Which Asperger's stereotypes do you not exhibit?
That exactly, yep. That I don't fit them.
Than, this mean that you have repetitive behaviour and can't read basical facial expression? Or what you want to say is the opposite: that "repetitive behaviour" (instead of "no repetitive behaviour") and "inability to red basical facial expressions" (instead of "can read basic facial expressions") are the stereotipes that you don't fit?
Saying in another way, this list is a list of traits that you have or that you don'r have?
* normal speech and language
* clumsy, motor deficits
* intense focus, good concentration
* 'just' distressed by break of routines
* poor prosody
* nerdy, geeky
* asocial
* no repetitive behaviour
* cannot lie
* can read basic facial expressions
I definitely don't exhibit any of the super memory or super intelligence stereotypes. In fact, I forget things so often, I might as well be senile. I've also forgotten a lot of what I knew when I was younger, like things from high school and college...and I'm only 32, so it's not like I'm at an age where memory loss is normal. I'm also not too bad with eye contact, only because my current boss, who I have been with for 10 years, worked with me on that for years. But my default is to look away when possible.
I'm getting better about controlling flapping and meltdowns in public, but not really great at it. I've had the help of Klonopin (a sedative) for when I feel things getting out of control. But almost every day at work at 2:30 (when the whole staff is there at once), I have to leave and do something in the office or I'll freak out a little.
I think with the rest, I'm pretty typical. Oh, but I am really good at being a good polite person when, like, I have to meet my boyfriend's family and stuff like that. They love me. It gets harder the more I'm around them, because my "routine" for meeting new people in somewhat formal situations only applies like, once or twice. So they are starting to see my "quirks" now that I've known them for awhile. I'm not good at parties, only in smaller group situations with two or three people.
Saying in another way, this list is a list of traits that you have or that you don'r have?
Okay, another try. I coined most objective, but these two positive/negative, hence the confusion I guess.
Some professionals assume that those with AS/adults with AS have routines, rigid thinking but no repetitive behaviour, such as hand-flapping, spinning or rocking. They also claim that most of the spectrum, especially those with AS or HFA, are able to read basic facial expressions.
That's why I put those 2 on the list of stereotypes.
I have repetitive behaviour and can't read basic facial expressions. All traits on the list are traits I do not have.
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Autism + ADHD
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As I am undiagnosed, I guess any of the stereotypes that I do NOT exhibit, one could argue, might mean that I do not have AS? (just thought I had to get that out of the way...)
1) Was never a "little professor": however, it is believed that women often exhibit "little philosopher" traits instead, and I am definitely a little philosopher!
2) Am bad at math- (interesting that so many of us have said this!) In fact, I believe that I have discalculia; I still don´t even know my own home phone number, I have to look it up. Though, if I ever memorize a number- (rarely!)- I remember it for life.
3) I´m way better with concepts than I am with technical information. In fact, I´m pretty bad with memorizing "data".
4) Have no interest in parts of objects.
5) Being an artist, I am interested in emotion and it´s expression (although I do tend to be logical and analytical too, often analyzing emotions, etc.) I am also good now at understanding my own subtle emotions, though this took practice. (Which helps enable one to understand subtle emotions in general). But I still sometimes have delayed emotions- especially in quick, unpredictable social situations- and then go into "logic mode".
6) Am very imaginative; this is my "claim to fame"!
7) I did do some "pretend play", mostly with my little brother, when I was a child...however, my "pretend play" was quite unusual, I think. I also used to line things up- I thought most (NT) children did both too?
Like others, I can make eye contact fine now, in most situations. But even though I make eye contact, I still have trouble recognizing new faces...(now why is that???)
9) I also tend to be "overly polite" (someone else mentioned this, and it applies to me too); though I think that´s getting slowly worse with age, ha ha!
10) I don´t hate all social situations! These days, I do have friends- who share my special interests- and, God knows, I love to get together and talk about my special interests!
11) There are times when I am in my own world and quiet, and times when I am quite chatty. My guess is that when I am in "chat" mode, I probably appear quite sociable?
12) Oh yes, I have a great sense of humor, and I love good comedy! (But I didn´t realize that was an AS stereotype?)
Otherwise, I basically have all the other traits, though,...at least, this was all I could think of.
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SpongeBobRocksMao
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My eye contact ain't always bad and I ain't a genius at maths. I also barely have a problem understanding sarcasm and idioms. I'm also getting better about talking about the right things in social situations.
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- I don't like wrote learning or trivia even in my fields of interest. I'm more into logical connections and patterns than arbitrary details.
- I'm intelligent but I have no savant talents.
- I don't have a great memory.
- I don't have a super large vocabulary.
- I can read facial expressions and understand most body language (I think).
- I don't have any obvious “stimming”.
- Understand sarcasm, irony, metaphor, etc.
- Have good hand dexterity… e.g. I played with legos at a very early age (poor full-body coordination though).
- As far back as I can remember I never completely lacked empathy or theory of mind, just didn’t use them as much as an NT would. Other people's thoughts never held as much interest as my own.
- I could tell when someone was bored with my monologues but I continued anyways under the delusion that they would eventually become interested (Now I know better).
- I'm not insensitive or unemotional (actually I'm the exact opposite).
I think I'm closer to HFA than Aspergers though I don't completely qualify for either diagnoses by the old definitions.
I'm not excessively literal
No problems whatever with sarcasm
Adult woman with a sense of humor who likes to socialize
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"There are things you need not know of, though you live and die in vain,
There are souls more sick of pleasure than you are sick of pain"
--G. K. Chesterton, The Aristocrat
I'm a diagnosed "classic" autistic, I'll just say what I do and don't exhibit:
Do:
Countless obsessive routines, pretty much severe OCD
Easily frustrated when my routines are out of place
Poor eye contact
Extreme sensitivity to touch, bright light, voices and heat
Monotone voice
Very gifted in math, love for prime numbers and geometric and numerical patterns
Literal, "by definition" thinking
Obsessive interests and collections, especially cars and baseball; I could talk about either of those subjects for hours, but find small talk difficult
Prefer solitude
Spelled words before I could put sentences together, fine-motor impaired
Complete lack of interest in having a long-term relationship
Lack of interest in other people's emotions
Score very high on ADD tests, possibly ADHD
Love animals
No desire to fit in, and instead be my own person.
Self-centered
Don't:
I am quiet, and very polite, and I'm also very easy to get along with which has helped me make a good number of friends through out my life (although quite a few of my friends I think have been AS or ADHD)
Good with sarcasm and enjoy good humor
Pretty athletic and muscular, love to play baseball
Good with idioms
Never bullied/beaten up
Good self-confidence
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ADD. HFA. CCCP. SFRY.
Last edited by FerrariMike_40 on 29 Dec 2008, 4:26 pm, edited 3 times in total.
I'm not verbose (although I am well spoken and confident in talking about that which I am knowledgable about)
I don't have a special interest that is completely overwhelming (although I do tend to obsess)
I don't seek out others and then inappropriately dominate the conversation (I'd rather sit in the corner by myself)
I don't stim
I'm not especially sensitive to sound (although I get visually overloaded quite easily)
Basically, I'm not the 'active but odd' stereotype. My behaviour tends towards the passive.
I am also a mathematical idiot. Instead, I seem to learn languages in a heartbeat compared to most people.
I think the mathematical aptitude of aspies is a matter of pattern recognition, and I'm fascinated by linguistic patterns while I have difficulty perceiving numerical patterns. Perhaps it is because language is like a collection of organisms that mutate, evolve, split, coalesce, and have exceptions (I'm also a biology geek).
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'I don't know if that's an Asperger's thing or not, I think it's just being reasonable.' - Bram Cohen
I like math, but I'm more of the english/writing type.
I don't talk for long monologues - in fact I try to keep my conversations as short as possible.
My special interest is not a topic of discussion for me unless the other person in the conversation asks about it. I did enjoy going on and on about it at one point, but my friends managed to train me to speak only when spoken to.
I use small talk like "What's up?" and "How are you?" when I feel like having a conversation with someone because these phrases are honestly the only things I know how to say to start a conversation - other Aspies report avoiding small talk totally.
I take showers and change my clothes daily.
I am aware that other people have their own thoughts and emotions.
I tend to have a solitary existence for weeks at a time, but I will call friends once in a while to invite them to do fun things (during the summer months)

