What if aspies were valued?

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even those of us who can hold a job would greatly benefit from (and appreciate) the general public being more aware and accepting of our differences.

I was valued by my old company as I was a great microbiologist (if a little obsessive) but when they closed the site all of people kept were the popular ones, not the most skilled. Not an more in the last one I couldn't handle the pace, being shouted at to work faster and the we like each other and will cover up mistakes but highlight yours.

These days especially in the UK the Bulls**t professions like sales, HR, lawyer, politician, middle management (ie those if exterminated the human race gets better both mentally and probably genetically) are getting more powerful, better pay and more numerous and there selecting Data specific jobs on more social selection than aptitude (pick the right aspie with a relevant obsession and I know for a fact no NT will match them). I didn't know anything about AS at the time and suspect not many people do, we could do with an advertising campaign to highlight the good points and an aspie obsession agencies where the can pick based on the right obsession.

I don't think interests are limited to things only at one's intelligence level. Many get interested in things that are above their intelligence range, but can't fully pursue them due to lack of aptitude, and end up with a limited knowledge and pursuit of it. Of course, they'll likely settle and rely on things that are within their intelligence level.

Valued=makes money in a market economy

Show me the money! you aspie wannabe star

I note TV cop dramas quite often have an aspie tech head now..... things could improve aspies marketable commodities.... with more aspie TV characters thus changing cultural bias toward aspies....

lots of NT's aint valued either.... it comes from having nothing of value....

Apparent value does not always = realised or useful value. Your Spock size pocket dictionary and biological encyclopaedia may have water on his annoying aspie circuits, and he may be an ineffectual talking machine, or properly trained(self modulated) he may offer valuable comments (that he gets well paid for!) ....

Aspies serve current social hierarchies as the quarter back or half back in rugby, they feed the ball to other players.... its a bit complicated but todays society without current aspie influence, would be the poorer, also financially poorer....

the Germanic tech head's make a lot of things happen, and aspie women have continually influenced certain aspects of current culture/economies too

Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Richard Branson, lots of scientists....quite a few of the big guns are aspyish 4sure

At a more personal level, contributing ones efforts toward maintaining the tribe, is a mismanagement problem. On a farm or kibbutz, most aspies could feed the chickens or weed a row of vegetables, or contribute toward the greater good, if properly managed.

Many other examples of underutilisation and a suffering economy, occur all the time

Depends pick an aspie with the right interest and you'd end up with either KFC, Jurassic park or a chicken(or vegetable) rebellion.

[Warning: the following discourse contains anecdotal evidence]
So what should we say if we really do see a pattern where the stereotypical geeks are predominanty displaying AS and these are the kind of geeks that contribute most to driving science and technology along? Must we shut up for fear of ridicule? Iv'e operated in a number of science and technology fields and, now that I recognise the "symptoms", can readily see this pattern. I have also noted that these geeks are not so great at seeing the big picture and therefore not so great at overal direction and planning - although they do come up with some of the more interesting schemes when operating in these roles (Branson's Virgin perhaps?).

A corroborating pattern also emerges whereby the innovators are eventually displaced by bureaucrats once the field matures, then things slowly go into decline. The BBC would be my goto example for this. I'd bet the farm on more than three-quarters of all staff being AS in the pioneering days with a reciprical number keeping the organisation going now.

This is not advocating AS supremacy or anything like it. It's simply to suggest that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts when both brain types are brought to bear on matters of progress.

I'm not sure if it's a question of who can see the big picture, but has to do with the amount of individuals who are able to have the expertise to really understand the technologies being planned and directed. With not enough of them to plan as a group, the kind of big picture planning and organization can be limited by a lack of different ideas and perspectives needed to deal with the various aspects of applications of technology. I wonder if there aren't enough individuals who are technically skilled to contribute to each project that needs such planning. And the bureaucrats don't have the indispensable knowledge to reinforce the vigor of the plans, even if a lot of bureaucrats work on it.

There has been found a correlation with this rise of HR and the fall in productivity in companies. Even before I even knew about AS I believed that HR and middle management (no other skill but to manage).

The most successful sites I've been to had less HR but had an increased number of unusual personality types (some probably aspies) mixed in with NT's and we were the bench mark for quality and innovation. There processes were tailored to nurture this, if you were finding one part difficult they helped you find a place which fitted your talents. If you set the bench mark for the best you have to accommodate their flaws/eccentricities. (All closed now)

Where as the newer sites have HR to screen applications and in those sites you see a lot less of the more 'unusual' personality types one of which was label the benchmark for efficiency and management. Any who do not conform to this are expendable as if you set the benchmark to average skill levels there will allways be another candidate waiting.

HR value communication, flexibility and integration more than talent, creativity and knowledge.

I think my old supervisor has AS, they just have never fired her. We have an HR department and numerous people have complained, but I'm beginning to believe my company is one of the ones that tries to find new niches for people with AS who aren't fitting in where they are. They are slowly transitioning her to other responsibilities, and it does seem like they will be more suited to her. But I don't know for sure because, of course, everything HR does has to remain completely confidential.

I worry a lot about my AS symptoms that show up occasionally with my coworkers. While I've learned to modify my behavior over the quarter century I've worked there, I'm STILL surprised by reactions I get to behavior on my part that I didn't notice at all at the moment it was happening.

How ignorant are you? It's abhorrent to discriminate against anyone for anything, but it still happens all the time. "Who in their right mind would denigrate a black person?"

I sadly have to agree. It's the tribal nature of mankind and it causes people to look for easily identifying traits to differentiate people and determine who to like and who to treat like crap. Racism is there because skin color is an easily identifiable trait to other someone. Likewise, an autistic person is easy to other because they come off as socially odd or have unusual body language.

I think it's more them not knowing you have anything wrong and they pick the candidate that they think will fit in and perform the role best. They probably don't know much about AS and won't actively spot it unlike other disabilities. So there not actively predudice there just selecting against personalities on an even playing field. If you stated that you were aspie that would be different but then there are still negative connotations. I remember when I was depressed, my bosses tended to think that I would pull through, get better and that I was lazy and not trying hard enough. Edit (thinking about it that's how a lot of my aspire traits were taken as well. Once even got punished for my increased sense of smell and inappropriate honesty)

Please provide citation(s).

Naive you are - today most discrimination is done quietly and out of site. We even have computer programs - in HR to do it for the people in HR so they can say "We don't do any of that" when in fact - they never see the "less desirable job applicants" as those were weeded out by the computer before they even look at the list. It is as simple as use a phrase on your application that would most likely be used by blacks and you are weeded out - a little to formal like an aspie - you are weeded out - so on and so on - H**l, take a few minutes to long to fill out the form - you are weeded out -- get the point.

Any Black man can tell you that quiet discrimination is alive and well today. Why do you think black unemployment is nearly always at least double that of white unemployment. Why do so many Asperger's have great difficulty in finding work. Fact is in my life I have been self-employed nearly always, my brother is self-employed - why? - we have great deal of difficulty in getting hired, and the fine NT gentlemen they hire instead of me - then convince them to call me in at rates something like 10 times the price they could have hired me for - to fix their problems for them. Go figure.

NTs have always discriminated based on illogical considerations and reasons. The only change in the last 30years is that they now hide what they do - they are still doing it they are just doing it quietly. The only fix - is that we need to start working together - to force the issue - build new solutions that bypass this NT obsession with only being with others just like themselves.

I can fully understand your Naivete as this concept seems to be completely outside our understanding of how life should work. It is the way our brains are wired - we include - judge on abilities. NTs on the other hand judge on their own personal feelings and appearance and are very much into excluding.

It sadly happens everyday. It is evil I agree. All my years of school up until college even before I ever had my diagnosis I was incessantly bullied for just being different. The world is unfortunately a cruel place for a lot of people especially for those who are different from what is thought of as "the norm." I personally can't wait till everyone in the world looks past differences in each other and live as equals, but I know it will probably never be that way.