Yeah, Heather!! !! !!

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I have not seen any episodes (I think we are a season behind here, although it could be two or three seasons for all I know), but what you say about confidence makes sense. It seems to me that NT's learn situations very quickly and their confidence/performance level peaks very quickly. We on the other hand, often seem to take a lot longer, but our learning curve can end at a much higher point. I would characterise NT's as having a very steep initial incline that flattens right out and then barely shifts upwards, while my own (and I suspect many people with AS) seem to have the opposite kind of curve - initial flatness with sharp inclines, but continuing to rise beyond those who initially outpaced us.

So I would predict that someone with AS would take longer in Heather's situation to get their 'feet under them' (so to speak), but, that once she does so, she'll have a steadier stance (to continue with the metaphorical analogy) than those that initially slotted into the situation much faster.

Pandd, I've actually seen a book about AS in which there was a graph that portrayed exactly what you just described. The name escapes me now.... I think it might be Understanding the Nature of Autism And Asperger's Disorder: Forty Years Of Clinical Practice And Pioneering Research by Edward R. Ritvo. I read several books at once though, so I can't be sure it was that one.

I meant to post this here and I did it on the other one by mistake, so thought I'd put it here anyways too.
Someone else probably already posted it before me.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcy751ik7KQ

gwenevyn and pandd,

Wow, I started out the opposite, and AS people must be known for it to some degree, because of Aspergers descriptions about advanced speech and "little professors". Anyway, I learned a lot quickly, and later climbed slowly. Others learned little, and had some jumps. That is not so apparent today, but it shaped my attitude, and is the reason for much of the intelligence I have today.

Some times I appear to learn slower, but it is usually for some good reason like I learn something else, am not interested, etc....

Heather certainly puts the "grrrr" in Asper-grrrrrr.

I haven't tried yet, but it says here that tv guides site hosts the full episodes to watch online. I missed this weeks & still waiting for them to make it available.

(click on "Missed an episode? Catch up now with TV Guide's Online Video Guide" - in pink box, top line, just below the models image. Next page pick an episode from the list.)

http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/americas-model/100032

I agree with the thread title.

I had a feeling that Heather would strike a chord with the public. I'm glad to see that's true. She is taking awesome photos too. By the way, has anyone else noticed that Tyra has pronounced Asperger's like three different ways? Apparently, it's a difficult word to pronounce correctly.

lol, I noticed that. She was like "AUS-pergers", then "AHZ-bergers", then "Ass-PER-jers".

Actually, you're not. She's a favorite on every board devoted to the show.

I love her. I watch the show anyway (I'm a fashion designer just starting out), but when she said she has Aspergers I perked up. A friend's son is autistic, so it's on my radar.

I have been so impressed with everything Heather's done. I'd hire her in a second--even with her awkwardness on the runway. It's part of her charm. She's just so *real*.

And she also is there to learn--and she does. You can tell she makes an effort to take criticism and apply it, unlike some of the girls who think they know it all already.

Not only is she a favorite with the fans (who choose the "Covergirl of the Week") but also with the judges. She's been called first and second in the first two weeks of the show.

I think she's gonna do well. And I do think she is already making a difference in how us NTs view people with austism.

To be honest, I'm really not sure how advanced speech constitutes a situation...am I failing to grasp something here?


Mmm, I do not have any trouble consuming and regurgitating information that is of interest to me, but that's not really the same as knowing what to expect and how to slot oneself into a novel situation, nor are narrow spikes of achievement that kind of entirely miss the point of a skill/capacity what I would personally class as advancement.

Sure I could talk 'years above my age' as a child, in terms vocabulary size/sophistication and grammatical understanding, and there is no doubt I could 'bore the ears' off my peers, family, and anyone unfortunate enough to be cornered by me in full regurgitation mode, with thoroughly 'erudite' recitations of the series of facts that constituted my primary topic of engagement, but given no one was or wanted to be listening, and given the purpose to which speech is generally put to use (communication), I'm not sure I see this primarily as advanced speech so much as narrow and spikes of achievement within an overall skill set (communication) that was not developing comprehensively in tandem with my peers.

Well, with me they weren't narrow spikes. They were more like broad hills. And I actually remember CONCEPTS better. If you learn CONCEPTS, it isn't merely regurgitating.



Gee, you take the stereotype to its extreme, and underestimate. I'm not one to talk about my interests in EVERY discussion, but eventually people DO find out! Still, I can do more than just talk the talk. And you QUOTED "years above my age" and "erudite"! I have, at times, underestimated myself, only to find I was the best. I am not one to call myself an EXPERT, GURU, GENIUS, etc.... But you can certainly seem like one when you find many that are far less professional.

I wanted to post the link where you can vote for cover girl of the week just in case anyone wanted to support Heather.



http://www.covergirl.com/antm/cycle9/vo ... d=10751044