Disability Corner

[Boober_Gorg]

I've noticed that there are quite a few members of this forum who have disabilities. Thus I think there should be a thread where members can talk about their disabilities, mental or physical, without fear of ridicule. In this thread you can talk about the advantages and disadvantages about your condition, ask for advice from others if you feel inclined, or, whether or not you're disabled, even give advice to those who ask. Non-disabled members are also welcome to talk about any disabled people they work with. By doing all that, maybe we can get to know each other better.

First off, both me and ssetta have Asperger's Syndrome. It's a form of autism which affects social skills, which creates a burden on one's childhood. It's very hard for someone with Asperger's to adapt to an environment, even if they've been there for a long time. But with me, I've made a good name for myself around the college I attend. My high school years were 90% pure torture, so you can imagine what a relief it is to make a fresh new start. I talk as much as I can with other people, in or out of my classes. Sometimes I'm a bit TOO self-conscious, but then again, so are a lot of people. Having been tortured and teased throughout high school, I know by now what makes a good impression and what makes a bad one (this especially applies towards this forum - I know what kind of posts give others a bad impression of you). But the more people I get to know, the bigger my confidence becomes. Since high school I've been yearning for a close relationship with a woman, but I tried all the wrong things, and thus was lectured sternly on how to behave around females. After awhile, I just stopped trying and started acting like a total eunich around them (talking about anything but romance) ... and astonishingly, it got pretty good results. Right now I'm dating a wonderful woman named Ronna, whom I met in a class last quarter and we've been dating since November. My relationship with her is the closest I've ever come to having true love. I'm doing things with her (and her younger sister Mindy, who also likes me) that I used to dream of doing with girls in high school: having nice, meaningful conversations; going to movies; dining out; and just plain exchanging happiness in general. Mindy also informs me about any faux pas I might be curious about ... now that's the kind of help I wish I had in high school.

As advantaged as this makes me sound, I must confess that I still feel a little disadvantaged. For example, at times I can get competitive. Thanks to my high school years, I often don't feel very attractive ('cause I'm not blonde or blue-eyed), Thus, I tend to rely on others to cheer me up (mostly my mom or my dad, and sometimes even my sister), because when such thoughts fill my head, it becomes harder and harder to make myself feel happy. Then again, you might say it's because I dig my own social grave since I decide to be by myself more often than be with people, because frequently, I'm extremely at peace by myself. However, I do get lonely, and I yearn for the company of others, but I'm slowly taking steps to expand my social network. It's not as easy for me as it is for everyone else (or so I've led myself to believe). Still, as long as I keep my head filled with happy thoughts, like knowing that Ronna and Mindy both find me attractive, I feel complete. For me, depression is a feeling that comes and goes like life itself.

Just like ssetta thinks it's not fair that Hilary Duff is given more attention than classic Sesame Street, I think it's not fair that more attention is paid to the field of acting than that of animation (the industry in which I plan to make a name for myself). Then again, they are two entirely different art forms, and each one is special in its own way. As long as I keep that in mind, then I'm all right.

 

[beaker]

Good post man...it sounds like youve come along way. I always love hearing people really progress in all aspects.

I myself had OCD for the longest time(more organizing/anxiety for me...I remember when I was 3 I had to have all my sesame, japanese robots and star wars toys all lined up just so...never had the hand washing thing tho)
and Ive had a milder form of diabetes since 1998(around the time I joined Muppet Central...hmm, coincidence? sugary candy muppet goodness!)
That and Im also insane...ok, not really...people just think that when they see my comics. Anyways, I think its the challenges in life that end up making up better or more creative people sometimes.

 

[dmx10101]

I used to have seizures when I was younger. I got them when I was very, very young not sure exact age, but I was able to rid them when I was 10 thanks to medicines and God. So, I have be seizure free for over 8 years.

 

[Klonoa]

I have been blind in my left eye since birth.

It doesn't reallly affect too much, though. I do not have very good depth perception or periphrial vision. I have trouble doing certain things like catching fast moving objects like baseballs or riding a bicycle (my balance is kind of thrown off). Since I am technically legally blind I cannot drive a car either. But that's about all my disability keeps me from doing. You would never be able to tell just by looking at me that I am blind in my left eye.

--Klonoa

 

[Whatever]

I was born with a high frequency hearing loss. They did not diagnose thie until I was entering first grade, although my mom was certain that something was wrong because I talked odd. I was in speech therapy kindergarten through eighth grade. I actually enjoyed that, I had the same therapist 3rd through 8th grade and she became sort of a second mother to me. I cannot hear or understand whispering. I cannot hear s, sh, s blends, ch, and l most/ some of the time, and therefore I often say them wrong. My mom worries that my speech patterns may interfere with getting a job later on. I hate hate hate it when I cannot understand what is said to me. Usually if I cannot hear, I lose control and burst out crying. I avoid loud music to avoid further damage to my ears. I miss out on lots of parties due to this. I prefer watching TV or movies with closed captions. My family has become accustomed to watching with closed captions too and have trouble watching without them now, though they have normal hearing. I finally got hearing aids two years ago. Although they were always my dream, I am not sure how much they really help me. I spent last year in Germany, and it took me longer to pick up German than my friends, which was so frustrating. I spent a week in the hospital in Germany getting infusions, because my ears were ringing nonstop. The doctors said I have tinitus. That was an extremely difficult week, probably the worst in my life. I had problems with a Spanish professor this semester because I could not understand his accent. It's a really hard road, but I know I have done so much in spite of it. I am attending college on a full scholarship and with a 3.8 GPA and I am now fluent in German.

 

[Klonoa]

Oh yeah, one thing I forgot. I can't see any of those 3-D illusion things like Magic Eye or 3-D movies. I did see the MuppetVision 3-D thing at Disney World but I couldn't see any of the 3-D effects. You need both eyes for those.

--Klonoa

 

[jediX]

That's because magic eye is actually a composite of two different views of the object, which, when procesed by both eyes, merges into one. Alas, the worthless trivia you pick up in psychology.

As for me, I have severe asthma and absolutely terrible vision. Without glasses or contacts I can only see about 6 inches in front of me clearly. And as for the asthma, I can only run for short perious of time (under 30 seconds, typically) or else my throat will begin to close up and begin to fill with fluid -- this lasts up to 6 hours after the run, as well. I was able to manage doing marching band for four years in high school, which wasn't bad. Although the only 'physical' activities I can do without causing a really bad attack are weight training and swimming/snorkeling. But, I get by. At least it got me out of physical education requirements back in hs.

 

[Klonoa]

Hey I was in marching band in high school as well. I crashed into people a lot. After a while everyone learned to stay out of my way!

--Klonoa

 

[jediX]

Hehe, yea, although it's more fun to crash down judges, though

Anywho, just spoke w/ my psych teacher and 3d movies work slightly different than magic eye. They divide the video up with polarization, which requires both eyes to process the 3d aspect.

 

[anathema]

Hehe, yea, although it's more fun to crash down judges, though

Anywho, just spoke w/ my psych teacher and 3d movies work slightly different than magic eye. They divide the video up with polarization, which requires both eyes to process the 3d aspect.

Yeah, that's right. I can't see them either - my right eye's optic nerve never developed properly, so all I get from that eye is a blurred image. For example, I'm typing this sitting about 12 inches away from my laptop's screen, and with my right eye I can't even read what I'm writing! And a side-effect of this is that I have little-to-no 3D vision.

I did the Universal Studios tour last autumn, and despite my misgivings I figured I'd spent the money so I might as well go to the 3D attractions. As expected, all I actually saw was a slightly out-of-focus 2D double-image...except for when the 3D image stopped moving for a few seconds - just long enough for my brain to process the data and construct something that made sense to me