are there any engineers in your family

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My dad's an aircraft engineer - worked his way up from an aircraft fitter to do his current job. He designs safety tests for aircraft components. He excels at solving mechanical problems and designing solutions. He has no formal educational qualifications, he has used his innate logical skills to learn on the job. He has a lot of AS traits but isn't diagnosed.

My father is taking college courses for civil engineering, and also works at an environmental firm called AMEC (which neither he nor I know what the heck that means...)

my grandfather worked a bit on the saturn 5 rocket, but he is the only engineer I can think of in my family.

My dad is not an engineer per se, but he was essentially unemployed for about twenty years or so as an oilfield geologist in the northern midwest.

One of my Grandfather's ( Dad's side) got Hired by Southern Railway in 1947 after he came back from Occupied Japan. He was also one of the Freedom Train Engineers back in 1975. He Retired in 1980.

My other Grandfather became one of the Main Electricians at Brunswick Naval Air Station. --Both Families were too poor to afford College at the time.

Last edited by Fogman on 13 Jul 2005, 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

Saw an article where there's a huge number of Asperger's kids being diagnosed who are offspring of computer programmers in Silicon Valley, CA.

Second and third euphemism/jokes (from that article):

- Programmers all suffer from O D D.

- Every programmer is a bit autistic.

HOLY MOLEY, SEAN!! Your grandfather was on Guadalcanal in 1942?!? You are lucky you managed to get born, kid. There is no way I would EVER rule out PTSD in a guy who was on Guadalcanal in 1942. That was among the worst fighting of the entire war in the Pacific if not THE worst.

My father was a combat vet and a workaholic, too. My first husband was a Navy veteran who served 27 months on a destroyer in the Pacific, 1942 to 1945. Fifty years later he was still re-living that war. I don't doubt that people with AS are susceptible to PTSD -- but, from the little you've told us, you grandfather had every reason to be somewhat "cold and distant." whether he had AS or not.

For a real lively discussion of the personal cost of war, take a look at Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All : A Novel by Allan Gurganis. The Confederate widow spends a lot of time describing how her (much older) husband's life was changed by fighting in the Civil War as a teenage boy.

Your grandfather has my deepest respect -- and your grandmother has my sympathy.

--Bobbie

My grandfather was an engineer (he has his doctorate in physics) and my dad does something with engineering. I, however, would prefer to study epidemiology or research something biochemistry. My mom is not an engineer, and I do not know about her parents.

My son's grandfather is an engineer (retired rocket scientist). My husband is a computer person.

My side of the family is a lot more laid back, professionally.

When I was single, I knew a date with an Engineer was going to be a drag.

The artist, the architect and the engineeer were sitting together minding their own business when a sociologist happened along. "Guys," she said, "You are all men of the world so I know you won't take offense at my question. Tell me, each of you, with whom you would rather spend your time, you wife or your mistress?"

The artist responded immediately, "Why, with my mistress, of course. Her beauty and sensuality delight me."

The architect spoke up "Not me. I prefer to be with my wife, building a firm foundation for our family structure."

The engineer was so busy with calculations they had to tap him on the shoulder and repeat the question. "oh, that's easy." he answered. "I'd be with them both."

"You fiend!" cried the architect. "How cumbersome." said the artist.

"Not at all," replied the engineer. "You see, when I'm not around my mistress thinks I'm with my wife, and my wife suspects I'm with my mistress. That way I can be at the lab, getting some work done."

Well, I'm an Aspie engineer. My co workers describe me as being able to reason my way out of a bank vault --- so the matrix logic thing fits.

I wonder if this strength is because I'm aspie or if it is due to my other learning disabilities like NOT being able to process motion, pair confusion (left right, go / stop, hot /cold etc.)

If daily survival (safely crossing the street, not getting scalded, etc) require logic, you better learn logic well or you won't live long.

Just curious - what comes first. If talking to an aspie engineer can help - post reply

You didn't specify any possibilities that could come before or after each other.

I have been facinated by investigating how things work and experimenting on them since very early childhood - so have all the aspie engineers I work with. The question is


Are aspies really good at engineering logic because and that is how our brain works

--- or

Does having to figure out every day stuff to survive (because of aspergers) make you realy good at logic


Hope this helps

Considering that we usually have logic in place of empathy and intutition, I'd say that our brains are hard wired for extremely complex logic and works well for tasks that involve logic. LFA savants are extremely logical too despite often learning little in the way of life skills (this is not intended as a sterotype).

My son has Asperger and I have a brother and a nephew who are both electrical engineers. I also have two cousins that are software engineers

My father was an engineer, both of my brothers are computer programmers. I used to be a programmer, now I teach computer stuff - mostly Microsoft Office, but some other things too) I am an undiagnosed Aspie. (My therapist agrees with me that I probably am) My son is 13 and has been diagnosed with Asperger's.

Yeah. When I brought my son to school Monday and talked to the counselor about AS, her response was "He'll have *LOTS* of peers here." (This is in palo alto...) There are quite a lot of aspies here.