Is it because of Asperger's?

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Hello there,
I can take up to half an hour to write a post. Not a long one but let's say, one with 2 paragraphs. I will write it, rewrite it, correct it a dozen of times, and after submiting it i won't be satisfied. Even ashamed, not because of the content, but because of the gramatic. I can't say (talk/write) stuff the easy simple way at first go. Is this because of Asperger's, or am i just inarticulate?

I assume English isn't your native language. In this case writing a post would be extremely difficult. Portuguese (Roman language) is very different from English (Germanic).

If English is your native language , then I apologise for making assumptions.

Welcome to the forum btw.

Most natives of Europe learn the local tongue first, then English. They still learn English earlier than say American kids learn Spanish, but they still tend to think in their native language. I went to a community college with lots of people who were from foreign countries where the native language is very different from English, places like Russia or Vietnam. There's always a time lag as the immigrant mentally translates the English said into their native tongue, mentally replies in their native tongue, then translates that back into English. I figure that it must be extremely frustrating for NT's, if one is an aspie it must be maddening to the point of insanity.

Europe tends to have a lot of aspies, in fact autism seems to happen mostly to people of European heritage, and I know that in continental Europe great emphasis is placed on regular use of English to the point that corporations rarely use anything else. The local tongue is mainly used in informal situations, and in non-work social gatherings. Americans who expect to learn Spanish or French by living in Spain or France are usually greatly disappointed because they'll approach a group, the group will see that he/she is American, and automatically switch to English.

Latin America and China are different, employers and friends will insist on the use of the local tongue. Places like Argentina and Uruguay are better for learning Spanish than Spain, and are usually friendly to gringos. Mexico is another matter-if you're a white person in Mexico you've got a big target on your back reading KILL ME, and even the cops are known to beat and kill Americans. If the drug cartels that rule much of the country get word that there's a gringo wandering around, the gringo gets kidnapped for ransom. Even the cops are known to jail Americans for ransom. Bolivia is much the same way-American missionaries are regularly killed there.

Cuba is actually nicer to Americans than Mexico, especially if they sense that you're working class and are the type to experience cultures for the heck of it, they tend to assume that you're yet another unfortunate oppressed American and sympathize. Young Americans get an especially enthusiastic reception, especially if the young person mentions an affinity for Che Guevara, who is still extremely popular in Cuba and America. Guevara is like the James Dean of communism, he's frozen in time as young and hip and forever loyal.

The Portuguese big companies use Portuguese. And most of the Spanish do not speak English. The French also prefer to use their own language. My problem is related to something else than writing in a foreign language. It happens to me also when i write in Portuguese.

It could be partly because of Asperger's. I tend to be so dissatisfied with my writing that I will reread and correct and rewrite it several times, before I finally decide it will have to suffice. I was told (by a counselor that works with Asperger's and OCD) that it is more of an OCD trait, but that MANY Aspies do it.

I never have that problem. But that's probably because my intelligence is mainly geared toward language. Most aspies, and autistic as well have an area of expertise, and language is mine.

Even as an English major, in college, I still had certain projects that I would do this to. I am a news reporter, by profession. My counselor believes it is mostly the OCD driving me to this behavior, but the tenancy to become OCD is sparked by the AS (Mind you, she is only a counselor, not a psychiatrist, so it is only a theory.)

It takes me more than a few minutes to write a post because I am trying to make sure I sound right, not rude. I also try and think of what else to say. I also want to make sure my grammar sounds correct.
Didn't take me long to make this post, I'd day about a minute.

Hmmm it could be i tend to be like this and then even after i write something or so on , i'm still unsatisfied.. lol

Yes. I’ve always had this problem. I find it takes me at least twice as long to write things as it does for others with equal intelligence. I had to ask for extra time on the writing portion of my SAT and GRE. The amount of time they give you to write essays just seems ridiculously short to me (especially considering how the give you some totally random topic that you could care less about). The time limits on writing tests never seemed fair to me.

I can’t write very well in a “stream of consciousness” style because the logic of my thoughts often branches out rather than following a straight line. Several ideas often follow from a single sentence so I have no idea how to order them or which one to choose first.

Whenever I write something longer than a paragraph or two I end up reordering things numerous times because it never flows right the first time. I don’t think in paragraphs at all. Other people must somehow think in nice little elegant paragraphs. I don’t get how else some people can write so fast and still be coherent/organized.

I often do something like that, though not quite to that degree. It's the reason I like communicating online; in person or over the phone, there's the pressure to come up with responses immediately, and I like having thinking time.

When I write messages in Russian or in Ukrainian by mobile phone or in the ICQ window I never check if I write correct. School time is over at least. But here I can check the post even twice before submitting 'cause I'm afraid that the English-speaking people will not understand me. So I try to follow all the rules I remember since school days... SCHOOL DAZE!! !

Chaotica - That sounds like what I do when I write in Japanese. (unless it's one of the phrases that comes automatically for me). (American English is my native tongue) Frequently on message boards, I type, submit, and sometimes later re-read and edit. You also will frequently see context or notes added in in parenthesis when I type comments.

I take it from this part of your post that Russian and Ukrainian are your first languages, and that's why you don't double check. English is my first, and that's why I don't double check it.


I also understand from this portion of your post that English is a language you acquired later in life, as I'm in the process of doing with Japanese, therefore you need to keep double checking to make sure things make sense.

I do this too, but not to the extent I used to. I used to be so anal and everything had to be perfect. I still re-read to make sure that what I wrote makes sense and that it comes across wwith the right tone, etc.