Neurodiversity

[Ursy]

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

The same thing my teachers said when I was little...if she would apply herself...try harder...change...listen...change...getting the right answer is not good enough...she must show her work...even if the answer pops in her head...stop her from counting with her fingers...she needs to make decisions faster...she is in her own little world and cares for no one but herself...she reads too much...she needs to stop drawing during class...it won't help her future to memorize all those train stations and maps...

Love the blog!

I got that - well, I got branded "lazy". "Apply herself" was something that I heard a lot, as well as "daydreaming" - oh yes, and the "stop drawing during class" - I once got into big trouble for drawing on an exam once I'd answered all the questions that I could. But nobody had heard of Asperger's back then. I wonder if it would have been easier if they had? I guess so...

Originally Posted by Liam

I just watched Adam, a movie about a fellow aspergian. Has anyone else seen it? What did you think of it?

I saw it - awhile ago. I think I enjoyed it, could see myself in some of it (not all). I think some of it was a bit over-simplified but that could have been for the benefit of the masses who might not know a lot about people on the autistic spectrum... but overall, I think it was a pretty good movie. My favourite is Snow Cake, even though the character Sigourney Weaver played was more autistic than asperger's. I think her daughter was probably aspie.

Originally Posted by violaine

did you ever try to explain to the teachers that you were listening, thinking, feeling, following, understanding . . . only to be met with something ELSE [negatively stated] about your tone of voice ? ? ? being called 'argumentative' in responding to how they so wrongly perceived you?

I wish I could have tried, though it sounds like it would not have helped anyway - I would have been misinterpreted just like you described, Belle. I usually would just cry and be completely unable to advocate for myself or explain anything at all.

It's very frustrating to be so emotionally fragile!