Truth: Aspergers, Art & Introductions

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Hi everyone. I'm 19 and I was diagnosed just in January. After years, slowly putting the pieces together, I found my way coming back again and again to Aspergers as an explanation, and decided find out more.

As an artist, I have serious problems explaining to the average person that art does not always require some deep pretentious intellectual explanation only accessible to the artist and elite collectors, and that all of it is not nonsensical. Music, likewise, does not require (but can have) a deep explanation. This then led me to try to understand what people consider impactful or attractive and how to create this reaction with people, thus I was led to neuroscience which I've started studying in my spare time as I do not do well with curriculums... To understand people (and most animals), you have to understand the brain and the (metaphorical) heart. I'm hoping one day perhaps my love of both fields will help me clear out some misconceptions about aspergers, art, and perhaps more. Wishful thinking.

A particular TV show, Parenthood, completely infuriated me. I have a serious pet peeve for easily avoided ignorance. It both enrages me and saddens me that people feel something along the lines of [quoting the father on the show pertaining to Aspergers] "I can handle disease and sickness, but not this." Followed by sentiments of "How do I fix this?"

The question is, how do we fix misconception?
I know that in severe cases, Aspergers can be considered a disability, however I think the world needs a little clarity. It frustrates me that I cannot make them see the truth about this. Would I feel sorry for you simply because you cannot paint? No, because that is simply a fact, for now as you can learn to do so with varying degrees of success. In the same way that I cannot focus in a room full of many copies of one object, or in crowds. It is a fact, for now as I can learn to do so again with varying degrees.

We all have our weaknesses and strengths. We all have our idiosyncrasies. Being diagnosed with Aspergers simply explained who I already was, not a tragedy of who I cannot be thanks to a disorder. I didn't find out that I had cancer or any sort of sickness, contrary to popular belief. I simply found out I was me, which I already knew.

When I broke the news to an acquaintence, she said "Don't say that! It'll pass! Like the flu! You'll get better." It makes me angry. But nowadays, I've learned to accept it and to understand ways of explaining it to people, in order to inform them. To make them aware of a more accurate view. It is realy, really unfortunate that due to media representations such as movies or television, that Aspergers and other autism spectrum disorders are shown to be debilitating. As something tragic. As something that requires sympathy. As a dramatic device.

[I was unsure which forum to post this in. One of my habits is I tend to make connections and flow from one subject to another. Apologies if this needs to be moved and again for how long this post was].

The sad thing is, Perlin, people like that will never disappear. The main thing, is raising awareness and educating people to see aspergers as more of a difference and less of a disability or a problem. The "normal" people of this world are the ones who disabled us in the first place because of their ignorance and inability to deal with something that is different and unknown to them. Basically I think that the ego and closed minded attitudes are the main cause of ignorance, so opening peoples minds is what we really need to do; through awareness raising and teaching of tolerance we can open peoples minds and open them up to our differences.

You are very well spoken by the way

You don't really. You can't really "fix" something that multiplies on its own.

There is a riddle that can be applied with a little bit of adjustment:

Q: How do you eat an elephant?

A: One bite at a time.

The difference with misconceptions about Autism is that though you might be able to eat an elephant one bite at a time, and eventually the elephant is gone, combating misconceptions of Autism is more like trying to eat the entire population of elephants one bite at a time. While you are eating one, more are reproducing. It's the same way with Autistic conceptions.

All we can do is share what we know one person at a time. While we are doing that, more are forming misconceptions. It takes organized and concerted efforts to stamp out misconceptions about anything, and it is never fully "stamped out."

The best thing to do is focus on those who, for you, matter the most. Pick your battles. Will enlightening this person or that person benefit you or any other Autistic in some way? If so, then get to work educating them. If not, maybe it's not worth the effort. There is only so much we can do. Some misconception isn't important.

I agree with what you say about the disorder not being a disability, and in some cases I might not call it a disorder at all, it's just a difference.

It's different for a parent, though. A parent's reaction to their child receiving the diagnosis is going to be different than someone who's gone their whole life knowing that they were different and has probably already accepted it. If anything they would probably be relieved to finally get an explanation, like you said. A parent wants EVERYTHING for their child, they want their child to fit in and they don't want their child to have to deal with discrimination from ignorant people. They don't want to have to explain to the child that they are different, although most Aspie kids know this anyway once they reach school age. I haven't really watched the show, but I'd say the writers do decent job of portraying a realistic situation based on what I've read about it. It isn't that he parents are ignorant. They may be ignorant at first but I'm sure they're are just concerned abut Max's future and how they are going to deal with the misconceptions about the disorder and the ignorance of other people.

It is quite sad. When I was younger I tried 'forceful' tactics of persuasion but nowadays I find patience is the best starting point, although I still have a habit of getting too flustered sometimes. And thanks very much, I find I communicate better in writing, but not because its written. I can speak the way I write, but it seems to come off as abnormal in typical social situations with people my age. For example, I feel like using a particular word because it fits the exact meaning of what I'd planned, but it sounds too formal so I just end up keeping quiet.



That's true. I tend to be quite brash sometimes! There really isn't a 'final solution' to it all, but perhaps time is an important 'part' of the solution the problem.



Indeed, I spent last night trying to explain to my mother my view on it, but I do know that she means well. I think perhaps words are not enough, or that maybe people will never have the same view of a 'personal' feeling; confusing personal belief with objective fact. But then again, nothing is anything objective? Like how a piece of music sounds different to each person. It's possible that this has been the pitfall I've yet to realise.

On the other hand, in terms of parents, you're right. They can never avoid 'parenting' because that's who they are, and that's their responsibility to their child.