Hello,
I am so thankful that this site is on the internet. It's great to find a community that I can relate to, and discuss my thoughts and ideas with. I have noticed throughout my life that I have had problems speaking and relating to others. The real hard part for me is that no one in my family talks about it. When I finally get the courage to talk about it, they stare at me with cold 'lets not get into this, I just think you get nervous' eyes.
I have now educated myself a little about asperger's and autism. I am pretty sure that I have asperger's, although I am not totally sure. I have very bad fine motor skills, yet I have driven a car without any accidents or tickets for the past 3 years. Yet when I go to the doctor she says, "it would be more appropriate next time if you bring your mother along". This offends me very much. I'm 19 I can pay for the visit, I can drive to the office, and can for the most part get my point across. So I am yet unsure where I am on the spectrum.
Hello shyguy, and welcome! I know what you mean about the cold, disbelieving eyes, I have gotten that reaction too, just from discussing my ADD! Unfortunately many people dismiss what they don't understand. I am annoyed with your doctor too...I don't see why you should have to bring your mother to your appointment. Anyway, I hope we can all be of help to you as you learn more about the autistic spectrum. 
There is good reason for asking for a parent, because they can tell the doctor things about your development that you do not remember objectively yourself. However, a heck of a lot of parents aren't all that objective either - some know something is "off" but really don't want to know and are in denial for years, others genuinely don't see anything different in a child simply because they (or their own siblings) are on the spectrum as well.
Know that feeling all to well. It was a magnetizing post you did on the ongoing story...
Welcome shyguy!
I would like to call parents who don't want to think "senile", but then I might offend someone who actually is senile.
Hmm... I have read in this science magazine some time ago that high brain activity can prevent senility, so that would mean that autistics are less likely to become senile, or?
Hmm... I have read in this science magazine some time ago that high brain activity can prevent senility, so that would mean that autistics are less likely to become senile, or?
This is something I've been wondering about sort of. I have no doubt that I think a lot more than most of the other people around here (and I'm certain most other autistics do as well)... But whenever I get a magazine with an article on autism, they always show a picture of a neurotypical brain next to an autistic brain, and the neurotypical brain always seems to show more activity (more areas are "lit up"). What's up with that? Are they implying that we are all retarded? Are they using only low-functioning autistics? Why don't we compare the brain of an Aspie and one from an airhead supermodel and see who lights up more...
I am quite certain that auties use alot more energy on thinking more than others, that's how some auties adopt to math well. Just maybe not in certain situations and parts of the brain. I've heard that the hippotalamus brain centre is the one that is used for calculations, not sure, as it is also used when observing porn or similar.
My mother always new something was "diff" about me, when I was about 3 she was watching "Opera" <dont know if thats spelt right & they had a story about young children with Tourettes & she was like OMG that is so my son, but I was sick all the time & when I was 7 we found out I had insulin dependent diabeties which she had susspected for sometime, cos the only way to make me feel better was to eat something.. Anyway later I was seeing a specialist for my Diabeties/Tourettes & she brought up autism, & when she said it he looked at me & was like "Why didnt *I* notice this, now that I think about it its so obvious he has some form of it" so we went up to the city (back then u had to be diognosed by a specialist) & I dont really know what happened. I was in a room clearly aimed at 5 year olds, I was sitting there for a good 10 mins while some lady talked to my parents. By the time she came in I had gotten board so I was playing with the building blocks & the tiny chair I was sitting on had become quite uncomfortable.. I was pissed as hell for being there. It was a new setting in an unfimilair situation.. The lady talked to me for no more then 5 mins & left the room & was like "Ya he definetly has Aspergers".......
So in the end it was my mum who figured out i had AS. the doctor hadnt put it together. Though I hated him. When i was younger I had a sevear dislike for people with facial hair, dont really know why. When i had to see a diff doctor then usual my mother would have to make sure they didnt have facial hair cos if they did Id clam up & be really rude. Plus my specialist always had this huge grin on his face, I thought he was an idiot, nobody could be *that* happy all the time. So i didnt like him. Once he tried to touch my arm (cant remember why) & i snapped & him & told him to fuck off. My mother was furious with me afterwoods. I was only bout 10 at the time.