Autism alerts

Post Reply New Topic

If you subscribe (free) to Google alerts on the words “Asperger” and “Autism” you receive many very interesting stories about autism. Also many “success stories” about aspies finding a happy place in life, with a wife and a satisfying job. You will more rarely find failure stories, stories of silent and unknown lingering in the desert of suffering and solitude. These cases are probably the majority and if they appear in the newspapers it is because they end in tragedy (was the Finnish student an AS? We don’t know from the news stories). Success stories depend on the disordered wiring of the brain of AS being compensated by some exceptional dotage: music (Glenn Gould) math (Alan Turing), writing (Patricia Highsmith); but are these really success stories? Look at what their life have been really.
All in all subscribing to Google alerts is highly recommended for every one here..

Sounds interesting.

The sad truth is, it seems that global successes in life seem to be in the minority. Global failures tend to be broadcast. I think there should be more effort to show success stories, even imperfect ones. In my own case, I have a long way to go to achieve complete success in all areas of my life, but consider myself successful in some areas.

I cite Roger Bannister often as a global success. He became a physician, a father and a grandfather and is still active and vital at 78. I don't know if Bannister actually has AS, but a lot of the interests and struggles for acceptance he described in his autobiography, The Four Minute Mile, are those of high functioning people with AS. He had very sophisticated, mature interests as a teenager, was not good at sports (except for running) and was very shy. His intelligence helped him to succeed.