care and feeding of your aspie

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Ah, I see now where you were going with that comment.

How about this: If we are going with the Webster Medical definition of Disease, we can go with the Webster Medical definition of Aspergers Syndrome:

a developmental disorder resembling autism that is characterized by impaired social interaction, by repetitive patterns of behavior and restricted interests, by normal language and cognitive development, and often by above average performance in a narrow field against a general background of deficient functioning—called also Asperger's disorder

But then, if it's a "developmental disorder", does that mean it does not effect adults who are no longer going through their development phase?

With workplace and child raising, I did not know if you had children or had any jobs in a normal 8-5 workplace where you would have experience to speak from.

I appreciate all the work you have put into your blog. It has been immensely helpful.

The definition I chose is from a medical dictionary, and is generally accepted by the medical community... and is taught at medical schools... As for the dictionary definition of Asperger's is incredibly vague, and does not meet with the diagnostic criteria in the DSM. When dealing with mental disorders, I prefer to stick to the DSM or the ICD due to the fact that these are the books used to diagnose mental conditions.

As i have commented in my blog, language is incredibly imprecise, and the dictionary often muddles the issue, rather than clarifying it.

>>>Part 35<<< - Asperger's is Real

Thank you for your reply. I'm both very gratified that you think my suggestion is a good one, and honored that you intend to use it in your series.

You're quite welcome.

I don't believe its possible to overstate how important I feel this series is and will be to countless aspies and the NTs in their lives.
If there is anything I may be able do to contribute to or assist with your project, please feel free to ask, as I would be more than happy to do so.

I also think that the blog could use articles from other autists... if anyone is interested in submitting... please contact me

Last edited by Feralucce on 13 Aug 2013, 3:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

That last part, 35: Aspergers is real, really hit home for me.

My son was diagnosed with ADD last year, but some things just didn't fit or feel right to us. His sensitivity to touch and hearing, his delayed speech, his reluctance to wear clothes, etc. Through further research we discovered Asperger's and everything fit. Going back for a new diagnosis and adding those symptoms in that we though were unrelated came back with Asperger's. Yes, he as a touch of ADD as well, but we knew that wasn't just it. But my father-in-law and brother-in-law are both ADD so we figured that's what it was. My wife suggested I be tested for ADD but I was reluctant as it didn't fit me.

With my son's diagnosis of Asperger's, ALL the research we did fit my childhood, so I got tested and it was confirmed, although they recommended not giving me the "official" diagnosis on paper as it may hurt more then help since I am an adult and a productive member of society. I have learned on my own to compensate for my many short comings. The diagnosis helps me understand why and helps me find way's to cope with the troubles I still have.

I've been going through threads on this message board and your blog and have almost come to tears when I read something and go "YES! That's exactly what it is that I've never been able to put into words! Someone out there really understands. I'm not alone..."

But some things don't fit. And then I start to doubt. And then I wonder if I tell people I have asperger's and they see how well I am doing, is that hurting my son who has Asperger's but is still developing and still needs help? I took a quiz online at http://rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php and it came back mostly on the Aspie scale and some in the middle, so I thought oh maybe not so much? Then I had my wife take it and she was 99% on the NT side. WAY OFF from my results. And I told her some of my answers and she said I may see myself that way but that's not the way I am, or my answers were how I am now that I've learned to compensate.

It's a very difficult place to be. But not as difficult a place as it is for my son.

>>>Part 49<<< - OH MY GOD!! ! SHUT UP AND STOP INTERRUPTING ME!! !

As usual you have explained it beautifully.

I think I'm going to print this one out and stick it on the noticeboard at work.

As usual, thank you for the compliment... I do what I can

>>>Supplemental<<< - An Example of Aspie Decision Making and Dissonance Resolution

Excellent, I've wanted to discuss this point somewhere for a while. Why is it impossible for an Aspie to compartmantalise this when they do so with everything else? Why is it impossible to remove the emotion of guilt associated with the suspicion that you would be supporting gay hate by going to see an unrelated movie made by someone who happens to be a bigot? Because who really thinks like that? Other than bigots, obviously. By rejecting the entirety of the man on the basis of disagreeing with one aspect of that man you are effectively being a bigot yourself. So go ahead watch that film and enjoy it.


Edit: I also wanted to question this black and white dogma. I think it only exists because for majority of things Aspies find it difficult to make decisions when given too many variables (but are otherwise excellent at math - my mind frequently collapses under the weight of this paradox) so prefer black and white options as easier to deal with. But perhaps those only apply to those aspects of life that do not interest them very much and to which therefore they do not wish to devote much time and mental energy. I bet that when it comes to their special interest, Aspies welcome shades of grey (no pun intended, ok maybe a little bit of pun) and all colours of the rainbow.

Discuss.

And also. I am at home, alone, trying to recover from a mysterious illness of being myself under stress and I am doing this by eating peanut butter and strawberry jam ricecakes washed down with chicken and leek soup. Being an adult rocks.

That answer may be more difficult than you suspect. the short answer is, we don't know...

HOWEVER, I suspect the answer lies in the revelation that the Autistic brain is LITERALLY wired differently than that of an NT (I discuss that HERE. Take a look at the following image (this is in the link)

[img][800:671]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OfYBmPcqP4w/UhAI5Oc9vlI/AAAAAAAABlQ/GGzp62ppnns/s1600/Autism_Extra4_1280_940x671.jpg[/img]

Using High Definition Fiber Tracking, we have managed to get a look at the nerve pathways in the brain. The brain on the left of the image is Temple Grandin's. (Her website is HERE.

The brain on the right is an NT brain. It seems to me that the different parts of the NT brain have to send messages through other parts of the brain to process information. The fact that there are DISTINCT structures in the brain, and to get messages to the body, the impulses have to paas from outlying areas of the brain, through other structures... it makes sense that there would be filters to keep neurological signals from cascading through a mess of other processing on the way to brain stem (the way we get messages out of the brain.

When we take a look at the brain on the left, those nerve pathways that are normally isolated in the center of the brain are spread throughout the tissue. It is just possible that the normal processing is bypassed by this... The signals in an Autistic brain do not travel through the filters of the rest of the brain and and are, instead, transmitted straight to the brain stem, bypassing the mechanisms that allow for the NT to avoid the dissonant events by compartmentalization.

However... this is just a theory... a theory that I quantified when you asked the question.

>>>Part 50<<< - I have Asperger's... Now What?

>>>Part 51<<< - I have a diagnosis... and now the world seems to be filled with Autistics

I was first approached with the term Aspie very recently with no prior exposure to or knowledge of the term, and was first given the impression that it was some kind of slur for us. I am now adapting to the word slowly, with less of a derogatory expectation of its meaning, but it's going to be a little bit of a process to rewire it in my mind. To me, it just seems like a label. I'll try to think of it as an abbreviation and try to forget the misinterpreted introduction as a fault on my part, and work to negate the initial bad response and reception of it.

I think they came up with it because 'aspergarian' is a bit of a mouthful.