Un-learning Asperger

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Steve and Eller

My Asperger indicators noted: score c.40 on the Baron-Cohen AQ test (found e.g. at http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html), classic Aspie socialising problems (painfulness, inappropriate comments, lack of understanding and empathy), eye contact pain, intense interests, systemising interests (both sides of family engineers, I trained as engineer, worked in computer programming, financial analysis), sensory issues including high sensitivity to clothing materials, my system crashes described to me by a well-known Aspie counsellor as 'classic Aspie behaviour pattern'. (I have interacted with a number of Aspie specialists at the very highest level, none of whom have said 'You are not AS' or similar, but also none of whom have accepted my thesis as yet.)

Ref wanting some 'professional' to fix AS - why are you guys waiting for some saviour? - I thought Aspie's were great problem-solvers etc etc - why don't we do it ourselves, share ideas, share what works...

Patrick, could you explain to us how you self-cured?


Thank you all everyone for engaging with me on this. I've added a 'Problems, Challenges etc' page to my site. Here's hoping some of you find a way out too if ever you want one. All the best

I don't want some 'professional' to fix AS, I just don't want to be 'fixed' I don't see myself as damaged in any way.

JCJC777,

Can't you see what you are obsessing over? It's plainly obvious from here.... You're looking for a reason and a remedy for said reason; a place to lay blame, and said place to fix.

It is however the narrow minded obsession that brings AS to light.
What he needs is education, to like you said stop pitting the blame because if he IS as and he does believe he is a problem solver he'd stop looking for a place to blame and start looking for ways to work with it. Not all PROBLEMS need terminated - sometimes the best problem solving is finding a USE for said problem.

well yeah i dont think this JC guy has much understanding of as.
i wouldn't diagnose myself with something i know little about, probably best for him to see an expert in the area. maybe, after that he can come back and start telling us about how he can cure something.

Agreed.

I am diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and I managed to 'relearn' a lot of life. I won't bore the rest of you with the details, but as I mentioned, maybe it was more about developing my intuition than JCJC's approach.

well i dont even know what that means
forgive me if i am wrong, but you are just a sock-puppet, yes?

Last edited by Kosmonaut on 15 May 2007, 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

I still don't understand what everyone means by 'unlearn' or 'relearn' when Aspergers isn't somethign you learn in the first place.

The term unlearn is more symbolic. Like racism. We 'learned' these racist outlooks by upbringing, media, ect and now we need to 'unlearn' these views. Thing is though, we're not unlearning we're learning to change. The term unlearn sounds demeaning to me, its like you're going back in time. Maybe this is just my desire for growth and future but I don't like the idea of having to LOOSE knowledge.

Nevertheless like you said, you don't LEARN AS anyways. Its not a trait you pick up, its not something you develop after a series of events like PTSD, its something you're born with so if you want to help yourself, if you think you need to change who you are a little to fit in more or to pursue your personal goals you need to LEARN how to do it not unlearn.

I'm not sure the idea of 'unlearning' Asperger's Syndrome makes sense either. Although I feel autism must be 'learned' by the foetus in the womb -through its emerging awareness following the pathways developing in its brain-, JCJC's approach sounds needlessly oriental/zen/jihadi. I may give it a try as a meditation exercise though.

P.s. If I'm "society's sock-puppet", can't there be sock-puppets of autism too?

P.p.s. Is there any proof that AS is any more than dormant before age 2 or so? Proof that it isn't a decision foisted on a baby by its developing brain structure?

People with a low number of posts can still have an opinion and not be a sockpuppet.

you think i dont know this ?

Lots of it - babies not making eye-contact with their parents or doctors, babies showing signs of hypersensibility right after birth, babies not screaming when they're hungry.... Only the diagnosis 'AS' can only be applied at a certain age, the spectrum traits are there.

Uhm yeah, I knew how to walk, talk, and write in full sentences before I was two but when it came to socializing with other children or interaction with caregivers I was a f*****g dunce and usually pitched a fit due to my inability to express emotional needs or things I couldn't do for my self being I was two and all.

I still do this. Just came back from a small meeting with a youth program connection lady and because it required me to extrovert my personal opinions rather than objective analysis I was stimming, spitting sputtering and disorganized beyond belief. Must have looked like a damn fool.

Babies not screaming when they're hungry. Theres a big one I didn't think of before. Apparently when I was young I was really well behaved. Never complained at all.

As a baby my parents were always worried whether I got enough to drink because I didn't "tell" them. I was only complaining about having to touch the wrong kind of textures. And that very loudly. But I didn't scream for food. Probably that had to do with the body contact involved. (Consequently, my first diagnosis was LFA, though it proved wrong later)