Aspies For Freedom

I have found that many persons labelled with Asperger's are good at trivia games such as those played in the chatroom. I find this intriguing since this seems to fly in the face of the pattern of single interests that is used as a diagnostic criteria for Asperger's. I was unable to participate very fully at this and went back to the usual Sudoku puzzles.

For example I am good with certain historical facts, history, geography, Islamic alphabets used in coinage, and other areas of interest of no particular use. Maybe I have memorized some popular cultural information such as movie titles, but that's about as far as it goes. I realise that some others have single interest areas in, let's say, 80's music, or perhaps team trivia for a certain sport, but I would think that such areas of interest should be fairly specific in order to follow the pattern of "single interest areas".

I have no particular problem understanding my own diagnosis of Asperger's at this time from the perspective of the special interest criterion.

To all: What is your pattern? Are you good at trivia?

I don't feel much confident with Trivia at all.

Ah, but you must be rather good at something else, then. You have always seemed a rather good communicator.

Thanks!

I usually beat everyone at trivia as long as it's not based on celebrities/popular culture (which, unfortunately, is oftentimes the case). I know a lot of facts about a wide range of topics, though some much more than others.

On the rare occasions we have been persuaded to join a quiz team (i.e. couldn't get a good enough excuse in time! ) hubby and I have usually been able to answer a large proportion of the questions. It is often the case that quizmasters will go for 'obscure' topics such as science, history, geography, maths, railways etc. on the assumption that everyone knows popular culture, little realising that one team has a couple of stealth Aspies...

I remember, back in school, toward the end of the summer term, some of the classes would become triva quizzes. there was one day, on which..see, at the school, we had "clubs", on..i think it was wednesday...anywho, there was one class, just before "club", where we had a triva quiz. come the point where some of the students had to go off site for their club, all the other teams were shouting "take him, take him, he does that!". I didnt, but heh we won, by the way, with something like three times the score (we kept on answering until we got one wrong).

it was science, history, maths and geography. easy points
went towards house points, which was nice...

I'm mostly good at trivia when it's about my interests, but I sometimes know random facts as well, even though I don't know where I got them

i dont like playing travia games in groups cuase i feel like i'm cheating.


in school we have  jepodry game and i'm not allowed to play  to guve the onthers a fair chance.

I was once accused at work in my adult life as being "a walking encyclopedia of useless information", and then told that rather than public service that I should have chosen "a career in teaching".

encyclopaedia that is.

Once I heard a fact it sort of sticks in my head. As Saint describes it, I've been called a walking book, library, whatever you like ...

I have a very good general knowledge. These facts, however, are largely meaningless to me. I read a lot and I enjoy thinking. That is all. My interests, though broad in and of themselves, are few. This said, I have not been diagnosed with AS.

     The Aspie wiring in my particular brain tends to make me keep trivial things that an NT would forget. Can't do math at all, like a "stereotypical" Aspie, (in fact, I'm all about words, teach English, and have published 4 books of plays) so my connections have clearly developed in another way.
     My special interest areas latch onto more trivia than others, but I still have quick recall about things that one wouldn't expect my AS brain to save.
     This ability is so pronounced that I have qualified to be on Jeopardy, which has a very-broad based test for admission. Now if they'd only call me to actually compete on the show, we'd find out just how well my brain has organized all of this stuff.