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Post by candykane on Apr 12, 2014 8:20:28 GMT -5
Yes, I think James from Inside Out "shut down" at the same age Susan did. It was also mentioned that James went back to diapers after having already been potty trained. Wasn't Susan potty trained as a toddler too, regressed and then eventually re-trained?
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Post by wenonah4th on Apr 12, 2014 13:28:04 GMT -5
Can't recall if it says that!
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Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Jan 1, 2018 6:13:46 GMT -5
I would develop little obsessions, fixations and still do, was always "dreaming" and in my own world, take things literally sometimes, not get jokes or talk in class without being socially awkward and barely talking or knowing how (it wasn't a language barrier), would get overstimulated by certain images, words and ideas, would make lists all the time which I think calmed me down without me realizing and I'd make sounds during them, got just a little aggressive if anything disturbed me. I was scared of every little thing too as a kid, more than most and had problems with eating properly until I was 7 or 8. I was okay when spoonfed, but eating by myself and looking at unfamiliar food or food of certain colours or textures did not help me unless I was eating my favourite ones and reading at the same time looking at visuals or words that made me comfortable. I actually forgot about all this. I didn't really do this as a kid, but as an adult, when I'm alone, I am aggressive sometimes and punching and screaming if I can't express how I feel cause it's too much to handle and have to take anti depressants to calm down. Looking people in the eye is really hard a lot of times for me, but I think it depends on my comfort level too, though I remember being scolded for it sometimes when younger. I don't know if this all makes me autistic but it makes sense. And I can't believe I was not diagnosed, but scolded all the time. Till this day, I get told I had such a victim mentality as a kid. I think I remember taking some test at school and another before going to private school for a short time, but I did excellent in them, so my iq must have been really good. Maybe I just needed guidance and direction from the right people to excel though I ended up being a good student some years and just okay in others. But I developed a complex about not feeling good enough or getting validation without having marks attached to my name and as a result I missed out on so many good things socially and could not relate to all the positives that I did have, cause there was not enough positive reinforcement around it, and I may have had the numbers, but had no self-respect at all in the sense that I keep setting myself up and never allowed myself to let go and have fun, and as a result missed out on some really special things that I can never get back now. All of this sounds like high-functioning autism. I had some of those symptoms, and I was just diagnosed last month - there hasn't even been a final diagnosis yet. I was socially awkward for a lot of life, and I just didn't know why. According to a book on autism, there are three "groups" of people with autism, as far as social interaction goes. The first group avoids people, the second group responds to social interaction but does not initiate any, and the third group likes to be with people but they often find the people of that group weird and/or disconcerting. I am of the third group, although when I was younger my self-consciousness probably would have placed me in the second. My reaction to not being able to express my feelings is actually different - I just walk away from them until I feel like I'm ready to come back, pretty much putting life on hold until I can come back to it. I was very self-conscious and paranoid about everything when I was younger, and had strange fears. I've also always been a picky eater, although I'm less so than I used to be. My sister's boyfriend won't eat food touching mushrooms. I don't eat mushrooms, but I can eat food that touches mushrooms, like a pasta sauce. Plus I eat more things than I used to, although I still don't like risotto and have an affinity for pasta. I had real trouble looking people in the eye. You know how elementary school teachers always want you to look them in the eye to engage with you when they're cross? I found that really irritating, because why would I want to look at someone who was cross with me? I can't help listening. Nowadays, I can look people in the eye in normal circumstances, but when I'm cross or distressed, I don't want to look at those who those feelings are directed at. Is that at all normal? I guess there are cultures where it's rude or aggressive to look an authority figure in the eye, but here, it's the social norm. A high IQ usually goes with high-functioning autism. Over 50% of people with autism have average if not above-average intelligence. Hmmm...I wonder if the fact that a character from a cartoon show who I know doesn't talk but is extremely intelligent might be autistic? The show already had a character with a personality disorder in the show. Would they incorporate another one, especially for a character who was only in four episodes?
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Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Jan 3, 2018 5:20:16 GMT -5
I know I just wrote on this, but I just read a post on the Netflix series "Atypical" about a boy with autism. He is higher-functioning than Susan, since he can mostly cope at a regular school and speaks coherently, just coming off as weird, awkward or rude when he doesn't filter his words. However, like Susan, he has extensive knowledge and talent for facts. In his case, it's the fauna of Antartica, particularly penguins. He talks about them almost all the time, when he can get away with it.
I thought I'd share my ideas on why almost all characters in fiction with autism are either very mild, very severe, or they are talented with it (or more than one of those things). The reason is so that people who are on the spectrum are able to feel better about themselves, and feel that it's okay to be different from everyone else.
Well, I don't feel any better about it. I don't care that I can cope with everyday life. I don't care that I'm not like Susan, or even like Sam in Atypical (I don't have such a severe reaction to anything and although I have similar urges to him, I never act on them, plus I don't go on about one subject). I just can't get over the idea that my brain isn't wired like everyone else's, so that everyone I talk to will think I'm weird or that I need extra help, no matter how hard I try. I've had that happening for years in high school and now uni. Everyone thinks I need professional help or that I'm just crazy and no one will talk to me unless they have to. Or if they're laughing at me.
Maybe it's easier for kids like Susan, who don't seem to know they're being laughed at. And people can't just look at me, like they do with poor Whitney in "Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever" and know something's different. But it doesn't make it any easier when you sit down and try to make small talk, yet you realize you've said the wrong thing because the person isn't talking back. And seeing talented autistic savants doesn't make it any easier, whether you're talented or not!
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dbug27
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 10
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Post by dbug27 on Feb 22, 2018 21:41:03 GMT -5
As someone who has a high functioning form of autism this book was a favorite because it helped me realize autism isn't a horible thing
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andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
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Post by andrew on Nov 1, 2020 8:52:32 GMT -5
This book seemed pretty mistitled in that there wasn't one particular secret, let alone one that was learned, though I'm not sure what a better title would be.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Feb 6, 2021 10:52:48 GMT -5
As an Australian reading this book I'm really offended ! The ghostwriter needed to do their research on Australia . Australia and America aren't the same at all. Just because I'm Australian doesn't mean I like vegemite . I hate it ! I also don't eat wheetbix.
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Post by sparklymouse on Feb 12, 2021 17:49:41 GMT -5
The autism spectrum is so broad and common these days. I wish Susan had been more "average" autistic if that makes sense. More like someone that kids might know or feel like themselves.
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cnj
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,708
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Post by cnj on Apr 2, 2021 1:52:20 GMT -5
The autism spectrum is so broad and common these days. I wish Susan had been more "average" autistic if that makes sense. More like someone that kids might know or feel like themselves. That's the thing...there is no "average" or "typical" autistic person...each is rather unique. I know many people with autism in my city, including a neighbor with three kids with autism.
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Post by sparklymouse on Apr 18, 2022 20:49:53 GMT -5
Kristy's hair looks nice. There were a lot of tennis skirts in Stoneybrook. Titles: Kristy and Susan’s secret Gertie and Sandra’s secret Christine facing Suzanne’s problem Kristy’s challenge Kristy and Susan’s secret
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Post by sparklymouse on Apr 22, 2022 14:58:44 GMT -5
This isn't that interesting seeing all of the piano innards. Susan looks like Charlotte.
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Post by oldmeanie on Jul 18, 2022 21:12:31 GMT -5
I'm really sorry, I wrote a novel.
I didn't like this one as a kid because it was uncomfortable to read. It still is as an adult, but for different reasons. I know Kristy meant well, but her trying to force Susan away from the piano really bothered me. I guess I just don't get what's so bad about Susan playing her piano the whole time. If I was Kristy, I'd just let her play while I did my homework in the background. I know the BSC wanted to be involved with the kids and not just park them in front of the TV or something, but maybe sometimes they DON'T want to play outside or see friends and that's perfectly fine. The BSC always act like something is wrong when there really isn't (Heather from Summer Vacation is a great example).
Hello, introverts exist! I know that isn't at all the same thing, but I've always been introverted and as a kid was perfectly happy playing inside or drawing. All I'm saying is that I don't understand why it was so horrible for Susan to play the piano all day. The only issue I could see is noise, but it was 3:30-5:30 pm, so what's the big deal?
I remember Mrs. Felder describing Susan as re****ed, and they edited that in the Kindle edition. I'm normally not too fond of updates, but in this case I think it was necessary. I'm not in love with how the book describes autistic people, as if it's a curse or something. The autistic people I know (and their parents) don't view it that way at all. Maybe I'm too sensitive about this... I guess it just bothered me that everybody was sad that Susan wasn't "normal." I'm not too mad about this book though, despite this rant. It was written 30 years ago (!) and people know more about this topic now. Kristy decides at the end that she wants to teach special needs (I'm not sure if that's the correct terminology, apologies if it isn't) kids later on, and I can see that. I just hope she becomes more educated. I'm glad that she realized that Susan needed the school her parents were sending her to.
Okay, on a lighter note, I LOVED the Mal and Ben stuff. Mal is just hilarious throughout this book. The scene where she FLIES up the stairs and is like, "I'm so glad someone's here, that would've been embarrassing if I was alone" got me lol.
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