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Aspergers and a BBC article on famous Aspies.

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SilverPikmin
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03 Aug 2008, 5:18 pm

I am rather against this 'diagnosing' of famous dead people with ASDs.

Granted, ASDs have a good side (as well as a bad side), but there is no need to exaggerate it. Perhaps these people were introverted, and they might have been recording as having some trouble in social situations, but that doesn't mean they're aspies/auties. Some people are just like that.

This causes problems in my opinion because people have high expectations when they hear about this. Most autistics/aspies are not Rainman or Albert Einstein. Their narrow interests are detrimental as often as they are beneficial. The truth is that, I think, 'intelligence' (something I believe is hard to define) varies in ASDs just as it does in NTs. All this is not only hopeful conjecture, it's something that could actually be harmful to our image.

Plus, in people that realise this, which I would think most people with knowledge do, it gives us a negative image. It's as if we are grasping at straws to justify our existence

Bear in mind I am all for advocacy and that related stuff, but not so far as to exaggerate the truth.



Postperson
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03 Aug 2008, 6:00 pm

Peter Tork!



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03 Aug 2008, 9:18 pm

Willard wrote:
I am always fascinated by the characters Non-Aspies hang the AS label on, that shine light on how much they don't understand about living inside Asperger Syndrome. Andy Warhol? Wasn't he pretty much constantly surrounded by an entourage and hobnobbing at parties? Yeah, any antisocial Aspie would feel right at home with that - NOT.


I've seen video of him. If he wasn't autistic, he was something neurologically odd. It showed in every movement and every time he spoke.

And not all autistic people hate socializing or parties.

Quote:
Lisa Simpson? Maybe, but she seems to have plenty of empathy for her fellow humans, so prolly not.


Most autistic people have empathy for our fellow humans.

Seems like you have some stereotypes of autism yourself.

I'm not into the diagnosing-of-the-dead thing much either, but I also don't like un-diagnosing (or anti-diagnosing, whatever the opposite of diagnosing is) the dead based on stereotypes.


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release_the_bats
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03 Aug 2008, 10:37 pm

Thank you for posting that article.

I am collecting resources that portray AS in a positive or neutral manner. I will make use of these resources when and if I choose to disclose my diagnosis to anyone.

I am not a fan of posthumous diagnosis, but I think that in the context of this article it serves an important illustrative purpose. Many people need these kinds of examples in order to understand concepts. It is also noteworthy that the article itself points out the disadvantages and controversies involved in posthumous diagnosis.

And yes, people with AS can and do have empathy. To be specific, we have difficulty expressing this empathy, especially in socially expected ways. For example, if I see an acquaintance crying, I feel sad for them and wonder why they are upset, but I don't know how I am supposed to react so I simply pretend not to notice. I think this is a common AS experience.



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07 Aug 2008, 3:29 pm

release_the_bats wrote:
Thank you for posting that article.

I am collecting resources that portray AS in a positive or neutral manner. I will make use of these resources when and if I choose to disclose my diagnosis to anyone.

I am not a fan of posthumous diagnosis, but I think that in the context of this article it serves an important illustrative purpose. Many people need these kinds of examples in order to understand concepts. It is also noteworthy that the article itself points out the disadvantages and controversies involved in posthumous diagnosis.

And yes, people with AS can and do have empathy. To be specific, we have difficulty expressing this empathy, especially in socially expected ways. For example, if I see an acquaintance crying, I feel sad for them and wonder why they are upset, but I don't know how I am supposed to react so I simply pretend not to notice. I think this is a common AS experience.


Empathic topic

I can feel bad for someone who is in pain or sad (I learned from reading books about genocides) but I cannot feel for someone who is happy, well adjusted or successful and bragging about it. I just cannot fathom it. And why should I? :?

Good introductory article as in an encyclopeadia entry, Tearose.


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