Nesf

Thanks, Special talent! :-)

I used to think that if people talked to you it meant that they were your friend, and I had a hard time growing up because I was getting ignored and left out of things and didn't know why. I used to think it was because I wasn't very outgoing, had completely different interests to my peers and they found me boring. I think they found me unfriendly and aloof because I never liked chit chat and didn't bother to get to know me. A couple of days ago I met with an old schoolfriend who was having similar problems to me at school though she's a bit more outgoing than me. It was a very positive experience as we still got on as well as we did then. I don't know if she's on the spectrum or not, but I know she has motor coordination problems, perhaps dyspraxia.

I also have problems sleeping, I either stay awake until late not able to wind down or wake up during the night and not be able to get back to sleep. Also I can't sleep if there's any noise or light in the room. Oakers, I hope your pain gets better, the cake decorating course sounds like a good idea :-)

Which new language would you like to learn? I think that motivation is very important, so if you're feeling tired it's probably not the best time to start learning. I'd like to learn a Slavic language, but right now I'm focused on other things and don't feel the impulse to start one, but who knows in future? My impulses to start new "projects" come and go.

I think there's a lot of truth in that, watergirl, we don't tend to look at people's faces much or for a long time, I for one feel uncomfortable and look away, I don't study faces.

Indeed, the whole thing is awful. They are right to focus on the victims' families, gun laws and society's attitudes towards guns, but the fact that he was on the spectrum is being widely reported and in the aftermath of this event ASD will inevitably be examined further by the media and stigmatised even more than it already is, causing even more difficulties for people with ASD at school, getting employment and integrating into society in general. Especially in schools.

It sounds like you're very well travelled. I've heard that even Japanese people find it hard to learn the characters and you need to know about 3000 to be able to write fluently - that must be really hard. How similar are Hungarian and Finnish? Did knowing Hungarian help you to learn it? I sometimes get languages mixed up, too - for example if I have a conversation with someone in Greek, and then afterwards another one with a different person in English, I may start talking in Greek without even realising that I'm doing it, and then wonder why the other person hasn't understood a word I'm saying :-)

Thanks, oakers, the diagnosis has helped me in many ways to understand myself better and examine my reaction to things past and present - it sounds cliched but it's true. I admire you for learning a language like Hungarian which is supposed to be one of the most difficult ones to learn. I don't know what Japanese is like, I imagine that learning the characters must be very challanging. How did you find it? I can understand you choosing Finnish as this is closely related to Hungarian, though also a tough one to learn.

Astrology? Did you perhaps mean astronomy? That was one of mine (and still is)... and I like Star Trek, too, and sci fi in general.

I don't much talk about it with other people, at the times I've had to tell someone I said I have Asperger's, for autism I would say "autistic" or "person with autism". While I don't object to "Aspie" or "Autie" I wouldn't use them.

I was teaching English as a foreign language and found it tough. Firstly, I had problems with class management and discipline. Kids will always test their boundaries and to maintain discipline you to respond to problems quickly and decisively, which I was never able to do, they knew it and took advantage. Another problem was engaging the students. I tended to lecture and do too much talking, my voice is a bit toneless and they got bored, which led to discipline problems. Trying to keep the students needs good communication skills, enthusiasm and a lot of energy, and after 6 hours of teaching I was totally exhausted. Also keeping myself organised was a real challenge. I was asked to do yearly and semester planning, which I found very difficult. It was easy to plan a single lesson, but a whole semester is a different matter... I felt overwhelmed, stressed and unable to cope. Another thing I couldn't cope with was being observed while teaching. I don't mean to discourage you, a lot depends on the environment and the training you receive. For example, my training was a TESOL course which doesn't prepare you for class management issues, I'm sure your training is much more comphrehensive and prepares you for this. Teaching wasn't for me, but I think that awareness of AS and the right training make a big difference and you can be successful.

I've been told that I'd "feel quite at home" at Durham University but I'm not sure from which perspective, whether there are lot of AS students or staff, or whether they have good support for AS students.

I used to watch Star Trek a lot when I was younger and I'm getting into it again, I'm rewatching the original series at the moment, and hope to eventually work my way up to the Voyager series.

Thanks for your clarification. I agree with you on the labelling and classifications. Everyone is different and a person might be "high functioning" in one area and "low funcioning" in another, it's not always so clear cut.

I used to be a teacher and this was a BIG problem! When I was a teenager my best friend had her hair cut and the next day at school she said hi to me and I didn't recognise her. Now if it happens I deal with it with humor and make a joke about having Alzheimer's.

Robert: Yes, one to one private tuition is a viable option, I can cope with people one at a time, it's groups I find difficult. Willow: everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, people with AS are supposed to be all good at maths but I never was - at least not at algebra, geomentry is a lot better. A-S warrior: Thanks for the greeting. Right now I don't much feel like having relationships :-) trekster: I do the occasional translation, proofreading and private tuition and they suit me, but need more permanent employment... preferably a job where I can alone and work independently. As for sci fi, I read more than I watch films or series. Preferred authors: Isaac Asimov, Greg Bear, Philip Dick, John Wyndham, Arthur C. Clark, H.G. Wells, Brian Aldiss, and many others. Films: Kubrick's Space Odyssey 2001, Planet of the Apes, rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Sunshine, The Truman Show, The Abyss, I, Robot, Prometheus. I prefer sci fi films which are based on original ideas rather than the usual Hollywood approach of plenty of action and special effects for the masses. Series - Star Trek, Dr. Who, Red Dwarf.

Thanks for your reply, Robert. I used to be a teacher of English as a foreign language and worked in a school for about a year, but I couldn't handle the discipline issues, constant classroom interraction and organisation needed for the job. Teaching requires a lot of communication skills which I don't naturally have, and it left me exhausted and close to breakdown. Also, school staffrooms are just like offices: cliquey and they are likely to gang up on you and push you out if you are in any way different or don't play their game. So at the end of the year they told me that my contract wasn't being renewed and when I asked why they said it was because I didn't fit in. This lead to a breakdown and my deciding to seek a diagnosis for AS which I had suspected for some time that I might have. Teaching is not a suitable job for someone with AS and I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

It was the wording of the question that confused me, but no, I've never felt the need to explain myself to anyone unless they specifically ask about some aspect of my behaviour.

I used to be quite fluent in French too, but since school I haven't had much need for it, and although I can still understand most of it I can't speak it well. I find with learning languages that although I can pick up vocabulary and grammar quickly, my spoken abilities aren't quite so good and I find it difficult to express myself. Also I have a very foreign sounding accent I can never get rid of.

I've always had obsessive hobbies, more intense as I've got older. They rule my life. When I was a kid I liked experimenting, scientific or otherwise, and music. Later it was astronomy. Now it's music (progressive rock) and learning languages. However, I don't talk obsessively and bore people with them. In my first school I was teased and bullied and at some point I learned not to draw unnecessary attention to myself by talking about interests which were slightly unusual for a girl, so I suppressed them and kept them to myself and daydreamed about them all the time.

So far I've learnt French, German, Spanish (at school) and then Greek, Romanian and Italian. I speak German, Greek and Romanian quite fluently. Next I'd like to learn a Slavic language like Russian or Polish.

One thing I'm trying to get answers to and can't seem to get any concrete ones is what will happen to my diagnosis of AS when the changes come into force. The specialist who diagnosed me based his diagnosis on the DSM-IV, not the ICD, and that is what's on the report. Will I keep my diagnosis? Will I have to be reassessed for ASD? Will it be reclassified as ASD without further assessment? The idea that I may have to go through the whole procedure again is daunting, though I'm sure I'll meet the new criteria for ASD.

I also completed the survey. One question confused me and I didn't know what it meant, the one about whether you make excuses for your ASC.

Hi Mannify. I like to learn foreign languages.

Hi, I'm female, 41 years old, and a couple of months ago I was diagnosed with AS after experiencing many difficulties in my life, including more recently losing my job, having a failed relationship and depression. I hope that with my diagnosis I can come to terms with the past, begin to like myself a bit more and begin to look forward, not back.