Does Everybody Have Aspergers?

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TPE2
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29 Jun 2009, 6:16 pm

Greentea wrote:

The more time I spend on these forums, the more each person I meet seems Aspie to me. I indeed started thinking that the NT-Aspie thing must be a continuum.

Well, it's not. You either grasp the non-verbal intuitively or you don't. There's no neurological middle. And all differences between NTs and Aspies start branching out from there.

Be careful assuming that the people you meet have a bit of AS in them. You may be sadly or painfully or tragically misled.

The one test I use to detect if someone is NT or Aspie is whether they rely on intuition for some of their social interactions and social decisions. Aspies can't and don't. If they don't seem to need to analyze social stuff, if they adamantly claim some untruths as unanalyzed gospel (society's need for white lies or pecking orders, for example), they're NOT Aspies. They may be socially awkward, but they don't share our view of the world, and ultimately, our (inevitable) honesty, loyalty and unbiased thinking.

Be careful not to assume that all socially awkward or outcast or loner or obsessive-hobbied people are honest, loyal and unbiased thinkers. They may have other reasons to be socially inept, reasons you'd better have nothing to do with.

I speak from direct experience.

I missed the part of diagnosis criteria that says that people with AS have to be "honest, loyal and unbiased thinkers" (in reality, these seems a very biased thinking...).

I tend to agree with you "that grasp(ing) the non-verbal intuitively or (...) don't" it is probably a(n almost) binary thing.

But:

a) I am not sure if "don't grasping the non-verbal intuitively" is a sufficient or even a necessary condition to have Aspergers or Autism (looking to the DSM criteria, my first answer is "No")

b) I don't see any logical connection between "don't grasping the non-verbal intuitively" and being an "honest, loyal and unbiased thinker"

Greentea
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30 Jun 2009, 12:55 am

You seem to have forgotten to read my signature.

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TPE2
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30 Jun 2009, 7:30 am

Greentea wrote:

You seem to have forgotten to read my signature.
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Don't just tell me I'm wrong. Prove it.

Well, it is you that are saying that people with autism/asperger are "honest, loyal and unbiased thinkers" and the other people no, then , the onus of proof should be with you.

But, I will try to "prove" what i am saying.

Attending that Aspies usually are obsessed by specific topics, I think that is very probable that this could bias their reasoning in some cases. Example: imagine an Aspie obsessed with parasit wasps and other obsessed with the electromagnetic spectrum.

It they are discussing the causes of the dissapearence of bees, it is very probable that each one will think first in explanations connected to his particular special interest, no?

Quote:

a) I am not sure if "don't grasping the non-verbal intuitively" is a sufficient or even a necessary condition to have Aspergers or Autism (looking to the DSM criteria, my first answer is "No")

My impression is thar, even if you understand non-verbal communication, you can have, let's say, items A2, A4 and B1 of DSM (but I admit that I could intrepreting wrongly the criteria)

Quote:

b) I don't see any logical connection between "don't grasping the non-verbal intuitively" and being an "honest, loyal and unbiased thinker"

Even if you don't understand non-verbal communication, you can be biased in your thinking (you can acquire bias from the books you read, for example).

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