Confusion

I guess some things were better in the 70's , Wagon Wheels, Fab Lollies and Curly Wurlies were bigger, and Freddie Mercury was atill alive, 25 th anniversary of his death today, tho I try not to see it as sad as he left us a great musical legacy, and the body is just a shell for the spirit and soul. He was right when he said that he would be a LEGEND!!!! 

For the 21st Century, I think  attitudes towards disability and mental illness  have changed.  I hate shopping, especially with the silly season approaching, so I prefer to buy online. However there seems to be a nostalgia for the past, in that vinyl record sales have increased, tho vinyl is the best format tho if I buy a new release I usually by the CD as the vinyl is too expensive seeing as I'n on a limited income, tho I do sometimes buy secondhand vinyl (or CDs).      

I agree PTSD/Gulf War Syndrome I think are now recognised as illnesses.  When I think back 100 years or so ago, the military top brass was having soldiers shot for "cowardice" which was more likely "Shell shock" or PSTD as it would be called today.

I agree that ASD/Aspergers doesn't mean someone will be socially nervous.

Oh yes Brown Sauce I remember that well

Embuggerance I see as a jolly spiffing word. I love that word spiffing, tho seems to have fallen into disuse, apart from maybe it sounds kind of eccentric!!!!

I sell poppies for The Royal British Legion, as a very good friend says he suffers from combat related PTSD, and have an RBL locally, so just done my sessions in the local Tescos. I do enjoy it despite us aspies supposedly being "anti-social". I don't thinnk we're anti social but maybe more worried about making idiots of ourselves, not that we are idiots, but maybe just feel that way.

  Oh yes Swap Shap I used to love that , Posh Paws, Eric, trying to think who or what else was on it!!! 

I think embuggerance could be a favourite word of mine. 

DOH forgot link to Joey Deacon, tho I did also watch Tiswas!!! en.wikipedia.org/.../Joey_Deacon

"Embuggerence"  I love that word, sounds like something in the way that's being something of a bugger!!!  Tho can;t say I've heard it, OH wait I do have a copy of Bravo Two Zero (yep I know not very girlie reading, but a very good friend got ne into Andy McNab and Chris Ryan books, just the stories keep me coming back for more, as I love to know how the Hero in the story is doing.  en.wiktionary.org/.../embuggerance.

So is looking younger a trait of autism/aspergers/ASD, see I'm not sure what to call it. In my previous employment I was taken to look 12 years younger than I actually was.
As regards "Bert" I would gather he seems reasonably intelligent, I think from what I've heard he's made progress in the previous 2 years. It's me who has what I call my "blonde moments" well I was blonde as a kid. just us blondes get more intelligent with age. IF Bert nipped out by himself I said "Shall I lock the door behind you" He said that he had his own key, of course he would it's his home as well as my workplace. Tho ib conversation with him it does seem to be yes, no , maybe Tho I do try and ask questions that require more than a yes/no answer.

As regards severity of my ASD, I think the term "autism" seems to apply to Dustin Hoffman's character in Rain Man, or can apply to someone with a severe learning disability, or someone of seemingly lower intelligence, tho I didn't know what Bert was like 2-3 years ago, he seens to manage most things himself, but seems rather OCD.
Maybe i just think employers may see the terms autism and autistic negatively.

For those of us 60's and 70's kids you may remember Joey Deacon who was followed on Blue Peter for International Year Of The Disabled, tho I do remember that kids would use the term "Joey" as an insult, so I think the portrayal of disabled people in a positive light failed somewhat. From this article it would appear that "Mr Deacon was perceived to be "mentally subnormal" (that term sounds so offensive in the C21st) , tho it turned out he had normal mental ability.
I'm just thinking sometimes I seem to talk rather fast, possibly when I'm anxious or enthusiastic about sonething.  I know certain family members have asked me to repeat things numerous times, tho I wonder is it my speech or if certain family members might be going a little deaf!!!
Aspergers is probably the term I'd use for myself I might ask my employment advisor what she thinks, she's an aspie too. Maybe an aspie or one with such traits is able to recognise another aspie, (my mum thinks she might have it, unless she's just rather shy). I think with me I've a desire to make friends, tho sometimes a fear of making an idiot of myself stops me, or maybe I think the conversation might dry up, or if I get onto a favourite subject I might bore them. I know my mum thinks I'm eccentric which I know I can be around friends, tho I feel at family events I have to try and surpress some of my eccentricity. I know previously I've worked in customer service type roles qand if someone is rude to me or asks what seems to be a stupid question I really have to hold back from being flippant.
Tho put me in a railway  museum I'm in my element , I think a job where I can talk about my enthusiasmor perhaps working in  theatrical costume might be right up my street. I know as a teen I wanted to be a train driver or join the RAF. I'm thinking I'd like to test the water for HGV driving, I think that's perhaps right amount of interaction, and I enjoy playing music whilst driving.    

Vometia, there is no competition - it's unfortunately a fact that I'm older than you :(

I remember seeing a photo you posted - I don't know when it was taken, but it appears you look much younger than you are. People think I'm much younger than I am too (1960 vintage). I hear it's common in Aspies?

Everyone has their own basket of traits and abilities and issues. If you have autism but have enough abilitity and strength and determination and you don't have other major issues then you might appear to be "mildly affected". So, if you only have autism - i.e. the lack of ability to work out what is going on socially then you might just appear to be eccentric or contrary to others. If you have autism and you also have limited intelligence or have been badly affected by upbringing then you might be like 'Bert'.

Being terrible at interviews is a classic issue - in a situation where you are meeting new people then everything will be very hard work. You won't know how to handle the interviewer and you are likely to be confused by questions coming out of the blue. It was my experience in yet another catastrophic interview that put me onto the path for diagnosis. Now that I know that I have autism I am am more forgiving of myself in interviews as I know that there is a a genuine issue so I have learnt not to get too distressed if I foul it up again. I have recently found a new job and am going through the early months of working in a new organisation - organisations can be very different and a lot of it depends on the personality of the manager - they are all very different as you would expect if you understand that we are very different too.

Being bullied is a normal experience for us as we can be very irritating and other people often have little ability to manage non-standard people. i don't regard this as a blame situation, it isn't their fault that they are rubbish at managing. 

Hi KillerQueen

I call myself an Aspie - that's short for "person with aspergers" if you haven't come across the term yet. 

I'm an older female, and had no knowledge about the autistic spectrum until fairly recently. It then became a special interest for me (typical autistic trait). Not only have I read loads of information about autism, I've also researched what it is to be neurotypical too, as I wanted to know what so called "normal" development, cognition and behaviour was, and how I differ from the "norm".

It doesn't matter what label you use, you're still the same person. Choose whichever one suits you. I describe myself to colleagues as having "mild aspergers". Most people know the term, and seem to associate it with someone who doesn't have major learning difficulties, whereas I believe that most people would link the "autistic" label with having learning difficulties and being difficult to communicate with.

I have had years of observing and copying "normal" behaviour,  but learning about myself over the past year has really helped me understand my own feelings and responses and develop ways of dealing with anxiety and stress. I also understand other people a bit better now, and I try to be more forgiving of both myself and others.

I am very lucky in having a loving and understanding (Aspie) partner and great work colleagues who appreciate my skills and attributes, and generally don't pressure me to go to social events now they know why I find them difficult. I'm also lucky to be able to survive financially working only 25 hours a week now - I worked full time for many years but it was exhausting.

Yeah, I'm clumsy too, often walking into desks, doors, etc. Queen were my favourite band in the late 70s and I like Gary Numan too.

Maybe that's why I seem to have a negative view of being described as "Autistic" I can't think of the statistics off of my head but isn't it about 16% of autistic people in paid employment. Across my employment history I seem to have a problem with managers/supervisors (not all of them). I can have respect for a good manager, maybe some of the training/teaching  methods I can't seem to grasp. Perhaps with Aspergers if it's seen as more "mild" then an employer will maybe need to make fewer adaptions, that's how I've tended to view it over the years.

I think the problem is the Diagnostic Manual seems to change the definitions every few years. I think had I receieved my diagnosis at about the time Gary Numan received his (2001) we'd both have Aspergers. Maybe the way to look at Aspergers/Autism/ASD is like a paint chart and there doesn't seem to be sterotypical affected person. and our problems can be unique, so any support is best tailored to the individual rather than a "One size fits all" approach. I think I could hold down a job as long as I get the right support (and the manager doesn't turn out to be a bully).

I don't know at what age I would've been diagnosed had it been picked up in the 70's or 80's. I was born 5-6 weeks early, and at the time of my birth I was breifly starved of oxygen for a few seconds, so I'm wondering if that contributed. I was late walking and talking, and even now I feel I sometimes have a clumsy gait. I do seem to ohave a history of stress, anxiety, depression too.

As regards music as you can probably tell from my name I love Queen, also a great Rolling Stones fan, I mainly like Rock, Metal and Blues , tho I do enjoy Classical. I do like some Electronica such as Gary Numan, Tho he also uses more guitars these days, but retains the Electronic element. I love Kraftwerk's Autobahn, how It just soars and soars!!!