What is the funniest/strangest thing that your dx explained?

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For me it was that most people think in words - one of the people I like to be around mentioned this to me and so I asked around and most people actually do think in words . . . to try to prove this concept to myself I tried to think in words for about a week and couldn't do it . . .

A less profound one is that most adults don't sleep with stuffed animals and that most people don't have to cut the tags out of their clothes and wash them before they can wear them . . .

There are many little quirks of my character that my diagnosis explained ~ things that I didn't realise were connected ~ like why I sometimes get confused when there is too much noise or visual clutter / why I have to make such a huge effort to be verbal.

The thing that really fitted into place though for me was why I had always felt different to other people. Being a logical thinker I found that this had never made sense because I could see no logical reason why I felt like this. Logically I knew I couldn't be the only one like me and yet experience had told me that I was.

When I was diagnosed it came as a huge revelation to me that there were others like me and suddenly the path of my life had logic to it. Amazingly, I had not even noticed that during all that time of feeling unique I was failing to see that there are at least two members of my extended family who are, in many respects, just like me and almost certainly AS.

I know this was not necessarily something my diagnosis explained, but once I bit a teacher. I was about 6. My mom told me the teacher I bit wanted to get checked for rabies. My ignorant 1st grade teacher didn't understand it.

I don't think I did it again afterwards. If I did, then I've got a terrible memory.

Mich

I think that it explains why I felt I was different and had trouble communicating with my peers, and why they thought I was strange.
It also explains most of my quirks that could hardly be understandable before.

Loy

It explained a lot of things for me, I was able to be less self critical because before that when I had trouble making friends I would blame myself that I must be doing something wrong, or not be a nice person if no-one wants to be friends with me. Now I realise that I'm very different from people I come in contact with in my village, but I have made some great friends online who also have AS, and I have a lot in common with them. I also have to cut the tags out of clothes

Although I haven't recieved an offical diagnoses as of yet. Reading up on autisim, this was the one thing that shocked me the most, since I'm a visual thinker and I always thought that everyone else in the world was too.

I also tried thinking with words and failed at it too. I can think with words, but can't get anywhere near as far, or as fast as I can when I visualize. And thinking in pictures also explains why I can be so flat sometimes when it comes to thinking since at certain times of the day, like when I get up in the morning or afternoon, I can't form pictures really well until I've fully woken up.

And now that I think about it depth, I can't imagine how someone couldn't think in pictures.

When you say you "think in pictures" what do you mean exactly? Are they images of things in your life that you have seen, or are they more iconic, like representations of ideas or objects? How do you "picture" an abstract idea, like anger, or thought?

I think in a combination of images and words. When I am writing, or responding to someone else in conversation (like by asking them a simple question or using part of what they said to formulate a response), it's easy for me to think in words. But when I am attempting to describe or recall something, or tell a story, like, for example, how my day went, I will have the images of what happened to me throughout the day come to me first, and I will have to describe what I see in my mind, rather than it coming naturally as words.

I can only describe the way that I think, since I have no idea what it is like to think like an NT - only that when I describe this to NTs they look at me and say 'WOWWWWWW!'

I think a lot like how you are describing - that when I remember things I remember them in pictures - I also have 'stock' pictures of what people or things look like so that I can compare them - this fubars me when someone vastly changes their apperance (such as when one of my favorite people to be around shaved his beard off) or they show up in the wrong place (i.e. someone from work showing up at the mall)

I certianly can use words, but they are always attached to pictures and the pictures are more important than the words
This leads to the interesting experience of thinking only in examples - a word makes no sence to me unless I can come up with an example of it and have that example explained to me well enough to formulate a picture . . .

Abstract concepts are represented the same way - let's see - when I think of the concept of fear I think about having to stand up and attempt to dance in front of my class when I graduated from telecommuniator school a couple of weeks ago . . . the concept of love is represented by a series of negative pictures, since I come from a very fubared family - friendship is the same way (to the point that I am removing that concept from my vocabulary) - both of the concepts of love and friendship are negative for me and are actually stock image examples of pain - religion is represented by a series of pictures of different religious icons (i.e. a cross, a Star of David, that half moon thing the Muslims use, etc . . .)

If you haven't read Temple Grandin's book 'Thinking in Pictures' you should - she describes all this very well - to the point that I find her book to be describing me FAR too well (except that she isn't a vegan) . . .
Also, if you haven't seen 'Minority Report' - it isn't a great movie and is pretty violent, so it isn't necessarily really worth it if you haven't seen it - but if you have - the way that Tom Cruise's character manipulates the images he is given is the closest thing I've ever seen to how I think . . .

Scoots5012 - it sounds like you had the exact same reaction as I did - when on of my favorite people to be around said that she thought in words I said ''No way!' so I started asking around and most people think it words - I don't know how they do it! I really didn't even know that aspect of myself was any different than what other people do . . .

I don't have an official dx, but the whole theory of me having Asperger's explained why I never look at anyone when I'm talking to them. I've been known to completely turn my back on a person in the middle of a sentence. It also explained why people raising their voices instantly makes me cry.

I didn't really understand my dx at the time I got it. But when I started looking into it later, it really explained the enormous gulf that seemed to exist between me and most people, as well as the lack of gulf that existed between me and a few (autistic) people.

I find the discussion of visual/verbal thinking very interesting. I am a visual thinker and visual learner. Nearly all my memories are pictures or videos (even mathematical formulas and computer programs). But not all - I have some verbal memories, but in much smaller number compared to visual ones. I always visually imagine things that I hear, read or think. This imagery does not come for all words, for example "a", "the", "for", "not" do not evoke any pictures. The imagery is usually concrete, for example word "cat" brings to my mind an image of the neighbor's cat (however, my mind stops once the picture is complete, it does not go through all familiar cats as Temple Grandin describes in "Thinking in Pictures"). If the real image cannot be recalled, I build it from concrete fragments, as a sort of a collage. For example, if someone talks about a peach tree, I visualize an apple tree with apples replaced by peaches, because so it happens that can't remember any real peach trees. Strangely enough, I also visualize common expressions in a literal way. An example is "It'll happen when pigs fly", which displays in my mind an image of pigs floating in the air like balloons (!). This happens despite the fact that I understand that the expression is not really about pigs. Abstract ideas produce images that are quite abstract, undefined and unclear, but not always. Word "anger" evokes image of me shouting, "thought" - a brain, "abstract idea" - a rectangle filled with fog, "thing" - a cubic wooden block. Contrary to what animallover wrote, in my case the imagery is not necessary for comprehension of words. The pictures come subconsciously, and I often do not pay attention to those that are less interesting. Instead words are translated into ideas or symbols that are neither verbal nor visual - they are in fact abstract. (Objects that I see are also translated into these abstract symbols. This translation is necessary for me to notice objects.)
As Scoots5012 wrote it is unimaginable for me how people could not think visually. I believe that most people have an imagery recall, but probably developed to various degrees. Nevertheless I have read that some people cannot recall any images.

However, I am also a verbal thinker, though I am not sure if I think verbally in an usual way. The verbal thinking layer seems to be an addition to the visual thinking, but it is very strong. When I think verbally, which I do very often, I seem to rehearse future speech. I would talk to imaginary audience in full sentences, including such expressions as "however" and "on the other hand". I don't think words, I think speeches. These get recorded in my internal "tape library", and I use them sometimes in real conversations. Of course, these thoughts also bring visual imagery.

Scoots5012, can you describe your attempts at thinking with words? I am very curious how my "rehearsing" verbal thinking compares to verbal thinking of others.

to be perfectly honest, I've never really read of good descritpion of what "thinking with words" is. Since even when I think verbally, I usually have pictures in my mind to go with my verbal thoughts. For instance, yesterday, a friend and I went UW-Oshkosh becasue I wanted to get my parking permit and student ID card so I wouldn't be amongst the hundreds of students doing it on september 6th and 7th. This is fine for me since I HATE crowds and waiting in lines. Anyways, we were driving south on US-41, I told my friend to look out for the highway 21 exit, since that was the road we needed to take to get to the university. When I told him that, I had a mental image pop into my mind of driving on highway 21 coming into oshkosh from the west since I've been that way before. Thats how I verbally think, either out loud, or to myself.

If I try and think of something without forming a picture of it in my mind, my mind will draw a blank, I can think the words to myself, but I can't comprehend it unless I get a picture in my head. At work saturday night, There was a mistake with ordering, and as a result, everything was all screwed up. An employee I work with informed me of the situation, but when he told me, I was unable to make sense of what he said, and thus, I was unable to form a mental picture of what he was talking about. I had to ask him to repeat it again so it made sense, he got upset and called me stupid for not understanding and left. I shrugged it off, and went downstairs to see what happened, when I saw for myself what happened, His words suddenly made perfect sense to me since I now had a picture to go with his words. See I stock groceries and saturday night's order was accidently sent twice, so the warehouse sent double of everything, but the store manager had one of the trucks cancled, so we only got half of the order, which was all doubled, so it we only got 1/4th of what we ordered. The employee who told me however, told it to me in a way that didn't make sense to me. And thus I could not form a proper mental picture, and thus I was unable to comprehend what he had said.

And that, magic, is how I think.

Scott, thanks for the explanation. My visual thinking seems to work similarly to yours, except that I do not appear to be able to think words without associated imagery. Pictures just come by themselves, whether I like it or not. For example this is what I thought reading your post:

1. Blue Toyota SUV driving on the limited access highway, which appears to be US-75 south of Sherman, TX. There are two people sitting in the car. The driver is wearing khakis and a blue buttoned shirt, while the passenger is wearing brown pants and a polo shirt (can't see the color). Their faces are blurred.
2. Campus of University of Texas at Dallas in Richardson, TX.
3. A green road sign, featuring number 21 on white shield (incorrect!) and white text "Oshkosh".
4. Another green sign with wording "EXIT" and an arrow.
5. The exit ramp leading down to the underpass of highway 21.
6. Traffic lights at the intersection of the access road and the highway 21.
7. Four-lane highway leading east, Total gas station, and some other businesses, trees and fields. Upon closer inspection this appears to be road 544 entering Wylie, TX.
8. A rectangle with blurred contents ("mental image").
9. A bubble popping out of water.
10. Face from your avatar affixed to the highway 21 on the map of Oshkosh, which respresents you being there before.
The more I think about what you wrote, the more details I can give you. Of course, they are all incorrect. And now, if I ever go to Oshkosh, I would be very confused, because it would look different than I remember!

I like your description of the ordering problem. I usually have trouble followiing verbal directions, and also comprehending stories that people tell me, and which are too complicated or refer to objects that I cannot imagine (remember the vacuum cleaner for erasers?). This verbal thinking of mine does not help on input.

My mental imagery is not quite as complex as your magic. All of my imagery is from first person perspective and is very realistic looking (not many abstract things going on inside), and only contains enough data to complete what I'm trying to think, no ancilary things going on either.

And BTW, to add to your own unique mental imagery magic, just before our exit we had to cross lake Butte De Mores and traffic was at a stand still becasue the right south-bound lane was closed due to an accident that happened on monday. A semi-driver lost control of his rig, plowed through the barricade railing running along the sides of the road, and into the lake. The last mile took about 20 minutes to travel.

A lot. In particular, it explains my compulsions and OBSESSIONS! Mwa ha ha... and yeah, certainly my associative thinking and tangential thought processes as well. Oh, well it also explains the stimming (the nervous tics when I was younger), my jumbo head and oddly angular method of walking, and much, much more.

Well, I'm just glad I found out!

Ok - here is what this NT person that I like to be around said about thinking without using images completely . . .

You should know that when she talks about Carolyn, that is her partner, DeeJay is my other favorite person to be around, and Gretchen is another person I used to work with . . .

What I did was ask her to describe some specific concepts (i.e. people), general concepts (tree and cat), and then emotions . . .
When you read her description of love you can really see why so many people find it to be a pleasant experience - whereas I see love as very negative because it means you are emotionally open to someone who will ultimately hurt you . . .

O.K.
I guess I think in pictures more if it is just about one object - like a
tree. I don't exactly get a tree in my head. Maybe I just think of
something tall and green (because I like trees best when they are green and
full) and maybe think of nuts or leaves, or the scratchiness of the bark or
maybe just think of a tree, but there are no pictures really. I don't SEE
anything. It's just a concept. Does that make sense?
Now it's different with people:
Gretchen - I don't SEE this, but I think initially of big jewelry
and short pants and outie shirts and pouffy- up hair, then of drama and
complaints and sighs and sometimes of her big laugh when she and I talk
about something funny. And sometimes instead of seeing anything, I think of
the office and the job when I think of Gretchen. It's not really a concept
like tree, but more of a - like a bunch of grapes each of which is a part of
what it means to me when someone says Gretchen. But I don't really see any
of that.
DeeJay - Once again - I don't really SEE him at all - I think of his
quick mind and maybe of some of the times we have spent together and Alaska
and HELP and frustration (especially recently) - another bunch of grapes
Fear - I mainly think of the phone ringing late at night and finding
out one of my boys is dead. - no pictures, just thoughts - also being on a
plane and having it start to crash, stuff like that
Car - I see my car sitting in the driveway - this time it IS a
picture
Love - I don't see anything, but I feel what it is like to have that
feeling which starts somewhere in your gut and moves up and down like
someone is infusing you with honey down the sides of your insides. Once a
long time ago, I ran down a sidewalk at Eastern Hills to help a little girl
with a metal lunch kit who was part of the special education class. She had
fallen and her class and teacher were standing off to the side up against
the building (at the very front). She was on her back with her legs flailing
and saying nothing but her lunch pail was on the ground and no one was
helping her. The bus driver was just talking at the curb, the teacher and
the students were just standing in line against the wall. I ran out and was
in a horrible mood because Claire, my AmeriCorps member who was supposed to
be there to teach the class and she was very late and finally when she got
there I left because I was supposed to be in Dallas to tell my uncle that he
had cancer and needed to be there by the time a friend brought him back from
the doctor and I was late because of Claire and I was extra mad because no
one was helping the little girl. As I ran out and reached her, about 2
steps before I got to her I entered a place where it was like that honey
flowing down but it was like being inside a ball or dome with the feeling
permeating the air around me - that's what I see when I hear the work LOVE.
It was the most overwhelmingly beautiful thing I have ever experienced. It
stayed all around me and the girl while I lifted her up and got her lunch
pail and gave it to her and she walked off. Then I walked on down the
walkway and about 2 steps past her, I walked out of the feeling and it was
gone. So in this case, I sorta see it like a movie, but most of all I feel
it all around me like nothing I could describe because I had never felt it
like that before, but I HAD felt it within, but it wasn't as totally all
around and within.
Toy - I think of a pull toy and a little child playing with it, but I don't
see it
Cat - soft, purring, aloof, wonderful, but I don't see anything

Now keep in mind and tell your friends that 1. I am not to particularly
intelligent and 2. I am not particularly attentive to details, so that's not
the definitive NT's way of describing thinking out of pictures....just mine.


Second e-mail:
I think I was trying too hard. When I think of cat, toy, car, even Gretchen, DeeJay, etc. I guess initially a picture of them comes into my mind. I guess I see a cat or a group of cats, since I have 13 and don’t want to hurt any one of their feelings. When it is emotions or feelings like love or fear, there really is initially no picture, just a feeling; then when I start to think of it more, is when I think of the phone ringing in the night or the situation at Eastern Hills I told you about because that is a concrete illustration of the feeling I was trying to describe, or at least it puts it into concrete terms. I asked Carolyn what she thinks about when I say those words. She said she sees me when I say love but fear, there is no picture. I think maybe the reason you guys who think in pictures have such a hard time with emotions is that there is really no picture as such of love, fear, etc just what you give it. It is a concept, not a concrete. Maybe that is why it grips you so much, because you can’t reduce it down to a picture, so it’s ephemeral and becomes something to be nervous about. What do you think?