Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm a 32yo guy with Asperger's, I've always picked up on things more than I think "normal" people do but recently I've become even more aware of this. This could be a tap dripping in another room, the smell of burning that everyone else has totally missed, the werid noise coming from their car engine, the text that's out of alignment in a presentation by a pixel from one page to the next, the bad calculation on a page etc. These things stand out to me like a foghorn, the smell of an open sewer or a big flashing light and bug the hell out of me, I want to fix them even though to everyone else they don't even register. If I'm not careful these things can annoy me until I can fix them.
Does anyone else suffer with the same thing and have you found any suitable coping mechanisms to stop caring about fixing these things if it's not really within your remit?
Absolutely! My big things are spellings - I can spot a misspelling a mile off. And car number plates - I don't do it consciously but I seem to be a mine of useless information, including car reg numbers. If I see a car I've seen before, whether hours or years later, I can tell whoever is with me where I saw it last or where it is parked when not used. I can also spot if a car seems to be following me for some reason.
Homebird said:I notice spelling and punctuation errors. Have learnt to ignore unless important. However I make a lot of typos myself when typing quickly reversing the order.
Me too. All of that!
I notice spelling and punctuation errors. Have learnt to ignore unless important. However I make a lot of typos myself when typing quickly reversing the order.
Re smells, very acute. Useful if I smell gas although sometimes it can just be when a ring is turned on. A few years ago I tried to trace the source at work and eventually traced it to onion someone removed from a sandwich and left in the bin. When I worked in the office rather than from home I would notice any hot smells but often turned out to be from the cafe.
The other thing is noises which my other half doesn't hear and at night I have to check it out if I don't know what it is before going to sleep.
I find these things very annoying but where I can't fix them I have made myself switch off by telling myself to ignore them. Sometimes I wish my senses weren't so acute.
I'm like this with noise in particular (smells are a close second). I can hear the slightest tap or click and sometimes it gets overwhelming. We have new neighbours who are so noisy and the cacophony of sounds through out the day and night is utterly unbearable. I have had to invest in ear plugs to block out the noise.
You have a superpower!
I have A.S.C. and notice visual discrepances. My family always turn to me when they have lost things about the house, as I am able to find stuff really easily. I survey the room and the small plastic toy my son lost leaps out at me. I also seam to have an encylopedic vissual map stuff and notice when things are moved or appeared or disapeared. its also incredibly frustrating when stuff is out of place
There must be other ways it can be useful. good at spot the difference puzzles?
I know it can be anoying sometimes too, not sure what to suggest. have breaks? Visuals - close your eyes. Noise - ear plugs. unpleasant Smell - replace with nice one?
Best of luck
p.s, I cant spell, so I hope I havent made any annoying mistakes, if I have try to see them as a game/puzzle maybe?
I'm the same. I've learnt to just let these things be (most of the time!) but I've no helpful ideas on how to feel like that. I still want to oil the rusty chains on passing bicycles
You could put your acute observational skills to good use in some way- a few years back I did an animal tracking course. I was great at it and noticed stuff the instructor had missed. It was very satisfying to be able to indulge my fondness for noticing details and even to have it praised.