The Autism Aspect Of Aspergers

[total-recoil]

That's what still has me confused. The idea that not reading or relating to people "normally" is an autism phenomenon. I find myself trying to figure out why. I mean, my dog if he's not continually introduced to other dogs can begin to experience difficulties socialising with other dogs. In his case he can become aggressive. He's a large GSD and German Sheps need constant mingling with other canines to develop their social skills.
In my case, I withdrew fairly early on during school years. I just dreamed. Lessons went over my head. In time, I became disconnected. The disconnect I found later on gave me some advantages, the main one being the ability to be self taught and also independence of thought. That is, you don't accept something as valid simply because everyone else has accepted it. You may choose your own interpretation.
Is the autism aspect a by-product of something else or part of aspergers as its root. Are the autism symptoms (i.e. social awkwardness) a natural result of other genetic differences?
Maybe when I finally get my appointment I'll ask the psychologist for an opinion and, as of yet, I have none of my own.

 

[smith2267]

I think autism scrambles neural pathways involved in social behavior. The independent thought is a fringe benefit.
Now that I've said that, you must believe it.
Sorry, that was a joke. I have a weird sense of humor.

 

[Bay]

I guess I thought that the autism part of it is the part that makes it difficult to read other people, which leads to social awkwardness (making it a result of autism rather than an element of autism). No doubt I am splitting hairs, but I (personally) think that autism is a question of cognition. But it is different for everyone. It may be that independent thought is a fringe benefit. No social cues may mean not being constrained by them either. I have to say that it doesn't feel that way to me though.

 

[Arashi222]

I had to read this thread a couple of times before I think I understood what you were saying so if I still didn't get it let me know. But I think the Autism part of Asperger's is that for people with AS we tend to be higher in functionality than those with Autism. So While we have pretty much all of the same symptoms we don't have them to the same extent or they manifest slightly different. I hope that is what you meant.

 

[smith2267]

No social cues may mean not being constrained by them either. I have to say that it doesn't feel that way to me though.

You maybe don't realize the social constraints you are free from. People punish you for violating norms (they do me, anyway), but since aspies are often not aware of the rules we break, the punishment doesn't stick.
But the rules NT's follow with each other are numerous and complex, even if we can't always see them.

 

[Bay]

As I was typing, earlier, I got a phone call and had to wrap up my post in a hurry, so it didn't come out quite right. What I meant was that I feel as though my ability or tendency to think differently (and, frankly, creatively) is not a result of anything but is innate, I was born with it.

 

[total-recoil]

I concluded recently I probably have HFA as opposed to aspergers, the tiny distinction being people with HFA initially have difficulties at school learning to read et cetera. On the other hand, aspies are not slow learning to read and add as children. That is, according to the pioneers in the diagnosis of Aspergers and HFA. Well, I know I did certainly worry my family when it was discovered I was a slow learner and I did learn to read later than other kids. There were many other symptoms as well that convince me I have an element of autism.
However, now we come to the interesting bit: The official view on Aspergers is that aspies suffer from a type of autism that inhibits social interaction, communication (at non-verbal level), social empathy and so on and so on. Worst case scenario is psychologists used to look on Aspergers as a disfunction that needs to be treated by "therapy" as if aspies are somehow imperfect and need to be brought back into the fold, so to speak. This latter view I think has now fallen out of vogue, and today Aspergers is viewed as a personality trait that differs from the the standard N.T. type.
So, basically my post addresses the issue of autism per se. It also raises the issue as to whether the autism aspect of aspergers may actually be the symptom, not the cause of our personality type. That is, could it be what society calls "autism" may actually be a symptom or reaction to our genetically determined predicament (i.e. we somehow cannot relate to our environment).
Simplified a little more, if, for example, people who have A.S. or H.F.A differ genetically from people we refer to as N.T.'s, wouldn't the more obvious symptoms society calls autism not follow on from that as a reaction to a complex situation?
Also, there is something even more interesting. As someone who most people perceive as "weird" or even withdrawn, I must admit I find the behaviour of society as a whole bizarre. Almost 90 per cent of so called N.T. people I meet seem to me somehow either illogical or emotionally unresponsive. For example, years ago I was walking along the street and saw a young girl lying on the floor clearly in trouble. People were simply walking on by as if it didn't matter. They appeared not to care. I recall going over to the girl to see what the problem was and it turned out she needed medical help. Then, finally, other people came over, an ambulance was called and the girl was taken to be treated. Well, to me this is just one example. That is, to walk on by when someone needs help to me is weird. And I recall Michael Jackson once said that to him, destruction of the environment, war and children starving in the Third World was a lot more weird than, say, wearing a mask in public.

 

[fredvizsla]

I don't think Aspergers is autism; there is nothing in common except being "not social." I don't think psychologists understand Aspergers; they just lump it together with autism because it's easy. I think Aspergers is related to the MBTI personality type: INTJ

For more: Asperger: The HypoSocial Human | Investigating the Asperger brain as a legacy of ancestral humans

 

[Progster]

I guess I thought that the autism part of it is the part that makes it difficult to read other people, which leads to social awkwardness (making it a result of autism rather than an element of autism). No doubt I am splitting hairs, but I (personally) think that autism is a question of cognition. But it is different for everyone. It may be that independent thought is a fringe benefit. No social cues may mean not being constrained by them either. I have to say that it doesn't feel that way to me though.

Yes, this is how it is for me. I'm not able to read people because I can't make sense of the non-verbal information. NTs watch people talking and communicating and can immediately join in because the non-verbal language intuitively means something to them. When I watch people, all I see is movement, no meaning registers, unless it is exaggerated and obvious, but this processed intellectually and not intuitively. Also, when NTs see the facial expressions of others, they automatically feel the same the same emotion. I may know intellectually that the person is feeling that way, but I don't feel it. So I have this sense of detachment and inability to connect, which NTs don't experience.