LITERALLY

August 6, 2013 · by Robin

Aspies take things literally! There are many phrases that do not intend what they actually say: bored to death, raining cats and dogs, he’s sharp as a knife, were your ears burning? Problem is, we think you really mean these things. I was 7 years old and at a friend’s house. I did something wrong and his mother said, “I’m going to throw you out the window if you do that again.” I was terrified. THROW ME OUT THE WINDOW! She still talks about my reaction and expression on my face. I was afraid and truly believed she was going to throw me out the window. Fast forward to age 30. I was working as a vet tech at a veterinarian hospital. Prior to a cat having surgery, the vet placed the cat in a small enclosed space to be sedated with nitrous oxide (laughing gas). The vet asked me to go and check on the cat. I LITERALLY checked on the cat by removing the lid and checking on him. Guess who ended up laughing hysterically after inhaling nitrous oxide and being sent home. The veterinarian did not understand why I would lift the cover to check on the cat and I did not understand how I was supposed to check the cat without LITERALLY checking the cat. Another time I was affected by DMSO, used for soft tissue injuries, while giving a dog a dental. I told the vet I was having issues with a metallic taste in my mouth and ringing in my ears. He said, “Well, that will make you green.” Yes, I thought I would turn the color green and not his meaning I would feel ill . Certain things will not click with me for years and then suddenly I will get them. I will hear a song that I have heard over and over for 20 years and suddenly I hear the words for the first time. It’s like a revelation. How did I hear the song but never HEAR the words and understand the meaning of the song? I just recently understood the story behind “If You Like Pina Coladas”.
We take some statements literally. We also usually think in pictures. So, if you tell me to “Duck!”, I will think of a duck. I won’t think of ducking my head down, which is what you are asking me to do.
When you tell the Asperger person you’ll call them back at 8:00 pm,  be sure your clocks are in synchronicity with theirs. A callback that occurs later than 8:00:09 pm warrants serious explaining and “my clock is a minute or two slow,” won’t cut it. Time. Time. Time. That’s a whole other blog:)
Once as a child I went down to my brother’s room and crawled into his bunk bed and fell asleep. My mother had everyone looking for me. All of the neighborhood kids looked for me and she finally called the police. After hours of searching they found me still asleep tucked up in a corner in the dark. Afterwards my mother told me to always tell her where I was going. GUESS WHAT? I ALWAYS told her where I was going. “Mom, I’m going to the bathroom.” “Mom, I’m going upstairs.” “Mom, I’m going to the kitchen.”
Another example. As a young child I was staring out the window one evening looking at the moon. My mother asked me why I was looking at it and I explained I didn’t understand why it was cut in half. Teasing me (remember, they did not know about Aspergers in the 70s) she replied that it looked broken. I ventured off and returned with some tools. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Moon broke, I fix it.” I replied.