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I've had "health problems" for the most part of my life. I was born in 1973. Not until February 2006 I got a diagnosis, from two psychologists and one doctor. I got something called Aspergers Syndrome. A neurological condition, and a form of high-functioning autism.
Now I know that my "health problems" are depression and anxiety, brought on by being misunderstood by others and not understanding other people.
Asperger's Syndrome, is not an illness, disease or a disorder. But it gives me a unique mind, and a good sense to details. But at times I can't handle change and stress well, and I have very low energy level. I'm sensitive to certain sounds, light, touch and smell, and to me that is both good and bad. I find crowds difficult to handle, but I like to spend time on my own and do the things I like. I have humour, I'm honest and I meet all people in an equal way. I'm kind and thoughtful, and I have empathy for both humans and animals. But at times I find it difficult to understand and catch other people's intentions, expectations and body language. Other people may see me as eccentric, different and odd. But I'm not dangerous. I like being different and I think we don't all have to be the same. I dislike it when people write/say/think "cure autism spectrum disorders", and I don't want anyone's pity. We are all different, and I would like understanding and respect. I can talk and/or write for myself and I don't bite.
I can try my best to answer all your questions that you may have about AS or/and ASDs, just treat me with respect and understanding.
There's a lot of information about Aspergers Syndrome online. If you are interested
to find out more about it, I suggest that you do read about it. To get a better understanding. But if you do, I would like to remind you about
something. Some descriptions about this "state of mind" are very
extreme, and one can get the idea that an "Aspie" must have all the
characteristics and a lot of it. But it does vary from one person to
another. Also, most of the descriptions about AS are about boys, and there aren't so many about adults, or about girls or women.
Everyone is different, and the degree of difficulty varies from one individual to another. It's also different between children and adults, boys and girls.
I'm not just a person with Aspergers Syndrome. Aspergers Syndrome is part of who I am. I do not see Aspergers Syndrome as an illness/sickness/disease/disorder or being abnormal. I just see it as being different than most. Which isn't all a bad thing. It becomes a functional disability in a society built for how most people are. I would never ever want to be "cured" from my Aspergers Syndrome, even if such a thing was possible. That would change me and who I am, and I think I have the right to be myself as much as anyone else. People are all different, and I don't think anyone else has the right to say if someone else is abnormal or wrong. What I wish is for Aspies to be a part of the society, on our terms. Aspies have a lot to give. What I would like to be cured from is depression and anxiety.
Any questions, just ask away.
Below are some links, quotes, and information, I've collected for myself most of all. But it's a good start if you wish to know more about AS.
Asperger syndrome - Simple English Wikipedia
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- I think most of the information on the above link is right, but:
- I don't like the word "disorder", related to Aspergers Syndrome. I'm not out of order, I'm just different.
- I don't have a problem with balance. I'm not clumsy. I'm not rocking, flapping my hands, or tapping my feet.
- I understand other people's emotions. I have humour and I understand humour. I speak with a normal voice.
- I've always been tall. 179 cm tall as an adult. Not all Aspies have special interests, that take up all their time. I understand irony, sarcasm, and slang. I don't take everything literally.
- I often don't talk about my interests with others. Unless someone else brings it up first. Then I can talk, but usually not for too long.
- I don't do well at math. But I have high language intelligence.
- There's a lot of missunderstandings about Aspergers Syndrome. Most of all, all people with Aspergers Syndrome are different.
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http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/whatisas.htm (TonyAttwood.com.au)
"From my clinical experience I consider that children and adults with Asperger’s Syndrome have a different, not defective, way of thinking. The person usually has a strong desire to seek knowledge, truth and perfection with a different set of priorities than would be expected with other people. There is also a different perception of situations and sensory experiences. The overriding priority may be to solve a problem rather than satisfy the social or emotional needs of others. The person values being creative rather than co-operative. The person with Asperger’s syndrome may perceive errors that are not apparent to others, giving considerable attention to detail, rather than noticing the ‘big picture’. The person is usually renowned for being direct, speaking their mind and being honest and determined and having a strong sense of social justice. The person may actively seek and enjoy solitude, be a loyal friend and have a distinct sense of humour. However, the person with Asperger’s Syndrome can have
difficulty with the management and expression of emotions. Children and adults with Asperger’s syndrome may have levels of anxiety, sadness or anger that indicate a secondary mood disorder. There may also be problems expressing the degree of love and affection expected by others. Fortunately, we now have successful psychological treatment programs to help manage and express emotions."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4627264.stm
"Although a person with Asperger's can be more intelligent than
average, their less-developed social skills can hold them back."
"In contrast to autism, the condition causes no delays in language or
self-help skills, other than the limited ability to interact with
others."
"It is a communication disorder," Mr Walker said. "It's a lifelong
condition so it's always going to be there."
"You have a difficulty in imagining how other people might view you."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/medical_notes/a-b/1166811.stm
"Asperger's syndrome is one of a range of autism-like disorders which
often manifests in "eccentric" behaviour rather than pronounced and
obvious disability."
"However, experts say there is no known link between Asperger's and
violent crime." (note from Åsa: yes, just because Aspies act weird and
different, it's not the same thing as we would do anything criminal)
"Often someone with Asperger's may be obsessed with complex topics
such as music, history, or the weather, and have above average verbal
skills."
"A spokesman for the National Autistic Society said: "There is no
established link between Asperger syndrome and offending, nor is there
any evidence to suggest that people with Asperger syndrome are more
likely to break the law than anyone else in the general population."
"It is extremely rare for people with Asperger syndrome to commit
violent crimes."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3766697.stm
"Michelangelo might have had it. So, too, may Einstein, Socrates and
Jane Austen. All are claimed to have had Asperger's syndrome, a form of
autism. What is it about this developmental disorder that can lead to
genius?!
"This reflects the positive side of this gene, that people with it can
contribute in many ways. Being single-minded, it gives them the chance
to focus on something which interests them. Their talents are not
diluted by the everyday interactions that take up so much time for the
rest of us."
"The same posthumous diagnosis has been made of other historical
figures, among them the scientists Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, Albert
Einstein and Marie Curie, the politician Eamon de Valera, the poet WB
Yeats and Pop Art giant Andy Warhol."
"People with it are generally hyper-focused, very persistent
workaholics who tend to see things from detail to global rather than
looking at the bigger picture first and then working backwards, as most
people do."
"But Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, of Cambridge University, says it is
more accurate to describe this creativity as "systemising" - a strong
drive to analyse detail."
"This might be in mathematics, machines, natural phenomena or
anatomy, to identify rules that govern a system and any variations in
that system."
"Mr Spock is an extreme example of someone driven by logic and
systemising, but who has no interest in the feelings of others," says
Mr Baron-Cohen. "But he is very much a caricature." (note by Åsa: I'm
driven by logic and systemising, but I'm interested in other people as
long as they talk about something interesting or something we have in
common)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/east/series4/aspergers_autism.shtml
"Can you tell when something's wrong just by the tone of a person's voice? Do you know how they feel about you by the way they're sitting? As a person with Asperger's she has an inate inability to read people's body language. She has trouble keeping eye contact with others and making friends."
"The trouble is that on the surface there doesn't seem to be anything different about me," she says. "I look normal, but I'm not like other people. I find it hard to read body language, facial expressions or tone of voice."
"But one of the key things sufferers like Nita want is a wider awareness and understanding of Asperger's by other people. "Although I have help, life can be very lonely," she says."
"Having Asperger's doesn't mean you're stupid"
"If more people understood Asperger's, people like me would feel part of society. And I for one feel I have a lot to give."
http://www.trackitdown.net/news/928.html
"Skrufff: You’ve always seemed to inspire extreme reactions in people, why do you think this is the case?
Gary Numan: “ It’s a mystery to me. I honestly think of myself as a fairly easygoing, non-confrontational person. I do have friends around me that would argue with that, but I’ve never quite understood what it is. I have a condition called Aspergers Syndrome, which is like a mild form of autism It means I don’t interact properly in certain social situations. I’m alright with this kind of situation; questions and answers, I’m kind of in my element, but if I was to meet you outside, in a bar, you would find me really awkward to talk to. I wouldn’t be able to make conversation, I can’t make eye contact, I’d probably misunderstand what you’ve said, because I can’t relate actual language to body language properly, and I get confused as to what people mean, and I’m highly suspicious. I’m just fucking useless at being out and about. I get really, really paranoid. I don’t know if that comes across when I’m writing either, I honestly don’t know.
To give you an example, I posted something on the website a while ago, saying we’re having a bit of trouble with bootlegging – it’s getting a bit out hand. If anyone sees any can just they let us know; we don’t want to get anyone into trouble, we just want to try and curb it a bit. I really said it almost as if the people doing the bootlegs were were mates. You wouldn’t believe the shit that I got for that, I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know why that happens. I honestly try really hard to talk to people, as though everyone’s the same. No-ones better, no-one’s worse, I don’t think one job is better than another. I really try to look at the world and everyone in it evenly. I seem to be widely misunderstood often.”"
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Theory Of Mind & Empathy
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Theory Of Mind
When trying to modify and alter or modify the behaviours of a person with Asperger Syndrome, it is imperative to consider the “Theory of Mind” Impairment. Theory of Mind can be explained as one’s ability to be able to consider and understand other people’s thoughts and feelings, as this skill plays a major role in our interaction with others. For the person with Asperger Syndrome, this skill is severely impeded, resulting in the following difficulties:-
* Inability to predict the possible behaviours of others, which can lead to the person with Asperger Syndrome developing a sense of insecurity and a resultant avoidance of people;
* Not being able to comprehend the intentions of those around him, nor understanding the motivations of their actions;
* A lack of understanding concerning their own emotions or the emotions of others. This can manifest as a lack of empathy, which is often not accepted or understood by the people within their social circle;
* Poor comprehension of how one’s behaviour affects how others feel and think about you. This can lead to a lack of motivation to please and a lack of conscience;
* Minimal understanding/concern regarding what people know or want to know and a defective ability to detect or react to their audience’s level of interest This can result in either, the person with Asperger Syndrome speaking endlessly on a subject providing excessive detail, or else providing minimal background material, but just launching into a complex verbal account of a subject that the audience has no knowledge of, or interest in;
* Minimal understanding as to why their focus of attention must change, whether it be in a conversation or in a classroom setting etc. For instance, if the person with Asperger Syndrome is concentrating on a specific task or talking to you on a chosen topic and you want to move on to another task, or alter the topic of conversation;
* Due to the impediment in the area of social interaction, there is often a lack of understanding as regards the need to “take turns” in conversation and allowing others to talk without interruption, or the need to take takes turns in the playground etc;
* Inadequate understanding of the action of “pretending” and an inability to separate fact from fiction, or the ability to be deceitful, is often present.
Empathy
A common source of confusion in analyzing the interactions between empathy and ASD ( autism spectrum disorders ) is that the apparent lack of empathy may mask at least two other underlying causes:
* Excessive sensitivity or "overwhelm," may be a cause of early learned suppression.
* Failure to demonstrate empathy can arise from inability (or not knowing how) to express empathy to others, as opposed to difficulty feeling it internally.
In this context, a higher level of empathy is sometimes reported by individuals with mild or high functioning Asperger's syndrome, especially to animals and to other deeply held emotions in people - anecdotally this may more often be so with "high-functioning" individuals, or possibly, the strength of negative empathic feelings with people might itself have been a contributing cause of retreat into self.
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The Discovery of "Aspie" Criteria
By Carol Gray and Tony Attwood
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Figure 1: Discovery criteria for aspie by Attwood and Gray
A qualitative advantage in social interaction, as manifested by a majority of the following:
* Peer relationships characterized by absolute loyalty and impeccable dependability
* Free of sexist, "age-ist", or culturalist biases; ability to regard others at "face value"
* Speaking one’s mind irrespective of social context or adherence to personal beliefs
* Ability to pursue personal theory or perspective despite conflicting evidence
* Seeking an audience or friends capable of: enthusiasm for unique interests and topics;
* Consideration of details; spending time discussing a topic that may not be of primary interest
* Listening without continual judgement or assumption
* Interested primarily in significant contributions to conversation; preferring to avoid "ritualistic small talk" or socially trivial statements and superficial conversation
* Seeking sincere, positive, genuine friends with an unassuming sense of humor
Fluent in "Aspergerese", a social language characterized by at least three of the following:
* A determination to seek the truth
* Conversation free of hidden meaning or agenda
* Advanced vocabulary and interest in words
* Fascination with word-based humor, such as puns
* Advanced use of pictorial metaphor
Cognitive skills characterized by at least four of the following:
* Strong preference for detail over gestalt
* Original, often unique perspective in problem solving
* Exceptional memory and/or recall of details often forgotten or disregarded by others, for example: names, dates, schedules, routines
* Avid perseverance in gathering and cataloging information on a topic of interest
* Persistence of thought
* Encyclopedic or "CD ROM" knowledge of one or more topics
* Knowledge of routines and a focused desire to maintain order and accuracy
* Clarity of values/decision making unaltered by political or financial factors
Additional possible features:
* Acute sensitivity to specific sensory experiences and stimuli, for example: hearing, touch, vision, and/or smell
* Strength in individual sports and games, particularly those involving endurance or visual accuracy, including rowing, swimming, bowling, chess
* "Social unsung hero" with trusting optimism: frequent victim of social weaknesses of others, while steadfast in the belief of the possibility of genuine friendship
* Increased probability over general population of attending university after high school
* Often take care of others outside the range of typical development
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"Naturalist" Intelligence: Another Name for Autistic Thinking?
I like this article, so I wanted to post it here. This is very much like I am as an adult.
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"Naturalist" Intelligence: Another Name for Autistic Thinking?
Thursday November 8, 2007
Back in the 1980's Howard Gardner, a leading light in educational research, wrote a book called "Frames of Mind." In it, he posited the idea that there are many forms of intelligence. He cited a total of seven, including visual, social, verbal, and so on.
Later, during the 1990's, he came up with the idea of an 8th form of intelligence which he called "naturalist intelligence." I had never heard of this idea until just recently, and I decided to research it a bit further. In the process of my search, I came upon an article by Leslie Owen Wilson on the New Horizons website (New Horizons publishes books and multimedia related to autism). Here's a hefty citation from Wilson's article:
Naturalist intelligence deals with sensing patterns in and making connections to elements in nature. Using this same intelligence, people possessing enhanced levels of this intelligence may also be very interested in other species, or in the environment and the earth. Children possessing this type of intelligence may have a strong affinity to the outside world or to animals, and this interest often begins at an early age. They may enjoy subjects, shows and stories that deal with animals or natural phenomena. Or they may show unusual interest in subjects like biology, zoology, botany, geology, meteorology, paleontology, or astronomy. People possessing nature smarts are keenly aware of their surroundings and changes in their environment, even if these changes are at minute or subtle levels. Often this is due to their highly-developed levels of sensory perception. Their heightened senses may help them notice similarities, differences and changes in their surroundings more rapidly than others. People with naturalistic intelligence may be able to categorize or catalogue things easily too. Frequently, they may notice things others might not be aware of. As children these people often like to collect, classify, or read about things from nature -- rocks, fossils, butterflies, feathers, shells, and the like.
If your child:
• Notices patterns and things from nature easily,
• Has keen senses and observes and remembers things from his/her environment and surroundings,
• Likes animals and likes to know and remember things about them,
• Really appreciates being outside and doing things like camping, hiking or climbing, even just like sitting quietly and noticing the subtle differences in the world of nature, or
• Makes keen observations about natural changes, interconnections and patterns, then this child may be nature smart.
Primary examples of notable people having naturalistic intelligence are John Muir, Rachel Carson, and Charles Darwin. Examples of cultural groups possessing and valuing this form of intelligence are many Native American Tribes and Aboriginal Peoples.
Children having naturalistic intelligence may exhibit some of the following characteristics: They may:
• Have keen sensory skills - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.
• Readily use heightened sensory skills to notice and categorize things from the natural world.
• Like to be outside, or like outside activities like gardening, nature walks or field trips geared toward observing nature or natural phenomena.
• Notice patterns easily from their surroundings -- likes, differences, similarities, anomalies.
• Are interested and care about animals or plants.
• Notice things in the environment others often miss.
• Create, keep or have collections, scrapbooks, logs, or journals about natural objects -- these may include written observations, drawings, pictures and photographs or specimens.
• Are very interested, from an early age, in television shows, videos, books, or objects from or about nature, science or animals.
• Show heightened awareness and concern of the environment and/or for endangered species.
• Easily learn characteristics, names, categorizations and data about objects or species found in the natural world.
Of course, not every person with autism falls into the "naturalist" category. But boy - my son sure does. And I'm guessing many readers know someone on the spectrum with "naturalist intelligence." Of course, our kids' sensory sensitivities are labelled as problemmatic; our kids propensity to collect and sort is considered to be perseverative, and our children's interest in Animal Planet is discouraged as socially inappropriate. Maybe, though, there's an up side to our kids' unusual form of intelligence, which is more about observation, categorization and information gathering than it is about conversation, social interaction and verbal learning.
If you do know a child who fits the naturalist description, you might want to check out the teaching strategies for kids with the abilities described above - also offered through New Horizons.
Are you familiar with this "new" form of intelligence? Does it ring any bells for you? Have you made use of educational strategies to reach and teach children with autism who tend toward this "naturalist intelligence?"
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I hope the above gives people a chance for better understanding. I'm hoping it will help people to understand why I'm different, and to get a better understanding about Aspergers Syndrome.
Not only for me, but also for other people who have Aspergers Syndrome, or might have Aspergers Syndrome.
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