How much progress have you made?

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1.For those who are adults, from the moment that you accepted your diagnosis (or self diagnosis), how much progress have you made in overcoming the things that you feel were difficult for you previously?

2.In terms of social skills, are you closer to where you want to be or closer to things you don't like about yourself?

3.Socially/professionally are you making steady progress, at a roadblock, or going downhill?

4.In regards to what you have learned about yourself and your condition, are you exceeding your own expectations, and/or the expectations of your family?

5.Overall, has wrongplanet shown you enough to say that you can learn a lot more than you currently know, or is your personal research more relevant towards your own problems than to the wrongplanet community?

1.For those who are adults, from the moment that you accepted your diagnosis (or self diagnosis), how much progress have you made in overcoming the things that you feel were difficult for you previously?

I've always accepted my diagnosis; however, I am not making progress in things that I find difficult. I still find them difficult, only now I know it is not a "phase" that I can grow out of.

2.In terms of social skills, are you closer to where you want to be or closer to things you don't like about yourself?

Socially I am nowhere near where I want to be.

3.Socially are you making steady progress, at a roadblock, or going downhill?

Right now I would say I am going down hill. I was making progress even less than a year ago, but I am going backwards again now. That has been pretty consistent in my life though: one step forward, two steps back.

4.In regards to what you have learned about yourself and your condition, are you exceeding your own expectations, and/or the expectations of your family?

I just got the official diagnosis this year, so I don't think we have any "expectations" yet. I am also not receiving any treatment at all, so I really don't know how to make any changes right now.

5.Overall, has wrongplanet shown you enough to say that you can learn a lot more than you currently know, or is your personal research more relevant towards your own problems than to the wrongplanet community?

I haven't really learned much on wrongplanet. I just come here to talk to others like me, although I am beginning to notice that a lot of people here are not like me anyway. Most of what I learn and have learned, I have done so on my own.

1. My biggest concern before I knew about AS was that I didn't know how to get a job. I didn't understand how to get a job or what was needed to even get an interview. I was convinced that no one would ever hire me, even with my encyclopedic knowledge of the thing I'm interested in. I didn't know how to write résumés, didn't understand the importance of other people in getting jobs(references), definitely didn't understand how to do interviews, didn't understand that what other people considered important is significantly different than what I consider important.
   
   After learning about AS, I spent a long time looking up the things that would be necessary to get a job. I looked up how to write résumés and spent a long time learning how to write them. Then I watched hours of YouTube videos about body language and how to act and respond in interviews. I memorized every step, and I got a job.
   
   I like my job. And since I have encyclopedic knowledge of it I am really good at it. I've been told that I'm the best person who's ever had that position. I have had the job now for a few years, and I like it. For the first time I can pay for the things I need for myself, and that feels really good. I have confidence that I could get another job. I feel better than I've felt since I was very young.
   
2. The next few questions seem to include an assumption that I want to change how I socially am or how I was. The amount of what seems to be considered "normal" social interaction that I can handle is small. After learning about AS I watched hours of YouTube videos about body language and memorized things, but acting on them doesn't feel like "progress". It feels like I'm acting or playing a game, and I don't feel a desire to do it more than is necessary. When I'm done with a particular interaction with a person I also often feel like I've been dishonest.
   
3. I am making progress to the extent of being able to interact with people better at work, but outside of work I still don't.
   
4. I don't know what my family's expectations are or were for me, but I expect that they had greater expectations for me when I was a child. I missed several major things that are common, like having friends, dating, driving, getting a job, moving out, et cetera, and I expect that they reevaluated them. Since having learned about AS, though, I have made significant progress in several areas. My own expectations have been reevaluated significantly, too. I have done more now than just a few years ago what I thought I was likely to be able to do, and I know that I am capable of significantly more.
   
5. Wrongplanet has been very helpful in informing me about many things, especially about AS. Many times people have explained problems they were having, and sometimes regardless of their claims of cluelessness, some people's explanations show a level of understanding of other people's perspectives that I didn't have. Without this forum I would not have learned about AS when I did, so it has been very important for me.

1.For those who are adults, from the moment that you accepted your diagnosis (or self diagnosis), how much progress have you made in overcoming the things that you feel were difficult for you previously?

I was a very negative person with a dark mind and a punkish attitude. I've decided to ditch the attitude and go back to being myself. I've decided to be a part of society, again.

2.In terms of social skills, are you closer to where you want to be or closer to things you don't like about yourself?

I'm closer to where I want to be. A lot closer. I think about other people's feelings before I say things, unless it's a must that I defend myself. I also don't use any swear words, anymore. Having a great role model helps.

3.Socially are you making steady progress, at a roadblock, or going downhill?

I'm making steady progress. I know the right things to do and I think before I open my mouth

4.In regards to what you have learned about yourself and your condition, are you exceeding your own expectations, and/or the expectations of your family?

I'm exceeding the expectations of my family. I'm already working one part time job and I'm going to be working at another part time job as well. I'm also exceeding the expectations of myself that I've had a couple of years ago.

5.Overall, has wrongplanet shown you enough to say that you can learn a lot more than you currently know, or is your personal research more relevant towards your own problems than to the wrongplanet community?

I've learned a lot by being part of the WrongPlanet community. There's also a lot more that I can learn as well. Every time I log in, I learn something new and different.

1. My discovery of AS is very recent - I'll not give specifics of how recent as I feel it may undermine me somewhat, I am 95% certain I am AS and the other 5% is the possibility that I am ASD, and not long now until it is officially confirmed. I went looking into AS because being unemployed my problems have gotten worse, I have regressed, acceptance of AS has meant that I am gaining more understanding of why I act the way I do and has made it easier to explain it to others, which has been a benefit to my stress levels if nothing else.

2. Since diagnosis, closer to the things I don't like about myself - unemployment meant little in the way of social interaction, again looking at regression so not only are my social skills worse but I'm seeing myself becoming 'more autistic' as a result of regression and due to the recent discovery of AS/ASD. Lots more little things like putting on a childish or stupid facade, public grooming, all these little socially unacceptable things I seem to be doing more and more is something I could do without.

3. Downhill - again, unemployment = regression (I was a very typically autistic child, so as an adult I have progressed VERY far, but this makes regression all the more obvious). I think once I'm back in work, where I can get regular social interaction and generally feel better about myself, that knowing now that I am AS will help a lot socially because I will have better understanding of how I work and how I approach things, that I do so because of X, Y, Z rather than being confused about how I act socially.

4. I am exceeding my own expectations - I always do, I joke about being awesome, but I have achieved a lot in my life and now I know what has been 'wrong' with me it makes me all the more proud of what I have achieved and what I manage to do every day. My family can go to hell - they would have no interest in my being AS, they'd just see it as my making excuses...thus why I'm estranged from my family.

5. Wrong Planet has been a great resource. Years ago when I first learned about autism I ruled it out because I wasn't 'as bad', with AS my issue initially was that maybe I still wasn't 'autistic enough' but this forum has been good in showing me that people on the spectrum are more 'normal' than I had originally thought months or years ago. Wrong Planet isn't heavy on actual information about AS/ASD, which makes it great because although I know there is information out there that I need to learn about AS/ASD the actual experience of being with others on the spectrum has been infinitely beneficial.

1.For those who are adults, from the moment that you accepted your diagnosis (or self diagnosis), how much progress have you made in overcoming the things that you feel were difficult for you previously?

Well, I walked into a room the other day full of strangers and didn't feel sick, for the first time ever. I think a lot of my progress has come just how a view myself and how much slack I give myself. I guess it gave me a realization that I am *not* perfect. I was the "valedictorian" of my college class, so this was hard for me to accept since I am far better at some things than other people are. But I learned that there will always be things that I struggle with more than other people, and that I shouldn't beat myself up over it, but rather accept it and know I can improve, but that it isn't my "fault" that I'm like this. I have realized that I needed to work on my social skills and such for about three years now, but only about six months ago did I put the name "aspergers" with it.

2.In terms of social skills, are you closer to where you want to be or closer to things you don't like about yourself?

A lot closer to where I want to be than I was last year, that is for sure. Still not where I want to be though.

3.Socially are you making steady progress, at a roadblock, or going downhill?
It depends on what time of the month it is :p No, really, I think in general I am making steady progress. But right now I am taking a break and being unsocial because finals just ended and my brain decided it no longer wished to work in any profitable way. I went shopping yesterday and it was not good. But oh well. There are always good days and bad days.

4.In regards to what you have learned about yourself and your condition, are you exceeding your own expectations, and/or the expectations of your family?
Not about my condition, but I am exceeding expectations of what I personally thought I could achieve. In regards to my condition, I don't know. I've never really had expectations regarding it. But I suppose I have exceeded where I thought I could be socially versus a couple of years ago.

5.Overall, has wrongplanet shown you enough to say that you can learn a lot more than you currently know, or is your personal research more relevant towards your own problems than to the wrongplanet community?
Probably 50/50.

Since childhood I have made lots of progress, just not in the area of socializing. I have classic Asperger's issues. One of the worst is interrupting others. The rhythm of my conversations are off. People don't think I am really listening to what they tell me. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It depends on if I am interested.
I still really suck at socializing.

1. When I was diagnosed with AS I actually felt a sense of relief. I had always realized I was different and the diagnosis gave me a reason. If you can call self awareness progress then I guess I have progressed. Having a diagnosis of AS doesn't make anything easier; it just makes me more aware of why I have difficulties in certain areas.

2. Again, my social skills have not changed. This question borders on meaningless speculation. I accept myself as I am. I feel it is a waste of time to wish you were this or that; I am what I am.

3. I still am reclusive. Being constantly alone does not bother me as much as it seems to bother others. There is an episode (Tin Man) of Star Trek The Next Generation where an empath is talking to Data; He is telling Data "its not a sin to be different you know" Those are my feelings exactly.

4. I have held the same job now for 10+ years. I am not exceeding my own expectations of myself but maybe I am of some members of my family who have always considered me a nut-job.

5. I can always learn more about AS and I am open to that. Wrong Planet has taught me alot about self acceptance and for that I will always be grateful.