i read in entertainment weekly that a contestent on the upcoming season will be an aspie.
One of the judges mentioned that she had autism and asperger's and something about it. She called her very brave for coming onto the show. I thought that it was not so negative. She did not get kicked off yet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America's_N...l,_Cycle_9
There is a synopsis of the show here.
Strange, but I was sure I was reading this same wiki entry yesterday and it had all the episodes described with the final two contestants. Heather got kicked off in episode 3 for not being versatile enough in runway and commercial work although her still photos were great.
I wonder who came first in the previous season? Some of the prettiest girls were sent off early on and there was one really hissy little madam with a weird name who was still there last time I watched (darkish hair - forget the name).
Heather was very brave to go on a show like that. Btw, I wonder if any of the previous "winners" have ended up with a viable modelling career.
I saw only part of a show last night. I think some of the photographers need help in knowing how to work with her. They were telling her that she was awkward. I noticed they told her to put her arm down and then "put your right arm down" in a pose during the shoot. I think they would also help her if they told her what emotions to put on her face for what situations. For the burning car they would have to tell me either to be angry or upset or afraid.
I don't like the show because they don't really teach the girls what to do first. They just make them do things and then criticize them after such as how they pose or put their legs in front and how to control their feelings about everything. I get this all the time in jobs. I have certain skills such as computer, lab etc that I got hired on but I get fired for things that I do that no one will teach me: how to talk to people, what to say, how to use the phone etc.
Is this really the represenation we need
Well, yes.
The fact that modeling isn't a personal interest of many Aspies is largely irrelevant. She's a likeable person in a high profile TV show, succeeding in what would normally be a very NT-oriented field. She's openly Aspie, acknowledges but doesn't dwell on her weaknesses, and knows how to use her strengths. She's also interesting in interviews, quite intelligent, and goes for the things she wants regardless of hardships.
All in all, she's exactly the sort of representation we need.
Not to be so cynical, but I have to express the opinion that her model-esque looks have probably done a lot of work for her throughout her days, on their own.
Eccentric/unusual females who are also very attractive, can often get away with it.
I was thinking the same thing. Anything is acceptable, when it comes in a 120 pound, tanned, and primped female.
God forbid they should show a woman who has Asperger's Syndrome, who isn't a model postively. At least in a non-romantic context. Cause you know, women only have two roles in society. Look pretty and have boyfriends. 
It's like I was watching Sci vs Fi about a video game. They had mostly guys talk about the game very intelligently. They had a woman from IGN, thin and made up like a porn star, talk a little about how cool the game was.
They had a plus size male talk about the game. A plus size women, who surely I imagine would know more about the game than a spokesmodel for IGN. No, we don't want to ruin the illusion that only men play video games, and therfore have knowledge about video games.
This of course after the release of Disney's Princesses game for the Wii, which is actually quite good. Of course there's nothing but meaningless chatter on the forum for the game about how it's only for 8 year olds, and how a game targeted strictly at women can't possibly be seen more as kiddy fodder.
The reality is Aspie women tend to behave more male-like than most women. We still live in a primitive society, that still belives women who don't behave strictly womenly have nothing to offer. At least as far as the media is concerned. It's great Heather is accepted as an Aspie. Just don't kid yourself, that she'd be accepted if she didn't look like a hot chick.
I just saw the show for the first time tonight (just my luck it'd be the one where she was cut).
My opinion:
I could definitely pick up on her being aspie. The eye contact is there, but it isn't direct, it isn't sustained, and it isn't strong. Her natural tendency is to avert her gaze or to look down and then lift her eyes from that lowered position.
I would almost bet money that she does stim. Look at the way she walks, hunched over, when she isn't performing. It's the same hunched over position assumed by a number of other autistics I've met, most of whom rocked extensively (that's where it comes from).
It looks to me like she fakes her way through a lot of the social crap, and I don't mean this in a derogatory sense. I really think that she imitates or simply retreats into solitude or the background...which wouldn't be hard to do with the other more social girls pushing themselves to the foreground constantly.
The scene where she got lost...that's exactly the type of thing that would happen to me.
I haven't (to my knowledge) met another adult female aspie before, although I have a HFA friend and at least two of my kids (boys) are aspie. I now wonder whether the others on the board here would consider me too functional to be a "real" aspie...and I was dx'd at age 30 and from my perspective, have considerable impairment at times even though I work, drive, have kids, etc.
Lots of food for thought here.
I don't know how Heather got lost since I didn't see the show. When staying somewhere away from home, get a business card or something with the hotel name and phone number on it. You can also ask people to write down where you are going and a phone number to call using the language people understand there. If you get lost you just find a cab or someone in a store or official looking and show them the card. The cab should take you to the hotel or the other place. Someone else could call if you offer money and then you will try to get someone who speaks English or your language. You need to know and be prepared before it happens. If you are just standing in the street screaming having a meltdown and no one understands you, the police might shoot you. It happened somewhere recently. The police thought the person was dangerous and crazy.
Wow are you people being mean.
I used to do some modelling and even entered a few pageants myself when I was younger. I am not beautiful like Heather though. Her special interest could well be the modelling and fashion industry.
I might think that other people's special interests are not interesting to me or a waste of time. So just like not everyone is a math whiz, good at doing code or has physical beauty --- everyone has different talents that might go along with their special interests. So why criticize?
I'm guessing (based on my own experience of course!) that many aspie girls do pretty well until teenage years hit. Whereas the boys might run into trouble earlier. In my case, the childhood aspie stuff was considered odd but quirky and endearing (and yeah, I was a cute and bright kid--just honest and klutzy as all get-out). But by the time I was 14 it was major trouble. Social expectations shifted, and I didn't. This was a cause of significant emotional pain and confusion. I knew something was "wrong" with me, an opinion enforced by the judgments of others, but I didn't know what.
Yeah, I was so like that too. Quirky behaviour was "fine" until I got to be a late teenager and suddenly I was really out of step with my peers with no idea how to fit in.
I don't understand why someone would intentionally dress to make themselves unattractive. I believe it is fine to dress modestly to avoid unwanted attention but not to be ugly. Does any really intelligent person pretend to be stupid because they were teased and bullied for being smart in school. I hope not.
Aspie should be able to use their talents without bullying. Whether they are beautiful, intelligent or talented in many areas -- they should be allowed to be themselves.
You're doing better than I would as I doubt I could work in a call centre to save myself. Are you in a government call centre or a private one? Some call centres treat their workers reasonably okay but I've also read some horror stories.
I didn't like how she kept talking about her "disability".
Exactly, why even bring it up unless someone noticed. Unless, she was trying to play the sympathy card?
I don't think she was. Like it or not, our condition does act as a disability in certain circumstances. I would say Heather is very high functioning and if she is already officially diagnosed, we should believe this instead of saying she doesn't have asperger's.
I also think instead of trying to knock her down for "daring" to try for success as a model, we should be proud of her that she has gone so far in the show. How many of us would be game to go on a TV show at all?
No, I don't think she's been here. Rather, there is a severe case of sour grapes with a burning desire to punish the successful aspie. :-/
Have we forgotten that AS is a spectrum?
The girls appears markedly aspie to me. FWIW, NT's often tell me that I look normal to them (to which I react by laughing my head off on the spot). I personally was impressed that she never asked for accomodation, such as an interpreter that she could understand easily so she wouldn't get lost. In a real job, reasonable accomodation would be required by law, and I don't think she would have been out of line to ask for it. Had she been deaf, they would not have forced her to read lips and penalize her if she couldn't follow a conversation that way, would they?
I think that the responses to this thread have been fairly enlightening as to the various posters outlook on AS, functionality, and self esteem, both personally and as a group.
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