Aspies For Freedom

It has been nearly a year since Barbara Kring was seriously injured in an attack that police initially labeled a suicide pact.

But the teen who allegedly stabbed her was later charged with attempted murder, though that charge has since been dropped.

Kring, 20, of Scarborough, said a disorder not many people know about is what led her to that dangerous situation. Now, she wants people to understand more about it, so they can understand her.
From an early age, Kring knew she was different. After being diagnosed with everything from attention deficit disorder to a learning disability, she finally learned the truth at age 14.

She told News 8, "I was, like, ‘Now I know why I'm different, and it feels good to know the reason.’"

She was diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder.

Linda Butler, Ph.D. LCSW, explained, "Asperger disorder is a disorder that's characterized by a serious impairment in social functioning and communication, as well as an impairment with a restricted and repetitive interest that someone might have."

Butler and her colleague, Liza Little, know a lot about Asperger’s. They both work at Spurwink, which educates and treats children with emotional, behavioral and developmental disorders.

Little’s daughter also has Asperger’s.

Little said, “These are children that can be really come out with real bloopers and be obnoxious and say things that are socially very awkward."

They often have very high IQs and can be very successful. But it comes at a price. Odd behavior can make them social outcasts, and children can fall victim to teasing or bullying on the playground.

Little told News 8, "It doesn't matter really how bright you are. But if you can't carry on a social relationship, you can't communicate appropriately in a social fashion, life will be very difficult for you."

People with Asperger's have difficulty reading nonverbal cues -- body language -- something Kring said led to the attack last year that could have killed her. She also doesn't handle stress well and, she said, since police didn't understand her condition, it made a scary situation even worse.

“They bombarded me with questions that I couldn't handle. They didn't believe me," Kring said.

In January, Kring asked lawmakers to pass a bill that would make it mandatory for Maine police and prosecutors to be taught about autism.

From wmtw.com

Yes, that was the woman in the news article on Channel 8.  She is also leading an effort to make police and prosecutors  be more aware of the needs and sensitivities of people with Aspergers Syndrome.

Peace

just don't promote it as a disorder...i always disgust when someone says my way of life is defective.  not true, just diffrent, it may seem disordered from someone else's view.  i see nt's as disordered, becuase i don't always understand why they do the things they do.  disorder is in the eye of the beholder, and for most, it's in the hands of nt's.

we need promotion that we don't understand the exact same way as the rest of soctiey does, i tend to think in literal terms like almost all the time, and i would not get sarcastic right away, and i hate being lied to.  this could be postive or negative...only time will tell.

The woman portrayed (Kring) never did refer to herself as having a disorder.  At least I don't remember her saying it, at least not clearly  It seems to be the "professionals" who like to use the term disorder.

My impression of her was, that she was ok with Aspergers and found relief in knowing why she was "different".

Peace

This lady might have the right attitude, but the thing that I don't like about this story is that it is another example of a news story in which AS is associated with crime. Aspies are often in the news shown as perpetrators or victims of crime. It isn't the sort of image that would make a parent of an autistic child feel comfortable. A parent might think their child will grow up to either be victimised or to be a menace to society if the autism can't be beaten out of them.