adult autism

I need the same info LadyBug613 asked for in November '07.  Without going into too much detail, I have seen doctors non-stop in the last 2 to 3 years...and none have been able to figure out what my health issue is.   When i read LadyBug613's short note...these are the symptoms i have been telling my doctors all along.  

[MJIthewriter]

I don't have the info offhand, but you could try reading my journals and see if any of that could be comparable. Everyone's autism is a bit different, but there may be some common things shared in my journals/posts that LadyBug613 also posted.

[MJIthewriter]

On top of that, you can also go to this topic. I think I made a fairly good post. It's kind of long.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/446089

Here it is cross posted:

As a person with PDD NOS (very similar to aspergers) I can explain what I deal with and see if any rings true with you. For more info, make sure to click on my name to read my journal entries about what a shopping experience is like as well as other things.

- feeling clueless in new or social situations. For me I like to be accompanied by someone who is familiar and can introduce me to people.

- Trouble recognizing faces. If I don't see the person often or nothing stands out, it is like meeting them for the first time just about every time I meet them.  If I do learn to recognize someone, I may only recognize them in a particular setting and context. Anywhere else, they are like a stranger to me. If they try to talk with me, it is like meeting them the first time.

- Noises, visual clutter, chaos... tend to overwhelm me and make me melt down. For me a trigger is shopping at our local Walmart and Cub's Foods.  Any time I hear a kid under 5 shrieking to the top of their lungs, I have to get out of the setting. Not only is it annoying but it HURTS my ears.  If I can't leave then I feel intense anxiety like a wild animal trapped in a cage. Vacuums, lawn mowers, blenders, etc HURT my ears. If I don't plug my ears somehow, then I get ringing in my ears after the thing is done. (Which may imply the possibility the noise can cause actual damage, not just be perceived pain.)

Personality wise I'm rather friendly though may be perceived by others as shy or stuck up. I interact best one on one. In a group setting I have a tendency to interrupt because I have no idea when to join a conversation and I want to get my word in before they change subject!  Either that or I just stay quiet...  

If people try to greet me, I may not always notice. If someone waves, I may not wave back because I don't know if they are looking at me or someone else. Or I may wave back when someone is not greeting me...

Socially I have to blunder my way through, because every experience is a new one and without being able to fully understand people's emotions on an emotional level I have to put on an act and hope I am acting appropriately. Things like sympathy are the most difficult. My understanding of feelings for others is different. I analyze and try to understand on a cognitive level. (For me that's often using my imagination and transferring to my imaginary "characters" whether that be the characters I write about or temporary human characters...

Basically if you're talking to me, I am trying to make a movie of you in my head, animated and as detailed as possible.) This slows me down and others may confuse me with being delayed or "retarded" Especially if I start asking questions like "What kind of dog?" "What color was the car?"  The person may be offended because that is totally irrelevant to what they were telling about. To an autistic, it is important for making our mental movie as identical to what you're seeing in your head as you are sharing your story as possible!

That's just a few examples.

[mjthewriterdad]

Looked for it.  Can't find it.