Life with Aspergers

Subjectivity in Diagnosis   Updated in September 2020 to include DSM V. There is no litmus paper test for autism or Aspergers. The label is applied on the basis of set criteria , generally the DSM IV or more recently, DSM V which are determined by subjective analysis .  Sometimes that analysis is in the form of questionnaires, sometimes as day-long tests and sometimes it seems to be almost arbitrarily applied by practitioners.  The symptoms of autism vary from one person to another both in presence/combination and in intensity and no two people are exactly alike. If anything, the label, particularly for Asperger's syndrome is  similar to online " geek tests " and coincidentally, there is a high correlation between geeks and aspies. This isn't to say that autism and Asperger's are "imaginary conditions" but rather to say that unlike specific tested conditions where the label describes the symptoms, Here, the symptoms describe the label. An Example: De...

Just thought I'd post a couple of great Aspie links; Napoleon Dynamite (defining Aspergers) I recently watched this film which others have said is an aspie film. It is. It's funny but also very real. Anyway, someone has gotten clips from this film and put them together in a "Definition of Aspergers video". It's well worth a watch. Don't forget though, Napoleon seems to be a bit extreme; The Good Side of Aspergers Ok, now the video above mostly points out the bad things about Aspergers, so I figured I'd put a link to a recent article on known aspie geniuses that was in the UK Telegraph yesterday. Albert Einstein 'found genius through autism' By Nic Fleming, Science Correspondent Last Updated: 4:01pm GMT 21/02/2008

Contrary to popular belief, most aspies aren't born with amazing reading or mathematics skills. These are reserved for the select few. Most aspies seem to have difficulty at school academically in the early years and socially in the later years. The Aspie Learning Catch-22 Some of the biggest problems aspies face, particularly in the primary school years, is the ability to concentrate on a topic (motivation). The problem is that the aspie tends to be very focused on his or her special interest and has great difficulty maintaining focus on other things. In the primary school years particularly, other things cannot become interesting until the aspie overcomes some early hurdles. Reading is a good example of this. While there are undoubtedly a lot of books out there which would satisfy the aspie child's special interest needs, these books aren't accessible until at least rudimentary reading skills are acquired. It's a Catch-22, the aspie child can't enjoy reading ...

This wasn't the topic I wanted to write about today but time is short and I'm very busy and I already had this one prepared, so here goes. What is a curebie? You are a curebie if any of the following ring a bell. 1. You think that one day, with enough funding, someone will invent a magic pill, therapy or operation that the kid can take which will make them Neurotypical (NT). 2. You think that you can simply change a kids diet, parents, proximity to power sources, TV or Game viewing/playing hours and they'll suddenly become NT. 3. You think you can make a kid NT by electroshocking them, beating them, locking them up or otherwise torturing them into normality. 4. You think that being Aspie or Autistic is wrong..wrong...wrong. A burden thrust onto you (a parent) which needs to be "fixed". 5. You don't think anyone would be happy the way they are unless they are NT. 6. All you want is for your child to be the same as everyone else's child. 7. You think that a...

Aspies have a lot of trouble with food. I've already covered parts of this as part of the "under-eating in children" section of How the Whole Asperger's thing can be detrimental to your Health but now it's time for more detail and a few real-world examples. Why don't aspie children eat? Texture Memory Distraction Medication Taste Texture Texture plays a very important in aspie eating habits. For example, I have problems eating peaches because of the feel of their skin and because of the "powdery" taste of the fruit within. I also have a lot of problems relating to sultanas which I believe began with texture issues. For a long time I could eat sultanas in biscuits because they were dried out but not when they were in cakes. now I can't eat them no matter where they are. Possible Solution: if you have a texture issue, you can get around it by mashing or blending the ingredients. Just make sure that there is no skin left on the object before you ...

Well, we've all heard the clinical definitions of Aspergers. Here is a site with a great description that is suitable for giving to other people; http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jan312008/dheducation2008013049442.asp Very down to earth.