Why is it a disability?????

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This is bugging me qutie a lot but really WHY do people consider aspergers too be a disability?

I signed on for a job the other day and the lady who interviewed me mentioned about aspergers and used the word "disability"

i agree as well that it should be considered more of a difference than a disability but people still don't seem too want too view AS in that way.

Because it is????

I'm disabled by Aspergers because it limits and impairs what I'm able to do.

what does it limit you from doing?

By disability do you mean losing your temper VERY easily, anxiety and poor emotional problems?

in what ways is aspergers disabling?

Because it can cripple your ability to communicate with other people, and also can cause emotional immaturity, melt-downs, shutdowns, other problems..
At best, most of my communication with others is pretty flat, unless I have an interest in something. Plus, I lack an understanding of body language. Try to get through a JOB INTERVIEW with that little aspect of HFA/AS!

Sincerely,
Matthew

Anythign you can do too tackle the meltdown/shutdown issues?

Let's see...

I have problems organizing my own schedule, especially with stopping, starting, and switching tasks.
I have problems understanding other people's social subtext.
I am easily overwhelmed by sensory information, and this can cause shutdown.
I am prone to cognitive overload--having to "think too hard" for too long, especially in an unfamiliar environment or while socializing, can cause me to become very tired and need to rest.
I have trouble switching strategies while solving a problem.
I find it very hard to maintain relationships because I forget to contact people.
I lose track of time easily, so that I have a very unpredictable sleep cycle.
I often miscommunicate when trying to get across to other people.
I can become so fascinated with a single subject that I lose track of everything else, including my responsibilities.
New things are hard to get used to. When I moved, my new apartment did not feel like home for several months.
I do not easily detect and copy the emotions of those around me.
I do not easily absorb the dominant culture of the people in my area.
I tend to stim, which is harmless but looks unusual. I also occasionally echo people, and have minor tics here and there.

There are a lot of things like this. Taken together, this is a disability. That doesn't mean it's a tragedy or that it makes my life worse, but it does mean that I need accommodations, help, or extra effort to adjust my particular skill set to the world as it is set up.

It depends on the person, but it needs be disabling in someway to be diagnosed.

Is life worth living if you have aspergers?

its better than being dead. also there are worse disorders out there

Thought experiment:

Take away, or severely limit your social ability and awareness.

Think about that for a moment. Your social ability. What is it that humans do most of the time? What is the very foundation of society based upon?

That's just one symptom cluster.

(Personally, I'm surprised all people with AS aren't driven insane by this. Shows how being born with something and not knowing any different really helps.)

I am just worried that i will be living at home with my parents for ever becasuse of my aspergers

i just want too be independant

No one is really "independent".

For the OP too; taken from the DSM-IV-TR on Asperger's:

Look at the social model of disability.

Very simply; It's not the Aspergers that disables you, but society and other people not being able to treat you equally and accommodate you.

Easy enough?

It depends on one's definition of disability. There are several different models.

According to the social model of disability, which I partially accept, disability is a lack of accommodation. Once a condition is fully accommodated in a society, it is no longer a disability.

As I said, I only partially accept that model. IMO, the issue is more complex.

Is there a reason why society does not want too accomodate us?