The Sensory Experience of Autism

People on the Spectrum experience the world in a different way. The senses of someone with autism are wired in such a different way that it is almost like they are living in a different world than a neurotypical people. Different stimuli lead to different behaviors that are considered “abnormal” – imagine if everybody in the world was wearing sunglasses except for you. You would think that the sunlight was too bright, and everyone else would just think you are crazy.

They would also be so much more cooler than you.

That’s what what autism is like… sort of. A child on the spectrum will react to loud noises that are not quite so loud to everyone else. A person with Aspergers will tune out everything in the room except for the smallest little thing that has grabbed his or her attention, simply because it is not so small to him or her. It’s not only that our reactions are different; our perceptions are altered, as well.

I went to the orthopedist the other day to address some pain issues I’ve been having in my elbows and wrists. The doctor begins examining me and asks me if it hurts if he does this, what pain level am I at if I do that. Now, I’m lucky to have been blessed with a high tolerance for pain (possibly due to my Aspergers). In order to answer his question to get the desired result  – him actually giving a fuck about my arm hurting and doing something about it – I need to do an “Aspie-to-NT Pain Conversion” calculation. Simply put, I lie and say my pain is worse than it really is.

“… then we multiply by the indifference constant to overcome the “Who Gives a Shit” factor…”

But the skewing doesn’t just go one way. If the doctor asked me on a scale of 1 to 10 how big of an annoyance having a fold in my sock is, I’d answer “OH MY GOD, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HELL I’M LIVING IN AT THIS MOMENT!!!!” So it’s not like I’m completely numb in one direction or overly sensitive in the other; it swings both ways. My stimulus filter is tuned differently than most other people’s are. So I’m forced to adjust, and as I grow older I learn the ways to adjust the way I see and feel the world to fit closer to what would be considered”normal.”

I’m a Whovian

It took a while. But after numerous delays – from Netflix unavailability to bandwith issues, I FINALLY got myself caught up on my Doctor Who episodes! And, since this is one of my “things” now, I’m going to be spewing forth some Doctor Who-related comments. Most of what follows are my opinions and/or predictions, and have not been confirmed of corroborated in any way.

You’ve been warned, sweetie.

Since this is my first time posting about Doctor Who, I’ll give you a little insight on my Who experience. I started watching with the modern epidoses, with the Ninth Doctor. I have passing knowledge of the older versions of the show, but not much familiarity. And, while I will give Matt Smith credit on doing a decent job as the Eleventh Doctor, in my opinion the best Doctor by far is David Tennant (the Tenth). He is one of the main reasons I’m extremely psyched for the 50th anniversary episode!

 

We feel the same way.

Speaking of that 50th anniversary episode… what should we expect from this episode?

The end of the last episode (The Name of the Doctor) left us with the Doctor and Clara escaping the Doctor’s own time stream – an action that, as described by the Doctor himself, was impossble. But Clara is the “Impossible Girl.” She’s apparently able to do the impossible and allow herself and the Doctor to escape the time stream, albeit leaving approximately 7,328 paradoxes behind. Before escaping, the Doctor explains that everyone in the time stream with them is him – including the menacing, shadowy figure nearby who we are obviously meant to see as a not-so-nice dude. The Doctor says that this represents who he was before he made the promise by taking the name of the Doctor. We are then introduced to John Hurt as “The Doctor,” and he does not look like a happy character.

Are you following along so far?

 Here’s what I think is going to happen in the 50th anniversary episode:

I think that when the Doctor and Clara escape the time stream, it’s going to open a rift through  which all of the previous Doctors will be able to exit, including the pre-Doctor version of the Doctor. This version is not the benevolent Doctor we are used to seeing – this is a man who has done terrible things. He is ruthless, merciless, and not to be messed with. This is the past that the Doctor has been running from since he cleverly faked his own death with the Teselecta (remember that?). When this “pre-Doctor Doctor” is let loose, the entire universe will be threatened! The fabric of space-time itself will be vulnerable!!!!

Bum ba da bum!!! Doctors to the rescue!

All of the previous incarnations will end up working together to confront (and hopefully defeat) John Hurt’s mega-evil Time Lord of Death character. Previous companions will chip in, as well. It’s gonna be EPIC!

It will probably also be nothing like what I described. But it’s fun to guess, and (hopefully) it’ll be even more fun to watch!

Top 12 of ’12

In honor of the culmination of the year 2012 (WE SURVIVED A MAYAN ALIEN ATTACK, OR WHATEVER THAT WHOLE THING WAS ABOUT!!!), this is a countdown of my top 12 favorite posts I made during the past year.

Yes, this is my blog’s version of a clip show.

Enjoy!

12. The Self Aware Aspie  (12/23/12) – how a diagnosis helps an Aspie and others understand their situation.

11. Feeling Out of Place (8/15/12) – I get the feeling that I don’t belong.

10. Friday Night Anti-Socialite  (11/3/12) – I am EXTREMELY uncomfortable at a social gathering.

9. Like I’m Not Even There  (4/6/12) – Nobody listens to my awesome ideas.

8. Perfectionism (7/15/12) – Why can’t everything be right?

7. The Dentist (1/25/12) – I suffer through a trip to the dentist.

6. Dunkin Donuts Ruins My Day (1/10/12) – It’s the little things that drive me mad.

5. Hi, Nice to Meet You. By the Way, I Have Aspergers. (10/15/12) – How does one drop the Aspie bomb?

4. I’M NORMAL!!! (for once) (10/16/12) – I surprise myself with my unexpectedly rational behavior.

3. The Challenges of Being an Aspie and a Parent  (6/28/12) – You think being an NT parent is hard?

2. Unseen Health Risks of Aspergers (2/23/12) – A doctor’s office can be a scary place.

1. Facing the Truth  (8/6/12) – Aspies will save the world!