The following is my perspective on having High Functioning Asperger’s.
1) Kindergarden—> I realized that I was different in Kindergarden. In terms of academics it was crazy simple, I already new my numbers and letters prior to attending kindergarden and could already read. In terms of social interaction, I did not really know how to socialize with the other little people.
I have always felt like an old soul, with a greater awareness about many things, and am highly intuitive. I have watched some of the presentations that Dr. Temple Grandin has presented and I am similar in many respects. I am a bit visual and a bit pattern matching. I am obsessed as I have been told by other with defining my reality, wondering about many things. In a way being aspergers is like being the robot Johnny 5 from the Short Circuit movies, need more input.
By the time I was a pre-teen, I ready every science fiction book in the sci-fi section of the library near where I live.
Trouble from being aspergers—
I was supposed to skip grades 3 times, and one teach who was supposed to approve it in 3rd and 5th grade did not get me at all, and was not a fan. Part of the problem, is that when I was in his class in 3rd grade we had assignment where the one of the questions asked whether a tomato is a fruit or vegetable, I was quite aware that a tomato was a fruit. He it seems was not, I got the answer wrong and due to my lack of ability to give up or back down at times, and my sense of right and wrong I argued with him and irritated him a great deal. Mr. Chapman was his name. He did not allow me to skip the 2 grades that I was supposed to skip.
I was supposed to skip 7th grade, but my teacher, Mr. Jensen, told my parents, that I had the personality of a door knob, I tend to disagree, and no social skills, despite that I was blowing it out of the water in terms of my educational proficiency. In the early 1980’s things were different, the teachers just did not understand.
In middle school I did well academically but did not have a clue socially.
Besides my lack of a clue how to make friends, I have never been good at sports either. I have been ok but never great.
I think that part of it is that I trouble really getting into it, as they say. It is adrenalin rush, I barely have it. I lack the passion, I play it, by the rote, but stand there bored until the ball gets into my area and then I would throw it back.
I just do not get the point of it all.
I also notice a greater sense of awareness of sounds, able to read a 400+ page book in 3 to 4 hours. The kicker is that I have to be interested in the subject matter, actually, the more interested that I am, the faster that I can read it.
I have found a greater awareness of things like, I will tell my wife that her car sounds funny, and she says no it does not and then a week later it turns out that I was correct.
I am also crazy intuitive at times, which science tries to play down: No one sees the future, no on is reincarnated, it is all black and white. Being aspergers, and brighter than a carbon arc light as my computer teacher in college told me, I see things differently.
My perception of sound, smells, and visual ability seems enhanced at times.
I am better than most at figuring things out. I always seem to know be able to figure things out, what frustrates me is due to my weakness in the social side of things people tend to ignore my ideas or will not to take charge and make a difference.
That is a reason why I started my own website and soon to be non-profit, I want to make a difference for people especially autistic people and their families, since it is my endeavor, I can do what I see fit to make things back. There is no one saying you can not do this or that, the sky is the limit.
I have at times felt like a visitor in my own life, watching, cataloging, and have always felt different, less interfaced.
I have visual processing issues, and can not do the 3d puzzles where you are supposed to see the object hidden in the relate matrix of imagery. That really irritates and frustrates me.
I am also bad at depth perception especially when other people are near me. I hate parking my wife’s car and have some trouble perceiving how close the other cars are.
One of my sons is more on the autistic spectrum, I have noticed that he is entirely focused on what applies to him, and lacks certain compassion and concern. A few years ago, we were moving out of a house that we were renting, and while carrying a table, I dropped a large piece glass from a wooden table and it went through my toe and it was bleeding profusely, my more lower functioning autistic son came up to me and his one and only question was, dad I am hungry, when are we going to eat.
To be continued in a later article.
if you have questions email me, [email protected]
