The following is a condensed version of a previous entry on this sight. I have posted what most personifies me.
language; Extensive logical/technical patterns of thought (often compared to the personality traits of the popular Star Trek character, Spock); Socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and interpersonal interaction;
People with AS lack the natural ability to see the subtexts of social interaction, and may lack the ability to communicate their own emotional state, resulting in well-meaning remarks that may offend, or finding it hard to know what is "acceptable". The unwritten rules of social behavior that mystify so many with AS have been termed the "hidden curriculum".[13] People with AS must learn these social skills intellectually through seemingly contrived, dry, math-like logic rather than intuitively through normal emotional interaction.
AS individuals lack the ability to recognize and understand the thoughts and feelings of others. Deprived of this insightful information, they are unable to interpret or understand the desires or intentions of others and thereby are unable to predict what to expect of others or what others may expect of them. This often leads to social awkwardness and inappropriate behavior.
Difficulty reading the social and emotional messages in the eyes - People with AS don't look at eyes often, and when they do, they can't read them.Making literal interpretation - AS individuals have trouble interpretting colloquialisms, sarcasm, and metaphors.
Being considered disrespectful and rude - Prone to egocentric behavior, individuals with Aspergers miss cues and warning signs that this behavior is inappropriate. As children with Aspergers mature, and become aware of their mindblindness, their fear of making a social mistake, and their self-criticism when they do so, can lead to social phobia. Aspergers have trouble distinguishing the difference between the deliberate or accidental actions of others, which can in turn lead to a feeling of paranoia.
Awareness of hurting the feelings of others - A lack of empathy often leads to unintentionally offensive or insensitive behaviors. Repairing someone's feelings - Lacking intuition about the feelings of others, people with AS have little understanding of how to console someone or how to make them feel better.
Recognizing signs of boredom - Inability to understand other people's interests can lead AS persons to be inattentive to others. Conversely, people with AS often fail to notice when others are disinterested. Introspection and self-consciousness - Individuals with AS have difficulty understanding their own feelings or their impact on the feelings of other people.
Clothing and personal hygiene - People with AS are unaffected by peer pressure. As a result, they often do what is comfortable and are unconcerned about their impact on others.Reciprocal love and grief - Since people with AS react more practically than emotionally, their expressions of affection and grief are often short and weak.
People with AS are compelled to correct mistakes, even when they are made by someone in a position of authority, such as a teacher. For this reason, they can be unwittingly offensive.Speed and quality of social processing - Because they respond through reasoning and not intuition, AS individuals tend to process social information more slowly than the norm, leading to uncomfortable pauses or delays in response.
Exhaustion - As people with AS begin to understand theory of mind, they must make a deliberate effort to process social information. This often leads to mental exhaustion.A person with AS may have trouble understanding the emotions of other people: the messages that are conveyed by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. They also might have trouble showing empathy with other people. Thus, people with AS might be seen as egotistical, selfish or uncaring. In most cases, these are unfair labels because affected people are neurologically unable to
understand other people's emotional states. They are usually shocked, upset and remorseful when told that their actions are hurtful or inappropriate. It is clear that people with AS do not lack emotions. The concrete nature of emotional attachments they might have (i.e., to objects rather than to people), however, often seems curious or can even be a cause of concern to people who do not share their perspective.[19]
However, the problem may be exacerbated by the responses of those neurotypical people who interact with AS-affected persons. An Asperger patient's apparent emotional detachment may confuse and upset a neurotypical person, who may in turn react illogically and emotionally — reactions that many Asperger patients find
especially irritating. This can often become a vicious cycle and can sometimes cause families with Asperger-affected members to become especially dysfunctional.
Failing to show affection — or failing to do so in conventional ways — does not necessarily mean that people with AS do not feel affection.
Understanding this can lead partners or care-givers to feel less rejected and to be more understanding. Increased understanding can also come from learning about AS and any comorbid disorders.[20] Sometimes, the opposite problem occurs; the person with AS is unusually affectionate to significant others and misses or misinterprets signals from the other partner, causing the partner stress.[21]
Another important aspect of the social differences often found in people with Asperger's is a lack of central coherence.[22] People who have poor central coherence may be so focused on details that they miss "the big picture". A person with a central coherence deficit might remember a story or an incident in great detail but be unable to make a statement about what the details mean.
[edit] Speech and language differences People with AS typically have a highly pedantic way of speaking, using a far more formal language register than appropriate for a context. intense and obsessive level of focus on things of interest Some are so proficient at written language as to qualify as hyperlexic. highly intelligent underachievers or overachievers, clearly capable of outperforming their peers in their field of interest, yet persistently unmotivated to do regular homework assignments
AS may have an odd way of walking, and may display compulsive finger, hand, arm or leg movements,[34] including tics and stims. changes to their routines cause inordinate levels of anxiety extremely sensitive to touch, smells, sounds, tastes, and sights. They may prefer soft clothing, familiar scents, or certain foods. Some may even be pathologically sensitive to loud noises
Non-neurological factors such as poverty, lack of sleep, substance abuse by the mother during pregnancy, discrimination, trauma during early childhood, and abuse may also contribute. male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems, and that AS is an extreme of the male brain.[53] Many adults with AS are able to work successfully in mainstream jobs, although they may continue to need encouragement and moral support. "difference" and is not necessarily a "disability."
Internet has allowed individuals with AS to communicate with each other in a way that was not possible to do offline due to the rarity and the geographic dispersal of individuals with AS. As a result of increasing ability to connect with one another, a subculture of "Aspies" has formed. Internet sites have made it easier for individuals to connect with each other.
AS may be extremely literal and may have difficulty interpreting and responding to sarcasm or banter. The above problems can even arise in the family; given an unfavorable family environment, the child may be subject to emotional abuse. A child or teen with AS is often puzzled by this mistreatment, unaware of what has been done incorrectly. Unlike other pervasive development disorders, most children with AS want to be social, but fail to socialize successfully, which can lead to later withdrawal and asocial behavior, People with AS often get along a lot better with those considerably older or younger than them, rather than those their own age.
difficulty finding (and keeping) employment, lack of proper education, premature social skills, and other factors.[66] [89] If they do become employed, they may be misunderstood, taken advantage of, paid less than those without AS, and be subject to bullying and discrimination. People with AS report a feeling of being unwillingly detached from the world around them. They may have difficulty finding a life partner or getting married due to poor social skills and poverty. In a similar fashion to school bullying, the person with AS is vulnerable to problems in their neighbourhood, such as anti-social behaviour and harassment. Due to social isolation, they can be seen as the 'black sheep' in the community and thus may be at risk of wrongful suspicions and allegations from others. [66] Individuals with AS need support on how to make connections on a personal level.
Those who marry, however, may find it difficult to stay married; some initial research puts the divorce rate at approximately eighty percent.
language; Extensive logical/technical patterns of thought (often compared to the personality traits of the popular Star Trek character, Spock); Socially and emotionally inappropriate behavior and interpersonal interaction;
People with AS lack the natural ability to see the subtexts of social interaction, and may lack the ability to communicate their own emotional state, resulting in well-meaning remarks that may offend, or finding it hard to know what is "acceptable". The unwritten rules of social behavior that mystify so many with AS have been termed the "hidden curriculum".[13] People with AS must learn these social skills intellectually through seemingly contrived, dry, math-like logic rather than intuitively through normal emotional interaction.
AS individuals lack the ability to recognize and understand the thoughts and feelings of others. Deprived of this insightful information, they are unable to interpret or understand the desires or intentions of others and thereby are unable to predict what to expect of others or what others may expect of them. This often leads to social awkwardness and inappropriate behavior.Difficulty reading the social and emotional messages in the eyes - People with AS don't look at eyes often, and when they do, they can't read them.Making literal interpretation - AS individuals have trouble interpretting colloquialisms, sarcasm, and metaphors.
Being considered disrespectful and rude - Prone to egocentric behavior, individuals with Aspergers miss cues and warning signs that this behavior is inappropriate. As children with Aspergers mature, and become aware of their mindblindness, their fear of making a social mistake, and their self-criticism when they do so, can lead to social phobia. Aspergers have trouble distinguishing the difference between the deliberate or accidental actions of others, which can in turn lead to a feeling of paranoia.
Awareness of hurting the feelings of others - A lack of empathy often leads to unintentionally offensive or insensitive behaviors. Repairing someone's feelings - Lacking intuition about the feelings of others, people with AS have little understanding of how to console someone or how to make them feel better.
Recognizing signs of boredom - Inability to understand other people's interests can lead AS persons to be inattentive to others. Conversely, people with AS often fail to notice when others are disinterested. Introspection and self-consciousness - Individuals with AS have difficulty understanding their own feelings or their impact on the feelings of other people.
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Clothing and personal hygiene - People with AS are unaffected by peer pressure. As a result, they often do what is comfortable and are unconcerned about their impact on others.Reciprocal love and grief - Since people with AS react more practically than emotionally, their expressions of affection and grief are often short and weak.People with AS are compelled to correct mistakes, even when they are made by someone in a position of authority, such as a teacher. For this reason, they can be unwittingly offensive.Speed and quality of social processing - Because they respond through reasoning and not intuition, AS individuals tend to process social information more slowly than the norm, leading to uncomfortable pauses or delays in response.
Exhaustion - As people with AS begin to understand theory of mind, they must make a deliberate effort to process social information. This often leads to mental exhaustion.A person with AS may have trouble understanding the emotions of other people: the messages that are conveyed by facial expression, eye contact and body language are often missed. They also might have trouble showing empathy with other people. Thus, people with AS might be seen as egotistical, selfish or uncaring. In most cases, these are unfair labels because affected people are neurologically unable to
understand other people's emotional states. They are usually shocked, upset and remorseful when told that their actions are hurtful or inappropriate. It is clear that people with AS do not lack emotions. The concrete nature of emotional attachments they might have (i.e., to objects rather than to people), however, often seems curious or can even be a cause of concern to people who do not share their perspective.[19]However, the problem may be exacerbated by the responses of those neurotypical people who interact with AS-affected persons. An Asperger patient's apparent emotional detachment may confuse and upset a neurotypical person, who may in turn react illogically and emotionally — reactions that many Asperger patients find
especially irritating. This can often become a vicious cycle and can sometimes cause families with Asperger-affected members to become especially dysfunctional.Failing to show affection — or failing to do so in conventional ways — does not necessarily mean that people with AS do not feel affection.
Understanding this can lead partners or care-givers to feel less rejected and to be more understanding. Increased understanding can also come from learning about AS and any comorbid disorders.[20] Sometimes, the opposite problem occurs; the person with AS is unusually affectionate to significant others and misses or misinterprets signals from the other partner, causing the partner stress.[21]
Another important aspect of the social differences often found in people with Asperger's is a lack of central coherence.[22] People who have poor central coherence may be so focused on details that they miss "the big picture". A person with a central coherence deficit might remember a story or an incident in great detail but be unable to make a statement about what the details mean.
[edit] Speech and language differences People with AS typically have a highly pedantic way of speaking, using a far more formal language register than appropriate for a context. intense and obsessive level of focus on things of interest Some are so proficient at written language as to qualify as hyperlexic. highly intelligent underachievers or overachievers, clearly capable of outperforming their peers in their field of interest, yet persistently unmotivated to do regular homework assignments
AS may have an odd way of walking, and may display compulsive finger, hand, arm or leg movements,[34] including tics and stims. changes to their routines cause inordinate levels of anxiety extremely sensitive to touch, smells, sounds, tastes, and sights. They may prefer soft clothing, familiar scents, or certain foods. Some may even be pathologically sensitive to loud noises
Non-neurological factors such as poverty, lack of sleep, substance abuse by the mother during pregnancy, discrimination, trauma during early childhood, and abuse may also contribute. male brain is predominantly hard-wired for understanding and building systems, and that AS is an extreme of the male brain.[53] Many adults with AS are able to work successfully in mainstream jobs, although they may continue to need encouragement and moral support. "difference" and is not necessarily a "disability."
Internet has allowed individuals with AS to communicate with each other in a way that was not possible to do offline due to the rarity and the geographic dispersal of individuals with AS. As a result of increasing ability to connect with one another, a subculture of "Aspies" has formed. Internet sites have made it easier for individuals to connect with each other.
AS may be extremely literal and may have difficulty interpreting and responding to sarcasm or banter. The above problems can even arise in the family; given an unfavorable family environment, the child may be subject to emotional abuse. A child or teen with AS is often puzzled by this mistreatment, unaware of what has been done incorrectly. Unlike other pervasive development disorders, most children with AS want to be social, but fail to socialize successfully, which can lead to later withdrawal and asocial behavior, People with AS often get along a lot better with those considerably older or younger than them, rather than those their own age.
difficulty finding (and keeping) employment, lack of proper education, premature social skills, and other factors.[66] [89] If they do become employed, they may be misunderstood, taken advantage of, paid less than those without AS, and be subject to bullying and discrimination. People with AS report a feeling of being unwillingly detached from the world around them. They may have difficulty finding a life partner or getting married due to poor social skills and poverty. In a similar fashion to school bullying, the person with AS is vulnerable to problems in their neighbourhood, such as anti-social behaviour and harassment. Due to social isolation, they can be seen as the 'black sheep' in the community and thus may be at risk of wrongful suspicions and allegations from others. [66] Individuals with AS need support on how to make connections on a personal level.
Those who marry, however, may find it difficult to stay married; some initial research puts the divorce rate at approximately eighty percent.
Hello Andrew,
ReplyDeleteI am Rachelle Zekler. As far as I know, I myself don't have AS, but I do have a good friend Chris and he does. I truly appreciate your posting of this information. This post has given me insight on AS and has helped me understand it, even if just a little more. Though I am not known to have AS, I did notice a few similarities between me and the post. For example, maybe it's just coincidence, I to have always preferred to and have felt more comfortable around people who are either quite a bit younger or older than me. Also, though I believe even NT people are like this, I love to study aspects of life that I find interesting, but in school I normally had to force myself to do homework. If my understanding of NT is right, I am not. When I was about 15 it was determined that I was bipolar. This may be totally out on a limb, but if I had to compare both AS and BP I would say they were on opposite sides of the spectrum, would I be wrong? I should clarify, mainly what I am saying is people with AS rarely rely on their emotions and on the other hand people with BP normally rely too heavily on their emotions. Am I correct or not? Now here comes an analysis that I have recently made. If it is true that AS and BP are opposites, in a sense, then could it be possible that like the North and South Poles they also have similarities? It's the only explanation I can give to me having multiple similarities of AS. Or perhaps it is just based on my environment and up-bringing, which weren't always ideal to say the least. I hope I have not taken up too much of your time and I apologize if I have caused you any burden. I thank you, if you have read this far.
Sincerely,
Rachelle
rzekler@yahoo.com