Aspies For Freedom

What does live in their own world mean?

I think 'own world' refers to how much time we spend absorbed in our own thoughts and various specialist interests.

The answer is difficult: And don’t think it can necessarily be measured in percentage terms. How much time I spend in 'my own world' rather depends on the demands of the day--how much I can get away with. I do find it necessary to visit my internal world at least 3 times a day--to preserve my sanity. I try to do this only when it won’t affect other aspects of my life--although I must admit--its not something I can always control.

I wasn't verbally abused--at least as far as I can remember.

I think having one's own world is often a good way of escaping stress.  Own world could be thinking about a fantasy world or anything that doesn't have much to do with the here and now.

The daily environments at school is probably too streesful or doesn't interest her.

Just about every Autistic person I met online has been verbaly abused, by adults, peers, often both. I believe that for most people, self talk is actualy some kind of copeing strategy, and shouldn't be punished or stopped too soon in anyway. Not saying that you punish anyone here, though. Other times people might talk to themselves because they need to figure out certain problems by themselves, or they are lacking an outlet for some kinds of 'important' discussions.

   As for being in our own world, that depends what "in their own world" refers to from your point of view. Some people think it means that we aren't paying attention, other people think it's attention to obsession or whatever. If it's the attention type you're thinking of, then maybe part of her concience is trying to avoid something that isn't as pleasant as the distraction.

I always got the sense I dealt more with the real world than most non-autistic people do, given that the majority of what they perceive about the world is literally generated from inside their own heads and they're unable to stop it.  Which seems a lot more "locked in your own world" than daydreaming or something.

"In some respects we all live in our own world(s), but was wondering how many here (adult Aspies) live in their own world that often (50-60% at least) and still as adults have to make an effort to step out of it to either attend to chores, work duties, or to even reply to others."  It is not such an effort to do somethings because it is not a phobic to go out or talk to others.  We just choose to be alone.  

"...it it becomes a problem at school as she misses probably about 60% of what goes on (the instruction). To remedy that I have to either have her tutored (time consuming and sometimes expensive) or tutor her myself (exhausting sometimes!)"  

She could have some learning disabilities and some auditory processing problems.  If she is not a verbal learner, and many of us aspies are visual learners, she needs to learn another way.  

"I am also going to pay a tutor $35/45 minutes/session this summer so she can learn some study skills."  

If she can read and likes to do work on her own, just buy some workbooks and let her do her own thing.  You can check her work occasionally to correct it and go over it with her.

I live in my own world a lot but then to me that just means being inside my head, I don't flee into some fantasy world or anything.

I was never verbally or otherwise abused as a child.

That is a good observation, I think I have read an old post of yours about this before. Perhaps NTs more live in a self-generated "simulation" of the world, I guess?

Yes, I deal with verbal abuse sometimes (never directed at me because I have a label- I don't, I'm not diagnosed.  Instead it's directed at my "bad" qualities or at me in general).

If "my own world" means my fantasy worlds, I spend about 20-30% of my time there (it's gotten harder to retreat into fantasy this year, due to depression).  If it extends to include all deep thought and indulgence in special interests, that would be about 50-70% of my time, depending on the day and my mood.

Try telling that about schizophrenia to the curebies, Jewelie! AS far as they are concerned, ASD's have absolutely nothing in common with schizophrenia! Not true - as the above quote proves. Thank goodness for the DSM-IV otherwise mis-diagnoses would still be happening today!

Ellen, I congratulate you. You're doing pretty much what my parents did - without the AS diagnosis I would add (I only got that when I was 32). Without them school would have been much worse for me than it actually was. That didn't mean I avoided any nonsense - see this link for example;

http://philsworld.wiki-site.com/index.ph...e_Teacher_(1974)

Teasing and verbal abuse can be seen as the same thing by an Aspie. The worst of it for me though came in the work place, not at school. So be forewarned about the work environment - it can be bad.

And to clarify the importance of the fantasy world to an Aspie - when one is treated like crap, we are quick to withdraw into it. Especially when we are young. For me, I've been trying to link my fantasy world with the real world. My website is an example of this and always has been. A complete withdrawal is not a good idea and theoretically impossible anyway because to achieve it you do need "real world" assistance. 60% isn't a bad percentage. I'm not sure what mine is because of all the mixing I've been doing it may be difficult to say what's my fantasy world and what's the real world in some cases. Some are obvious, but others are not.

Because we inherently think differently and in many ways painfully honestly - to the chagrin of the NT's who consider lying a social neccessity (to which I certainly say BS!) - it makes us look at the world differently. In our own individual ways as well because we are all different because of our differing experiences.

And upbringing and school environment plays a big part in it. Caring parents will have bright kids. Crap artists like the curebies will in all likelihood end up creating monsters for kids.

Bother! The link won't work! Oh well - do your best, folks!

NT's lives are dominated (outside of work) by social commitments, Batman. Not the Internet. The ones that are on the Internet all the time are the ones who aren't working. They'll drop it for a social engagement just like that. We can't do that.

And I think you'll find most artists are closet Aspies.

They require autonomy to do their work and won't be distracted from it. That's an Aspie trait - and a major one at that.

They also won't socialise except when their work is presented to the public.

That enough for you, Simen?

I know alot of aspies at http://www.deviantart.com , art seem to be the other branch of ideal aspie professions beside programming.

We are scientists here Simen.

Scientists never get clear facts, they just try to learn.