More understanding than not.

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A while back I decided to embark on a little research study to determine the perspectives of the majority of people who had heard of it on those with Asperger's Syndrome or the concept of it in general.

My hypothesis was that most people would be of the opinion that AS was not "real" and that those with it were just "spoiled", "difficult", "rude", and many other things we have collectively been accused to be by some individuals.

I had to rely largely on data collected from the internet, in forums, which in my opinion was most ideal as people generally feel more inclined to speak their mind under the guise of semi-pseudo-anonymity.

I was quite surprised to see comments expressive negative views on the subject countered by long threads of multiple comments expressing positive views. That is to say, a person claiming that AS did not exist was countered by multiple people insisting otherwise. Some of these individuals who countered the negative claims had AS themselves and others claimed to be parents or relatives of someone with AS, however many individuals wrote in about co-workers, neighbors, or friends with it while others did not indicate how they came by their familiarity with AS but supported it's existence none the less.

I was quite glad to find evidence to weaken my hypothesis.

What kinds of forums were these?

On MBTI personality forums, I found that only a small minority of people did not believe in the existence of AS.

On fandom forums, such as for TV shows on which characters might have AS, seemingly everyone believed in the existence of AS, although most did not believe that the characters, e.g. Bones, had AS, even while knowing that the producers had intended the characters to have AS without saying so onscreen, or if the actors had said that they were playing the characters to have AS.

Unfortunately, we live in a society where we have all sorts of diagnoses that are difficult to "prove". I myself, thought that ADHD, while being a valid problem, was way over-diagnosed and over-medicated. I felt that while there were some valid cases that needed medical intervention, that most cases were active children with lazy adults who wanted them to be more manageable. When a psychologist diagnosed my with ADHD at 27, I was like "ok, so that explains a few things, but did I really need the diagnosis?" When my younger son was 5 1/2 and couldn't sit still for 30 seconds to watch a favorite TV program, I took him to a therapist who confirmed ADHD and not just simply being an "active" child. I agreed to try medication, and it has made a world of difference. So, I have been through quite the spectrum of thought on ADHD, and that is easier to deal with than AS.

With AS, it is harder. For people who haven't had to deal with it first hand...they see a person who looks "normal" (especially if they have learned to control any stimming), and can often act like a NT for at least some period of time. My son with AS can often pass as NT unless he is tired or ends up getting frustrated. Then, with no warning, he can melt down and start throwing things. In public, this can really look like a kid throwing a major temper tantrum (who is obviously too old at 9 to act like that). Strangers with no experience with ASD probably think that my kid is a spoiled brat who needs a good spanking. My mom has even suggested getting Super Nanny in to deal with him. If I try to explain to someone that my son has AS, and is just over-tired, they act in one of 2 ways: either they have experience with ASD and "get it", in which case they probably can see enough traits to know it for themselves, or they have no clue and think I am just a parent who will make excuses for any behavior so that I don't look like a "bad" parent.

Unfortunately, there are too many parents who make too many excuses for their kids. AS is just one of the newer excuses that people can use to explain behavior that is not deemed socially appropriate. I am sure to many people without personal experience, it may seem like just an excuse. I know I was that way with ADHD before I really saw it affect my son.