Autistic Fan Of Lego

SD449

Hi all

Im a bit late to the adult FOL community due to family commitments and the stigma and high cost of Lego.

But due to personal circumstances mainly around my recent diagnosis of Autism I have embraced Lego in a big way as it somwhere to calmly lose myself following the instructions and the small challenges that comes with it.

This year I have built a LOT of larger sets including the magnificent UCS Falcon and today picked up Ninjago City.

Money is still very tight so I have to rely on sales/discounts and then sell them soon after to keep my wife happy.

Am I alone as a AutsticFOL or are there others?

PS I am from Norwich in the UK

madforLEGO

Welcome to the forum!

The nice thing here is that many in the community share the deals they find and alert to sale prices or when clearance sales hit major stores, so that should hopefully help with the cost aspect of things :-)

snowhitie

Welcome to the forum!

There's a little off-topic for members only old thread about other people on the spectrum (here).

Other people can feel like Lego is a silly hobby to have, but if it's something that calms you down, you enjoy, gives you something to focus on, that's all great. My husband has autism too and although he's not at AFOL he does enjoy the collecting aspect of it (luck for me who loves the building and the collecting).

I find Lego a bit like a meditation, it grounds you a bit and it's helped me dealing with anxiety and depression for example. 

There are lots of deals around here indeed and if you enjoy the building, definitly keep an eye out for used sets as well, especially if the come from a fellow AFOL they are usually in great condition.

Enjoy!

Jern92

Hi there,

You're definitely not alone. There are quite a number of us around, whether professionally diagnosed or self-diagnosed (which I know may not be entirely accurate). I enjoy focusing on the task at hand with no distractions, simply following instructions without having to think about things too much. Lego has greatly helped me with my anxiety, particularly during the really bad days when I needed a distraction. Only downside is how expensive it is so I can't always afford to buy new sets once I'm done building what I have. But then I guess that's a problem we all have!

Cheers!

Baby_Yoda

Hello and welcome! My brother's an AAFOL (if you will). Lego definitely helps him too, assuming it's not
a) Technic, which he finds very frustrating, or
b) nearby during a meltdown!
I've been to a lot of meetings for families so I've seen a lot of autistic people in my life, and Lego seems to be a common interest. It's a sort of self-contained system where creativity can be utilised without the stress of too many options.

Jern92 said:

self-diagnosed

I'd recommend anyone who "self-diagnoses" themselves to get a formal opinion, as you'll almost inevitably be told something different. Autism is generally confused with the lesser-known social anxiety, which is effectively the same as what most people incorrectly think autism is (hence the confusion). Social functioning is only one of the many aspects of autism, and the only immediately apparent one - there's the meltdowns, for starters; extreme sensitivity, particularly to noise and touch; intellectual disabilities often go hand-in-hand with it as well. It's something your parents or teachers would have noticed when you were at a very young age, and not something you'll notice yourself without a reference point. I've had a handful of people approach me, telling me they're "self-diagnosed autistic". These are the sort of people who definitely, definitely aren't, and it's a bit insulting that someone who has such little understanding of the disorder would claim to know all of the hardships that come with it.
Unfortunately, my brother isn't on this forum - I think it'd intimidate him quite a bit - but it seems there are plenty of other AAFOLs around to chat with. Have fun!

MaffyD

Welcome to the forum. I understand the (historical) stigma regarding grown-ups buying toys for their own pleasure. But I feel that is being eroded now, and as long as you have an understanding household (which I think you have if your wife is ok with you buying the UCS Falcon - even if you have to sell it on afterwards) you don't need to worry about that any more. You certainly don't need to worry on here!

Join in on any conversations you find interesting and add to them your own POV and Lego news! :-)

Aanchir

Hi! I'm an autistic LEGO fan as well! Great to hear you've jumped into the LEGO hobby headfirst — just be sure not to overspend! You can find a lot of fun and intricate builds even at lower price points… some of the ones I get most excited for are the elemental dragons and creatures from LEGO Ninjago and LEGO Elves.