Can aspies have learning problems?

[Anon88]

I went through years of struggling with school in practically every grade. I actually thought I was a complete idiot incapable of doing anything with my life. It wasn't until my early 20's that I realized I just can't use normal methods of learning. No matter how much it's forced upon me, no matter how many times I read something over and over, it's just no use. I have to find my own creative ways to study in order to hold my interest long enough to get through it. And like many of you I also have to be really interested in a subject to remember any of the info with ease. Otherwise, it's all downhill from there. I just figured I was some idiot who had to work twice as hard as everyone else in order to learn simple things. Had I known I was an aspie a long time ago everything would've made waaaaayyyy more sense. Now I'm mostly an A student. Something I never thought I'd be back then.

 

[anthoskate]

I also wonder how you get your words that describe the time perfectly. I can never think and put it like that which is annoying because I'm trying to describe as best as i can and cannot do it like you do. Basically i was in the same position as you both kind of and couldn't explain it very well. Im just confused and hard to remember the reasons. This is one of the reasons why i don't talk to people haha it makes sense in my head but when i try say it it doesn't turn out the way i want it to.

I have the same problem of using language to describe my thoughts and it aslo leads me to not sending posts on this forum Also when I have an exam and they ask me to describe something in my own words that I understand it seems like an impossible task or when I have an argument with somebody I am not able to describe my feelings, so I translate my thoughts into something else that I am not feeling.

It's like I think in a different way then other people and I have to translate my thoughts to words.
The way I see it is that it's like being able to communicate with someone in sign language and also being able to speek to someone else in english but if I had to translate what the person that communicates in sign language is saying to the person that speeks english it is very very hard to translate it, but I do understand what the is said to me.

I think that I might be a visual thinker.

It took me an hour to write this post.

 

[aj]

I have the same problem of using language to describe my thoughts and it aslo leads me to not sending posts on this forum Also when I have an exam and they ask me to describe something in my own words that I understand it seems like an impossible task or when I have an argument with somebody I am not able to describe my feelings, so I translate my thoughts into something else that I am not feeling.

It's like I think in a different way then other people and I have to translate my thoughts to words.
The way I see it is that it's like being able to communicate with someone in sign language and also being able to speek to someone else in english but if I had to translate what the person that communicates in sign language is saying to the person that speeks english it is very very hard to translate it, but I do understand what the is said to me.

I think that I might be a visual thinker.

It took me an hour to write this post.

I can understand that very well apart from when you said:

The way I see it is that it's like being able to communicate with someone in sign language and also being able to speek to someone else in english but if I had to translate what the person that communicates in sign language is saying to the person that speeks english it is very very hard to translate it.

I do find it extremely difficult to post
On forums too. I just feel too different and worried about replies. I spent years trying to figure out whats wrong with me and i found out i do have Aspergers. I think theres more to it then Aspergers and i think you may be right but i want to be sure so i will look into it and gather as much information as possible then if i get that feeling i had when reading about Aspergers for the first time then i will know.

I do want to thank you for your quote because i feel it helped allot and i may not of come across it if you never mentioned it so thank you.

 

[tw3]

Welcome to the knowledge of your/our uniqueness. At age 67, I found the definition of Aspergers. It was like arriving home after a long lonely journey. When remembering the past I now have a coherent framework in which to explain myself to myself.
Over the years I have perceived myself as being everything from a genius to an idiot. My IQ tests out very high and the school teachers et al always reacted to and treated me differently after discovering my so called gift. I wanted to be left alone, but they wanted to "help" me. They subjected me to all sorts of humiliating public attention so that eventually I withdrew into a shell. I hated school, not because of the learning, but because of the people.
When I was 35, I learned how God had entered this world in the person of Jesus Christ, "to seek and save the lost." I certainly qualified there. I turned over my life to God through Jesus as the bible says in St John Chapter 14, verse 6. My life began to change for the better as I sought to live a life pleasing to Him. I still had difficulty understanding people's intentions. I still misread body language cues, but overall my social awareness improved a lot.
Still, I wondered why I seem to think differently from "normal" people until three years ago when I discovered that I was an Aspie. I knew that God makes every person unique with different personalities and gifts and most importantly, He didn't make any mistakes with me. He made me to be just the way I am.
We worry too much about being like and being liked by other people. We need to be ourselves while showing God's love to everyone. I am learning to look outside myself to the welfare of other people and it is very fulfilling. I am not limited in following God by my Aspieness, so it must not be a handicap.

 

[aj]

I have the same problem of using language to describe my thoughts and it aslo leads me to not sending posts on this forum Also when I have an exam and they ask me to describe something in my own words that I understand it seems like an impossible task or when I have an argument with somebody I am not able to describe my feelings, so I translate my thoughts into something else that I am not feeling.

It's like I think in a different way then other people and I have to translate my thoughts to words.
The way I see it is that it's like being able to communicate with someone in sign language and also being able to speek to someone else in english but if I had to translate what the person that communicates in sign language is saying to the person that speeks english it is very very hard to translate it, but I do understand what the is said to me.

I think that I might be a visual thinker.

It took me an hour to write this post.

I spent all night writing and thinking and feel i am a visual thinker. Confusion hit me allott because i thought everyone thinks like me and i don't know how people thinks now. I believe that pictures in my head are impressive but explaining it is extremely difficult. I can explain something i see which sounds bad but i wouldn't dare to use it. I have an image of a pen. Normal plastic biro pen. If you snap it, it becomes 2 sharp pieces of plastic tubing. It must be snapped in the write way yo create these sharp objects and can be used as a weapon. A survival piece of knowledge i suppose. I wouldn't dare to hurt someone but this is something that can be used for defence.

 

[aj]

Its hard to explain in words.

 

[May Black]

Now I'm back on dunno ware i stand spot, I'm really confused and stressed about always ending up in the same spot. What i mean is i am in this state of mind that i live not knowing whats wrong with me. Since i was a kid till december 2013 i grew up not knowing whats wrong with me. Why do i suffer with anxiety, why do i have meltdowns, why do i live by a routine which keeps me happy and away from the outside world, why is it impossible for me to understand peoples feelings? Theres more to it but I'm just giving some examples.

I done allot of researching on aspergers and it just answered all my questions and felt so right. Now 4 minutes ago i researched if aspergers can have learning disabilities, the answer said yes for dyslexia, ADHD ect.. But im really confused because heres my situation:

In school i found it hard to understand and learn on most subjects, i found it hard to get interested and keep the information safe in my mind. I found it hard to remember and learn. Not only did i not want to be in a class full of other kids (even though i got put into a small group which is known as learning support) but i wasnt interested in what the teacher was trying to teach us. All my school years since primary i was put into a smaller group (learning support) they was teaching me the easy things. I dunno if i made a mistake when i pretended to seem like i didn't understand to begin with then had it easy for a while. I use to be naughty which got me sent to a room for naughty kids which sometimes i would be alone in but rarely it would be full. When i was in secondary school i use to go out of school for the whole day to get me away where i can be alone. It was scary but i use to got to the leisure centre where it was safe. So my intelligence is poor and im not sure id i am dyslexic because i can spell many words and my reading is ok. Understanding the big words is a struggle and also to remember the meaning of it. I can learn better with practical things like using my hands and if i am shown something by someone i know i can do it without any problems as long as they show me exactly how to do it and give me all the information i need to know.

now I'm really scared of what your replies are going to be, please if i was wrong im so sorry i just never felt like knowing what it is and from what i researched aspie was right till the learning problems, im not smart and i struggle with alott not only social but this learning thing aswell. 8 months i spent researching aspies and its only this learning problem that i dont understand,

Thank you for all your comments and sorry if i have caused any problems

I'm not going to read the whole thread, I'm a bit worn out at this point and I think I can actually contribute to this.

I used to teach kids on the spectrum between the age of 10 and 16. We had six pupils in each class. The kids that came to us were usually transferred from different schools where they got to go through pretty much of what you're describing. Not all Aspies are above average intelligence, and even the ones that are might struggle with NT school materials. A simple question such as "Can you underline the nouns in this paragraph" might give you an F if your answer is yes. You might be distracted by anything going on around, even in a small group. All our pupils were separated by partings and couldn't see each other during class. The boredom you describe might be caused by the repetitive character of NT schooling, while you might be able to take in information and store it without having it repeated in five different ways and then tested in fifteen different exercises. You might not be interested in the things you're supposed to be learning and your teacher has failed to motivate why they might be useful to you. The options for why you might have failed schooling are countless, and very few have to do with your intelligence. We had a pupil that was forced to count middle school math, because he couldn't show his teacher he knew how to use equation formulas (I think that's the name of it in English). He didn't need to, they formed in his had, we let him work with high school tasks and he loved it. Normal schooling is terrible for children on the spectrum, I wish from the bottom of my heart you guys never had to go through what I know some of you did. It pains me to remember some of the stories of our children.

But to answer your question, nothing of what you described about your schooling is contradictory with Aspergers. You could have as well been one of my pupils.

 

[aj]

I'm not going to read the whole thread, I'm a bit worn out at this point and I think I can actually contribute to this.

I used to teach kids on the spectrum between the age of 10 and 16. We had six pupils in each class. The kids that came to us were usually transferred from different schools where they got to go through pretty much of what you're describing. Not all Aspies are above average intelligence, and even the ones that are might struggle with NT school materials. A simple question such as "Can you underline the nouns in this paragraph" might give you an F if your answer is yes. You might be distracted by anything going on around, even in a small group. All our pupils were separated by partings and couldn't see each other during class. The boredom you describe might be caused by the repetitive character of NT schooling, while you might be able to take in information and store it without having it repeated in five different ways and then tested in fifteen different exercises. You might not be interested in the things you're supposed to be learning and your teacher has failed to motivate why they might be useful to you. The options for why you might have failed schooling are countless, and very few have to do with your intelligence. We had a pupil that was forced to count middle school math, because he couldn't show his teacher he knew how to use equation formulas (I think that's the name of it in English). He didn't need to, they formed in his had, we let him work with high school tasks and he loved it. Normal schooling is terrible for children on the spectrum, I wish from the bottom of my heart you guys never had to go through what I know some of you did. It pains me to remember some of the stories of our children.

But to answer your question, nothing of what you described about your schooling is contradictory with Aspergers. You could have as well been one of my pupils.

I am understanding allot more then i was before. I didn't know many things about myself i was extremely confused. My Aspergers explains why i don't like socialising and makes it difficult for me to be around people. It explains why I'm anxious or overwhelmed in social situations. It explains why i have meltdowns and struggle with sertain or too much noise and more. I been researching to find the answers to l the things that i was unaware of and i have understood more about myself. Of course, reading to much is hard to sink in so i am in the position of remembering my past and how i was then then fitting the things i was confused about and finally explaining it which would make sense. Its hard to explain but thats why i believe i have visual thinking. Its opened my mind of understanding and knowing that this is the disability i suffer with. I don't think of it as a problem but more of who i am and what i am capable of doing and things I'm capable of not doing if that makes sense. Like i said its hard for me to explain but i know i am understanding better because i know what the problems are. So i will research and figure a way to improve myself. I am happy to finally understand and i feel really confident with who i am and accept it.

Thank you for the help guys

 

[Etzelaire]

I had problems in secondary school, even repeated course but luckily one of my teachers 'offered' my parents taking me to a psycologist and there everything was revealed. He said I like to manipulate people and that's right hahah I wore a different style everyday and adopted different attitudes so he couldn't work out how I really am.

 

[paloftoon]

I work at a cyber school, which is not a traditional way of learning. A number of students' learning improves significantly, especially IEP students, and some students improve so much they get off of their IEPs. It may be worth considering online education if that's an option for you, because you don't have the same type of distractions you'd have in a regular brick and mortar. I sense that this seems to be particularly true for many high functioning people on the spectrum in particular.

You can have a good teacher who tries to think of as many modes available as possible for learning. NT or not, we can't expect to like everything we learn. Not everything will be conducive for multiple modes of learning when you get to more difficult material, or like to show certain things visually would require so much more work that algebraically for more in-depth material. It could be so much to the point that not only is it hard to come up with and create, but hard to understand because there's too much to think about and too much stimulation from the amount of material. In general, I say it's good to try to learn and understand basics under one of a variety of modes, but to be able to carry over some traditional patterns to more complex with more detailed information as the patterns sometimes are directly related and help you connect that understanding. You may be skilled at one particular mode, but don't try to limit yourself. Keep yourself as open to all modes as much as possible, and try to relate the things you do together if applicable.

 

[Kit]

I have a different learning style. Lot of my work had to be modified to make it more concrete for me than abstract. I also had to be taught visually.

 

[AutistheFrog]

I have a pretty low IQ, despite seeming intelligent. My IQ is only 110. I've always done well with English and writing, nevertheless, and incredibly poorly with mathematics. In fact, I'm fairly certain I have dyscalculia. I have always had trouble with analog clocks, if there are more than two zeros after a number, I suddenly confuse how many zeros there are and have to look closely to read it properly. Then I have to check and double check. I can't picture large math problems in my head, and every now and then I flip flop numbers. Even so, I have never gotten a professional diagnosis of dyscalculia. At the moment, I can't afford testing, either.

Now, as others have said, there can be comorbidity. For example, I'm not just autistic, I'm also bipolar, ADHD, and have generalized anxiety.

It happens.

 

[sonnesun]

This thread describes me well. Before I continue I just want to point out that I also grew up with a severe speech impairment and facial disfigurement due to a cleft palate. I had to endure years of corrective surgery from infancy right up to my mid 30's, so they carry their own set of social anxieties and stigmas too along with all my other personal struggles. I look a lot better than I used to and I sound a lot clearer and more understandable now, although still noticeable.

Unfortunately many people assume that just because my outward disability was fixed, that automatically means I'm fixed inside too, that I can just get on with my life without anymore support. What they don't see they don't or won't understand. Anyway...

I did OK at primary/junior school from 4yrs to 12, as well as every other child I think. I was always good at reading and writing, not bad at maths and was generally a good pupil with fair reports. Pretty well behaved apart from some minor stuff. All our lessons throughout the years there I was with the same local kids, stuck to one classroom whichever room it would be for that year, so we basically grew up together. I must admit it was a very good school, quite small and community spirited. I only deliberately skipped school once and instantly got caught. Mind you I never did my homework.

I felt very sad when they recently demolished it and rebuilt the school to something totally modern and unrecognisable (like an academy and less homely looking), many of my best memories now bulldozed.

My problems really started arising in high school. New anxieties got in the way of my education. Mixing with new kids from outside areas was difficult for me. Bullying became a problem. Teachers were apathetic even to the point of victim blaming. I quickly lost interest in the subjects, I didn't really take anything in. I had no ambitions or plans for my future. It was far more demanding and I quickly fell behind, and the social anxieties of a much larger school with new kids was too much for me. I started skipping school a lot. I was eventually removed due to a dislocated collarbone through bullying there. The headmistress defended them. Victim blaming again. After a brief spell in a small tutorial centre for disruptive children where you sit around all day learning nothing, I was put into another high school, but that didn't even last a full term. Same problems. I spent the final year back in the tutorial centre thus missing my exams.

I tried college. I wanted to be a programmer but there weren't really any proper courses and just left me to my own devices there too. Again, I learned nothing and struggled getting along with anyone. I never received any kind of special needs help although in hindsight it was absolutely obviously clear I needed it. Because everyone else was apathetic and blind to my issues, that meant I was too. How could I know, how could I learn? Naivety is our greatest enemy.

I couldn't even cope working in an office when I tried college courses with this, too much multitasking again, losing track of what I was supposed to do. My portfolio was pretty poor to say the least. I was only offered work experience once, and it only lasted a day before I was dropped.

Even when I started work at 16 I struggled straight away. I just couldn't cope with any kind of demanding jobs. Factory work on a production line was too much for me. I couldn't keep up and would struggle getting things right. I struggle with remembering and multitasking. I never knew why before. It also became too tedious for me, I never lasted long in these kinds of jobs. The only work I really excelled at more was cleaning department stores. That is simply learning one set pattern, working on my own with nobody watching over me. No multitasking. It would only change occasionally. My walkman also helped the time fly by. Bliss. At one time I held down three part time cleaning jobs. I was in my late 20's by then and still living with my mum at the time so it was easier with shared bills etc.

I did have my own computer game store though. It only lasted a year but this was partly down to building work inside the shopping arcade so people thought it was closed. We never earned enough to even get a wage, which was why I ran it on my own whilst my mum had another job. Mind you at least I could take the Commodore 64 stock home with me for nights of gaming.

Well I'm 44 now, I'm on ESA in the support group due to my mental health relapses, so I am not required to look for work. I have no proper skills or worthwhile qualifications apart from a pointless NVQ2 in IT. I live alone and have no idea where to begin to even support myself without claiming welfare. I still have no ambitions, I wouldn't even know what to do and if I am even capable to stick with it, I feel too tired to start again like a school leaver. I actually had more energy back then but these days all I ever want to do now is sleep, and would rather interact as little as possible with strangers and those I barely know, or don't even want to know. I've now totally lost motivation in my life.

 

[Mr Allen]

A few years ago it was finally established that I DON'T have a learning disability, despite several years of being put in "special" groups at school and stuff (I hate that word! Contrary to popular opinion I am NOT retarded!)

 

[xudo]

I did well in school in all subjects except maths. I was diagnosed while at uni with mild dyslexia, and I've also been told that I hold a pen "wrong" when I write...although this has never affected my handwriting. I was finally diagnosed with dyscalculia a few weeks back. I'm 30 and my ability with maths is roughly that of a 7 year old. Luckily, my husband is good at maths so I just use him as my personal calculator

I have other co-morbidities too, GAD, OCD and tourettes. Although I'm currently classed as unfit to work, this is due to a serious back injury years ago and to be honest the DWP just haven't gotten round to seeing me again. I did work after uni at an office and it was awful. The job was terrible and I had a hard time coping with interacting with the other people there, especially in terms of things like general small talk and taking an interest in their lives. This is something I've always struggled with.

I honestly don't know what will happen next year when I fully expect to be seen by the DWP and for them to decide I'm no longer unfit. I currently don't receive any benefits and I know that even attempting to get any will be an uphill struggle.

 

[paloftoon]

I did okay in school and got better overall, but particularly at math. I have always been at least somewhat socially inept, sometimes extremely on and off. The "social" environment in a brick and mortar school definitely held me up from making myself academically smarter. I don't feel what little I gained from my social experiences in the K-12 setting really helped me grow socially personally. Hard to say of course.

 

[granolaturtle]

Yep. And it can vary from one sphere of learning to another. I'm in the bottom 23/24th percantile in mathematics, but I have a very high intelligence in all things language related.

So I usually don't like to call people stupid. Because there's likely something that they can do that I can't. And the other way around, too.

 

[4gottenLoreKali]

Yes, I actually think there's a fair deal of overlap between the two. I had solid grades all throughout elementary school but the school district had an aide follow me around and wrote an IEP for me stating I had poor listening skills, behavioral problems, bad time management and other social skill ineptitudes. To be fair some of these problems were accurate at the time. Was never in any special ed classes but it sure felt like it at times. I hated the concept of having an aide and made a concerted effort to become free of her in middle school. (Thankfully, the aide I had the longest was compassionate and understanding to a ridiculous degree. She was this wonderful Canadian lady and we still talk on the phone every now and then.) I later found out that I have executive functioning issues as well, which were aggravated by a myriad of traumatic life experiences during my teens, and in turn caused my grades to slip in high school. Fortunately, I've made a lot of growth in many areas since I was a kid, or so I'd like to think. I've been demonstrating more independence than ever since I transferred colleges, (including managing my assignments and academic affairs) and I hope to continue this trend.