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High-functioning autism -- I'm confused


Sheltie

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Some say autism is the next step in human evolution. We shed our social load and replace it with skill and logic.

But that's of course just a theory.

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On 12/7/2018 at 3:07 PM, Sheltie said:

To us they may appear to be arrogant and abrasive.

Nah we're definitely arrogant, contemptuous, infallible, judgemental jerks. Sorry.

Edited by Kid_Marx
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On 12/8/2018 at 2:25 PM, sci-nerd said:

Some say autism is the next step in human evolution. We shed our social load and replace it with skill and logic.

But that's of course just a theory.

To say that autism is the next step in human evolution carries with it a strong implication that those without the condition (approximately 98% of the world's population) are inferior and worthy of being replaced.  Can you not understand how offensive this comment is?    

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5 minutes ago, Sheltie said:

To say that autism is the next step in human evolution carries with it a strong implication that those without the condition (approximately 98% of the world's population) are inferior and worthy of being replaced.  Can you not understand how offensive this comment is?    

Yes, but evolution is a cold bit*h. For evolution, extinction is just getting rid of garbage DNA. "No good, die please."

Evolution does not give a sh!t how we feel.

To be clear: This is not my personal opinion.

Edited by sci-nerd
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What's up yo. I am what you would call a high functioning autistic lol

I was diagnosed with aspergers when I was little. I was also in the special education classes for some time growing up.

I can affirm that not being able to read emotions was a huge part of it, along with other little things.

I'm 24 now and can honestly say that anyone who knows me would be surprised if I told them. I have learned a lot over the years and can read emotions like the rest, I think lol

Edit: to add that it's true, as a teenager and growing up I said some really mean things to people and i would get really confused when they were mad or hurt by it. Looking back I completely understand why they got hurt.

Edited by spartan max2
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On 12/7/2018 at 4:07 PM, Sheltie said:

In recent years I've had a number of people tell me they've been diagnosed with high-functioning autism.  I did a search on this forum but I couldn't find a thread that specifically talks about autism so I thought I would start one. 

First of all from my online research, it is apparently no longer appropriate to refer to it as Asperger's Syndrome. 

Judging by the support group forums, one of the biggest frustrations for people with HFA is that they often have difficulty reading emotions.  "Neurotypicals", like myself, who do not have autism are often put off by their brashness and bluntness and their lack of "social filters".  To us they may appear to be arrogant and abrasive.  Many autistics claim they are being mistreated and misjudged and, what's more, they're damn angry about it. 

I grew up with a narcissistic father and as someone who has spent a lifetime being accused of being overly sensitive, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around this.  From my perspective there is now a group of insensitive people accusing sensitive people of being insensitive to them when they're being insensitive.  I'm not sure how to respond to this.       

Many times autistic people are misjudged and misunderstood.

However, austistics are still all unique individuals, which means some of us are mean people. Some of us are nice people. Just like with the rest of the population.

If you are dealing with someone who is autistic you have to tell them what they are doing is hurting your feelings. Explain as in depth and logically as possible why it's hurting your feeling and tell him that it's okay if he doesn't understand but that he can not say "insert comment here" again.

 

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@RabidMongoose I don't think the lacking a theory of mind applies for high functioning autism. Maybe for the lower functioning form of autism but even then idk if it's accurate to say.

Edited by spartan max2
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3 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

@RabidMongoose I don't think the lacking a theory of mind applies for high functioning autism. Maybe for the lower functioning form of autism but even then idk if it's accurate to say.

It does but you are forgetting autism is a spectrum.

Some are severally autistic, some only mildly. It is also possible to teach them scripted approaches for interacting with people.

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6 minutes ago, RabidMongoose said:

It does but you are forgetting autism is a spectrum.

Some are severally autistic, some only mildly. It is also possible to teach them scripted approaches for interacting with people.

"Can not comprehend that people have their own thoughts". If that is true then after a certain point on the spectrum it is no longer true. As I said, it does not apply to high functioning autism. That may be something that explains lower functioning autism.

High functioning autistic are aware others have thoughts, and can even think about what thoughts they might be having.

I grew up with autism and have a few friends also on the spectrum, from growing up together. And lacking theory of mind for high functioning autism is simply not the case.

 

Edited by spartan max2
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8 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

"Can not comprehend that people have their own thoughts". If that is true then after a certain point on the spectrum it is no longer true. As I said, it does not apply to high functioning autism. That may be something that explains lower functioning autism.

High functioning autistic are aware others have thoughts, and can even think about what thoughts they might be having.

I grew up with autism and have a few friends also on the spectrum, from growing up together. And lacking theory of mind for high functioning autism is simply not the case.

 

Stuff about theory of mind https://theautismblog.seattlechildrens.org/autism-theory-mind/

If you are trying to make your brother fit into high functioning autism while saying he has a theory of mind then there is another possibility. That he isn't autistic. That his rudeness is to cope with an underlying emotional dysregulation.

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4 minutes ago, RabidMongoose said:

Stuff about theory of mind https://theautismblog.seattlechildrens.org/autism-theory-mind/

If you are trying to make your brother fit into high functioning autism while saying he has a theory of mind then there is another possibility. That he isn't autistic. That his rudeness is to cope with an underlying emotional dysregulation.

I think you're confusing me with the OP? Lol

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On 2018-12-07 at 10:07 PM, Sheltie said:

In recent years I've had a number of people tell me they've been diagnosed with high-functioning autism.  I did a search on this forum but I couldn't find a thread that specifically talks about autism so I thought I would start one. 

First of all from my online research, it is apparently no longer appropriate to refer to it as Asperger's Syndrome. 

Judging by the support group forums, one of the biggest frustrations for people with HFA is that they often have difficulty reading emotions.  "Neurotypicals", like myself, who do not have autism are often put off by their brashness and bluntness and their lack of "social filters".  To us they may appear to be arrogant and abrasive.  Many autistics claim they are being mistreated and misjudged and, what's more, they're damn angry about it. 

I grew up with a narcissistic father and as someone who has spent a lifetime being accused of being overly sensitive, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around this.  From my perspective there is now a group of insensitive people accusing sensitive people of being insensitive to them when they're being insensitive.  I'm not sure how to respond to this.       

First you need to be diagnosed with autism in order to have it. to put a diagnose on someone is not that easy as we think there is so many things that have to fit within the diagnose this why we have specialists. When i was reading psycology i though i had  it all mate or at least the symptoms :-). apparently Asbergers doesn't exist today so if you really want to find out if you got autism which i highly doubt see a doctor. And remember that you can put a diagnose on anyone cause we're humans....

Edited by Avalanche
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Also @RabidMongoose

Here is a quick study supporting what I'm saying. I do not stay up to date with the research, I have only lived it haha

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23072222/

The study shows the once high functioning autistic reach school age that the whole theory of mind lacking no longer seems to apply.

Edited by spartan max2
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12 hours ago, spartan max2 said:

Also @RabidMongoose

Here is a quick study supporting what I'm saying. I do not stay up to date with the research, I have only lived it haha

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23072222/

The study shows the once high functioning autistic reach school age that the whole theory of mind lacking no longer seems to apply.

When I read it I picked up it saying a problem with a theory of mind is less clear in older high-functioning autistics. I didnt notice it saying it no longer applied.

I suspect the high-functioning ones are able to ascertain the differences that exist between them and others, work on those differences, and then dampen them down. I do wonder if one day autism will be seen as another type of identity disorder. With narcissists its them that lack the identity. Maybe with autistics its a problem with realising other people have their own identities.

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I'm not sure I believe that autism is such a tangible thing that we need to be discussing it (but I'm happy to be proved wrong).

I can believe that it's a measurable-tho-subtle neurological condition, but at the same time... 'High functioning' implies that sufferers are quite able to go through life with their heads down. So why do we need to be talking about it? Regarding the inability to read emotions: I don't believe that emotions are so conceptually abstract as to cause autistic people any real problems in life. It's no different to being a driver and being able to read what other people on the road are planning to do: they have indicators, they slow down or accelerate: you don't need to be alongside the other guy in his driving seat to know what's going on.

That Gary McKinnon that did the hacking -- so he doesn't understand emotions? Then why is he either smirking or looking guilty in _every single photo?_ 

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44 minutes ago, Carlos Allende said:

I'm not sure I believe that autism is such a tangible thing that we need to be discussing it (but I'm happy to be proved wrong).

I can believe that it's a measurable-tho-subtle neurological condition, but at the same time... 'High functioning' implies that sufferers are quite able to go through life with their heads down. So why do we need to be talking about it? Regarding the inability to read emotions: I don't believe that emotions are so conceptually abstract as to cause autistic people any real problems in life. It's no different to being a driver and being able to read what other people on the road are planning to do: they have indicators, they slow down or accelerate: you don't need to be alongside the other guy in his driving seat to know what's going on.

That Gary McKinnon that did the hacking -- so he doesn't understand emotions? Then why is he either smirking or looking guilty in _every single photo?_ 

You misunderstand what it is.

They have their own emotions. It isn't an inability to read other peoples emotions, they are completely incognito that other people have emotions. They have no concept of it.

Edited by RabidMongoose
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5 hours ago, RabidMongoose said:

They have their own emotions. It isn't an inability to read other peoples emotions, they are completely incognito that other people have emotions. They have no concept of it.

Your thinking of a sociopath. 

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13 hours ago, RabidMongoose said:

I suspect the high-functioning ones are able to ascertain the differences that exist between them and others, work on those differences, and then dampen them down.

Some of us can. I still hesitate in face to face conversations. The one thing I can't change. 

Edited by Piney
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On 12/8/2018 at 2:25 PM, sci-nerd said:

Some say autism is the next step in human evolution. We shed our social load and replace it with skill and logic.

 

That's the 'blue children" garbage. Autism is a symptom of various other problems.

and from what I read. I say you are text book Aspergers. 

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9 hours ago, RabidMongoose said:

They have their own emotions. It isn't an inability to read other peoples emotions, they are completely incognito that other people have emotions. They have no concept of it.

It's a lack of empathy & understanding why people are upset, overjoyed or delighted. We understand emotions just fine but lack sentimentality & have different emotional triggers than most people.

It's not that autistic people are emotionless, uncaring & totally apathetic we just have a hard time expressing ourselves & empathizing with people.

Autistic people can be very sympathetic & compassionate toward people despite not understanding why their upset.

Edited by Kid_Marx
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10 hours ago, Piney said:

Your thinking of a sociopath. 

It isn't, there are links to autism further up if you are interested in finding out more.

Sociopaths and psychopaths lack emotions but autistics have them. Sociopaths and psychopaths know normal people have emotions and spend their time learning how to pretend that they have them too. Autistics have no concept of other peoples emotions being different to their own at any particular point in time. With narcissists they both have emotions and understand the emotions that other people are having. However the narcissists lack an identity causing them significant distress which results in them only being focused on themselves. 

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2 hours ago, RabidMongoose said:

Sociopaths and psychopaths lack emotions but autistics have them. Sociopaths and psychopaths know normal people have emotions and spend their time learning how to pretend that they have them too. Autistics have no concept of other peoples emotions being different to their own at any particular point in time. With narcissists they both have emotions and understand the emotions that other people are having. However the narcissists lack an identity causing them significant distress which results in them only being focused on themselves. 

But there are exceptions. I'm always accused of caring too much about peoples feelings and problems both physical and mental. I get too emotional so I never became a healer like my grandfather, uncle and brother. 

 But as a high dollar bodyguard I had a lot of dicks. When performing my job I thought about their families and how they would feel if I let said dick get hurt or killed. 

@Jenn8779 can tell you all about my younger years of caring about others first. I was the only weekend night shift EMT for Woodland Township in the Pine Barrens when I was a teen. I also sided busting heads of bullies and people that got 'heavy handed" with girls. 

Both my son's were and are the same way. Overly sensitive to others.

.....As a afterthought I wonder if it has to do with both my grandparents being healers and my Uncle being a Temple Priest though.....

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14 hours ago, Piney said:

from what I read. I say you are text book Aspergers

Perhaps. But I have other traits that says otherwise:

- I am very good at reading people.
- I feel sym/empathy, and can sense peoples silent reactions.
- I am extremely good at language. Ridiculously good.
- I had excellent athletic skills, when I was young (not so much now).
- I am more a rule breaker, than a rule slave.

Edited by sci-nerd
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40 minutes ago, sci-nerd said:

Perhaps. But I have other traits that says otherwise:

I am too in all those things.

But I still have autism from a chromosome disorder. Like I said it's a symptom of something else and not everybody has the same traits from it. 

 

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2 minutes ago, Piney said:

I am too in all those things.

But I still have autism from a chromosome disorder. Like I said it's a symptom of something else and not everybody has the same traits from it. 

"Normal" is so overrated! :D

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