[Personal] Autism Awareness: We're just like everyone else.

unfortunately, for many people, their sole source of knowledge about autism is that it's caused by vaccines

View attached image.

inb4 someone calls out leafy for "bullying" an autist dude.

hi, i'm a support worker and have been working with people on the autistic spectrum for about 10 years now, my sisters son is also on the spectrum. its late now and i have work in the morning so i wont try to answer any of the questions just now but i will come back to this thread when i get some time.

1. I do, but You wouldn't notice if I wouldn't tell ya, and I know many people that have it too, some with advanced level, and some like me. I've met most of them during therapies (many years passed since my last therapy, don't really needed them from, lets say - 2 years?) And there are only few bad traits that I have, like I'm afraid of changes, and have difficulties doing something for the first time. I'm good at socializing tho :P Sometimes there are only language barriers..
2. College, it is currently the hardest point because I have to finally decide what do I want to do, still didn't really discovered that. I'm not afraid of work
3. I think it somewhat does, but can't really tell more.
4. Most of people have pity on someone with autism, which is definitely not needed.
5. I'll skip this one, because I don't really know :P
   Well, Happy Easter :P!

Bump, because this is an important topic.

1) Nope. I know of an autistic person though. He's in a wheelchair and unable to talk (but he can make sounds). Hypoxia during birth caused it. :/
2) Finishing my master's degree. Very soon, I hope. I don't think I had "difficult" obstacles. When I compare my life to other people, I think that life treated me fair. No, don't think that I had an easy life. But I always understand that my life could be harder. And I'm unable to become sad. So, my constant happiness and the "fair" obstacles I had in my life, make me think that I'm actually getting more than I deserve. o.O
3) It depends on how the parent will explain these words to their kid. But the parent must always teach the kid to be optimistic and a fighter. There are a lot of autistic people with great minds. :) They can do whatever they want when they "fight" for it.
4) They always think that autistic people can't walk, talk, and do anything. And that's wrong. Not all autistic people are like that. There are a lot of autistic people with great minds. They say that even Einstein may had autism. Most autistic people have a problem with social interaction.
5) It can happen to everyone's kid. They could make some more schools especially for these wonderful people. They should learn to be optimistic and fighters. They should learn that they can do whatever they want - and reward them when they do it. Autistic people can understand everything, it's just that they usually have a hard time trying to interact. :( They could even teach kids in schools about these things and how they should treat people with disorders.

Happy Easter.

I dont know much about autism. But what i know and think is that the name autism is put real quick on people. For example, If the kid is a bit shy outside his house they assume he has autism, with ''they'' i mean the parents and de doctors.. he has a bit difficulty with reading? BAM he has autism and cant do nothing about it. Instead of giving extra lessons and help. (after those extra things and testing from the doctors after years and no change or very little than you should call someone that they have autism. they should be careful with it and not name everyone who is a bit different that he/she has autism)

btw with the people i didnt saw anything ''different'' than the others.. only more shy with people around.

Again, thats what i see here with people around myself. I dont have autism nor someone close who has it, just people around me who are like calling every different people autistic. i have seen some documantary about a guy with autism. And honestly with him you clearly could see he has it. So idk if you always clearly see it and if i am totally wrong above with what i thought. just my little thoughts about it. looked like Autism is very challenge to live with also as the parents, not only the autistic person him/herself, the documantary was pretty interesting.

My dad's cousin is autistic but since I live in Canada and she lives in South Korea I don't see her very often. I haven't gotten to know that many autistic people other than her but I've certainly seen them around back in high school. I don't know about the whole disability vs challenges thing but I don't think the word itself matters but rather how the parents (and people around them) treat them.
I just wish people would stop using "autistic" as an insult. It's just ignorant and rude to do so and people who do use it as an insult need to be better educated on manners.

I'm high functioning autistic. I love you all <3 thank you

If anyone has questions about autistic people and how we think ask away. We think differently than an average humen. Aha. It's weird .

I still dont get it what's the huge deal with autism... From what I've seen and people I know with it, they are bloody normal people with different habbits and way of thinking/life? Like hell even I got few symptoms of it, but that doesnt make me a weirdo now does it?
People should really get over themselfs and stop crying, about autism? Like seriously that wasnt even a thing 1 year ago... Where did this whole fetish with calling out autism come from? There was litterally not even 1 person in the whole net using that word AT ALL a year ago... And now... Every second flame or youtube war or everything is either autism or fat shaming... bah... bah... bah.... bah... bah... BAH... >____> I'm REALLY offended by the internet for not auto deleting such fetishes of words and conditions...

I assume I don't have it, since I've had quite a history with mental health specialists over half of my life, and they haven't diagnosed me with it. My childhood emotional/social neglect has left its marks though, so I'm probably around "upper side of normal" in autism scores. I know people who have it though (not in real life, but talked to many of them online). They're pretty cool. Maybe they do something sometimes that most "normal" people would consider "weird", but I don't really mind, not like everyone has to interact similarly anyway.

On a more local level, what do you think others should do to help people with autism feel more at ease with themselves and others?

Don't pay attention to this thing, just treat them normally, it's literally that simple.

Here's a little list of female Asperger's traits that I enjoyed reading. Because I have most of them. -_-

View attached image.

1. I've got some of the signs, but was never formally diagnosed. Mostly I have trouble making and maintaining social contacts, and I tend to over-focus on specific tasks, neglecting others. I know someone who is on the spectrum - his main problem is that his emotions run off the scale when he has to do something he thinks he's not good at. Point to be taken: It's a spectrum of related issues, and as such different people will show different symptoms.

2. I'm working full time. Managed to find a job where extreme focus can be a benefit as well as an inssue (higher-level techincal support, which calls for in-depth investigations on a regular basis)

3. Technically it's a disability or limitation. The type of spin you put onto it should be adjusted to who you're talking to, but in general the idea is to make clear where the limitations are, and from there make clear how to avoid or work around those and focus on what you can do well.

4. Common stereotypes I know of:
   a) Autistic people are a-social shut-ins. (True for some of them, but not nearly all of them)
   b) Autistic people are good at science. This has some base in reality as Autism has ties to Savantism, but not all autists are savants, and savantism also can manifest in different ways.
   c) Autistic people aren't mentally grown up. No idea where that comes from (maybe the movie Rain Man, where the character Raymond is an extreme case ?), but quirks aside, most autists will act their age.

5. I think the main point to do is to make people understand that in most cases autism is a lot more manageable than the stereotypes suggest, but that an autistic person does usually come with his/her own (short) list of do's and don'ts.Autistic people themselves meanwhile should be aided in finding out that list and communicating it with he people around them.

I'm just one of those stuck with my parents kind of people. I volunteer at the humane animal shelter and well, I can't drive and I'm under medicare so I can't work unless I lose that disability claim. Of course, I'm kind of a high function autism kind of person. Sadly, I learned that I had this only a couple of years ago when Autism was starting to be more vocal and more known. I mean I function as normally as I could, but my mom just doesn't know how to deal with a person like me, even after all the years she and dad took care of me. Also I'm a bit slow. I'm not even allowed to talk to myself (just so I want to try to sing because she thinks talking to oneself is bad).

1. I have Aspergers and PTSD (obviously unrelated); you won't really tell I'm in the autism spectrum until I'm put in a social situation, especially with people I'm not familiar with-- I tend to be too blunt and honest and say the most awkward things, but I just can't seem to help it.

2. I'm currently unemployed (although that's PTSD related, nothing to do with Aspergers), but I'm trying write a book (I've an academic background in screenwriting and creative writing).

3. I was only diagnosed as an adult, which made my growing up a bit of a living hell sometimes, because I went through it completely on my own. Thankfully I also had a few good friends that accepted me as I was. In regards to what sort of vocabulary I would personally use, I'm honestly not sure-- a lot of my personal growing up was both filled with challenges (stuff I was able to overcome and get better at) and disabilities (things that to this day I still can't do as a "normal" person would).

4. While I'm very good at solving puzzles and recognising patterns, I tend to notice that a lot of people expect me to be able to count cards or immediately be able to do complicated maths from the top of my head (I blame Rainman for that ^^).

5. I honestly don't know, but I think the internet could be the right medium for spreading the word and raising awareness, maybe even create support groups online that would be open to everyone, so that people with autism and "normal" people could interact with each other and perhaps realise they're not all that different after all.

I personally had no experience with autistic people. Here is an awesome video though that almost made me cry recently! Its about an autistic film maker meeting THE Doctor!

1. Maybe I fill in the spectrum read a lot about it the last year, not diagnosed because at this moment I can't afford or enter into social aid (health system sucks here and light years more for mental health). Main problem is knowing if people tell you something joking or serious, in other hand you always learn.

2. I'm a species of middle hikikomori now. and hate it

3. Of course it affects, sometimes people tell the words filling with synonyms, but not always are the best, because language is immense, and not always words means what the dictionary says, is how people use the words (diction, connotation, etc).

4. All are Rayman or Sheldon.

5. Mankind

I wrote this in 2 hours

I'm afraid I don't have any strong opinions regarding this matter because I don't have anyone close to me with autism but I do get your point. For now, let me bump you with a giveaway so that discussion will live on :)

 [Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller](http://www.sgtools.info/giveaways/4a4fdc9d-f4bc-11e5-8d20-04019cc0dc01) by JustinSane059 | 2

1. i have autism
2. Highschool
3. My parents know in what i am worse or better than other people and they accept that
4. I never told somoene in my class, because most off them think that people who have autism are retarded
5. They shouldnt present people with autism like sheldon or some retarded idiot, but more like normal people.

Bump. Thank you.)

1. My brother, who is 2 years younger than me. Ugh, many. From finding a kindergarten which would have him, then finding a school, etc etc.
My brother was born like this. Mom's pregnancy was artificially lengthened for a family reason, but my bro was too mature, doctors theorize he might have hypoxia in the womb, and that might caused his disabilities, although nobody is sure. Mom was a teacher, she accepted that my bro will learn things a bit later, and didn't make a fuss about it. My dad is OK with it too; our family unfortunately not, but they were wise not to talk about it in my mom's presence. With those who did, she cut ties. She passed away when he was 5 though, afterwards we lost most of our family friends, because they weren't able to process our situation, and they were mom's friends primarily.

2. He is working full time as kitchen helper (I think it's the word) at a school cafeteria; even though he managed to finish his education as a chef, there are no places here, which would let him cook.
He was participating in swimming competitions in the past, now he is successful in in-door rowing.
He progressed a lot, he is able to live on his own, the only things he need help with are mostly with organizing things, like doctors appointments, and paying the bills. He is quite confident, except in official situations, when he is usually shy.

3. Yeah I do think so. He didn't speak a word until he was 7, so this topic surfaced first when he was around 10. My dad and I always told my brother that we love him. He came to me a few years later to tell in his words, that he feels he is different somehow (he has moderate intellectual disabilities, as they categorized him); pretty much broke my heart. I told him, that he might be a bit different, but everyone have people, who don't like him/her, he should make friends and only care about those people's opinion, not about those, who are bothering him. He processed that for a few weeks, asked a few questions, but then were content with my reasoning.
He do have a few friends, mostly related to his sport activities. He is confident and pretty much don't give a crap about haters.

4. While growing up with my brother, I wasn't able to have friends during my elementary school years, because parents wouldn't let their kid over to us, because some of them was afraid my brother would hit them... (At this point, btw, he was totally afraid of strangers; would hide behind the curtain, and wouldn't come out, until they left. Yeah, sure, raging monster... eye roll)
One of our aunts wouldn't let my brother come over because he (6-7 yo, as brave as I said a row earlier) would rape her precious daughter (17 yo). Likely scenario. I heard that in my school as well.
Through the years what I experienced was that people presume before meeting him, that he will be aggressive, he will hit them, or if said person is a she, then he will definitely rape her...

5. They should understand that people with autism are people as well.
Some organization in my country makes school activities, where they bring some kids with intellectual disabilities to classes, where they are able to interact with "normal kids". They do this for a few weeks, once per weeks. feedback are generally good about their programs, kids make friends during these activities. Also, the "normal kids" will be alright to meet people with disabilities in future scenarios, and interact with them on their own. Don't know if this would work with adults as well, but it might.
Some older people assume he acts like Dustin Hoffman from Rain Man, but he isn't. He does have some superior memorizing abilities, but only in topics he is interested. It takes him ages to memorize something he is not interested in. He is also more social than Hoffmann's character.

(Sorry for the awkward English, it's not my first language... )

1. I have never been diagnosed, but I have some symptoms. My eldest brother and ex-girlfriend both were diagnosed with Asperger's. My brother has always been different (he once pretended to be a Stegosaurus grazing while waiting alone). He got beaten up at school and he had trouble empathizing with people. Both of us have had trouble with motor skills and socializing. I've had a frail body for most of my life and my parents put me into a special kindergarten which has helped a lot, so I was better prepared for the horrors of life...

2. Currently I'm in the final grade of high school, but probably not finishing this year...

3. I think the choice of vocabulary does make a big difference, since children don't usually research things and they might understand things differently, resulting in misconceptions.

4. I think the most erroneous perception is that autistic people are "different", autists are human beings who just happen to be different in some ways, it's not necessarily a bad thing.. I've seen a lot of autistic traits in "regular" people and I don't think reinforcing the mentality that people diagnosed with autism are "different" is really a good thing.

5. Since I have no good answer to the first question, I shall answer the second one. I think people should be decent human beings (which will probably never happen) and not treat others differently based on their traits (whether it be skin colour, autism or gender).

Sorry if I'm not making sense, I accidentally poisoned myself earlier today, resulting in dizziness and other symptoms...

Bumpy :3