Life with Aspergers

I've just finished reading; Not Just Spirited A Mom's Sensational Journey with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) by Chynna T. Laird Amazon Link The book is firstly a memoir of Chynna's daughter, Jaimie's first six years. It covers her struggle to have her Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) recognised and accomodated. The book is also, at times, a text book on the SPD and related therapies. It provides a comprehensive list of therapies which can be applied as well as describing the condition in detail. If you have a child with SPD, then there's no question that this is the book for you. More importantly though, if you have a "special" child; a child with special needs, a child on the spectrum or simply a child who you feel, in your gut, is somehow different, then this book is an essential read. So much of Chynna's story was familiar to me; The difficulty getting doctors to even accept that your child is different, the pressure on the relationship, unsol...

Right at the beginning of this series, I suggested that Asperger's by itself isn't a debilitating condition. I stand by this. It is not simply Asperger's that is the problem but the co-conditions which frequently exist alongside it. Often these co-conditions are called comorbids but it is a word which I have stopped using because there are limitations on what can and cannot be referred to as the a comorbid. I'm not ready to accept those conditions. Co-Conditions It's hard to determine whether or not a co-condition is an entirely separate condition existing at the same time as Asperger's or whether it is simply a facet of the Asperger's itself. Sometimes the conditions seem to start out as part of the aspergers but separate later into fully fledged conditions of their own - sometimes it goes in the opposite direction. I think that it varies from person to person and from condition to condition. When a co-condition exists as a part of aspe...

Like it or not, Aspergers is a label. Everything has labels, it's how we communicate in our world. Of course, the problem is that people find it difficult to reconcile the label with the individual. At first, it seems that they should mutually exclusive. After all, how can you be part of a group with similar characteristics (label) but still be an individual. In this post, I want to talk about how the label and the individual can live in harmony. Tables and Chairs Since Aspergers and Autism are difficult and intangible concepts let's look at a real world example; Assume that the label of autism is the same as "furniture". If that's the case, then Aspergers could be a table, while Kanners could be a chair. Perhaps something more similar to aspergers, such as High Functioning Autism could be a bench. It's not quite a table but it's certainly closer to a table than to a chair. Defining the Label It's very hard to make a list of what exactly defines a ...

I concluded my discussion last time by looking at the neanderthal theory of Aspergers. Now it's time for a couple more. Men versus Women There's no doubting this one. The majority of people diagnosed with aspergers are in fact male. Of course this doesn't rule out a huge undiagnosed population of female aspies. Aspergers presents quite differently in women and many aspergers traits in women are not diagnosed but simply accepted as "quirky". Don't be fooled into thinking that this makes social life any easier for women with aspergers. While a female with aspergers is considerably more likely to find a partner than a male, they also seem much more likely to be taken advantage of and their relationships with others of their gender tend to be less successful than their male counterparts. Aspie men can often find other men who share their special interests but aspie women rarely meet other women who can communicate on this level. It's not that either is any be...

No, I haven't taken leave of my senses or decided to "reboot" the blog. It simply occurred to me that while my first post discussed the official criteria, I've never provided a summary of my opinions on the subject. As usual, this post represents my opinion only (though probably more considered and more direct than usual). If you have conflicting beliefs about what causes, cures or constitutes aspergers, feel free to comment. I'll publish any responses which aren't "rude" or trolling regardless of how I feel on the subject. A Genetic ASD There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that aspergers is genetic. You can't "catch it" from someone and it doesn't appear simply due to differences in diet or exposure to certain metals. Similarly, aspergers does not arise from environmental factors such as upbringing, social status or geographic location. Aspergers transcends racial barriers as well as sexual politics. It's clear that asper...