Aspies For Freedom

Like Amy said, AS manifests itself differently in each human, and it is paradox, like some AS are good at math and others struggle with it..

I also had serious learning disabilities at school and couldn't do math. I had to drop it and I can't go to university. I have high IQ though. Learning disability is not linked with IQ.

I also have serious mood and meltdown problems, smashing windows and so on.

Maybe you need to try have treatment for your comorbid stuff. Have you ever considered working with a therapist for a while? It's done wonders for me. I can really recommend trying that out. Especially if it bothers you. Maybe you want to talk about your diagnosis with a therapist.

Don't let your diagnosis bother you too much though and hold you back from living you life .. Maybe you should take it for what it and focus on working on your stress levels.

By the way, I wanted to ask you in another thread (but I didn't becasue I would have gone off topic there)..

How do you keep your rats and cats apart?

I have two budgies and they fight like mad and they're of the same kind!!

:shock:  :grin:

Thanks for the replies everyone. :smile:

Karms (1st post)-how is IQ worked out when the person has academic,or other learning disabilities that will affect part of-or all of the test?

Is therapist the same as a pyschologist/pyschiatrist?
I am supposed to be seeing a pyschiatrist soon,(I made an appointment many months ago,but have never got any appointment letters so looks like the gp has forgotten to refer me even though he recorded it on his dictator/recorder)for
getting medication for ADHD,can pyschiatrists help out with the therapy side to?

Keeping rats and cats apart..
-Very easy :grin:  at the moment,I have all cages in my bedroom,that's 3 all together (2 are built into one,7 buck rats in 2 groups)and my door fully locks into place when it's closed so the cats can't get anywhere near.
Sam is scared of the rats and will run away because she got her ear bitten by one of my old rats for going to close to the cage,whereas Goldie takes advantage of my memory/attention span and will run in the room when I wander off and forget to close it,I usually come in,and find her sat up close looking at them,all I have to do is stand there and she buggers off very very quickly. :lol:

You have budgies and cats?
Would have thought that's more extreme than rats+cats,cats know they've got a challenge when they're looking at a fully grown buck rat at least and might not bother,they'd easily take advantage of a bird (but never fight anything bigger than themselves,just pick on the weaker species of course )


Lili Marlene-cognitive difficulties or emotional difficulties.....sorry,I don't understand what you mean,I'm unfortunately,exclusively a follower of laymans terms. :lol:

I tried to keep the post as short as possible,so didn't write much on my speech difficulty....I get different letters mixed up in pronounciation,it used to happen all the time,until I was around 17 and was[and still is sometimes] very frustrating,teachers tried to force-help me with it...once,I remember in infants school,being brought away from the rest of the class and made to sit at a table-she kept trying to force eye contact (which I couldn't manage) she held my wrists down on the table to unsuccessfully stop me moving,the more she tried to get me to look at her,the more I got into laughing 'fits',she kept saying the correct pronounciation of a word,and I kept getting it wrong,I think they believed I was trying to cause trouble as they never bothered after that.

Cheers Stella!


Amy-sensory overload is definately one of the main problems,but there's a lot of situations which can set off my anger,meltdowns... what is involved in sensory integration therapy? I'd definately like to get help for that aspect as i'm having meltdowns in class at college,it happened every wednesday and sometimes thursday(although less now as i'm now in yr2 and the yr1 class is quieter than last years yr2 class),as both yr1 and yr2 classes joins up and a lot of the lesson consist of having to listen to several voices without doing any work (people saying what they did at the weekend)-the LSAs take me out and put me in a quiet area to calm down,or to do work in,it's really p-ing me off,I miss out on some stuff because i'm not in the room with them.



I have a question to ask everyone...
Is anyone else not able to see things in their mind,I mean-memories for instance,or when closing eyes,can the person see where everything is?
I was wondering whether this was common within autism.

I think it's got to do with aptitude etc. Have a look here - you might want to try their IQ test http://web.tickle.com/

No. Psychiatrists normally work with medicine. Psychologists are therapists you see every week and engage into talk therapy, anxiety management or anything you'd like to work on. However, a Psychiatrist can refer you to a psychologist who understands autism. So, I'd suggest you ask your Psychiatrist next week if he knows of a kick *** therapist.

Sounds like you are well set up.  :grin:  What is a buck rat? How big do they get? I think you should watch "An American Tale" it's an animated Disney movie - very cute - about cats and rats!

My budgies live with me. My cats live at my mom's and dad's. So they all separated, but when I had hamsters and I let them run around in the bathroom, I had to lock the cats out of the house for safety...  :grin: I also have to keep my aquarium high, because the one cat expressed too much curiosity in that lately...

re: you question - I can recall memories quite clear. But when I close my eyes, all I see is green and black sparkles .. I recall better with my eyes open and my mind in a day dreaming state.

Sorry to butt in, but I'm a newbie and just sort of freaking out over this whole Aspie thing.  I'm in a state of shock, relief, and confusion over the information I've found.

How many of you have had formal diagnosis, versus self diagnosis?

I've known I have some unusual traits and issues, but have been trying to ignore them.  My wife has repeatedly insisted I go to the doctor for an evaluation for the possibility of ADD or some other disorder.

Then, it was recently brought to our attention that my son may have a problem.  His lack of speech development has us concerned and his pediatrician wants him evaluated for hearing loss first, followed by a screening for autism.  

Well, as I began reading up on the topic, I started reading more and more descriptions that are hitting a little too close to home.  So I took some online evaulations and "passed them with flying colors".  1 test suggested I was borderline, while 2 others suggest I may be autistic.

This whole experience is blowing my mind, along with my stereotypes.

Anyone have anything to offer or suggest what I do next?  My head is spinning.

Thanks, Noetic.  I was just reading that page.  I was really starting to consider pursuing an official diagnosis until I read some of the reservations due to legal concerns.

Thanks, EnglishLulu.

I have a question.  In fact, I have eleventy billion questions.  But, I'll start with this one...

Several descriptions of AS involve social avoidance.  I can't stand crowds.  I feel like I'm being judged and feel I can't relate to most people.  But I do actively seek out those few individuals that I can communicate with.  And when I find them, I repeatedly seek them out.  I find I like socializing with others, so long as they are on my level.  Does this make sense?

For example, I'm not much for talking about the weather (unless it involves a deep discussion on global weather patterns).  And I don't like talking to large groups of people.   But I do enjoy talking to just one person at a time (captive audience), so long as they let me ramble about the odd topics of conversation that most people don't understand.  

Also, I do like talking to larger groups if it is via the internet.  It gives me time to ponder what I'm going to say.  And I don't have to look anyone in the eye.

Does any of this sound familiar?  Am I still within the social criteria for AS?  I mean, I'm not a hermit, but I'm not a social butterfly either.

Thanks, Amy.

So, is anyone else here constantly starving for spatial challenges?  I'm not happy unless I have some spatial puzzle to solve... ALL THE TIME!  I can't stop.  If I have nothing visual to figure out, I might be trying to accurately visualize my present position on earth from an orbital perspective, with a orientation in line with the earth's axis.  When I'm done doing that, I might participate in an activity that has no spacial challenge, but might be running my finder along the contour of my car key, mentally mapping each valley and peak.  I just can't stop.  

Whenever I'm in a room with ceremic tile, I take mental note of the grout line arrangement, taking special note of any unusual geometric layouts.

When I hear music, I can actually feel it.  I mean, I feel each pitch change, duration, etc.  And I can see it too.

You guys are going to have to excuse me.  I have never been able to fully discuss this stuff with anyone.  I came home the other night so excited about the new Crew Excursion Vehicle and desperately tried to explain the staging sequences to my wife.  She wasn't very thrilled.

My God, I don't even know where to begin or how to contain myself.

On a more serious note, does anyone have any short term memory issues?  I never forget a face, but can never remember a name.  Sometimes, I arrive at a place and can't remember any details about how I got there.  I can't even remember the name of this website without looking at my browser.  

Sorry for all the rambling, but I guess I'm seeking some validation of my symptoms.

Thanks all.

Fozzie, that is too funny.  I live on the Gulf Coast of the US and during hurricane season, I'm completely obsessed with tracking systems.  We're talking unhealthy obsession here.  I've got to have a complete mental picture of the storm in its relationship to land.  And I get obsessed with plotting coordinates.  This is pretty sad since plotting coordinates is rather silly when you have a computer.  But who needs paper when you can visualize your Lat Lon in your head.

I work with a meteorologist (I often refer to him as a "meaty urologist".  He hates that.  LOL).  Anyway, we have some pretty deep discussions.

I'm a little nervous about seeking professional help.  I've got to think more about that.

I know what you mean about the obsessions with weather.  At work, I sometimes have to turn my monitor so others can see it.  It forces me to resist the urge of constantly monitoring storms instead of doing my job.  Not a good thing.  I have to do lots of things to compensate at work just to stay on task.  Being able to stay on task is probably my single biggest problem.  

Thanks, Amy, for the heads up on synaesthesia.  I'll check it out.  

Alabama.  Can a psychologist diagnose autism and ADD?  At this point I'm about 80% certain I am mildly autistic, but I have a few doubts.  If not, I'm severely ADD.  I think I need to let a professional make an unbiased decision for me.  

I'm also concerned because my son's pediatrician is suspecting autism.  It would be helpful to know if I was a genetic factor.  It would also be nice to know that I could somehow relate to him better.

If they are qualified in autism they can.  

It certainly will help with your relationship with your son. One advantage of getting a diagnosis.. everybody understands what's going on.

Do you think the visual imagining difficulty is part of autism? :?:
What you said in the third paragraph is why I wonder whether visual imagining diffulties could be part of autism-i've often heard how autistics are supposed to have good photographic memory and such.

Are you able to know where things are in the room you are in if you close your eyes Noetic?

I've just read up on her account of picture thinking,I think it is the type I'm thinking of-being unable to visualise surroundings,or not be able to dream?

Does this affect you(or Noetics' experience of it)?

Cheers for the link Amy,i've read through it all,and think i will try and find help via the social services,that page mentions the sensory impairment team,wonder does it have the same 6 month odd waiting list though?

Cheers Karms!
I had to look up the definition of aptitude in the dictionary(thanks to the convenient dictionary bar in firefox),and found this definition:
Quickness in learning and understanding; intelligence.
I find it very difficult to comprehend data and am a slow learner,even with my obsession (computers),but i'm told it's part of my ADHD,how can a person know whether it is IQ related or not?
I have tried the tickle IQ test before,and others-but never get anything better than 75,even though redoing IQ tests is supposedly flawed because they can be learned,my sister told me it would be impossible for me to have an IQ of 75. :?

Hopefully.......shouldn't be too long before I get the pysch appointment through then,as I had a GP appointment on friday morning for yearly meds review and asked why I haven't got the letter as well,he said he'll find out what is happening.
A pyschiatrist can refer to a pyschologist without going via a GP? great!  :smile:

A buck rat is a male rat (the females are called does) -,they are bigger than the does-when they get old they get very lazy (unlike does) and they get quite fat as a result,they like meat,cake,anything they can sneak away with,perhaps you should get a group to let your cats know what it is like to be down the pekking order? :lol:

:lol:
how many hamsters did you have? did you successfully manage to keep more than one together?

Do aqariums not have lids/hoods on or can cats get past that? :?

That sounds similar to Noetics' vision style,do you have synthesia(not sure if i have used the correct name there)


[Edit]
Forgot to add this in.

Enzo,a pyschiatrist will be a better choice if in the event of an ADD/ASD diagnosis you think you could be eligible for medication.

Cheers Lili Marlene!!
Would I have to go to the GP to get an appointment with an audiologist?

What other symptoms did you have,in relation to CAPD?

Thanks, KingdomOfRats.  I'll look into that.  I think we have decided I definitely need a diagnosis.  I'm going to pursue this thing along side my son.  Even if my diagnosis turns out different than his, I feel like I'm doing what I can to better understand him.

No! Never! They fight like mad! I had about 3 cages with one hamster in each. I also had to make them run around in the bathroom alone, otherwise they'd kick up a fight.

yes, but if a cat jumps onto the lid all hell can break loose, because of the lighting equipment, power ballasts etc. Imagine if all that falls into the water. Would have fried fish for lunch!

what the heck is synthesia?? will check it out and get back to you..