Asperger Syndrome - My form of Autism
I've never been very good at explaining things to people, but I am going to try to explain how my form of Autism affects my life.
This may be a lot of reading but by reading what is here you will have a better understanding of me.
A lot of the information I will share with you regarding brain function and Asperger traits / characteristics come from Medical websites and books on AS. But I'll also share information about myself and my traits.
One thing you should know first is that Male traits and female traits do differ in a few ways and most of the information available about Asperger traits is based on the male traits. So the info below is based on Female traits because I'm female and I feel there needs to be sites that explain female traits.
The National Autistic Society of the UK wrote a paper in 2011 identifying some of the different way in which girls and women present. Some examples cited in the paper are:
The difficulties in the diagnosis of girls and women arise if clinicians continue to use the narrow definitions set out in the International Classification Systems.
Dr Judith Gould and Dr Jacqui Ashton Smith
Good Autism Practice, May 2011
This may be a lot of reading but by reading what is here you will have a better understanding of me.
A lot of the information I will share with you regarding brain function and Asperger traits / characteristics come from Medical websites and books on AS. But I'll also share information about myself and my traits.
One thing you should know first is that Male traits and female traits do differ in a few ways and most of the information available about Asperger traits is based on the male traits. So the info below is based on Female traits because I'm female and I feel there needs to be sites that explain female traits.
The National Autistic Society of the UK wrote a paper in 2011 identifying some of the different way in which girls and women present. Some examples cited in the paper are:
- Girls are more able to follow social actions by delayed imitation because they observe other children and copy them, perhaps masking the symptoms of Asperger syndrome (Attwood, 2007).
- Girls are often more aware of and feel a need to interact socially. They are involved in social play, but are often led by their peers rather than initiating social contact. Girls are more socially inclined and many have one special friend.
- In our society, girls are expected to be social in their communication. Girls on the spectrum do not ‘do social chit chat’ or make ‘meaningless’ comments in order to facilitate social communication. The idea of a social hierarchy and how one communicates with people of different status can be problematic and get girls into trouble with teachers.
- Evidence suggests that girls have better imagination and more pretend play (Knickmeyer et al, 2008). Many have a very rich and elaborate fantasy world with imaginary friends. Girls escape into fiction, and some live in another world with, for example, fairies and witches.
- The interests of girls in the spectrum are very often similar to those of other girls – animals, horses, classical literature – and therefore are not seen as unusual. It is not the special interests that differentiate them from their peers but it is the quality and intensity of these interests. Many obsessively watch soap operas and have an intense interest in celebrities.
The difficulties in the diagnosis of girls and women arise if clinicians continue to use the narrow definitions set out in the International Classification Systems.
Dr Judith Gould and Dr Jacqui Ashton Smith
Good Autism Practice, May 2011
So What is Asperger's Syndrome?
Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is an autism spectrum condition. It means someone has autistic qualities but that they are not as severely affected; they are on the “higher end” of the autism spectrum.
Aspergers was not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (entered into the DSM-IV) until 1994. Prior to that, people with AS were either undiagnosed, or worse, misdiagnosed and put on medications such as Ritalin for conditions they did not have. Now, every day, all over the world, adults of all ages are receiving their first correct diagnosis, and breathing a sigh of relief as they realize they are not difficult, crazy, or alone…that there is a name for what they have.
Aspergers is a neurological difference that (mainly) affects social interaction. It hinders or alters emotional processing and a person's ability to read facial cues and body language. Social convention, the unspoken social rules of conduct, all these confuse them. It's as if everyone else has GPS while they themselves barely have a compass.
Sensory issues also figure highly in the AS experience: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Reactions to sensory aversions or overload can include tics, withdrawal, and soothing behaviour's.
While Asperger Syndrome carries with it many challenges, it also brings many gifts. Researchers in Tokyo have found that children with AS have higher fluid intelligence that non-AS children. Many are gifted in some way: art, music, design, research, problem-solving, computer
programming, inventing, to name a few.
While people with AS have difficulty acquiring and keeping social relationships, they do desire friendships and love. But because of social and sensory difficulties they are are often misunderstood. Many with AS are ostracized, picked on and bullied for their differences, even as adults. This can cause a person to despair and withdraw from the world--depriving themselves of happiness and depriving the world of their unique gifts. It also causes problems finding and keeping gainful employment as well as staying in education.
People with Aspergers do not consider themselves disabled. They consider themselves different. The current prevailing wind is that people with AS are coming into their own--realizing their strengths and their weakness and learning to celebrate their differences. They just wish that the world would become more educated about AS and meet them halfway.
Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is an autism spectrum condition. It means someone has autistic qualities but that they are not as severely affected; they are on the “higher end” of the autism spectrum.
Aspergers was not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (entered into the DSM-IV) until 1994. Prior to that, people with AS were either undiagnosed, or worse, misdiagnosed and put on medications such as Ritalin for conditions they did not have. Now, every day, all over the world, adults of all ages are receiving their first correct diagnosis, and breathing a sigh of relief as they realize they are not difficult, crazy, or alone…that there is a name for what they have.
Aspergers is a neurological difference that (mainly) affects social interaction. It hinders or alters emotional processing and a person's ability to read facial cues and body language. Social convention, the unspoken social rules of conduct, all these confuse them. It's as if everyone else has GPS while they themselves barely have a compass.
Sensory issues also figure highly in the AS experience: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. Reactions to sensory aversions or overload can include tics, withdrawal, and soothing behaviour's.
While Asperger Syndrome carries with it many challenges, it also brings many gifts. Researchers in Tokyo have found that children with AS have higher fluid intelligence that non-AS children. Many are gifted in some way: art, music, design, research, problem-solving, computer
programming, inventing, to name a few.
While people with AS have difficulty acquiring and keeping social relationships, they do desire friendships and love. But because of social and sensory difficulties they are are often misunderstood. Many with AS are ostracized, picked on and bullied for their differences, even as adults. This can cause a person to despair and withdraw from the world--depriving themselves of happiness and depriving the world of their unique gifts. It also causes problems finding and keeping gainful employment as well as staying in education.
People with Aspergers do not consider themselves disabled. They consider themselves different. The current prevailing wind is that people with AS are coming into their own--realizing their strengths and their weakness and learning to celebrate their differences. They just wish that the world would become more educated about AS and meet them halfway.
List of Asperger Traits
It is very important to remember: No two people with Aspergers are the same—they all just share some traits.
These are listed in no particular order, and again please remember that not every person has the same traits and all these traits can vary in intensity. So someone may be a mild sensitivity to touch while another has an extreme sensitivity to touch.
There will probably be a lot of reading on this page, but its worth it if you want to know more about me or Aspergers in general.
Much of the following is what I go through, there are just a couple of things in these lists that I don't deal with or that are very mind in my case.
Social and friendships/relationships
Preference for one-on-one social interactions, single close friendships
Need more time away from people than their peers (solitude)
May experience stress, anxiety and confusion in social group or group work situations
Strong preference to engage in conversation related to their special interest
Strong dislike for social chit-chat, gossip, nonsense, lies or conversation that lacks a ‘function’ to it, but some are known to engage in it themselves to try and fit in more
A history of being bullied, teased, left out and/or not fitting in with same-age peers, unless she had/has similar “Aspie” friends
An intense dislike of lies
Has an ability to socialize, however is unable to do so for long periods of time. Suffers from “social exhaustion” or a “social hangover” when socializing too much. The hangover can last hours to days, which can be debilitating
Experience great difficulty with conflict, arguments, being yelled at, fighting, war
Has great difficulty asserting herself, asking for help, setting boundaries
May need to drink to be able to socialize
May currently have or have experienced Post-Traumatic Stress, often due to being misunderstood, misdiagnosed, mistreated, and/or mismedicated.
Social Skills differences – is exceptionally good one-on-one and presenting to groups, however has difficulty working within group situations
May find herself in social situations or relationships that she is unhappy with, but not know how to remove herself from them
History of being taken advantage of by others, even though she has taken the appropriate business, legal or social advice from others
Often bored in social situations or parties and/or does not know how to act in social situations
May say “yes” to social events, then later make up an excuse as to why she cannot attend, often staying home in solitude (reading a book or engages in her special interest)
Often prefers to be engaged in her special interest, rather than socializing
May be considered the “black sheep” of the family
Others consider her different, odd, eccentric or “weird”
May feel like she has to act "normal” to please others OR does not care at all about fitting in
Copies, mimics, acts in order to fit in and make others like her
A people pleaser, but then may burn bridges suddenly (for e.g., quit relationships), as they have difficulty managing conflict
Females appear to be better than males at masking the traits of autism in social situations. However, girls are less able to do so in unfamiliar settings.
May be considered a “loner” OR may have many acquaintances, but no real friends
Communication
Difficulties communicating her thoughts and feelings, in words, to others, especially if anxious, stressed or upset. Often can type or write her thoughts much better
May dislike asking others for help, be unable to ask or not know how to ask for help
May be passive, not know how to assert her boundaries in a healthy manner
May offend others by saying what she is thinking, even if she does not mean to
May point out other people’s mistakes
May give too much detail and end up boring others unintentionally
May ask embarrassing questions (usually when younger)
Unusual voice (flat, monotone, high-pitched, child-like)
Tendency to take things literally, missing what people are trying to say
May talk too loudly or too softly, often unaware that she is doing so
Often surprised when people tell her she has been rude or inappropriate
Poor pragmatic language skills
Physiology/Neurology
Highly Sensitive
Highly sensitivity, may not be able to listen to or watch the news, listen to the radio, read the newspaper, watch violent shows/movies or horror movies, see hurt or injured animals, abuse, war, trauma, are sensitive to the emotions and “emotional atmosphere” of the environment, experience referred emotion and psychic “6th sense” abilities, may have strong intuitive and/or psychic abilities
Sensory Processing Disorder/Condition
May have sensory sensitivities in the following areas: hearing, vision, taste, touch, smell, balance, movement, intuition
May be very sensitive to pain or have a high pain threshold
May notice how food tastes or feels and one may be more important than the other
May be clumsy or un-coordinated
May dislike loud noises and/or be overwhelmed or stressed by bright lights, strong smells, coarse textures/clothing, sirens close by or people too close behind her.
May find children hard to cope with due to crying, screaming or other loud noises
Sensitive to the way clothes feel and how they may be more important than how they look
May have to withdraw, isolate herself when overwhelmed by her senses
May not be able to tolerate sounds, sights, smells, textures, movement that she dislikes
May not like to be hugged, cuddled or held. “I only like to hug if it’s my decision”
Can get upset or distressed if unable to follow a familiar route when going somewhere
Things that should feel painful may not be (bruises but not know how they got there, due to clumsiness)
In social situations, the nervous system tends to be overwhelmed easily, leading to withdrawal (for e.g., wander off to a quiet spot at a party, play with children or animals)
Strong hunger may disrupting her mood and/or ability to focus
She may notice and enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, works of art, and pieces of music.
Anxiety, stress and/or anger. Recent brain scanning research points towards enlarged Amygdala’s role in intense emotions, anxiety and anger
May have auditory processing issues
May have Irlen Syndrome
May grind teeth or have lockjaw (anxiety)
May have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or traits
May have one or more of the 7 types of ADHD
Usually has executive function difficulties (i.e., time management, planning ahead, organization)
May rock, leg-bounce, fidget or other movements with hands, twirl hair, stroke soft fabric to self-soothe (aka stimming)
May be very sensitive to medications, caffeine and/or alcohol
May have gluten, wheat, casein or other food allergies/intolerances, gut issues
May have sleep difficulties, a preference for staying up late at night, usually not a morning person
May have Dyspraxia
May have tics (for example, throat-clearing, coughing)
Physical Appearance
Usually dresses differently from her peers, often eccentric, may dress more for comfort than appearance.
May dress “over the top” or unusually for occasions
May try very hard to fit in appearance wise or may not care at all
May not shower or upkeep hygiene at times, due to different priorities (usually being involved in special interests)
Looks younger than her years
Has an unusual voice; may be “child-like”, monotone, loud or soft, quality to her voice
Often does certain things with hands (twirling hair or items, different movements) or legs (leg “bouncing” or rocking while standing)
Lifestyle
Books, computers, the Internet, animals, children, nature may be her best friends
She loves quiet, solitude, peaceful surroundings
She may be ultra-religious or not at all. Buddhism and Paganism / Wiccan appears to be the common religious beliefs
May prefer to spend as much time as possible by herself, with animals or in nature
May have a strong preference for routine and things being the same day after day
Gets pleasure from being engaged in her chosen work and/or special interests
She may make it a high priority to arrange her life, events, work, and environment to avoid overwhelming, stressful or upsetting situations
Relationship Choices/Sexuality/Gender
May date or marry much older or much younger partners, same gender partner, tending not to see the “age”, “gender”, but rather the personality of the person first
May be asexual, having preferences that are deemed as more important than sex or a relationship
May be ‘hypersexual”, fascinated by physical sexual contact
May differ from peers in terms of flexibility regarding sexual orientation or may think about or want to change gender. Some individuals may change gender or experiment with sexuality as a means to find social success or to “fit in” or feel less different
May not have wanted or needed intimate relationships (asexual)
There is a greater flexibility in sexuality and/or gender. May be heterosexual or may be asexual, gay, bi-sexual or transgender.
Special Interests
A special interest may involve the person’s career, fantasy, writing, animals, reading, to name a few
Ability to “hyperfocus” for long periods of time involved in the special interest, without eating, drinking or going to the toilet, is able to hyperfocus on her special interest for hours, often losing track of time
Loves and revels in solitude, peace and quiet. Solitude is often described as “needing it like the air I breathe”
An intense love for nature and animals
Often not interested in what other people find interesting
May collect or hoard items of interest
Emotional
Feels things deeply
Other people’s moods affect her, especially if they are negative
Tends to be very sensitive to emotional pain
Deeply moved by arts, music, certain movies
May be unable to watch horror, violence, disturbing movies, and news programs
Lives with continual generalized anxiety, bouts of depression that creep up on her
Difficulty regulating emotions and managing stress
Is socially and emotionally younger/immature than her chronological age, much younger if in her twenties
Emotionally too honest (inability or difficulty hiding true feelings when it would be more socially acceptable to do so) and naive
Experiences intense emotions of all kinds (for e.g. when she falls in love, she ‘falls’ in love deeply)
May think she is being compassionate, but her actions may not come across that way
Often too sensitive and possesses a lot of empathy
Usually connect and/or are very sensitive to certain characters in movies
Highly sensitive to issues affecting earth, animals, people, advocacy, justice, human rights and the “underdog”
Some women are quite “child-like”, not reaching a maturity until roughly 40 years of age, some can be child-like and mature at the same time. Never really growing up completely
Personality characteristics and/or traits and abilities
A natural born leader, independent, strong-willed, determined and can be highly competitive (even with herself)
High levels of introversion OR can be extroverted
Generally lack a strong sense of self, self-esteem and/or identity. May use chameleon-like skills to assimilate and be involved with to a variety of groups or different people over time, in a search for true identity.
Has a high sense of justice and fairness, is a truth-seeker
Highly creative and may have ‘rushes’ of original ideas
Dislikes change and may find it disorienting and stressful
Highly sensitive to criticism or perceived criticism
Dislikes being observed when having to perform (performance anxiety)
May have been told she cares to much, does too much for others and/or is too sensitive
Is perfectionistic (may have attended a perfectionism group program)
Attention to detail
Obsessions/special interests can be short-term (switching from one to another quickly) or long-term (can make a great career)
Naivety, innocence, trusting too much and taking others literally are a powerful concoction for being misused and abused
A strong sense of feeling different from her peers, often described as being from a different planet
May not have a sense of self and/or identity, self-esteem
Tend to be very serious, often too serious at times
Is intense in everything she does
In childhood, may have been described as highly sensitive and/or shy
Past and/or current mental health history
May have a history of crying a lot, without knowing why
May have a lengthy history of going to therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists
May have tried a variety of medications,
Experiences social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder
May have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or traits
May have one or more of the 6 types of ADHD
Has experienced ongoing depression and/or tiredness/exhaustion, without knowing why
A history of trying to understand oneself, of finding answers to explain one-self and why she feels she is different or doesn’t fit in, as a woman
A history of many doctors and counsellors visits throughout university life
May have a family history of Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, OCD, anxiety disorders
May be been misdiagnosed with bi-polar disorder, borderline personality disorder or schizophrenia
May have been previously diagnosed with anxiety disorder depression, an eating disorder, borderline personality disorder, bi-polar disorder and/or ADHD
A history of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, mood swings
Coping Mechanisms
May have turned to alcohol, drugs, smoking in order to cope with intense emotions, self-medicate and/or socialize/fit in and/or be accepted with a group.
May use a different persona when out in the public, in order to cope
May have developed a variety of dysfunctional coping mechanisms (for example, arrogance and/or narcissism)
May change gender or sexuality in an attempt to “fit it” and/or find the right group
Has used imitation, social echolalia to pretend to be normal, fake it or pass for normal
May rock standing up, lying down, in a rocking chair to calm down or self-soothe
May need to withdraw into bed or a dark area or a place of solitude to gain privacy, quiet and manage sensory and/or social overload
Withdrawal and/or Avoidance
Sixth Sense, Intuition, Psychic Abilities
Has the ability to feel other peoples emotions
May “know” or have knowledge of certain things, but no idea how she knows
May be a professional psychic or medium
Possesses one or more psychic abilities
Is an “empath”
Unique abilities and Strengths
Intelligence, craves knowledge and loves learning
Can teach herself just about anything she puts her mind too
Has a strong will, is determined and independent
Perfectionistic
Have a remarkable long-term memory, photographic memory
A great sense of humour, even if its different to others sense of humour
Can work very well in a “crisis” situation
Deeply reflective thinker
Resilience, an ability to go from one crisis to another, to bounce back, to start again time and time again
Attention to detail
Great in one-on-one situations or presenting to a group
More like “philosophers” than “professors, but can be both.
Seeing in the “mind’s eye” exact details, gifted visual learner
May be gifted with art, music, writing, languages
Highly intuitive
Capable of deep philosophical thinking, females with Aspergers often become writers, poets, artists, singers, performers, actresses or
professors.
Challenges
May be difficult to understand subtle emotions, for e.g., when someone is jealous or embarrassed, uninterested or bored
Keeping up appearances, passing for normal
Managing emotions
Learning difficulties
May get very upset with unexpected change
May not be able to tell when someone is flirting with her
Challenging to work and function within a group
Great difficulty and very sensitive to conflict, stress, arguments, fighting, wars, gossip and negativity
Social-chit chat, small talk, conversation without a “function”,
Maintaining friendships and relationships,
Social anxiety or social phobia
May like or prefer to be by herself as much as possible
May find it challenging to understand what others expect of her
Being taken advantage of due to naivety, innocence and trusting others too much
Boundaries (usually when younger)
May have difficulty filling out forms, doing paperwork (completing taxes), budgeting money
May have difficulty recognizing or remembering faces (prosopagnosia)
Empathy
May have a lack of cognitive empathy and hyperempathy (for e.g., too much affective empathy)
Cognitive Empathy: The ability to predict other’s thoughts and intentions, knowing how the other person feels and what they might be thinking. Also known as perspective-taking.
Affective/Emotional Empathy: The ability or capacity to recognize emotions that are being experienced by another person, when you feel the feelings of another person along with the other person, as though their emotions are your own. Social neuroscience has found that this kind of empathy has to do with the mirror neuron system. Emotional empathy contributes to an individual being well-attuned to another person’s inner emotional world, an advantage for individuals in a wide range of careers from nursing to teaching to social work, psychology and other caring professions.
Compassionate Empathy, or “empathic concern”. This kind of empathy helps us to understand a person’s predicament and feel with them, and also be spontaneously moved to help them, if and when other need help. Under stress, Theory of mind skills may appear to be completely absent.
May have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
May have an intense desire to please others and/ be liked by others. May become highly distressed if she has the perception that someone does not like her or actually does not like her.
Executive functioning difficulties may include: trouble making decisions, time management, planning ahead, organization, completing tasks.
May have spend a lifetime of using enormous effort to socially “pretend”, “fake it”, “fit in”, “pass for normal”. May have utilized body language books, mirrors, acting/drama classes to improve social skills.
May have tocophobia, the fear of childbirth
May have gender dysphoria, also known as gender identity disorder (GID) dysphoria, and is a formal diagnosis for individuals who feel
and experience significant stress and unhappiness with their birth gender and/or gender roles. These individuals are known as transsexual or transgender.
Photographic visual memory
An intense and continual need to figure oneself out.
No one woman will have all of these traits. Some of the traits in this list may not apply to me or to some other Aspie you may know. A level of insight and awareness is required in terms of recognizing the traits, characteristics and behaviours in oneself and others. Individual traits and characteristics can vary from mild to severe.
**** Well done you if you have read this far ***
It is very important to remember: No two people with Aspergers are the same—they all just share some traits.
These are listed in no particular order, and again please remember that not every person has the same traits and all these traits can vary in intensity. So someone may be a mild sensitivity to touch while another has an extreme sensitivity to touch.
There will probably be a lot of reading on this page, but its worth it if you want to know more about me or Aspergers in general.
Much of the following is what I go through, there are just a couple of things in these lists that I don't deal with or that are very mind in my case.
Social and friendships/relationships
Preference for one-on-one social interactions, single close friendships
Need more time away from people than their peers (solitude)
May experience stress, anxiety and confusion in social group or group work situations
Strong preference to engage in conversation related to their special interest
Strong dislike for social chit-chat, gossip, nonsense, lies or conversation that lacks a ‘function’ to it, but some are known to engage in it themselves to try and fit in more
A history of being bullied, teased, left out and/or not fitting in with same-age peers, unless she had/has similar “Aspie” friends
An intense dislike of lies
Has an ability to socialize, however is unable to do so for long periods of time. Suffers from “social exhaustion” or a “social hangover” when socializing too much. The hangover can last hours to days, which can be debilitating
Experience great difficulty with conflict, arguments, being yelled at, fighting, war
Has great difficulty asserting herself, asking for help, setting boundaries
May need to drink to be able to socialize
May currently have or have experienced Post-Traumatic Stress, often due to being misunderstood, misdiagnosed, mistreated, and/or mismedicated.
Social Skills differences – is exceptionally good one-on-one and presenting to groups, however has difficulty working within group situations
May find herself in social situations or relationships that she is unhappy with, but not know how to remove herself from them
History of being taken advantage of by others, even though she has taken the appropriate business, legal or social advice from others
Often bored in social situations or parties and/or does not know how to act in social situations
May say “yes” to social events, then later make up an excuse as to why she cannot attend, often staying home in solitude (reading a book or engages in her special interest)
Often prefers to be engaged in her special interest, rather than socializing
May be considered the “black sheep” of the family
Others consider her different, odd, eccentric or “weird”
May feel like she has to act "normal” to please others OR does not care at all about fitting in
Copies, mimics, acts in order to fit in and make others like her
A people pleaser, but then may burn bridges suddenly (for e.g., quit relationships), as they have difficulty managing conflict
Females appear to be better than males at masking the traits of autism in social situations. However, girls are less able to do so in unfamiliar settings.
May be considered a “loner” OR may have many acquaintances, but no real friends
Communication
Difficulties communicating her thoughts and feelings, in words, to others, especially if anxious, stressed or upset. Often can type or write her thoughts much better
May dislike asking others for help, be unable to ask or not know how to ask for help
May be passive, not know how to assert her boundaries in a healthy manner
May offend others by saying what she is thinking, even if she does not mean to
May point out other people’s mistakes
May give too much detail and end up boring others unintentionally
May ask embarrassing questions (usually when younger)
Unusual voice (flat, monotone, high-pitched, child-like)
Tendency to take things literally, missing what people are trying to say
May talk too loudly or too softly, often unaware that she is doing so
Often surprised when people tell her she has been rude or inappropriate
Poor pragmatic language skills
Physiology/Neurology
Highly Sensitive
Highly sensitivity, may not be able to listen to or watch the news, listen to the radio, read the newspaper, watch violent shows/movies or horror movies, see hurt or injured animals, abuse, war, trauma, are sensitive to the emotions and “emotional atmosphere” of the environment, experience referred emotion and psychic “6th sense” abilities, may have strong intuitive and/or psychic abilities
Sensory Processing Disorder/Condition
May have sensory sensitivities in the following areas: hearing, vision, taste, touch, smell, balance, movement, intuition
May be very sensitive to pain or have a high pain threshold
May notice how food tastes or feels and one may be more important than the other
May be clumsy or un-coordinated
May dislike loud noises and/or be overwhelmed or stressed by bright lights, strong smells, coarse textures/clothing, sirens close by or people too close behind her.
May find children hard to cope with due to crying, screaming or other loud noises
Sensitive to the way clothes feel and how they may be more important than how they look
May have to withdraw, isolate herself when overwhelmed by her senses
May not be able to tolerate sounds, sights, smells, textures, movement that she dislikes
May not like to be hugged, cuddled or held. “I only like to hug if it’s my decision”
Can get upset or distressed if unable to follow a familiar route when going somewhere
Things that should feel painful may not be (bruises but not know how they got there, due to clumsiness)
In social situations, the nervous system tends to be overwhelmed easily, leading to withdrawal (for e.g., wander off to a quiet spot at a party, play with children or animals)
Strong hunger may disrupting her mood and/or ability to focus
She may notice and enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, works of art, and pieces of music.
Anxiety, stress and/or anger. Recent brain scanning research points towards enlarged Amygdala’s role in intense emotions, anxiety and anger
May have auditory processing issues
May have Irlen Syndrome
May grind teeth or have lockjaw (anxiety)
May have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or traits
May have one or more of the 7 types of ADHD
Usually has executive function difficulties (i.e., time management, planning ahead, organization)
May rock, leg-bounce, fidget or other movements with hands, twirl hair, stroke soft fabric to self-soothe (aka stimming)
May be very sensitive to medications, caffeine and/or alcohol
May have gluten, wheat, casein or other food allergies/intolerances, gut issues
May have sleep difficulties, a preference for staying up late at night, usually not a morning person
May have Dyspraxia
May have tics (for example, throat-clearing, coughing)
Physical Appearance
Usually dresses differently from her peers, often eccentric, may dress more for comfort than appearance.
May dress “over the top” or unusually for occasions
May try very hard to fit in appearance wise or may not care at all
May not shower or upkeep hygiene at times, due to different priorities (usually being involved in special interests)
Looks younger than her years
Has an unusual voice; may be “child-like”, monotone, loud or soft, quality to her voice
Often does certain things with hands (twirling hair or items, different movements) or legs (leg “bouncing” or rocking while standing)
Lifestyle
Books, computers, the Internet, animals, children, nature may be her best friends
She loves quiet, solitude, peaceful surroundings
She may be ultra-religious or not at all. Buddhism and Paganism / Wiccan appears to be the common religious beliefs
May prefer to spend as much time as possible by herself, with animals or in nature
May have a strong preference for routine and things being the same day after day
Gets pleasure from being engaged in her chosen work and/or special interests
She may make it a high priority to arrange her life, events, work, and environment to avoid overwhelming, stressful or upsetting situations
Relationship Choices/Sexuality/Gender
May date or marry much older or much younger partners, same gender partner, tending not to see the “age”, “gender”, but rather the personality of the person first
May be asexual, having preferences that are deemed as more important than sex or a relationship
May be ‘hypersexual”, fascinated by physical sexual contact
May differ from peers in terms of flexibility regarding sexual orientation or may think about or want to change gender. Some individuals may change gender or experiment with sexuality as a means to find social success or to “fit in” or feel less different
May not have wanted or needed intimate relationships (asexual)
There is a greater flexibility in sexuality and/or gender. May be heterosexual or may be asexual, gay, bi-sexual or transgender.
Special Interests
A special interest may involve the person’s career, fantasy, writing, animals, reading, to name a few
Ability to “hyperfocus” for long periods of time involved in the special interest, without eating, drinking or going to the toilet, is able to hyperfocus on her special interest for hours, often losing track of time
Loves and revels in solitude, peace and quiet. Solitude is often described as “needing it like the air I breathe”
An intense love for nature and animals
Often not interested in what other people find interesting
May collect or hoard items of interest
Emotional
Feels things deeply
Other people’s moods affect her, especially if they are negative
Tends to be very sensitive to emotional pain
Deeply moved by arts, music, certain movies
May be unable to watch horror, violence, disturbing movies, and news programs
Lives with continual generalized anxiety, bouts of depression that creep up on her
Difficulty regulating emotions and managing stress
Is socially and emotionally younger/immature than her chronological age, much younger if in her twenties
Emotionally too honest (inability or difficulty hiding true feelings when it would be more socially acceptable to do so) and naive
Experiences intense emotions of all kinds (for e.g. when she falls in love, she ‘falls’ in love deeply)
May think she is being compassionate, but her actions may not come across that way
Often too sensitive and possesses a lot of empathy
Usually connect and/or are very sensitive to certain characters in movies
Highly sensitive to issues affecting earth, animals, people, advocacy, justice, human rights and the “underdog”
Some women are quite “child-like”, not reaching a maturity until roughly 40 years of age, some can be child-like and mature at the same time. Never really growing up completely
Personality characteristics and/or traits and abilities
A natural born leader, independent, strong-willed, determined and can be highly competitive (even with herself)
High levels of introversion OR can be extroverted
Generally lack a strong sense of self, self-esteem and/or identity. May use chameleon-like skills to assimilate and be involved with to a variety of groups or different people over time, in a search for true identity.
Has a high sense of justice and fairness, is a truth-seeker
Highly creative and may have ‘rushes’ of original ideas
Dislikes change and may find it disorienting and stressful
Highly sensitive to criticism or perceived criticism
Dislikes being observed when having to perform (performance anxiety)
May have been told she cares to much, does too much for others and/or is too sensitive
Is perfectionistic (may have attended a perfectionism group program)
Attention to detail
Obsessions/special interests can be short-term (switching from one to another quickly) or long-term (can make a great career)
Naivety, innocence, trusting too much and taking others literally are a powerful concoction for being misused and abused
A strong sense of feeling different from her peers, often described as being from a different planet
May not have a sense of self and/or identity, self-esteem
Tend to be very serious, often too serious at times
Is intense in everything she does
In childhood, may have been described as highly sensitive and/or shy
Past and/or current mental health history
May have a history of crying a lot, without knowing why
May have a lengthy history of going to therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists
May have tried a variety of medications,
Experiences social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder
May have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or traits
May have one or more of the 6 types of ADHD
Has experienced ongoing depression and/or tiredness/exhaustion, without knowing why
A history of trying to understand oneself, of finding answers to explain one-self and why she feels she is different or doesn’t fit in, as a woman
A history of many doctors and counsellors visits throughout university life
May have a family history of Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, OCD, anxiety disorders
May be been misdiagnosed with bi-polar disorder, borderline personality disorder or schizophrenia
May have been previously diagnosed with anxiety disorder depression, an eating disorder, borderline personality disorder, bi-polar disorder and/or ADHD
A history of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, mood swings
Coping Mechanisms
May have turned to alcohol, drugs, smoking in order to cope with intense emotions, self-medicate and/or socialize/fit in and/or be accepted with a group.
May use a different persona when out in the public, in order to cope
May have developed a variety of dysfunctional coping mechanisms (for example, arrogance and/or narcissism)
May change gender or sexuality in an attempt to “fit it” and/or find the right group
Has used imitation, social echolalia to pretend to be normal, fake it or pass for normal
May rock standing up, lying down, in a rocking chair to calm down or self-soothe
May need to withdraw into bed or a dark area or a place of solitude to gain privacy, quiet and manage sensory and/or social overload
Withdrawal and/or Avoidance
Sixth Sense, Intuition, Psychic Abilities
Has the ability to feel other peoples emotions
May “know” or have knowledge of certain things, but no idea how she knows
May be a professional psychic or medium
Possesses one or more psychic abilities
Is an “empath”
Unique abilities and Strengths
Intelligence, craves knowledge and loves learning
Can teach herself just about anything she puts her mind too
Has a strong will, is determined and independent
Perfectionistic
Have a remarkable long-term memory, photographic memory
A great sense of humour, even if its different to others sense of humour
Can work very well in a “crisis” situation
Deeply reflective thinker
Resilience, an ability to go from one crisis to another, to bounce back, to start again time and time again
Attention to detail
Great in one-on-one situations or presenting to a group
More like “philosophers” than “professors, but can be both.
Seeing in the “mind’s eye” exact details, gifted visual learner
May be gifted with art, music, writing, languages
Highly intuitive
Capable of deep philosophical thinking, females with Aspergers often become writers, poets, artists, singers, performers, actresses or
professors.
Challenges
May be difficult to understand subtle emotions, for e.g., when someone is jealous or embarrassed, uninterested or bored
Keeping up appearances, passing for normal
Managing emotions
Learning difficulties
May get very upset with unexpected change
May not be able to tell when someone is flirting with her
Challenging to work and function within a group
Great difficulty and very sensitive to conflict, stress, arguments, fighting, wars, gossip and negativity
Social-chit chat, small talk, conversation without a “function”,
Maintaining friendships and relationships,
Social anxiety or social phobia
May like or prefer to be by herself as much as possible
May find it challenging to understand what others expect of her
Being taken advantage of due to naivety, innocence and trusting others too much
Boundaries (usually when younger)
May have difficulty filling out forms, doing paperwork (completing taxes), budgeting money
May have difficulty recognizing or remembering faces (prosopagnosia)
Empathy
May have a lack of cognitive empathy and hyperempathy (for e.g., too much affective empathy)
Cognitive Empathy: The ability to predict other’s thoughts and intentions, knowing how the other person feels and what they might be thinking. Also known as perspective-taking.
Affective/Emotional Empathy: The ability or capacity to recognize emotions that are being experienced by another person, when you feel the feelings of another person along with the other person, as though their emotions are your own. Social neuroscience has found that this kind of empathy has to do with the mirror neuron system. Emotional empathy contributes to an individual being well-attuned to another person’s inner emotional world, an advantage for individuals in a wide range of careers from nursing to teaching to social work, psychology and other caring professions.
Compassionate Empathy, or “empathic concern”. This kind of empathy helps us to understand a person’s predicament and feel with them, and also be spontaneously moved to help them, if and when other need help. Under stress, Theory of mind skills may appear to be completely absent.
May have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
May have an intense desire to please others and/ be liked by others. May become highly distressed if she has the perception that someone does not like her or actually does not like her.
Executive functioning difficulties may include: trouble making decisions, time management, planning ahead, organization, completing tasks.
May have spend a lifetime of using enormous effort to socially “pretend”, “fake it”, “fit in”, “pass for normal”. May have utilized body language books, mirrors, acting/drama classes to improve social skills.
May have tocophobia, the fear of childbirth
May have gender dysphoria, also known as gender identity disorder (GID) dysphoria, and is a formal diagnosis for individuals who feel
and experience significant stress and unhappiness with their birth gender and/or gender roles. These individuals are known as transsexual or transgender.
Photographic visual memory
An intense and continual need to figure oneself out.
No one woman will have all of these traits. Some of the traits in this list may not apply to me or to some other Aspie you may know. A level of insight and awareness is required in terms of recognizing the traits, characteristics and behaviours in oneself and others. Individual traits and characteristics can vary from mild to severe.
**** Well done you if you have read this far ***
A great deal of the stuff written above relates to me... For most of my life I couldn't understand why I seemed different to other people, why I wasn't interested in small talk, why I preferred to be alone, why I liked animals and plants more than people.... I have always felt very alone.
Since finding out I have Aspergers Autism it has made everything so much clearer... I am actually happier now than I was when I thought I was different but didn't know why. Now things have been explained to me.. I have traits that are real, that have a name, that other people share, that make me Me... Finally I know who I am ... Of course having Aspergers isn't fun, its actually hard work and no one would ever choose to have this, its very tiring, stressful and complicated... Yet its the type of condition that you might never notice in someone, which means its hard for people without Aspergers to understand just how different and difficult it actually makes someone.
The thing with Aspergers is that you can learn to hide your traits, learn to be "normal" for a while or at least look only a "little bit odd"
You can learn what people expect you to do by watching them with others... I learnt that eye contact is important to people... unfortunately I haven't been able to learn how long is enough, so sometimes I tend to look people in the eye too intently and that sometimes can seem a little creepy / aggressive apparently... Sometimes I will look away a lot because I'm extremely stressed for some reason... stress makes it harder to keep up all the "hiding my autism" mechanisms I have developed over the years.
When I am really overstressed I go mute ... this is one of the things I do hate, because even if I want to answer I cant because my brain has shut down the use of my mouth. Once my brain has dealt with the stress and has settled down I can talk again.. Stress makes me very tired as does being in social situations, whether that's a party or going shopping in a crowded place. Some of that tiredness I think comes from hiding my autistic traits so that I seem like everyone else.
I am in a why very lucky to have a husband who loves me dearly... although I do sometimes think that he may also have Aspergers to a lesser degree... Maybe that is why we have been able to stay married for 19 years ( 2014 ) ... we never really fight, we do disagree now and then and have considered divorce once or twice but only because we thought maybe we would be better as friends.
One of my long term obsessions has been with rats... My Autism has actually come in handy with that, as it means I keep exceptional records of who I have, who I've bred to whom and so on... Unfortunately I am rather passive though so I don't tend to stand up for myself and I don't like to point out what I know so people take advantage of that, especially as sometimes when I try to explain something it will come out sounding different, even in writing, of what I was trying to mean.
There are pros to having Aspergers such as ...
Hyper focus ~ Hyper focusing allows me to get some huge projects done in a very short amount of time. Such as doing this website and others over the years are perfect examples of this; from the moment I had the idea, I worked on it pretty much non-stop.
Special interests ~ Mostly, hyper focus is only switched on when I’m working on a special interest. It’s common for people with AS to become obsessed with something and learn everything they can about it until they’re pretty much an expert. Rats are my main special interest. My other special interests include writing, art and music.
Visual thinking ~ I think in pictures, not in words. Thoughts play like a projector in my mind, showing images or movies of whatever it is I’m thinking about. Which is why it can sometimes be hard for me to grasp what someone else is trying to explain.
Empathy ~ I have a deep, sometimes overwhelming, empathy for others, especially animals. But I just don’t know how to express it sometimes, so it can seem like I am unfeeling or sometimes, too emotional.
Auto-didacticism ~ This is the ability to teach myself new skills. I can only teach myself things that have become a special interest. For example, Drawing, I taught myself to draw because it fascinates me; but I can not draw in front of other people. I also taught myself how to cook and am teaching myself the German language and also how to play the piano. I would benefit from both a language teacher and a piano teacher, but I would need to find someone who understand Autism and Aspergers.
Personally I am more comfortable around animals that I am around people. My IQ is 136, yet when it comes to people and social interactions I feel extremely stupid... So many things don't make sense to me and because I take things literally it can sometimes take me a minute or two to realise that something shouldn't be taken literally .... Such as a sport ad on tv where spots people are in heaven... the first time I saw that ad I automatically thought it meant the people in the ad were now dead... then I realised that wasn't possible cause then they could make the ad. ( so you see where someone who isn't an Aspie would know right away its an ad not mean to be taken literally, I didn't )
I know that some people consider me a friend but I do not know if I could call many people my friend, I do not have people who text me every day or every fortnight or even once a month... I don't like talking on the phone so I have no one to talk to... The only person I see every day is my husband... No one comes to visit me, and as I don't like to drive and don't like public transport it means I can not go to visit anyone myself. Sometimes this does make me feel very alone because I would like to have friends and like to have people text me or visit me ... even if my dogs do bark the whole visit ... Friendship is a lot of give and take and unfortunately to be my friend means that you may have to give more than you get and for a lot of people that is too much giving, so people who start out trying tend to give up... Even though once I am someone's friend I am their friend for life pretty much and I care deeply for my friends.. I am always honest with them and I never gossip or lie about them and I can keep secrets forever.
But to be friends with someone who is an Aspie takes a lot of work and it takes time to understand an Aspie .... it can also take an Aspie a very long time to feel comfortable enough with someone that they no longer hide all of their Aspie traits.
Such as sometimes a conversation may bore me because I don't find it of interest to me... If I feel this way I will tell you, but I have to feel comfortable enough with you to do so because I know how people can get offended when you say something like that...
I never mean to offend people or sound rude, I'm just stating a fact, but people can get offended by facts because they take them personally and because many people have no experience with someone who has Aspergers they don't understand that it isn't personal ... My saying " This conversation bores me " is the same as someone else saying " Look at that red car " ... its red, its a car, that's just the facts... a conversation that bores me is just a fact to me like any other fact.
Characters on TV or in Movies who I relate to because the character has Aspergers, whether its a stated fact or not are as follows... ( these characters are from shows I have watched or like to watch.. there are other characters in other shows who have Aspergers or Asperger traits but this following list only has characters from shows I like ) ...
Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan - tv show - Bones
Bones’ more subtle symptoms are actually quite realistic given that women with Asperger’s are much harder to detect and diagnose than their male counterparts.
Brennan’s lack of interest in social conventions, rudimentary understanding of sarcasm, and awkward but undeniable affection for her friends are all in keeping with the way an actual Aspergian woman of her intellect would appear.
Will Graham - tv show - Hannibal
In Hannibal’s pilot episode, Will diagnoses himself as being “closer to Asperger’s and autistics than narcissists and sociopaths” and gives the most eloquent description of eye contact issues that has ever appeared in pop culture.
Sonya Cross - tv show - The Bridge
No one on the cross-border crime drama The Bridge has come out and said that Detective Sonya Cross has Asperger’s — her coworkers prefer to simply call her crazy — but actress Diane Kruger hasn’t been shy about saying her character has Aspergers. The challenge of playing someone with the syndrome was what inspired her to take the role, and it’s clear that she’s put a lot of work into her performance. It’s a little over the top and obvious.
In real life, a woman of Sonya’s obvious intelligence would probably have learned to control her issues with eye contact, inappropriate behaviour, and empathy expression a little better by her age. But it’s equally obvious that Kruger is committed to playing her like a human being, and that counts for a lot.
Dr. Sheldon Cooper - tv show - The Big Bang Theory
Much like autism itself, autistic opinion on Big Bang Theory’s favourite theoretical physicist exists on a spectrum.
On one end, you have people who wear their “Bazinga” shirts with pride and claim Sheldon as one of their own even though he has never been identified as such (and the creators have no interest in giving him an official diagnosis).
On the other, you have people who think that his over-the-top lack of social skills, problems with sarcasm, vanity, and rigidity are a cruel and reductive parody of people with Asperger’s.
Personally I see Sheldon as an Aspie and I don't understand how he has more friends that I do ?
Sherlock Holmes - tv show - Sherlock
Watson refers to Sherlock’s Asperger’s in passing in “The Hounds of Baskerville.”
Sherlock certainly has the intelligence, focus, and social issues of a man on the spectrum. I have personally felt from this and other tv shows and movies and books with a Sherlock Homes in them, that Sherlock has Aspergers.
Gary Bell - tv show - Alpha's
Gary was my favourite character in Alpha's. I wish I could be more like that character in how he says what he wants without worry that it doesn't sound right.
The parallel universe version of Astrid Farnsworth - tv show - Fringe
Fringe has be one of my favourite shows and I am glad that they had the parallel universes version of Astrid have Aspergers - I also liked the character Walter Bishop, as his character had some traits that were Asperger like, even though it was for a different reason, I could relate to Walters intelligence yet at times child-like view.
Gil Grissom - tv show - CSI
In addition to being a genius and somewhat of a polymath beyond his career training, he exhibits Asperger-like traits. In "Caged", it is hinted
that de does in fact have Asperger's syndrome.
Spencer Reid - tv show - Criminal Minds
As is characteristic of people with Aspergers Syndrome, Reid is socially awkward. He often fixates on things (prompting Morgan and other team members to have to tell him to be quiet), and misses social cues at times (for example, unknowingly changing the subject of a
conversation). The unknown subject in "Broken Mirror" noted this, and Gubler stated in an interview in the show's second season "Reid's an
eccentric genius, with hints of minor autism, Asperger's Syndrome. Reid is 30 years old with three Ph.D.s and one can not usually achieve that without some form of autism."
Writer Sharon Lee Watson stated in a twitter chat Reid's Asperger traits makes the character more lovable.
You can find many other characters from Comics, Video Games, TV, Films, Theatre and Literature with Autism or Aspergers by following this link...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_characters_on_the_autism_spectrum
:)
Below is a picture in which I have put some of my drawings. I hope you like it.
Since finding out I have Aspergers Autism it has made everything so much clearer... I am actually happier now than I was when I thought I was different but didn't know why. Now things have been explained to me.. I have traits that are real, that have a name, that other people share, that make me Me... Finally I know who I am ... Of course having Aspergers isn't fun, its actually hard work and no one would ever choose to have this, its very tiring, stressful and complicated... Yet its the type of condition that you might never notice in someone, which means its hard for people without Aspergers to understand just how different and difficult it actually makes someone.
The thing with Aspergers is that you can learn to hide your traits, learn to be "normal" for a while or at least look only a "little bit odd"
You can learn what people expect you to do by watching them with others... I learnt that eye contact is important to people... unfortunately I haven't been able to learn how long is enough, so sometimes I tend to look people in the eye too intently and that sometimes can seem a little creepy / aggressive apparently... Sometimes I will look away a lot because I'm extremely stressed for some reason... stress makes it harder to keep up all the "hiding my autism" mechanisms I have developed over the years.
When I am really overstressed I go mute ... this is one of the things I do hate, because even if I want to answer I cant because my brain has shut down the use of my mouth. Once my brain has dealt with the stress and has settled down I can talk again.. Stress makes me very tired as does being in social situations, whether that's a party or going shopping in a crowded place. Some of that tiredness I think comes from hiding my autistic traits so that I seem like everyone else.
I am in a why very lucky to have a husband who loves me dearly... although I do sometimes think that he may also have Aspergers to a lesser degree... Maybe that is why we have been able to stay married for 19 years ( 2014 ) ... we never really fight, we do disagree now and then and have considered divorce once or twice but only because we thought maybe we would be better as friends.
One of my long term obsessions has been with rats... My Autism has actually come in handy with that, as it means I keep exceptional records of who I have, who I've bred to whom and so on... Unfortunately I am rather passive though so I don't tend to stand up for myself and I don't like to point out what I know so people take advantage of that, especially as sometimes when I try to explain something it will come out sounding different, even in writing, of what I was trying to mean.
There are pros to having Aspergers such as ...
Hyper focus ~ Hyper focusing allows me to get some huge projects done in a very short amount of time. Such as doing this website and others over the years are perfect examples of this; from the moment I had the idea, I worked on it pretty much non-stop.
Special interests ~ Mostly, hyper focus is only switched on when I’m working on a special interest. It’s common for people with AS to become obsessed with something and learn everything they can about it until they’re pretty much an expert. Rats are my main special interest. My other special interests include writing, art and music.
Visual thinking ~ I think in pictures, not in words. Thoughts play like a projector in my mind, showing images or movies of whatever it is I’m thinking about. Which is why it can sometimes be hard for me to grasp what someone else is trying to explain.
Empathy ~ I have a deep, sometimes overwhelming, empathy for others, especially animals. But I just don’t know how to express it sometimes, so it can seem like I am unfeeling or sometimes, too emotional.
Auto-didacticism ~ This is the ability to teach myself new skills. I can only teach myself things that have become a special interest. For example, Drawing, I taught myself to draw because it fascinates me; but I can not draw in front of other people. I also taught myself how to cook and am teaching myself the German language and also how to play the piano. I would benefit from both a language teacher and a piano teacher, but I would need to find someone who understand Autism and Aspergers.
Personally I am more comfortable around animals that I am around people. My IQ is 136, yet when it comes to people and social interactions I feel extremely stupid... So many things don't make sense to me and because I take things literally it can sometimes take me a minute or two to realise that something shouldn't be taken literally .... Such as a sport ad on tv where spots people are in heaven... the first time I saw that ad I automatically thought it meant the people in the ad were now dead... then I realised that wasn't possible cause then they could make the ad. ( so you see where someone who isn't an Aspie would know right away its an ad not mean to be taken literally, I didn't )
I know that some people consider me a friend but I do not know if I could call many people my friend, I do not have people who text me every day or every fortnight or even once a month... I don't like talking on the phone so I have no one to talk to... The only person I see every day is my husband... No one comes to visit me, and as I don't like to drive and don't like public transport it means I can not go to visit anyone myself. Sometimes this does make me feel very alone because I would like to have friends and like to have people text me or visit me ... even if my dogs do bark the whole visit ... Friendship is a lot of give and take and unfortunately to be my friend means that you may have to give more than you get and for a lot of people that is too much giving, so people who start out trying tend to give up... Even though once I am someone's friend I am their friend for life pretty much and I care deeply for my friends.. I am always honest with them and I never gossip or lie about them and I can keep secrets forever.
But to be friends with someone who is an Aspie takes a lot of work and it takes time to understand an Aspie .... it can also take an Aspie a very long time to feel comfortable enough with someone that they no longer hide all of their Aspie traits.
Such as sometimes a conversation may bore me because I don't find it of interest to me... If I feel this way I will tell you, but I have to feel comfortable enough with you to do so because I know how people can get offended when you say something like that...
I never mean to offend people or sound rude, I'm just stating a fact, but people can get offended by facts because they take them personally and because many people have no experience with someone who has Aspergers they don't understand that it isn't personal ... My saying " This conversation bores me " is the same as someone else saying " Look at that red car " ... its red, its a car, that's just the facts... a conversation that bores me is just a fact to me like any other fact.
Characters on TV or in Movies who I relate to because the character has Aspergers, whether its a stated fact or not are as follows... ( these characters are from shows I have watched or like to watch.. there are other characters in other shows who have Aspergers or Asperger traits but this following list only has characters from shows I like ) ...
Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan - tv show - Bones
Bones’ more subtle symptoms are actually quite realistic given that women with Asperger’s are much harder to detect and diagnose than their male counterparts.
Brennan’s lack of interest in social conventions, rudimentary understanding of sarcasm, and awkward but undeniable affection for her friends are all in keeping with the way an actual Aspergian woman of her intellect would appear.
Will Graham - tv show - Hannibal
In Hannibal’s pilot episode, Will diagnoses himself as being “closer to Asperger’s and autistics than narcissists and sociopaths” and gives the most eloquent description of eye contact issues that has ever appeared in pop culture.
Sonya Cross - tv show - The Bridge
No one on the cross-border crime drama The Bridge has come out and said that Detective Sonya Cross has Asperger’s — her coworkers prefer to simply call her crazy — but actress Diane Kruger hasn’t been shy about saying her character has Aspergers. The challenge of playing someone with the syndrome was what inspired her to take the role, and it’s clear that she’s put a lot of work into her performance. It’s a little over the top and obvious.
In real life, a woman of Sonya’s obvious intelligence would probably have learned to control her issues with eye contact, inappropriate behaviour, and empathy expression a little better by her age. But it’s equally obvious that Kruger is committed to playing her like a human being, and that counts for a lot.
Dr. Sheldon Cooper - tv show - The Big Bang Theory
Much like autism itself, autistic opinion on Big Bang Theory’s favourite theoretical physicist exists on a spectrum.
On one end, you have people who wear their “Bazinga” shirts with pride and claim Sheldon as one of their own even though he has never been identified as such (and the creators have no interest in giving him an official diagnosis).
On the other, you have people who think that his over-the-top lack of social skills, problems with sarcasm, vanity, and rigidity are a cruel and reductive parody of people with Asperger’s.
Personally I see Sheldon as an Aspie and I don't understand how he has more friends that I do ?
Sherlock Holmes - tv show - Sherlock
Watson refers to Sherlock’s Asperger’s in passing in “The Hounds of Baskerville.”
Sherlock certainly has the intelligence, focus, and social issues of a man on the spectrum. I have personally felt from this and other tv shows and movies and books with a Sherlock Homes in them, that Sherlock has Aspergers.
Gary Bell - tv show - Alpha's
Gary was my favourite character in Alpha's. I wish I could be more like that character in how he says what he wants without worry that it doesn't sound right.
The parallel universe version of Astrid Farnsworth - tv show - Fringe
Fringe has be one of my favourite shows and I am glad that they had the parallel universes version of Astrid have Aspergers - I also liked the character Walter Bishop, as his character had some traits that were Asperger like, even though it was for a different reason, I could relate to Walters intelligence yet at times child-like view.
Gil Grissom - tv show - CSI
In addition to being a genius and somewhat of a polymath beyond his career training, he exhibits Asperger-like traits. In "Caged", it is hinted
that de does in fact have Asperger's syndrome.
Spencer Reid - tv show - Criminal Minds
As is characteristic of people with Aspergers Syndrome, Reid is socially awkward. He often fixates on things (prompting Morgan and other team members to have to tell him to be quiet), and misses social cues at times (for example, unknowingly changing the subject of a
conversation). The unknown subject in "Broken Mirror" noted this, and Gubler stated in an interview in the show's second season "Reid's an
eccentric genius, with hints of minor autism, Asperger's Syndrome. Reid is 30 years old with three Ph.D.s and one can not usually achieve that without some form of autism."
Writer Sharon Lee Watson stated in a twitter chat Reid's Asperger traits makes the character more lovable.
You can find many other characters from Comics, Video Games, TV, Films, Theatre and Literature with Autism or Aspergers by following this link...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_characters_on_the_autism_spectrum
:)
Below is a picture in which I have put some of my drawings. I hope you like it.
I am happy to talk to you about my autism if you wish to know more, but basically all of the above should explain to you what it is like for me to have Aspergers Autism.