My real name is Christopher Marsh (aka GuessWho), I have Asperger's, and before the state of Maryland paid for 22 hours of computer programming training in 1999, and I have worked in Arlington VA since then, I had a Master's out of Marshall University in sociology.
I found formal study of sociology very helpful. Those social rules are not written down. But sociology operates explicitly in the English language. Theories and research are written deliberately to be understood without confusion in the English speaking world. Practically the entire world.
I can reason socially by dedicating some mental effort to rehearsing responses before responding.
My MSW once said that this effect is common among many with neurological disabilities, and it works but it slows us down. And may pose a problem with NTs relating to us, they are used to much quicker social interaction.
An Associate's Degree?? Golly!!!
Imagine one of them there tragically disabled Azzberger folks gettin their self an ASSOCIATE DEGREE!
I can hardly wait to bring this exciting news to my Aspie partner who, at 26, had a PhD in Physics from one of the best Universities in the world.
" :sick: " indeed...
Asperger's is so widespread among us computer professionals, engineers, scientists, and mathematicians.
I congratulate Chris Marr but why does the article seem to sound so sensational? I agree, Max, the article makes us sound like we're lucky to get an AA degree.
They need to do some research.
In my own family we have math, science, and computer professionals with similarities.
My father's side of the family, case in point. I am the only one proven to have Asperger, and I have a graduate degree in social science (plus 1 yr. experience) plus a community college certificate in computer programming (plus 7.5 years experience). I am inactively dating and single.
My younger brother is another computer professional with 15 years experience. Only one to two semesters of college, a ton of self study in high school, and now a ton of work experience. I think he's inactively dating. (The younger part and the 15 years experience DOES make sense. He got his first job at 18 five months out of high school; he was simply doing computers all those years I was sending resumes in my old career)
My dad almost got his Master's in mass communications. Although writing/editing is not a typical AS occupation, he was a history buff.
Of course he married Mom. His death ended the marriage and hers simply made it a marriage made in Heaven.
His younger brother is a retired math teacher with a Master's. He got married 10 years ago for the first time.
His next younger brother is a retired chemist. Never married.
The uncles, they take the family name, add the word Curse, and laugh about it.
Think of all the darned scientists and mathematicians, engineers, and computer folks, Silicon Valley, assortive mating. We can find plenty of folks with big fancy degrees with Asperger.
And by the way, congratulations to your partner. It does NOT surprise me that a PhD can have Asperger.
I didn't get my Ph.D. The profs said I'd fit in nicely in a university with a PhD (the professor stereotype, like the programmer stereotype). But I didn't want to subsidize higher education with more student loans. I wanted an income, not three letters after my name. Mr. is fine for me.
Hmmm I was under the impression that AS suffers were often hyper intelligent ... ? That the problems processing emotions were often coupled with hightened academic ability? Indeed, my other half got a 1st in his Mathematics Masters.
My bad ... I didnt mean that in the way it came out.
I got the highest grade in my class for my BA(hons), precisely because I DO have AS traits.
When all the other people were out partying, I was at home, obsessively involved in my uni work!
I am pretty average at maths and though not everynight i wouid go out to gigs etc i feel so unaspire from reading peoples posts on here it's untrue.
This is what I achieved in College (I could did not speak until 4, could bearly put a sentence together at 5, was almost written off at school, I have HFA yea!)....
B.A History, loads of friends, loads of parties, fun, learned to be independent, held down a part-time job for 3 years in customer service... I did not live in the libary, more likely lived in the student bar, knew when to knuckle down... the best 3 years off my life. A huge fat amount of debt! It was not especially hard or easy. I am also the first person in my family (dad side) to get a degree.
I recently achieved an NVQ 2 in health and social care, I am a qualified home support worker, that was as much as an achievement for me.
Not everyone finds it easy though. I have tried so many times to get a C GCSE math's and failed. Not everyone is clean living either so that they concentrate on learning. I imagine there are a fair few aspies/ad/hd/bipolar's in jail.
I known a bloke who spent years in prison for drug related stuff, shop lifting, getting in fights... who used heroin to self medicate manic depression (unipolar manic) before he was diagnosed. But that is proper wrong to say all that stuff about asperger's and violent crime. Its made me mad.... grrr!
I
I believe Natalie is currently in one of the best animal science university programs in America. The level of accomplishment of MANY of the Aspies at this forum makes this "news" article absurd.
Maybe tomorrow's headline will be "Asperger's Victim Learns to Ride Bicycle" -- with the appropriate fireworks and parades...
I suspect there's a little bit of attention-whoring going on here, either on the part of this community college, or on the part of our newly-minted Associate's degree holder. <sarcasm>So, is somebody going to play the pi-WAAAAHHHHH!!!-no at his graduation party?</sarcasm> Whoop-dee-frickin'-doo! I've got a master's. (Forgive me for sounding arrogant, but I had a point to make.)
This is the very reason I've considered getting officially diagnosed despite the risks, not so I can benefit personally, but so I can "come out" as an aspie and then thumb my nose at those who need a good nose-thumbing.
Maybe tomorrow's headline will be "Asperger's Victim Learns to Ride Bicycle" -- with the appropriate fireworks and parades...
This almost made me laugh as much as the article. 
dear lord...
For the record, I too, am a member of the prestigious degree holding club... okay, my degree is a BFA in graphic design, from an art school... but its working for me. And no one wrote a newspaper article about me! :little tear for left-out-of-the-spotlight me: