Asperger Syndrome, and other neuropsychological disorders...

[Broken Viking]

Hail all!
As there's been a lot of talk about Asperger's and similar conditions around here in other threads, and noting that several RailUKers (Myself included) have such conditions, I thought I'd open a new thread for properly filed discussion of the same.

Well, this is something else though. I don't believe someone should be eligible for concessions just because they have a 'condition' with a funny name going on with them.

True, true...I think I can spot what ye are saying there. The tricky thing with debating something like this though is that every case is different, and really needs to be determined on it's own merits - There's no form of "blanket" consideration that could be applied to each and every individual with Condition X, that wouldn't treat at least some of them in a way that is completely unfair and unjust.

In my own case, only some of the things are particularly clear-cut and obvious:

• Local transport:
  No assistance needed. I'm lucky enough to have good navigational skills and the ability to walk 10-15 miles at a brisk pace without problems (Indeed, I have a range in theory of 60 miles/day!) and am - In all probability - One of the last people who needs a bus pass. Indeed, I am now starting to wonder why on Earth I took the concessionary pass in the first place...Because even before I knew of the pass scheme, I was well aware of my walking capabilities! hock::roll:
  .
• Employment:
  Body fully capable of work (And I know that) but have some major issues "upstairs" that need to be resolved. Despite my repeated attempts to obtain and keep some form of suitable full-time employment, I've never been able to maintain it - Thanks mainly to my social ineptitude making it impossible for me to get along with others in the workplace, which could be a safety risk in a workshop/industrial environment. In fact; The last position that I held at an I.T. company (Being done as an unpaid work-trial) came off so badly, that my employment was terminated after only a week! :cry:
  
  The additional headache for me is that - Despite the presence of the DDA - Many employers seem to be rejecting me as soon as they spot the word "Asperger's" written on my application form. Although one of my best friends has repeatedly advised me to not mention "the A-Word" on applications, I'm very much inclined against that idea simply because it would put me on the wrong side of employment law with regards to making an "Application for employment that is complete and truthful to the best of my knowlege".
  
  Consequently, not a single application that I have made for any kind of employment over the last four years has come about as hoped. South West Trains gave me an interview and an aptitude test once (I didn't get the position despite being seemingly more than well suited towards it, and I suspect that it was because SWT might've been being forced by E.U. bull**** to fill their "Ethnic employee quota" for the month. :roll::mad: ) and that is about as close to employment that I have been able to get since 2006CE!
  .
• Other issues:
  I'm not going to go into detail on some of the other issues that I have as a result of my disability, except to say that some of them can be quite unpleasant at times - Making employment a real bugbear for myself, and those whom I'd be working around.

To be honest, I wish that we were still in the days where a man could walk into the Jobcentre unemployed, and come out five minutes later with a job starting the very next morning. At least then - Though it might take a bit of "hopping" for me to find something that I can do adequetely - I could declare my AS in every position that I applied for, and because my position would have been allocated by the DhSS and not the employer, the boss would simply have to like it or lump it! 8)

I have Aspergers and I may very well be eligible to apply for concession fares, be able to ride around the country for nothing, yet adding to fob-offery of the 'system' in this country. Personally I believe concession fares should be reserved for the elderly who've earned it and not just folk who want to use and abuse the system to get out of paying for things. I'm sorry if that sounds mean its just what I believe.

Actually, I'm in quite a degree of agreement with ye there Justin...And to be honest, I'm now feeling rather ashamed that I actually took a concessionary pass in the first place. :roll:

Yesterday I paid the full £4.50 fare for my combined bus/tram ticket into Nottingham, and I didn't mind doing so as it was good value for quick and comfortable travel. Had I needed to get into Nottingham and wouldn't/couldn't pay the fare, Id've been perfectly capable of walking...And Id've enjoyed it, too!

I work a full time job and have enough money to ride around on a bus with my own hard earned cash - not too difficult is it?

If ye don't mind me asking; What job is it that ye do, and is thy employer fully aware of and accommodating of thy disability?

Are you sure thats not just psychological, though? If I went around every day thinking 'I have Aspergers, Im a misfit, Im abnormal' I am sure I would be unable to work because I'd be so dead set on believing Im a headcase.

I don't think in that way on a routine basis...My thoughts normally only take that route if I'm feeling particularly unappreciated, worthless, or otherwise depressed. Having said that though, the thick file of polite job application refusals sat in my filing cabinet does make me wonder if society would actually be better off with me not in existance... hock: :? :roll:

Farewell...
>> Death <<

 

[generalvegitable]

Asperger's is a bit of an annoyance, I think that I am fortunate in that I have learned to hide it over the years, few people who I know can actually tell that I have it, on public transport I have always found it easy to get around, and I have always rejected any offers by my school for disability support because it automatically puts me in the category of "retard" and almost shows that I can't be bothered because the support staff do most of the work for you. For employment so far as I am under 16 I don't have a job so I can't comment there. and for other issues I don't think that it affects me much, except for ***** handwriting and poor self confidence which is annoying. but overall I think that it can be a bit of an annoyance but it can let me get away with more than most others can

 

[JustinStacey.x]

Death, I love you. Your posts absolutely rock. Im going to read this properly later.

 

[37401]

Asperger's is a bit of an annoyance, I think that I am fortunate in that I have learned to hide it over the years, few people who I know can actually tell that I have it, on public transport I have always found it easy to get around, and I have always rejected any offers by my school for disability support because it automatically puts me in the category of "retard" and almost shows that I can't be bothered because the support staff do most of the work for you. For employment so far as I am under 16 I don't have a job so I can't comment there. and for other issues I don't think that it affects me much, except for ***** handwriting and poor self confidence which is annoying. but overall I think that it can be a bit of an annoyance but it can let me get away with more than most others can

I never noticed ,dont worry my handwriting is crap too and im not all that confident your not alone

 

[generalvegitable]

I never noticed

my point exactly

 

[Oracle]

My son is 12 and is on the Autistic Spectrum (Autistic Spectrum Disorder or ASD). He has now been diagnosed as having Asperger's Syndrome (as well). He has an incredible brain, with phenomenal memory capabilities, can speak words in 26 languages, and teaches himself obscure languages off the internet. Regrettably though he is foul-mouthed, and thinks that school rules do not apply to him. He goes to a special ASD Base at a school, and they are wonderful. I have every respect for anyone with Asperger's, and I extend my very best wishes.

 

[TrainBrain185]

Anyone suffer from Turrets? Everyone does at our depot.....

 

[90019]

Oh, I have all sorts of things, the most annoying one is my memory, which is sh*te; my short term memory is only a couple of minutes, and my whole life so far is just a blur, with a few little memories here and there, also, I haven't remembered a dream for years. I also have a processing difficulty which means that I find it really difficult to learn certain things, ie, I find learning foreign languages almost impossible. I also have issues with compulsive behaviour, my life is basically ruled by numbers, although I have a habit of hiding that around other people.

I had written a big paragraph here, on stuff about compulsive behaviour, being hugely reliant on having someone to rely on for help and to be there, and about being almost completely socially inept, but having been reading about stuff, it seems that it's pretty much all summed up as being avoidant, dependant and obseesive-compulsive at the same time

The only things that have been shown are the sh*t memory and processing difficulty.

Need to go to the doctor's next week about something that's been on my arm for weeks now anyway, so will see what he says.

 

[Broken Viking]

...And for other issues I don't think that it affects me much, except for ***** handwriting and poor self confidence which is annoying.

Same story here, although thankfully I seem to be managing with self confidence fairly well nowadays...Although whenever I need a bit of a personal "boost" in that area, I do have to disengage my considerate mind, and turn into a bit of a "L33ti5t" for about five minutes...Which is rather an unfortunate side effect, as I hate elitism with a passion! hock:

As for the handwriting: I never managed to learn and adopt "joined up" writing when I was at school as it was too much of a strain on my hand, and consequently I just stuck with the "printed" style that I was taught in primary school. The downside of that is my slower than average shorthand speed...But on the bright side, it does mean that even my quickest and most rushed notes are clearly legible and easy for others to read if need be, and my personal handwriting style is well suited to form filling.

Confidentiality of notes can be a bit of an issue in such cases of course, but I switch to using Futhark (Runes) if I need to write down something private and confidential.

My son is 12 and is on the Autistic Spectrum (Autistic Spectrum Disorder or ASD). He has now been diagnosed as having Asperger's Syndrome (as well). He has an incredible brain, with phenomenal memory capabilities, can speak words in 26 languages, and teaches himself obscure languages off the internet.

Nice...Sounds like he was blessed with a much better skill set than what I got! Sounds like he enjoys languages a lot if he's doing all of that learning in his spare time, so - Assuming that no other "hidden" talents come to the fore in his later years (It wasn't until I turned 17 that I and other people noticed my natural aptitude for computing) - He'd probably do very well as a document or telephone translator!

Incidentally, does his ability with languages extend to non-human languages (Such as C++, Java, HTML etc.) as well? Although I've never tried learning a "foreign" language properly (Just a few basic holiday phrases for going overseas) I seem to do pretty well at picking up many new programming languages, I'm not too bad at learning basic language for holidays, and I'm starting to think that the learning of both types of language might extend from the same Asperger sub-trait. 8)

Anyone suffer from Turrets? Everyone does at our depot.....

Pardon my spelling correction, but I presume that ye mean Tourette's Syndrome there? 8)

Regrettably though he is foul-mouthed, and thinks that school rules do not apply to him. He goes to a special ASD Base at a school, and they are wonderful. I have every respect for anyone with Asperger's, and I extend my very best wishes.

Has he been checked for possible Tourette's Syndrome and or ADD/ADHD? Both conditions might be able to co-exist with Asperger's (From what my very limited knowledge of Psychology tells me) and I don't think that excessive foul-mouth can usually be traced to AS.

Farewell...
>> Death <<

 

[Oracle]

Son has been checked, assessed, prodded, poked, briefed, debriefed, and still refuses to be told what to do! Yes, he has been diagnosed after extensive efforts over years. He is a 'wizz' at analytical methodology...he will make an excellent police officer! He is high-functioning yet hates PE, as he can't do it very well.

And as regards Tourette's Syndrome, only a small portion, perhaps 3% of sufferers have the dreaded Coprolaylia, which is a verbal tick that everyone associates with Tourette's. The affliction is a tick, which my son has, but whereas his foul and disgusting language, and not just in English...., is deliberate and not a repetitive, uncontrollable tick.

 

[Tom B]

Re: full time employment.

By this do you mean full time (i.e. 37.5 hours per week, or whatnot) or just continual employment? Because surely if the former were the problem, it'd be possible to apply for part-time posts? In fact, might be able (under the DDA) to request a part time position on the grounds of it being a reasonable adjustment...

 

[43021HST]

I have Aspergers but the only person in my family that knows is my Mum I havnt told the school because they give you helpers and put you in the 'support classroom' also the kids treat you like a retard ,Ive seen it many times. The symptoms are all there. rubbish memory, crap handwriting, rubbish at PE, I dont really have many social problems, maybe at school, My self esteem isnt brilliant either. I am also quite obsessive as well. Feel kind of awkward admitting this, I just wish that damn scientist didnt discover it.

 

[JustinStacey.x]

I have Aspergers but the only person in my family that knows is my Mum I havnt told the school because they give you helpers and put you in the 'support classroom' also the kids treat you like a retard ,Ive seen it many times. The symptoms are all there. rubbish memory, crap handwriting, rubbish at PE, I dont really have many social problems, maybe at school, My self esteem isnt brilliant either. I am also quite obsessive as well. Feel kind of awkward admitting this, I just wish that damn scientist didnt discover it.

Its just a way of putting us gifted folk into a ticked box though isnt it. I didnt get any of the helpers and stuff at school because my parents didn't want it. Their mentality is why wrap someone in cotton wool in school when they go out into the real world they won't have any of that! So might as well get prepared for it now. It didnt do me any harm!

 

[Bayum]

I'm not being funny...

But, many of you guys schools must be kinda... S***e, to say the least...

At my school, many of the kids I worked with, were put into classes with "normal" children, and many were not given helpers, unless it was decided that it was needed for say 3 lessons, and then left at that. As it happens, a lot of the kids that I've worked with have got A's for many of their subjects, and are going on already to do their AS Maths, whilst they're in year 10. So, it's not too bad really from where I stand seeing it as it happens where I was

 

[thefab444]

Its just a way of putting us gifted folk into a ticked box though isnt it.

Wow, you're Mr Modest aren't you.

 

[generalvegitable]

But, many of you guys schools must be kinda... S***e, to say the least...

incorrect

At my school, many of the kids I worked with, were put into classes with "normal" children

all the schools do that,

many were not given helpers, unless it was decided that it was needed for say 3 lessons, and then left at that.

most of us who have helpers get ******ed off because they just get in the way, we are far too intellegent for them

 

[Bayum]

incorrect

all the schools do that,

most of us who have helpers get ******ed off because they just get in the way, we are far too intellegent for them

Not all the schools do... We have set classes for the kids who need them... But for the ones that don't, they get put into "mainstream" classes.

And surely, if the school wasn't so crap, they wouldn't be wasting resources, by placing TA's in classes, with children who don't need them?

 

[JustinStacey.x]

Wow, you're Mr Modest aren't you.

Well lets face it dear, Aspergers may prove to hinder one's social abilities but I can say for sure that a lot of Aspergers kids when it comes to knowledge at least, are a peg above the rest.

Bill Gates is rumoured to have Aspergers, and I believe Einstein had something similar as well. Not to mention, I myself have it, and in primary school, my English ability in particular, was way above the estimated level for my age.

I could have said a word other than 'gifted' folk, my point still stands: calling us who fit into a certain behavioural group 'people with AS' is just much easier than saying 'yes, well, your son is actually very intelligent, ma'am'.

 

[Drsatan]

From reading this thread, it appears to me that many contributors suffer Aspergers/autism, to a much greater extent than I have.

I have a condition on the autism spectrum called Semantic Pragmatic Language Disorder, which affects my verbal and written communication. Although it's improved over the years (I went to a school for kids with moderate learning disabilities called Shephard's Down near Winchester and at secondary school I went to social skills classes), I still have problems with wording sentences and writing fluent prose. I'm not the sort of person who can write 250 words in 15 minutes without thinking; normally it takes me 30-45 minutes of concentration to achieve that.

Other ways in that the condition has manifested itself are numerous. Firstly I'm not much of a talker and find it hard to make small talk, which is a disadvantage when I'm at parties and other social occasions when I'm under pressure to say something and fit in with everyone else. Thirdly, I've always enjoyed being by myself, which I've always thought was somewhat unnatural although I'm now realising that it's more common. After all, Sartre said that hell was being trapped in a room for all eternity with all your friends. For example, I'm quite happy watching BBCiplayer or playing MSTS on a Friday when some of my pals are out clubbing; I'm under alot of pressure to go clubbing with one mate who claims he's been clubbing 30 times but I've never felt very confident.

That brings me onto another effect of aspergers/autism: lack of confidence. I've never been very confident in dealing with other people or with the opposite sex. That partly explains why I've never had a girlfriend at the age of 18 although I'd very much like to have one. Whenever I meet up with a girl I always tend to run out of things to say or to carry on the conversation which means: we either sit in silence, or she decides to leave.

Finally, I've always had a phobia of loud noises which one might think is odd for a railway enthusiast, although normally the apprehension of a loud noise causes the phobia. For example, after standing idle with the engine running for about 5 minutes, the dump valve on a 158 will blow (this stops the air resovoir for the brake exploding). Although I know the 158s not going to harm me, I'm always a bit edgy whenever a 158's idling on the same station platform I'm standing/sitting on. I acknowledge this fear of loud noises is fairly irrational (and it has improved with age) but it seems that most treatments for it are fairly expensive

 

[JustinStacey.x]

Other ways in that the condition has manifested itself are numerous. Firstly I'm not much of a talker and find it hard to make small talk, which is a disadvantage when I'm at parties and other social occasions when I'm under pressure to say something and fit in with everyone else. Thirdly, I've always enjoyed being by myself, which I've always thought was somewhat unnatural although I'm now realising that it's more common. After all, Sartre said that hell was being trapped in a room for all eternity with all your friends. For example, I'm quite happy watching BBCiplayer or playing MSTS on a Friday when some of my pals are out clubbing; I'm under alot of pressure to go clubbing with one mate who claims he's been clubbing 30 times but I've never felt very confident.

Lol. I really don't like clubbing, and I like being alone. I see it as a good thing, not as a hindrance or a 'problem' like so many people will try and make us believe. This is half the problem with sufferers of AS or whatever else, we are made to believe that our differences are a hindrance and that we're 'not normal' from such a young age that we grow up to be exactly that, abnormal and singled out.

if people want to laugh at me because I watch trains and take videos/photos of them, fine. If people want to laugh at me because I wear jeans that are so tight they look like theyve been painted on - fine! Its a confidence i've only gained in recent years because i was tired of being afraid of everything. I just urge others to have the same leap of faith and believe in themselves more.

 

[43021HST]

I'm not being funny...

But, many of you guys schools must be kinda... S***e, to say the least...

At my school, many of the kids I worked with, were put into classes with "normal" children, and many were not given helpers, unless it was decided that it was needed for say 3 lessons, and then left at that. As it happens, a lot of the kids that I've worked with have got A's for many of their subjects, and are going on already to do their AS Maths, whilst they're in year 10. So, it's not too bad really from where I stand seeing it as it happens where I was

Because I,m in the higher groups for me GCSEs I never see any kids from the sopport classroom in the groups, only in the lower sets. I'm sure quite a few of them are not dumb. The gift I have is navigating and reading maps. I only need to go somewhere once and I can remember the journey forever. I can still remember the journey from Speen to Newbury station and the last time I was at Newbury was when I was 8.

 

[Tom B]

And surely, if the school wasn't so crap, they wouldn't be wasting resources, by placing TA's in classes, with children who don't need them?

TAs for students with SEN are paid for centrally by the LEA rather than by the school itself. Therefore it isn't like the school is paying for a resource it isn't using; it's someone else's money they're wasting.

 

[Broken Viking]

Hail all!
Sorry I've been a bit quiet lately, been trying to break my habit of sitting on the Internet for hours on end, as always.

Re: full time employment.
By this do you mean full time (i.e. 37.5 hours per week, or whatnot) or just continual employment?

It's more to do with continual employment in my case, as all of the jobs that I've had to date have normally failed within a short space of time - Either because I've not been able to get along with management or collegues, or because my working practices aren't considered suitable for the environment that I'm working in.

As an example: The last paid, full-time job that I held was a temping position at a local branch of RBS, where most of my work involved preparing carbon copy application forms by hand. Obviously, this was a bit of a strain for me and I asked for permission to bring in an old dot-matrix printer (And possibly a laptop) so that I could run off the whole lot in only a few hours using an exported copy of the database - Although due to confidentiality concerns, they declined my suggestion.
Although I understood this and pressed on as best as I could, I wasn't able to work at the desired speed (Trust me...Ye try completing over 500 forms by hand in an eight hour shift! hock and the final nail in the coffin was the day that I turned up to work with Influenza, because - With temps not being elegible for SSP - I couldn't afford not to go into work. :roll:

As it is; After reading the messages on here from other Aspies who say that they're getting along fine in full-time employment, I'm considering erasing my "bad" history off of my CV and trying to make a fresh start with a work trial, followed by part-time running into full-time employment.
Admittedly my plan is to start off in a "dead-end" role (Crew member at McDonald's, probabally) and work my way up into better positions as I regain experience and responsibility, but I'd rather re-start in a position which traditionally has a high employee turnover. It would mean that if returning to work didn't play out for me, it wouldn't be a major problem for either myself or the company involved. 8)

Lol. I really don't like clubbing, and I like being alone. I see it as a good thing, not as a hindrance or a 'problem' like so many people will try and make us believe. This is half the problem with sufferers of AS or whatever else, we are made to believe that our differences are a hindrance and that we're 'not normal' from such a young age that we grow up to be exactly that, abnormal and singled out.

Interestingly enough...When it comes to going out and about, I seem to be a little more fortunate than a lot of other AS sufferers in that I can happily go down a pub or night-club, spend the whole night there, have a great time, and almost never end up worrying about anything.

By way of comparison; Both my other half (Who also has AS) and a few of my friends with the condition often find that they can't/don't want to go to pubs/clubs either because the environment is too unnerving for them (Some report having to leave when on the verge of having panic attacks) or because they're afraid of being insulted or even assaulted whilst outside the safety of their own homes! hock:ad:

Admittedly, I often find myself feeling rather nervous or uncomfortable whenever I have to enter a rowdy area or pass a group of Chavs (I presume this is normal for most people though, isn't it?) but generally speaking, I can normally avoid such situations by either taking a route that avoids the "obstacle", or use alternative means of transport if necessary.

Farewell...
>> Death <<

 

[Bayum]

TAs for students with SEN are paid for centrally by the LEA rather than by the school itself. Therefore it isn't like the school is paying for a resource it isn't using; it's someone else's money they're wasting.

Well yes, but the point still is, that the child might not need the TA's support, either ways - the TA could still be used someplace else

 

[generalvegitable]

well the child might not like it but sometimes they are useful, (if you act retarded enough they will do the work for you!)

 

[JustinStacey.x]

Haha.

Part of the reason I don't go to nightlubs is because a) Im a bit of an elitist. I believe that (and I can pretty much prove it anyway) that the kinds of people who congregate in nightclubs, are not the kind of people I want to associate with. I don't (try to) have a 'holier than thou' attitude, nor am I saying that the scum of the earth congregate in nightclubs, but I do think there are 'certain types' of people that congregate in nightclubts that are generally the types that I want to stay away from. Quite often it is the promiscuous, one night stand, single braincell types I find that go to nightclubs. Occasionally I can be wrong and have met some intelligent people that like nightclubbing. Much like the rule who says people that type like a 2 year old are stupid. In many cases, lack of grammar ability does indicate that someone probably lives off the dole and hasn't worked a day in their puff... but again, I know some extremely intelligent people who also can't type for to save themselves. And then there is folk just like me, who is increasingly becoming a lazy typer Again, stereotypes are never absolute, but, they are often stereotypes for a REASON. :P

b) [went off on a tangent there!] - I just don't like the noise, and quite often, the music they put on in nightclubs.

and c) I'd just rather do something else, like... playing BVE! Or something.

I hope my post didnt come across as too stereotypical, it is afterall just how I feel, I could be wrong about what I said...

 

[Broken Viking]

c) I'd just rather do something else, like... playing BVE! Or something.

I notice the same with myself a lot of the time. Even though my Spirit would rather I spent my time doing something out and about and constructive - Such as visiting theme parks, the Mid Hants Railway, or doing something else outside of the house - I generally find that I'm all too prone to sitting in front of the computer for long periods (Programming and hacking, mainly) just because it is a rather unnervingly comfortable thing for me to do! hock::roll:

Fingers crossed though; If I manage to return to work successfully, I won't have any free-time to spend more than 45 mins a day on the 'net, and thus should be able to break the habit if I'm lucky...

 

[mrcheek]

One thing that nobody has mentioned yet is eating disorders. Many Asperger's sufferers have an eating disorder that leads to them refusing to eat 98% of foods. I live solely on a diet of weetabix, marmalade sandwiches, hula hoops, peanuts, toast, yoghurt, and the occasional chocolate bar. Does anybody else have anything like this?

 

[Broken Viking]

One thing that nobody has mentioned yet is eating disorders. Many Asperger's sufferers have an eating disorder that leads to them refusing to eat 98% of foods. I live solely on a diet of weetabix, marmalade sandwiches, hula hoops, peanuts, toast, yoghurt, and the occasional chocolate bar. Does anybody else have anything like this?

To be honest, not that I've noticed. I'm generally happy to eat most things (Except perhaps dessicated coconut and Marmite, but that's because I don't like the taste) provided it's more or less fresh.

I do find that I can get a bit funny about food and drink if something appears even slightly amiss with it (A bottle of Coke that I bought on a Chiltern service yesterday appeared to contain mild traces of nail varnish, for example) but sometimes I can overcome that if I'm confident that my digestive tract can deal with it. Other than that I generally don't have any eating disorder that I'm aware of. 8)

Of course, this is only my own viewpoint and it may be different for other AS sufferers.

 

[metrocammel]

Except perhaps dessicated coconut

I agree with you whole-heartedly there. Dessicated coconut.... in fact coconut in general is evil stuff....