Autism (and other special needs) a novelty

[ZebraAutismo]

This may be a weird post does anyone else feel like they are sometimes treated like a novelty for being autistic. For example when I started secoundry school people would always want to sit with me and"help" me but then get board when they relised I won't a puppet. I don't know some people describe my as the "sweet" kind of autism as my melt downs are not shouty or violent to others.

 

[Lady Penelope]

Sorry to read you have experienced that reaction. I am in the process of diagnosis as an adult but believe that high school life would have been far worse if it was common knowledge i was different. As it stands now only one person in my life knows I'm even looking into it. Haven't shared it with my parents or family.
I think people in general are afraid of differences despite preaching we are all unique. They are also interested in what they might be able to capitalise on or abuse.
And curious about what they deem to be 'freaks' which is anyone gifted or talented in ways they will never be.

I'm not sure telling anyone would enhance my life in any way so might keep it to myself.
It's a shame you are not afforded that same discretion. As a diagnosed kid, depending on your position within this spectrum and your social and acedemic "performance" takes the anonimity from you. Those who don't need to know are told half information and just invent the rest to suit. Unsympathetic, ill informed and fear mongering individuals are everywhere making vulnerable people feel ******.
HFA get told they are using it as an excuse to get out of things they don't like ...
Being able to mimic and put up with anxiety inducing events to the point of overload is not a choice to avoid an unpleasant dinner. It's how that brain is wired.
I got off topic ... sorry

 

[Questella]

This may be a weird post does anyone else feel like they are sometimes treated like a novelty for being autistic. For example when I started secoundry school people would always want to sit with me and"help" me but then get board when they relised I won't a puppet. I don't know some people describe my as the "sweet" kind of autism as my melt downs are not shouty or violent to others.

Nah I found out too old for anyone to care. *nod*

I was in special classes but nobody was helping me, I was too busy weirding people out I suppose.

Are you talking about the teachers or the other students. The teachers it's their job to half-arse try, the students just bullied me mostly and the special ed kids were the absolute worst. I had books and scissors thrown at me among other threats whenever the teacher would walk out of the room.

 

[Bolletje]

People in school mostly just ignored me because they found me weird and alienating. That was long before I was diagnosed though. Some time ago a dude in a bar asked me to solve a math problem to prove I'm autistic, that's the closest I've come to being treated like a novelty.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

I suppose so yes. I think my mother treats Asperger's as a bit of a novelty condition, like it's a personality type or something. As much as I like to see it in a positive light, Asperger's is still a disability and it can be debilitating in certain aspects. It seems that she doesn't have any trouble talking to me about Asperger's but when it comes to my Tourette's she tries to talk about it as little as possible.

I like that she too see Asperger's in a good light but, I don't know. She said to me that she thought she had it too. Which I'm not exactly sure of; I view that I've got that from my dad's side, not hers. To me I think to have Asperger's you have had to struggle a great deal in your life, socially. I don't think she's really had that. She did have an abuse boyfriend at one point so I suppose that might count. Dunno, if she decided one day she wanted to pursue a diagnosis for herself then I'd be supportive of course but I wouldn't hold out too much hope in getting one.

 

[radasp]

Many "normal" Americans are quite childish; they're obsessed by novelty. Look around you - you can see it in "fads" -fashion, celebrities, gadgets, toys, social media, entertainment. They are told to be "nice" to ASD Asperger people, but tend to see us as "toys" not real people. When we don't respond like toys, they get bored or angry and walk away. Don't take it personally.

 

[Questella]

People in school mostly just ignored me because they found me weird and alienating. That was long before I was diagnosed though. Some time ago a dude in a bar asked me to solve a math problem to prove I'm autistic, that's the closest I've come to being treated like a novelty.

Did you smack him? Wtf freak. I wish I had a good comeback to give you for that a-hat. >:

 

[Bolletje]

Did you smack him? Wtf freak. I wish I had a good comeback to give you for that a-hat. >:

I could come up with an awesome comeback and pretend I said that at the moment, but alas. I just rolled my eyes so hard it gave me a headache. I wish I was good at math
(Offtopic: asshat HAS to be one of the best words ever)

 

[ZebraAutismo]

Sorry to read you have experienced that reaction. I am in the process of diagnosis as an adult but believe that high school life would have been far worse if it was common knowledge i was different. As it stands now only one person in my life knows I'm even looking into it. Haven't shared it with my parents or family.
I think people in general are afraid of differences despite preaching we are all unique. They are also interested in what they might be able to capitalise on or abuse.
And curious about what they deem to be 'freaks' which is anyone gifted or talented in ways they will never be.

I'm not sure telling anyone would enhance my life in any way so might keep it to myself.
It's a shame you are not afforded that same discretion. As a diagnosed kid, depending on your position within this spectrum and your social and acedemic "performance" takes the anonimity from you. Those who don't need to know are told half information and just invent the rest to suit. Unsympathetic, ill informed and fear mongering individuals are everywhere making vulnerable people feel ******.
HFA get told they are using it as an excuse to get out of things they don't like ...
Being able to mimic and put up with anxiety inducing events to the point of overload is not a choice to avoid an unpleasant dinner. It's how that brain is wired.
I got off topic ... sorry

Thanks for support. People hadn't been told I had autism they just guessed I had something (the most popular runout being I was in a car crash that tramautised me). My autism was and is obvious back then I had TA with me all the time, I flapped and cried I couldn't control it. Students would act like their wonderful for just talking to me when in fact it just annoyed me because they would act like I was a baby but would then not like it when I gave them an intelligent response.

 

[ZebraAutismo]

People in school mostly just ignored me because they found me weird and alienating. That was long before I was diagnosed though. Some time ago a dude in a bar asked me to solve a math problem to prove I'm autistic, that's the closest I've come to being treated like a novelty.

People did that to me at school particularly with timetables as they realised I could do them remarkably quickly as I would chant them when anxious.

 

[Questella]

I could come up with an awesome comeback and pretend I said that at the moment, but alas. I just rolled my eyes so hard it gave me a headache. I wish I was good at math
(Offtopic: asshat HAS to be one of the best words ever)

Haha just call him an asshat and walk away. I think I'm decent at math but I was never allowed to take any math courses in high school because they didn't want to deal with me. I took Algebra I & II in college and did fine though. I wonder if I could of been able to handle geometry or trig if they hadn't of held me back constantly.

 

[Questella]

People did that to me at school particularly with timetables as they realised I could do them remarkably quickly as I would chant them when anxious.

Thats awesome. I love counting in multiple languages when nervous. I got English (obviously), Japanese, Korean and Spanish. I totally need to buckle down and learn to count in German as well.

 

[ZebraAutismo]

Thats awesome. I love counting in multiple languages when nervous. I got English (obviously), Japanese, Korean and Spanish. I totally need to buckle down and learn to count in German as well.

I have a friend who's the same. She is salt taught on most of them and occasionally she try's to teach me them.