How People with Aperger's/Autism View Themselves

The You Tube video “My life with Asperger’s syndrome” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAtC6jPW28U is a first hand account of what it’s like to have Asperger’s syndrome. A teenager explains the struggles, challenges and advantages to having Asperger’s syndrome.
The teenager says it’s like being normal sometimes and other times feeling autistic. When feeling autistic the teen will rock back and forth and flap her hands. She states going outside can be a big challenge because it feels like the whole world turns upside down. She also states if very confusing in public for several reasons. If someone comes up to talk to you it sets off a bomb in her brain. She shuts down and doesn’t talk at all sometimes. Also in public noises are amplified and it feels like lights are flashing in your brain.
She also says eye contact is very hard. It makes her panic and feels uncomfortable. She says she like many in the autism spectrum do not have non-verbal communication and don’t understand or use gestures. She says it’s very difficult to make new friends because she wants to play video games and do what she wants to do. She says the disconnection is like a chain that won’t go together. She also tends to obsess over things.
She states some in the autism spectrum lack empathy or have too much. She has too much empathy. If she sees something bad she gets very upset and takes it personally.
Overall she states having Asperger’s syndrome is up and down and she has good times and bad. The bad times are when she is over stimulated, overwhelmed, has meltdowns and says she feels like she is poked with needles. She also stated it’s really difficult to be punished for having a meltdown because it isn’t fun in the first place and then getting punished for something not fun makes very little sense to her. Finally she says the good part about Asperger’s syndrome is that she is focused and intelligent and has many interests. She also states Bill Gates is a great example of someone with Aspergers’ who has done very well for himself.
In the You Tube video by Temple Grandin, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEAhMEgGOQ she explains what it’s like to have autism and what is important to emphasis when instructing people in the autism spectrum. She stresses manners and turn taking skills as very important skills many in the autism spectrum lack. It is important to remember auditory details are very difficult for autistic students to pick up. It is important to use visuals when possible. When using visuals it is important to consider light and how it’s presented.
Temple has written several books giving more details about methods and strategies for teaching and understanding people in the autism spectrum.