Classification of ASD per 52 states?

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What is Asperger Syndrome?

Asperger Syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological condition of great variability, considered to be part of the Autism Spectrum, which has a current prevalence rate of 1 in 166 people. Individuals with other conditions on the Autism Spectrum, such as Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified and Autism, share many of the social and behavioral challenges found in Asperger Syndrome. Current scientific evidence suggests that all of these conditions are closely related.

Individuals with Asperger Syndrome have average to above average cognitive abilities, yet are challenged by a wide array of social, sensory, and communication issues. They may exhibit some of these typical characteristics:

Socialization

* Few if any peer relationships, often despite a genuine desire to fit in
* Socially inappropriate behaviors
* Difficulty with eye contact
* Poor use and appreciation of body language
* Lack of ability to interpret the non-verbal "cues" that are so much a part of conversation and social interaction
* Difficulty comprehending feelings of others, but appropriate level of compassion when made aware

Behavior and Thought

* Repetitive or perseverative behaviors or thoughts
* Broad range of skills and abilities that may be widely disparate
* Vast stores of factual information but lesser ability to integrate details into abstract
* Obsessive interests, sometimes to the exclusion of other activities
* Difficulty generating spontaneous solutions to situations that arise
* Unconventional thinking and problem-solving styles

Communication

* Unusual speech patterns, including unusual voice characteristics, inappropriate volume or tonality, formal pedantic style, or use of irrelevant remarks
* Trouble maintaining reciprocity in conversations
* Overly literal, difficulty with sarcasm and idioms
* Exceptional verbal abilities that often mislead others into assuming more competence than actually exists

Associated characteristics

* Physical clumsiness or lack of spatial awareness
* Difficulty modulating or regulating behaviors and emotions
* Organizational skills deficits
* Co-occurrence of attention, anxiety, and/or mood problems
* Sensory (sounds, light, tastes, touch, odors, pain) sensitivities or processing difficulties
* Poor academic performance, despite demonstrated cognitive skills
* Poor daily living skills, in spite of obvious intellectual abilities
* Difficulty gaining and maintaining employment
* Isolated and/or overly dependent adulthood

On the other hand, people with Asperger Syndrome can be…

* Extremely honest, trustworthy, and committed to their principles
* Straightforward and logical
* Detail-oriented, with an exceptional memory for facts and figures
* Willing and able to devote extraordinary amounts of time and energy to unique and sometimes very important areas of knowledge and effort
* Loyal friends and employees
* Dependable workers if given the opportunity to utilize their talents

Ack! I'm sorry, I thought Quebec and Mexico had joined up.
Actually I'm just an under-educated Canadian, never could remember whether it was 50 or 52.

Well, we have 50 states, DC, and a few territories that people tend to forget about. (The US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, the Midway Islands, and Puerto Rico are part of the USA, but are not part of any state...)

The foreign journalist probably thought the "contiguous" United States was 50 and then add Hawaii and Alaska. No. There are only 48 contiguous states in the Union.

Ack! I'm sorry, I thought Quebec and Mexico had joined up.
Actually I'm just an under-educated Canadian, never could remember whether it was 50 or 52.

Ack! I'm sorry, I thought Quebec and Mexico had joined up.
Actually I'm just an under-educated Canadian, never could remember whether it was 50 or 52.

IIRC, the last time the Quebecois were making noises about seceding from the Dominion of Canada, the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan threatened that if it went through, they were going to secede as well and apply for statehood in the US - are those the other two states you were thinking of?

I thought maybe it was a reference to our newest additions, Iraq and Afghanistan?

As far as some of us are concerned, Virginia, both Carolinas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida (and by some counts Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arizona) are still technically occupied foreign soil.

IIRC, the last time the Quebecois were making noises about seceding from the Dominion of Canada, the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan threatened that if it went through, they were going to secede as well and apply for statehood in the US - are those the other two states you were thinking of?

Quebec technically seceded per some article in their constitution ~2 years ago??

Ack! I'm sorry, I thought Quebec and Mexico had joined up.
Actually I'm just an under-educated Canadian, never could remember whether it was 50 or 52.