“Unfortunately, as someone with both ADD and Asperger’s, I simply cannot do a job and learn at the same time, and that happened, I may never be able to go on to graduate school.”
I had to pull you up on this one. I have Asperger’s and am working full-time while studying for a Master’s degree. I have a friend with Asperger’s and ADD who has managed to achieve two Master’s degrees and a PhD while employed.
Don’t let diagnonsenses become an excuse for you not to do things—it may well be that you aren’t capable of some things. If so, it’s because you aren’t capable of those things, not because of ADD or AS. But it may well also be that you are capable of those things, and are being put off from doing them by identifying yourself as ‘someone who is prevented from doing these things’.
“Unfortunately, as someone with both ADD and Asperger’s, I simply cannot do a job and learn at the same time, and that happened, I may never be able to go on to graduate school.”
I had to pull you up on this one.
I found this jarring to read. While encouragement to not dwell on weaknesses and avoid self limiting beliefs is all well and good it is not ok to frame it in a way that prematurely invalidates InquilineKea’s expression of their circumstances with that sort of presumption.
If so, it’s because you aren’t capable of those things, not because of ADD or AS.
It certainly can be because of ADD or AS. For a reasonable definition of ‘you’ AS is part of who ‘you’ are and can definitely be a causal factor that either prevents certain behaviors outright or makes them incredibly unwise.
I don’t try to let them be an excuse for me to not do things if there’s a very good reason for me to do them. There would have been no point for me to work if I could have avoided it, because I am at the point where I do have to learn as much as possible for grad school.
And while you may know people with both, my forms of ADD and Asperger’s are significantly more severe than most people’s.
Oh absolutely—I’m not saying you shouldn’t make your life easier. If you can do grad school without having to work, that’s obviously better. Just that if you start thinking “I can’t do this because X” then you’re less likely to end up doing things at all. Much better to think of it from a positive POV—“I’m lucky enough to be able to study without having to work as well—I would, of course, be able to do both, but I don’t have to and this is better”.
“Unfortunately, as someone with both ADD and Asperger’s, I simply cannot do a job and learn at the same time, and that happened, I may never be able to go on to graduate school.”
I had to pull you up on this one. I have Asperger’s and am working full-time while studying for a Master’s degree. I have a friend with Asperger’s and ADD who has managed to achieve two Master’s degrees and a PhD while employed.
Don’t let diagnonsenses become an excuse for you not to do things—it may well be that you aren’t capable of some things. If so, it’s because you aren’t capable of those things, not because of ADD or AS. But it may well also be that you are capable of those things, and are being put off from doing them by identifying yourself as ‘someone who is prevented from doing these things’.
See also “On Reasonable Efforts”—http://theferrett.livejournal.com/1587858.html
I found this jarring to read. While encouragement to not dwell on weaknesses and avoid self limiting beliefs is all well and good it is not ok to frame it in a way that prematurely invalidates InquilineKea’s expression of their circumstances with that sort of presumption.
It certainly can be because of ADD or AS. For a reasonable definition of ‘you’ AS is part of who ‘you’ are and can definitely be a causal factor that either prevents certain behaviors outright or makes them incredibly unwise.
I don’t try to let them be an excuse for me to not do things if there’s a very good reason for me to do them. There would have been no point for me to work if I could have avoided it, because I am at the point where I do have to learn as much as possible for grad school.
And while you may know people with both, my forms of ADD and Asperger’s are significantly more severe than most people’s.
Oh absolutely—I’m not saying you shouldn’t make your life easier. If you can do grad school without having to work, that’s obviously better. Just that if you start thinking “I can’t do this because X” then you’re less likely to end up doing things at all. Much better to think of it from a positive POV—“I’m lucky enough to be able to study without having to work as well—I would, of course, be able to do both, but I don’t have to and this is better”.