Aspergers Syndrome

[Nicholas]

I found an interesting site giving information about a form of High Functioning Autism known as Aspgerers syndrome. Here is some basic information with regards to some history and the types of characteristics present in people with Aspergers syndrome.

Asperger Syndrome or (Asperger's Disorder) is a neurobiological disorder named for a Viennese physician, Hans Asperger, who in 1944 published a paper which described a pattern of behaviors in several young boys who had normal intelligence and language development, but who also exhibited autistic-like behaviors and marked deficiencies in social and communication skills. In spite of the publication of his paper in the 1940's, it wasn't until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was added to the DSM IV and only in the past few years has AS been recognized by professionals and parents.

Individuals with AS can exhibit a variety of characteristics and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Persons with AS show marked deficiencies in social skills, have difficulties with transitions or changes and prefer sameness. They often have obsessive routines and may be preoccupied with a particular subject of interest. They have a great deal of difficulty reading nonverbal cues (body language) and very often the individual with AS has difficulty determining proper body space. Often overly sensitive to sounds, tastes, smells, and sights, the person with AS may prefer soft clothing, certain foods, and be bothered by sounds or lights no one else seems to hear or see. It's important to remember that the person with AS perceives the world very differently. Therefore, many behaviors that seem odd or unusual are due to those neurological differences and not the result of intentional rudeness or bad behavior, and most certainly not the result of "improper parenting".

By definition, those with AS have a normal IQ and many individuals (although not all), exhibit exceptional skill or talent in a specific area. Because of their high degree of functionality and their naiveté, those with AS are often viewed as eccentric or odd and can easily become victims of teasing and bullying. While language development seems, on the surface, normal, individuals with AS often have deficits in pragmatics and prosody. Vocabularies may be extraordinarily rich and some children sound like "little professors." However, persons with AS can be extremely literal and have difficulty using language in a social context.

Source and more: http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/aswhatisit.html

[Nicholas]

Oops, If forgot about my old thread of the same title. Oh well, I'm sure that it doesn't matter.

[Nicholas]

In order to make this different from the other thread I put up, I placed a thread.

[Xavier]

We have a couple at TWeb...

[Nicholas]

We have a couple at TWeb...

Somehow that doesn't surprise me.

[Stuart Kirkham]

I'm new to this forum, interested in this topic because I believe I have Aspergers Syndrome, also SAD, OCD, and Raynauds disorder. I am 58 years old, happily married and keep myself fit by taking part in Cycle Races. Interesting to read other peoples accounts of this syndrome.
God Bless,
Stuart.

[Pilgrim]

Raynauds is not a mental issus though, it's a circulation issue. Are you saying there is some sort of connection between it and the others there? I'd be interested ot hear about that.

[Stuart Kirkham]

Raynauds is not a mental issus though, it's a circulation issue. Are you saying there is some sort of connection between it and the others there? I'd be interested ot hear about that.

Hi,
I suffer from poor circulation and loathe the cold which affects my mood as I become very depressed in the winter months so there may be some connection in my case.
God Bless,
Stuart.

[Cynic Sage]

I'm an Aspie too, although I occasionally tell people I'm an Autistic Psychopath (Dr Hans Asperger refferred to the Disorder as "Autistic Psychopathy") just to get a reaction out of some people.

BTW: Has this ever happened to you?

Person: "You don't seem to be very sociable, why is that?"

You: "I have a Neurological condition known as Asperger's Syndrome."

Person: "How much longer do you have to live?"

You: "Ninety-or-so years, if I'm lucky."

[wfaber]

Has this ever happened to you?

No, but when I tell people I have AS they look at me like there was something wrong with me.

[Nicholas]

I'm an Aspie too, although I occasionally tell people I'm an Autistic Psychopath (Dr Hans Asperger refferred to the Disorder as "Autistic Psychopathy") just to get a reaction out of some people.

BTW: Has this ever happened to you?

Person: "You don't seem to be very sociable, why is that?"

You: "I have a Neurological condition known as Asperger's Syndrome."

Person: "How much longer do you have to live?"

You: "Ninety-or-so years, if I'm lucky."

[{Tim}]

I'm an Aspie too, although I occasionally tell people I'm an Autistic Psychopath (Dr Hans Asperger refferred to the Disorder as "Autistic Psychopathy") just to get a reaction out of some people.

BTW: Has this ever happened to you?

Person: "You don't seem to be very sociable, why is that?"

You: "I have a Neurological condition known as Asperger's Syndrome."

Person: "How much longer do you have to live?"

You: "Ninety-or-so years, if I'm lucky."

Can't say it has... but then I don't generally go around mentioning it to people very much.


I have AS to a degree, but it's minor enough that I can compensate pretty well in most situations. Or at least, I'm getting better at doing so.

[Cynic Sage]

Can't say it has... but then I don't generally go around mentioning it to people very much.


I have AS to a degree, but it's minor enough that I can compensate pretty well in most situations. Or at least, I'm getting better at doing so.

Yeah, me too. Although there is the odd moment of awkwardness and confusion.

[Nicholas]

Yeah, me too. Although there is the odd moment of awkwardness and confusion.

Most of the problems I had were in elementry school. How was I supposed to know that people didn't want to talk about topics such as astronomy unless they said so?

I'm better at it now though.

[Cynic Sage]

Most of the problems I had were in elementry school. How was I supposed to know that people didn't want to talk about topics such as astronomy unless they said so?

I'm better at it now though.

Yeah, you know what's difficult, learning social rules of conduct in your homeland, then going to live in another country with a different social rules. When I was in Jpan it was like that. That and if you offend the Japanese, they won't directly mention it to you. Man, I brought so much shame to Canada without realizing it.

Growing up, my fixations included:

Bats (elementary school)

Breeds of Dog (elementary school)

Christian Theology/Philosophy (ironically starting in my agnostic/deistic adolescent years)

Comics and manga (the medium of storytelling, lives of famous artists/writers).

Japanese Culture.