I can go with Type A & B.
Going back to the source, Asperger was defining what was not a defect, profound Autism, but only a collection of traits that while perhaps different, did produce results, and he commented that Science and the Arts depended on a bit of autism.
His type cases have been tracked down, most seemed to be just living normal lives.
What Asperger pointed out was a pattern shift, less concern with the social, humans, more focus on the self and things. Type A & B.
There is no monolithic Asperger Type. While he does point out several general traits, he does not consider it a disability. He says that Special Interests will lead to careers.
None of his type cases were instituionalized, they lived at home, went to school, and did develop careers, normal lives.
He does seem to be describing Special Interests, Focus, lack of Social Concern, as good human traits.
Somewhere in the rise of Psychology, a store front religion from the 60's, did it get called a triad of impairments. Their view was they could make money off of it. It did not rise to the level of a disability, qualify for Social Security by it's self. They did find that giving people enough drugs did raise impairment to disability level, and more billable hours.
That view has been rejected by the FDA, DEA, AMA, in that there are no drugs that have a positive effect on any form of autism.
The latest view, which I agree with, is the Markrams, who call it Intense World Syndrome, that people do a few things very well, but trying to do many things causes a shutdown of function.
Some brains are wired to be Specialist, others Generalist. Each have places they excel, neither does well in the other's field.
The Markrams move it into Neurology, and point out the World has a Syndrome, one which many people are unable to keep up with. My Type Case for this ignores the world around them, knows nothing of history, but lives in a sheltered world of knowing the sports scores, and they can talk for hours about one game.
Both groups are suffering from Intense World Syndrome, one moves toward a focused isolation, the other toward a social engagment based on how a game could have been won if the kicker had not been traded last season.
The Specialist choses things, the Generalist human interaction.
From a good of the world view, Specialists might produce something useful to all, alone, writing computer code for hundreds of hours, but Generalists are less likely to reform the world of sports by their observations.
This is not a new problem, in days of old it was Specialists who were chosen at a young age and apprenticed to be slaves of a trade for fourteen years, who then became Masters. This is the path that developed technology.
The Generalists spent their days looking at the back end of a horse, and on weekends, got to town for the Bull and Bear fights, or dogs in the smaller towns, or chickens in the villages. It gave them something to talk about during the week.
Apprentices were forbidden to speak, and they seem to have liked that rule. While they were total slaves, if they ran off their Master could hang them without trial, they were protected from being involved with the common mob.
It is in the best interest of the State to provide for both types, without Generalists we would starve, no one to work,be overrun by enemies, no one to fight, and without Specialists, we would starve, for no new ways would be developed, and overrun by enemies because old ways lose.
Maintaining Type B's who are below minority, downright rare, is a cheap way to keep a vital culture.
Type B's main trait is they are not one type. Some are into mechanics, others experts on a broad field of other subjects. In America half the Patents, the better half, come from self motivated people working from their kitchen or garage. Corporations and Universities get the lesser half.
One person in thousands does prouduce the technology that then employs thousands for the future.
One person in a hundred might produce ten jobs. Companies that employ five or less people produce most of the new jobs. Type B's make places they do fit in. They could become a tour guide for some old city. It does create indirect employment for airlines, bus drivers, places that serve food, supply rooms, the ripple effect.
The question of the social cost of disability is self produced, for every disabled person ten or more of the same can be found who are making it work for them and others. It seems to be a differance of personal circumstance. The wrong type of stress produces a shutdown and rejection, other paths are open.
As I have said from the first, the subject cannot be studied without looking at the better adult outcomes. I would say 90% of the Autistic have never heard of Asperger, and would not consider themselves Autistic, like Rainman. That was me a few years ago.
WP gave me some range, now I am Type B.
11 Sep 2009, 8:48 pm
