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From the lens My Journey with Aspergers.

Do you share some of these traits, and how do you deal with them? Now, I'm sure most people share some of these to an extent, and some of them overlap with other disorders, or no disorders at all, some may just be a person's particular personality trait, but if you share most of these, then maybe you are one of us!

  • Amber May 25, 2012 @ 6:03 pm | delete
    WOW! You sound almost exactly like me. It's spooky, really.
  • Theresa May 21, 2012 @ 4:15 pm | delete
    I read all of this, and I'm really interested in it. It was very informative. I'm going to be tested soon to see if I have Asperger's. My family recently found out that my sister has AS and they only found out 2 months ago, and my youngest brother was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3.
  • NatureLuver May 9, 2012 @ 4:31 pm | delete
    Very nicely done. I have to claim ignorance on the subject until today. Thanks for teaching me.
  • SecondHandJoe May 8, 2012 @ 10:46 am | delete
    You have a way of writing that is not boring. Great story. I have already read your lens and I come back now for a re-read (saw your post in SquidU about your interview) and realize I must have been so involved in it, I forgot to 'like' it. You should definitely put a 'like' reminder at the end.
  • renee-martinrhea May 6, 2012 @ 12:21 pm | delete
    This describes me perfectly..I have been so consumed in getting my 6 yr old son diagnosed..that I never stopped to put all the pieces together! I have been telling my husband all this time that I thought he carried a lot of the AS traits when all along it was me! This really puts my life in perspective...bitter sweet, now I understand myself a little better.....Thank you ;o)
  • memyselfandiam Apr 20, 2012 @ 11:01 am | delete
    My son was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome in August of 2008. Since then I have been on a mission to learn all that I can about this challenge he has. I really hate using the term disability because, in my opinion, he is just different ? not disabled. There has been a lot of discussion lately about whether to do away with the term Aspergers Syndrome and just use the Autism diagnosis instead. There are pros and cons to both but I am leaning towards no.
    Aspergers is considered by many as high functioning Autism although they are really very different. While they both fall on the Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD) scale, they have some vast differences. Typically, Autistic people do not want to socialize while Asperger's (Aspies) do want to be social but they just don't have social skills. One of the other differences in the language delay, those with Autism are typically delayed in developing language skills while Aspies are not.
    One of the biggest issues is the amount of aid you receive from schools and government. There is not nearly as much for Aspies as there are for those with Autism. My son's school only recognizes the Autism diagnoses so he has all the benefits in special education that he needs. However the state I live in, AZ, separates the two diagnoses and there is not much assistance for him. Now since he has insurance it is not too big of a deal except in one area. Aspie kids really need social skills training. They can learn these skills. The problem is that there is not a lot of training or classes available for this. We have one here in Tucson that is offered by the University but it is $35 an hour and the classes are weekly and they do not take insurance. You commit to a semester at a time just like a school semester. This can be really rough for many parents. There is also a waiting list to get in anyway. I could go on but the bottom line is that there are many more options and assistance for parents of Autistic children than for parent of Asperger's children.
    So here is the question I pose. Do you think Aspies should be classified as Autistic, even though that really isn't accurate, so that there would be more benefits and resources available to parents? I would love to hear what you think.Daily life jorney with him http://www.angmoore.com
  • bloomingrose Apr 15, 2012 @ 7:52 pm | delete
    Great lens - thanks for describing this so thoroughly. I think you helped a lot of people. Angel Blessed and pinned on my board "This I want you to Know."
  • JimDickens Apr 13, 2012 @ 10:36 pm | delete
    Been there and done that. After 60+ years of living this differentness, I finally found a name for it. That does not help me now but hopefully it will help others. I most identify with the lack of being able to identify the social cues and body language of others. Friends close to me have berated and made fun of me for missing those clues, they don't understand that it is like making fun of a blind person because he can't tell the difference when the red light is on or the green light is on or no light is on -- we just plain and simply don't see what others seem to see with ease.
  • iggy Apr 11, 2012 @ 6:16 pm | delete
    Wow. You basically just described me....... except for the specialist subjects. I get obsessions, but they are usually very focused, like listening to the same song over and over for hours while I do something, or making 10 batches of scones or something, only to find i've filled the airtight tubs and have to go and visit someone to give them away >.< grr.
  • ScottiesRock Apr 3, 2012 @ 6:19 pm | delete
    My son has almost all of these traits. It was nice to hear another perspective. I try to get him to talk to me about how he feels and he can't. Our dog passed away last week and for the first time in so long he did show some empathy to me and even cried. Blessed!
  • dc64 Apr 4, 2012 @ 10:19 am | delete
    Thank-you for the Blessing. My son also has Asperger's and he doesn't like to show emotion, especially sadness and hurt. When he does, I make myself available if he needs comfort, but do not pressure him. I'm lucky because I understand how he feels.
  • wheresthekarma Mar 30, 2012 @ 3:12 am | delete
    VEry interesting. Just getting our of relationship (sort of) with someone i believe who has this..Its nice to see your point of view!!
  • Craftmob Mar 23, 2012 @ 8:24 pm | delete
    Every Aspie is different, of course.
    Most have similarities, though.
    I have Aspergers Syndorme, nothing major, but I cover My ears when I'm in a gym, a theater, a cafiteria, and ect. Why? Because I'm hyper sensative to sound. That's one of the symptoms some of the Aspies have.
    I get easily distracted if I'm not interested in something, such as math. I don't like math, I think it's boring, so therefor, I get distracted, and often zone out.
    I rock back and forth. Some days I do it most of the day, some days I just do it when I'm super anxious, nervous, sad, angry, or when I feel I need to calm myself down.
    I tend to fovus on one subjet, and I've always been like this.
    When I was a little kid, I was obsessed with horses, I'd even act like a horse.
    Nowa days, I'm obsessed with the subject Mental Health. I think it is so interesting. My favorite topic would be Aspergers Syndrome, High functioning Autism, and Autism.
    You can ask me probably anything about it, and I can answer. Well, the facts of course.
    I'm someone who prefers to be alone. Not that I don't like to hangout with my friends, but just because I can do what I usually do, and not get told I'm rude, and weird.
    I often get told I'm rude, when I think I'm being polite.
    I don't understand metaphores, or sarcasm.
    My friend told me the other day "The grass is greener on the other side."
    And I looked over the fence. -_____-
    And I once asked my friend if she had a dryer (for clothes), and she said no, and I said then how do you dry your clothes? Put them outside? And she said I was being sarcastic, so yeah, I'm not really good at understanding metaphores, or sarcasm.
    I have always looked when someone pointed at something though.
    I dislike bright lights. They distract me, and I have to squint my eyes.
    Anyway there is way more, if you have a question about Aspergers, Autism, or anything similar to that, then email me.
    lynnlee129@yahoo.com
  • WordCustard Mar 21, 2012 @ 6:32 am | delete
    Just came back for another visit to this amazing lens, which is one of my all-time favourites on Squidoo. I particularly like that you explain that Asperger's doesn't necessarily mean a lack of empathy and can mean quite the opposite, it's just that the empathy is hidden and any expressions of empathy aren't consistent with what Neuro-typicals expect and require.
  • veryirie Mar 19, 2012 @ 6:45 pm | delete
    Wow; I've learned so much about Aspergers and a little about myself too. I think you're right when you say most people probably share some of these traits to an extent. haha (I thought I was the only one who would sit at an information desk and always wanted to say to the approaching person BEFORE they even spoke....."now, if you're going to ask a stupid question, please think about it first. THEN ask me after you've given it some thought." Like I never asked a stupid question? haha)
  • Jessymum Mar 16, 2012 @ 9:08 pm | delete
    My Aspergers is quite a bit milder than yours - and only recently diagnosed - BUT the part of your story I REALLY connected with was the bit about tickling! ... for as long as I can remember I have told people that if they tickle me expect me to kick, scratch and bite ... whatever it takes to make it STOP!!! ... when I was younger I used to to have 'tickle nightmares' where someone would walk up behind me and tickle me under the ribs and I'd be powerless to do anything!
  • Ladymermaid Feb 5, 2012 @ 3:32 pm | delete
    We are all so different. I find the titles today to be so strange and only hope that children will be allowed to be the individuals who they are born to be. I sometimes wonder where I would have been classifed if I were born in today's world as I was so shy as a child that I shied away from others as much as I was able to throughout my life. My one daughter was very hyper active and as a child is still very hyper active.
  • mikzyspitlik Feb 1, 2012 @ 10:41 am | delete
    I feel like I'm looking into a window of my own life. I've felt this way all my life and I never knew why. I constantly talk to myself, holding conversations...I'm in love with romantic and classical piano. I have this obsession with collating a bunch of information. And my writing skills were very pronounced at a young age. I can, and have given AMAZING speeches on many topics. And the social awkwardness, I've cried so many times because I always fail at them. I don't know when people like or dislike me...don't know when people want me to go or stay. And I also have something others with Asperger's have, an extremely high IQ...154 to be exact. Right now I'm getting a B.S in Biology with an Emphasis in Biotechnology and plan to get an MD/Ph.D from Stanford...hopefully haha. It just makes me feel good to know I'm not some kind of freak. Also I don't lie...I obscure the truth, but lying makes me feel dirty. And I hate being late to things...makes me feel guilty.
  • davespeed Jan 12, 2012 @ 2:06 pm | delete
    This is a wonderful lens. I have learned a lot about Aspergers from my visit here today. Thank you for sharing this personal and informative lens with all of us. I wish you all the best.
  • flicker Jan 5, 2012 @ 11:58 pm | delete
    Great lens! You've done an excellent job of describing some of the characteristics of folks with Asperger's.
  • meand23 Dec 11, 2011 @ 12:58 pm | delete
    I do not have AS, but have close friends who do. Your stated difficulty with verbal communication is more than compensated for through your clear, informative, succinct, witty, and open manner of writing. That combined with your great eye (love the images) furthered my understanding of the above mentioned friends.
    Thank you!
  • cheezfri Nov 29, 2011 @ 2:06 pm | delete
    Great lens! I was never diagnosed as Aspie but I have definite tendencies toward it, especially in childhood. I can relate to many of the same things you mentioned, especially the "flat tire" fear! Some things I'm completely opposite of you, such as the need for routine and orderliness.

    My son is an Aspie, but luckily it's fairly mild. I noticed he has entire conversations with himself, but only when alone, luckily! Right now I'm struggling with his inability to do what I tell him, no matter how specific I am or how many times I say it. He had way too much empathy as a toddler but now at age 13 he doesn't seem to understand that his actions affect other people, especially my stress level as a mom with a job and many responsibilities besides him. Or maybe that's just being a normal 13 year old :-)
  • mrducksmrnot Nov 9, 2011 @ 3:40 pm | delete
    Wonderful lens. Thanks so much for sharing and helping others understand AS. I don't have AS but I do have a hearing problem and wear hearing aids and can relate on what you say about hearing someone with all the other noise around. It is very very difficult. Sometimes the noise which i often miss gets so loud I just turn off my hearing aids to block it out. Thanks for the visit to my lens 'buy it now before it's gone'. Hope you found something you liked. If not contact me with suggestions. You might like my Music lens also. Check it out and let me know of songs you like. Keep up the good work and again Thank You for sharing your life with AS
  • MintySea Nov 3, 2011 @ 7:56 pm | delete
    Technically, Aspergers Syndrome is when the person had no speech problems High functioning Autism is when they did have speech problems as a child even though as adult they might not.
    said to me often there is little difference between Aspergers Syndrome and High functioning Autism its just a label.
  • Dee Oct 19, 2011 @ 11:29 am | delete
    My son has aspergers, and as a twelve year old the one thing that conserned me was that he seems to have to much empathy. Someone being teased at school will make him sad for days. Right now he has been reading on babies in china and the problems there. In his mind we have already adopted and saved this little girl from not being loved. He probably wont let this go, and it will upset him for as long as we don't have her. I have read all about the lack of compassion and empathy in aspergers and was glad to hear that his overdeveloped compassion is normal. Thank you so much.
  • Lindrus Oct 16, 2011 @ 6:54 am | delete
    Great article and a very good description of Aspergers. It makes me understand so much better. Thanks!
  • Elfen35 Oct 8, 2011 @ 8:34 am | delete
    Jeez! like looking in a mirror. I mean I never actually considered myself an Aspie but a lot of what you just said pretty much applies to me.
  • virgoansun Sep 25, 2011 @ 5:42 pm | delete
    Great lens. Summed up my life!
  • stephanieelizabeth Sep 20, 2011 @ 9:38 pm | delete
    Thanks, great article. I'm going to feature it on one of my lenses :-D

    Do you know what the differences between Autism and Aspergers are? We have a family friend who is Autistic.
  • dc64 Sep 26, 2011 @ 3:30 pm | delete
    I'm not really sure what the differences are, because the definition of High Functioning Autism and Asperger's seem to change from year to year as more information and research is done. From what I gather, people with HFA have more extreme symptoms and have problems with language.
  • YayasHome Sep 11, 2011 @ 7:21 pm | delete
    With unbelievable clarity, you have described so much of what I recognize. When you say that you hear the sounds an' they are overwhelming, I know exactly what you mean. Sounds, to me, are painful. There are other things you say that touch my soul an' I thank you for helping me to un'erstan' so much. You really have a unique gift for sharing your thoughts an' emotions. I look forward to reading more of your pages. :)
  • dc64 Sep 26, 2011 @ 3:32 pm | delete
    Wow, thanks.
  • Patricia Sep 10, 2011 @ 1:19 pm | delete
    I have wanted to write something that really explained who I am and why I do the things I do, but I could never put the thoughts to paper. Too much would try to come out at once and I couldn't break it down. Thank you so much for writing my words for me. Quite literally everything in here, with exception to moving furniture which I love to do, is exactly what I do, feel or say. I feel as though you are living my life too. It is so odd. Thank you for this. Finally I have something on paper that I can share with those who need to now. Thank you Thank you!
  • dc64 Sep 15, 2011 @ 2:41 pm | delete
    You are most welcome.
  • luvmyludwig Sep 8, 2011 @ 8:49 am | delete
    I can relate to almost everything here, not exactly the same, but I caught myself nodding along while reading. I can totally understand crying over the caveman, and if I watch that extreme home makeover show It takes all day to recover...I am just totally drained afterwards. I seem to feel emotions much more deeply than most people. I have been diagnosed as Bipolar, but don't think it fits. I am learning more every day over on facebook at the Aspergers Adult Support page, and the more I learn, the more I think I have Aspergers. This page was posted there. Thank you for writing this, there will be so many people helped just by knowing there are others out there.
  • mysticmama Sep 7, 2011 @ 5:09 pm | delete
    Thanks for sharing ~ Autism researchers are debunking the no empathy myth ~ We actually have too much empathy & it overwhelms us, which is why we often shut down & appear to not have empathy...it's just another one of the many sensory overload issues we on the spectrum have to deal with ~ I run an excellent support group for Adults with Aspergers on facebook called Aspergers Adult Support ~ I'm going to share you lens with the group & you are welcome to join us if you are on facebook ~ Blessed >*<
  • dc64 Sep 26, 2011 @ 3:33 pm | delete
    Thanks for sharing this lens, I'm honored. I'll see if I can find the Facebook page.
  • Blessedmombygrace Sep 1, 2011 @ 4:41 pm | delete
    Excellent lens. You have given us a glimpse into life with Asperger's, something so true and honest. I appreciate your writing style too. Blessed by a squid angel.
  • La Tonya Sep 1, 2011 @ 2:39 pm | delete
    You have just described my 12 yo son and given me a little insight into what he's feeling and how he's thinking. As a non-Asperger I have a hard time relating with him. I also have a hard time talking to him, but I'm working on this. Thank you so much!
  • nuestraherencia Aug 13, 2011 @ 11:45 am | delete
    What a wonderful lens. Thank you for sharing. Except for the spinning, I could have written this myself. It is stories like these that parents need in order to understand their kiddos with autism/asperger's etc. and I am thrilled that more of "us" are telling our stories. By the way, I couldn't agree with you more...I would NOT trade it for anything in the world. Rolling this to my autism lens.
  • sidther Aug 8, 2011 @ 7:43 am | delete
    I needed this so much today! I share almost every one of these traits. I have had a few rough days dealing with the realization that someone who I had thought was my friend is actually afraid of me and now rewinding the videos in my head, she had been demonstrating that the entire time I knew her- I was just too excited to have a friend to see it. I too hated food service- all of the sounds and the movement and awkward lighting just about drove me nuts- the first day I got so overwhelmed I started rocking and cried in the middle of the restaurant! I quit 2 weeks later and stocked shelves at night where it was quiet!

    This was beautifully written!
  • Nick Jul 16, 2011 @ 6:17 pm | delete
    I like having Aspergers. The one thing I dislike is how bloody difficult it is to interact with other people. My mother is always pushing me to talk to people because she thinks I'll be cured with a little practice, and it's just painful. Painfully awkward too.
  • dc64 Aug 2, 2011 @ 4:22 pm | delete
    I know exactly how you feel. Chit chat is so boring, and not everyone has a passion worth discussing. What we have is not a sickness, it is a different way of thinking. Pushing someone into making 'conversation' isn't going to help anyone, and can even be counter-productive.
  • Elfen35 Nov 10, 2011 @ 10:45 am | delete
    Here here!!!!!
  • Maria Jul 11, 2011 @ 4:57 pm | delete
    Thanks for that extensive and very clear report :) You look like a very beautiful person, never doubt about it. I am an Aspergers too, yet I don't know to what an extent - for example, I have no problems with metaphors, yet I do always take things too literally... particularly offences!! :D) and yes I am over-sensitive, but in my own style you know... for example, I love, LOVE really hard mint candy like Nuke Fisherman's Friends or something (lol) and spicy food... I Love it! And sometimes I hold a piece of ginger in my mouth as if it was a sweet... yet maybe, now that I think of it, maybe it is a way to numb my sensitivity... you know, I really can't stand bad breath, even the slightest hint, and this gives me a lot of trouble with men who are not as obsessed with cleanliness as me - which, by the way, unfortunately are the very most.

    As for the social interaction, you know, I feel like a sort of Gattaca character LOL :D With time I have become really, really good at adapting and pretending, yet I can't help feeling like a hypocrite slut at times :S I just can't believe why or how people really do enjoy so much being false and playing stupid and senseless social games... which are very easy to get, by the way, yet they are so false, dirty and disgusting...

    As for language, absolutely no problem, rather on the contrary. I am a good writer (and poet!) both in English and in my native language, and thanks to that I earn my daily bread - not that I am a professional writer, unfortunately... but a teacher. Fine enough for me...) Yet this is true: I must distrust my rampant imagination, for things - and people - generally are not so flourishing ideal or creative as I see them. This truly hurt me during my youth... I saw infinite potential in every human being! It was almost mystical. Yet years teach you that most of that was a mental image of my own and, unfortunately, no more. One needs to be careful with that, particularly with some types of men that are looking for a naïve nerdy girly to idolatrate them no matter what they do. Quite intelligent for their part, by the way.

    Well, to sum up, I love being an Aspie :) I love how I perceive life. My only sadness is my family... they are Aspies as well but completely oblivious and out of control, and, you know, talk about emotional distortion! And there's nothing I can do about it... yet I trust God and put them in His hands for this matter, I have absolute faith in the spiritual powers and I have always felt protected by them, regardless of any sense of religiousness.

    And that's all! Thanks for sharing your experience, yours is the best page I have found on the web that explains and comments of Aspergers symptoms in an approachable manner. Good luck in life, my friend!
  • jamesnodturft Apr 6, 2011 @ 9:11 am | delete
    Thanks for sharing at such a personal level. My son, too, eats only one food at a time.
  • Cinnamonbite Mar 2, 2011 @ 7:23 pm | delete
    I totally understand dealing with the public. I totally understand not wanting kids over at the house every weekend (even 1 night is more than enough for me). People coming over bothers me because my house is my privacy, my sanctuary. I don't answer the door or the phone 90% of the time because I don't want any--any anything from anybody, LOL. If it's important, leave a message and if I think it's important too, I'll call back. On the bright side, you have a name for why you like things your way. People can say, "Ah, Aspergers, of course. Not her fault. It's the disease." I have to make excuses and tell half-truths because it's all me and my personality and they think I'm crazy because I'm not just like them.
  • Billy Steve Jack Phill Mar 1, 2011 @ 5:57 pm | delete
    I hate complex problems that are the result of bureaucratic reality. I get really ticked when I get a speeding ticket or something like that. I almost always ignore these types of things until push comes to shove (or a family member bails me out.) Then I feel weak because my family helps me. I'm very preoccupied with the stupidity of inefficient systems that I simply can't be bothered to comply with them.

    Anyone agree?
  • TheCureForYouthMinistry Mar 1, 2011 @ 8:59 am | delete
    Great lens. Really opened my eyes.
  • yourgoldenfuture Feb 25, 2011 @ 12:37 pm | delete
    this page is wonderfully real... i have a handicapped daughter with many of these behaviours...what made it very hard to live as family..f.e: we went with family in the city center...there was "normal music" and she started to scream as being tortured to death... you can imagine the peoples angry faces...200m away or so she was nice and sweet...
    after we found a doctor to give the right diagnosis....she learned and we learned live better together...
  • SherylP Feb 13, 2011 @ 9:00 pm | delete
    Thanks for sharing your story. My son possibly has mild Aspergers although he's never had an official diagnosis. It can be difficult to live with as nobody really understands him, I see many similarities of myself in him and yet I still struggle to understand him as his symptoms are much worse than those of my own.
    Anyway, it's nice to read your story, I can certainly relate to much of it.
  • Jan 20, 2011 @ 5:16 pm | delete
    Thank you for an honest view of life with Asperger's. I've added to my favs.
  • Stuwaha Jan 5, 2011 @ 12:38 pm | delete
    Very well written, covering all the bases. This is the sort of stuff that they should pass onto anyone who needs a better understanding of Asperger's, especially employers.
  • LisaAuch Oct 2, 2010 @ 2:47 am | delete
    I worked with a child who had Aspergers, he taught me a knew way of understanding, and I learned so much from him. He was a wonderfully talented child, although he had had a difficult upbringing. It was hard to gain a trusting relationship where he eventually felt safe enough to seek me out within the school if he was becoming distressed, once we managed this he did not get into "trouble" but all the "trouble" was, was no-one understood, or had taken the time to understand him, I hope the time we spent together meant as much to him as it did me.
    Thankyou for sharing your story.
  • Kylyssa Sep 27, 2010 @ 11:04 pm | delete
    My psychologist said she didn't know whether to classify me as high-functioning autistic or low-functioning Asperger's. I share many of those traits except I seldom speak aloud, even while I'm alone, unless I'm practicing a new life script to handle a new situation.

    The really weird thing more than one roommate has caught me doing is holding a printed page of facial expressions and practicing them in front of the mirror in the bathroom. I've discovered I need to brush up on expressions now and again or my smiles start looking creepy or constipated and I assume my other facial expressions also take a dive.

    Oh, and I'm super good at alienating people. It usually has to do with them getting mad because I fail to initiate communication enough or they don't count written communication as communication or I miss their subtext.
  • Jenny Sep 17, 2010 @ 11:19 am | delete
    OMG a lot of what I read freaked me out because it sounded a lot like me, lol. I thought I was the only adult who held conversations with figments of my imagination. I thought I was the only one who got supremely irritated by a knock on the door, lol. I HATE having people over to my house. My daughter is an Aspie and I wonder if I am, too.
  • CDT Sep 1, 2010 @ 2:22 pm | delete
    One of my sons has Aspergers. This lens does so much to explain what it's like to be an Aspie - thank you so much for writing it :)

    Blessed by a Squid Angel :)
  • mich1908 Aug 22, 2010 @ 10:00 am | delete
    Thank you for your enlightening lense about Aspergers Syndrome. Though it is quite new to me but I find I shared some traits! I don't like change and social situations especially in a room with strangers are pretty stressful to me! If it's up to me I rather not attend any office meetings or any parties. Idle chatter is tough but I write pretty easily to just about anyone..You express very well and I think you have coped well despite all..
  • Carlos Jun 18, 2010 @ 12:19 am | delete
    I'm 24, and I can totally relate to every single thing you wrote about in this article, except that I don't have kids and I love spicy/salty food. It's almost like if I wrote it myself. I even have the same obsession about the car tires!
  • WordCustard Apr 25, 2010 @ 8:32 am | delete
    I found this lens enlightening in many ways, and it is also beautifully written and attractively presented. Leaving a well deserved *~*~ Angel Blessing ~*~*
  • outoutout Apr 10, 2010 @ 8:52 pm | delete
    Very interesting post! I'm an Aspie, too (I refuse to say I "have Aspergers"; I consider it an innate trait) and I could relate to much of what you've said... although I don't have as much difficulty with change (I also grew up in a military household, and I've travelled/lived in several countries) - and I find myself unable to speak rather than say whatever is on my mind. However, there are a few subjects I'm wildly passionate about, and I find myself unable to multitask. We are all different, and yet we are all spectrum inhabitants. :)
  • Rhonda Apr 10, 2010 @ 6:21 pm | delete
    You did a great job with this lens! I could sooo relate to just about everything you wrote and I really enjoy your work.
  • William Mar 17, 2010 @ 1:54 am | delete
    OMG, I feel exactly the same way you do about city driving. Total sensory overload. I don't have enough time to take it all in. It just goes by so quickly, it's like watching everything in fast forward. I tried explaining this to my former girlfriend, and she is totally unempatetic and says she doesn't know what I am talking about and that nobody else has the same problems I do with it...
  • KarenTBTEN Feb 4, 2010 @ 12:56 am | delete
    You tell this story beautifully and with such voice.
  • TanyaWhaley Jan 6, 2010 @ 6:59 pm | delete
    Truly Awesome lens! 5 *'s and favorited! Happy New Year! Wish you all the best!
  • AlinaWarner Jan 5, 2010 @ 8:04 pm | delete
    Great lens 5***** and favorited too! Happy 2010!
  • HikiCulture Jan 2, 2010 @ 12:25 am | delete
    Great lens.

    I favorited it, gave it a star and am now following you.

    I have Asperger's.
  • Spook Dec 28, 2009 @ 4:51 pm | delete
    I like having deep conversations as well. Here's wishing you a Happy New Year. Blessed by an Angel.
  • JaguarJulie Dec 24, 2009 @ 9:04 am | delete
    My dear my heart goes out to you! Blessings to you my dear. Our experience with aspergers is through our neighbors across the street whom we will spend time with today going to a musical at their church in the afternoon -- and probably tomorrow since we have no plans for our Christmas. Their child Christina has warmed up to me and is quite talkative and communicative. It is through her struggles that I have a warm understanding. Merriest of Christmases to you my dear -- your friendship is deeply valued! Happy New Year -- rock on.
  • WordCustard Nov 10, 2009 @ 2:52 pm | delete
    I recognise myself in so much of what you say. I enjoy every word that you write. Can't believe I've only just discovered your lenses.
  • spirituality Oct 3, 2009 @ 2:13 pm | delete
    Great lens - you've been blessed by a squidoo angel :)
  • poutine Oct 1, 2009 @ 6:46 am | delete
    Thanks for explaining the Aspergers syndrome so well.

    I didn't know anything about it before but now I do.

    I share a lot of those symptoms also.
  • graphictruth Jul 18, 2009 @ 7:48 pm | delete
    A must read - and as an aspie, I concur with much of what you say of the experience. I'm adding this to my lens on the subject. It's a lovely antidote to all the money-grubbing hysteria on the topic that squidoo is overrun with.
  • Methinks Jul 15, 2009 @ 6:23 pm | delete
    Nice description. Very similar to me (36 year old male Aspie).
  • Jimmie Jun 29, 2009 @ 11:13 pm | delete
    Such a wonderful description from YOUR very special mind/heart. Thanks for sharing. I was so fascinated by your insights into your own ways of thinking and feeling.
  • GrowWear Jun 29, 2009 @ 2:53 pm | delete
    Methinks many more folks suffer from this than are diagnosed. Great read!
  • CDT Jun 26, 2009 @ 3:52 am | delete
    I've emailed this page to my son who has Aspergers. I know he struggles to understand why people find him "different" in some ways and I think your words will be a lot of help to him.

    Thanks so much for putting your thoughts into words :)
  • Kathy_Robinson Jun 25, 2009 @ 11:34 pm | delete
    Debra - that is just beautiful writing. Thank you. There is so much of me in there that I now truly feel I am Asperger too. I have wondered but with my husband and son having Aspergers, I've always felt I've had to be the 'normal' one to hold the family together. Sometimes it can be so hard to do. I obsess about things - if I need to lose weight I'll download pages of weight loss recipes then not look at them again. At the moment it's icecream. I must eat it every night even though I'm diabetic. I cherish my silence when there's no-one else home. I can be lonely in a crowd but never when I'm on my own. I have acquaintances, not real friends and have been like this all my life. I had no friends at school and was beaten up regularly at high school. Surprisingly I enjoy amateur theatre and will play roles and wear clothes onstage that I would never dream of wearing down the street.

    I am also adding this lens to my own about my son.

    Thank you again for allowing me to see myself.

    Kathy
  • Kelly May 16, 2009 @ 6:19 pm | delete
    I eat one thing at a time too. When the ketchup touched my pearly white mashed potatoes I was ruined for life. I hate change. I hate chicken talk. I can relate to what you have written.
  • Joanne May 14, 2009 @ 7:04 am | delete
    My God,that could have been me....apart from the bit about clutter.I have Aspergers,but it wasn;t picked up till much later in life.I found school stressful and hated change.I am still the same,but not as bad.

    I find when I am on the subway and it screeches to a halt I seem to be the only one covering their ears.I also find it hard to show an interest in people,or talk to someone about something unless it is something that interests me.Small talk bores me senseless.

    As for the bit about nature....God,that is so me.I absolutely sunsets and too could never tire of them.When flying to America last year,and flying through the sky and seeing the sun setting amongst the clouds creating that beautiful orange glow that I could stare at for hours.

    I too think in pictures and know what I want to say but find it much easier to think of it in a picture,than describe it.
  • Shelly Mar 22, 2009 @ 9:18 pm | delete
    Debra, when you share something--you just do it. I'm Tip's sister and saw you visited and squidooed over. As I read your story, I had several. "I do and don't do that also" moments. I don't think I've known anyone with Aspergers Syndrome, though I have heard that it does challenge the lives of many people. I wish I had some profoundly wonderful statement, but I just don't. I do plan to immediately email this lens to my friend Jean, who works in Special Education at a highschool. She will appreciate your insights. Thank you.

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Hi, I'm Debra. I find history fascinating, and I am amazed at what people can accomplish. I love nature, and am amazed at the workings of the universe... more »

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