Survey/ Interview for HFA and Aspie Adults - Class Project

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Pandora_Box
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,299

19 Mar 2012, 10:48 pm

1. How long have you been participating on Wrong Planet Forums?

I have been here since December of 2010, so about 1 year. Plus this half year.

2. Are you in school now or working/seeking work? If so How far along are you?

I'm in College. Well I screwed up quite a bit and am facing anxiety that I may not be able to graduate with my associates this year. I also am volunteering for a science eductaion conservation program.

3. What was your favorite subject in high school and/or college?

My favorite subject in college has to be Natural Resources. I find this absolutely fascinating.

4. What is your favorite food, and your favorite types of food?

I'll be honest with you, I absolutely love pizza. All though I am vegan I make a delicious vegan dairy free meatless pizza.

5. Describe the foods do you dislike.

I absolutely hate avacado, celery, carrots, and cucumbers. Actually cucumbers are the worse offender on my list. The smell everything about fresh cucumbers makes me want to gag.

6. What healthy foods do you not eat enough of ?

Well I am vegan so I eat a lot of vegetables and I try to stay as healthy as I can. I wouldn't know what I don't eat enough of because I think I eat very well.

7. What is your passion or favorite past time?

Writing I absolutely love to write. I want to become an author actuallly.


8. What kinds of music do you like to listen to? Describe it the best you can.

I love classical music and I love trance. There is something that when I listen to each melody and layer come together that I feel this sense of ectsay. I would say it makes me feel high.

9. What would your ideal work life be like? Describe your day and interactions.

I'd love to be an author. Living out in the country with quiet wind and the sound of animals out the window. I'd smell hay and the kettle would whistle ready for hot tea. Whenever I do come to the city, it be book signings and that I would at least meet one kid just like me who is encouraged by the words spoken on the paper.

10. Describe your personal strengths.

I would say that I am quite analytical and a critical thinker. I give rather good input as well.

11. What have others said about your strengths in school and/or work?

They have always liked the fact that I am rather creative and can come up with ideas really well.

12. What parts of life do you feel need more work?

Social. I grew up ostriciazed for who I was, I was a very lonely child and had no friends. Growing up with that much isolation doesn't leave much room to learn social rules or learn the social environment.

13. What do others say you need to improve?

Social, my dad says I need to project more and bring a presence.

14. Do you feel like you have good body coordination?

I hope. I did do karate for quite some time in my years of youth.


15. Describe your size in height and build, face, hair and anything else about your visual appearance that you think is worth noting.

I'm 5'2" with darkish brown hair, chocolate it looks black in dim lighting, but brown in bright lighting. I like my hair short, and my hair is curly and puffy usually.

16. What age did you get diagnosed with Asperger's/Autism?

Self diagnosis early teens at 13; official late teens around 17 [I'll be a little more open and honest here]

17. How do you feel about the diagnosis?

I was the one whom had to beg my parents for help. I knew there was something "wrong" with me. That there wasn't something always right. My dad is actually the one who brought up the notion to begin with. I was talking to him about how in school it gets to loud for me and the world feels dizzy and that it's spinning. He said it sounded like some signs of mild aspergers. So I looked up it online and all those little things from my youth made sense. It was implementing the idea to my parents that was the hard part. I was sort of self diagnosed as a teen.

18. How has your diagnosis or self-diagnosis impacted your self perceptions? How has it affected your interactions and life overall?

It doesn't impact to the point that I do not feel like I cannot live my life. But it's hard to explain to a world that doesn't understand autism or aspergers. It's hard to be in a world where everyone thinks your'e dumb and on the other hand everyone thinks you cannot be something.

19. Have you ever used the term “neurotypical”?

Never. To label oneself is to limit yourself. And vice versa. I do not label.

20. Describe your interactions with “neurotypicals”.

Isolated. I am "weird" and to controversial and rude for most people. I find it to be an argumentive interaction, unless I conform to their needs.

21. If a gene for the ASD was found, and genes for other neurodiverse people were found, would it be embraced? What would your reaction be?

It's always nice to have new ideas and new theories to come into mind. It's always nice to find new things out. I wouldn't mind at all.

22. How do you feel about medical help that is designed to alleviate symptomatic difficulties, or cure high functioning autism or Asperger's?

A bit disturbing. It's as if admiting that we can cure a persons state of being. A persons state of who they are.

[b]23. How do you feel about diet modifications and natural user controlled approaches? [/b]

I wouldn't know how to feel about it. That's good for them.

24. If you could make recommendations for helping understanding between the neurotypical and neurodiverse in school and work, what would you recommend?

All though I am responsible for my actions and I will take responsibility for them, I will never divert blame or ask for special treatment. But note that I am not always in control; I'd like more understanding than accusations.

25. If you had the power to change the world, what would you do? (Just for fun)

I'd make this world more equal to all those who couldn't speak out. Even the animals.

***26. Describe what was it like where you grew up, and how your experiences with being neurodiverse changed over time?

I stated somewhere along the lines that I grew up very isolated. And I was. I was bullied and wasn't accepted. And the thing was even at that age you try to fix whatever is socially wrong with you. You just want a sense of belonging. My experiences haven't entirely changed, it's the same problem as when I was a child, but now it's an "adult real world" problem. Without all the proper tools and knowledge of the social environment I am completely at a loss in the adult social world. I end up still being really weird and still feeling really isolated. I've come across several paradoxes in my life that I will never understand. Such as the fact that if I say something weird it is not okay, but if someone else does it for some reason it seems much more acceptable. Or a lot of people will fight with me on an idea, but then someone months or weeks later will present the very same idea and it will be accepted. I'll never truly understand the social world or so it feels.



Medanthro
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Joined: 13 Feb 2012
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Posts: 23

22 Mar 2012, 3:07 pm

Ganondox wrote:
Can only adults participate?



Sorry for the late reply--busy week.


Young adults and teens should feel free to participate too. The ideas about life are developmental anyway. Nothing magical happens to make us adults really --just more acquired experience or time ;)