The Discovery of "Aspie" Criteria -by Tony Attwood

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Carol Gray:

http://www.thegraycenter.org/sectionsdetails.cfm?id=38

I found this link on one of my many Google hunts for Aspie information. Actually, I was specifically looking up information about the pros and cons of person-first language . . . but this came up too.

This article focuses on the strengths of being an aspie, as opposed to the weaknesses, like the DSM does. It's an awesome article. It's written by Dr. Tony Attwood and Carol Gray; two names you should find at least mildly familiar, being that they are two of the foremost experts in the field of Asperger's Syndrome today.

This is not to exclude any other people on the spectrum either; I think most of these would work for other non-aspies as well, but it works especially well for us.

And it fits me to a tee. I felt really good after reading this.

You?

It fits me [to some extent], but so does the DSM-IV-TR/Gilberg's. My autism hurts me far more than it helps me.

Gifts and curses. Some have more curses.

I think they can both fit us, but that if we focus more on the positives, we can find ways to be more aware of ourselves in everything we do, good and bad.

I'm bumping this because everyone should have a chance to read it. I've gotten a couple of PMs from people thanking me for posting its link here. So I feel that this bump is justified.

free of sexist, "age-ist", or culturalist biases; ability to regard others at "face value"

I like that as a criteria relates to a severe problem I had a month ago.

Thanks

Just FYI and all, I know a person who meets the "criteria" and has no mental disorder. I also know an "aspie" who is a complete jerk who wouldn't meet the "criteria" at all.

I enjoyed the list. Thank you! I do not see it as a list of positive traits. Instead, I see it as a neutral and optimistic way to describe things that also can be described as flaws. We are often encouraged to perceive things such as a lack of interest in small talk as weaknesses. In reality, just about anything can have all kinds of consequences, which we may view as positive or negative or neither. So I enjoyed the removal of that common bias.

And here is a PDF version of it on Tony Attwood's website.

I really liked that article.

My family founded a bank a few generations back. Socially prominant, very Aspie, it was taken as good.

Everyone saw proper and reserved young ladies. They did not gossip ot become involved in minor chit chat. They played music and read books. They were educated by private tutors.

They were so well behaved they never made eye contact. The whole town treated them as Goddesses.

People told their daughters they should be like them.

Wealth cures AS.

Sent to school with the children of the working class, I got the usual.

Working with the working class, I got the usual.

Having my own business, I had to end my relationship with the working class.

They resented my uppity ways.

Having become established, growing, I am treated as a business leader.

I now posess a special wisdom, talents, skills, towns vie for me to relocate there.

Wealth cures AS.

Not only wealth. I have been a university/college professor for my entire career. In my field, eccentricity is not only tolerated. It is sometimes appreciated. I suspect that many of my colleagues are also aspies (probably undiagnosed).

Very interesting. I possess a lot of the interests listed, particularly when it comes to language.