Nerd Syndrome

[kingandy]

Some months back Ant successfully applied for a post with the disability department at the University. Somewhat disappointingly, it was on an "as needed" basis and until now they've not needed him. However they've apparently been in touch to see if he'd be interested in working with a student with Asperger's.

Naturally I've been reading all about it.

"Unlike those with autism, people with AS are not usually withdrawn around others; they approach others, even if awkwardly, for example by engaging in a one-sided, long-winded speech about a favorite topic while being oblivious to the listener's feelings or reactions, such as signs of boredom or haste to leave. ..... People with Asperger syndrome often display behavior, interests, and activities that are restricted and repetitive and are sometimes abnormally intense or focused."

Man, this shit describes half the people I know.

Comments

[ajon.livejournal.com]

Ah, you see Andy, it's because there's an autistic spectrum and Aspergers is on it at the high functioning end. Izzy (Rich's sister who's a specialist Psychologist in Aspergers) told me that there are various things that people (mostly men) with autism are measured against. These are things like empathy and socialising, which they tend to be low on, the ones they're good at are things about order, being able to concentrate for long periods of time.

Apparently Bill Gates has Aspergers and a lot of Nobel prize winners. We're fairly sure my brother has it but it's undiagnosed. A lot of scientists and computery people have it too and there's some people who think there are epidemics of it in California in Silicone valley and at Oxford and Cambridge.

[ajon.livejournal.com]

Sorry, should've added that what this seems to boil down to is that you can display some of the tendencies but if you're balanced with other attributes then it becomes unimportant.

I wonder if there's an opposite side to the syndrome, people who're are v good socially, empathetic are disorganised, can't concentrate etc etc. It seems unfair that there isn't a word to describe them. (I'm possibly setting myself up here ;)

[ajon.livejournal.com]

Google is my friend. Apparently it's called Williams syndrome http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/williams1.shtml - sorry Andy, I'm bored.

[kingandy]

You want me to say "women", don't you.

[stsquad.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of self-diagnosed autistics out there. I don't know how many of them actually do have Aspergers compared to the number that only claim they do. People are quite capable of having characteristics associated with autism without actually being autistic.

[kingandy]

I liked the part that says 'This social awkwardness has been called "active but odd".'

I really am interested in this sort of thing. Particularly I'm interested in exactly where the line is drawn between somebody who's an insensitive bore, and somebody who has a medical condition.

[ed-fortune.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine actually does have diagnosed Aspergers. Nice chap, comfortable only really with geeks (and those geeks his partner likes).

Also, this:
http://www.homeonthestrange.com/view.php?ID=190

[ajon.livejournal.com]

I knew I was walking into that one. I'm sure Izzy said something about the spectrum being measured against extreme 'masculine' traits and extreme 'feminine' traits. I realise they're not necessarily opposites and you could get into a whole debate about what this means but think it's probably true at a 'Men are from Mars and women are from Venus' level of generalisation.

Diagnosing Aspergers is awkward anyway because the whole point is you find relating to people in social situations difficult. My bro won't see a doctor because he finds that sort of thing incredibly frightening/intimidating. It's a catch 22. But yeah, I'm sure there are lots of people who have undiagnosed autism.

It's one of those things that's only a problem if it's a problem, the rest of the time it's a different outlook on life - a nontypical brain I think they called it. Most people function just fine if a little differently, some people don't. I suspect he'd be fine if he got a little bit of help as he's managing to live independently, just not very happily.

slight tangent?

[anne-l-davies.livejournal.com]

One of my 'pagan' friends has been diagnosed as having some sort of mental deformity, because he believes in, and practises magic(k), and sees things that others can't (i.e. spirits).

I wonder what he would have been diagnosed with if he'd professed to being a Christian/Jew/Muslim who regularly acheieved what he wanted through 'prayer' and regularly spoke to jesus/god/allah/mohammed/'lesser' figures like angels?

Anyway - point is - you say 'diagnosable disease', I say 'refusing to be bound by straight jacket of society's conventions and having to be shoe-horned into a pigeon-hole so that The System does not feel threatened'.

Re: slight tangent?

[ajon.livejournal.com]

It's not a disease, I'd totally agree that it's a different way of seeing things. It's usually only if the person feels they have a problem that a 'label' is helpful as it can help them to understand why they're not different so that other people give them a bit more ley way and understanding.

The other side of the coin is where they are massively struggling to 'fit in' to society's conventions, entirely failing to be shoe-horned and getting steadily more depressed, less able to live independently and generally being absolutely miserable - at least in my brother's case. My bro has never had a job, has no money and my parent's are trying to partially financially support him and finding it hard - if his differences had a 'name' he could be offered assistance in getting a job, medication for his OCD which is very common in AS and probably for depression too. At worst he'd get a bit more money.

I've always thought if he lived 100 years ago, he'd have had a nice little job not dealing with people in our family business and people would just have seen him as slightly different (their problem not his). Sadly nowadays if you're a bit 'odd' you 'fail' at job interviews and don't get the support from a wider extended family.

Re: slight tangent?

[anne-l-davies.livejournal.com]

You raise an awful lot of interesting points here Al, most of which I can't adequately wiffle on about in a written form, especially not on someone else's lj.

But yes, society, wider family, people who are different, large corporate capitalism/consumerism, kettle of fish!

Re: slight tangent?

[si-lloyd.livejournal.com]

If he claims he saw them, he'd still get diagnosed. Trust me, he would.

[whimsicalfool.livejournal.com]

having worked with this population for a long time, I can tell you that, while any description of a disorder makes you think "Hm, *I* (or someone I know) show signs of that!", realize that these people are usually to the nth degree. Lots of people are socially awkward. Some people are on the extreme end.

Because it is a spectrum disorder, people can fall anywhere on the range. Also, I had a student once with William's Syndrome. I've never met anyone like her before or since.

[areteus.livejournal.com]

There are a few people of our mutual acquaintance who may be on the Autistic spectrum. I wouldn't say any of them actually were unless I saw an official diagnosis from someone who knew what they were talking about but I would not be surprised if some were diagnosed as such.

Its something I have to get used to dealing with on a regular basis now, given my recent career choice. Good job I have had a lot of practise... :)

[aardvarkoffnord.livejournal.com]

I am a diagnosed high-functioning Aspergers. If you want to chat, drop me a line.