David Byrne says he "had Asperger's"

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The discussion between Byrne and Daniel Levitin in Seed magazine is interesting in that Levitin has a strong interest in Williams Syndrome, which is almost opposite aspergers in symptoms, but has strong musicality. I know many musicians and other creative people with ASD or heightened autistic traits - it is the subject of my Doctoral thesis (when it is finished it will be an open website and I'll post a link here)

I have Aspergers, am 42 and a successful musician and academic. My diagnosis is described as "residual" - meaning that I a definitely fit the criteria for traits etc but I have developed coping mechanisms over time (mostly cognitive processes) and the impact is lessened (but certainly not removed.
No you don't "grow out of it", you learn to work around it to some degree, to hide it and to "pretend to be normal"

Yes. Byrne is also in the position where he can make a living by going around go around the world working with his favourite artists and doing things like turning entire buildings into musical instruments. He can get away with acting strange

Is that the guy on the vidya?
his shoulders are two heads length on each side...

I don't know much about him, but I heard an interview with him on NPR today, and as I was listening to it I was thinking "it sounds a little like he might have Aspergers" and sure enough AS was brought up.

I guess you can outgrow AS through technicalities in the criteria, but your brain is still autistic.

But one can become well adapted to the NT world. I am an Aspie, but after 76 years I have learned to "pass" as an NT in many social situations. It is just a matter of learning the moves which one can do if one sets his/her mind to it.

I have even learned to read facial expressions. It took me a long time, but I did it. It is like learning a foreign language while one is an adult. Difficult, but possible.

ruveyn

I wouldn't be surprised that a great portion of people that think they have Asperger's think they have it because they grew up in a socially and emotionally retarding environment.

I remember reading an article somehere that stated he had Aspergers....but then he took an arrow to the knee.


I'd disagree - you can outgrow poor social skills or even eye contact issues and whatevers hallmark with outward manifestations, but, in most cases that's still a far cry from being fully 'normal'.

I don't think he's grown out of it. BUT, when you make money, people like you more or if you are famous suddenly those quirks of yours are forgivable.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL_SuZRLKzY[/youtube]

Well quite a few of his big hits have done offly well in the Billboard Charts, which I guess should give meaning that people should respect Aspergers as being a "Gifted" condition, but in reality people don't see that in any way, and it makes me not so happy about it.

I always wondered about him.

Lol so THAT'S why I loved the talking heads as a kid, almost obsessively. Love that guy.

listen to bela bartok he was the greatest aspie musician ever.try maybe his 1st 2nd and 6th string quartets

I am suspicious of anyone who says they used to be autistic.

I heard a Tony Attwood interview recently and the correct term for balancing/hiding your Aspy traits and engaging successfully with NT's is called becoming 'sub-clinical'.
It's possible.