What do you think of how aspies are treated by other people?

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I am just wondering how many of you that were bullied or tormented told your parents about it????
What did they do????

Some of you said that the school administration did not do anything about it.... that is so sad; i know that as a parent I have fought many battles ( IEP's, insurances, etc...) and I know that if this happened to my kid- that it would stop immediately or I would be at school everyday until it did...
(meaning I would do everything in my power to make the school take accountability for the others students actions, and keep my child safe)

I have also read that it is a good idea to have anti-bullying campaings be started at the school listed in your IEP.....
Michele

yup, got bullied at school too. 'best days of your life' indeed!?!

seem to have difficulties in relationships a lot now. well, in communication i probably come across as either as subtle as a brick or a bit cloudy at other times. i don't have the sophistication to lie about stuff and i like to be able to take other people at their word. unfortunately i seem to have 'gullible' written across my forehead!

I have little or no memory of Junior High (except for teachers, whom, God bless 'em, were nice to me), because I got picked on all the time.

High school was better 'cause we were more or less old enough not to tease eachother, and most of my pals were weirdos. I do remember a few instances in which I got picked on. One time, some stupid idiot called me "a mentally-challenged ret*d." I went into class, burst into tears, and two of my guy pals went and practically beat that guy to death for picking on me.

I got picked on a little bit in college, but it was because I was a rebellious Bohemian, and also because of my religious beliefs. It was a Protestant college in the middle of the Bible Belt in West Texas, and I was raised Episcopalian/Anglican, and I was--and still am---very pro-Catholic when I was in college, and I am also very open-minded in my religious outlook (for the most part. I am still quite conservative in religious traditions). In college, I solved my problems by finding people with whom religion was not much of an issue, and also other Bohemians like myself. (A Bohemian is what some of you would call a "culture vulture" or an "artsy-weirdo type".) I also had a very good friend who was studying to be a preacher, and we did talk religion (which I love to do, but on a more cultural level), and it was only this year when I realized that this fellow wanted me to be a better Christian in any religion that I chose. I hope very much that this is the case.

As for having Asperger's, there are many things about it I don't care for. I do not like the term "Aspie," I prefer to say that I have Asperger's. Or I say that I have a "learning problem" or have a "learning-disability." I have a lot of online friends who are foreigners (I'm American) and I'm rather shy about disclosing my learning-disability with them as a lot of foreigners do not have much of a concept of them. I usually say that I have a "learning problem," and they understand. I have an online friend in Spain, and I told him that I had a learning problem, he understood and accepted it. I also REALLY HATE IT when people tell me, "I can't believe you're learning-disabled! You are SOOOO smart and intelligent!" I always feel like saying to them, "what do you think I am, ret*d?"

What people don't understand that learning-disabled folks are among the most brilliant people in the world.

One day, I hope that Asperger's will be as accepted and understood as autism.

Hilarythebaker,
I think that you have a good way of explaining that you have a learning disability- as most people can understand this term; I do think though that because asperger's also includes other issues that you could go into more detail as to what the difficulties are for you.
Now, the last comment you made;
about atuism being accepted and understood I am not sure I understand what you mean>
I do not believe that it is accepted or slightly understood ( but this is my opinion)

I think/ know that many people do not understand any autistic disorder- one of the main reasons is because of the diversity of the spectrum and the people on it- every person has slightly different issues and co morbid disorders... there is not one person that is affected in the same way...
this can cause confusion to many.

I also would like to point out- that many people ( including some on the site- as well as myself) have had no education on autism and related disorders; before my son was diagnosed I knew very little about it.....
it was not until it hit close to home that I started to educate myself and my family about it.....
and if my son was not dxed- I still would not know anything....

so, my main point is that the general public that has not been affected by autism- is clueless.....
now, by all means this does not give anyone an excuse to be ignorant, or rude, or cruel......
but I think that there needs to be public education on autism-
we have it for lots of other things-
because what I hear most people saying here is that they do not want to be NT but want NT people to have a better understanding of autism and related disorders....
so, who is going to be the best person to do that???

YOU and all others that are on the spectrum and for those that can not do it themselves- the parents as their advocate.
so, I urge everyone to try to push autism public education ( write to your legislators)
Michele

sorry I went on and on- but all I want for my son is that people try to accept him for who he is and can see past his differences-
because he is the future; along with the growing number of people on the spectrum
we have to stand up for ourselves, and each other.

I've accepted the fact there are many stupid people in the world who do stupid things to themselves and others. On the flipside, there are good people too who are selfless and caring and compassionate.

Look for the diamonds, not coal. Inscrutably rarer, but what is precious lasts the test of time and will not merely burn away.

My cases aren't as bad as most some of yours but school is still a very stressful place.

Her is what happened to me:
- was called ret*d a million odd times
- got asked many of the "bullys' trick questions"
- punched in the nose
- was called "geek" or "nerd" alot
- alot of other stuff I can't remember.

Bullys tend to go after Aspies because of there lack of social ability.

I'm 13 and in the 7th grade. I didn't have much of a problam with bullying until 3rd grade. Then they started to pick on me, and it got worse every year. I think lat year was the worse. They'd constantly make fun of the stuff I do. And a few times I lost my temper and hit someone on the head. After that, they started to make fun of the fact I lose my temper sometimes. One day last year and 8th grader thought it'd be funny to throw erasers at me, and some people in the room thought it was funny to. I noticed a girl who I didn't like at all was one of the people laughing, and I told her to quit being mean to me just beacuse she didn't like me. She insulted me as usual and had a I'm better than you and I don't like you so I can treat you like dirt voice, so I hit her on the head. I was REALLY mad at her. Then 2 seconds later, she punched me in the face. Some of my teeth felt like they could have been hurt if she hit me any harder, and my glasses were knocked off. I had to stay in the office and do work, except during lunch. She was supposed to do the same, but her parents came and picked her up. My mom was real mad at the school for that.

To answer the question of this thread, of course I think it sucks.

Dear fellow friends:

The experiences here seem very depressing, only because some of those things even happened to me when I was growing up, and I've been out of school for twenty years now. Where's my twenty year reunion invitation? Haven't seen it in my mailbox yet, am I invited? Well see! I wonder if my old high school has forgotten me by now? Ha ha ha ha

While i have been bullied and mistreated for many years of my life, these problems are a mere wisp of smoke among the fires of my current life. the real spark, however, rests with the adults that are responsible for my welfare at school. this to, has diminished over time, but was a real problem for one of my former emotional status. I will not go into detail about the school called Riverdale, where i was formally assigned, only that their school colors should have been red and black instead of blue and white, since it was the closest thing to Hell that i can imagine. while the admins of my new school, where i was relocated after it was built (thanks to the school's proximity to my house) is all for giving me the "free, safe, appropriate education" promised in the statement of belief of the scool district, i have had serious problems with a minority of the teachers and paraprofessionals assigned to me; for they still think, after all our hard work and advocacy, that i am still in need of a paraprofessional, even though my superior intelligence, capacity for learning, and recent adolescent changes have all but abolished most of the characteristics of AS in me (though the omens are good, and i am soon to be free of my current aide if i play my cards right). One teacher, whom i will refer to as X, believed that i was not fit to be mainstreamed and attempted to disprove my parents in this belief by intentionally provoking me to fits of anger (this was back in the day that i had a temper). My parents found out about it, and when confronted, X exploded verbally and told my parents a load of nasty, untrue things about me and people like me, and where we should be (X's idea was a permanent installment in a mental institution). That was it. Mom came home crying, Dad went into a fury that probably went offshore and turned into Hurricane Ivan, and i was removed from the class and placed elsewhere. i was still being mainstreamed, but my new para pro, whom i will refer to as Y, attempted to channel X's spirit and turned on me.(i always thought that Y had a hint of X around him, which didn't suprise me, because X seemed to be possessed by a demon of pure spite, and to this day gives off an aura of evil that makes me think of Darth Vader's theme song) The slightest thing went wrong with the day and Y would drag me off to my "safe room" (which was't very safe, in my opinion) and belittle me. i won't describe what spiraled off the catastrophe that resulted from Y's actions, only that i am still appalled that he is still a para pro(though not with me; my parents saw to that. )i am doing fine now, and (as i mentioned earlier) am ready to shed my third para pro thanks to progress. thank you all for hearing me out.

My destiny is bright ...
Archmage

Yes, they are.

I find "normal" people seem to hold themselves superior, of feel sorry for us.

It's partly the fact I think that they don't understand, often confuse us for just being weird, and people often put their back up to things they don't understand.

i've been there too! in 7th and 8th grade this guy was constantly harassing me. he called me stuff like a ret*d and he'd steal pens from me and stuff. luckily, i got the school to take care of that stuff. plus now, i'm more socially adept (even though i may go back and get a bit of speech therapy and get some more social skills b/c that seems to be the only part of my asperger's that stuck around - besides that i'm all good!) so i know how to deal w/ people better and stuff. i just need to work on a few things. but being made fun of has stopped, luckily! i do realize i'm very fortunate in this and that it still continues for many people. i wish them the best of luck and i hope you all don't listen to those losers that dare insult you!! !

I used to punched so badly I had bruise all over my body. Pushed into a shower in gym class. Tripped in the hall ways. Made fun of by students. Made fun of by teachers. ect.


My life hasn't been very good so far, but I haven't given up hope.

I was never bullied or picked on in elementary school, but I was ignored. I never really noticed or cared.

Then I went to middle school. Middle school was really a struggle for me. I was friends with some of the 'popular' (wow, haven't used that term in a while) kids outside of school. I ate with them at lunch, and even went to some of their parties. (Yeah, an Aspie who is friends with the 'popular' kids, strange, huh?) But, for some reason (wasn't diagnosed then) I still felt really isolated.

When it was time to go to high school, I transferred to another school across town. I had a brand new start. I decided to be assertive and make friends. The summer between my 10th and 11th year I was diagnosed. I am now in my final year of high school and I'm treated perfectly fine. My friends know I have AS too.

Middle school was the worst time for me. I could not be paid enough money to go back to middle school.

I hav'nt really read replys to this post but hears what I think.

Around here people don't evan know what aspergers is, I only know of one person who does, and he's, well, he sounds like a frigging book.

people are still highly ignorent about asperger in general.