A couple years ago, my 6-yeard-old son was diagnosed with Aspergers. Well, it was explained to me that it isn't really called that anymore, but they said that's what he would've been diagnosed with until the recent DSM change. He's extremely smart, memorizes every single thing he sees, reads, or hears. Fascinated by lists, words, etc. Very full of word vomit - telling me facts in a nearly endless stream, each one sometimes unrelated to the fact before it. He just loves reciting random facts. He's pretty good socially, has some friends at school, although sometimes his friends think it's a bit strange how he blurts out facts non-stop and randomly. He's got a great sense of humor though, and a lot of his symptoms have been worked out over the last couple years, except for extremely picky eating, his random-fact-recitals, a bit of a need for routines.
His diagnosis, and my subsequent research, made me realize that I almost certainly am an Aspie as well. In fact, my dad likely is, too.
Since I was undiagnosed (my parents just thought I was unusual), my journey to adapting to adulthood has largely been a solo venture. I would say I'm a pretty 'normal' guy now (hope that word doesn't offend anyone), most of my oddities from my youth are gone now. I have a great sense of humor, although I would say I always did. My dad doesn't. I was an extremely picky eater, now I'll eat pretty much anything. I was extremely shy, but not any more, except that sometimes people think I'm shy around strangers, when really I just don't have anything worth saying. I still obsess about learning certain topics from time to time - for a while I was brewing beer and had an obsession with learning every possible thing I could about it. Same with cigars. Sometimes cars. Sometimes computers. I get stuck on one topic for a period of time, and eventually get bored with it and find a new obsession. Fiction bores the heck out of me, I'm very fact-driven, like my son. It's probably almost obvious at this point that I'm an engineer. So was my dad. Nobody today would ever guess I'm an Aspie, people generally enjoy my company and don't think there's anything unusual about me.
While I think I have plenty of empathy, and so does my son, I also have very little trouble letting someone go. I haven't talked to my dad in 7 years, and frankly I hardly even think about him. I get over ended relationships very quickly, and I have a hard time feeling sad when I see someone else is sad. I don't like that they're sad, and want to fix it, but that same sadness just doesn't pass on to me. I do feel sadness on my own when something makes me sad.
My son's mom and his grandparents (on his mom's side) definitely feel like he needs to be "treated". It drives me nuts. I love the way he is, and I'm just here to guide him, not "fix" him. He's my best friend, and such a good kid.
Anyways, just wanted to say hi. Hoping to get some insight from this forum, as well as perhaps provide some of my own for others.
His diagnosis, and my subsequent research, made me realize that I almost certainly am an Aspie as well. In fact, my dad likely is, too.
Since I was undiagnosed (my parents just thought I was unusual), my journey to adapting to adulthood has largely been a solo venture. I would say I'm a pretty 'normal' guy now (hope that word doesn't offend anyone), most of my oddities from my youth are gone now. I have a great sense of humor, although I would say I always did. My dad doesn't. I was an extremely picky eater, now I'll eat pretty much anything. I was extremely shy, but not any more, except that sometimes people think I'm shy around strangers, when really I just don't have anything worth saying. I still obsess about learning certain topics from time to time - for a while I was brewing beer and had an obsession with learning every possible thing I could about it. Same with cigars. Sometimes cars. Sometimes computers. I get stuck on one topic for a period of time, and eventually get bored with it and find a new obsession. Fiction bores the heck out of me, I'm very fact-driven, like my son. It's probably almost obvious at this point that I'm an engineer. So was my dad. Nobody today would ever guess I'm an Aspie, people generally enjoy my company and don't think there's anything unusual about me.
While I think I have plenty of empathy, and so does my son, I also have very little trouble letting someone go. I haven't talked to my dad in 7 years, and frankly I hardly even think about him. I get over ended relationships very quickly, and I have a hard time feeling sad when I see someone else is sad. I don't like that they're sad, and want to fix it, but that same sadness just doesn't pass on to me. I do feel sadness on my own when something makes me sad.
My son's mom and his grandparents (on his mom's side) definitely feel like he needs to be "treated". It drives me nuts. I love the way he is, and I'm just here to guide him, not "fix" him. He's my best friend, and such a good kid.
Anyways, just wanted to say hi. Hoping to get some insight from this forum, as well as perhaps provide some of my own for others.
