Rant: Topics on how great ASD people are bothers me

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The topics of ASD people talking about how great they are, aren't addressing why they are supposedly so great. This bothers me because the topics come across like ASD is an innate gift that makes you better than NT people.

Here is my observation of several ASD people in my family and why it could be called a "gift" ...

-----------1. ASD people may have much less socializing with others, and may devote their free time to education and/or an intellectual hobby.

-----------2. ASD people may have an ordered thinking, precision-type thinking.

-----------3. ASD people may speak or write slightly different than NT people.

However, if the ASD person squanders life on say computer games, then the ASD is a detriment. Because the non-socializing aspect of the ASD resulted in the ASD person engaging in a non-productive activity. You can find topics on parents saying their ASD child plays computer games all the time, and is somehow gifted. There is a recent topic called "giftedness" something that is three pages long in which everyone is patting each other on the back, and no one ever says why these ASD people are supposedly gifted.

I see an ASD person as having a lot potential to become stratospherically smart and successful. However, that potential is easily lost. I work as a United States patent examiner, and miserable, painful, hard work is the key to success. The United States immigrates the top 1% of educated people from around the world. These NT people are educated and very intelligent. Where I work many NT people have both law degrees and advanced engineering degrees, some have PhD engineering degrees and law degrees. The ones I know don't consider themselves gifted.

Last edited by LoveNotHate on 10 Nov 2013, 11:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

Your experience has given you some interesting insights. Is it as fun working around such intelligent people as I think it would be?

I disagree that spending life on one hobby rather than another is a detriment. People should just pick whatever hobby/interest that appeals to them.

I think this is sometimes a defense mechanism because we get so much scorn heaped on us. But then there is also the fact that Aspies, like anybody else can get overblown egos. I don't argue with people when they say stuff like that because being Aspie is hard enough, if it gives them comfort who am I to say stop? But yeah, I think it gets in the way of clear thinking sometimes. Besides, elitism just gets plain boring - no matter who it is that thinks they're the elite ones.

Agreed. Yet another judgemental arsehole who immediately demonises video games, but would be perfectly content if someone took up, for example martial arts or a competitive sport, which aren't at all "productive" either.

Sorry to be harsh, but I have no patience for people like this.

Professional video gamers make a lot of money doing something they love.

Re: video games - that's true. My nephews who were in gifted and talented classes played them constantly. It's a societal thing, not an Aspie thing.

I really do sometimes with there was a way that I could help myself and others find interests that we could MONETIZE. Keep us happier, more independent and probably give a more status. But that doesn't mean you can't also keep the pointless hobbies that you love - you gotta have fun too!

Whereas I don't think that Aspie = better than others, I do think that we have extraordinary ability to focus in on things that interest us and that could be used purposefully. Lots of Aspies do it now, I just find myself spinning around in my head when I try to use my interests to make money.

Pretty much what others in the thread have noted. Some people aren't very productive and others are; it has little to do with ASD or not, though perhaps ASD does lend an increased ability to focus in some cases.

This said, ASD supremacists bother me as well. It takes all kinds, I don't consider auties superior (or inferior) to NTs.

I've been fortunate in that some of my obsessions have turned into marketable skills. In fact I, by extension, make money from the video game industry. One person's pointless hobby is another's highly useful skill. I'm not sure there is a concept of "objective utility" that everyone would agree on, though most might say that medicine qualifies, for example.

Even video games can be of considerable utility. Obviously as recreation, which is quite important; everyone needs to unwind now and then. But they can have other uses too, notably for education or training, and not just games explicitly made as "edutainment" or specific training tools like vehicle simulators.

Leading an MMO guild/team/etc conveys leadership skills that are applicable in real life. If you're inclined to roleplay in text, you'll probably learn a good deal about how to write well. Etcetera...

any neurotypical people who enjoy this need to shut the f**k up... honestly if you where a minority you would feel the same..

LoveNotHate, I think you make an excellent point about potential and how it can be easily lost. Do you have any thoughts on how we can encourage the development of potential and talent?

It is important for me to use my intellectual abilities for productive activities like scientific research and educational applications.

I don't/can't feel happy in my life if I don't/can't use my intellectual abilities for productive activities.

It is difficult for autistic people to have opportunities to use their intellectual abilities for productive activities, so it is important to help autistic people to have opportunities.

It's probably done to help the self-loathers on the spectrum feel more better about being on the spectrum. Unfortunately it doesn't work on me, I will always feel like a loser or ''second best'' compared to everybody I know. I'm not saying that about Aspies in general, I'm just saying about me.

[quote="AgentPalpatine" LoveNotHate, I think you make an excellent point about potential and how it can be easily lost. Do you have any thoughts on how we can encourage the development of potential and talent?[/quote]

I think ASD people need to honestly identify their skills and limits. The limited occupations where they can very successful should be identified, and then they are directed towards one of those occupations. I work as a patent examiner which is an exceptional job for ASD people. We are always hiring too.

I think ASD people should be willing to admit to a potential employer that they have a disability, and they might need special consideration. The ASD person should be humble, and be willing to be treated as a lowering functioning NT person. I don't think it is good that "ASD Pride" sites tell them how gifted and special they are when to get a job you need humility, especially if the ASD expression you have causes you difficulty at work.

It's funny you should say that, considering that a common hindrance for people on the spectrum is that we tend to be too humble and not assertive enough during the process of applying for jobs and going through the interview and the trial period to begin with. Competition on the job market is very aggressive, moreso in these difficult times- and the people at HR are not going to notice anyone who keeps their head down.

It's great if an employer is both willing and able to accomodate an employee with an ASD, but at the same time it could also boost that employee's productivity if the boss emphasizes and stimulates the employee's strong suits, instead of putting the focus on how they are 'lower in functioning' and be 'more humble'. Positive affirmation benefits both parties.

It depends on how much the games affect your life, really. If it's just a hobby, then fine; but I think if you're playing video games and not working, that's a problem, or if video games are getting in the way of things you really want to do, that's a problem too.