My Inner Life with Asperger's | Alix Generous | TED Talks

Translator: Miriam Loivotoki Elisha Reviewer: Nelson Simfukwe

Today, I want to talk to you about dreams.

Leo ninataka kuzungumza nawe kuhusu ndoto.

I have been a lucid dreamer my whole life,

nimekuwa mwota ndoto mzuri maisha yote,

and it's cooler than in the movies.

na ni nzuri kuliko za kwenye filamu.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

Beyond flying, breathing fire,

zaidi ya kupaa, kupumua moto,

and making hot men spontaneously appear ...

na kufanya wanaume wazuri watokee kwa ghafla ...

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

I can do things like read and write music.

Ninaweza kufanya vitu kama kusoma na kuandika muziki.

Fun fact is that I wrote my personal statement to college

Cha kufurahisha ni kuwa niliandika habari yangu binafsi kwenda chuoni

in a dream.

nikiwa kwenye ndoto.

And I did accepted. So, yeah.

Na nilikubaliwa. Hivyo sawa.

I am a very visual thinker.

Ninafikiri kwa namna ya picha.

I think in pictures, not words.

Ninafikiri kwa picha, sio maneno.

To me, words are more like instincts and language.

Kwangu mimi, maneno ni kama lugha na hisia.

There are many people like me;

Kuna watu wengi kama mimi;

Nikola Tesla, for example,

Nikola Tesla, kwa mfano,

who could visualize, design, test, and troubleshoot everything --

ambaye anaweza kuona, kubuni, kupima na kutafuta suluhu kila kitu --

all of his inventions -- in his mind, accurately.

uvumbuzi wake wote -- katika akili yake, kwa ufasaha.

Language is kind of exclusive to our species, anyway.

Lugha ni kitu ambacho hakipo katika aina yetu, hata hivyo.

I am a bit more primitive,

mimi ni mshamba kidogo,

like a beta version of Google Translate.

kama toleo la beta la tafsiri ya Google.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

My brain has the ability to hyper-focus on things that interest me.

Ubongo wangu una uwezo wa kuzingatia kwa hali ya juu kwenye vitu vinavyonivutia

For example, once I had an affair with calculus

Kwa mfano, niliwahi kuwa na mapenzi na hesabu za calculus

that lasted longer than some celebrity marriages.

ambayo yalidumu kwa muda mrefu kuliko ndoa za watu maarufu.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

There are some other unusual things about me.

Kuna mambo mengine yasiyo ya kawaida kuhusu mimi.

You may have noticed that I don't have much inflection

utakuwa umegundua kuwa sina mawimbi

in my voice.

kwenye sauti yangu

That's why people often confuse me with a GPS.

Ndio mana watu hunichanganya mimi na GPS.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

This can make basic communication a challenge, unless you need directions.

Hii inafanya mawasiliano kuwa changamoto, labda kama unahitaji maelekezo.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

Thank you.

Asante.

(Applause)

(Makofi)

A few years ago, when I started doing presentations,

Miaka michache iliyopita, nilipoanza kufanya mawasilisho,

I went to get head shots done for the first time.

Nilikwenda kupigwa shoti za kichwa kwa mara ya kwanza.

The photographer told me to look flirty.

Mpiga picha aliniambia nijiweke kichafu.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

And I had no idea what she was talking about.

Sikuwa ninafahamu alichokuwa anamaanisha

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

She said, "Do that thing, you know, with your eyes,

Akasema, "fanya kile kitu, unajua, kwa macho yako,

when you're flirting with guys."

pale unapo washawishi wanaume."

"What thing?" I asked.

"kitu gani?" nikauliza.

"You know, squint."

"unajua, macho".

And so I tried, really.

Hivyo nikajaribu, kiukweli.

It looked something like this.

Ikatokea kitu kama hiki.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

I looked like I was searching for Waldo.

Nikaonekana kama aliyekuwa anatafuta Waldo.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

There's a reason for this,

Kuna sababu kuhusu hili,

as there is a reason that Waldo is hiding.

kama ambavyo iko sababu ya Waldo kujificha.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

I have Asperger's,

Nina Aspega

a high-functioning form of autism

aina ya usonji wenye uwezo mkubwa

that impairs the basic social skills one is expected to display.

ambayo inaharibu ujuzi wa kijamii ambao mtu anategemewa kuuonyesha.

It's made life difficult in many ways,

Inafanya maisha kuwa magumu kwa namna nyingi,

and growing up, I struggled to fit in socially.

na nilipokuwa nakuwa, nilipata ugumu kuishi na jamii.

My friends would tell jokes, but I didn't understand them.

Marafiki zangu walisema vichekesho, lakini sikuweza kuwaelewa.

My personal heroes were George Carlin and Stephen Colbert --

Mashujaa wangu walikuwa George Carlin na Stephen Colbert --

and they taught me humor.

na walinifundisha ucheshi.

My personality switched from being shy and awkward

Haiba yangu ikabadilika kutoka kuwa na aibu na wa ajabu

to being defiant and cursing out a storm.

kuwa mtukutu na ninayesababisha dhoruba

Needless to say, I did not have many friends.

Sina haja ya kusema, Sikuwa na marafiki wengi.

I was also hypersensitive to texture.

Lakini pia nilikuwa na hisia kali na hali za vitu.

The feel of water on my skin was like pins and needles,

Hisia ya maji kwenye ngozi yangu ilikuwa kama sindano na pini,

and so for years, I refused to shower.

hivyo kwa miaka mingi, nilikataa kuoga.

I can assure you that my hygiene routine is up to standards now, though.

ninakuhakikishia hali yangu ya usafi iko kwa viwango kwa sasa, hata hivyo.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

I had to do a lot to get here, and my parents --

Ilinibidi kufanya kazi kubwa kufika hapa, na wazazi wangu --

things kind of got out of control when I was sexually assaulted by a peer,

mambo kidogo yalikwenda mrama nilipodhalilishwa kingono na mtu wa rika langu,

and on top of everything, it made a difficult situation worse.

na juu ya mambo yote,ilifanya hali mbaya kuwa mbaya zaidi.

And I had to travel 2,000 miles across the country to get treatment,

Nikapaswa kusafiri maili 2000 ndani ya nchi kupata matibabu,

but within days of them prescribing a new medication,

lakini siku chache baada ya kupewa dawa mapya,

my life turned into an episode of the Walking Dead.

maisha yangu yakageuka kuwa kipindi cha mfu anayetembea.

I became paranoid, and began to hallucinate

Nikawa mtu wa ajabu na kikaanza kuona vitu ambavyo havipo.

that rotting corpses were coming towards me.

kwamba maiti zilizooza zinanijia.

My family finally rescued me,

hatimaye familia yangu ikaninusuru,

but by that time, I had lost 19 pounds in those three weeks,

lakini kwa wakati huo, nilipoteza paundi 19 katika wiki tatu,

as well as developing severe anemia,

pamoja na kuanza kuwa na tatizo la kupungukiwa damu,

and was on the verge of suicide.

na nilifikia kutaka kujiua.

I transferred to a new treatment center that understood my aversions,

Nilienda kwenye kituo kingine cha matibabu ambacho kilielewa machukizo yangu,

my trauma, and my social anxiety,

taabu yangu, na hofu yangu ya kijamii.

and they knew how to treat it, and I got the help I finally needed.

na walifahamu namna ya kunitibu, na nilipata msaada niliouhitaji.

And after 18 months of hard work,

Na baada ya miezi 18 ya kazi ngumu,

I went on to do incredible things.

Nikaenda kufanya mambo ya ajabu.

One of the things with Asperger's is that oftentimes,

Kitu kimojawapo kuhusu Aspegaz ni kwamba mara kwa mara,

these people have a very complex inner life,

hawa watu huwa wana utu wa ndani mtata sana,

and I know for myself, I have a very colorful personality,

na mimi ninajifahamu, nina haiba ya kuvutia sana,

rich ideas, and just a lot going on in my mind.

maoni mazuri, na vitu vingi vinavyoendelea kwenye akili yangu.

But there's a gap between where that stands,

Lakini kuna mwanya kati ya mahali hilo linasimama,

and how I communicate it with the rest of the world.

na jinsi ninavyowasilisha hayo kwa ulimwengu unaonizunguka.

And this can make basic communication a challenge.

Na hii inaweza kufanya mawasiliano ya kawaida kuwa na changamoto.

Not many places would hire me, due to my lack of social skills,

Sio sehemu nyingi zinaweza kuniajiri, kwa sababu ya ukosefu wa stadi za kijamii,

which is why I applied to Waffle House.

Ndio maana niliomba kazi Waffle House.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

Waffle House is an exceptional 24-hour diner --

Waffle House ni mgahawa wa masaa 24 ---

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

(Applause)

(Makofi)

thank you --

Asante --

where you can order your hash browns

ambapo unaweza kuagiza hasi brown

the many ways that someone would dispose of a human corpse ...

kwa namna nyingi ambavyo mtu anaweza kutupa mzoga wa binadamu ...

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

Sliced, diced, peppered, chunked, topped, capped, and covered.

imekatwa, ina pilipili, imewekwa topin, iko vipande, na imefunikwa.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

As social norms would have it,

Kama taratibu za kijamii zinavyoweka,

you should only go to Waffle House at an ungodly hour in the night.

unatakiwa kwenda Waffle House mida isiyo ya kawaida usiku tu.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

So one time, at 2 am, I was chatting with a waitress, and I asked her,

Hivyo siku moja, saa 8 alfajiri, nilikuwa naongea na muhudumu, nikamuuliza,

"What's the most ridiculous thing that's happened to you on the job?"

"nikitu gani cha ajabu kimewahi kukutokea katika kazi yako?"

And she told me that one time, a man walked in completely naked.

Na akaniambia wakati mmoja, mwanaume aliingia akiwa uchi kabisa.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

I said, "Great! Sign me up for the graveyard shift!"

Nikasema "vyema! niweke mimi kwenye zamu ya makaburini!"

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

Needless to say, Waffle House did not hire me.

Sina haja ya kusema, Waffle House hawakuniajiri.

So in terms of having Asperger's, it can be viewed as a disadvantage,

Hivyo kwa habari ya kuwa na Aspegaz, inaweza kuonekana kama tatizo,

and sometimes it is a real pain in the butt,

na wakati mwingine ni maumivu halisi ya kitako,

but it's also the opposite.

lakini pia ni kinyume chake.

It's a gift, and it allows me to think innovatively.

Ni zawadi, na inaniruhusu mimi kuwaza kiuvumbuzi.

At 19, I won a research competition for my research on coral reefs,

Nikiwa na miaka 19, nilishinda shindano la utafiti, katika tafiti yangu ya miamba maji,

and I ended up speaking

Na nikaishia kuzungumza

at the UN Convention of Biological Diversity,

Katika kongamano la UN la utofauti wa kibayolojia,

presenting this research.

nikiwasilisha utafiti huu.

(Applause)

(Makofi)

Thank you.

Asante.

(Applause)

(Makofi)

And at 22, I'm getting ready to graduate college,

Na nikiwa na miaka 22, ninajiangaa kumaliza chuo,

and I am a co-founder of a biotech company called AutismSees.

na ni mwanzilishi-mwenza wa kampuni ya kibayoteki inayoitwa AutismSees.

(Applause)

(Makofi)

Thank you.

Asante.

(Applause)

(Makofi)

But consider what I had to do to get here:

Lakini ukizingatia yale niliyofanya ili kufika hapa:

25 therapists, 11 misdiagnoses, and years of pain and trauma.

wataalamu 25, kukusea vipimo 11, na miaka ya maumivu na kiwewe.

I spent a lot of time thinking if there's a better way,

Nimetumia muda mwingi kuwaza kama kuna njia nzuri zaidi,

and I think there is: autism-assistive technology.

Na ninadhani ipo: teknolojia ya kusaidia-usonji.

This technology could play an integral role

Teknolojia hii itafanya kazi muhimu

in helping people with autistic spectrum disorder,

katika kuwasaidia watu wenye tatizo la usonji,

or ASD.

au ASD.

The app Podium, released by my company, AutismSees,

podium ya programu, iliyoachiliwa na kampuni yangu, AutismSees,

has the ability to independently assess and help develop communication skills.

inauwezo wa kuchunguza kibinafsi na kusaidia kuendeleza ujuzi wa mawasiliano.

In addition to this, it tracks eye contact through camera

Zaidi ya hapo, inafuatilia kutizama kwa macho kupitia kamera

and simulates a public-speaking and job-interview experience.

na inaigiza mazungumzo ya halaiki na uzoefu wa mahojiano ya kazi.

And so maybe one day, Waffle House will hire me,

Na hivyo labda siku moja, Waffle House wanaweza kuniajiri,

after practicing on it some more.

Baada ya kuifanyia mazoezi kwa muda.

(Laughter)

(kicheko)

And one of the great things is that I've used Podium

Na moja ya kitu kizuri zaidi ni kuwa nimetumia Podium

to help me prepare for today, and it's been a great help.

kunisaidia kujiandaa kwa leo, na imekuwa ya msaada mkubwa.

But it's more than that.

Lakini ni zaidi ya hapo.

There's more that can be done.

Kuna la zaidi laweza kufanyika.

For people with ASD --

Kwa watu wenye ASD --

it has been speculated that many innovative scientists,

Imekuwa ikidhaniwa kuwa wavumbuzi wengi wa kisayansi,

researchers, artists, and engineers have it;

watafiti, wasanii na wahandisi wanayo;

like, for example, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, Isaac Newton, and Bill Gates

kama, mfano, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen, Isaac Newton, and Bill Gates

are some examples.

ni baadhi ya mifano.

But the problem that's encountered

Lakini tatizo linalokuwepo

is that these brilliant ideas often can't be shared

ni kuwa haya maoni mazuri mara nyingi hayawezi shirikishwa

if there are communication roadblocks.

kama kuna ukinzani wa mawasiliano.

And so, many people with autism are being overlooked every day,

Na hivyo watu wengi wenye usonji wanapitwa bila kuonekana kila siku,

and they're being taken advantage of.

na pia wanachukuliwa faida yao.

So my dream for people with autism is to change that,

Hivyo ndoto yangu kwa watu wenye usonji ni kubadilisha hiyo,

to remove the roadblocks that prevent them from succeeding.

na kuondoa ukinzani unaowazuia wao kufanikiwa.

One of the reasons I love lucid dreaming

Sababu moja wapo ninayopendelea kuota ndoto

is because it allows me to be free,

ni kwasababu inaniruhusu kuwa huru,

without judgment of social and physical consequences.

bila kuhukumiwa na jamii na kupata madhara halisi.

When I'm flying over scenes that I create in my mind,

Ninapopaa juu ya mandhari ninazozitengeneza kwenye akili yangu,

I am at peace.

Ninakuwa na amani.

I am free from judgment,

Niko huru na hukumu,

and so I can do whatever I want, you know?

na ninaweza kufanya chochote nitakacho, unafahamu?

I'm making out with Brad Pitt, and Angelina is totally cool with it.

ninatengeneza na Brad Pitt, na Angelina hajali kabisa kuhusu hilo.

(Laughter)

(Kicheko)

But the goal of autism-assistive technology is bigger than that,

Lakini lengo la teknolojia ya usaidizi-usonji ni kubwa zaidi ya hilo,

and more important.

na muhimu zaidi.

My goal is to shift people's perspective

Lengo langu ni kubadili mitazamo ya watu

of autism and people with higher-functioning Asperger's

kuhusu usonji na watu wenye Aspegaz yenye uwezo mkubwa

because there is a lot they can do.

kwa sababu kuna vitu vingi wanawezafanya.

I mean, look at Temple Grandin, for example.

Ninamaanisha, angalia Temple Grandin, kwa mfano.

And by doing so, we allow people to share their talents with this world

Na kwa kufanya hivyo, tunaruhusu watu kushirikisha vipaji vyao kwa ulimwengu

and move this world forward.

na kufanya ulimwengu usonge mbele.

In addition, we give them the courage to pursue their dreams

kwa kuongeza, tunawapa ujasiri kufuatilia ndoto zao

in the real world, in real time.

katika ulimwengu halisi, na wakati halisi.

Thank you.

Asanteni.

(Applause)

(Makofi)

Thank you.

Asante.

(Applause)

(Makofi)