A message to all people using this board

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Autism is a collection of symptoms that we can have to different degrees individual symptom by symptom.

All of us on the spectrum are autistic and our functioning level is 80 to 90% determined by factors we as individuals have zero control over.

My functioning level allows me to work but it doee not allow me to form relationships or friendships nor can I live independently thus far.

I am not better or worse then anybody on this board or anybody I work with.

I am proud of the fact that I can be open about my Autism and I am really happy that I found such a great bunch of people right here on Wrongplanet.

I know a lot of people in the wider world have a negative and ignorant view of Autism.
Some people with milder forms of Autism go into denial and try and hide it.

Well knowing what I know now I am proud to be in the same group as all people here and I hold my head high and proudly.

Everybody here deserves respect and the first part of this is respecting youself.

The only worthless people in this life are people who put other people down.

I was bullied very badly in school also.

I am an adult now and people who can put other people down like that are a waste of space and oxygen.

I understand what you are saying about your survival instinct.

Your an adult now and you have Autism is that really such a bad thing?

This is a great bunch of people right here would you not agree?

The only "putting others down" I have ever seen happening on WP is when the diagnosed not only put down but outright attack the undiagnosed.

Funny thing is, the diagnosed were once undiagnosed and either self-suspecting or someone else had to suspect on their behalf, in order for that diagnosis to ever come into being.

There is elitism on this site, yet all that separates us is a piece of paper.

I repeatedly am made to feel not welcome simply because of that.

I have expressed nothing but support and comfort to those who post threads about their difficulties, because I relate strongly and my heart goes out to that person.

This is the only place where I've ever found people who share the SAME horrendous struggles in life that I have had and still have, but I never knew I wasn't the only one. I put down MYSELF for being as challenged as I've been all my life, because I had no idea why.

For one example, I've been homeless and I reached out to help someone who was in that predicament. I've had horrible problems with the work world and can sympathize profoundly with others who have too. Other issues - the list goes on. The only thing I DO NO like is the sexism on Love and Dating, and those people are hateful, so they earn my hatefulness back at them.

Other than that, I feel nothing but compassion for most people here because my own difficulties have been the SAME ONES. Yet I'm often treated like I have no right to offer advice and I have no right to be here.

Yet I suffer 90% of the symptoms, traits and challenges -- and even the life-situations -- here as the diagnosed snobs putting me down and telling me I'm fake, while having no idea of the pain and struggle I've had to live my life in.

I'd also like to point out that choices our profiles give us as to which option to choose regarding our status -- "Diagnosed" etc -- are not detailed enough to tell the whole story.

When you see "Have Aspergers - undiagnosed" it only tells a fraction of what may be happening with that person's status. If you read their other profile details you will see on mine at least that I've already been given an informal confirmation, but I feel that doesn't give me the right to check the "diagnosed" box.

I may get that right as soon as the next two weeks. I'm supposed to get my assessment soon. Or I may not.

I will be happy to come on here and say -- wow......she said I'm not on the spectrum.........but then why do I share so many traits?

And if I share those traits, isn't it not unreasonable for me to still be able to take part in "How do you cope with your sensory issues?" threads? And similar? I experience and have experienced all my life traits that only seven years ago I realized all fit on the autism spectrum.

I did my research after a crashing couple of years of denial. I also don't meet the criteria for other conditions and disorders. I've been informally confirmed it may be autism spectrum. I've been officially told I'm not BDP, for example.

But even if it turns out I have Orange Elephant Post Traumatic Cake Baker's Syndrome, if I still have sensory issues, meltdowns, shutdowns and can relate to struggling to keep working, struggling to be independent, struggling to have friends, then I belong here and I have a right to discuss those struggles with others who share them.

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I agree with you, the point of this place is help and support. I have met some wonderful people here who have done that for me, and in turn I hope I'm not mistaken when I feel that I've tried to do the same in return.

It's just a pity that there is an element on WP who have made it miserable at times for me, speaking for myself.

And sorry for my rant, in my other post -- I went on and on a bit because I've been recently upset about this very thing on WP, so it all came spilling out.

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And also when I've freshly been feeling upset it's hard to let go; this stuff kind of came about last night/this morning. I'm getting over it now, but...yeah!

Thanks to BirdInFlight and sharkattack for speaking up on behalf of those of us on these forums with undiagnosed autistic spectrum issues.

You make the point a lot better than I am currently capable of doing!

I have often wondered if it's as simple as fear of the unknown that causes the reactions you speak of Birdinflight, I believe that those of us who question the suspicion of a label, (eg label ourselves as suspecting) are being respectful of a process that many formally diagnosed went through. Yet i see the need to question as a means to protect those with social challenges in the jungle that is the internet. Imo, the alternative undiagnosed route to self categorisation is a feat, as opposed to the simplicity of having that piece of paper to confirm a diagnosis. It is an extra challenge to grapple with, before you can communicate with context.

I cannot hide my autism as it is not mild. I'm trying to get my mum to understand that. I hate it when people say "stop covering your ears" or "stop screaming" when it isn't that easy.

I know this is about what I don't see, nonetheless, I don't see autistic people as being particularly different from other people. And at the more severe end of autism and Aspergers spectrum, well, severe impairment is not unique to ASD.

Sharkattack, would you consider changing the heading to "a message to all people...."?