Who here was officially diagnosed with autism or Asperger's?

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Not me. There was a time when my father thought I had it, but I was pretty adamant that I didn't.

(I could be wrong but still)

edited 31st Jan '11 2:26:59 PM by Shichibukai

I am, well and truely, an Aspie. Made life very hard for me when I was growing up.

Why were you peeved? I wasn't.

I don't know. When I was younger (like 11-12) I would look around at my peers and see that I didn't fit in, that I lacked the social skills/knowledge that seemed to be intuitive to everyone else—though at the time I didn't realize that's what it was, I just knew I was "different" somehow. It got really depressing at times, because I thought I was the only "different" one.

Then I learn that for years my parents have known how I was different, why I couldn't/wouldn't make friends, etc., and, more importantly, that there are other people who have similar issues, but didn't tell me until they "had" to. I felt kinda betrayed.

edited 31st Jan '11 2:28:56 PM by CentralAvenue

My parents knew when I was 7 or 8 and I learned very shortly after.

Thread Hop. I was diagnosed with a metric crapton of stuff as a kid (auditory schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, ADD, and high-functioning autism). Most of them turned out to be false assumptions because the shrink didn't understand how my senses work (he thought I was trying to be 'speshul', but the bipolar disorder was diagnosed again a year later, so it's legit. The same shrink, Doctor Mc Coy, I think, told me that there was a significant chance of my being high-functioning autistic, but she was a friend of the family and said that it wouldn't affect me much so she wouldn't diagnose it officially so I wouldn't get flack from the school.

As it is, I just have issues with instructions (if someone instructs me to do something I will do that and ONLY that. Sort of a Literal Genie thing), organization (much the same; if I'm taught how to organize something, my mind goes blank if I have to place something in the folder/desk/ whatever that wasn't specifically outlined- the most common question I ask is 'where do I put this?') and understanding the tones in people's voices if I don't know them very well.

edited 31st Jan '11 2:43:01 PM by Diamonnes

I have NLD, so while I can't sit with all the cool kids at the Aspie table in the Troper Cafetieria, I have a lot of the same issues.

I was diagnosed in first or second grade, although until then Aspergers was suspected. Essentially, instead of mathematical acumen, I became English-centric.

However, it has lead to a lot of social hardships, and to this day I miss a lot of subtle cues and make faux-pas if not careful.

Even as a metaphor, the idea of Aspies having a cool kids table amuses me.

I was am always the one who sits alone in the far corner of the cafeteria.

There seem to be enough aspies on TV tropes that simply being a member makes you an honorary aspie.

/troll

I haven't officially been diagnosed with it, but I had a counselor I talked to regularly in 2004-2005. Now I recently found out from my mom that he said I had a mild form of Asperger.

edited 31st Jan '11 2:43:45 PM by Digirod

1/8 days I sit alone. The other 7 are good.

Yeah, I don't bother eating in the conference room at work, just at my desk. I can't get into any conversation. Have always been that way. Was that way in school too.

Jesus Christ that's sad!

I don't know what to say.

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I had friends in elementary school, but in sixth grade, lost interest in inviting people to my house or going to theirs. In middle school, I had acquaintances instead of friends, and same in high school. I talked to a few of my ex-high school classmates online while in college, but they've all moved on. I learned to hate My Space when I'd see them and how talkative they were with their new friends, and they didn't want anything to do with me. I don't feel like going through that again on Facebook.

Actually, when I was a freshman in high school, we had this huge cafeteria, lined with tables up and down. There was this one round table tucked away in the corner, and I used to sit there with this girl who lived a few streets away from me, and we would play go fish with a pack of Spongebob cards I bought at the Kings Island gift shop.

Eventually it became the table for people who didn't fit in at any of the other tables. That was kinda neat.

edited 31st Jan '11 3:05:46 PM by CentralAvenue

I was diagnosed when I was going for my routine checkup back when I was 17.

Central Avenue: Had the same story. Was diagnosed when I was 8, and wasn't informed about it until I was 13.

My reaction, however, was more dramatic than yours. Now knowing about the diagnosis, I'd found the answer to my questions. Why was I on a short bus? Why did I have a paraprofessional? Why did I see social workers once a week at school? Why did I, for the first two and a half years of elementary school, go from one class to another for reading and math? (Later I found out it was because I was in special ed for being ADD. After the diagnosis change, I was put in a normal class, but with a para.)

So when I learned of the keystone to all the shit going on behind my back over which I had no control, I was pissed. I took up a torch and pitchfork and went to war.

Now that I no longer have a para and the school system treats me like I'm 99% normal (with the exception of letting me see once in a while the first social worker I'm actually able to connect with personally), real friends, most of that anger is behind me. Nowadays, I just go about my life like the diagnosis never happened.

</life story draft 343>

Diagnosis? What diagnosis?

This all sounds pretty familiar. My parents didn't tell me about the diagnosis until I was 16, I had to teach myself everything and it sucked, I try to ignore it and go on with life, etc.

Judging by people's reactions when I've come out of the aspie closet to them, I'm not awkward enough in public to register as anything more than shy. I used to be really manipulable and I think I've developed trust issues as a consequence

Yeah, something similar happened to me. In retrospect, I really was practically the class special kid and was treated as such. Kids felt like they had some obligation to be nice to me, and as a result let me get away with almost anything (so long as it was harmless) because I "couldn't help it". I thought I had friends for a while but I was really a fifth wheel.

But then I discovered my real friends, so that chapter in my life is over. (Seriously though, if it hadn't been for the friends I have now, I would still be lost.)

The experience has left me shaken, though. I became extremely protective of my vulnerable inner self and turned into the resident cynic. I was cynical of all kids, mean or nice because I was deathly afraid they saw me as special. I'm still learning to get past that.

edited 31st Jan '11 3:48:21 PM by annebeeche

I'm not awkward enough in public to register as anything more than shy.

Same. I'm different from the way I used to be, when I would blurt out dumb things out loud, but I become so afraid of embarrassing myself that I went in the opposite direction.

I remember in high school being told "for a smart kid, you sure say a lot of dumb things."

I had a shy stage during the peak of my cynicalness, but now, whenever I'm around my equally energetic friends I let myself be the LARGE HAM I was always meant to be.

->Anne Beeche: AND THEN I JOURNEYED INTO THE COLD NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND ENGAGED BEARS AND DRAGONS IN GLORIOUS BATTLE AT THE SNOWY SUMMITS, AND SAVED YOUNG, IMPRESSIONABLE PRINCES FROM CERTAIN DOOM.

->Shannon: So you went skiing in Vermont?

edited 31st Jan '11 4:01:23 PM by annebeeche

I too can be funny and sarcastic in the right situation. The right social energy has done a lot for me at times.

PDD-NOS when I was 6

I remember in high school being told "for a smart kid, you sure say a lot of dumb things."

This, this, Goddessforsaken    THIS.    I swear I have heard that exact statement more times than I can even fathom, and I aced Algebra with one hand behind my back.