I have an acute case of Asperger's

[NSGUITAR]

Before you go an think I'm just some autistic kid, please know what it is first.

Essentially, I have a hard time empathizing with people, am a bit socially awkward, and all around am just wired differently (Literally).

Us aspies have some perks as well though!! Such as immense focus, ability excel in passions/professions very fast (a lot of aspie's are mathmeticians, and quite successful people if the disorder is used to their advantage).


The reason I'm posting this, however, is to ask a question.


Basically, I've been raised as a normal child.. I was not diagnosed until about 2 years ago.. So you can imagine my parents, coming from a proud, traditional family, they didn't want to admit that something was going on.. So they sort of raised me to 'blend' in, I guess you could say... My Asperger's is more internal than external.. If you met me, you'd never know.. But I struggle immensely in certain social situation..

So, because of the late diagnosis, I've noticed it's always been the center of my problems... Repetitive behavior is the most difficult to maintain. Sometimes, I lose track of time, because I get so into something, and I don't even realized that 4 hours had just passed by.

My question is: Should I be telling clients about this? I'm not ashamed about it by any means.. But I know that the majority of americans jump to conclusions .. I feel like if I was to tell people up front, they'd gain a better understanding of me and my work habits.. What do you guys think?

 

[Erratic]

Lol, I'm just what you described, Thanks,
but I wouldn't care about it to be honest, if you can do something and realize after 4 hours that you thought it was 10 minutes then that's great.

Why would you tell your clients about this? Is there something wrong inside you that pushes you to tell about your inner problems?
Would the person that you are informing really care about it?

By ''repetitive behavior being difficult to maintain'' IE: Guitar Tracking ;
I suggest you get a grip on yourself and just go through it, because whatever happens you'll have to anyway.

It has pros and cons, however, for it to have a name, I find this quite strange, I'm sure lots of people here are having this kind of issues, even non-AE,

Is this an excuse for not moving forward? Or being afraid of something you yet don't know how to control? (no pun intended just, I remember being in this sort of situation and blaming it on ADHD or whatever the fuck I could find to make me feel less guilty.)

I still struggle in Public situation like you and tend to be super-ultra aware of myself and how I react, I just let it flow and everything is fine, although I don't go to places where I don't like like Club and shit like that, because I know for sure that I'll be pissed and angry at me or start blaming the others for something I can't stand.

Think about it, just trying to help

 

[NSGUITAR]

Lol, I'm just what you described, Thanks,
but I wouldn't care about it to be honest, if you can do something and realize after 4 hours that you thought it was 10 minutes then that's great.

Why would you tell your clients about this? Is there something wrong inside you that pushes you to tell about your inner problems?
Would the person that you are informing really care about it?

By ''repetitive behavior being difficult to maintain'' IE: Guitar Tracking ;
I suggest you get a grip on yourself and just go through it, because whatever happens you'll have to anyway.

It has pros and cons, however, for it to have a name, I find this quite strange, I'm sure lots of people here are having this kind of issues, even non-AE,

Is this an excuse for not moving forward? Or being afraid of something you yet don't know how to control? (no pun intended just, I remember being in this sort of situation and blaming it on ADHD or whatever the fuck I could find to make me feel less guilty.)

I still struggle in Public situation like you and tend to be super-ultra aware of myself and how I react, I just let it flow and everything is fine, although I don't go to places where I don't like like Club and shit like that, because I know for sure that I'll be pissed and angry at me or start blaming the others for something I can't stand.

Think about it, just trying to help

The only reason I feel that I should tell my clients is because I don't want them thinking I'm just some socially awkward person, when there really is a reason for it.

I don't think it really hinders my work at all (liek tracking and mixing and whatnot), but sometimes I just get in situations and just freeze, and it just feels awkward, you knw?

 

[NSGUITAR]

Not to mention.. I've been reading lots of articles and books about it, and contemplating what I'm contemplating is very common for an Aspie..

 

[Mago]

I had to look it up in wikipedia as I didn't know what Asperger's is.
Dunno how popular it is and how many know about it, so maybe you have more trouble explaining it then it is worth the whole thing...

How about just telling them that in case they feel the situation is weird they should tell you, so you know you need to alter your behaviour?
Frankly I quite don't get what kind of situation it should be were you are suddenly freezing...
like you say "do that take again!" and the player "no I dont want to" or...?m

 

[NSGUITAR]

I had to look it up in wikipedia as I didn't know what Asperger's is.
Dunno how popular it is and how many know about it, so maybe you have more trouble explaining it then it is worth the whole thing...

How about just telling them that in case they feel the situation is weird they should tell you, so you know you need to alter your behaviour?
Frankly I quite don't get what kind of situation it should be were you are suddenly freezing...
like you say "do that take again!" and the player "no I dont want to" or...?m

That's a great idea man... I really appreciate that!!


That is a good example as well.. It's more to do with things like.. Let's say a band is about to walk out the door, but they haven't paid me yet... Sometimes, I go to mention it, and I just literally freeze, so then I have to wait an extra week to get my money.. It's just stuff that's affecting me day to day.

 

[Mago]

That's a great idea man... I really appreciate that!!


That is a good example as well.. It's more to do with things like.. Let's say a band is about to walk out the door, but they haven't paid me yet... Sometimes, I go to mention it, and I just literally freeze, so then I have to wait an extra week to get my money.. It's just stuff that's affecting me day to day.

No problem man...that advise is actually coming from my GF as I asked her if she knew what that is before I looked it up

But that's also the way I head into the client situation, I try to be as honest and professional as possible, so that those kind of situations don't come up.
Like payment situations: I ALWAYS make clear beforehand that I need to take half the money before hand (to ensure no loss, and blablabla) and ONLY send/hand out final wavs when the 2nd half has arrived (also explaining why, blablabla). Most bands that take their music and your service seriously usually understand that, and the others....well, I'm actually not too fond of working with those, so I'm not mad if they turn away

Always make the situation as clear and as transparent as possible, then those kind of akward situations can be handled with "we allready talked about it and agreed on it BEFOREHAND, so you should have mentioned it when you had the chance to."

 

[NSGUITAR]

No problem man...that advise is actually coming from my GF as I asked her if she knew what that is before I looked it up

But that's also the way I head into the client situation, I try to be as honest and professional as possible, so that those kind of situations don't come up.
Like payment situations: I ALWAYS make clear beforehand that I need to take half the money before hand (to ensure no loss, and blablabla) and ONLY send/hand out final wavs when the 2nd half has arrived (also explaining why, blablabla). Most bands that take their music and your service seriously usually understand that, and the others....well, I'm actually not too fond of working with those, so I'm not mad if they turn away

Always make the situation as clear and as transparent as possible, then those kind of akward situations can be handled with "we allready talked about it and agreed on it BEFOREHAND, so you should have mentioned it when you had the chance to."

These are the answers I'm LOOKING for. Great quality thanks once again man.

I think i'll type up some sort of document that I send out to each band before they come into the studio letting them know what to expect and what not to expect. That seems like a good idea.

 

[MarkG]

My girlfriend has asperger's so I can definitely see where you're coming from.

I think that 9/10 times they (clients) won't really realise that anything is wrong, even when to you it feels like something is wrong. In such cases, I think you're better off not mentioning it. Besides, if it doesn't negatively affect the service you offer them, it really isn't their business.

However, there is little harm in slipping a line in there like "If I get a bit awkward just let me know, I get carried away sometimes". Don't make a big deal out of it, because it shouldn't be one.

Make sure that document you send out doesn't include a page long history of the disease, etc. etc. etc. When someone asks my girl a simple question, she can give you an hour long rant about everything remotely related to the answer. Something you'll want to avoid.

Keep it brief, to the point, and as lighthearted as you can. However, there is nothing wrong with a list of house rules, what you expect from them, and what they can expect from you. This can only prevent misunderstandings later.

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

My ex's brother had asperger, although I should say, he was in a completely different state, retard psychologists actually diagnosed him when he was 7 years old with autism and gave him loads and loads of pills that only made it worse.
Fun Fact: Although he is VERY socially akward and seems to have a sort of "childish" mentality at times (being very naive, etc) he did something that always brain fucked me, if you asked him for example, what day of the week will be 18th of September 2042 and in a second he would answer, I went to the calendar on my phone and he was always right. There's is definitely memory and mathematics potential in most aspergers.

You sound quite different, seems like your asperger is only very lightly and on the social part, you shouldn't be telling shit to anyone, fuck people. Why would you even contemplate having to introduce yourself with that? If they have a problem with something and ask, then that's different, but you shouldn't give a fuck about it.

Btw, have you seen the movie "Mozart and the Whale"? If you haven't you should see it, it's very beautiful

 

[NSGUITAR]

GUYS! I can't thank you enough for your answers.

Haha a few days ago, I had a first time experience and met another Aspie!!


It was cool. I was at a resturaunt, and there was a guy playing acoustic and singing. You could literally request ANYTHING you could think of, and he could play it..

I asked him to play "Black Hole Sun".. He sat there for about 30 seconds, with his hand on his chin, obviously thinking, and all of the sudden, he executed it FLAWLESSLY.. I did not understand at first.. Then I went to talk to him, because I was impressed as hell.. And the fist thing he told me was "well, I'm an aspie, so that's all" hahahahhah Really funny, but it all clicked then.

But seriously, I really appreciate you guys answering me.. I will take all of your advice.. You're all right, no need to just tell people, unless they ask.

 

[vespiz]

I've been wondering if I should take a test. Lots of things I've read about Asperger's seem to fit.
However, I've taken a few online tests (yeah, yeah..) and they either say no, or teetering on the borderline.

I'm not sure if knowing one way or the other would affect my life in any way. I'd still be me, right?

Now, whether to tell clients or not.. I probably wouldn't do that right away. Establish a working relationship and then if it seems appropriate and it comes up naturally during discussions or whatever, then broach the subject.
(Sounds a bit suspiciously like asking someone out on a date!)
It is something personal after all, even if others might be affected by it..

.. so pretty much what everyone else wrote while I was contemplating this!

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

It's all been said already, but don't stress it man. When I get into a session with musicians I don't know yet, I don't shake hands and say "Hi, I'm Jarkko, your engineer, and I have a tiny cock." Sure, I might mention it after we've spent a few nights in the studio and gotten to know each other a bit, but if I don't, they'll never know my dark secret unless I pull my jeans down in the middle of a bass take and swirl it around like a wet towel.

Get my drift?

 

[MarkG]

I've been wondering if I should take a test. Lots of things I've read about Asperger's seem to fit.
However, I've taken a few online tests (yeah, yeah..) and they either say no, or teetering on the borderline.

I'm not sure if knowing one way or the other would affect my life in any way. I'd still be me, right?

Now, whether to tell clients or not.. I probably wouldn't do that right away. Establish a working relationship and then if it seems appropriate and it comes up naturally during discussions or whatever, then broach the subject.
(Sounds a bit suspiciously like asking someone out on a date!)
It is something personal after all, even if others might be affected by it..

.. so pretty much what everyone else wrote while I was contemplating this!

I don't think it really matters what others say, they're not going to be able to do anything about it, you won't be any different knowing, etc. If you do have it, I guarantee it is very very mild. Otherwise you'd be damn sure by now.

 

[jipchen]

Well.. a lot of clients have acute cases of "Douchebag" and they don't tell you either beforehand, do they?
Seriously though, it doesn't sound like it would affect your work negatively for the client or the product so why should you tell them?
Even if it would from time to time, they are booking you because they have heard your work and want to work with you - so they will have to deal with your character and your very own peculiarities - much like they would have to do if they chose any other sound-engineer / producer.

Btw if you'd really want to, you will find some degree of any disorder in every individual on this planet.. especially social behaviours and "disorders".



PS: Jarkko has a tiny dick!

 

[vespiz]

I don't think it really matters what others say, they're not going to be able to do anything about it, you won't be any different knowing, etc. If you do have it, I guarantee it is very very mild. Otherwise you'd be damn sure by now.

That's what I've been thinking. Some aspects are stronger than others however, so that's probably what's throwing a loop.

 

[Line666]

It's all been said already, but don't stress it man. When I get into a session with musicians I don't know yet, I don't shake hands and say "Hi, I'm Jarkko, your engineer, and I have a tiny cock." Sure, I might mention it after we've spent a few nights in the studio and gotten to know each other a bit, but if I don't, they'll never know my dark secret unless I pull my jeans down in the middle of a bass take and swirl it around like a wet towel.

Get my drift?

Is it bad that whilst reading this the only mental image I could summon was you in those horrible stretchy girls pants outside a tent you once posted.

Fuck, maybe I have something to admit to as well

 

[MarkG]

In case you're wondering what an extreme case is like, here you go



most aspies have a much milder case, and their intelligence can compensate their behavior to a great extent. As a result, most of the awkwardness and unrest is felt to them, but not always apparent to anyone else. In such cases the positive aspects of aspergers are more apparent, such as the extreme focus, enhanced memory, etc.

Very hard to diagnose in such mild cases. Although perhaps socially insecure, a lot of aspergers are truly gifted in other areas. I wouldn't be surprised if people such as Einstein, Mozart, etc. had asperger's

 

[NSGUITAR]

I don't think it really matters what others say, they're not going to be able to do anything about it, you won't be any different knowing, etc. If you do have it, I guarantee it is very very mild. Otherwise you'd be damn sure by now.

I beg to differ on that man..

Once I was diagnosed, my life made so much more sense and I KNEW what was going on in my head.. I, and everybody I've talked to, have known that something's weird up there in my head. And dude, not knowing what it is for your entire life, always being confused, not knowing what direction you're headed, it just begins to eat away at you and your sanity, in all reality..


When I was diagnosed with Asperger's my life turned in a 180 degree fashion.. Only because I then could learn about it, and learn about myself.. It's SIGNIFICIENTLY helped my social life. My friends/family/lovely girlfriend all now know how to 'deal' with me, if you will.. It is just all around better that the close ones in my life finally know, including myself..

So I figured, if it has helped me by knowing and being aware with loved ones, perhaps if my clients knew, that'd help as well?

I guess I shouldn't have labeled it as "acute".. I really have asperger's syndrom.. Nothing mild about it.. I feel fortunate that I learned about it a little later on, because it allowed my parents to raise me as a normal child, so I can at least put on a face.. And after conversing with people like that for years, it sort of becomes how you communicate.. I'm really glad to have at least that much!

 

[JeffTD]

My question is: Should I be telling clients about this? I'm not ashamed about it by any means.. But I know that the majority of americans jump to conclusions .. I feel like if I was to tell people up front, they'd gain a better understanding of me and my work habits.. What do you guys think?

I don't get why you'd tell anyone it unless required to or asked?


That said, there is a very famous metal engineer who is FAR more autistic than you who produced some of the best metal albums and best sounding metal albums of the last 15 years, and very few people know about it.

I wouldn't worry about yours.