Comments on: Apostrophes and other problems http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/apostrophes-and-other-problems/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=apostrophes-and-other-problems A personal journey to understand Asperger's Syndrome and myself Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:20:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/apostrophes-and-other-problems/#comment-641 James Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:44:42 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=686#comment-641 Soph, Yes, the brain is indeed an amazing thing. I'm sure its very complexity is the thing that makes us all unique, yet so often very alike. Soph,

Yes, the brain is indeed an amazing thing. I’m sure its very complexity is the thing that makes us all unique, yet so often very alike.

]]> By: James http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/apostrophes-and-other-problems/#comment-640 James Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:42:24 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=686#comment-640 You may be onto something there, Eileen. I like your suggestion of triggers, and I can see that it plays a part in how my memory works too. And indeed direct questions can cause me problems too. With these I tend to use something out of my store cupboard of stock responses if I don't have the immediate answer. I don't often draw a complete blank, but if you catch me unaware, there is often a noticeable pause whilst I dig something out that I think I can use. I do use "I don't know" quite a lot, although I've learned to vary it by saying things like "I'm not sure, I'd need to check that for you", or "I can't remember the exact details, but it's something like..." You may be onto something there, Eileen.

I like your suggestion of triggers, and I can see that it plays a part in how my memory works too.

And indeed direct questions can cause me problems too. With these I tend to use something out of my store cupboard of stock responses if I don’t have the immediate answer. I don’t often draw a complete blank, but if you catch me unaware, there is often a noticeable pause whilst I dig something out that I think I can use.

I do use “I don’t know” quite a lot, although I’ve learned to vary it by saying things like “I’m not sure, I’d need to check that for you”, or “I can’t remember the exact details, but it’s something like…”

]]> By: Soph http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/apostrophes-and-other-problems/#comment-637 Soph Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:42:05 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=686#comment-637 A few years ago I forgot one spelling rule about adverbs. I think whichever neuron contained that one just decided to die. Memories are amazing things aren't they? No matter how faulty we might consider our brains to be, these little spheres of grey matter contain an unbelievably sophisticated quantity of information. A few years ago I forgot one spelling rule about adverbs. I think whichever neuron contained that one just decided to die.

Memories are amazing things aren’t they? No matter how faulty we might consider our brains to be, these little spheres of grey matter contain an unbelievably sophisticated quantity of information.

]]> By: Eileen http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/experience/apostrophes-and-other-problems/#comment-636 Eileen Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:50:37 +0000 http://www.thatexplainseverything.com/?p=686#comment-636 I hate to say this, because it seems so invalidating, but TONS of people have trouble with punctuation, spelling and word usage. However, I also have trouble with memory retrieval and I attribute that to ASD. I think it is also connected to being able to spew hours of data on my favorite subjects. In spite of the mother-lode of data, I still need a trigger to access it. I could not just start talking on a favorite subject without some sort of trigger or cue. Then it all comes out in a torrent - one thing triggering another and another and another. It takes quite a bit more to initiate retrieval on subjects I am not as fond of (and the cue could be really random) but the effect is the same - a chain reaction. In either case, direct questions almost always result in failure to retrieve. Access is denied through the front door. All I know is I get tired of saying "I don't know" to nearly every question I get asked, no matter how mundane it is. I hate to say this, because it seems so invalidating, but TONS of people have trouble with punctuation, spelling and word usage.
However, I also have trouble with memory retrieval and I attribute that to ASD. I think it is also connected to being able to spew hours of data on my favorite subjects. In spite of the mother-lode of data, I still need a trigger to access it. I could not just start talking on a favorite subject without some sort of trigger or cue. Then it all comes out in a torrent – one thing triggering another and another and another.
It takes quite a bit more to initiate retrieval on subjects I am not as fond of (and the cue could be really random) but the effect is the same – a chain reaction.
In either case, direct questions almost always result in failure to retrieve. Access is denied through the front door.
All I know is I get tired of saying “I don’t know” to nearly every question I get asked, no matter how mundane it is.

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