Asperger's Syndrome

[Ivo]

I recently read the wikipedia article and found it interesting that I self-identify with some of the so-called "symptons" of Asperger's Syndrome (henceforth, AS):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome

It seemed to me that many of the symptons listed are stuff that many people have. I mean,
"restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests"? Does that not apply to the vast majority of the population (just, different behavior and interests for each individual, but still)?

I decided to create a thread here because I'm interested in asking to this community if anyone has AS actually diagnosed* - naturally if you want to disclose that info

*And furthermore, diagnosed as an adult, and not self-diagnosed - according to the wiki article, although I couldn't find the reference cited, people have tendency to self-diagnose which may mean incorrectly so; even the professionals are somewhat likely to mis-diagnose it seems)

I thank in advance anyone that takes the time to read the wiki article and then post their thoughts about it here, although naturally reading the article is not required at all

Ivo.

[jp1]

You have to take the things that everyone has, like a dedicated interest in something and dial it up to 10. Sometimes it might be something like a fascination with toilets. They can have a love for toilets and want to sit and flush them over and over for hours or talk about them endlessly but not be the least bit interested in how they really work.

Not to mention the social roadblocks they face. It is easy to see in someone that really has it and equally easy to see in a wrongly self diagnosed person.

ADHD is very similar in that it gets misdiagnosed a lot. My oldest son has it and the difference between him and the other kids we meet with "adhd" are huge. Most parents assume if their kid is a little hyper and wants to do annoying things that they have adhd, when a lot of the time they are just being a kid. It took several years and many Doctors and Therapist visits to finally diagnose our son and with treatment he is a totally different person but the symptoms don't completely go away. If the medication turns your kid into a zombie then they likely didn't have anything to begin with.

I can also attest that if your childs behavior issue doesn't absolutely dominate every aspect of your lifestyle then they don't have either AS or ADHD.

[Jungell]

Like Jp1 said, just reading the symptoms doesn't always give you the best image of how it really is. The truth is that there's no "typical" Asperger's syndrome, it can look very different from the next case to the other.

I have a couple of friends with that diagnosis and I just studied it in school. I've also had a couple of patients with Asperger's syndrome. The main thing that we, who does not have it, will notice about the people who actually has is the social bits. Most people with Asperger just can't really put the pieces together. It's hard to explain, especially since I don't know the terminology in English.

Example;
My friend knew everything about the military. but when it came to other stuff he was clueless. He could say the most outrageous things, simply because he did not know that is wasn't the time to say them. He could tell us how many times he had masturbated last weekend, being totally serious. He just didn't know that it wasn't the right thing to do!

A lot of the symptoms are thing that everybody does or has but amplified. If you have Asperger then your brain has a different structure. It doesn't function in the same way that "normal" do. They're typically not any less intelligent unless the syndrome has come in the way of learning and understanding things or if it's combined with other diagnosis(es?). So try to think of it like this; a person with Aspergers syndrome is a person who has gotten a different box of tools to handle life. Everything's there, but when normal people use a hammer, they might use a crowbar. Did that metaphor make any sense?

[jfrost]

Not a direct comment on the thread, but I love Jerry Espenson, the character with Asperger's in Boston Legal. He's brilliant.

[pepharytheworm]

read this thread
http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... perger%27s

Its another Asperger thread with a self test.

[Hatta]

We used to just call these people eccentric. Everything's got to be a syndrome these days. Of course the medical industry can't sell you treatment if you're just weird. There may be a real disorder at the far end of the spectrum, but I think there's a lot of overdiagnosis because it's profitable. Much like we saw with ADD. Yeah, some people have serious problems, but every hyperactive kid got put on stimulants in the late 90s/early 00s.

[Jrecee]

I just found out I have a condition that makes me slightly different than everyone else in the world, and sometimes I have different feelings or opinions on things. Thankfully now I'm on a regimen of 14 different pills. Since taking them I now enjoy wearing khakis, going to an office, coming home, drinking beer, and watching football and then tuning into Glenn Beck. It's a good thing I saw that ad for my condition on fox.

[Luke]

I always hear it as "Ass burgers".

Anyways, people who actually have it need to be placed in special needs classes. I know teachers who have to spend 80% of their attention on one kid in their class who has "ass burgers". Teachers just aren't trained for that.

[noiseredux]

I always hear it as "Ass burgers".

Anyways, people who actually have it need to be placed in special needs classes. I know teachers who have to spend 80% of their attention on one kid in their class who has "ass burgers". Teachers just aren't trained for that.

we aready have a thread where you said that.

[samsonlonghair]

When I read articles about Asperger's Syndrome I start thinking I have it too.
For instance I'm a good speaker and writer, but I can't communicate my emotions. I also can't perceive other people's emotions. If there's an expression on your face, I can't figure out how you're feeling based on your expressions.
I'm very concise when I speak, and I'm terrible at casual chit-chat. If you try to strike up a conversation with me, I respond with rehearsed reactions. It's not that I'm trying to be rude; I just don't know how to talk casually.
I have a number of the other symptoms as well.
I've never been diagnosed with anything less common than depression. I'm seeing a therapist now who is helping me learn to interact with people. It's still a challenge.

By the way, I think putting kids in special needs classes should be decided on a kid-by-kid basis, not with a broad policy. Often times school districts determine the exact size of special needs classes based on their budget. Somehow the number of kids in these classes always equals the number of kids they are budgeted for. I've talked to special needs teachers who told me that the majority of students in their class don't need to be there.