Autism- Aspergers what do you know?

I have two nephews diagnosed and I feel my eldest son may have this...has a clinical diagnosis of ADHD OCD and Tourett's (mild)...
How common is autism? It has been in the national news alot lately!

Tell me do you know anyone personally effected by this ailment?

My nephews are 10 and 7 and both have a mild form of autism
called aspergers...
Heard of this?

My son is very intelligent at the top of his class and is a computer genius at his age of 12 he has earned Presedential Acheivement award among other awards and is always on A honor roll...He does however, lack social skills and seems
very distant at times!

I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome at the age of 48. It wasn't a diagnostic option while I was growing up. I have a different way of looking at the world, relatively poor physical coordination and difficulty processing more than one thing at a time (learning to drive was a nightmare). But boy, can I concentrate, think fast, clearly and deeply about one thing at a time!
It has been very useful getting the diagnosis: it hasn't suddenly made the world make sense, but it has made it clear why the world doesn't make sense, and offered a few ideas for negotiating the difference: new spanners in the toolbox.

I've had a professional career for 27 years, have my own house, car... But yes, I'm single and have only a few friends. It doesn't trouble me that much. *The expectation of society at large to conform to their standards * has caused me much more pain and difficulty over the years.

I'm not good at ritual and social convention...
But I've learnt it, as it makes other people happier even when it seems full of nonsense.
"Hi-hello-how-are-you, fine-and-you, fine"
(No-one actually wants a real answer...
"Thank you for asking. The needles of white-hot agony are somewhat reduced this morning" does get an odd response, for some reason.)

Yes, Aspies can have a sense of humour.

"Why should I wear an Armani suit to impress the sort of people who are impressed by the wearing of an Armani suit?"

The balance I would have liked, but did not get as a child: information framed in "my" language about how the social world operates, and methodologies for negotiating it,
and encouragement that "It's OK to be different" rather than pressure to be normal, when being normal is tiring at best, and can even hurt.

I thank everyone who took the time to help me understand more about Autism and Asperger's. Especially those who shared their personal experiences....it is comforting! The best of luck to each of you. Report It

E-mail me if you would like to discuss more...
chris@x-track.demon.co.uk There's also a generally good bunch of people at www.wrongplanet.net. Report It

Aspergers Syndrome is a pervasive developmental disorder related to autism. It manifests in individual ways and can have both positive and negative effects on a person. It is recognized by the medical community as one of five neurobiological pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) considered to be part of the autistic spectrum. It is typically characterized by issues with social and communication skills. Due to the mixed nature of its effects, it remains controversial among researchers, physicians, and people who are diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.

Asperger syndrome is not differentiated from other autistic spectrum disorders by a minority of clinicians and instead they refer to it as high functioning autism (HFA) [1] in that early development is normal and there is no language delay and thus the symptoms differ only in degree from classic autism. Some people with AS do have learning disabilities; however, IQ tests may show normal or superior intelligence in diagnosed individuals.

The diagnosis of AS is complicated by the lack of a standardized diagnostic screen. Instead, several different screening instruments and sets of diagnostic criteria are used. AS is often not identified in early childhood, and many individuals are not diagnosed until they are adults. Assistance for core symptoms of AS consists of therapies that apply behavior management strategies and address poor communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines, and physical clumsiness. Many individuals with AS can adopt strategies for coping and do lead fulfilling lives - being gainfully employed, having successful relationships, and having families. In most cases, they are aware of their differences and can recognize if they need any support to maintain an independent life.

My brother PROBABLY has asperger's, but there is no point in getting it diagnosed because he is 40, and what good would it do?

He's very intelligent, but his social skills are poor. He seems to not pick things up like he should. So I gave him a kid's ettiquette book, and that helped a lot. You may have to coach them a lot. I have to say, if I need to know the ultraviolet light transmission characteristics of a certain type of plastic, or the spectral composition of a mercury vapor light, he will know. But I had to teach him to say thank you. He has tourette's too, and does the hand flapping thing when he is excited.

Asperger's syndrome is a high functioning form of autism. At last check, 10-12 in 10,000 will be diagnosed with some form of autism. And I'm very familiar with it. My son has Asperger's. He's no babbling idiot nor is his life worthless. He's very intelligent and is working on a career in filmmaking. My 18 years worth of experience with and knowledge about Asperger's syndrome is paying off.

1 in 150 kids will now have some form of Autism. Aspergers reflects those that are highly functioning. I've heard that Bill Gates (Microsoft Billionair) has it & that it has been theorized that Einstein also had Aspergers. Subtle nuances of language & emotions, like sarcasm for instance, are hard for Aspergers' to grasp. I have a 9 year old cousin who has Autism & she still does not speak. She has terrible fits where she injures herself (Banging her head, biting herself, etc). Medications have not worked for her. Its very tragic & heartbreaking. The boys in your family may have Aspergers, but Bill Gates & Einstein are not such bad company. Who knows what they will become. Be hopeful.

I have high-functioning autism and I would rather be normal (if I had the option).
But I'm used to it and I don't let me make me feel sad anymore.
My one ex friend had Asperger Syndrome.
He was also strange.
I am stranger.
I can act normal though because I memorize heaps of TV dialogue with their tone of voice.

If I had a child with severe autism I would institutionalize them or turn custody over to the state. I have seen parents try and care for a disabled child like these and it literally rip a family apart. People can only do so much as individuals, and sometimes it is necessary for self preservation to admit you can't do it all and let a care facility step in. There is no point torturing your other children by ignoring them or putting your life on "hold' while you take care of a child who is NEVER going to be able to be functional. It's inane.. and just plain stupid. I have little or no sympathy for mothers and fathers who divorce.. or worse.. over the long term when they voluntarily destroy their lives trying to care for a life that is basically worthless. To me, life is a worthless thing unless the living thing can CONTRIBUTE and BE PRODUCTIVE. I know this may seem harsh but when you've lost 10, 15, 20 years of your life and you're still staring at a babbling idiot you'll realize how fruitless your efforts are. Instead, concentrate on your OWN life and the lives of your HEALTHY children.