Two letters from the Independent:
Signs of Asperger's syndrome? (Wednesday 3 August)
Sir: In your articles and obituary on Sir Edward Heath (18 July), the following aspects of his personality were noted: abrasive style; never tried to be liked; prone to stony silences in interviews; enjoyed his own company; sour and graceless reputation, and so on. One could say that all of this was out of keeping with his intelligence as he was a very gifted person. All the above could be descriptive of somebody with mild Asperger's syndrome, which could explain why things went wrong for him.
LINDA PATIENCE
WARRINGTON
Condition can mean a lifelong struggle (Friday 5 August)
Sir: Edward Heath may, anecdotally, have displayed one or two character traits popularly associated with Asperger's syndrome, as do many people. However, according to medical criteria, unless AS causes an individual clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, a diagnosis is not appropriate. The suggestion by Linda Patience (letter, 3 August) that a former Prime Minister may have had AS belittles the very real struggles of those with this lifelong developmental disability.
KATHERINE EVANS
WALTON ON THAMES, SURREY
"However, according to medical criteria, unless AS causes an individual clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, a diagnosis is not appropriate.'"
Then who is the diagnosis for: the patient or the doctor?
I think the statement is trying to say 'unless the person is having trouble functioning from their condition, then a diagnosis isnt needed and its just part of their personality', something like that.
In a sense that is fair, as if someone does not have any difficulties functioning then they may not want a label anyway.
Especially if that label is in a country where you would autmoatically be considered disabled, mentally ill.
In an ideal world people could have more freedon to say 'I'm this and I'm unique' but right now it's not that simple.
Ted Heath, whatever his quirks, was altogether too quintisentially "establishment" to have any semblence of autism!
I could imagine an autie getting into Parliament (check out Anthony Douglas Hume, ask him yourself if you will; he's still alive) but in the conservative party?? And to go to lead said party???
It should be clear, at least to anyone who's paying attention, that certain elements would like to define us all as having: "abrasive style; never tried to be liked; prone to stony silences in interviews; enjoyed his own company; sour and graceless reputation" as if they where exclusive to us "disfunctional" types, but, apart from the establishment propoganda, it's also a pretty shallow abuse of the language (which is, after all ambiguous)?
I could go into detail to demonstrate how Ted Heath, though an essentially decent man (the real reason for his "failure") was a mass of assumptions, but let's rather check out the way language is used?
"abrasive style"
Not given to "soothe" egos? I don't mind being polite, but should I abase myself before...well whom exactly? Don't most denizens of aspie site live in free?????????????countries? Or wait, are we looking at someone who was routinely obnoxious, agressive, unpleasant, disagreeable...but who rose to the position of Prime Minister? If any situation needs "social skills" for any vestige of success, then it's the Conservative Party!
"never tried to be liked"
Says who? Never saw the publicity shots on his yacht? Never noted his populist yearnings....
"prone to stony silences in interviews"
Well, I can relate to that, but so could anyone who has faced the likes of Jeremy Paxton? And what is the alternative for a politician? They are hardly likely to tell the truth, so they can either waffle (which rarely works with Paxton and his ilk) or... Actually, I'd relish a face off with Paxton...but then, I've nothing to hide.
"enjoyed his own company"
Maybe I'm biased, but isn't that a prerequisit to mental health? Could it be that non-aspies actually cannot abide their own company? If so, I grieve for them.
"sour and graceless reputation"
Hardly an aspie then!
Gwynfryn, you're 100% correct.
Yet, may i ask you who is/was Sir Anthony Hume.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Douglas-Home
if you're referiing to the former British Prime Minsiter, this is the gentleman you want but he died in 1995.
As for the abrasive British questioner of 'Newsnight' it's Jeremy Paxman.
Hope this info is useful in some way
I believe that there may be many aspies who are or were in politics but this is the first I've heard of Heath so I won't make any judgements of him having AS. My father has been involved in local politics for many years although not as a politician. He never ran for any office. He's more of a backroom type political power broker and a definite aspie.
The late Sir Edward Heath (I try not to call him Ted to avoid confusion with the early 20th century bandleader) was a bit before my time, so I cannot comment. But, he was a bachelor and enjoyed his hobbies away from Westminster. I am a bachelor and a Conservative supporter as well as having Asperger Syndrome, so there is some simularity there!
However I had noticed that Sir John Major wasn't a million miles away from the traits of it (I am not saying for one moment that he had it) but his body language and voice does remind me of the traits a little bit. I remember news coverage in the 1990s when he officially opened a well-known place. The plaque on the wall was covered by a small curtain and Sir John tried to open the curtains using the cord. He couldn't do it and the curtain eventually rail came down when he used force to open it and thus the place was officially opened. I remember Roy Hudd on the The New Huddlines in the 1990s comparing Sir John to Mr Bean so there could be something there, who knows?
There are many connections between Conservative politicians and Asperger Syndrome, although most of these are linked to the politician's offspring!
David, when you mentioned that William Hague admitted to likely being "faintly autistic", I just couldn't help being reminded of the outburst last year when George Osborne asked Gordon Brown the same thing.
I also have a penchant for election results. I have statistics for every General Election for the constituency I live in online. I would put a link to it here, but I wouldn't want to bore you with it...
Theres a difference between AS causing a hindrance (which it does) and completely crippling someone or keeping them from having a successful life (which it doesn't).
I agree that AS has to cause significant problems to be diagnosable; but those problems are usually outweighed by the benefits.
Someone with AS characteristics, who doesn't have the AS hindrances, I would simply call "gifted" or "someone with Aspie traits". Or else "neurodiverse", which would include those with brain configurations better than, rather than simply different from, the norm.
AS is, after all, a medical diagnosis; and if it doesn't cause a problem for yourself or people you interact with you, then it's just a quirk and not a diagnosable problem.
With the way AS is being defined these days, though, we may end up with a sort of "high-functioning Asperger Syndrome", defined as someone who has AS characteristics but is not hindered by them... probably composed of AS adults who know the skills they need to live in a world that doesn't cater to them.
Theres a difference between AS causing a hindrance (which it does) and completely crippling someone or keeping them from having a successful life (which it doesn't).
I agree that AS has to cause significant problems to be diagnosable; but those problems are usually outweighed by the benefits.
Someone with AS characteristics, who doesn't have the AS hindrances, I would simply call "gifted" or "someone with Aspie traits". Or else "neurodiverse", which would include those with brain configurations better than, rather than simply different from, the norm.
AS is, after all, a medical diagnosis; and if it doesn't cause a problem for yourself or people you interact with you, then it's just a quirk and not a diagnosable problem.
With the way AS is being defined these days, though, we may end up with a sort of "high-functioning Asperger Syndrome", defined as someone who has AS characteristics but is not hindered by them... probably composed of AS adults who know the skills they need to live in a world that doesn't cater to them.
For what it's worth, the psychologist who evaluated me ended up diagnosing me as "a very high functioning Asperger's person," and took longer than usual with my diagnosis, partly because I struck him as being a bit schizoid-like as well as Aspie-like, but also because I make "normal" eye contact, interact easily with co-workers, manage to get along in the world as Callista mentions. I do have some AS characteristics but my social skills have come a very long way since my clueless childhood and solitary adolescence. I still feel more like an autistic "cousin" than like a full Aspie, which is why I chose this username...
Hmm...
Now, with the "autistic cousins" out there... the people whose brains have a touch of autism but not diagnosable AS...
I wonder whether it's really more like 1 in 20 than 1 in 200?
There are an awful lot of geeks out there!
(Re. Schizoid differential diagnosis: The presence of special interests should indicate AS instead of schizoid personality, yes?)
Hmm...
Now, with the "autistic cousins" out there... the people whose brains have a touch of autism but not diagnosable AS...
I wonder whether it's really more like 1 in 20 than 1 in 200?
There are an awful lot of geeks out there!
(Re. Schizoid differential diagnosis: The presence of special interests should indicate AS instead of schizoid personality, yes?)
Yes, that is probably one factor in the eventual AS diagnosis, but apparently my "affect is odd and stilted, almost schizoid-like"...who knew? Anyway, I'm loads of fun once you get to know me!
There's a book that I think is about those people that exhibit not enough symptoms of, as an example, Aspergers "Condition". One of the authors surname is Ratey.
There's a book that I think is about those people that exhibit not enough symptoms of, as an example, Aspergers "Condition". One of the authors surname is Ratey.
It's titled Shadow Syndromes: Recognizing and Coping With the Hidden Psychological Disorders That Can Influence Your Behavior and Silently Determine the Course of Your Life. It is by John J. Ratey, M.D., and Catherine Johnson, Ph.D. The chapter dealing with subtler forms of autism is titled "Autistic Echoes." I borrowed it from my public library last year...very interesting!