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When a person has an autism spectrum disorder, like Asperger’s, there are a host of little things that that pop up, unexpected, to interfere with daily functioning. In the next few weeks, I plan to outline a few of these...starting with visual processing. Read More
i sometimes fail to remember
i sometimes fail to remember people's faces and i sometimes forget whether i know that person or not!! especially with the guys i meet in the gym since we have no strong bonds, thanks God this doesn't happen offten
Even without your symptoms,
Even without your symptoms, I would pick you out as an aspie -- detailed analysis seems to be typical, and not something I ordinarily see in NTs. Over the last couple of years, since I've self-identified as being on the spectrum, I've been doing this kind of analysis and learning quite a bit about myself. It's a fascinating exploration that reveals quite different reasons behind actions and problems from the rather stereotypical outsider views of why aspies do certain things in certain ways.
Great post!
I have a son with Asperger's and I find your blogs really enlightening. Thanks so much for sharing!
That explains the driving trouble ...
I only learned how to drive without being hugely stressed once I started ignoring lessons about always craning my neck around to see stuff. I always found this very confusing because I could actually see what was going on around me without fully turning my head. I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to be looking at, and trying to deal with all the extra stimulus I got by doing it made it harder for me to sort out what was actually important.
I got a lot of bad marks for not looking around enough when I was taking my driver's test :(
I had that too....
Wow, someone else does that?
Oh, wow, I thought I was the only one who had the automatic reflex of turning the wheel when I turned my head. And yeah, the complete change in perspective is overwhelming; it's no wonder I don't like to check my blind spot.
I really need to find an Aspie-friendly driving instructor who actually understands these perceptual quirks. I might actually have some degree of success in that case, rather than the constant hitting of a metaphorical wall (and often, nearly, a literal one :-p) that I seem to have been experiencing so far.
I always get actors mixed
I always get actors mixed up. I also meet new people that I think must be an identical twin with someone else I know.
I almost never use the names of people when talking to them. I'm hyper-paranoid that I will use the wrong name. I just realized when reading your article that it's because I'm not sure which face goes with which name.
Also, whenever I have an appointment or am going to a party, I have this terrible fear that I'm going to arrive on the wrong day or at the wrong time. I don't have the sense that the calendar or clock have an absolute connection to the now. Will you write about that at some point?
Love your articles.
Great Idea!
Clocks and calendars -- yes,
Clocks and calendars -- yes, yes. I'd dearly love to know someone else's take. I had nightmares for years after my one year of college. Dreamed that I had a class, but couldn't remember what time it was held or which classroom it was in.
If I didn't have my schedule with me, I was completely lost. I'd wander the hall where I thought the class should be, looking for a familiar face, but I rarely recognized anybody. Life might have been quite different if I'd known what I know now.
Aspergers & Synesthesia
Wow Wow! I have just been researching autism & asperger's because my granddaugher has begun flapping her hands compulsively, has outbursts of barking and neighing like a horse - I thought OH NO - I can't deal with Tourette's. My daughter had a "non verbal learning disability" and they often metioned mild tourettes. Now I learn that it overlaps with Asperger's. Then I read about Synesthesia! OMG I had this as a child and have always had a terrible sense of direction the Synesthesia is not so strong now that I am 48.
Could we have 3 generations of Asperger's????
I can associate with a *lot* of this.
Wow, I'm late at discovering this post, but I understand a lot of this.
I'm particularly getting irritated with the driving thing lately. I'm on, I think, my fifth learner's permit, because I'm still struggling with the combined issues of visual overload and impaired spatial/depth perception... but it's not just that. I even have trouble crossing the street on foot at times because it's so hard to tell where the cars are in relation to me and to take in all that information at once!
(How did you actually manage to succeed at driving? I haven't really had any improvement in nearly ten years of practicing. Was it merely a matter of finding the right instructor who understood your processing quirks? Was it just a case of something finally "clicking" in your mind? I'm honestly curious.)
I Took My Time
How did I succeed? It was long road...but, number one - I refused to be pressured to go beyond my level of capability. This was difficult, because my mother was extremely frustrated with my inability (or unwillingness, in her mind) to drive at the time that was "normal." She had no patience for shuttling me around, and had other personal reasons for wanting me to drive. She pushed and pushed me, but I refused to give in. I told her that I would NOT drive until I felt that I could be safe in doing so. I refused.
In the end, I quit my first batch of lessons in my teens. With the amount of struggle I was having, I just wasn't willing to put myself through the anxiety and stress. I would come home terrified, on the edge of a panic attack, feeling like I couldn't breathe. (Secretly, I think my instructor was grateful, too. He was increasingly exasperated with my inability to avoid turning the wheel in the direction that I was looking. This particular problem was scary for me, too, because a lot of the territory that he had me practicing in was hilly. I had visions of catapulting off an embankment.)
Later, I had my father (also on the spectrum, I suspect) give me lessons out in the country with no other cars around. But, I still didn't close the deal. When I was an adult, and finally felt ready, I auditioned private driving instructors. The one I finally found was pretty eccentric. I think it was very possible he was on the spectrum as well. A few sessions with him gave me the basics to feel comfortable, although the first few years were rough.
It took three accidents (thankfully relatively minor ones - only damage to the car, not me) to give me a full grasp of my issues. All three accidents had to do with midjudging spatial distance - so I learned to be extremely conservative in estimating distance. I won't let myself be blocked in if I can help it. I keep space open around me on all sides. I allow more than the average amount of car lengths in front of me. If someone follows too closely behind me, I let them pass. I avoid narrow streets. I will wait through a light rather than chance a turn when I don't have the confidence that I'm judging the distance correctly. I always try to park in a space that is open on at least one side, so that I don't risk hitting another car while parking. I've never mastered parallel parking.
When, for some reason, the above conditions cannot be met, I let someone else drive.
There's no shame in taking some extra time, knowing your limits, and working within them. Better to take your time, and endure some frustration, than to put yourself in an unsafe situation. At least, that's always been my take.
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