Aspergers (Level 1 Autism): A Stroke of Genius

No One Understands Me

I’m a mighty mouse,

living in a mind based house.

No one understands my plea,

for most are insignificant;  like a flea.

As a child I was, anxious and unfeeling;

stingy, angry and self-conscious, yet interest compelling.

My friends limited and fleeting,

socialization difficult and degrading.

As an adult everyone just leaves me alone.

For I’d rather be counting all the riches I own.

My success in life:  a mathematical mind,

 an analytical gift to mankind.

No one understands that, you see,

Not even me.

                                                         p.o.martig

 A Stroke of Genius

Over the years I’ve personally been involved with the strange but compelling world of autism, primarily Asperger’s Syndrome ,recently changed to Level 1 Autism.  A developmental disorder where people have difficulties dealing with social interaction and display restrictive, repetitive behavior and interests, yet are often blest with highly cognitive abilities.  (Mozart, Albert Einstein, Ben Franklin, Marie Cure, Thomas Jefferson, Tim Burton, Lewis Carroll, Daryl Hannah and many other well-known celebrities and scholars are said to have danced with Aspergers.¹)  You can either embrace the challenges of a person with AS or shun them and move on.  I chose to embrace.

Human interaction is sustained when social rules, customs and communiques are understood and acted on.  Those who can understand and abide by these socially acceptable cues get along,  those who can’t, create discord.  That’s not to say that these individuals cannot take care of themselves, make money and have families, they just can’t understand what it means to act on something they disagree with or simple can’t.  It’s all about posturing and protection of the their confused and fearful self.

Social irritants such as: never being wrong, lacking empathy, difficulty sharing, not understanding sarcasm or body language, sensitivity to loud noises or unexpected movements, and sudden unprovoked temper tantrums are just part of the  AS puzzle.

Friendship with an AS personality can be achieved through patience, avoidance of complex social interactions,  knowing what hot buttons not to push and by providing positive solutions towards aberrant behavior.

If you commit to a life with a person exhibiting social awkwardness and high IQ,  you may not have a lot of friends or the possibility of travel and adventure but rather the reality of life in a protective lined box.  The AS personality must have:  planned security, repetition acceptance, trusted friends, privacy time-out, participation in highly cognitive interests, loyalty and devotion.  If none of these qualifications interest you, then you would never interest them.  Change is an agitation: endearment, patience and time are the healers.

The Man Behind the Label

Dr. Hans Asperger was a Viennese child psychologist, who in 1944 published the first definition of the Asperger syndrome.  After analysing the interactions of 4 young boys ( later testified by his peers that more than 400 were studied), he identified a similar patterned behavior which he called “autistic psychopathy”; autism meaning “self” and “psychopathy”, meaning personality disease.   Included in his observation were a “lack of empathy, little ability to form friendships, one-sided conversations, intense absorption in a special interest, and clumsy movements.”   Asperger called his young subjects, “little professors”, because they could converse in exhaustive detail about their favorite subject.  It is said that Dr Asperger had similar tendencies liken to the little ones he studied; he was lonely as a child, had difficulty making friends, and would quote himself exhaustively to uninterested classmates.

Dr. Asperger felt that many of these special children would grow up to do great things.  One boy in his study did indeed fly high, becoming a professor in astronomy and finding an error in Newton’s Theory.  Unfortunately for the world,  most of Dr. Asperger’s work was destroyed in World War II.  Because of this and other misfortunes, his identification of  “Autistic Psychopathy” would not be recognized until 1981 when a paper written by British researcher, Lora Wing MD, FRCPsych,(2) popularized the term “Asperger’s Syndrome”.  Dr Asperger died in 1980 at the age of 74, sadly not seeing his work recognised in the English-speaking world. (1)

Why Me?

The cause of AS can be genetic as well as environmental.  Although there is no definitive source of the disorder, current theories and research provide a connection to several genes involved in the autism spectrum and that certain genetic changes may make a child more susceptible to AS or even stimulate possible environmental risks to do so, such as viral infections, prenatal complications, and air pollution.

“Brain imaging studies have shown that there are structural and functional differences in specific areas of the brain of those who have Asperger’s versus those who do not. These differences may be caused by abnormal migration of the embryonic cells during fetal development, which then affects the way in which the brain is wired and further goes on to affect the neural circuits that control thought and behavior.”(3)

Studies have also determined certain risk factors involved with Aspergers:(3)

1.  Being Male (males outnumber females 5-1 with the disorder).
2.  Presence of a co-occurring mental health disorder, such as depression or anxiety.
3.  Family history of autism spectrum disorders or other mental health conditions.
4.   Being born 10+ weeks premature.
5.   Having another medical condition, such as Fragile X syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, epilepsy, and Tourette syndrome.
6.   Being born to older parents.

The Signs 

The Cambridge Lifespan Asperger Syndrome Service, working with AS adults, has developed a 10-question checklist to help those overwhelmed by the “why” in their behavior by recognizing the possible signs of AS.  A discussion with a healthcare professional should be consulted for a definitive diagnosis.(4)(5)

1.  I find social situations confusing.
2.  I find it hard to make small talk.
3. I did not enjoy imaginative story writing at school.
4. I am good at picking up details and facts.
5. I find it hard to work out what other people are thinking and feeling.
6. I can focus on certain things for very long periods.
7. People often say I was rude even when I didn’t intend to be.
8. I have unusually strong, narrow interest.
9. I do certain things in an inflexible, repetitive way.
10. I have always had difficulty making friends.

Even so, this same disorder gives way to genius and innovative wonders. “Aspies” have a relentless ability to focus on detail; the capacity to show steadfastness in a specific area; work independently without oversight; an uncanny recognition of patterns and those missed by others; and a fierce intensity to find the right answers and original ways of thinking outside the box.  Just ask Google how important these types of employees are!

Redemption

In the last 10 years the world has been enlightened to the wonders of those people with highly cognitive, focused minds.  Now there is understanding, help if needed, community alliances, acceptance and closure towards those who were shunned for so long for being so different.   It’s also ironic that the very people who fight change in themselves, help advance the ever-changing world around them.

Resources  

1.https://www.verywell.com/asperger-syndrome-4013635  

2.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorna_Wing  

3.//www.millcreekofmagee.com/disorders/aspergers/signs-causes-symptoms  

4. http://www.asperger-syndrome.me.uk/history.html   5.https://www.aspergerstestsite.com/75/autism-spectrum-quotient-aq-test/  

6.You Tube video, Doris Greenberg, MD