| I have been living my life as an "Aspie," a person with | | | | can remember, in the mid 1950's. I have difficulty |
| characteristics of Asperger's Syndrome. Most of my | | | | discriminating voices when several people are |
| life I had no clue about what this was, but I now find | | | | speaking, I am uncomfortable with breezes, or the |
| that there are quite a few people with the condition | | | | wind from a fan. I like the soft feel of cotton on my |
| or who have children that are newly diagnosed with | | | | skin during the day, and the feel of very heavy |
| this. This is a first hand view of what it is and how | | | | blankets at night. But the strangest thing is that, for |
| life feels for one Aspie. | | | | me as an aspie, small-talk is hard. |
| In the mid 1900's, Psychiatrist Hans Asperger | | | | So What can you do as either a parent with a child |
| chronicled his observations of several patients with | | | | with aspergers, or an adult that suspects you have |
| autistic characteristics. These patients were not | | | | aspergers? |
| totally withdrawn as in extreme cases of autism. | | | | Up to now, there is little help from Science in a cure, |
| They had normal to high intelligence, vocabulary and | | | | or reversal of the symptoms. The research is still |
| ability to relate to their surroundings. Some | | | | ongoing to find out exactly what is happening, and it |
| performed repetitive motions, had highly focussed | | | | is slow going, because of the wide variability in the |
| interests, most had trouble coping with changes to a | | | | constellation of symptoms. It is very likely that |
| fixed routine. | | | | Aspergers is not a single diagnosis but really a wide |
| You can not catch Asperger's Syndrome because it is | | | | number of conditions that tend to have a similar |
| not Asperger's Disease. It is simply a normal variant | | | | outcome. |
| of the human condition, not a defect. | | | | You can work from inside out, and from outside in. |
| There are several things that are part of the | | | | The external approach is that your friends and |
| constellation of Asperger symptoms: These kids had | | | | acquaintances just be made aware of the lack of |
| the ability to talk intelligently on a narrow range of | | | | sociability is not from lack of want or trying, it is |
| interests, but were poor communicators outside of | | | | more like being 'socially deaf' and that some help and |
| those topics. An aspie may lack of coordination or | | | | guidance and tolerance might be welcome. The inside |
| small muscle control. This may show up in a lack of | | | | out work is to learn coping skills and learning |
| ability in sports, especially team sports, and poor | | | | 'awareness skills.' |
| handwriting. A couple of other symptoms are notable: | | | | It's a bit like learning to drive, It takes practice to |
| sensory aversion to some sounds or textures. | | | | learn when to accelerate, when to swerve and when |
| However, the most striking aspect about Asperger's | | | | to stop. In the realm of emotions, to recognize the |
| seems to be a lack of awareness of social queues -- | | | | subtle signs of someone's attitude shifts, and what |
| A lack of insight into what others are thinking and | | | | to do when they shift. |
| feeling and why. In other words, a kind of social | | | | But it is possible to learn: when a person has a |
| insensitivity. A seeming inability to understand the | | | | tendency towards Asperger's, the skills are learnable, |
| motivations of those around them. | | | | it is just not a gift that we get 'out of the box.' The |
| You can understand this best if you think of 'social | | | | neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) skills of rapport |
| deafness' exactly as if there was a sense organ for | | | | building and language analysis are a big help in this. |
| social information, like our ears process sound. Your | | | | Where can you get help? If you are lucky enough to |
| ear processes and converts subtle air vibrations into | | | | have a counselor who has HFA or Aspergers, that |
| sound and we can hear. Your 'social sensor' converts | | | | counselor can be of immense help to learn the coping |
| those subtle queues that most people share about | | | | skills that are needed. A counselor who has no |
| social behavior. For an aspie, these are perceived, | | | | personal experience, may have great compassion, |
| dimly, if at all. Just as there are varying degrees of | | | | but likely just does not know what the 'social |
| hearing impairment, there are varying degrees of | | | | vacuum' really feels like. Keep looking. |
| Asperger's. That is why it is part of what is called the | | | | Aspergers is not all dust and ashes: it is not a death |
| Autistic Spectrum. | | | | sentence and there are advantages. Being a person |
| A person who is totally deaf, may never talk. A | | | | that is separated from this invisible human |
| person with lesser impairment may speak with great | | | | communication may allow you the freedom to |
| difficulty. A person with only slight deafness may only | | | | explore your own interests. |
| miss certain sounds or mistake words. It is the same | | | | Did you know that Asperger Symptoms have been |
| for Aspies: Even the highest functioning of us will | | | | noted in some of the greatest people who have |
| strain to detect social nuances. We can seem totally | | | | ever lived? In fact, the constellation of Asperger |
| "out of it," or sometimes we can, with effort, stretch | | | | symptoms are strongly associated with creativity, |
| ourselves to interact in a free-form social fashion, | | | | focus of concentration, determination of spirit, |
| sometimes with better results than others, but it is | | | | advancement of science, spirituality, art and music. |
| almost always a strain, and may leave us needing lots | | | | Living without 'small-talk' can free your mind. And give |
| of time alone to process and recover our energy. | | | | you time and energy to pursue more personally |
| I have endured Asperger's symptoms ever since I | | | | important goals. |