09-01-2006, 10:16 AM
I'm a shop worker. There is this man that comes into the shop every few weeks. He usually wants the free DVDs that are given away with newspaper tokens. He's very quiet, wears hat that shadows the upper part of this face, keeps his head down and leaves the shop very quickly after being served. I see this kind of behaviour in people that are buying porn, but this guy was just wanting ordinary DVDs, so he does seem unusual.
After he had left the shop, one of my co-workers said something nasty about him. I told her not to say that, because he could just be very shy or have Aspergers or something like that. She asked me what Aspergers is. I said it's kind of like dyslexia, but instead of not being able to understand words and symbols, people with Aspergers have difficulty understanding how people behave.
I think she actually understood.
I think that linking dyslexia and Aspergers helped her to understand, because most people (in the UK) know that dyslexia is not a mental illness, it's not something that you have by choice and people do not blame a dyslexic for having difficulties with words and symbols.
I should point out that everyone at work knows that I'm dyslexic, because experience has taught me that it's best to be honest about my difficulties. I have had to explain to a few people, that yes I have learned to read and write, but that I have to take a bit longer when filing CDs, cashing up the lottery till or dealing with anything that involves detailed work.
I think that linking Aspergres and dyslexia could be a really good way of getting some NTs to be more understanding, all be it on a very shallow level.
What does everyone else think?
After he had left the shop, one of my co-workers said something nasty about him. I told her not to say that, because he could just be very shy or have Aspergers or something like that. She asked me what Aspergers is. I said it's kind of like dyslexia, but instead of not being able to understand words and symbols, people with Aspergers have difficulty understanding how people behave.
I think she actually understood.
I think that linking dyslexia and Aspergers helped her to understand, because most people (in the UK) know that dyslexia is not a mental illness, it's not something that you have by choice and people do not blame a dyslexic for having difficulties with words and symbols.
I should point out that everyone at work knows that I'm dyslexic, because experience has taught me that it's best to be honest about my difficulties. I have had to explain to a few people, that yes I have learned to read and write, but that I have to take a bit longer when filing CDs, cashing up the lottery till or dealing with anything that involves detailed work.
I think that linking Aspergres and dyslexia could be a really good way of getting some NTs to be more understanding, all be it on a very shallow level.
What does everyone else think?