My Neurotypical Spectrum theory.

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I've watched NT behaviour for a while since being diagnosed ASD and its occured to me that some NT's are more 'normal' than others. Quite often I've come across NT's with ASD characteristics that are too 'normal' to be classed ASD while there are NT's without any discernable ASD traits and are masters in socialising and other abstract arts like fashion and trend following. This has led me to conclude that it is unfair to presume that the neurological spectrum should begin and end with autism, in fact it should stretch across the full range of neurological groups from what I call 'low functioning neurotypical' to 'low functioning autistic'.

Here is how i think it should look-

LF-NT----------HF-NT------------HF-ASD/AS-----------LF-ASD

Love that theory Thomas81, and as a corollary, the "Reaspy" (resdiual Asperger's in someone that has "made it "in the NT world is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

I guess whether or not you're LF-NT, HF-NT, HF-ASD/AS or LF-ASD, you'll still be forced to get a job that will bring you days or nights of pain, misery and suffering. Doesn't life suck sometimes?

I just think about it as neurodiversity. Everybody is different with different traits and personalities. Everybody was raised differently and has gone through different things in life. People also have different mental disorders. I also think a lot of people who have the INTJ personality could easily get confused as an aspie as well. There's a certain amount of key pieces to make you an aspie.

I'm a strong believer that we should treat everybody as an individual.

I think the LF-NT is meant to be basically someone with the exact opposite kind of problems as the LF-ASD. Namely, extreme deficiencies in systemizing, following rules, pathological lack of strong interests, etc. Perhaps a mentally ret*d NT.

That being said, I don't WANT to become fully NT. I'd probably want my Aspie score (in my signature) to remain at least 60. I don't want to lose my Aspie talents! And I've always wondered why the Aspie and NT scores don't quite add to 200...

You have basically copied the Extreme Male Brain theory of Austism's scale, except related it to level of functioning rather than level of empathising vs systemising. Simon Baron-Cohen's model looks like this:

Extreme Type E -- Type E -- Type B -- Type S -- Extreme Type S

E = empathising
B = balanced
S = systemising

The issue with your model is, due to what is generally valued in a society, it is much harder to find a LF-NT. The F stands for Functioning, which refers to functioning within the society. Those on the far left still fit into society much better than those on the far right, generally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDF_AfD8Z00&feature=plcp
7:30
I think these graphs explain your theory quite well (I know all Aspies aren't smart, but that's besides my point).


I also have a similar theory (Please tell me if it doesn't make sense :/).
I think:

Let's say, for example, there are 100 Aspie genes (I'm just making all these numbers up), people with 90-100 of said genes, cannot look after themselves. NTs have 0-70 of these genes, and people with "mild" Aspergers have 71-89 of these genes.

So, the NTs with 60-something genes will be "more Aspie-ish", than the ones with around 7 Aspie genes, while still not meeting the diagnostic criteria.


It's said that all people are on the spectrum.

I agree. To me it seems like "more AS" people have more single-pointed attention (tunnel vision) and are more interested in the content than in how something is communicated, while NTs are more unfocused (multitasking or simply alert) and more interested in the context. A low-functioning NT would be someone who would have a lot of trouble with logic, because everything would be personal and relative to the social dynamics in the group having the conversation, and because he would lack the attention span to follow it anyway. Sorry if that sounds insulting to NTs. Obviously tunnel-vision to the point of missing the context has its drawbacks as well.

I think such a LF-NT could become very popular and powerful, although they probably wouldn't be great students or do well in the sciences.

I don't get it.