Asperger's Syndrome: My Childhood Symptoms (Part 2)

[@jemrosekoontz189]

Wow! You are such a brave young man and generous to make these videos. You are also a handsome young man. I am an Aspie lady whose only child, a son, was also Aspie. I'm a nurse and never felt the need for diagnosis for either of us. But at age 26 my son was contemplating suicide. He had a plan, etc. But at the last minute he asked me for help and the next day he was hospitalized for 10 days and then did 4 hrs. daily of outpatient treatment for 6 months. He was on medication from that point on and saw a psychiatrist who really only gave him refills. He was intelligient and handsome like you. And I started watching your videos to see what his experience must have seemed like to him because he died by suicide 7-11-12. Ethan was blonde, blue eyed, 6' 4", 180lbs. He graduated high school and college with honors and a B.A. in Psychology. He worked in mental health, helping hundreds of people. And we didn't see it coming. He kept it so hidden. All I have now is a long letter he wrote me at the time he was psychotic. And I am trying to understand. Well, anyway, thank you so very much! Jem Rose

[@sbsman4998]

+Jem Rose Koontz I ran across your story after watching this video and yes the young man is very handsome and articulate, I wish I could have had a son like him. I made this post today and will copy and paste it for you at the end of my note, sorry it is a bit long. The problem with being a male Aspergican is not really knowing yourself. You start believing your awkward and out of it then finding out a diagnosis can even make it worse since now you know your really "stuck" with solitude as your base line. The biggest problem is being MIS-UNDERSTOOD. Few examples~~> a spouse accuses you of not being religious and keeps asking you to go to church, when crowds and confinement make you sweat. A neighbor thinks you snobby and standoffish when you don't attend to their social invitations when social situations with strangers are your very worst anxiety. Your supervisor has as "in" for you never helping to plan birth day parties and the like for fellow employees. Your terrible at planning such things and fear even "thinking" of parties. So what you have is a group of people that ALL know you and have a different opinion of you saying, "he/she is just different". For people with Autism think about this, the greatest tragedy is the great sense of loss by those "outsiders", family, your acquaintances who wanted much more to know you, but YOU!! shut them out?? Yes you Asperigican. And the outsiders take note, it is not being easy spending a life time generally being ~~~> betrayed, socially confused, set up, used and lied to while all the time trying to do good and smile.

[@gavinpickens4009]

I'm glad I read this I'm hanging in there myself. The world scares me and future things worry me. I want to live now but the life of a Aspie is hard.

[@lindseymcleod5287]

Thank you for your videos! I think they will be really helpful for parents of children who are recently diagnosed or suspected to have Aspergers. It's great to see that despite your difficulties you're a successful young man! What an advocate you are!

[@toriw3211]

Thanks so much for posting this. It is very helpful to see things from your point of view. I work with aspies and other kids on the spectrum. My nephew has autism and can't explain how he feels the way you can. Thanks again for taking the time. That is very thoughtful of you. I hope nobody leaves you dumb comments because they are ignorant.

[@kgh428]

You are so impressive! You are handsome, intelligent, articulate and pretty overall amazing. I am learning about Aspergers because of a family member who was diagnosed with it. Your videos are very helpful and if he turns out as well as you have, I have no worries!

[@abby11118]

I'm an Aspie and I never knew the dark circles are a trait and I have those too.

[@Genin99]

Alarms are the worst especially when you don't expect them. I remember even screaming a bit when a unannounced fire drill happened.

[@kricket142857]

if it were posible for you to choose, would you liked to be diagnosed earlier and be placed in a more appropriate environment?

[@misspinkpunkykat]

I've heard that dark circles under ones eyes can be a symptom of a nutrient deficitency. I have autism and have always had them too. I loved PE though, but then the teacher was a saint.

[@cycleofsilence]

@erdal0 It is possible to have many of these traits and not have Aspergers. A lot of "normal" kids do have a lot of the traits that I listed. Also, a person with Aspergers may not have all the traits I have. The only real point of being diagnosed is if your life is being affected in a negative way from the social aspects (which I haven't talked about yet). There's nothing inherently wrong with the childhood traits. It's just how it affects you that's important.

[@ElGuapo2X]

I would have been much better off knowing why I am the way I am rather than trying to figure out why I am different despite the fact I don't feel different. To others that don't understand this video, please see Part 1 first. Thanks, and Thanks cycleofsilence!

[@jennyjennings3816]

I wasn't aware that dark circles under the eyes was a trait, I have always had those, I still do, that was very interesting. And PE class, I didn't enjoy it because I would get tired easily due to being skinny (one of my many nicknames was daddy long legs) with very low muscle tone. The day we had to see how many pull ups we could do, everyone else could do at least 4, I couldn't even come close to getting my feet off the ground was the day I knew something was going on.

[@MisterFuturtastic]

I think I may have found one definitive way of diagnosing asperger or autism... I realized I was sensitive to foods with oxalates in them and then later learned that people with aspergers and autism are sensitive to oxalates. This was all after I had diagnosed myself because of personality symptoms.

[@doxistavrou6660]

thank you,..love your videos , very informative,...

[@MrChub65]

sharp dressed man... your a beautiful person

[@llindseygeorge99]

Hi there. I was just wondering...do you think that it would have been better for you personally if you had found out your diagnosis at a younger age? Also, if you had a choice between knowing and not knowing that you had asperger's, which would you choose?

[@MisterFuturtastic]

oxalates are something plants produce as a defense mechanism so insects and creatures don't eat them. Some people are sensitive to it and some aren't I guess. I read that they tend to be an issue for people with autism and may cause physical and behavioral issues. Certain plants have more oxalates than others.

[@TheSelfAwareIndianEmpath]

Hey how's life going for you now? Especially when it comes to relationships? Please update us. I know as an aspie myself I struggled a lot with making friends in school so much so that I don't have any desires to make friends anymore now that I am an adult...it's all about putting up superficiality anyways which we don't have (our strengths)... Though I am wondering if relationships/love/marriage is meant for me or not as I am not sure how I am gonna live with another person for the rest of my life and share my everything, my interests, my intimacy with that person.... it seems too much of a mental task for me!

[@MistressMoxy44]

I have the dark circles too.. always have.

[@MisterFuturtastic]

What kinds of foods do you like or love?

[@MitjoRuohoniemi]

.... Just wanna say - thank you so much about your videos... U are just like me.. (aspie) Greetings from Finland! ;)

[@GypsySoulSister]

As a baby, I couldn't take my son to the store because he would immediately start screaming with the noise from the intercoms. As he's become older, he's 10, he has learned to manage the noise stimuli. He hated coloring and even got in trouble in the second gradel for refusing to color. I just thought, "This isn't his thing BFD!" It was just this past year that he mentioned that he hates the way crayons feel! Colored pencils and markers are better.

[@DonSSanders]

You seem to be a perfectly normal Aspie!

[@moviemakerwannabe]

In regard to the sounds. When you are troubled by a loud sound do you continue to "hear" it or feel the emotion it brought after the sound has stopped? I'm not sure what to call it but sort of like an echo except it's in your head. Thank you

[@juncodelrio15]

Now, I have a kind of obssesion about know everything about Asperger or Autism. So I've been seen a lot of youtubers ( aspies) tell their stories and experiences. I can tell that not every aspi have that tired eyes look. I wonder why....

[@jenniferpruitt6534]

What are oxalates?

[@erdal0]

what is the point of being diagnosed with AS if it is just random stuff that normal people can have? I have couple of the traits. I don't have the problem with sound. I'm so confused. I'm going to stop using the term, because it feels like putting yourself in a box.

[@TJim-vd3jn]

Dude is Ferris Bueller

[@sbsman4998]

You must get more sun shine lad.

[@ReyBanYAHUAH]

Always remember to repent of your sins (sin is transgression of YAHUAH The Father In Heaven’s LAW: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy) And Have Belief On Yahusha The Messiah. HE Died and Rose three days later so that you can be forgiven of your sins! HE Loves you! Come to HIM

[@ghavadgita1798]

I just want to tell this person "There is nothing wrong with you. There never was." On the other hand: Is there anything wrong with society? With other people in this person's past in life? With the mental health industry? Yes. There is absolutely nothing psychologically indicative of dark circles under your eyes, being "sensitive" to extremely loud and annoying sounds like fire alarms, or having sensitive skin. What I see in this person is someone who was isolated and alienated throughout his life by the people in his life and not for any good reason, and not because of any fault or "disorder" on his part. The more I learn about "Asperger's", the more and more it sounds like genius, stripped of confidence and faith in oneself.

[@shadi489]

wtf ?i keep commenting u never ever ever ............................answer --i hope u r well