intelligence

does anyone else feel this because i feel like out of anyone i know that i'm the dumbest and that i can never be as smart as everyone else and that i won't be able to get a good career because of this. i just feel like my IQ doesn't measure up to others.

Parents
  • I have been at both ends.

    I was labelled a child genius. I had a MENSA-worthy IQ and raced through all academic work to the point where schools couldn't keep up with me.

    As I reached my teenage years I was still highly intelligent, but my autistic limitations were definitely holding me back. My peers were growing around me, and my limitations were becoming increasingly obvious by the year because I simply wasn't keeping up.

    As an adult, I definitely feel significantly less intelligent. Many basic adult tasks are beyond me, like properly maintaining my home, paying bills and dealing with companies/businesses, using public transport. I have an inability to follow world news and culture, so I can't join in with many adult conversations. I'm physically slow - my motor skills simply haven't reached an adult level and so I'm much slower at any tasks that involve my hands and I'm also clumsy. I find it very difficult to speak in general, so I end up using very limited vocabulary to save myself the effort/risk, or I say the wrong thing and make myself look stupid.

    I know I still have that intelligent mind - I get to hear it every moment of every day - but it's locked away and nobody else can tell it's there. I've always described it as a wall or a bubble - it's all inside, very little of it actually gets out.

    As a result I've found it so hard to see how non-verbal autistic people are often treated by NT adults. I know how it feels to have an intelligent mind locked away, and for them the issue is an even bigger one as they haven't got any voice at all.

    If I could simply write everything, with no face to face interaction, I know that people would have a very different opinion of my intelligence level. In reality, most people that get to know me without knowing my age are very surprised when they find out how old I am because I don't seem anywhere near as capable, communicative or able as they expect a woman of my age to be.

Reply
  • I have been at both ends.

    I was labelled a child genius. I had a MENSA-worthy IQ and raced through all academic work to the point where schools couldn't keep up with me.

    As I reached my teenage years I was still highly intelligent, but my autistic limitations were definitely holding me back. My peers were growing around me, and my limitations were becoming increasingly obvious by the year because I simply wasn't keeping up.

    As an adult, I definitely feel significantly less intelligent. Many basic adult tasks are beyond me, like properly maintaining my home, paying bills and dealing with companies/businesses, using public transport. I have an inability to follow world news and culture, so I can't join in with many adult conversations. I'm physically slow - my motor skills simply haven't reached an adult level and so I'm much slower at any tasks that involve my hands and I'm also clumsy. I find it very difficult to speak in general, so I end up using very limited vocabulary to save myself the effort/risk, or I say the wrong thing and make myself look stupid.

    I know I still have that intelligent mind - I get to hear it every moment of every day - but it's locked away and nobody else can tell it's there. I've always described it as a wall or a bubble - it's all inside, very little of it actually gets out.

    As a result I've found it so hard to see how non-verbal autistic people are often treated by NT adults. I know how it feels to have an intelligent mind locked away, and for them the issue is an even bigger one as they haven't got any voice at all.

    If I could simply write everything, with no face to face interaction, I know that people would have a very different opinion of my intelligence level. In reality, most people that get to know me without knowing my age are very surprised when they find out how old I am because I don't seem anywhere near as capable, communicative or able as they expect a woman of my age to be.

Children
  • I know I still have that intelligent mind - I get to hear it every moment of every day - but it's locked away and nobody else can tell it's there. I've always described it as a wall or a bubble - it's all inside, very little of it actually gets out.

    As a result I've found it so hard to see how non-verbal autistic people are often treated by NT adults. I know how it feels to have an intelligent mind locked away, and for them the issue is an even bigger one as they haven't got any voice at all.

    Spot on 

  • I couldn’t have described myself better if I tried. Don’t give up though. We will find our voice. 

  • indeed, i use to be the best in school but then as high school rolled around i started to not be as good as i was and seemingly worse. i saw people easily do work that i had a difficult time on and that hit me.

  • I have been at both ends.

    I was labelled a child genius. I had a MENSA-worthy IQ and raced through all academic work to the point where schools couldn't keep up with me.

    As I reached my teenage years I was still highly intelligent, but my autistic limitations were definitely holding me back. My peers were growing around me, and my limitations were becoming increasingly obvious by the year because I simply wasn't keeping up.

    As an adult, I definitely feel significantly less intelligent. Many basic adult tasks are beyond me, like properly maintaining my home, paying bills and dealing with companies/businesses, using public transport. I have an inability to follow world news and culture, so I can't join in with many adult conversations. I'm physically slow - my motor skills simply haven't reached an adult level and so I'm much slower at any tasks that involve my hands and I'm also clumsy. I find it very difficult to speak in general, so I end up using very limited vocabulary to save myself the effort/risk, or I say the wrong thing and make myself look stupid.

    I know I still have that intelligent mind - I get to hear it every moment of every day - but it's locked away and nobody else can tell it's there. I've always described it as a wall or a bubble - it's all inside, very little of it actually gets out.

    As a result I've found it so hard to see how non-verbal autistic people are often treated by NT adults. I know how it feels to have an intelligent mind locked away, and for them the issue is an even bigger one as they haven't got any voice at all.

    If I could simply write everything, with no face to face interaction, I know that people would have a very different opinion of my intelligence level. In reality, most people that get to know me without knowing my age are very surprised when they find out how old I am because I don't seem anywhere near as capable, communicative or able as they expect a woman of my age to be.

    Right there with you, Blade.  Although I have my IQ and my degree, and can manage independently, I likewise can't join in on many 'adult' conversations.  I find it difficult to converse with my work colleagues - but I have the autistic service users I work with to 'converse' with, on their own terms.  Their world is my world, too.  I also know how it feels to have a mind locked away, and ignored.  Yet I have the power of speech and an extensive vocabulary.  As you have.

    Keep writing, I'd say.  If that's your medium, use it.