Isn't Everyone A Little Bit Autistic ?

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The multiple sliding scales makes sense to me. Would that be a dimensional approach? With there being a number of dimensions with the individual being at varying points from one dimension to another.

Yes, exactly. I do think that these differences are rooted in neuro-chemical differences, though. Maybe one day we will have better (or more accessible to the masses) brain scanning technology, and we might be able to actually come up with qualitative descriptions for various mental disabilities.

In many ways, I now fit in with my friends. In others, I don't. When the conversation turns to marriage or relationships, I have nothing to offer but a listening ear. I would love one day to be able to participate in such conversations. Years ago, I never even thought I would have anything to add about driving a car or other normal activities, but now I do.

I’m sorry I can’t provide links from this system, but hopefully someone else will: I can see a history lesson is needed here! Is everyone a little bit autistic? The answer is most definitely YES, because the word autistic refers to one of those aspects of the psyche which together, according to their relative strengths and weaknesses, determine our overall temperament and aptitudes (or, if you prefer, personality).

The first little known fact is that the label autistic has been in widespread use many years before Leo Kanner borrowed from it to coin the phrase autism, circa 1942. It was used, for instance, by Eugene Bleuler, in books around the turn of the century, in which he used it to describe a phase of schizophrenia, of which he was the originator. It should already be clear to you that the ever ongoing debate about whether we should use the phrase “autistic person” or “person with autism” is completely bogus: they are NOT interchangeable.

At this point it would be a good idea to check out Aaron Rosanoff’s 1921 paper “a Theory of personality…” which describes autism, along with the other such categories, being hysteroid, paranoid, manic, depressive and epileptoid (which is more relevant to Aspergers Syndrome than is the autistic aspect: a sizeable minority of those so diagnosed have strengths in the paranoid and epileptoid, only).

This theory was investigated in non clinical surroundings, to produce the Humm & Wadsworth Temperament Scale (1935) which used to use the same labels, but then, for what are claimed to be reasons of political correctness. For example, depressive became double guesser, epileptoid became engineer (check it out you aspies!) and autistic became artist, which is fair up to a point, but, other than they do not start with an a, both scientist and inventor, would be a better bet: checkout the biographies of any famous natural philosophers or inventors, and you will find evidence that they were overwhelmingly autistic! It is true that autistics are overrepresented among great artists and composers, but this is to a lesser extent.

The Chandler & Macleod Temperament and Aptitudes psychometric test (the full version of which I underwent in 1981; it takes hours to complete, and the output is fantastically detailed) was developed from this in the 1960s, as a tool to help recruiters to identify the best candidates for any given role. This too used the old labels to begin with, before switching. There is an on line “Mickey Mouse” 5 minute version of this you can try, and it is surprisingly consistent; better than any such tool used by autism researchers! At one time it also gave out scores (which is how I know about there being P/E amongst the A/E that most of those diagnosed with AS, posted. Wrong Planet was just one of several aspie sites that carried these threads, but now I can find no evidence they ever existed. The test was then taken down, to eventually be replaced with one with just a description, but no scores. Who benefits from this change is anyone’s guess?

It doesn't load for me. I guess it's been taken down.

diachronic linguistics

Everyone's dying too, so don't whinge about your cancer diagnosis.

I thought I'd post a nice video that I related too in the hope that others would also relate and share with friends to hopefully stop their autism being invalidated with flippant comments.

Nice analogy Rals

It is not "taken down". I can get it loud and clear.

Maybe you can use this link.

https://youtu.be/aWnyDvG7XEk

^I can see that video . I mean the 5 minute Chandler & Macleod Temperament and Aptitudes psychometric test

What you are supposed to be getting is that guy wearing a Led Zeppilin T shirt giving the lecture in question using a white board and markers.

Is that what you are seeing?

Yes, I got that. It was the 5 minute test I was talking about as not being available.

As it's you FM I found you a working version https://www.psychometricinstitute.com.a ... y-Test.asp

Gallows humor/flippancy aside, the analogy frames a relevant concern. Probably that was the point, but I want to state it directly. If "everyone is autistic" then does "Autism" actually mean anything?

Well there is borderline AS/autism which means they have many of the traits but are not significant enough to count as a symptom but yet they are still impaired by their other symptoms OR they slip in and out of it meaning they fall under the spectrum on their bad days or when they are stressed out same as how people on the autism spectrum can slip into being low functioning from high functioning or how some slip into being non verbal from verbal.

My mom says I slip in and out of Asperger's so I think it is possible. If one can slip in and out of low functioning autism or slip in and out of being non verbal, why not in and out of ASD? Makes perfect sense.