I went to an interview with a counsellor at an agency that is supposed to assist people with disabilities in getting employment. The counsellor told me that he really did not have too many clients with AS. I was trying to explain my impairments with communication. I was telling him that I had trouble with interpreting facial expressions. He told me that he found that "fascinating".
I wonder if he finds some who is a paraplegic telling him about how they do not have feeling their legs and can not walk, fascinating?
I do not find my impairments fascinating.
????
I guess I just have to educate the ignorant. I do not think that he meant to be rude to me.
It depends on the tone that you said it in. If it was in a bland tone, then you might have been interpreted as not having a problem with it.
I have found that sometimes people say things like 'interesting' 'fascinating' 'oh really' when they are disinterested and dont really care. Its just like a fill in word in conversation.
I'd have probably said something similar to your interviewer! (And this is exactly the sort of stuff, called "inappropriate comment," that gets me into trouble in social interactions--wonder if the counselor is an Aspie!). To me, a "that's fascinating" response is something like: "Oh, tell me more, I want to learn about this." I'd have probably gone on and explained to the guy what a pain in the butt it is to not recognize people and thereby embarrass myself on a regular basis. "So, please please please," I'd say, "give me a filing job or something where I don't have to interact with people."
It's possible that he was really wanting to know how what you said about your disability is a problem for you with respect to performing work.
I actually wrote out a list of possible types of jobs that I could do and places. I also gave him a list of my impairments due to AS and chemical sensitivities. I gave him some commentary on how I misunderstand people in interviews. All of this was in text.
I gave him a copy from the Berkshire autism site "A guide to supporting employees with Asperger's Syndrome" available here:
http://www.autismberkshire.org.uk/BlueTr...oyment.htm
Maybe he will read this information over later when he is trying to set me up with some placements.
I am alot better communicating in text than verbally. I still can communicate verbally though.
I think your counselor may have reacted the way he did because your difficulties are the result of your brain working very differently than his own. A client with a PHYSICAL disability, something caused by a broken neck for example, is not too mysterious, but interviewing you may have given this counselor a glimpse of a totally alien and yes, fascinating mindset. He may never have met an AS person before. Hopefully if he gets another AS client he will be better prepared.
Or perhaps he is an aspie himself as suggested by Energeia!
I think your counselor may have reacted the way he did because your difficulties are the result of your brain working very differently than his own. A client with a PHYSICAL disability, something caused by a broken neck for example, is not too mysterious, but interviewing you may have given this counselor a glimpse of a totally alien and yes, fascinating mindset. He may never have met an AS person before. Hopefully if he gets another AS client he will be better prepared.
I suppose at least his comment was better than if he had said "Asperger's syndrome - never heard of it."
It doesn't seem like a necessarily judgmental thing to say. It's a little surprising that a guy in his line of work is that ignorant about AS, but I do think the differences among us all -- the neuroediversity -- really are fascinating.
You said you see your differences as 'impairments' -- he said he found your differences fascinating. To me "impairments" sounds more negative.
ON THE OTHER HAND... I really do want to poke a person in the eye when they take that, "Oh, do tell me about the exotic and bizarre Lifestyle of you fascinating and exotic GAYS" tone with me. So if he was coming off like that, yeah, slap him.