saw this in the Guardian newspaer

[sesley]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/16/aspergers-syndrome-living-social

 

its very interesting.

Edited January 17, 2011 by sesley

[lee2010]

Interesting article but more interesting is the comments and how others perceive people who are autistic/aspergers especially the negativity. Its also shows a wide spectrum of the function on peoples lifes some very succesful, but in my case not lol. i am facinated to read further into this on the impact of autism/aspergers on life and their circumstances such as those who come from different backgrounds.

 

I certainly think it can be viewed as a gift but one that if not recognised can have devestating effects in some cases. But also a wide spectrum which some leas to suggesting that is just another part of normal my view it is not but for many it is.

[sesley]

i think the more they put things /people do with autism out in the media the more the general public are made aware and help put aside the myths and ingnorance.

[Tes]

This reply is to let you know I am interested in this. Have bookmarked the article and managed to read it and some of the replies but need to find the time to gather my thoughts and post a reply.

[baddad]

I may have missed something, but is the guy writing this actually diagnosed with AS? He says that he 'read a book' and 'had an epiphany', but IF (I've done everything I can to highlight 'if' - I'm not making any assumptions here) that provides the basis for presenting a very subjective view of what 'he' is as a model of what 'AS' is it seems pretty irresponsible journalism/editorial control. Of course, if that 'if' is yes, and he is diagnosed with AS then we still have a purely subjevctive view of what AS is based on who he is...

 

I have no idea what he means here:

 

 

But I was also at a crossroads. Should I accept my condition, though relatively untreatable and incurable? Or should I spend the rest of my teens and most of my adult life locked away in isolation listening ad nauseam to The Smiths' Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now? Well, I did a little of both ... OK, maybe most of the latter.

 

I don't understand why he feels this is an 'either / or' equation. Why does 'accepting his condition' mean not spending his teens locked in a room in isolation? Surely if that's where he/someone feels safest etc that's an acceptance too, and not doing it is the act of non-acceptance?.

 

I also find his observations about 'passions' and 'obsessions' something of an oversimplification; firstly because it seems to assume that neurotypical people don't have the same capacity for 'passions' or 'obsessions' - which is patently not true - and secondly because it sails dangerously close to those stereotypes that people on the spectrum are all somehow uniquely gifted - which is also patently untrue (although, of course, ALL people, AS or otherwise, are 'unique' and valuable in their own rights).

 

Don't get me wrong - I'm not suggesting that AS is always or only negative or anything like that. I'm just saying that one man's (or woman's, or NT's or Aspergers or.. etc etc) positive is another [insert whatever applies]'s negative, and the factors influencing that go way beyond autism or neurotypicalism or any other 'ism'.

 

L&P

 

BD

[Tes]

Bleary eyed ... have now read the article and ALL the comments! And after much thought and careful consideration I thought the ends justified the means.

 

Whilst the article itself was perhaps not the most objective (if at all) and perhaps it should've been better edited, I think he is probably young and has been given this chance to express himself and did it to the best of his ability. He also went on to comment afterwards and whilst he doesn't actually say whether or not he was formally diagnosed, I think it is implied.

 

But, you know what? I thought the issues generated afterwards in the form of comments, all 220 of them, from the high brow to the no brow was of great interest, with a lot of points that I will follow up. My only regret is that they are hidden away on the internet and will only be found by those already interested parties, and I include myself in that group.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with the comment on developing public awareness. Yes, to put aside the myths and ignorance, but also because I believe there are still lots of people who are still struggling with Aspergers without knowing about it and who won't read the article, not out of lack of interest, but because they simply don't know it exists. And I guess my biggest hope is that the article and its comments reaches some of those people.

 

How should awareness be developed? Massive question, but imo it's not enough to just reach interested parties, it's like preaching to the converted, it has to go beyond those. I'm aware of the double edged sword but those would be bridges to build and cross. Issues such as finite resources and the danger of stereotypes being reinforced to name but two. At the end of the day, however, those seeking formal diagnosis will be diagnosed according to the already existing criteria, by those experts knowledgeable in the field. Those who think they might have it but who choose not to be diagnosed might just understand themselves a little better and be understood a little better by those around them.

 

As I've said before, 1 in a 100, that's a lot of people, something needs to be done.

 

Tes