Diagnosed and a Few Questions

Ok, so it took about a year or a few months under, but received diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome on 30th January 2013. Still waiting for the full report through the post though. Apparently there is a waiting list of some kind? Who knows.

Any ways, I now have a 'Support Worker'. And also have been told I can apply for Disability Living Allowance (I'm from UK). I didn't know Aspergers Syndrome was classed as a disability.

So a few questions.

A friend told me she had never heard of someone with Aspergers that had empathy for animals but not humans, it was always no empathy. I know everyone is different but is this rare among Aspergers people?

Another support worker also showed me a leaflet talking about how in movies, an Aspie will pay attention to minor details like something on someone's coat, and not to the conversation being had in the movie. To me this is false (well for me anyway) as I can easily follow movies as well as notice small things in it.

Also been told we see the world in black and white or in another term, don't see the bigger picture. Also can't see someone elses' point of view. Again, completely false for me. Just because I'm staunch in my beliefs/opinions/morality, doesn't mean I can't see the other point of view, it just means I dismiss it since it's wrong to me. And also, as most the discussions revolve around my veganism, I get the 'other's point of view' comment a lot. I just point out that I've been on the opposite side before and used to behave and think the exact same way as my current 'enemies'.

And it always seems the case that it is non Aspergers or, tbh, most people who see the world in b and w. I.e. How people think all paedophiles are child molesters, or all Iraqi/Afghani's are terrorists and the Allied Forces are heroes without fault. And so on.

I'm also constantly being snapped at by my mum for asking basic questions like "Have you watched the walking dead?" because she thinks there is more to a simple question with a yes/no answer than there really is.

Lastly, is it normal to hear things louder than usual? I can hear people eating and it annoys me no end, it makes sitting next to someone during a meal incredibly frustrating. I've tried earplugs but they're all useless, and as I often watch a programme when eating with my mother or my partner, it seems pointless too. I also have noticed how loud music is in stores to the point I'm having to raise my voice to talk to staff yet the staff are adamant the music is not that loud. I can hear swallowing too when someone is drinking. And as for sight, I can see little like, particles? In the air, it's not dust, but like very minuscule particles? I don't know. Maybe I'm just plain crazy.

Can't think of any more questions for now.

Fengxian wrote:Any ways, I now have a 'Support Worker'. And also have been told I can apply for Disability Living Allowance (I'm from UK). I didn't know Aspergers Syndrome was classed as a disability.

My guy was diagnosed with AS, idk how long ago or how long it took him, but he's on disability (we live in Ontario, Canada) and says that it seems easier for people with "mental illness" to get on disability than it is for somebody who has physical problems. We figure maybe it's because it's easier for somebody to fake a physical disability than it is to fake a "mental" thing. If you've ever seen Randy's dad on the Trailer Park Boys, you'll know what we mean.

I only recently diagnosed myself as maybe having AS after taking the test on here. Disability would be nice, cuz then I could at least always cover my rent even while unemployed, but my family doctor seems to view me as something of a hypochondriac. Personally, I think I have a bit of everything due to having Borderline Personality Disorder...which is a difficult disorder to understand, imo, but my interpretation of BPD is that we walk the borderline between being too normal for the "crazy" world and too "crazy" for the normal world, and we've mastered the art at blending in for the most part but all it takes is a little push to send us off and you'll see just how precarious that borderline is that we teeter on. We border on having a bit of everything. Sadly, "personality disorders" do not qualify one for disability...nor do jerk doctors who like to let their personal feelings about a patient cloud their actual diagnoses. I prefer to work (so does my cutie with AS), but in an unstable job market it'd be nice to have a guaranteed income to cover rent. It may not be much, but it's a helluva lot better than what welfare gives.

Fengxian wrote:A friend told me she had never heard of someone with Aspergers that had empathy for animals but not humans, it was always no empathy. I know everyone is different but is this rare among Aspergers people?

I'm no expert on AS. I can't really answer that question. My guy likes animals and would beat the crap out of someone if he caught them abusing any animal. I like animals, sometimes more than humans. As a race, we're destroying our planet and the homes of many animals. A part of me thinks it would not be such a bad thing if mankind went extinct, because animals wouldn't do the type of damage to their homes that we've done. Most of us wouldn't know how to exist in nature these days. While a great many of us are realizing the errors of our ways and striving for a more "green" existence, we're still outnumbered by those causing the majority of the damage.

Fengxian wrote:Another support worker also showed me a leaflet talking about how in movies, an Aspie will pay attention to minor details like something on someone's coat, and not to the conversation being had in the movie. To me this is false (well for me anyway) as I can easily follow movies as well as notice small things in it.

Also been told we see the world in black and white or in another term, don't see the bigger picture. Also can't see someone elses' point of view. Again, completely false for me. Just because I'm staunch in my beliefs/opinions/morality, doesn't mean I can't see the other point of view, it just means I dismiss it since it's wrong to me. And also, as most the discussions revolve around my veganism, I get the 'other's point of view' comment a lot. I just point out that I've been on the opposite side before and used to behave and think the exact same way as my current 'enemies'.

And it always seems the case that it is non Aspergers or, tbh, most people who see the world in b and w. I.e. How people think all paedophiles are child molesters, or all Iraqi/Afghani's are terrorists and the Allied Forces are heroes without fault. And so on.

It's true that many people have a black and white way of thinking with little room for grey areas. At least on certain topics, such as those you've listed. Perhaps it's just figured that people on the autistic spectrum are more prone to seeing everything as either black or white, while NTs have more room for grey areas in the less important subjects. Idk. My guy and I both live in our own little worlds and think outside the box. Neither of us are overly judgemental people and I don't really see either of us being black-or-white thinkers, and I'm not exactly saying that black-or-white thinkers are necessarily judgemental, but maybe they are? Idk. My mom seems to be a black-or-white thinker and she can be quite judgemental. In some areas I am, though more often than not it's pure confusion or frustration.

Fengxian wrote:I'm also constantly being snapped at by my mum for asking basic questions like "Have you watched the walking dead?" because she thinks there is more to a simple question with a yes/no answer than there really is.

That could just be your mom. Today mine was upset with me, and I'm not 100% certain why. She seems to think I told her and my father that I'd be staying at my sisters house last night. I don't recall telling her that at all. I recall telling her that I'd see if my sister wanted to job-hunt with me, and that I'd probably be staying in the city. Perhaps that is where their confusion lay. But she insists that I told them I'd be staying at my sisters. Sometimes she gets upset with me over things that she thinks I said or did...but I have no recollection of saying or doing half these things. Of course, sometimes I remember things that others insist never happened. I can't help but wonder "If this never happened, then why do I remember it so clearly? And why does that memory hurt so much?"

Fengxian wrote:Lastly, is it normal to hear things louder than usual? I can hear people eating and it annoys me no end, it makes sitting next to someone during a meal incredibly frustrating. I've tried earplugs but they're all useless, and as I often watch a programme when eating with my mother or my partner, it seems pointless too. I also have noticed how loud music is in stores to the point I'm having to raise my voice to talk to staff yet the staff are adamant the music is not that loud. I can hear swallowing too when someone is drinking. And as for sight, I can see little like, particles? In the air, it's not dust, but like very minuscule particles? I don't know. Maybe I'm just plain crazy.

I can't speak for anybody else, nor can I say if its an AS thing or not as I'm no expert, but I know sometimes I hear things louder than others seem to. I like some kind of background noise while eating, I find chewing with earplugs in feels weird plus earplugs only muffle some noises. I seem to hear music louder than other people do and have to talk loud over it...which annoys my mom when we're in her suv. She sometimes thinks I'm purposely being an annoying biotch. Really, I just can't hear wtf is being said and it seems to be a common thing that people subconsciously think/do "I can't hear, so I'm going to talk louder as if that's going to help my hearing." (which, of course, it doesn't, yet we do it time and again.) Sometimes I see particles, but idk if it's dust or what.

My almost-bf has AS yet he seems to fit very little of the "criteria" (for lack of a better word, I'm tired but not enough to sleep) and I'm merely a sorta self-diagnosed person, so I don't think I'm of much help.

Hi, I will give my opinion (though I am not yet diagnosed, I do get my final report anytime now).

On the empathy front, I personally don't think its impossible and I do / can but its more that it doesn't happen naturally / instinctively. In a conversation I wouldn't/don't/can't do the processing on the fly that this takes but with time to make a logical assessment of a situation then I can come to an understanding of how that person feels. Not that necessarily feel what they feel though.

As far details in movies then yes and no. Its not clear cut here either as I do/will notice things others often don't but then again I love movies and have no problem getting absorbed in a good one. The one thing I might add is that I can get lost in overly subtle or complex storylines but this tends to be in regular drama which I probably have less interest in to start with.

For noise its a mixed bag, I sometimes pick up on something that will prove to be a distraction but im not sure its really any louder than usual, just that im focusing on whatever it is. This can be a quiet noise as much as a loud one at times though. As for stores and music etc, its liley thats its just one part of the sensory overload and it starts getting the anxiety/stress levels up. Because the musics the most obvious thing in that situation you might just be overly focusing/blaming it as the cause - When it could also be the amount of people, temperature, lighting etc all adding to it??

I do also get annoyed when I can hear people chewing/eating, worst experience was my mum calling me whilst she was eating an apple one time. Urrghh.

Strangely I used to think I could see air particles as well when i was younger. They are/were sparkly in either a gold or blue(ish) colour. As I've got older I've put this down to what everyone else calls "seeing stars" though as I know that I can't really be seeing them. Just assumed that in this case it might be circulation related but no idea if theres any truth in that.

Fengxian wrote:Ok, so it took about a year or a few months under, but received diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome on 30th January 2013. Still waiting for the full report through the post though. Apparently there is a waiting list of some kind? Who knows.

Any ways, I now have a 'Support Worker'. And also have been told I can apply for Disability Living Allowance (I'm from UK). I didn't know Aspergers Syndrome was classed as a disability.

I strongly recommend if you can make it without disability living to try doing so. I'd only use it if it was necessary. Just a personal opinion.

Will cover 1-2 questions, kinda pressed for time..

So a few questions.

A friend told me she had never heard of someone with Aspergers that had empathy for animals but not humans, it was always no empathy. I know everyone is different but is this rare among Aspergers people?

In general, I have far more empathy for animals than I do for humans. I tend to pick up on animal emotions far easier than I do with humans. I know when my cats are sick very early, or when they are feeling 'bad'.

Doesn't mean I don't have empathy for others. While I have a pretty low score on the empathy quotient, if I can tell someone is hurting or needs help I'll generally try to help with the idea of "what goes around comes around"

Another support worker also showed me a leaflet talking about how in movies, an Aspie will pay attention to minor details like something on someone's coat, and not to the conversation being had in the movie. To me this is false (well for me anyway) as I can easily follow movies as well as notice small things in it.

I don't watch many movies..but I tend to follow along with the main theme just fine. I don't know if I really pick up on any more details than anyone else, since I rarely talk about movies with others. I do believe I'm pretty observant about movies...but I forget contents of movies pretty quick since it's not really a particular interest of mine. I generally watch media (anything in English) while doing other stuff - gaming or programming. Things with subtitles (anime), I watch without doing other stuff generally.

TDT wrote:

Fengxian wrote:Ok, so it took about a year or a few months under, but received diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome on 30th January 2013. Still waiting for the full report through the post though. Apparently there is a waiting list of some kind? Who knows.

Any ways, I now have a 'Support Worker'. And also have been told I can apply for Disability Living Allowance (I'm from UK). I didn't know Aspergers Syndrome was classed as a disability.

I strongly recommend if you can make it without disability living to try doing so. I'd only use it if it was necessary. Just a personal opinion.

I don't know if you live in the UK or not, but here, the disabled, mentally ill, etc, are hit hardest by our government and those that cannot work (like myself; I have various problems) get very little to live on unless we pop out children willy nilly.

I am on Employment Support Allowance at the moment. I get just under £200 a fortnight - which is around £4800 per year. That is something very hard to live on if on your own or even with help. Luckily I live with my mum, however she is also on standard government sick pay (her job doesn't pay sick pay) because she had a fall and damaged her back. Her sick pay is even less than my ESA, so money is tight. So any more money we are legally entitled to is welcome to help make ends meet.

Lastly, is it normal to hear things louder than usual? I can hear people eating and it annoys me no end, it makes sitting next to someone during a meal incredibly frustrating.

I'm thinking yes for people with AS. Background noise tends to drown out everything I hear, even my own voice. If I'm trying to talk to someone watching TV I cannot hear them or my own voice over the sound of the TV. When I'm trying to talk to someone putting dishes up after washing them the sounds of dishes clanking together is incredibly loud and drowns out the other person's voice and my own voice.

Fengxian wrote:I am on Employment Support Allowance at the moment. I get just under £200 a fortnight - which is around £4800 per year. That is something very hard to live on if on your own or even with help.

lucky you. i live in the UK and despite not having worked for over 3 years now for health reasons i have never received a penny in benefits from the government.

shock_the_monkey wrote:

Fengxian wrote:I am on Employment Support Allowance at the moment. I get just under £200 a fortnight - which is around £4800 per year. That is something very hard to live on if on your own or even with help.

lucky you. i live in the UK and despite not having worked for over 3 years now for health reasons i have never received a penny in benefits from the government.

Have you applied? By law the government is supposed to provide basic support for unemployed and homeless.

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One more question; my mum sometimes says that it's like looking after a child. Now I know I still like some child like things like train sets and pokemon, but that's it.

Fengxian wrote:By law the government is supposed to provide basic support for unemployed and homeless.

not if one has savings of £16K or more.

shock_the_monkey wrote:

Fengxian wrote:By law the government is supposed to provide basic support for unemployed and homeless.

not if one has savings of £16K or more.

Well I take it you're living off the savings? Because eventually that'll go down and you can apply. I think even with savings you can get some benefits. You done the entitled to calculator?