tlionheart78
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2010
- Messages
- 273
I've been struggling to make a thread like this for quite some time. It's difficulty lay in not only on how to word this, but as I really don't like bringing drama or sad tales on my life on a forum dedicated the happiest place on earth. Yet, if I don't even let this little fact about me out in the open out now, I'm afraid that I may just go a little bit crazy.
When I was a toddler, I was diagnosed with autism. This was way, WAY back in the early eighties. Like around 1980, 81. Back when I was a child, I had no idea as to why I was attending resource classes & speech therapy sessions and I was completely oblivious as to why I was the target of the occasional bullying. This teasing came from my constant obsession over trivial things from toy lines and video games, just to name a few. The sad thing is that I didn't know as to why my peers were doing this and the outbursts I often showed when I countered back. There was never anything violent (thankfully), but I was every emotional during those moments as far as I can remember.
It wasn't until I was in high school that I resolved to end that by not talking about those interests that hindered me through my elementary and middle school years. However, I turned into such an introvert that the only best moment of my life in high school was graduation. Now, to make a long story short, the reason why I've had these problems is that my focus was entirely on my own interests that I completely ignored a social life in school, thus it was extremely to either start or be involved in any kind of conversation. It was also then during high school that during a study hall in my resource class, I glanced on a roster of students that were in the class that among all the classmates that had some sort of mental disorder, I was the only one that was identified as autistic.
With all of that out of the way, I can now explain my status as of now. Ever since high school, my curiosity has driven me to learn more as to why the doctors diagnosed me the way they did when I was three. It turns out that I'm a high-functioning autistic (or having Asperger's Syndrome, as some experts would say). I'm able to communicate; however, I often have great difficulty forming the words I want to say or I often have great difficulty keeping my brain focused on a particular conversation. I've set myself up into daily rituals as to how my day is run that I've grown accustomed to in the past several years since. Needless to say, if there was any change in that ritual, I would easily feel uncomfortable in those surroundings. There's a whole host of other traits I possess, but I can't think of them all at this time.
So, why am I making this in the first place? Back in late September, I took my fourth trip to Walt Disney World. This was special because it was my first trip I've ever taken without the family. This event was such an eye-opener for me in not only how I'm wanting to handle my life, but on my behavior in social situations. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to people on my trip, especially when I interacted with cast members and meeting with favorite characters. (On a side note, I'm often left wondering if I made the greets awkward for the character due to my awkwardness
).
Great, now I'm rambling. The whole point of this that I heard about the DISboards during my trip and I wanted to sign up to a forum where I could make friends and hopefully meet them on future trips to the parks. However, because of my disability, I still have trouble finding my way through the boards and keeping up with the conversations held there. I don't know if 72 posts (as of this posting) and being on here for nearly two months is an average thing for some posters, but, in my heart, I know I can do better. If only I can get my brain around to getting out of this shell I'm in.
Anyway, I just wanted to get this off of my chest in the worst way. Not to act like a vulture or anything, but I'll be watching this thread very closely. I'm more than willing to answer any questions that anyone has about me. It may not seem like much, but to me, this is therapy so I can easily break down this communication barrier.
-David
When I was a toddler, I was diagnosed with autism. This was way, WAY back in the early eighties. Like around 1980, 81. Back when I was a child, I had no idea as to why I was attending resource classes & speech therapy sessions and I was completely oblivious as to why I was the target of the occasional bullying. This teasing came from my constant obsession over trivial things from toy lines and video games, just to name a few. The sad thing is that I didn't know as to why my peers were doing this and the outbursts I often showed when I countered back. There was never anything violent (thankfully), but I was every emotional during those moments as far as I can remember.
It wasn't until I was in high school that I resolved to end that by not talking about those interests that hindered me through my elementary and middle school years. However, I turned into such an introvert that the only best moment of my life in high school was graduation. Now, to make a long story short, the reason why I've had these problems is that my focus was entirely on my own interests that I completely ignored a social life in school, thus it was extremely to either start or be involved in any kind of conversation. It was also then during high school that during a study hall in my resource class, I glanced on a roster of students that were in the class that among all the classmates that had some sort of mental disorder, I was the only one that was identified as autistic.
With all of that out of the way, I can now explain my status as of now. Ever since high school, my curiosity has driven me to learn more as to why the doctors diagnosed me the way they did when I was three. It turns out that I'm a high-functioning autistic (or having Asperger's Syndrome, as some experts would say). I'm able to communicate; however, I often have great difficulty forming the words I want to say or I often have great difficulty keeping my brain focused on a particular conversation. I've set myself up into daily rituals as to how my day is run that I've grown accustomed to in the past several years since. Needless to say, if there was any change in that ritual, I would easily feel uncomfortable in those surroundings. There's a whole host of other traits I possess, but I can't think of them all at this time.
So, why am I making this in the first place? Back in late September, I took my fourth trip to Walt Disney World. This was special because it was my first trip I've ever taken without the family. This event was such an eye-opener for me in not only how I'm wanting to handle my life, but on my behavior in social situations. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to people on my trip, especially when I interacted with cast members and meeting with favorite characters. (On a side note, I'm often left wondering if I made the greets awkward for the character due to my awkwardness
).Great, now I'm rambling. The whole point of this that I heard about the DISboards during my trip and I wanted to sign up to a forum where I could make friends and hopefully meet them on future trips to the parks. However, because of my disability, I still have trouble finding my way through the boards and keeping up with the conversations held there. I don't know if 72 posts (as of this posting) and being on here for nearly two months is an average thing for some posters, but, in my heart, I know I can do better. If only I can get my brain around to getting out of this shell I'm in.
Anyway, I just wanted to get this off of my chest in the worst way. Not to act like a vulture or anything, but I'll be watching this thread very closely. I'm more than willing to answer any questions that anyone has about me. It may not seem like much, but to me, this is therapy so I can easily break down this communication barrier.
-David
