Just out of curiosity, I was wondering how many of our members are non-verbal, or nearly non-verbal, or would be considered LFA (although I honestly REALLY don't like that term).
For this poll I am lumping apsie in w/ HFA. I just wanted to see where everyone was at, in terms of how high-functioning *NTs* would consider us to be.
I am aspie.
in terms of how high-functioning *NTs* would consider us to be.
Uf...
I know, it's useful to know these things. But still bothers me. It's practically like asking how many percent of users will be considered real people in the outside world. Although surprisingly many of the same people in my life who said "you're not autistic" to me have also told me repeatedly how weird, how socially (and otherwise) inept, etc. I am, amateur-psychoanalyzing me without my consent, saying things that I would never dare to say to them. So yeah. Even those of us who are maybe considered HF are not considered as real people a lot of the time, so what does it even matter.
Sorry, that rant was not at you, LuaiLashire. It was not even at NTs, well, not all of them.
It's just a weird day. Not even for things happening, but for remembering things.
Ahh... It's Ok. I was trying really, really hard to come up with some other way of putting it, or at least somne way of phrasing my post so it wouldn't upset people, but of course it didn't work. It really annoys me that we're stuck with this terminology that was made up by people who aren't autistic, don't know what it's like to be autistic, and are purposefully putting us into little boxes that divide us up by our percieved value.
The only reason I wanted to do this poll was to see how many so-called "LFAs" have found their way here. It's not something that's really discussed much here at AFF, so I kind of got the impression there were no "LFA" people here; but I knew that couldn't be right, so....
Yeah, today was wierd for me too.
I know of one non-verbal member here, who uses a communicator device and talks by typing.
in terms of how high-functioning *NTs* would consider us to be.
Uf...
I know, it's useful to know these things. But still bothers me. It's practically like asking how many percent of users will be considered real people in the outside world. Although surprisingly many of the same people in my life who said "you're not autistic" to me have also told me repeatedly how weird, how socially (and otherwise) inept, etc. I am, amateur-psychoanalyzing me without my consent, saying things that I would never dare to say to them. So yeah. Even those of us who are maybe considered HF are not considered as real people a lot of the time, so what does it even matter.
Know what you mean. People will tell me they never suspected I have autism or they don't think I have autism. I'm so bright, they tell me. But then there will be this litany of complaints about me, and they can't see that these add up to autism. e.g. You are not autistic, you just need to interact with people..... The most annoying: We're all different. These people do pick up on your autism, but it's just that they are not consciously aware of it. And the action that really tells the truth: these people don't become your friends or associate with you.
And the action that really tells the truth: these people don't become your friends or associate with you.
well, the ones i was referring to, they do...
but in a way that sort of lets you know that you are being tolerated, not accepted.
that is ugly.
People who have got to know me really well are generally tolerant of my "eccentricities" but no doubt a number of people have also written me off very quickly because of lack of facial expressiveness and other autistic traits.
Just before elementary school I briefly went to Giant Steps in Montréal where I was placed among a group of young high-functioning autistic children. As a diagnosed autistic my speech development was a bit slower than most up until the age of five or six, but I was allowed into mainstream education anyway because my "reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic" skills were good enough. After my first elementary school my autism diagnosis never had to be mentioned to anyone