Aspies For Freedom

Something that has occurred to me is the possiblity that the most successful aspies are among the ones who have AS and don't even know it.  Maybe they were stoic through childhood and were lucky enough to launch a career without impeded social skills getting in the way.  (Fat chance of that now with "communication skills" being rubber-stamped on every job description except the janitor.)  If everything is going well for you, what's the point of going to a shrink?

Add to that the tendency of therapists to hold off on a dx in certain situations, such as the one I described in my bio.  I had just made it through grad school and was just having a bit of anxiety (at the time, "Will I ever find a real job and get out of this on-campus job?"  Which I did.) and social phobia ("How do I stop scaring my friends?").  It's a judgement call on the part of the therapist, and I guess if the dx doesn't bring in more money than just pilling you up, what's the point?

Add also an observation on the online quizzes.  For instance, my scores in the RDOS Aspie Quiz (AS: 123/200 and NT: 77/200) are closer together than most of the others I've seen, but I bet if I answered for when I was 13 instead of for the present, I could have nailed down a more definitive and less confusing score.  It would be nice if they'd collect that data and calculate a factor for how well you've made the necessary adjustments (to that which is instinctual to other 99.6% of humanity, but that you've had to learn by experience).  The idea being to establish a baseline before factoring in adjustments and mitigations.

Now there's a generation of kids that's almost guaranteed not to get away without a dx of something.  It will be interesting to see how the aspies among them turn out in adulthood.

The reason I bring that up is because if that were the case, then the stereotypes are skewed with regard to our chances for success.  I figure the best sociological move is to remove all stigma associated with AS and hold up the most successful aspies as role models for the kiddies.  Then the kids can focus on the advantages and think "I can be like those guys" instead of wasting time trying to do their best imitation of "normal", whatever that may be.

Questions?  Comments?

Correction.  It's not in my bio, it's in my initial posting:  http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthread.php?tid=6182

I think a longitudinal study following people with varying ASD diagnoses through their decades of living would be really informative. The people now in their 40s, 50s, 60s probably weren't diagnosed unless the behaviors were fairly extreme.

I don't know if the stigma of having AS will ever be removed.  Today, most people will say there is nothing wrong with being gay but we all know there is still that stigma of being different.

As for using successful aspies as role models, were you referring to people like Bill Gates or Albert Einstein? This is already being done. I've seen numerous lists of genius aspies on this website as well as all over the internet. I think this may actually be counterproductive because it may create a sense of superiority and entitlement among young aspies. I've seen this attitude displayed in many AS forums, this one included.

I do agree, there is a danger of either giving people a superiority complex (whether deserved or otherwise) and especially of discouraging those of us who are not geniuses etc. It is not useful to diagnose every successful person with a few eccentric habits as having AS just to boost your self esteem when the reality of life with AS very much includes both sides of the coin, e.g. the positive AND the negative.

But would you give up the negative if it meant giving up the positive as well?

Is there an implication in this thread that aspies will use our situation as an excuse not to succeed.

I plan to be a successful aspie, even knowing that I have AS.

Does the superiority complex described here really come from the knowledge that there are positive, successful rolemodels, or is it perhaps a backlash from the inferiority complex imposed upon us by the world's attitude?

"I don't say I'm no better than anybody else,
But I'll be danged if I ain't just as good." -- Oklahoma

I guess it's both. It's similar to racial supremacy. The kinds of people joining these groups are mainly poor, undereducated and disenfranchised people who are really in a similar position to many aspies. I'm talking about both white and black supremacy groups. Both types do exist.

I am sure that is not actually true - low self esteem is *not* something you just have to accept and live with.

Definitely NOT!  The positives are worth everything.

I don't know about some of these others, but to me it would be quite the opposite.  Knowing there are others like me out there, I'd be using it as an excuse TO succeed.  (I'm not officially dx'ed but if I ever get that, that'll just egg me on.)

Now how do we convince Batman55 to think like that?  He seems to be doing well as a comedian from the looks of it.

Mostly the latter, that it's backlash, a defense mechanism against the feelings of worthlessness that are sure to come if you don't put something in your mind to block them.

They define it as happening to people of "average to high intelligence", and some on this thread claim to be closer to "average".  When I was a kid, I took an IQ test and scored high enough to get into the gifted program (yuck... but that's another story), and then the person who administered the test swore that my actual IQ was probably much higher because I was obviously distracted during the test.  (My routine had been interrupted.)  I'll bet that most people here probably scored lower than their actual intelligence.  To gain access to your real potential, you'd have to find a way to rid yourself of the anger and anxiety (distractions) that seem to be commonplace here.

Garmonbozia, how are you defining success?

Hey thanks for answering my question!  
Seems like a well-centered definition to me.
I guess I've defined success differently at different stages of my life--when I was, say, in my teens and 20s, it was about getting things accomplished and proving myself. And getting fairly independent.  In my 30s it was more about following my heart--doing things I was really interested in, even if not considered especially socially acceptable. In my 40s I was so busy working I didn't think about it much--I was entranced with what I was doing--my purest period of being paid to be obsessed--it was lovely! Now, in my 50s, I'm not really sure.  I'm at loose ends in many regards.  I guess I'd say it's maintaining an openness to new ideas and new people.

I think being successful is finding your niche in life and being content within yourself.

That is such a beuautiful and IMHO accurate description

I believe that personal stories have tremendous power because they reveal texture and particularity--they make abstract concepts more dynamic and alive.

Maybe your right, but whatever I was wearing or however clean or dirty I was I would still be shaking with nerves and pale from anxiety and unable to look the professional in the eye as I talked about myself.