhelmed in the sense of "Oh no, where do I begin?" It was more like an enthusiasm and excitement for everything there was to learn and share here. The site was most welcoming.

4.) How would you convince a fellow aspie to reach out and join this community?

I would tell him/her that this site offers not only support, but also a place to be understood by people like you. It is a place where you can share your experiences in life and discover that you are not alone in the world. I once truly thought there was no one else like me. But now, I am happy I am not alone. I have found others similar to me. But, no two of us are exactly alike. This site is a great place to learn about the autism spectrum. And it is a place to discover the concerns and challenges that we face each day.

I would like to add that one might quickly find two main schools of philosophy here at the WrongPlanet. There are those that would quickly take a cure for their autism, if such a cure existed---for reasons that could include unhappiness, the wanting to be NT, the wanting to be socially popular, etc. And there are those like me that would not take a cure for autism. I do not want to be NT. I am known around here for my positive thinking about autism. I promote the philosophy that Asperger's/autism can offer us gifts that we can accept and nurture. I consider my autism as a gift from God and it has become my cherished friend.

Aspies have to find the internet in their own way and in their own time. An attempt to force it on them is counter-productive.

I got into the internet mainly through my special interests (pretty much anything you want to do can be facilitated by the net). I first heard of WP about a year ago, but I didn't feel ready to expose myself to a community of AS sufferers at the time -- the down-side of meeting other people with the same problems as you is that you can no longer use your condition as an excuse for your personal failings.

It is important to note however that this community of primarily Asperger's/autism people is not all considered to be "sufferers." There are many of us that celebrate the positives/gifts of autism---while we still acknowledge challenges---but with a focus that is more on the positive.

First of all, glad to hear you've found these forums to be helpful!

1. Well, I typed "www.wrongplanet.net" in the address bar . I actually don't remember at all where I first heard about this site, so I can't answer this.
2. Very helpful. I've found that almost any experience I've had that I don't understand can be dissected and explained.
3. My experiences were welcoming, I've never felt overwhelmed here.
4. I would just give them the link and tell them to read some of the topics, that's what convinced me that this forum was worth joining.

Search engine on AS and I have seen this site from one of the yahoo groups when this place first opened but never joined

Sometimes, people don't always answer your question and that can get frustrating. I have also learned more about normality from peoples experiance, same as learning new social skills. Note: I once posted a thread here about me offending my aunt with my thank you card and I found the responses here helpful but when I posted the same thing somewhere else, the responses weren't as helpful.

No and sometimes

Tell them there are other aspies here and they might make new friends and it's very active so their posts are most likely to get answered. I wouldn't push them to join because I know how annoying that is when people try and get you to join forums or sign up on websites. I am also not going to make this place sound like it's the best place ever out there because I have had bad experiences here and heard lot of bad things about this place. But hey jerks are everywhere and trolls. Even aspies can be them too.

Agreed. "Suffer" is probably too strong a word. I use it in the sense of having a particular medical condition (Asthma sufferers, Diabetes sufferers etc.). If you read my posts, you'll find I'm generally positive about AS apart from the odd moment of despondency.

Lemme see here . .
1) I was referred to this site by this state's autism support program (TEACCH)
2) A lot of information here, or kind ears to leand some experience in matters i never noticed before.
3) Not so much overwhelming, was referred to a couple of books prior to joining and that kinda prepared me.
4) To convince him, id say direct him here is he is feeling that isolation that many of us have gone through where we cannot find anyone to connect with in the real world. Though this place is never a substitute for something real, it does offer a kind of solace as far as getting useful information, ranting, or just getting something out in the open. Looking forward to this person joining, and we welcome you as well.

1.) How did you get here (to this web forum)?
I was born this way.

2.) What are your experiences using the discussions, reading the articles and blogs? Are they helpful?
Years of lurking finally helped me decide to post.

3.) Were your experiences on here overwhelming at first? Welcoming?
YES

4.) How would you convince a fellow aspie to reach out and join this community?
Look for the similarities, not the differences and you will find others similarly different.
That and most of the time people here are laughing with you, not at you.
I have the right to be wrong, and others do too.

Wow. Sincere thanks to all these replies! I really appreciate all of your honest answers and support. I will talk to my brother about this web site and see if it's something he's interested in.

Cheers, and I look forward to learning more!