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Twolf
Velociraptor

Joined: 8 Sep 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 481
Location: Space.

11 Jun 2010, 6:20 pm

I'm a long time lurker who gathered up enough nerve to finally say hi. I'm never sure how to introduce myself.

I come from the time when kids weren't diagnosed with ASDs. I wonder why no one in my family noticed something was different (in a positive way). They did tell me I'm weird frequently. I also remember people calling me "ret*d" quite frequently. Ah, childhood. In any case, I'm pretty sure I'm somewhere on the spectrum. If I'm not, I don't have any explanation whatsoever for all my social difficulties, "quirks", meltdowns, sensory issues, and inability to fit in anywhere.

Throughout school, I was the outcast. No one wanted to associate with me. There were a few who attempted to befriend me, but pretty much gave up due to peer pressure - they didn't want to hang with someone so "uncool." I was picked last for teams. I ended up in special ed PE (I believe I had coordination problems). I never managed to make friends or keep them. I was blamed by relatives for my social problems. "If you quit acting weird, maybe you would have friends."

My social difficulties followed me to the work world. I was mistreated by coworkers and management. So much for a respite from the playground. I'm not exaggerating when I say I must have gone through 20+ jobs. The work itself never was the problem. The social Darwinist atmosphere and sensory issues were.

In any case, I won't bore you with any more details. I'm happy to be here.

richie
Supporting Member

Joined: 9 Jan 2007
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 30,142
Location: Lake Whoop-Dee-Doo, Pennsylvania

11 Jun 2010, 6:29 pm

To WrongPlanet!! !

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JetLag
Veteran
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Joined: 7 Aug 2008
Age: 76
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,762
Location: California

11 Jun 2010, 6:49 pm

Glad to meet you, Twolf - and welcome greetings to the WP community.

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Linear2
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker

Joined: 29 May 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 56
Location: South Carolina, USA

11 Jun 2010, 6:57 pm

superboyian
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 9 Sep 2009
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Posts: 14,718
Location: London

11 Jun 2010, 7:21 pm

About time you started posting, welcome to WrongPlanet.net forums.

I assume you decided to post because you felt you had so much in common with alot of people here that you felt the urge to post.
Could I be one of the reasons why you joined?

Anyways, happy posting and enjoy your time here at the forums.

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Scientist
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Joined: 6 Nov 2009
Age: 50
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 1,524
Location: The Netherlands

11 Jun 2010, 7:37 pm

Hello Twolf, welcome, enjoy your stay on the Wrong Planet!

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1975, ASD: Asperger's Syndrome (diagnosed: October 22, 2009)

Interests: science, experimental psychology, psychophysics, music (listening and playing (guitar)) and visual arts

Don't focus on your weaknesses, focus on your strengths

Twolf
Velociraptor

Joined: 8 Sep 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 481
Location: Space.

11 Jun 2010, 9:39 pm

Thank you all for the welcomes.

superboyian wrote:

I assume you decided to post because you felt you had so much in common with alot of people here that you felt the urge to post.
Could I be one of the reasons why you joined?

Yes on the first. On the second, I found this community through a web search for Asperger's Syndrome.

conundrum
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Joined: 25 May 2010
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Posts: 2,922
Location: third rock from one of many suns

11 Jun 2010, 9:43 pm

Twolf wrote:

I'm a long time lurker who gathered up enough nerve to finally say hi. I'm never sure how to introduce myself.

I lurked on here for years before finally joining. Welcome aboard.

Twolf wrote:

I come from the time when kids weren't diagnosed with ASDs. I wonder why no one in my family noticed something was different (in a positive way). They did tell me I'm weird frequently. I also remember people calling me "ret*d" quite frequently. Ah, childhood. In any case, I'm pretty sure I'm somewhere on the spectrum. If I'm not, I don't have any explanation whatsoever for all my social difficulties, "quirks", meltdowns, sensory issues, and inability to fit in anywhere.

In my time, if you weren't "classically" autistic, nothing else on the spectrum existed. Thankfully, I had a lot of support from my mom, who guessed "mild autism" even though no one would/could diagnose anything resembling that.

Twolf wrote:

Throughout school, I was the outcast. No one wanted to associate with me. There were a few who attempted to befriend me, but pretty much gave up due to peer pressure - they didn't want to hang with someone so "uncool." I was picked last for teams. I ended up in special ed PE (I believe I had coordination problems). I never managed to make friends or keep them. I was blamed by relatives for my social problems. "If you quit acting weird, maybe you would have friends."

Sounds like grade school. After that, I stopped caring and things got better. I made a few friends who came and went, but I don't really talk to too many people I knew from K-12.

The remarks from your relatives sound like what my bf's parents used to say to him about his social difficulties when he was in high school. He suspects he has AS, too.

Twolf wrote:

My social difficulties followed me to the work world. I was mistreated by coworkers and management. So much for a respite from the playground. I'm not exaggerating when I say I must have gone through 20+ jobs. The work itself never was the problem. The social Darwinist atmosphere and sensory issues were.

That sucks. Sadly, it's fairly commonplace.

I work at a fast-food place and am pretty much left to myself the entire day--I'm a drive-through cashier--and I mainly have very brief interactions with each customer as I take their orders and payments. Everyone else is doing their own thing (food line, second window, front counter, etc.) so no one has any time to hassle anyone else, even if they wanted to (I've been fairly lucky to work with some very decent people).

Twolf wrote:

In any case, I won't bore you with any more details. I'm happy to be here.

We're happy to have you here. Glad you finally decided to take the plunge and join.

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The existence of the leader who is wise
is barely known to those he leads.
He acts without unnecessary speech,
so that the people say,
'It happened of its own accord.' -Tao Te Ching, Verse 17

Greenmouse
Snowy Owl