The Self Centred Autistic ?

[Sa Skimrande]

Today I discovered what autistic actually means when it was I was reading that everyone is born autistic and it is only later they become NT through well normal human development and whatever that means.

 

But of all those I know they must also be autistic, as self centred-ness is very common, most are out for themselves and only get involved with others to serve their own self centred-ness.

 

But we hear autistic diagnosi are becoming more and more common, could it be diagnosticians are waking up to the fact that as a species just like every other species in the animal kingdom we are self centred and so autistic ?

[Shnoing]

Please don't get derailed by the term. Originally, it was even "autistic psychopath", and who wants to identify with that?

Self-centeredness together with involvement with others (to further your own goals) is not autistic, that's normal NT behaviour ... autistics don't get involved with others, at least not with that intention.

No, as soon as you realize what the Other wants, you'll usually help him(her) ... problem when you're autistic is: you don't see what he(she) wants ... that's where NTs have an advantage.

[smileyK]

i realised im selfish is this really part of having AS?? Why am i this way? I hate this makes feel so bad & guilty!;c had recent experience of being self centred especially when mental health playing up not right!

[Special_talent123]

well its patronising for people to say isnt everyone autistic? they havent been diagnosed. I was diagnosed with it age 14, but my mum noticed my problems when I was 18 weeks/ months old.

[Lyndalou]

I was somewhat peeved to be described in a report as 'somewhat egocentric' . In my experience, that describes most people!

[dekra]

My husbands psychiatrist when discussing ASD told him everyone has autistic traits but that does not make them autistic. It is only when a significant number of those traits manifest together can it be classed as ASD. ASD is just a blanket term to describe a collection of signs and symptoms. As you know there is no definative test for ASD and there is no "cure" - some people are very obviously on the Specturm others borderline. Just where does NT stop and ASD start? Without a dx myself I sometimes look at my behaviour and thought patterns and think oh yes obviously have AS and at other times I think I'm NT just quirky and socially inept. I am probabally one of those borderline cases, a bit of both or neither one or the other depending on how you want to look at it. Try not to get hung up on one particular area.

 

Also just as not all people on the specturm are the same with how their ASD manifests neither are NT people all the same. Humanity is one big jumble of confusion. My advice is to take others on individual terms and not to get hung up on if someone is NT or has ASD or has mental health issues or a particular sexual orientation (remember that was a "mental illness" until not to long ago) or if they are selfish, they are lazy, they are the life and soul of the party (how is that just so effortless for some?) and so the list goes on.

[trekster]

well its patronising for people to say isnt everyone autistic? they havent been diagnosed. I was diagnosed with it age 14, but my mum noticed my problems when I was 18 weeks/ months old.

 

Which article did you read that 'we're all born autistic'? I would seriously question the article writers research.

 

Totally agree and im trying to train my ASD counsellor (of all people) out of stating that 'we're all on the spectrum somewhere'. She's also offended by the terms NT and neurotypical because 'it puts people into boxes'! I'm shocked and confused by her beliefs considering her profession. I need to know who in my life is autistic and who isn't so I can make reasonable adjustments for those that are autistic (and admit accept they're autistic). Avoiding accepting you're autistic and expecting others to make reasonable adjustments for a disability you 'don't' have is trying to have your cake and eat it.

[Special_talent123]

Which article did you read that 'we're all born autistic'? I would seriously question the article writers research.

 

Totally agree and im trying to train my ASD counsellor (of all people) out of stating that 'we're all on the spectrum somewhere'. She's also offended by the terms NT and neurotypical because 'it puts people into boxes'! I'm shocked and confused by her beliefs considering her profession. I need to know who in my life is autistic and who isn't so I can make reasonable adjustments for those that are autistic (and admit accept they're autistic). Avoiding accepting you're autistic and expecting others to make reasonable adjustments for a disability you 'don't' have is trying to have your cake and eat it.

 

No its a comment some people say. Like a volunteer on samaritans. Im lucky to get ones that understand. the ones who dont think do we take medication, is it a disease, or make patronising comment arent we all autistic.

 

im shocked she doesnt like NT term why because I used to refer NT's to mainstream and a psychologist trained me to say Neurotypical in which people don't know what that means

Edited October 21, 2012 by Special_talent123

[Special_talent123]

My husbands psychiatrist when discussing ASD told him everyone has autistic traits but that does not make them autistic. It is only when a significant number of those traits manifest together can it be classed as ASD. ASD is just a blanket term to describe a collection of signs and symptoms. As you know there is no definative test for ASD and there is no "cure" - some people are very obviously on the Specturm others borderline. Just where does NT stop and ASD start? Without a dx myself I sometimes look at my behaviour and thought patterns and think oh yes obviously have AS and at other times I think I'm NT just quirky and socially inept. I am probabally one of those borderline cases, a bit of both or neither one or the other depending on how you want to look at it. Try not to get hung up on one particular area.

 

Also just as not all people on the specturm are the same with how their ASD manifests neither are NT people all the same. Humanity is one big jumble of confusion. My advice is to take others on individual terms and not to get hung up on if someone is NT or has ASD or has mental health issues or a particular sexual orientation (remember that was a "mental illness" until not to long ago) or if they are selfish, they are lazy, they are the life and soul of the party (how is that just so effortless for some?) and so the list goes on.

 

I know there is actually a proper test- I was diagnosed at 14 with a test.

[dekra]

What I meant ST was that there isn't a test that you can just draw a blood test and check for it or pee on a stick. The diagnostic criteria for ASD involve tick boxes of signs and symptoms that accumulate. The "tests" that are performed to aid with diagnosis of ASD are a conglomeration of expected results for given set of difficulties. In certain individuals it's clear they fall on the spectrum in others it's not so clear.

[Sa Skimrande]

To say we are all born autistic, we have to first understand what autistic means, the clue is in the word ;

 

From the font of all editable knowledge Wikipedia;

 

The New Latin word autismus (English translation autism) was coined by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1910 as he was defining symptoms of schizophrenia. He derived it from the Greek word autós (αὐτός, meaning self), and used it to mean morbid self-admiration, referring to "autistic withdrawal of the patient to his fantasies, against which any influence from outside becomes an intolerable disturbance"

 

 

 

Now things have moved on a bit since that time and we know schizophrenia is not what many of us have now although it was at one time many a stressed out frantic autistic person was wrongly diagnosed as schizophrenic, but as time moves on so does understanding and in this case thankfully.

 

Now as people are born as babies, their seemingly in built desire is to survive and they demand by way of what babies do to get what they need to survive, which is a self centred, for their survival is paramount, the most important thing in their existence

 

So there is truth in what I read, all of us are born autistic, as to whether others can see it or not, that is up to them, but the writer given the depth of explanation on the main topic as the statement that we are all born autistic was a diversion, something many aspies do, myself included, but from the article I would hazard a guess he's one of us too.

 

So in actual fact us with autistic spectrum disorders, we are by nature selfish, self centred, self orientated and inward thinking, all from the word autos.

 

But yes we are diagnosed via tick sheets and people's oppinion, won't it be good when this thing can be diagnosed via a blood test, something I am hoping will come as there are scientists working on that now

Edited October 21, 2012 by Sa Skimrande

[dekra]

But yes we are diagnosed via tick sheets and people's oppinion, won't it be good when this thing can be diagnosed via a blood test, something I am hoping will come as there are scientists working on that now

 

Oh yes it would be so much easier if they could dx just with a blood test or a scan etc, but whilst I do think they are likely to find a suspect gene or a certain microscopic brain problem I think it will still become a mixture of these things and still be a subjective diagnosis are I think the there is not one single cause but varying causes and varying degrees of effect even with people with the same clinical signs. Hopefully at least if they identify these areas diagnosis can at least be more definate sooner so people can get the appropriate help as soon as possible rather than waiting for signs and symptoms to manifest and be identified.

[Sa Skimrande]

Well with more and more younglings being diagnosed than ever before which in the US has been likened to epidemic proportions I am wondering at what point in the future the majority will in fact be autistic and the NT the minority ?

 

As to understand as a species we are evolving in line with our living conditions and undoubtedly to an extent how we live will be passed onto the next generations, could it be even, geeks might produce geeks ?

 

 

 

 

(Edited to put in the words I missed out- grrrrr aspie-ness- honestly we should have more time to correct mistakes before readers are notified the poster has edited their posting, us aspies need it !)

Edited October 21, 2012 by Sa Skimrande

[dekra]

"Age of the geek baby!" - Alec Hardison, Leverage. Great programme and Parker, damaged goods due to parental abuse or AS or both?

[trekster]

"

So in actual fact us with autistic spectrum disorders, we are by nature selfish, self centred, self orientated and inward thinking, all from the word autos."

 

(Enlarged the text because it wont let me turn italics off) i am going to strongly disagree with you there no matter what the definition of autos means. Both as an autistic and a graduate in autism. Of all the lectures ive attended on autism, the books ive read and the people ive met and worked with very few of them are as you described.

 

Your other post did intrigue me though;

 

Well with more and more younglings being diagnosed than ever before which in the US has been likened to epidemic proportions I am wondering at what point in the future the majority will in fact be autistic and the NT the minority ?"

 

This is something that interests me as well. When im told 'the majority of the world is non disabled' my response is 'where is your evidence?' im then told 'it's obvious' to which I reply 'in that case there must be lots of evidence if that obvious'.

 

As to understand as a species we are evolving in line with our living conditions and undoubtedly to an extent how we live will be passed onto the next generations, could it be even, geeks might produce geeks?

 

You might wish to start by watching the recent Horizon program on intelligence.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00x7cb3

[Mike_GX101]

Is self-centredness a learned trait or something inherited down the generations (i.e. is it nature or nurture?)?

[Shnoing]

I guess: nature.

[darkshine]

Is self-centredness a learned trait or something inherited down the generations (i.e. is it nature or nurture?)?

 

Both

[Sa Skimrande]

"

 

 

You might wish to start by watching the recent Horizon program on intelligence.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rammes/b00x7cb3

 

Unfortunately I am unable to as I don't watch tv and that through not being able to afford a tv licence so as I don't have a tv licence I won't watch tv until I get a licence, and it is more expensive than that as the digi box stuffed up before I quit with the tv licence. But as I am on benefits a tv is a luxury item which might upset all those that hate benefit scroungers so curtail any luxury.

[Special_talent123]

u do know u can get discount on tv license because of disabilities i do where i live

[Sa Skimrande]

u do know u can get discount on tv license because of disabilities i do where i live

 

However what I was told was aspergers is not a disability so does not warrant a discount.

 

But it may be where you are or others that it is usual those with ASD get free bus passes, not that I have applied as I am not disabled.