To Cure AS

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If one was social or learnt to socialize, do you think their Aspergers would be solved?

Hi pat,

I don't think so, as poor social ability is only one of the issues of AS. There's also obsessive-compulsiveness and mild sensory issues, among others.

No.

You can't just take a pill and it will go away. The wiring in the brain is different, it's not like some sort of physical illness.

I've learnt to socialise, and still have trouble because my way of thinking is so different.

ABA propnents talk alot about a "cure" for autism, but all they are doing is teaching kids a few social pleasantries. The kids are still autistic and always will be autistic regardless how hard the ABA propnent parents try to BS themselves as well as the rest of the world that their kid is "cured".

Yeah, same. I've gotten into a lot of arguments because of my way of thinking and lost miserably because I don't know how to handle them.

I used to be able to socialize or at least had the confidence to do it but after I moved to Ireland it became much harder. Even when I could socialize reasonably well there were misunderstandings and the effort was very draining. I think socializing problems is only one aspect of Aspergers Syndrome.

I think you can teach yourself to behave properly in social situations, but I don't think you will ever feel what normal people feel . . .

Here is an example - I was reading in one of Donna Williams' books that for normal people touch means connection (whereas for me it was always a sign of possession which I do not like - I will not be anyone's possession) - so, anyway, the other day I went to see my best friend at work and he was doing something but when he walked by me he ran his hand across my shoulder and I thought 'Oh - ok - that is a sign that he is happy to see me - I should show him I'm happy to see him . . .' so I grabbed his wrist (not hard, but just in passing) and I knew this was what I was supposed to do - he looked really surprised - but all I was thinking was that he needed to use less starch in his shirts . . .

I can behave like a normal person, but I don't feel what a normal person feels . . .

There's no cure for Asperger syndrome but you can learn to live with it and when you do, you realise that having it isn't all that bad.

However if you want to learn a little secret on socialising... Well as well all know, people with AS excel at one thing and have an obsession with it, use that AS power to study how other people work and how to socialise instead...

I had to work out this formula on the way I have to think, but it's never perfect and I'm always still learning (updating that formula), and now a lot of people are like "You seem like a normal enough person" where before people who knew me though I was an idiot. You can be a sane person without compromising you're own personality and being yourself, but you have to find the state of mind to do so. Well that's how I did it anyway.

There's more to AS than the social stuff. What about sensory overload issues?

Sensory Issues are a big thing for me. There are some noises that I just can't handle, like the soundof Steel being pounded down with heavy hammers, Skill Saws, which sound like Dentist Drills to my ears, and the sound of rain falling on the ground, when I'm trying to get to sleep, in the Winter.

We are merely touching a layer of AS. Let me be discreet. Imagine if the ways of expression/reception and general communication was improved or even cured for the patient with Autism, they would be able to sociaize. There obviously is something wrong with their cognitions as parts of it isn't properly developed.

As above.
Personally none of my friends realise that I have Asperger's, and it's taken me until I was 19 or 20 to be able to socialise without inadvertantly giving any hints.

...heh. Now it doesn't matter as much...

I highly doubt it, largely because I have integrated pretty well from how I used to act and how I act now. If mere ability to socialize on some level was considered a cure for AS, then "going to college" would be considered something that 'cured' me!

You can't cure something when there's nothing wrong.

I believe that for some people it could make them seem more NT if the social problems got solved. if social problems are the main issue for you (like they are for me as well) then if you worked on them it could really help you. If you have sensory issues, that will probably just go away with time unless it has always been very severe (as a child I couldn't take the feel of crowds and malls, and I would only eat pasta with butter and a lot of cheese. I couldn't even handle CHOCOLATE it was too sweet for me - but now i eat a lot of foods!) it's jsut something you acquire over time, as well as the social thing, but for AS people it may be a tad bit harder.

good luck though!

You can't exactly cure autism, but you can teach someone to socialize. I've taught myself to socialize, with the help of a few close friends who are willing to be completely honest with me. But socializing is not the only part of autism.

If socializing was the only part of autism, then it might be able to be cured by teaching all autistic people to socialize and force them to, but the results might be nasty. Some of the behaviors might be able to be lessened, but autistic people will always be autistic. And there's really nothing wrong with that.