Evaluation of high functioning ASD

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In evaluating the gamut from severe to high functioning autism one should take account of the environment in which a subject is born and grows. This under many profiles. If the environment is stimulating and supporting it might be easy to encourage the development of special innate faculties (music, math, painting, logic, philosophy, writing fiction etc.) into an accepted profession, job, role. It is stated with some assurance that Glenn Gould, Wittgenstein, Kafka, Simone Weil were autistic. Suppose that Glenn Gould was not the son of two affirmed musicians, that Wittgenstein was not raised in an extremely wealthy family (he gave away all his riches, but when one takes such a decision he/she does not easily shrugs off his/her environmental supporting relationships), that Weil was non raised in an learned family (her brother was a famous mathematician and the two never broke an intense dialogue between them), that Kafka was not supported in his university studies (which he loathed) by his (loathed) father. What would have happened of them? May be they would have survived, but how?

I should add something about myself, though I never reached any outstanding position.

Paolo -

I read your examples of famous people who are considered ASD, but I'm not sure what you want from me here. Are you asking for a discussion of what might have happened to these people under different circumstances? Or trying to relate it to how we judge/evaluate people these days? I'm just not sure, it's like I can't find a way into what you're doing.

You're basically retreading one of the premises of Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. Social support plays a huge role in development of talent. It's not impossible to succeed without it, but the chance of doing so is significantly impaired.

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene,
The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flow'r is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air."

I am a little impatient with the mechanical ways that are appliedi in diagnosing, and producing a census of people affected by ASD. Holden Caulfield found all the people he met in his Yuletide odissey "'phony". Was he autistic or all the others who had learned to act all their life? In the treatement of ASD people there are also courses in "acting normal". But normalization is a treatment in the interest of a society which is itself structurally "phony".

I'm coming to think (56 years old and only heard of aspergers 3 years ago) that the challenges in our lives are instructive and it is a good thing to be attentive to them. If I register on the autism spectrum (and my signifcant other would snort and remind me of the rocking thing that can happen in private!) I would consider myself "high functioning" but I gather that is often the case. My ability to focus intensely, like most things in life has had it's positives and negatives and it's just another thing to work around like only remembering things that fit into a pre-existing pattern. Our connection to the rest of our species lies in knowing that everyone has challenges requiring their attention, we are not alone itn this. It is surely helpful to share experiences with others that have similiar things to deal with but I admit I'm struck as I peruse the blogs here that the issues do not differ so very much from the things that have always been discussed with my "normal" acquaintances/colleagues and/or friends. I have not had the experience of being widely "accepted" what with my persistent social awkwardness but I've come to think that the friendships I've had, from those with a broad perceptiveness range or somewhat like myself has profoundly enhanced my life experiences. I suppose I want to say that ours is a difference with a distinction that can bring a lot to our lives, maybe even a reason to celebrate in it's honor now and then. Please forgive me if I've just expressed the absolute worse of banality and naïveté as my impulse came from feelings just the opposite.