Memory Problems?

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I wanted to ask whether other people have problems with memory. I don't know enough about it to categorise the different types of memory meaningfully other than short-term and long-term, so that's all I've asked about – but others may be able to break down their abilities/problems with different kinds of memory in a more detailed way.

I'm wondering about it because there's a stereotype of AS people having extraordinary recall, even having photographic memories, but I struggle with all memory functions. I don't have much memory of childhood, especially early childhood, and there's often not much detail even in that of my more recent life. I can read a book or see a film but not be able to remember the story two weeks later, and I can miss something I was looking forward to seeing on TV because I then completely forgot that it was on. I struggle at work because if I don't write everything down I forget it; I struggled at school because I could never remember details such as dates, names, quotations, formulae, or how to work things out; I struggle socially because I can't remember faces or names. I can never place anything in time, either.

I've no idea why I have these difficulties, but I'd be really interested to hear about other people's experience.

My short-term memory is awful. The best example of this is the one time I complimented my mom on some flowers on the table and asked where she'd gotten them... only to learn that my dad had bought them for her one week earlier. This disturbed my mom and she asked my psychiatrist about it. He said that the reason for my poor short-term memory is because I am so preoccupied with my special interests that I don't register anything not related to them as worth remembering.

But my long-term memory is great - I have memories from as early as 2 or 3 years old.

I have a photographic memory when it comes to certain stats but for the most part my memory sucks. My kids take advantage of it quite regularly and tell me that I said they could do this or that. It's extremely frustrating.

My short term memory isn't bad, but my long term memory is much better.

For the remembering a list of numbers part of my IQ test, I was able to remember as many numbers when I was having to give them back to him sorted as when I had to just give them back to him in order, I found that quite interesting.

People with aspergers seem to tend towards erratic, focus based memory proficiency. I personally have a terrible short term memory. If I don't commit something to long term memory effectively or quickly, it will just be gone. I frequently have frustrating memory problems. Like right now I'm wracking my brain because I know I was supposed to remind my wife of... something? I think it was something she wanted to look up. >_>

I once read about someone with Asperger's who had to format her memory. Basically after a day or a long period of time she would commit to memory the important parts and let go the unimportant parts. I do remember doing this when I was younger, recalling my entire day, but I don't anymore. Mostly I have trouble with sequencing my memories.

I have a horrible short term memory, but my long term memory is great.

I remember things from when I was a baby and my early childhood.

I remember what I was thinking about and what I felt and even making judgments on what I observed. I was analysing everything, and whatever I analysed, I remembered.

In school, I refused to memorize things like dates and such because it was too hard and I was very stubborn. I didn't want to clutter up my head with useless nonsense.

Because I never memorized math equations, I had to invent my own algorithms on math tests, It was more fun that way anyway, and I actually managed to pass algebra.

Needless to say, I always flunked history.

My memory weakness is remembering spoken directions. I am good at remembering things other than spoken directions.

I can't remember spoken directions either, I always have to look at maps when driving, rather than ask for directions.

That's interesting. I've come to that conclusion and that emotions are the key to this -- this would puzzle me as why in the past, as why the gap or discrepancy - strength /weakness.

I guess there is no control over one having the "executive function" to garner some interest, enough, in something outside of this hard mindset - to break the inside attention down, to look 'outside' so to speak. " Dear, you're not listening."

This is the way I experience this.

I definitely have difficulties with both. Sometimes I wish I had a better long-term memory. It's hard to remember even to facts concerning to my special interests, and I'm not kidding. Both committing and retrieving are problems to me. Even then, I'd say that my long-term memory is better. It took almost a lifetime to significantly improve upon my short-term memory, and although it's still far from perfect, it's fairly good by now.

Sometimes I ignored memorizing facts at school for the same reason than other posters in this thread. I found them boring and I had my own ways to figure out answers, formulas, etc.