Talk at work re Asperger's

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As defined, it is an impairment, which brings the Dx. Only a small portion are Clinical, less than 3%.

There are many others where there is no impairment, in that sense. This hidden epidemic can be found in University Professors, the Architect who designed the building, the Engineers who built it, Accounting, and most obvious in the IT group who keep the computers running.

Some of the key tests are,

people do not understand your sense of humor,

you like your work,

where others see one way of doing something, you see two, or three.

you do what you think is right.

Music, books, the arts, have a stronger meaning to you than the general populaton.

you would rather go to a bookstore than a bar,

You prefer subtance over style, and do not follow every fashion trend.

you do not know the football scores, but got an "A" on your exam.

you see yourself as an intelligent and hard working person.

These traits point to Sub-Clinical Asperger's, which is thirty times more common than Clinical Asperger's.

My "Aspie" view of the world?

Well, I would like to think that I'm mostly wired to think rationally, and if people act irrationally, it does bother me. Because I can't understand them or emotions, I don't connect with them, which is probably why I prefer a private life of solitude. And also because there are activities more rational than dealing with people, like math, computers or other hobbies, we tend to become very occupied with such activities, because they offer a comfort and solace that are well suited for minds wired the way ours are--they are also convenient to us because we don't require other people to do them, which is probably why lots of people think Aspies are boring.

My view of aspie strengths and talents include honesty--Aspies very rarely ever lie, or are even capable of it. The only problem is that we're blunt to a fault.

We're also very good at what we do and are very passionate about it. So it doesn't matter if it's math or some other subject; it's an obsession that we'll probably be involved with for a very long time, and will probably do better at it than most other people.

And I guess everyone else has said what's so great about Asperger's, so I need not say more.

Thank you!

I didn't believe I could give a talk about Asperger's without an Aspie point of view (I am NT).

I have copied and pasted your replies.

Thank you for help with my presentation.

Your words are powerful and wise.

Helen

so long, and thanks for all the fish...

Remember, it's a spectrum, and some of us are just a little different than others...

[quote="Angelus-Mortis"]My "Aspie" view of the world?

My view of aspie strengths and talents include honesty--Aspies very rarely ever lie, or are even capable of it. The only problem is that we're blunt to a fault.

I would have to disagree somewhat about the rarely lying part. Some of us can and do lie when we feel the situation calls for it, even though we may not be comfortable doing so. Lying is a learned skill; it takes a lot to successfully pull it off.

What I don't think the majority of Aspies, including myself, are capable of is long-term deceit and manipulation. The movie Pretty Persuasion comes to mind as a good example. In that movie a high school girl cons a couple of her classmates into making a false sexual harassment charge against a teacher, among other things. It's a pretty interesting study of twisted NT psychology. I say NT because in my experience it would be extremely unlikely that an Aspie would have the skill level, the knowledge and the motivation to play people against each other. Maybe that's a good thing, because some of us tend to be way up there in the intelligence scale.

I just don't want people to think we are some kind of saints or like George Washington who supposedly never could tell a lie (though that story is a lie itself). We are human.

On the other hand, maybe it's a good thing if people think we can't lie, because then we could get away with quite a bit. And don't think it isn't tempting. I'm pretty high functioning and have been told that I am probably MENSA scale intelligence so if I was motivated enough I think I could do a lot of damage . . . I just have better things to do with my time and energy than to plot revenge.

Hello Everyone,

I gave the talk about Asperger's at work yesterday to approximately 100+ physios (not sure of exact numbers, didn't count).

It went extremely well - thank you everyone for your help.

I had quite a few hang around after the talk asking lots of questions (maybe they recognised traits in loved ones?)

Today at work the Assistant Director told me she'd had heaps of great feedback regarding the talk. She said people had reported it had really made them think.

I got heaps of great feedback about the quotes I had used from this thread. People said it had shifted their thinking a lot.

The Assistant Director asked me for a copy of my powerpoint presentation. She told me her brain had been 'exploding' with all the concepts I explained and she wanted more time to absorb the quotes I had used from this threads.

Then I had another couple of physios ask for a copy of the presentation. I think I'll have to do a part 2 of the talk.

So thank you so much everyone who helped me.

I feel so proud that I was able to influence the way a large group of neurotypicals think. No mean feat I think!

Helen

Great job! You allowed them to THINK, not just give the facts - that's what matters. In a deep, profound way. Misconceptions can otherwise abound - thank you for presenting; your part impacts the whole.




Too bad you didn't have us all there for show-and-tell......

Good work!

You do have a talent for getting prople to define a subject, and then to bring it to another group and spread understanding.

You are not here or there, but both. You are the Anthropologist who explains tribal life to the tribe.

We are all one group, and in light doses our ways do improve the world view and function of the majority. We are just the part of the ice burg you can see, with 9/10 hidden in the social norm.

I see perhaps 10% of the population having some Autistic traits, Half-Aspies.

I also think they are in the top 25% of people who are educated to a University level in some field.

By this kind of math, half the people keeping the world running are somewhat Autistic.

I think they saw themselves and their co workers in your talk.

I have learned many useful things on Wrong Planet, I think they would be just as useful to the partly Autistic.

Your speaking is changing the world.