signs visible at first glance?

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Hans Asperger, in his writings, mentioned that an Aspie is easy to detect at first glance. Can you tell an aspie just by talking to him/her? Just curious.

There have been many conversations concerning miild, moderate and severe or if any aspergers. Also, various tests and diagnostic measures. Yet, Asperger felt that an astute clinician could tell immediately through observation. Aspies just have a certain way about them-speaking, moving etc.

If this is true, then why is there so much controversy and error in identifying a child on the spectrum. Maybe we are, in fact, misdiagnosing or overdiagnosing.

Do you agree, disagree?

thanks,

equinn

A clinician at Attwood's said I was an "aspie" within several minutes of talking with me; another picked it up in me within short order when I didn't even know what Asperger's was.

In most cases, I'm betting it's evident in short order when the individual interacts with someone; lack of nonverbal cues, odd postures and facial expressions; odd prosody, a lack of emotional inflection in the voice, etcetera--all of these add up to someone who's easily recognizable.

Last edited by Danielismyname on 31 May 2008, 9:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I actually picked it up in the person I like by email chats.

I've met a couple of people I thought were Aspies, and then I found out later that they had a diagnosis. There are some others that seem like Aspies to me, but I don't know if they've been diagnosed or not.

But another then said you WEREN'T AS, and you agreed with THEM, right?

A lot of people have an odd posture, or facial expressions, odd prosody, etc... Still, those can be symptoms of Autism as a whole, and may not be present in AS.

With ME, I often end up doing things that could come off a little as stimming. If you cause me to touch one of my interests(Like ask a question that relates to one or can be explained by one), you might get a lot of detail. I don't handle stress well, and am a LITTLE unusual. I don't know fashion, pop culture, or sports. I try to bow out of social events. So I COULD see how someone could suspect within minutes of seeing me.

The latter, the one who noted AS, diagnosed me with Autism when I brought it up (he neglected to inform me that I had an ASD); in a clinical setting, he said he wouldn't have guessed that I was Autistic (rather, Asperger's in his opinion), but when my developmental history, and that I'm entirely different away from a clinical setting, were both taken into account, he saw the Autism and put that in my folder.

You're right, "normal" people display many things that are common to ASDs, it's just that those with ASDs usually display the whole lot. The things I listed are just as common to AS as Autism, and individuals with Autism without mental retardation don't appear too different in a mechanical and/or clinical setting as those with AS, it's when they're away from such and out amongst people where the differences are evident.

In most cases, it's clearly evident if someone knows what to look for, even in those who're undiagnosed and are living "normally". My father for example, doesn't make eye contact, and he has a narrow/obsessive interest that he'll devote all of his free time to, plus other things of Asperger's. I see it clearly.

Whilst it's a different way of thinking, it's also a different way of interacting which is different to "normal", even if said interaction manifests differently in each person (it's more clustered in groups I've found, rather than each individual with an ASD interacting differently).

i have not met alot of aspies but one time when i went a university thing for people with disabilities who were planing on going to uni. as soon as I saw some of these people I noteced straight away these people were just like me. I think I noteced someone who had been but never asked.

I think it honestly depends on the person. The only thing I know of that is obvious about just watching me (if you don't talk to me that is, talking to me would be another story) is my gait.

I think the issue is that, except for people with ASDs themselves and skilled professionals knowledgable in the area, it isn't as apparent. I think it takes someone years of working with people who have ASDs to learn to immediately put all the behavior together and diagnose it quickly.

You must have been thrilled to meet your others. I like this story. I've often felt that my son, one day, will bump into others like him and blossom. I guess this is wishful thinking. We are filled with oddities who all try to mainstream into society. Many reside in the land of denial and reject reminders of what they want to forget or put on pause.

I find when my son has been near someone (adults) suspected to be on the spectrum, the two clash and seem to crawl under each other's skin. They either compete to talk or their energy levels are too high for one room. My son begins humming more, moving, spinning etc. It's interesting to observe. He's not so cute to these people. They treat him as if he were some kind of threat and not a child.

There is something in the eyes.

Childlike yet sage, awkward yet self possessed, distant yet piercing.

Aspie eyes.

Also, an oil refinery built out of legos is a dead give-away.

vessels of infinite space.

Everywhere are signs? topic

I only met one Aspie in my life, a young woman who seemed very friendly. She was in charge of hiring special needs employees and I told her I am Aspie and she then revealed her AS.

But I could not see her AS nor did she see mine until I told her. Bit she did not seem surprised, and neither was I.

The above has a very nice haiku feel to it, actually

I think with enough practice you can recognize people with PDD-related disorders.

A certain 'clumsiness' can be a hint and a certain look and behaviour.

Last year somebody I know took her daughters along on a trip. With one of the daughters was a certain 'click', it was a certain understanding. Recently she was diagnosed in an hospital, and they decided she has PDD NOS. For some reason I have that 'click' with more people; and when I get to know them better they show some PDD-related symptoms. Somebody who could better 'read' people, could maybe see it earlier.

I'm convinced I can tell now that I know what to look for, like the guy at church today who asked I was alright, I sad not really and walking away said "I'll add that to my mental prayer list" not looking at me the entire time.

I've also have said only one sentence to someone and they say "You sound smart..." once after I just greated someone in the store... I get "you sound smart so much I wonder if it is my voice.