Asperger's and Autism

[Sophus]

I agree completely Kylyssa!

Anyways, I came to visit this thread again to share this post about the gene that causes autism.

[thirtiesgirl]

I wonder if the cause is the same for everybody with Aspergers.  Personality is such a complicated thing that there are any number of ways it could be messed up.  It's possible that it's a catchall diagnosis for a variety of conditions that interfere with social interaction.

As a person with mild Aspergers, I don't think the cause is the same for every Aspie.  In my case, I think it relates to the fact that I was adopted at a very young age and for the first 3 months of my life, belonged to social services where I didn't get much individual attention.  I was then adopted by a single mom with untreated borderline personality disorder who, while she gave me enough physical attention, had no idea how to pick up on my emotions, mirror them and give me the right kind of emotional support - the 'right kind' meaning teaching me how to handle my emotions and express them in a healthy way, and also recognizing my emotions as part of being human, rather than criticizing, judging and completely ignoring them.  Growing up in an environment where you're constantly told your feelings are wrong can definitely mess with your head.

Most of you who have indicated that you have Aspergers seem to communicate very well on this forum - certainly better than the average person out there.

In my experience with Aspie adults, myself included, most of us are fairly good to excellent communicators because clear communication and making sure we're understood is of utmost importance to us.

An internet forum is a means of communication and a way to interact with others, just as face to face meetings are.  I'm curious if you Asperger people believe that you have trouble picking up written clues in this format as to what others are thinking.  The traditional list of symptoms of Aspergers includes a lack of a normal sense of humor.  Do you Asperger people indeed find that to be true in normal interactions with others, and how about on this forum and other internet conversations - do you think you have more trouble than the average person in knowing whether a poster is joking or not?  If so, does that bother you?

I think I'm actually better at picking up nuances in the written word than I am in person.  Short of the fact that I have mild Aspergers, I really don't know how to explain why that's the case.  Having mild AS, though, I'm usually just fine with picking up on sarcasm and humor in person.  What I usually tend to miss are the subtle facial expressions people sometimes use to convey meaning.  For example, yesterday at work, I was having lunch with some women co-workers in the staff cafeteria when a male teacher came in who they both don't like.  They greeted him, and once he was out of their eyeline, exchanged a look between them that I couldn't pick up on.  They had to explain it to me later in the day.  I guess because I've had a natural aptitude for writing and verbal communication from an early age, I think that's why I'm better at picking up those cues.  Whereas I'm not so good at picking up facial expressions and body language to understand other things people might be trying to convey.

[Sophus]

An interesting article in Psychology Today published, erm... today. Imagine A World Where Aspergers Was the Norm. She writes:

Let's try it: Those who feel the need to constantly be with a variety of friends are considered fickle. Those with no propensity for computers and science are called geeks. Those with no special interest are thought to be ungrounded and lost. Those without obsessive focus have to take classes to cultivate it.

Those who insist on saying ‘have a nice day' and other polite exchanges of fairly empty niceties are taught to be honest and say what they think. People who go to shake hands are simply thought unhygienic. And of course, you would never be expected to hug someone just because they shared an ancestor or a common acquaintance.

Teens who live for the mall are not as cool as those who read, write, draw, invent and play instruments all day. People who feel the need to dress like others are conformist and unimaginative. Girls who spend hours a day straightening their hair are recommended for counseling. People who never rock or squeal in public are considered repressed. People who talk about what other people are up to are gossips, while those who monologue are fountains of knowledge to be shared by anyone who cares to listen.

And then says:

Are you offended by this post? Does it sound strangely bigoted to you? Why? We aspies are expected to take social skills classes. We are expected to be team players. We are called geeks because we can throw together a system after just reading a manual or watching one Youtube video. We are weird because we can recite the entire script of the Holy Grail, or name every saxophone player of consequence in the history of jazz.

Absolutely brilliant!  

[Sophus]

I'm wary of anything on the HuffPo science related but apparently there has been some ground made in the research of what causes Autism. It ends with this:

[youtube:1yajft39]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XimasKn9Bmo[/youtube:1yajft39]

What do you think about a comprehensive approach to autism treatment? Do you think autism is "all in the head" or a systemic disorder that can be reversed? Do you have an autism story to share yourself? Please leave your thoughts or your story by adding a comment below.