What is asperger's anyway

[Gibsie]

Originally posted by Solver
You may be talking about the Simon Bar-Cohen test, that checklist interview.

Sigh... I scored 32 on that test, the level that most people with AS score. This is just getting more annoyingly foggy each time!

[Darius871]

Originally posted by Solver
It's also interesting how Asperger's changes with age. Well, the ease of detecting it. Talk to a 7-year old with Asperger's, and you'll see in 5 minutes that there are subjects where he is as competent as a university student. You'll also immediately notice his strange communication. A 15-year old with Asperger's will probably be shunned by his classmates, but many kids are, so seeing him as an Aspie would take more effort. A 20-year old with Asperger's will have learned many of the social skills that he didn't develop naturally, and will only seem a little bit odd, unless you get to know him closer.

Underconnectivity theory would explain this as well; the brain is fully stocked with stem cells that develop into neurons when learning occurs, so the "gaps" between dissociated constructs can be gradually filled by new white matter as the "victim" is conditioned by more and more social experiences. This is also why it is very dangerous for high-functioning autistics and aspies to become complete shut-ins; they need to continually immerse themselves in social situations so whatever neurotypical communication patterns they've learned by rote don't suffer extinction.

[mrmitchell]

Scored an 11 on the AQ test. I'm not very obsessive about anything and I enjoy social situations, but I do find it hard to focus on more than one thing at a time. But I guess I just fall under "stupid" than anything with a name, for that one.

So Aspergers people: How do you come to the conclusion you have it? Did all of you read something about aspergers and then say "hey this sounds like me," or did you go to a psychologist and they diagnosed it, or what?

[Darius871]

Depends on the person obviously. Though I get the impression the vast majority of aspies are self-proclaimed.

[Lorizael]

One of the problems with Asperger's syndrome and diagnosis is that people in their twenties might definitely be suffering from it, but they won't have received any treatment for it when young because no one knew anything about it then.

So yes, you get people that call themselves aspies when they don't really know for sure, because going to a mental health practioner for this sort of thing never really occurred to people. Oh, I'm just shy.

[Odin]

I got 38 points on the test Solver posted.

[Odin]

The anti-heirarchy component of the personality of Aspies seems to explain why me and all the other Aspies I know are in the libertarian half of the ideological chart.

A few years back I read a very interesting book called Diagnosing Jefferson, which showed good evidence that Thomas Jefferson had Aspergers and that it was the cause of his egalitatian and libertarian political views.

[Darius871]

Anti-hierarchy component?

[Dis]

test score:

Agree: 2,9,19,22,26,33,35,45,46: 1 point
Disagree: 1,8,10,11,14,15,17,24,25,27,29,31,32,34,37,38,48,4 9,50: 1 point
Score: 28

[Odin]

Originally posted by Darius871
Anti-hierarchy component?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergers#Living_with_Asperger_syndrome

It may be relevant here that one of the social conventions many people with Asperger's syndrome ignore is respect for authority. Attwood notes a tendency to feel that everyone should be treated much the same regardless of what social position they occupy; the student with Asperger's syndrome may not give respect to an authority figure until he or she feels it has been earned, an attitude many teachers either do not understand or take strong exception to.

[MRT144]

Originally posted by Odin
The anti-heirarchy component of the personality of Aspies seems to explain why me and all the other Aspies I know are in the libertarian half of the ideological chart.

A few years back I read a very interesting book called Diagnosing Jefferson, which showed good evidence that Thomas Jefferson had Aspergers and that it was the cause of his egalitatian and libertarian political views.

asps like jefferson were actually able to conquer it though instead of sitting back and saying they were asps and revelling in it.

[MRT144]

Originally posted by mrmitchell
Scored an 11 on the AQ test. I'm not very obsessive about anything and I enjoy social situations, but I do find it hard to focus on more than one thing at a time. But I guess I just fall under "stupid" than anything with a name, for that one.

So Aspergers people: How do you come to the conclusion you have it? Did all of you read something about aspergers and then say "hey this sounds like me," or did you go to a psychologist and they diagnosed it, or what?

you have ADD, and thats a self diagnosis

[Colonâ„¢]

Test: 36

[MRT144]

i got 17

[Darius871]

Originally posted by Odin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperge...erger_syndrome

I don't know how a wiki observing what 'some' children 'may' do can be extrapolated to something as complex as political ideology in adulthood. Speak for yourself if you like.

Originally posted by MRT144
asps like jefferson were actually able to conquer it though instead of sitting back and saying they were asps and revelling in it.