"HSP" and Aspergers?

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One fo the things I was 'diagnosed' with before Asperger's was being a Highly Sensitive Person. Here's some more info: http://www.hsperson.com This isn't 'sensitive' in the easily-hurt-feelings sense, but in terms of sensitivity to light/sound/activity around you. I put diagnosis in quotes because as I understand it it's not a medically recognised thing.

A lot of the HSP traits seem to reflect AS - things like sensitivty to light/sound, a tendency to melt or shutdown in times of stress or overload, being 'shy' and not social, noticing details most people would overlook, good memory.

But, the Aspie trouble with body language and reading/interpreting people doesn't seem to fit with a problem that's supposedly caused by being too receptive.

What do you think?

I've never heard of that. The only diagnosis I've heard of that specifically is meant to describe sensory sensitivity is "sensory integration dysfunction," but based on the info on that website, it seems like HSP is something different. It sounds to me like a diagnosis that explains one set of symptoms, but doesn't tell the whole story when the person has a syndrome, like saying someone with Down Syndrome has mental retardation. Sure it's true, and sure that may be the extent of the diagnosis for some people without a syndrome, but if you've got Down's, there's a lot more going on than just mental retardation. So you may indeed be a "HSP", but that probably only describes one aspect of the collection of symptoms associated with your AS.

I've seen that also. I think it offers some information on sensory and emotional overload (sort of) but is vague enough to encompass the aspects of a number of things. I also think it is someone's theory (or book) and not an officially recognized label. And looking at the criteria it sounds like they are reinventing the wheel but giving it a different name

Yeah, when I first heard of that, I thought maybe I had THAT, and not AS. I looked though, and AS had all that, and other things I had. When I didn't fit in AS, I found my understanding was wrong, and I really DID fit!

Steve

Now I'm home from work and able to use the internet more, I did a google search for "HSP" and "Asperger's", but most of what I found were links to books being sold on Amazon. I did however find an article from that same site I linked to up in the OP (This one: http://www.hsperson.com/pages/1Aug05.htm) which gives a description of how HSP-ness differs from AS and Autism. I'd explain what they had to say if I understood it myself.

If anyone knows what that site means by "did not prune the neuronal network enough", which is how that site explains autism, could you explain it? I'm obviously the exception to the rule, a not-very-bright Aspie.

I think it is their way of saying - we are cool and NOT like those Aspies who have problems (lol).

LostinSpace, your avatar is giving me a headache. Seriously.

I heard this but always though HSP was vague. It can include different things. I worry about stuff like this because it can be used like 'hysteria' was as diagnosis to make fix rather than a diagnosis that fits. One of my books was The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N. Aron (from that site). I got it when I was dealing with SA. I didn’t read all of it was a bit boring but I don’t think she use HSP as a medical term I may be wrong.

She's a Freudian psychoanalyst. I think she's crazy myself.

Not a fan of Freud either. He had a lot of hunches. Also it was based on a central European demographic a long time ago. I think cbt, psychodynamic is far more testable. Freudian expressly refuse to keep records of how effective their methods are.

hahahaha

Sorry, Ragtime. It's a slightly-out-of-focus picture of my cat. I just thought it looked cool.

I've never heard that in reference to autism. Actually, I think it's more generally associated with schizophrenia (at least that's what my mom told me one- she's a psychologist). I think pruning of the neuronal network occurs around two years of age, when the number of neuronal connections in the brain is halved, or something like that.

General discussion, thread: "AS, ADD and the HSP Connection"
http://www.wrongplanet.net/modules.php? ... highlight=
I bought one of those books & felt that while it highlighted some of my traits, it was only a partial theory. I (an "aspie") rated as highly-sensitive, and my NT (but OCD) boyfriend rated as a sensation-seeker. But I'm not highly sensitive to everything, only to that which matters (whether my attention is captured voluntarily or not) to me for whatever reason.
So it's hard to compare quantities and qualities between people, we're all Highly Sensitive as well as Sensation-Seeking (to some extent) about such vastly different stuff. I may be HS about 10 things, someone else may be HS about 10 things (stimuli that one notices, and either intensely seeks or avoids), but because my things are "wierd" (believed to be unusual), and the other person's things are "normal" (assumed to be common) I'd be labelled HS-not the other person.

I remember one of the first times I connected Asperger's and Anxiety, was when a Client rang and mentioned they had both, it was one of those "light-bulb" moments. Since then although aware of the Work of HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) Theorist Elaine N. Aron, I concentrated on the Aspergers Research and it's personal application, potentially.
The other term I came across yesterday was Empath, which as far as I recall, is very similar, if not identical to the HSP Theory/category of Personality. That it is possible that a person with High-Functioning Autism, may also possess High Sensitivity to the moods of others, as well as Textures, Colours, Light and Sounds, perhaps the heightened perceptions are part of what inhibits an Aspie from "tuning-in" to aspects of Communication such as non-verbal?
I would like to see Schools "Test" Children in an Alternative Way so that they are able to develop their Strengths/Giftings as well as improving the areas of perceived weakness?
WHY does it take some people their whole (well, I'm 55!) lives to get a handle on the reasons behind their struggles? Yes, I feel there have been benefits, a deep inner life, but better insight would have been helpful! of course Aspergers wasn't even recognised during my Childhood, even so there is precious little variety/opportunity in most Educational Services to encourage a healthy Diversity of expression/difference, I suppose tolerance can be a rare thing on this Planet!