Aspergers does not automatically equate to high functioning

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Jenk
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31 Aug 2008, 10:40 pm

Initially, this post had a point. The time was 5am and the verbage arduous! Appologies to the 250 odd people who have and will click on this only to be frustrated by removed content...



Last edited by Jenk on 01 Sep 2008, 8:06 am, edited 6 times in total.

Ishmael
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31 Aug 2008, 10:47 pm

I have actually devised a far, far more accurate system to give mathematical values to different autistic expressions - I'm trying to have that system accepted as standard.
A little while ago I posted something of it on my blog; just click on the little buttons at the bottom of my post to see!


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Jenk
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31 Aug 2008, 10:58 pm

Will do.



2ukenkerl
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31 Aug 2008, 11:13 pm

:wink:



Last edited by 2ukenkerl on 01 Sep 2008, 12:07 am, edited 1 time in total.

Jenk
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31 Aug 2008, 11:25 pm

:roll:



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Warsie
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31 Aug 2008, 11:32 pm

Quote:
Hablas Aspergers?
Ah, yes - communication! One of the more difficult things for Autistics and Aspergers.
Be it an Autistc person unable to articulate his or her wants and needs, within their scope of understanding, or an Aspergers alien mindset with ideas and concepts generally incomprehensible to typical people, it's all problematic.
For those classically Autistic, under Kanner's definition, how to express desires?
For those Autistic more along the Asperger definition, how then do we make the average person understand.
After all, we are not stupid, but different. Unfortunately, we live in a world where differences are percieved as flaws; and ineffectual conversations, sadly, excaserbate that view. Personally, I wouldn't mind living in a world where I could openly speak my mind to any how asks for my opinion on matters, without being called an emotionless, callous bastard. I would like for someone to know my dreams, my desires, who I am - just for once - without my having to pretend I'm someone and something else. See, it's more than just misinformation that's harmful to an Asperger person - but the lack of any simple acknowledgement of our differences taken as fact. Instead, we are flawed and must work harder to integrate ourselves into society. A painful, depressing and altogether unsuccessful endeavour. There will always be a linguistic, behavioural and, yes, cultural barrier between Aspergers and everybody else. We simply aren't like others. Some want to be, others are glad for it. Others still have been misinformed, believe they are Aspergers but then only end up causing trouble.
What I ask is acceptance for the idea that we are very different, neither superior or inferior, but with a different cadre of traits and attributes.
Maybe then it could be understood that whilst we can't engage socially as others do, perhaps some level of mutual interaction can be reached, with understanding of what is expected of bohh sides, those typical and those Asperger.
Maybe then I won't have to pretend anymore.


from Ishmeal's blog.


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2ukenkerl
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01 Sep 2008, 12:13 am

Thanks warsie.

I was trying to find the matematical formula, and overlooked THAT part of Ishmael's blog. He did explain that well. He didn't really cover the details, but some of the problems and that it is a TRUE differently abled. Not in the whitelie condescending way, but in making it clear that there are benefits and problems that make it to where it is clear that it would be best if BOTH existed and worked together.

It is too bad that such acceptance probably won't happen.



IpsoRandomo
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01 Sep 2008, 12:19 am

"Asperger's does not always equate to high functioning"

No s**t sherlock



Ishmael
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01 Sep 2008, 12:34 am

If you want to know specifically what reference, it's the earlier part of the post titled "benefits...? As in dental, or...?"
I plan to write another post going into further detail on the system - it has proven itself useful, so I've decided to make it public.


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Danielismyname
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01 Sep 2008, 3:02 am

No, it doesn't. The symptoms of Asperger's can range from "mild" to "severe"; when someone has "severe" in all of the symptoms, they're just as impaired as those with "severe" Autism. Most people fall within the middle, i.e., mild in one area, severe in one, mild in another, moderate in one, etcetera.

They'll probably manifest differently in appearance, but the outcomes won't be much different (some of the greatest behavioural problems come from those with "severe" AS).



PunkyKat
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01 Sep 2008, 2:38 pm

I probably had low-functning autisim when I was a kid. My mother says it was like I was a in a jar and I couldn't be reached. I didn't speak actual words until I was four. I was diagnosed with ADHD at six and then AS at age seven or eight.



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01 Sep 2008, 6:09 pm

i met a kid with aspergers who seemed so severe, his conversations were always one sided, he didnt understand humor or anything, was interestedin his own interests that he didnt give too craps if he wasnt eating right or bathing, that he didnt seem to notice socializing but always was depressed from being lonely, but he needed help with the basic things as remembering to brush his teeth, clean his room, get up and get out of his room haha, he was just so in focus with his interests he didnt care, when i met him he didnt look at me, and his mother just told the therapist "i dont know if he;ll ever be able to live on his own, marry or anything and that he had autism" and all i remember was the therapist saying oh hes more severe on the spectrum, shes like well he has aspergers, i was thinking like wow hes got it severe then, the therapist just replied with "wow i didnt know there were different functioning levels of autism" and the mother saying "yes not all people with aspergers are high functioning, yet he does have an iq of 130". It was very interesting, so to answer your question yes aspergers isnt always equivalent to high functiong!


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01 Sep 2008, 6:25 pm

Danielismyname wrote:
No, it doesn't. The symptoms of Asperger's can range from "mild" to "severe"; when someone has "severe" in all of the symptoms, they're just as impaired as those with "severe" Autism. Most people fall within the middle, i.e., mild in one area, severe in one, mild in another, moderate in one, etcetera.

.


Im confused about what severe aspergers consists of. Is it really as severe as severe autism except the speech delay? Because my psych thought I was moderate to severe aspergers when I'm at a very hard college 2000 miles away from my home, living on my own. I thought his perception was kinda messed up.

I met this girl when I was in this group therapy sessions which one of the facilitators told me was lower functioning. She would have certain problems that were more severe then the rest of us. She needed special attention. Im confused.



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01 Sep 2008, 6:47 pm

princesseli wrote:
Danielismyname wrote:
No, it doesn't. The symptoms of Asperger's can range from "mild" to "severe"; when someone has "severe" in all of the symptoms, they're just as impaired as those with "severe" Autism. Most people fall within the middle, i.e., mild in one area, severe in one, mild in another, moderate in one, etcetera.

.


Im confused about what severe aspergers consists of. Is it really as severe as severe autism except the speech delay? Because my psych thought I was moderate to severe aspergers when I'm at a very hard college 2000 miles away from my home, living on my own. I thought his perception was kinda messed up.

I met this girl when I was in this group therapy sessions which one of the facilitators told me was lower functioning. She would have certain problems that were more severe then the rest of us. She needed special attention. Im confused.


Somebody with severer aspergers usually are so focused on their own interests dont really care much into anything else, which can be a huge problem when they hit adulthood, or usually have serious social problems along with behavior problems. May need help having somebody to remind them to brush their teeth for example because all they care about is their interests. Somebody with severer autism usually are just in their own world completely, need help with somebody helpign them brushing their own teeth for example because their so far behind developmentally that brushing their own teeth is like climbing mt everest for somebody who lets say is normal, and all they do is stim, and usually have no social skills at all.


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Callista
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02 Sep 2008, 12:10 am

I'm supposed to have "severe Asperger's", too, but I really think that is because I also qualify for a diagnosis of classic autism. I do have problems with taking care of myself but they only mean that I take a little longer, not that I can't do it at all... plenty of people take longer for many reasons, and anyway, I'm getting to the point that I'm approaching the normal speed range on that stuff because I've got good routines in place now. Delayed doesn't mean you can't learn it, especially if you get creative. And, anyway, I can do the casual, short-term social stuff--interacting with people for under 15 minutes, I can usually even pass for NT. I can order at a restaurant, interact with cashiers, etc., (learned by age 16), take care of hygiene (age 19), pay bills (age 21), keep an apartment clean (age 23), and use a bus system (ongoing currently). Those are all things I could theoretically have done earlier; it was all a matter of figuring out how to make sure I actually did them... routines are important and without them things take ten times as long. I'm on disability, but I'm pretty sure I can get off it because I have some skill peaks that line up nicely with science, writing, and organization (that is one of the huge strokes of luck in my life: Organization skills mean you can make up your own routines beforehand), and I'm taking college classes so I can be employable. I've had a lot of jobs but always had to quit or in a couple of cases got fired for a variety of reasons...

Uh, anyway, yes: "severe Asperger's" (Asperger's that requires daily care) exists. It is not, however, identical from person to person, any more than mild/moderate/whatever autism is.


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