How do you see yourself in terms of your Autism?

verity

Do you think your personality and identity is an extension of your autism, separate or do think of your autism part or whole of yourself?

Bender

verity said:

Do you think your personality and identity is an extension of your autism, separate or do think of your autism part or whole of yourself?

Definitely not the first, it would imply that if you take the autism out there's nothing left. Another reason I would be hesitant to identify this way is how incredibly different individual people on the spectrum can be: their autistic traits can vary and manifest differently, but most importantly, their personalities seem to vary as much as in the rest of the population.

I also don't see how they can be completely separate, since they influence each other.

So I guess a part or aspect of myself would be the most accurate description for how I see it (granted, a part that plays an active role in the whole if that makes sense). I think I see my identity as a result of nature+nurture+personal experiences, with autism being part of nature (genetic makeup) but also playing a part or influencing the other two.

Interesting question, I don't think I thought about it in these terms before.

Statest16

I'm not much into technical diagnosis really there very fly by night.At 14 they said I was PDD-NOS at 19 they said Aspergers in 2014 they said ASD level 1 

I call myself a idiot savant and don't care much for doctors.

verity

Statest16 said:

I'm not much into technical diagnosis really there very fly by night.At 14 they said I was PDD-NOS at 19 they said Aspergers in 2014 they said ASD level 1 

I call myself a idiot savant and don't care much for doctors.

I had a difficult time with doctors too, as we had different objectives at the time of diagnosis and this frustrated me, I since taken the view is is not their area for the most part, so moved on.

The point about technical diagnosis a modelling is an interesting discussion in its own right.

So that is what you call yourself,  but how does that aspect of you relate to your whole personality. How do you view it in relation the entire self? One view of savantism, or gestalt thinking is it is almost an automatic thing. So you think of it as soemthign you have or soemthign you are and is this in part or in hole.

I guess it is a chicken an egg question too.

Amity

Hi everyone

I think the medical model of disability has led society to pathologize anything outside the idea of 'normal'.

I mean this is how I am, how I was born, the autism doesnt change, but an individuals personality can change in response to time and experiences. In a world where the social model of disability still plays second fiddle to the medical model, to survive I have to adapt myself in order to fit in with how society is organised.

The message of abnormality in all aspects of regular life, impacts on how I see myself, my self esteem, it has to, Im not impervious to continuous messages and lived experiences.

I would posit that the response of society to invisible disabilities such as Autism has more of an impact on my personality than my neurology/Autism does.

Statest16

verity said:

Statest16 said:

I'm not much into technical diagnosis really there very fly by night.At 14 they said I was PDD-NOS at 19 they said Aspergers in 2014 they said ASD level 1 

I call myself a idiot savant and don't care much for doctors.

I had a difficult time with doctors too, as we had different objectives at the time of diagnosis and this frustrated me, I since taken the view is is not their area for the most part, so moved on.

The point about technical diagnosis a modelling is an interesting discussion in its own right.

So that is what you call yourself,  but how does that aspect of you relate to your whole personality. How do you view it in relation the entire self? One view of savantism, or gestalt thinking is it is almost an automatic thing. So you think of it as soemthign you have or soemthign you are and is this in part or in hole.

I guess it is a chicken an egg question too.

I don't describe myself in words well,hard question to answer

verity

Statest16 said:

I don't describe myself in words well,hard question to answer

That is fair enough. Would you say it is not something you think about much  and it more others who have pointed out traits? Or do have a sense of self and and sense of you autism, but couldn't describe that in words? If the later can you separate them or not?

Savantism interests me. To me it is like an specialised process that is "black box". Do you think of your Savantism as a part of you or just something you can do?

verity

I think of my Autism as an active component in shaping my personality but not my entire self.

Statest16

verity said:

Statest16 said:

I don't describe myself in words well,hard question to answer

That is fair enough. Would you say it is not something you think about much  and it more others who have pointed out traits? Or do have a sense of self and and sense of you autism, but couldn't describe that in words? If the later can you separate them or not?

Savantism interests me. To me it is like an specialised process that is "black box". Do you think of your Savantism as a part of you or just something you can do?

I don't know if savant skills are an issue "idiot savant" has been a colloquial way to refer to autism.it's more slang for autism than a reference to savant abilities.It's like other terms like "melonhead or "downsdummy" to thumb your nose at the hyper PC left wingers.

Hylian

I think that autism affects my personality and identity, but I don't think that those things are entirely dependent on my autism. I definitely wouldn't be quite the same without it though.