Using 'Asperger's' as a Shield

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Finding out about Aspergers has changed my life for the better. I now know more about myself, what I need to work on, and what I can leave alone (i.e stimming). I now can talk and interact with people who are similar to me.
I'm also in a program that prepares Aspies for the work world and helps them get jobs, which I couldn't get into if I didn't have a Asperger diagnosis.

Last edited by Sarafina7 on 16 Aug 2009, 7:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

Build a house for cheap and live off the grid: www.greenhomebuilding.com[/quote]

it is not cheap to build a house since you need to buy the land and buy the stuff to build with and there is laws about how you are allowed to build a house and if you do not meet all the laws for how they want a house designed and what you can build with then there is the money you spend to build wrong and have to do again this time the way they tell you to since if you do not meet building codes and get permits then they will take your house down

things is not as simple as people want to make them seem if you take the time to do a reality check on building codes and materials costs and the cost to buy the land and you still have property taxes

living completely off the grid is not going to happen since all the taxes and building codes and ability to buy land makes you still be on the grid to some point if you build on this planet at least

This is a nonsense. You obviously have not read about the neurological differences between people with A/AS and others. There are definite differences in the neural pathways of information processing. Not everyone is tested using CAT techniques, but Dr Grandin demonstrates in a number of her lectures (one of which is on YouTube) how her brain differs from the norm, by showing the results of tests that had been done on her. Is this not enough evidence? Several other tests have been given to those with AS, relating to physiological symptoms, problems with gait et cetera. Maybe you should read up a bit more about the condition; there are plenty of good books around, if you can sift them out from the some of the more trite publications. Also, of course we don’t know about Isaac Newton, but there is some clear evidence in the behaviour of Einstein that he may well have had high functioning AS.

It is fine if you are not happy about being diagnosed, that is your choice. You can deny it, and just live life as before. Perhaps you are still coming to grips with it.

Lots of us have found it cathartic, not an excuse, to understand why things have been so difficult in the past for us; victimisation, being completely misunderstood, being super sensitive to things, and deficient in certain aspects. The brain is a complex organ, so there is a spectrum of problems for all of us who have this syndrome.

Another thing that makes it difficult, is that most people with AS look very normal, some are very qualified. I know as I attend a high functioning group that includes pilots, doctors, managers, programmers and the like. Men and women, and they all appear ‘normal’ but they all have issues.

As for the films you don’t like. Isn’t it better that people become aware of what it is all about. Of course, in film everything is hyper real and exaggerated, but that is what film and theatre is all about. Better people realise that AS people are not about to murder others with a chain saw (as some people believe), and that they are often lonely and lost in a world that is hard to understand.

Hilofoz, I have a few points of dissent:

So a difference of opinion simply equals ''did not do the research''?



Temple Grandin is one woman, though an extraordinary one at that. however, I feel it is wrong for all aspies/autistics to think they have some kind of genius brain that make them super special. Look at Low functioning Autistics, for example. I think this proves that difference=/= benefit every time.



This is another problem I find. When people are given a label, they feel it is so intrinsic to their being that they immerse themselves in it rather than saying 'oh, that's nice,' and moving on.



I dunno why, but I always get the feeling that the people who bring up this argument tend to have difficulties with their sense of self worth. :/


that last part sounds a bit venomous to me



Now this I certainly have noticed in my time here. It seems people are ready to lambast any slight, or even percieved criticism aimed at them. I believe that _some_ people do indeed use the syndrome as a shield from being criticised, but not all.

Also, I never understood the deep sense of victimisation amongst aspies. I Have had friends who were in no way autistic who were bullied, and they simply moved on and stopped dwelling on the past, instead of letting it dominate their lives.
I feel that past experiences should be learnt from and help to develop a thicker skin, not there simply to be bemoaned.




why? People have a far less accurate perception of illnesses like agoraphobia or schizophrenia than of Aspergers, and they are far more debilitating (trust me, I know)



So, you want people to learn about Aspergers, but only in an exaggerated and inaccurate form? that...doesn't make much sense



Again, I'm sure a lot of aspies would happily label schizophrenics with the chainsaw murderer stereotype, or, perhaps not so radically, use the phrase 'psycho' or 'nutcase' without a pause for thought.

I would never use Asperger's as a shield, because I would be just like my Dad, who uses Epilepsy as a scapegoat as well as a shield. He cheats the benefits, and gets out of work because of it. I think he's got a PHD in BS

You seem to be ‘sure’ of a lot of things.

Autism is not a disease or an illness, it is a neurological irregularity. By necessity, those who are most obviously handicapped by it are the ones who are most easily diagnosed with it.

Asperger's Syndrome is a fashionable term, personally I don't find it meaningful, but I know a lot of people on WP identify with it. If it works, use it. If not, don't.

Scientific medicine excels at fixing health problems such as broken legs and punctured lungs, which require a more or less mechanical approach, but fails miserably when it comes to conditions that involve multidimensional thinking, such as autism. A person may be lucky and find a good therapist, or have a strong healthy family to support him/her, but many people find that they have to tackle their condition on their own.
I know a man who is a diagnosed Aspie but who prefers to refer to himself as ret*d. He has lived in institutions his entire life after being rejected by his family as a young child. He is considered very difficult, sometimes violent. He deals with his situation as best he can. Other people are self-diagnosed and struggle to maintain a home, keep a job, maybe nurture a child. They too deal with their situation as best they can.

The diagnosis itself does not do any work for or against you - you may struggle with or without it, or you may prosper with or without it. Each situation is different, and each person has to tackle the situation they're given to work on.

Personally my approach is two-fold: to take a holistic view of the world, rather than focus on myself as an individual within it, and to take care of the person in my charge (myself) as well as I can, by eating well and exercising and learning from everything I come across.

It's ongoing, until it ends, and then something else will replace it.

One viewpoint that really bugs me, though, is, "It's OK to have autism if you have some kind of high skill level along with it. Otherwise it wouldn't be OK."

That is only one step away from saying it isn't OK to be autistic at all, because the only difference between all NTs and all autistics is that the NTs have an ability we don't have--the ability to communicate efficiently to NTs. They are saying it's not OK to be autistic, based on us not having that ability.

It's not very different to say that it's not OK to be autistic because you don't have some other ability--math, writing, a high IQ.

It's either OK to be really, really autistic and have no special skills at all, or else it's only OK to be totally neurotypical. You can't have it both ways unless you're willing to hold the idea that somehow, the skill that most of the world thinks is the most important doesn't matter--but other skills, that they think are dispensable, do.

How many types of Asperger's do you know? Asperger's can be far more 'debilitating' than agoraphobia or schizophrenia. Trust me, I know, I have seen and met and heard from people of various disabilities including people with Asperger's. It can be like you said and it can be like I said.

It depends, doesn't it, on the specific case? I know Aspies who are unemployable even with accommodations, and I know at least one classic autie who's making six figures. There are schizophrenics on the streets and schizophrenics in the corner office. All sorts of mental and neurological conditions do set the mean income level in the group much lower than average; but individual cases can and do differ from the average. After all, there are people who are mentally, physically, emotionally absolutely typical--and who are still unemployed, homeless, and unskilled.

There's a wide spectrum of economic success, academic ability, and overall skill set even among those diagnosed "Asperger's". What annoys me is that much of the time, being employed and independent has less to do with what you can do and more to do with what they will support you doing. There's an awful lot of people out there who could do and are willing to do a lot more than people will let them.

Yes, it does. I spent 30 years ramming into the wall of social interaction and hating myself for my failures because on the surface I have no 'excuses' for failure; but since I figured out I must have Aspergers a few months ago, my mood is a lot more stable - I can shrug off social awkwardness without hating myself after, and I've found I've avoided the dramatic swings of wretched self-hatred and 'fuck-it-all' self confidence. It's made a huge difference to my quality of life. You can't deal with a problem properly until you've figured out the cause.

I agree with you (the topic creator). You've been saying a lot of things I've been suspecting but am afraid to say. I'm 14 and I was diagnosed with AS when I was 8. I'm now suspecting that this was a fashionable diagnosis, part of the trend that comes and goes. There's no denying I have difficulty with social interaction, but the diagnosis has never really helped me. It's just gave me an excuse to recluse even further and be less social.

My problems are less severe than what I hear from people on this board. I have about four decent friends and I've never been bullied at school (the pupils at school don't know about my diagnosis so it can't be because they're afraid to bully someone with a condition). Sometimes I do get teased and jeered at, but not to a great amount. I think almost everyone at school deals with a bit of that.

I am like the people on this board in some ways, but not like them in a lot of other ways. I think when people read descriptions of AS, it exerts a sort of horoscope effect. The traits are things that affect a lot of people to mild degrees, so it fits most people who read it, like a horoscope.

Reading experiences on this site, I think there probably is a real Asperger's Syndrome, which causes genuine problems. But since we don't know what the underlying causes are, we have to make do with some vague behavioural traits to identify people with AS. Most people on this site over about 20 weren't diagnosed as children, and if they were, it was an unusual diagnosis for the time that the psychologist would probably only notice if someone fit the traits extremely well. Now, AS has become a fashionable diagnosis, and it is on a psychologist's mind often when they see someone, so children with mild traits who probably don't need to be diagnosed are labelled with Asperger's Syndrome.

Most people on this site who aren't children or young teenagers probably have serious AS worthy of a diagnosis, because most of them have heard about the syndrome first and then sook out a psychologist/psychiatrist/whatever about it. I think you probably wouldn't identify with something as strange-sounding as 'Asperger's Syndrome' unless you fit it very well. But parents worried about their child's state or psychologists examining a child are eager to get diagnoses.

I've been saying this as fact, but really I'm not very sure about this, and I wouldn't try to argue it as truth. The idea of this has just been lurking in the back of my mind and seeing this topic made me feel compelled to say it.

The distinction that I draw between developmental disorders like AS and mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, and it is only a speculative one, is that mental illnesses interfere with people's lives while developmental disorders are merely names applied to people's limitations - they probably have some neurological foundation, but it is not well-understood. A diagnosis of AS tells you about what you always were and always well be, rather than what may interfere with your life in future. An observation about the order of things, rather than a threat to it.

When people talk here about coming to terms with their diagnosis, and how hard it is for them, I can't really relate. But a lot of that may have to do with my experience being different. For one thing, I was diagnosed with "autistic features" as a child and can't even remember when I accepted that I was different from most of the other children and that was fine. Also, especially as an adult, I am almost normal while I understand that some other people here may be having a harder time of it.

I don't use Aspergers to define who I am and who I seek to be, nor should anyone. We are all human beings first and foremost. Having said that, having AS is a factor in my life, to deny that is folly. Society has always had difficulty dealing with those who are "different", and having a label like "Aspergers" gives NTs that group fix many (not all) desperately need to diagnose what they seek to not understand.

My treatment by the outside world is driven by my AS to a large degree, no matter how much I wish it wasn't so. It would be nice to sit here and believe that one day, we'll all be judged by who we are as people, but that day is never coming (look at the brewhaha NTs still make over race/homosexuality/religon/etc....). I'd rather keep my label, if it offers me some explaination in this world, than try to ignore it out of some smoke 'n mirrors dream of "Acceptance".

Ha. Hahahaha. Hahahahahahahahaha.


No.

from my personal experience, this comment is rubbish of the lowest quality.

Do your research before making comments like this next time.

It's a problem becuase people become immersed in their label, and feel it defines them wholly as a person, which, considering how people here criticise Non autistics for their 'herd mentality', strikes me as a little hypocritical.

As for why I still come here? Well, partly out of fascination, partly a desire to belong (which, considering the amount of differing views and rightous indignation generated by replies to some of my posts, Is slowly being diminished due to disillusionment) and partly because somebody has to play devil's advocate, lest the whole forum becomes a downward spiral of people patting eachother on the back and blaming the ebil NTs for all thier problems. Also, I'm an advocate for tough love.


If that is what you yourself believe, you cannot assume everyone else has that problem with it. They may be just fascinated.

If you yourself believe that einstein was an aspie, you cannot assume everyone will agree with you, and maybe even criticse it.




What proof do you have that it's 'jsut the truth?' what about subjectivity? Opinion =/= empircal fact. all statements are subjective, including everything I have said. which leads us to...



See the above, and I only comment based on what I have seen and heard from others on this forum, of which I have been a member for a good few years.




It's an old article, but I feel that the situation has barely changed over the years.




So, you want accurate depictions of Aspergers in film, but it's Ok for hyperbole to distort things becuase 'that's hollywood'? I'm not entirely sure where you're coming from.




As do you, as do a lot of people on this board, Polarised thinking is supposed to be a symptom of asperger's, as those books you read will probably have said.