Aspies For Freedom

Why does it seem like most Aspies--at least judging from these forums--are gifted, or otherwise very intelligent?

I'm not gifted, and "very intelligent" doesn't really fit me either--I'm not able to learn about certain "important" topics, like politics, because they're so complex and nuanced that the Aspie learning style of "break things down into logical pieces" doesn't really work!  It takes too long.

And it often takes me 1 month to read a 200 page book.  I have to work *so* hard on staying focused in the book, and processing the information correctly, that if I just "breeze through" like a normal person--ie, read one page in 15-20 seconds, the meaning is lost on me.

Aren't there any Aspies of average intelligence?

I feel left out, even on these forums...  

Batman55, your writing is articulate and insightful, that is one area in which you should be confident.   As for intelligence, after years of being considered a gifted slacker by parents and teachers, I am actually relieved to discover the many limitations of my learning abilities.  I was reading a bit by the time I started kindergarten and have always done well on verbal skills tests, but I am a terribly unfocused, undisciplined and unmotivated reader, which explains my (mostly poor) academic career.  I learn new tasks and routines rather slowly and do a terrible job of training a new co-worker, even though I have been at my job for 18 years and "should" find training easy.  Lately I have concluded that my verbal gifts have fooled people into thinking I can do anything...the truth is, I sound smarter than I am!   Think of all the things you can do easily and naturally, even if they do not seem like things that society values, and you will see that you are intelligent!  Remember, nobody can do everything well.

Whoa, there. I think you're reading implications into Callista's comment that she didn't intend.

You say you're good at writing and language-oriented things. If that's where you're naturally talented, then work on strengthening those things even more instead of feeling horrible about yourself because you can't do math or science or music as well as some other people.

(and for the record, I can't flip anything . People make fun of my pancakes. So, not everyone is even good at that!)

Doesn't that tell you something, Batman?

You don't have 'no skills' because you were not 'behind' academically. The only thing you lack is self esteem, not brains. (And I do not mean the 'Braaaains!' bit in a Zombie fashion!)

I do agree, I wasn't trying to suggest that it wasn't necessary to get assessed. Just wanted to point out that you're most likely nowhere near as bad at things as you keep telling yourself you are.

Thanks for that

I wish we'd had a video camera when I was little - we didn't even have a video player until I was about 12. I used to do a lot of folding and putting stuff away too, and I used to love going to my Dad's barber shop on Mondays to help him clean the place, although I preferred sorting and sniffing the colourful shampoo bottles he had there to other cleaning chores

I know that very well, my Mum sometimes tells me so much but when I ask outright she clams up and gets very defensive.

I really do not think there is any need for a rediagnosis AS LONG AS the AS label gets you any support you do actually require. It is really just a technicality and to be honest as long as you function like a person with high-functioning autism or AS then there is little point in going through the assessment again.

However I do understand the desire to do things right, and it does seem a bit odd that they would have diagnosed AS in someone with a speech delay but as I said in another thread on another forum, a lot of professionals don't distinguish between AS and HFA (which I would think is what your 'correct' diagnosis would be, high functioning autism).

I agree. I was always told I spoke very early but as it turns out I didn't start with even babbling-type one-syllable words like Dada (meaning "give me") until I was about 14 months old which is not out of the ordinary but a little towards the late side. I also didn't start walking until 16 months and didn't walk freely until 18-19 months.

Me too, I often put stuff on backwards or forgot to shut zips, and had stains that I didn't even realse.

Dyspraxia would certainly lead to this yes. That's partly why that particular clause about self-help skills in the AS diagnostic criteria is disputed. Hardly anyone with AS had NO problems in that idea, even if they did not have Dyspraxia.

I know this mostly from the context of Dyslexia but then there is no such thing as just Dyslexia (Dyslexia is usual a set of differences that make reading and spelling difficult but there is more to it than that and such problems as telling left from right and a certain level of Dyspraxia are also usual).

That's not what I meant. I meant that I don't understand/cant make out what someone says (either the words make no sense or I can't make out the words) and then a while later - without conscious analysis - my brain catches up. A processing delay not analysing/picking something apart consciously.

In everyday speech for example, unless it is very quiet and it is someone whose voice I know and the subject matter is familiar, I have a delay of maybe a few seconds. Usually my brain catches up with enough comprehension (the first few sentences) before I have to reply
but it happens very often that I ask someone to repeat themselves but by the time I have asked the question my brain has caught up and I start responding.

LOL yes... I remember going on Skiing holidays with my parents and being utterly confused because the guys who took the ski lifts off us kept talking in this strong accent, it was impossible to believe they were speaking the same language

We were taught this quite extensively in class, but yeah I hear you on the problem. No matter how careful I tried to be, I'd always mess it up somehow or make some fundamental mistake that nearly destroyed the book...

LOL yep I know that only too well. It can be pretty amusing though. My interpretation may not make sense but it's more fun that way

Does Poetry etc. work better for you? (Doesn't for me, if anything it's worse with something that's not sung as the music can be used as a cue - I can't sing in tune anyway mind you)

I said CAN not can't