"Trendy" to have AS.

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CyclopsSummers
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22 Jun 2012, 7:03 am

CyborgUprising wrote:

Though I don't much care for television, I have heard the same thing about shows like "The Big Bang Theory"(I've been getting people saying I remind them of Sheldon or they ask if he's an aspie). I am concerned that it may become some pop-culture phenomenon and with that comes further concern of yet even more inaccurate stereotypes and potential for "poseurs" like I saw with ADHD in the past 5 years. People who don't even have the condition would say things like "oops! I was just having an ADHD moment" and the like. If it does start becoming a "trend," hopefully it will bring true awareness and tolerance for us.

I don't think that will ever go away, though. I'm familiar with people saying things like "I'm having an ADHD moment", and they'll namedrop other disorders as well. Stuff like "I'm feeling bipolar", "Do you have Tourette's or something?", "I'm such a narcissist", etc., etc.

It's as old as time, people were using it even back when the only 'diagnoses' were 'crazy' and 'lame'. Awareness will continue to be raised, neurological research will go on, but in colloquial speech, people will continue to take the word autistic into their mouths without knowing what it really means. Whether or not it's becoming a trend, I can't say; I don't see it around me. I still have to explain to everyone I meet what autism is if I should bring it up. It's rare but refreshing when I actually meet someone who does.

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jonny23
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22 Jun 2012, 7:09 am

Verdandi wrote:

I think many people who think they have mild AS are actually unable to perceive the full extent of their impairments because of their impairments, and may be more severe than they realize.

Man, I think you summed that one up pretty dang well. It's funny how much you can miss and have no idea you should even be looking for it.

Atomsk
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22 Jun 2012, 7:44 am

CyclopsSummers wrote:

It's rare but refreshing when I actually meet someone who does.

I've actually had three people know what it was before I told them I had it. It's very refreshing when it happens - I always expect to have to explain it to people, and then I also expect a bad reaction of some sort.

One was a professor (for an English class), one was the friend I've had the longest (only real friend I have - I've known him for 8 years), and one was my last girlfriend (now ex) who was blind and had met a lot of autistic people (mainly autistic people who were also blind). An interesting thing about her is she also had sensory processing disorder, and we both had very similar sensory issues with hearing, although I have many problems with tactile stuff while she has no tactile issues.

Verdandi
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22 Jun 2012, 7:46 am

jonny23 wrote:

Verdandi wrote:

I think many people who think they have mild AS are actually unable to perceive the full extent of their impairments because of their impairments, and may be more severe than they realize.

Man, I think you summed that one up pretty dang well. It's funny how much you can miss and have no idea you should even be looking for it.

It's easy to be autobiographical.

And yes, not knowing what to look for is such a big part of it. It's taken so much work for me to be able to locate some of my communication problems and social difficulties. Because my own social perceptions are also limited and I don't see anything I do as unusual.

Kjas
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22 Jun 2012, 7:47 am

Verdandi wrote:

I think many people who think they have mild AS are actually unable to perceive the full extent of their impairments because of their impairments, and may be more severe than they realize.

I agree with that too.

@Wandering: mild is simply a level of severity. E.g. mild, moderate, severe.

For example, my level of severity would be classified as "moderate", although if I "act", I can and do come across as "mild", however I get a free pass due to being a foreigner, shy / quiet, and seen as smart. Thus people tend to "explain away" my AS, as long as I may the effort to "act" NT, they consider me NT, although eccentric. They rationalize it to themselves essentially.

Those who are "mild" would probably either be unaware / unable to see their impairment, or if they did, they would be able to "act" (if only for short periods of time) and come across as mostly NT with a quirk or two.

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Mindsigh
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22 Jun 2012, 8:20 am

jonny23 wrote:

Verdandi wrote:

I think many people who think they have mild AS are actually unable to perceive the full extent of their impairments because of their impairments, and may be more severe than they realize.

Man, I think you summed that one up pretty dang well. It's funny how much you can miss and have no idea you should even be looking for it.

I used to wonder what was wrong with everybody else that they could just sit there and listen at school without noticing all the chaos and tumult of sound and light and smell around them.

Atomsk
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22 Jun 2012, 8:31 am

Mindsigh wrote:

I used to wonder what was wrong with everybody else that they could just sit there and listen at school without noticing all the chaos and tumult of sound and light and smell around them.

Same thing here.

GiantHockeyFan
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22 Jun 2012, 9:19 am

Atomsk wrote:

Mindsigh wrote:

I used to wonder what was wrong with everybody else that they could just sit there and listen at school without noticing all the chaos and tumult of sound and light and smell around them.

Same thing here.

Same here as well. Furthermore, I still don't know how people can just sit still for hours at a time. I would constantly have to root around and couldn't stand to sit still for so long. The humming of the lights especially drove me nuts. School was pure hell for me even though I love to learn and have a high IQ.

The_Walrus
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22 Jun 2012, 9:49 am

Sheldon does display symptoms of AS, but he's also had a very bizarre upbringing (going to University very young, for example) so it is hard to say whether he has never learned how to interact properly or is simply incapable of learning.

Sweetleaf
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22 Jun 2012, 10:26 am

I think fitting the successful aspergers prototype...you know being a computer genius or something of that nature and finding a way to succeed in spite of your disability and making great contributions to 'society' is trendy because it means you've finally more or less fit in. However coming off as more low functioning or odd throughout ones life without a special skill and unable to find success is not so trendy I don't think.

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jonny23
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22 Jun 2012, 10:33 am

Being the underdog and succeeding anyway seems to appeal to most people. It's a common theme in many stories going waaaay back.

Robdemanc
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22 Jun 2012, 10:43 am

League_Girl wrote:

I think there is nothing wrong with being quirky or eccentric.

I read that every decade makes a condition so trendy. Back in the 80's it was asthma. In the 90's it was ADHD, now in the 2000's it's AS/autism. Now I wonder what the new trendy label be in the 2010's?

It could be selfish greedy banker syndrone.

jonny23
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22 Jun 2012, 10:45 am

Robdemanc wrote:

League_Girl wrote:

It could be selfish greedy banker syndrone.

I thought the selfish greedy part was implied when you're talking about bankers

Robdemanc
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22 Jun 2012, 10:45 am

Sweetleaf wrote:

I achieved the "computer genuis" status years ago. However I failed to retain it. Fitting in was still a problem for me and no matter how good you are at something if the people around you don't like your traits they will reject you anyway.

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22 Jun 2012, 11:32 am

Robdemanc wrote:

Sweetleaf wrote:

Yes and many people seem to dislike those who don't come off as normal...hell even when I used to try to fit in I failed miserably.

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b9
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22 Jun 2012, 11:54 am

i am mildly annoyed at the stereotypical portrayal of AS.
i am not like the image people have compiled in their imaginations (if they have heard scantily about AS), and when people i know become aware that i have AS, they tend to stereotype their attitudes to my input.

some people often think i must be incorrect since i am not able to see all aspects of a situation i am pontificating about, and others see me as more correct due to the unfiltered nature of my observations.

it all balances out.

i care not much about any persons attitiude about me.

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