Newbie here - with special thanks to Snoopy, etc.

Post Reply New Topic

Hi, I'm Doug, though I've adopted the username of one of my 120+ stuffed dogs. Yeah, that was one of my numerous osessions when little. My goal was to collect 100 by the time I was 10 - I had 122 counting the one a friend gave me for my 10th birthday. I was up to 150 before age and normal wear and tear (which wasn't too bad) caused about 25 to, like the Velveteen Rabbit, get so worn out that they were thrown away and became "real." lol, I'd love to see how God changed the one witht he crazy quilt pattern.

Seriously, I'm not really sure if I'm an Aspie or not. On one quiz I scored a 19, it was a 50-question quiz. On another, which asked questions in different areas and which most AS people score over 100 on, I was 112 for earlier and 92 for "now."

So, I guess my question is, do "aspie"s often mature, and get better, over time? I've always been pretty good at adapting, but here's why I think I was. See, I could read when I was 3. Instead of naps, I just had to read for half an hour or so, and often spent longer, when I was a kid. And so, I learned to copy the actions of Charlie Brown and his frends, as far as how to interact socially. In fact, I felt very much like Charlie Brown. I was kind of shy, had great grades, but felt like a bit of a misfit. I could imagine myself as CB pretty well, or as Dennis the Menace. (Though I *talked* about being a "menace" I never did anything really bad, I was an incredibly mature kid for my age. So, maybe that's a sign I didn't really understand lke I thought.)

Also, along with being hypersensitive as opposed to unable to understand what others felt - I was always somewhat comfortable with talking to or playing with friends in small groups, usually 1-on-1 or with 3-4 of us. On the playground, the first couple years in school, I walked around just watchinga nd talking with imaginary friends. But, even the playground became easy for me by age 8 or 9. However, again, that was thanks to 1-2 friends influencing me and being a *great* help. (I have done Sunday school lessons on one in paricular and how someone who is an example of Jesus can make a difference and be remembered many years after they've moved away; the kids love the "rest of the story" format I tell it in and how they, too, can be part of the Rest of the Story someday, by befriending a handicapped or just playing "different" kid.)

But, I had all the other classic symptoms. I loved to read the same books in grade school, was fascinated with planets and space, sci fi, and so on, slept with stuffed animals/comfort objects till I was 15, had trouble sensing when people had ulterior motives so was abused in Junior High, etc.. I also have a strong aversion to disagreements; I need things to be ironed out and settled between people, and sometimes when there is a small one I worry - though I'm getting better at not doing so - that there will be more problems. I was always physically affectionate, but htat's because my family was, and I grew up used to that.

I had often felt my low (10/800) vision was the reason I couldn't sense facial cues and was hypersensitive to yelling, but having met a couple friends online with AS, I have wondered if I have it.

I guess the real stickler is the imagination part - but that can probably be explained by environment, and that my mind is creative enough to compensate in some areas. Presently, I'm studying to be a minister, believe it or not - of course, on wikipecdia I read one "Aspie" had run for public office. I have always had strong faith, so maybe that's part of it - I know God can use me for great things.

Welcome to WrongPlanet, Doug! I hope you'll feel at home here.

Dunc

Welcome to wrong planet- I think that we do develop ways of coping as we get older, but it what extent I really don't know. Will all depend on the individual I suppose.

Anyway- hope you enjoy posting here

Hi Doug

Was the test you took this one? http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php
My scores were: NOW 123 EARLIER 135
So, regarding your question, it seems our results lend support to your hypothesis- aspies can mature and get better over time
I found also interesting your self description, I recognized myself in many istances; I used to sleep with comfort objects too- I think till 11 or 12 if I rembemer well, so now I wonder if this is an Aspie trait as well, do you know anything about this?
Enrico

Welcome BigSnoopy! I don't know if we get better over time or if we just learn to adapt. I scored better now, but; I was really torn about some of the questions because I have adapted a little to society.

About imagination: I think all the stuff about impaired imagination is BS. What they mean by "imagination" in the "triad of impairments" is very vague, and it often gets interpreted as being about pretend play, but another possible meaning, as far as I understand it, is flexibility.

Practically, this can mean you have trouble applying a concept in different situations, or "meeting the unknown" - when you go to a new place with new people, you do better when you have it all described to you as much as possible - or that you can't imagine (there's the word) very well what another person's motives might be; maybe more.

It doesn't have to mean you can't make up stories, or characters, or that you can't play pretend with other children. Many people with very little imagination in the way of "making things up" are not autistic.

I think it's possible that being able to do pretend play and having very real feelings about what you're playing - as if your emotions don't know you're playing - has something to do with autism, but I don't know that for sure.

Have you heard of the concept of the Highly Sensitive Person?

I have, and it's very interesting - I think you're right about the imagination, and your explanation makes a lot of sense. Probably the terms most of the world uses are a little different than what we use, anyway.

It could well be that highly structured pretend play is in fact something they suspect but cannot prove with autism - I don't know if you remember the TV show St. Elsewhere, but if I'm not mistaken, I read someplace where the finale tot he show had the entire series be somethignt hat took place int he mind of a child with autism. An interesting thought.

I can't "remember" that tv show, never having seen it.

What you often see when autistic children do pretend play is that they do it in the same way every time, and/or that they order the other kids around, telling them exactly what they should do.

It's a matter of context, though - it's perfectly normal for a young child to want to hear the same story over and over again, and to be displeased when a single word is left out. It's a sliding scale.