Asperger's Syndrome: What's Going on Anyway? (Seven Simple Definitions)

Duh?? But I thought...

Was on Facebook just now, and saw yet another post attempting to explain Asperger's Syndrome, or AS to those who do not have it. I am so convinced now that those with AS need help navigating through the world at large out there as well, rather than only trying to teach those who do not have AS to understand those who have it. But that's another story for another day...

Anyway, when attempting to explain AS to someone, we seem to make it so difficult a lot of the time. The proverbial "web" of strange, "treatment center jargon" sounding terms by itself can be hard to make sense out of for sure..."discalculia"(???)
So, here I am again, attempting to clear the air.

Note: I am not a doctor. What is written here is only my opinion.

1. Autism. It means "one" as in the word "automobile."
Autistics gravitate inward, and do their own thing.

2. Asperger's Syndrome. It's a type of Autism that simply bears the last name of the man who discovered it.
It has a soft "g" as in "general".
In my opinion, it's best to pronounce it with emphasis on the PER rather than the AS, to prevent saying
"Ass-perger's Syndrome"
Think: asBERjer's Syndrome, and you got it.
It is often called "A.S." for short.
People with AS often refer to themselves as "Aspies".

3. Boys and Girls. Girls often hide it better, so they are simply not diagnosed as much as boys are.
AS is basically Autism without the speech delay, and learning disabilities that can accompany it.
But AS has it's own symptoms and characteristics, many of which mirror Autism.
I've found that general lists of symptoms for AS, are symptoms in boys.
Make sure you look specifically at AS symptoms in girls, when dealing with how it affects females.
(Otherwise symptoms may not match).

4. Neuro-Typical's. Neuro-Typical's are simply people who do not have AS or Autism. In other words, their
brains are wired in the "typical" way.
Neuro-Typical's are often called "NT's" for short.

5. "Discalculia". In my opinion, this is a crazy term that literally sounds made up.
Put simply, it means: Trouble calculating numbers.
I'll explain like this...when we work with numbers or information involving numbers, it's as though our
brains have to "switch channels" and often, our math channel is "scrambled"
if you will.
Have you ever heard someone say: "My mind doesn't work this way" when
they're dealing with math? Yeah, it's like that.
Mind you, this is not to say that AS is always involved there. :)

6. Meltdowns. Meltdown's are overload's of information that cause us to act out because of too much stimuli.
Often, meltdowns are when we become irritable, and unreasonable, and need "alone" time.

7. Stimuli. Anything around us that stimulates our senses: Light, sound, smells, textures, tastes in our mouth.
Trouble processing all of this is what's called "Sensory Processing Disorder."
Simply put, this means: It's all too much, I can't take anymore right now.
Imagine a hose that gets a kink in it. The water is on full blast, but has slowed to
a trickle, while the pressure builds inside. When the kink comes out, the water gushes, full blast (!!!)
To me, this is what overload feels like.
This often leads to meltdowns.