Getting to know your neighbors #101
"Why doesn't that person ever attend social functions or committee meetings?"
"Why doesn't that person just make a phone call instead of sending me emails?"
"They never go anywhere. What's up with that? Why don't they get a job?"
It's estimated now that as many as 1 in 150 people may be affected with some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
In some areas, estimates are more like 1 in 100.
How many full time residents are there in Langley Grove Estates?
Who knows.
But let's assume roughly 450. About 2 residents per homesite.
So there's a very good chance that 2 to 5 other Langley Grove Estates residents are also affected by this disorder to some degree. I suspect that number is actually much higher though due to mobile homes being more affordable for those with disabilities
Many may not even be aware that they have this disability, only that they have limitations or advantages which others do not seem to experience.
Asperger Syndrome is sometimes called "wrong planet" syndrome because people with Asperger Syndrome often feel that they are quite normal but are living in a world full of aliens. For a person with Asperger Syndrome, having Asperger Syndrome is normal, because he has had it all his life.
NT's or neurotypicals, people not affected by this syndrome, seem to be abnormal to a person with Asperger's because NT's rarely practice simple logic and are more likely to snub or bend the rules of society whenever it suits them.
Asperger's Syndrome is just one form of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Asperger's Syndrome begins in early childhood.
No one knows exactly what causes it but it apears to be genetic.
Part of the brain which controls a person's "social behavior" (understanding and communicating with other people) may grow or function differently in a person with Asperger Syndrome.
People who have Asperger Syndrome have normal to high intelligence.
The condition seems to run in families. Parents who have it often have children who have it too, or another kind of autism.
People with Asperger Syndrome can have a hard time "fitting in" with other people. Adults who have it usually learn enough "coping skills" to act in a way that seems normal, but often with a few differences.
Most people with the syndrome can communicate clearly with friends and family. They may have more difficulty in communicating with new people.
When people talk to each other, they use spoken words to communicate. They also use the sound of their voice and "non-verbal communication" such as facial expression, hand movements, and "body language" to give meaning to what they say. So while people are talking, they are also looking for signs in the other person's face and the movement of their body to tell how they are feeling and whether they mean exactly the same as their words are saying. When people talk, they use "non-verbal communication" to add more information to their words.
People with Asperger's Syndrome who have trouble with understanding non-verbal communication will miss this extra information.
People with Asperger's Syndrome:
May have difficulty reading the sound of people's voices.
May become confused if a person's body language and words don't say the same thing.
May not know if a person is joking. They have difficulty understanding irony, sarcasm, and slang.
May have trouble understanding what other people are thinking.
May have difficulty recognizing people by their faces or at a distance. It may require a familiar gesture, or a particular style of movement, or familiar clothing to make the association.
People with Asperger Syndrome often:
Like to act in a way that makes sense. Logic and order are very important. (see "Loving Mr. Spock")
See and remember the details of things that other people miss.
Are very good at remembering rules, laws, systems and important facts. This talent is useful in many types of work.
Are better at writing than at talking to people, because they are careful to choose words that mean exactly what they want to say. Writing does not include body language or facial expression; and people with Asperger Syndrome often have a lot of practice at communicating without using those things.
Do well at math and computer programming.
Have a special interest that they become experts in.
Often have extremely good memory
In the 1940s, a doctor named Hans Asperger studied some children that were different from most other children that he knew, but were like each other. He called them "little professors" because he thought that they were interesting and wrote a book about them. Dr. Asperger thought his "little professors" had a different sort of personality.
In the 1980s Dr. Lorna Wing made up the name "Asperger Syndrome" for people with high-functioning autism after research into Hans Asperger's work.
In 1994 Asperger Syndrome was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Dr. Tony Attwood, Dr. Simon Baron-Cohen and Dr. Uta Frith are three of the current leading authorities on Asperger Syndrome.
I urge everyone to be respectful of persons with disabilities, even if those disabilities are not always visible.
For further information, Please see:
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/tc/aspergers-syndrome-topic-overview
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/tc/aspergers-syndrome-symptoms
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