What are the problems with Asperger’s syndrome?

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I used to have one.. i put it in the bin.

Just sayin'

technic1, it looks like people are trying to understand exactly what you are askiing, and trying to answer, but maybe we have got too far away from the original question.

Do you want to know what specific struggles come with asperger's /autsim as a diagnosis? Do you want definitions of what struggles or difficulties we encounter?

This will be different with every one of us, since our neurological wiring is "different" but none of us are the same, we are all different from each other too.

DSM tries to define the general struggles by categories. Social struggles, Communication struggles, and sensory struggles.

In each of those categories we can struggle in so many ways. I spent a lot of time reading the DSM and reading explanations of each category which used examples of the many ways autism/aspergers can show itself in any individual. Some of it is still super confusing.

Science is still trying to explain it all, DSM is doing better at defining it (autism) but still needs a lot of work.

New information is being uncovered at such a rapid rate that it is hard to keep up with it. DSM is being revised yet again, and for the part about autism, not a moment too soon.
I expect it will be like that for many of the diagnoses defined - imperfect as a tool but better than using darts on a diagram or something.

Oh, OK...

Thank you for your post... yes I am asking about the social struggles and mostly communication problems because I’m trying to learn how to get over it.

For example what is verbosity, tone and comprehension?? I would like this explained for each ‘problem/struggle’ of having Aspergers?!?

I would like to know what Aspergers is, other than a stereotypical ‘oh I have communication issues’ I would like a detailed discussion of what communication issues means?

I am diagnosed Aspergers and am not an outsider...I’m asking to fix it.

I can practice voice tone the same way singers and great speakers do!


I am partly asking what about the DSM says about Aspergers (not autism)!? I am also asking for the definition of the DSM.

And the specialists got it wrong...autism and Aspergers are different...even if speech delay shouldn’t be the only difference!

I think it has taken me about 5 years of constant reading and study to come to my current understanding of DSM criteria. There is far too much to post on a forum like these, I looked for explanations online using searches like "DSM autism criteria explained".

Autism/aspergers is a developmental difference in our neurology. We don't come with standard equipment!

I hesitate to post a link to my blog here, not trying self promotion, but I wrote about this a lot in the beginning of my trying to understand my own autism. The point of the blog is to try to help others like me who are old but new to the idea that we might be autistic.
Look on my title/ profile page right here in this forum.
there is a link to my blog if you want to see how I tried to explain what I have understood about autism (so far).

I try to explain for others who are newly diagnosed such as myself. It is a lot to sort out! The older you are at diagnosis the more "past" experience there is to look at from the new view that knowing our autism diagnosis gives us.


The newest blog posts are at the top, the pages discussing diagnosis criteria of autism are at the bottom, near the last part of the blog.
It makes more sense to read it "bottom up" in chronological order but I am not technically savvy, and have not been able to figure out how to make it do that.

I will be 70 this year, first suspected I might be autistic at age 64-65 and have spent a lot of time reading studies and blogs, group pages and participating in forums to learn as much as I can. I guess adult autism especially for those of us who are elder, is now a "special interest" for me. Cheering you on, don't stop asking questions!

Lately I have been saying "I'm on the spectrum" whenever I feel I need to explain my condition to somebody for some reason. That phrase also seems to have a more neutral connotation than the other direct terms.

I have a tendency to talk too quietly when I feel uncomfortable (e.g. giving a presentation in class) and too loudly when I feel comfortable (e.g. with my family at a restaurant).

People have also described my voice as monotone in the past.

I have trouble telling how others are feeling, and how I impact the way they feel, especially when I was younger. Back in middle school there were several people I meant no harm to but got them to dislike me because I unintentionally annoyed them, or worse creeped them out.

Not knowing when it is inappropriate to say certain things, or what things are inappropriate to say. Like making an insensitive joke about a friend’s father being a drug addiction when that was in fact the tragic truth about her situation. Or openly admiring the bodies of other girls to my female friend. Or telling this younger girl, after she had been an immature as*hole, that she made me so bad, I would sexually assault her if it didn’t go against my moral code.

All of the specific instances I mentioned above happened when I was around 14-15 years of age. By the time I was 16, I learned to be a lot more careful about what I said. So after all these painful lessons, I have not had any of the same kind of dramatic social-f*ckups. Though at the same time, I have also generally become quieter. Unfortunately more will probably be inevitable, but at least I have more knowledge of what’s inappropriate now than I did.

The verbosity part is we tend to monologue where we don't have back and forth conversations. We don't what is called reciprocate in the conversation.

The comprehension is not understanding the needs of the audience, or more specifically, the neurotypical audience. We have a different rewards and needs in a conversation than a neurotypical. It is complicated by the fact that on the surface it can be hard to distinguish the difference, especially for us.

Our tone tends to be flatter, not change pitch, for example. Yes, a speak coach can help you practice that. There are a number of actors on the spectrum that obviously can control their speech and have gone through training. So you can change that. For example, if you watch early performances of Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby and compare those to her resent performances, her tone is much more natural now.

As far as the distinctions between Asperger's and autism, if you can show that, where scientists around the world cannot, please post the research. The overwhelming scientific consensus is the conditions cannot be distinguished. If you want to identify as Asperger's, that is great. No one here will object. But please try not to force a position of autism on the rest of us unless you can show it. If you are really looking for an open conversation, than you will need to except different positions and evidence.

Hi,
I am rather new on WP and I am looking at many threads to learn more. This thread attracted me by the title and I started reading it. I hope not to hijack it, if I do, please ignore me. OK? But nevertheless, I have two things to mention:

1) Asperger and Nazi: I am from Vienna and of course several members of my family lived during the fascistic period. The question of whether some people were or were not nazis is in my mind a bit simple. If you lived (unluckily enough) in that time you did not have many choices:
1) Flee from Austria/ Germany if possible.
2) Join the resistance
3) Try to survive somehow.
4) Join the NSDAP for either egoistic reasons (e.g. career) or because you really were a nazi.

As not everybody was a hero, most people chose possibility 3) or 4). Yes, a society of superheroes joining the resistance would be nice. And living nowadays and telling our ancestors how they should have behaved, is very comfortable. Therefore it might be a good idea to take the interesting parts of Asperger and forget about the nazi discussion.

To make it clear: YES, I hate nazis. But it is better to concentrate on things happening today than trying to put some moralistic viewpoints on historic processes. There is enough work to be done now, especially if I think of people like Steve Bannon and the new right,

And about the spectrum: Basically, everybody is unique and has a unique nervous system. I never saw any doctor saying things like that: "OK, you are 160cm tall and blond. That means you are type X. Your colleague on the other hand is 190cm tall and is lefthanded. Therefore he is type Y." But why this happens in the spectrum?

Maybe I am a bit simple-minded, but all these different groups and codes do not make a lot of sense to me. Maybe we should just accept that people are different and in some cases they need assistance. If so, we should jus try to help, if necaissairy.

This is a challenge to answer this question, 'What are the Problems With Asperger’s Syndrome?'

A concise response: From the perspectives of thoughtful NTs; who are concerned with the Autism Spectrum, who attempt to grapple with, and try to understand even High Functioning Autism (HFA), naturally become discouraged - it is what it is!

Any feedback from people experienced with encouraging AS/NT friendships - as social-skills are a weakness with the Autism Spectrum?