Jamesy wrote:
I have an NT friend called Alistair (this is quite some time ago) that two years got into a fight at a social club with this 17 year old called Dave. What happened is that Dave and my friend Alistair got into a bit of a play fight and Dave started playing rough and my friend Alistair tried to restrain him, this sent Dave into a rage and he threw him over a table (my friend started laughing when this happened) and Dave started punching him violently over the head a few times my friend Alistair who is a pasifist started saying "Ok alright thats enough". The fight then ended and Dave walked away.
A month later at college my friend Alistair started saying while laughing at the same time "That kid called Dave that attacked me has aspergers". Riching coming from my friend since he is actually geeky and ecentric himself or a NT geek if you want to call it that.
Do you think my friend is ignorant to start laugingh about the fact he has aspegers? Do you also think that the way Dave lost his temper is typical of someone with AS? Some of my friends have started calling Dave "Aspergers Dave." Its no laughing matter really. My friend Alistair is now 20.
I don't think it is appropriate to laugh at someone's condition. However, when Alistair was laughing - was he laughing at Dave's condition or the situation.
As for Dave - I would not encourage the phrase 'Aspergers Dave" no more than I would encourage the phrase "multiple sclerosis John". People are people - not conditions. Notwithstanding that - it is good to know and understand Dave's condition. Communication and interaction with him should be clear and literal. Play fighting might be avoided (Dave has trouble understanding the difference between play fight and real fight).
As for losing one's temper and whether it's typical of someone with AS - maybe. The individual with AS may have sensory overload and became enraged as a part of a meltdown. Also, like a mentioned - he might have been taking the play fighting as literal and did not know where the often subtle social cues between rough play and hurting someone.
In any event - I hope that Dave learns that he should err on the side of caution and not engage in rough play lest it lead to charges of assault. As for his acquaintances - he is Dave, who has Aspergers.
Not "Aspergers Dave".