Asperger's Syndrome and pony collecting...

[applejackbunny]

Yikes!

I want to stress this.  An online test is NOT a diagnosis!  Please, go see a doctor and get them to set you up with someone that 'can' make a proper diagnosis.

It was strange..I was talking to my AS friend yesterday about this and they pointed out that a lot of similarities exist between this and a few other conditions (one of which I was officially diagnosed with).

You made me second guess myself but the best we could come up with was that the one thing I do have is soo severe that it can flip and ill get AS tendencies that are situational--including be overly sensitive to sound (ill hear things that aren't there) or smell..or wigging out because I see dirt or dust.

You also made me think about my own past.  And yes, there are key triggers there...excelling at an early age (I was doing long division before grade 1) but stalling after that.  Not caring.  Suddenly caring once I hit highschool.

It fits, right? Not soo much--there were other factors im not getting into that made that stall happen. It could have been prevented but it wasn't...mostly due to a shy personality and a lack of caring on the schoolboards end.

A lot of things do cross over.  I haven't listed what I have but theres a good chance you can probably figure it out.

Please. DO NOT think youve confirmed you have something based off of an online test. Those things are not accurate..you need an actual person to talk to you to determine a result.

Thanks again melodys_angel : ) Yes, this is very important and must be stressed as others already have.
I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. I have *very clearly* stated, several times, that I have NO INTENTION of assuming that I have AS without a *formal, professional* diagnosis. I responded to another poster who suggested taking an online test, and I said I had, and that it had shown a result consistent with someone with AS. I then went on to say *I wasn't sure how accurate those online tests are* and that I would *take it with me to a professional* to have a proper diagnosis.

A few points were made which I'd like to respond to...

Firstly, I plan on trying to get a professional diagnosis and have no intentions of trying to self-diagnose. I am aware of the fact that a person may have a few traits of something, but may not actually have the thing itself...

I would like a diagnosis as I think it will help me.

Thirdly, everyone is different and for some, 'labels' are a good and liberating thing, whereas for others, they are emphatically not. I totally get that, and respect it, but for *me* a diagnosis (label) would seem like a positive and helpful thing.

Another previous post: (sorry - can't get the hang of doing quotes inside other quotes!)
Your skill with the fake notes is really interesting - thanks for that!

Yes, I took an online test and it confirmed that I have AS. I'm not sure how accurate those online tests are, so I will take it with me, but I will definitely see a professional before assuming I am AS.

As for my parents...I'm pretty sure they will be clueless about this!
[/quote]

Post Merge: March 14, 2016, 06:52:18 PM

We had a very long discussion about this in the WYP board a while ago, and we did come to a consensus that there is a large number of us in the collecting community who are also on the autism spectrum. I do want to note, however, that it is not technically correct anymore to use the term "Asperger's syndrome" and many people who were diagnosed with Asperger's as children have been re-diagnosed later in life as being on the autism spectrum. Some people can be offended by being labeled as "Asperger's" because of the controversial history that the diagnosis has had (not to mention the controversy surrounding the man it was named after).

This is true in America I believe, but not here in the UK. As I am new to all this, someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure I read exactly that, that they kept the phrase Asperger's Syndrome here in the UK, despite the review of the term in the US.

[FantasticFirefly]

Yikes!

I want to stress this.  An online test is NOT a diagnosis!  Please, go see a doctor and get them to set you up with someone that 'can' make a proper diagnosis.

It was strange..I was talking to my AS friend yesterday about this and they pointed out that a lot of similarities exist between this and a few other conditions (one of which I was officially diagnosed with).

You made me second guess myself but the best we could come up with was that the one thing I do have is soo severe that it can flip and ill get AS tendencies that are situational--including be overly sensitive to sound (ill hear things that aren't there) or smell..or wigging out because I see dirt or dust.

You also made me think about my own past.  And yes, there are key triggers there...excelling at an early age (I was doing long division before grade 1) but stalling after that.  Not caring.  Suddenly caring once I hit highschool.

It fits, right? Not soo much--there were other factors im not getting into that made that stall happen. It could have been prevented but it wasn't...mostly due to a shy personality and a lack of caring on the schoolboards end.

A lot of things do cross over.  I haven't listed what I have but theres a good chance you can probably figure it out.

Please. DO NOT think youve confirmed you have something based off of an online test. Those things are not accurate..you need an actual person to talk to you to determine a result.

It may have been my quote that was misinterpreted (below). I am by no means self diagnosing or advocating calling yourself ASD from taking an internet quiz, I have gotten to the point where my life is in a good place, and I have coping methods for stress. so unless I see the relevance of pursuing a formal diagnosis (the cause of whatever it is that had been causing me difficulties in the past) I'll have quietly wonder from time to time. (usually if someone asks if I've been checked for that! hah)

Perhaps try an online test and bring the results to your GP is you are concerned. I just touched on a couple items that have made people ask about me who have known me well. Also speak to your parents, perhaps they have information you do not remember to bring to your doctor that would be of interest.

Perhaps I used country specific terminology. GP is general practitioner, so a family Doctor. Here you cannot just call and book a specialists appointment. Your Dr. would look over your information, ask you further questions and refer you to specialists for diagnosis if they think that is a possible track. 

[Tak]

Ah, America how I love thee. So many different cultures trying to assert themselves and everyone trying hard to keep from offending anyone. I love my country I just wish we had a more progressive outlook on mental health. Officially, by the way, I'm autism spectrum disorder and numerous others. Having a label did help me to realize that there isn't something wrong with me. My brain just works differently. I'm trying to stay away from my daughter being officially diagnosed as the kids at her mean enough. I also feel that most will be just fine with simple understanding and a good support system therefore not needing to take medication that can cause more harm than good at times. I might have changed my situation sooner had I realized that I wasn't a freak of nature. I waited until too late and am disabled now. I just wish I could reach out and let all those who utilize different parts of their brains in different ways and experience life more intensely in some ways and just let them know they are beautiful just how they are. They add their unique perspective and talents to the world and the world is better for their contributions. I wish I could keep them all supported emotionally and keep them from suffering by trying to be "normal". Normal doesn't exist.
 

[lostpony]

There is so much interesting stuff in this thread for me to think about.

I am now editing my two lengthy posts, actually completely removing them, some 2000 words where I went on and on about my problems that were pretty heavy and it seems not entirely within the guidelines of Off Topic.  I certainly did not intend to exceed the guidelines but, well that's just how I am so am rectifying my posts here for the good of the thread and its OP.

I enjoyed immensely being supported so well by you who read and responded to my text and I cannot thank you all enough.

I have preserved the text and anyone who is curious just please feel free to ask and I will PM it to you without modifications.

Thanks everypony!  I love the community here.

[Strawberry Swirl]

I wasn't able to get into college for money reasons and got into computers on a high school education and that served me pretty well for a decade or two and then I had some difficulties with some powerful bullies with friends in the local government of a town where I bought a house, who did things like send a swat team to arrest me instead of an ambulance when I called 911 with a detaching retina needing emergency surgery, and held me without treatment overnight and now I have partial blindness...the good part in the center (of my one really good eye) that used to be 20/10 is now zero except for a thin crescent of vision at 20/200 so it is very stressful to read and my brain substitutes things into the space I can't see through so I can't do the sort of high-level data analysis that made me a good network engineer, and I can't study textbooks faster than 5 pages per hour, and I can't scan at all.  Seems I hadn't learned how to avoid angering bullies, or let's be honest, even tried to avoid angering bullies. 

I think next time somebody asks me why I'm petrified of police, I'll show them this comment.
Sorry that happened to you, by the way. It's odd to me that the SWAT team would either not notice
or completely ignore that you needed emergency medical care.

Post Merge: March 15, 2016, 08:11:57 AM

It's Aspie I have a problem with because I hate how that word sounds which is another trait; hating how certain words sound.

Oh my, this I didn't know!

That would explain why I get unusually irritated when somebody says the word "door" around me. /cringe

[Tak]

Lost pony, I'm so sorry for all you've been through.  I've never been able to understand how people can treat others that way. (Got me hurt a lot, too) my daughter's having the same problem that you had at school. She's smart and bored silly. Schools don't like kids to skip a grade because then that's a whole year of money they don't get. It's rare to find an educator that actually gives a darn whether their students are learning. My daughter's been in so much trouble this year because she's taken it upon herself to tell everyone how to do, spell, say, even play  'the right way'. I'm so disabled that I can't do much, so I continue to teach her myself at home and do everything I can to make school less horrid. I even went to a meeting with her teacher and principal to discuss skipping a grade. They gave her the paper test and she got all the answers correct, but in the 'show your work' section she drew a little picture of her brain instead of writing out 5-1=4 and such. They failed her for that  I thought it was very creative. The meeting itself was so awful for me that I passed out after. I just couldn't function.

Sapphire rain, for me it's all about enunciation and volume. I have a physical reaction to raised voices and grind my teeth at mispronounced words.

[melodys_angel]

Cant blame anyone for being concerned reguardless.  Its great if one doesn't need a professional diagnosis and can cope with what they deal with perfectly fine--but its also nice to have closure, especially if that means gaining access to tools or resources to try to cope better if you feel you cant do it on your own.

Online 'tests' are a huge red flag and any time someone feels like it could determine something for them, I get worried. I just want those that think they need a diagnosis to do it the proper way.

As far as country stigmas go, honestly it depends where you are and how long whatever you have has been eating at you.  Are you past the point of caring what anyone else thinks?

That said, this entire thread has gone from innocent 'does anyone else have this' ok to stay in Off topic, to something that really shouldn't be in OT. I don't want to have to move it so im going to ask one last time. Keep the thread light and within the original intentions of the OP.

[autieluna]

Again, it's text heavy so I haven't fully read or found the post in question I'm mainly replying to, but I actually am a person who likely would have been diagnosed Aspergers when it was a thing, and am super uncomfy with that terminology.

Also, I'm totally pro self diagnosis  I'm not talking about taking one online test here of course. There's lots of resources online that are more accurate than what the doctor's use and the autistic activist community as a whole is pro self diagnosis for a number of reasons I won't go into here to stay on topic. 

As for the collections/fixations thing—collecting and toys are both totally two fixations for me that combine regularly. I spend more time just looking at toys online, learning about them, reading reviews for them etc than doing just about anything else whatsoever and that's been true of me for over a year! (before, writing was my main interest and took up the majority of my waking life like this does now.) The exact toys in question varies though and the focus switches between them. Which is great, because there is always a ton more out there to learn about rather than it going stale. 

[FantasticFirefly]

Again, it's text heavy so I haven't fully read or found the post in question I'm mainly replying to, but I actually am a person who likely would have been diagnosed Aspergers when it was a thing, and am super uncomfy with that terminology.

Also, I'm totally pro self diagnosis  I'm not talking about taking one online test here of course. There's lots of resources online that are more accurate than what the doctor's use and the autistic activist community as a whole is pro self diagnosis for a number of reasons I won't go into here to stay on topic. 

We will have to respectfully disagree. One reason, melodys_angel is correct. Many traits of ASD can share characteristics with other conditions. Another example there is a form of ADHD that can closely resemble what was formally called Asperger's here.  A medical doctor who is a friend of mine told me his professor told him in school that many healthy students each year are terrified after learning about brain tumors and they will leave class that day convinced they have one- based on the symptoms which are also common in the populous and shared with many and more innocuous things.

Also, If something is causing a struggle functioning, it's worthwhile to get a correct diagnosis and correct help. In some places a formal diagnoses allows funding and access to programs for this to be covered as well. If you are in school, modifying programs to accommodate your specific needs which they won't if you don't have a confirmed reason. Not all Dr's are good, I know. If you feel that your concerns are brushed off and need help, keep perusing it and get a second opinion. Medically we have to be our own best advocate. For things I have been concerned with, my Dr's have been excellent checking for things I asked based on my symptoms when showing a list of family history of that issue and why I would be concerned. Or have spoken with me without a poo pooing tone if I ask questions based on reputable research I found.

[lostpony]

There is so much interesting stuff in this thread for me to think about.

I am now editing my two lengthy posts, actually completely removing them, some 2000 words where I went on and on about my problems that were pretty heavy and it seems not entirely within the guidelines of Off Topic.  I certainly did not intend to exceed the guidelines but, well that's just how I am so am rectifying my posts here for the good of the thread and its OP.

I enjoyed immensely being supported so well by you who read and responded to my text and I cannot thank you all enough.

I have preserved the text and anyone who is curious just please feel free to ask and I will PM it to you without modifications.

Thanks everypony!  I love the community here.

[Tak]

If you can find a good professional an official diagnosis can sometimes calm and help you to understand why. I'm so sorry melodys_angel. I'm trying to keep it from getting into dark areas.

[Emfen]

I just came here to say, yes I have AS and collect. Before collecting... I liked organizing, I have an organized chaos as I also struggle with ADD. The days when I function well my collection and management is super amazing, the days I don't, collecting can be a hell. My entire family is pretty much defined by hoarding.

[applejackbunny]

I must apologise. I had absolutely no idea that my post would elicit such strong feelings among so many here on the Arena. With hindsight, I suppose that was obvious, but that really wasn't my intention! I'm glad everyone is talking about it, I really am and I think that's great, I just really had no idea it would stir up so much!

I really did just want to know if people generally thought there may be a connection between AS and collecting ponies because something I read mentioned that toy collecting and categorising is common in AS children. I just wondered if it continued to be common amongst AS adults and given that we are all adults on here, I thought I'd ask the question 

In spite of the thread turning out to be mostly about diagnosis and it having wandered slightly OT, I want to thank everyone for their posts. Everyone has been incredibly honest, open and incredibly kind and it makes me happy to be a part of this lovely, supportive community. Thank you all for your heartfelt advice - I know it all comes from a good place and is very well-intentioned. I will spend some time going back over the thread and re-reading it when I have more time as there is a wealth of information from people who are far further along the path in this area than me and I will keep you posted on my progress.

Many of us will have faced lots of difficulties in various aspects of our lives due to having some of the traits associated with AS. For me, it seems to be chronic fatigue, being unable to fit in with my peer group, having chronic stress and anxiety and being overly emotional (along with lots of other things!). Many of you have shared your specific difficulties and talked about how hard it was to get a diagnosis (or whether you even wanted one!) and what it meant to you once you had it...

...you have also touched on the many, many positive traits of the "syndrome" (not sure what to call it now, lol!) and to my mind, those wonderful attributes, many and varied as they may be between individuals, vastly outweigh any of the negatives. Again, thank you so much for sharing all of your stories - it's given me a hugely greater insight into AS and a positive starting point for what could be a lengthy and difficult process ahead. Knowing how many of you are out there, and specifically here, on this forum, and that you all share a wonderful passion for ponies, makes it all seem so much easier 

[invaderhorizongreen]

I have aspergers syndrome and was diagnosed at 16, so I did not get the cognitive therapy at all. In school it was the toss things at the wall and see what sticks approach.  Though if the bunch of us formed a group can we make the gen 3 pony Puzzlemint our mascot?

[FantasticFirefly]

I must apologise. I had absolutely no idea that my post would elicit such strong feelings among so many here on the Arena. With hindsight, I suppose that was obvious, but that really wasn't my intention! I'm glad everyone is talking about it, I really am and I think that's great, I just really had no idea it would stir up so much!

I really did just want to know if people generally thought there may be a connection between AS and collecting ponies because something I read mentioned that toy collecting and categorising is common in AS children. I just wondered if it continued to be common amongst AS adults and given that we are all adults on here, I thought I'd ask the question 

In spite of the thread turning out to be mostly about diagnosis and it having wandered slightly OT, I want to thank everyone for their posts. Everyone has been incredibly honest, open and incredibly kind and it makes me happy to be a part of this lovely, supportive community. Thank you all for your heartfelt advice - I know it all comes from a good place and is very well-intentioned. I will spend some time going back over the thread and re-reading it when I have more time as there is a wealth of information from people who are far further along the path in this area than me and I will keep you posted on my progress.

Many of us will have faced lots of difficulties in various aspects of our lives due to having some of the traits associated with AS. For me, it seems to be chronic fatigue, being unable to fit in with my peer group, having chronic stress and anxiety and being overly emotional (along with lots of other things!). Many of you have shared your specific difficulties and talked about how hard it was to get a diagnosis (or whether you even wanted one!) and what it meant to you once you had it...

...you have also touched on the many, many positive traits of the "syndrome" (not sure what to call it now, lol!) and to my mind, those wonderful attributes, many and varied as they may be between individuals, vastly outweigh any of the negatives. Again, thank you so much for sharing all of your stories - it's given me a hugely greater insight into AS and a positive starting point for what could be a lengthy and difficult process ahead. Knowing how many of you are out there, and specifically here, on this forum, and that you all share a wonderful passion for ponies, makes it all seem so much easier 

Oops, I didn't realize it took on a far more serious tone that wasn't intended. Hm, I don't know about pony collecting specifically. but, with the children/people I have met who have ASD and also a specialized passion (hobby or interest) they were knowledgeable enough to teach a course on that subject. One little boy educated me so much on trains, different types and small details most people would never know about. totally self taught too. He was cute, his mom gave him a signal where he then paused and asked if I would like to hear time tell me more about trains.

I have wondered about ponies and another group. Obviously completely anecdotal but I do wonder if something about the line attracts "art people" disproportionately. hobbyists, students or designers. Artistically, I am drawn to ponies because of the themes and details I have found in the line and artistic qualities in the toys and packaging. Some years have their own "colour palette" and somehow this pleases me greatly! (as an art student I may be biased in seeing other people in the artistic realm and taking note. students, or professionals)