Aspies For Freedom

I'd have to agree with Max on this.

My experience of the spectrum as a whole is very limited. I won't ever claim I understand all eccentric groups just because I am part of one (Gay, Aspie, Roleplayer). Heck, I won't claim to completely understand ones I'm a part of or have had experience with.

Case in point, my Boyfriend is essentially NT but he has severe depression and some OCD traits. We've been together 10 years and I still don't completely understand him.

I'll try not to use the word 'understand' and so here goes on my perspective on the Aspies are scary point you made:
From analysing myself, I like things to fit into specific patterns because it makes more sense for me when they do. Because my experience of the spectrum as a whole is limited, I don't have those defined patterns to fit things into so by default they will make less sense to me.
Also, as so many have pointed out, the spectrum is very broad and there's a lot of 'fuzzyness'. Fuzzyness and neat categories are mutually exclusive (for me at least).
I guess what I'm saying here is I agree with you, Seven, at least in part.

Oh, and for the record, I'm a visual-spatial aspie.

You know what folks, I was just thinking of starting a thread about the differences between autism and asperger syndrome but then I saw someone else already did so here's what I have to say. I know all about the autistic spectrum and that AS and autism are supposedly 2 points on the spectrum but despite the diagnostic relationship, they really are NOT the same. I have Aspergers but I DONT consider myself to be an autist and Im bemused at all the aspies who identify themselves with the "autist" label. One of the major differences between the 2 syndromes is the fact that aspies are verbal whereas many autists are not. The few autists who are verbal will only speak if they are spoken to; they dont initiate conversations. I also wonder about the genetic similiarities between autism and asperger syndrome-if AS is caused by a different genetic mechanism but produces a phenotype with similiarities to autism. Moreover, in terms of needs and wants it seems that autists and aspies dont have much in common. Many autists have no desire to interact with people at all or to live independently; in fact quite a few of them are incapable of taking care of themselves at all.

Noetic, where do you get your information from? It sounds to me like the persons you're describing are most likely aspies who've been slapped with the Autism diagnostic label. But yes, I acknowledge that some autists are verbal but like I said-they only speak if they are spoken to-usually in response to being asked a question.How do you personally distinguish between autism and AS???

I am not a mental health professional nor have I seen your son ,but maybe he in fact has asperger syndrome and not autism. I got my information online by looking at the DSM IV and from a conversation with my psychiatrist. Some folks here seem to think that autism and asperger syndrome are basically the same thing which I fimrly disagree with!

One thing that does appear to be true-and which I have always thought of as the defining feature of autism-is the Lack of interest in social interaction and in other people in general. But if you "dont have the time to elaborate" than how can you justify your arguments? There seems to be an objection amonst some of you here to my categorizing autism and asperger syndrome rather than just lumping them all together in the nebuluous group of [i]autistic spectral disorders[i/].

I dont understand why you folks find categorizing autism and asperger syndrome so objectionable and even offensive(?!?). I fall onto the autistic spectrum and I certainly dont object to categorizing such.

Alright Seven, you tell me exactly what the (clinical)difference is between autism and asperger syndrome. You certainly are correct that autists CAN speak but Choose not to do so. But could you please explain to me WHY you are an Autist as opposed to an Aspie[lets ditch the term "Autie" since it sounds waaaay to juvenile]? After all if Im misinformed then do me the favor of informing me-Noetic "didnt have the time" to so step up and have a go at it.

I had no speach delays, was walking around 8 months and according to me mum I was speaking in sentences by the time I was a year old. She said what really cued her in that I was abnormal was my misuse of personal pronouns. i.e.: when I wanted something I would say "you want a/some ________?" which according to a shrink w/ no knowledge of Asperger Syndrome said that such is considered autistic behaviour. So he diagnosed me with APDD; wasnt until I was 12 that a more informed shrink gave me the diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome.

Might I add that I have always thought that it is a tendency of Aspies in particular to generalize and even buy into stereotypes. Im not trying to be closed minded but I AM trying to be categorical and systematic because that is what I have discovered to be the most accurate way to look at the world and the most effective way for me. I recall saying that many autists are not(verbal) but that does NOT mean I assume all of them are not verbal. Many NTs scold me for generalizing and categorizing Even when the data fits or closely approximates them. I understand they're just bein Politically Correct[thanks to all that postmoderist crap they've been taught] but Im not concerned in the least with political correctness. Im concerned with TRUTH-even if the truth may offend some people;-)

Excuse me Seven, but I did NOT say "the few aspies who are verbal only when spoken to..." I said "the few autists..."
Im beginning to think that perhaps its time to redefine so-called "classic autism". What Im implying is that there are people on the Spectrum who are given the autist label who dont really fit the clinical description. But for persons who are on the Spectrum who have No desire for social interaction and no interest in other people-how would you describe Them in terms of a diagnostic label? BTW, I was told by a shrink-the one who diagnosed me with asperger syndrome, that one feature of autism is the apparent lack of emotions-or at least acting as though one does not experience emotions.

I would like to know Why my first posts to this thread were so provocative to people here. Whats wrong with seeing the world in black & white? Why is being categorical a BAD thing? Whenever I make categorical remarks about human characteristis-ESPECIALLY amonst NTs-people always get so bend outta shape. I assumed that most people on the spectrum tended to be Categorical to the extreme like I am.

I agree - we can't all be perfect. I also dislike it when Aspies discriminate against each other. This has been a recent issue for me as I found out I was being left out of social activities by somebody I considered a friend.

Speaking as a general principle-I do not see the world exclusively in black and white, but in SHADES of grey. The point being that not all shades of grey are the same!. I find it ridiculous that somehow trying to categorize autistic spectral disorders is so offensive to people here-or that it suggests that I dont have an open mind.

WRONG

'Black and White' certainly Do exist! Thats not to say there is no grey but the fact remains that you Can compare 2 shades of grey based on these 2 reference points.

I was quoting Seven.