Asperger's Syndrome

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by Asher
It's called Asperger's Syndrome instead of Asperger's Disorder for a reason, Shi.

I thinking havign something called a syndrome, and diagnosing people with it nessecarily implies there is a problem with it.....

[Asher]

I believe it exists to classify people who don't necessarily have a disorder, or that there's a problem with it, just that it's "abnormal". And it can help when you can classify people by collective symptoms...

[Buck Birdseed]

Asperger's is far from as simple as you describe it, shi- although it is just a collection of symptoms (ie a syndrome) they're far more numerous, all generally linked and relatively easily testable.

I was once a "normal" test person for a trial comparative psychology project, which consisted of two test elements Aspergians nearly always have trouble with. Firstly, there were a number of very simple social (or non-social) situations, where you had to pick one of five very simple emotional responses. Now, for us non-aspergians we empathise with the person in the situation, and intuitively pick a response. Aspergians, on the other hand, don't have the ability to do this but can often find the appropriate respone anyway, through reasoning. It just takes longer. Is that not a handicap?

The second test consisted of saying whether an action in a situation is right or wrong, in a continual scale. Here Aspergians tend to have extreme problems nuancing their responses, and tend to think following any stated rule is always correct. Are those not handicaps?

Every aspergian I've met has had both these properties. I remember this one guy who (in a totally self-aware way, they're smart after all) genuinely hated everyone who didn't use the PNG graphics format, and had no understanding as to why someone wouldn't optimise every graphics file on their website. Are you saying he didn't have a problem and that he wouldn't have been better off without it?

[Odin]

Originally posted by Buck Birdseed
I remember this one guy who (in a totally self-aware way, they're smart after all) genuinely hated everyone who didn't use the PNG graphics format, and had no understanding as to why someone wouldn't optimise every graphics file on their website. Are you saying he didn't have a problem and that he wouldn't have been better off without it?

Sounds like me when I'm arguing about socialism with my Republican social studies teacher.

I get ticked off when my special ed. worker gets mad at me for being rebellious to bosses. I rant at her and then she makes me write a written apology for being insubordanate, SCREW THAT, I am tired of being opressed because I hate being bossed around. It's a Capitalist conspiracy I tell you!

[Ben Kenobi]

I believe it exists to classify people who don't necessarily have a disorder, or that there's a problem with it, just that it's "abnormal".

What then is 'normal?' Who decides what constitutes 'normal' behavior?

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by obiwan18


What then is 'normal?' Who decides what constitutes 'normal' behavior?

Do you know what normal means?

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Buck Birdseed

I was once a "normal" test person for a trial comparative psychology project, which consisted of two test elements Aspergians nearly always have trouble with. Firstly, there were a number of very simple social (or non-social) situations, where you had to pick one of five very simple emotional responses.

Buck, do you remember any specific situations from the test that gave trouble to the Aspergians?