William Shatner in twitter war with ND advocates

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I should have said assumption. Mainly, of the responses of the fictitious people. You can't know what people individually think of autism.



Rainman was one person's vision of autism, very well portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, but it is just that. Rainman is a character. Sheldon Cooper is probably a more modern take.

I don't know about you, but I am disabled. I'm not going to go into the many and various ways, but I am definitely an inferior specimen.


I don't think ToM is caring about other people; I think it is awareness of the experience of others. Being aware of what other people are going through in the moment. Often, I think, autistic people take a while to become aware of the experience of others and often miss the moment. Doesn't mean we don't care, just means we weren't aware. Unfortunately we too often miss the opportunity to act in the moment, which leads to letting people down.

^^ To describe yourself as an "inferior specimen" is just not right.

If you are "inferior," then I'm "inferior"

Yet I don't believe I am "inferior." Just "inferior" in certain ways.

Just like ASPartofMe stated, if one has a first-degree burn, and another person has a third-degree burn, one cannot deny that both have burns. All people who get burned have burns.

There are many "severities" in autism, just like burns, or like cancer, or many other conditions.

You can be mildly affected by autism, or you can be quite severely affected. You still have autism. A comparison between the life-experience of one person with autism, versus another person with autism could be radically different. A person with Stage 0 prostate cancer would have difficulty relating to a person with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer--yet there's no denying that both have cancer.

I don't have Asperger's. I have "high-functioning autism." I had many of the "classic" symptoms as a child. In muted form, I still have some "classic" symptoms, as well as "Aspergian-type" symptoms. My experience, obviously, is different from somebody with autism who must wear a helmet, is not toilet-trained, and is confined to a wheelchair.

While one can live a good life with Aspergers/HFA most of us are not

Suicidal ideation, depression "high functioning" my ass. This survey was of professionally diagnosed adults. You may not like the survey but all you need to do read the posts on Wrong Planet for a day or two to see a whole lot of aspies are miserable. Also you are making an assumption about "low functioning" people being miserable, maybe they do not have enough cognition to know they are "less than" others or being an unemployed virgin is supposed to be "bad" and maybe like people in all walks of life they make the best of challenging situations to feel good about their life by their definition of good. Since we can not communicate much with them we have no way of knowing.

If you have not watched Rain Man since you became knowledgeable about autism or have not watched it since 1989 I suggest you rewatch it before commenting on what the movie actually was. When I did rewatch it a year or two ago I was shocked at how much I did relate to the character. Sure his severity levels and life was quite different than mine but the core traits were pretty damm similar.

As far as the misperceptions they have been going on since autism was first discovered. It is in large part because autism is an invisible disability and our knowledge is limited and I believe the separation of Aspergers and Autism have played a role also.

For all you "shiny aspies" out there that have a good life now and think you are above or so different from the low functioning autistics you need to know that you maybe are a freak really bad occurrence from needing 24/7 maintenance and that freak thing can happen tomorrow or maybe you will be like me, life will go relatively ok then natural aging combined with trying to keep up with societal changes means you may not be able handle it and burn out. This happens to all sorts of people, it is called life. Autism combined being a small minority means this often happens considerably quicker and with more intensity than with typical people.

Well remember that Rain Man is more or less a representation of what it is to be like as a savant on the lower end of the spectrum. And a somewhat accurate one to say the least, their are many autistic people whose experiences match up to Rain Man's. Just look at Kim Peek and Stephen Wiltshire.

I really wish that in regards to film's like the account that the protagonist was not portrayed as autistic. I think Asperger's might have been a better way to go. If we label him as autistic we may create the wrong assumptions about the condition.

I am probably wrong. You certainly know yourself better than I do. But ask yourself this question, are you really disabled or is it the way society is now?

You are not an inferior specimen. I am not going to say why because you can answer that question. To me you come across as a strong person and the mere fact you have been through all that you have and adapted says something about your character, your a strong person.

As for ToM, I think its complicated. I am always going to struggle to interpret cues. But that is not all their is to empathy, its about communicating, listening and understanding what the speaker is saying. Many autistic people I have seen have been successful in doing that, my friends for instance, because we have similar struggles we are able to relate to one another.

I guess it is complicated. Like Androbot says it has to be examined by a case by case basis. I think someone like you has every right to speak out against what I have said. I am not sure whether those at the top have something comparable to a disability. I see it as like just being an average human full of strengths and flaws but whose strengths outweigh their struggles.

You're pretty young aren't you? I don't think you can appreciate the extent of the disability until you're an adult, I don't want to say things are going to get worse but it's a lot more than a difference for me and those intense special interests(I like history and politics a lot too) can only carry you so far. Maybe things are better for those a bit younger than me, I was diagnosed as a teen but it may as well be now since I didn't that official DX didn't give me any benefit during school. It's something that is going to forever make me bitter, I will forever hate the school district that refused to help me or let me leave but rather left me to rot, I hate them more than anybody in the world. If you're not disabled then either you've been immensely privileged in your life or possibly diagnosed in error, if you're living a good life then live your good life but most of us aren't as already mentioned. Millennials really are the most screwed generation in history, I fantasize all the time about being born at an earlier time where there might of been a use for me. Like I can't join the military but I know I could of in the past, people younger than me maybe will benefit from more understanding and a better environment growing up but I am forever screwed for being born at the time I was born.

I'm 16. I do unfortunately think their has been a lost generation for those on the spectrum. This year however has been an eye opener for me, I saw many autistic people get on well with their neurotypical peers. Environment may be everything. Sometimes I get really annoyed when I hear people like Outrider talk so pessimistically, he is a smart, young and perceptive guy and sometimes we just got to look to our strengths and let them carry us. If we do otherwise the results can be quite bad. But more importantly doing otherwise makes us disregard the potential we have, I have only recently begun to see that many of those with Autism and Asperger's are capable of adapting and having it good in massive ways. We got to follow in their steps, not fall beneath.

I would put it ... Some people's experience of autism is well-presented by the character. Rain Man is a character; not real.


Well, society is screwed up, no doubt. But I am disabled.


Thank you. By "inferior specimen" I mean I do not function optimally. Like being able to participate in an esteemed road race, but having to drive a Lada.


Interpreting cues is a compensatory tool. The problem remains. For me, I am simply not interested in the people around me. If there's a problem, I will help, but I prefer to be left alone.

That number of people's is likely to be fairly large. Low Functioning Autism accounts for the majority of autistic people.

What if society gave you the necessary supports and allowed you to be the person you are. Would you still be driving that Lada? That is the question.

The reason why I think you won't be driving the Lada in that situation is that I have seen supportive environments work greatly.

Then the issue has nothing to do with the ToM. You just can't be stuffed, and that is okay. I don't get what you were saying with the ToM?

You are assuming that these people identify with Rain Main. This may not be the case.



I have recently been reading a book written by a neuroscientist who inadvertently discovered he was a psychopath when his brain x-rays became mixed up with those of his patients. The book is called "The Psychopath Within" and it's an interesting insight into the functioning of the psychopathic mind. The author, James Fallon, writes:

"A dichotomy may exist between empathy, a fundamental connection with the pain of others and arising very early in life, and "theory of mind," a more elaborated medial prefrontal system that allows us to consider others' thoughts and beliefs, even if they're different from out own."

The thing is Rain Man has allot in common with those on the low functioning end of the spectrum. Due to that reason he can be said to be an accurate representation of them.


Now here is what I don't get why would you say that you lack a theory of mind. From what you wrote it seems like you just aren't always interested in interacting. That seems like just being really introverted nothing else. If your capable of understanding others allot then well how can you say that?

Oh cool, what's Fallon's mind like I wonder?

This is an assertion with no evidence. It is wise to use caution when referring to a character as an accurate representation of people. Characters are constructs.


What I am capable of understanding is due to a lot of work. It is not natural to me, which I think is why I am "introverted." I have spent a lot of time in my life working to learn ToM, mostly be trying to put myself in the mindframes of others. It has been costly and I don't bother as much anymore, but it's a useful skill.


I recommend picking up a copy at your library.

Rain Man is outdated but he is an embodiment of what autism is to a level.

So I guess you feel a bit worn down. Fair enough especially as you have so much yourself to deal with. You get to choose types of relationships you have with others, if you don't want to deal with people and constantly try to understand them, don't do it, just be yourself.

Might now in Auckland it is pissing. I won't be getting anything out for a few days possibly weeks.

CDC estimates 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder - CDC Newsroom