Asperger - Science Orientation: Have We Been Mistaken?

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In the Asperger group I go to (Rhode Island Chapter of the Asperger Association of New England), the correlation is not with Asperger Syndrome and Science, but with Asperger Syndrome and Art. Several of the persons are very good artists. I cannot draw by hand but I have managed to make up for it with Adobe Photoshop.

I am wondering if Aspies gravitate more towards the Visual Arts than neurotypicals because of the intense concentration in producing an artistic work.

I like science and art. And I'm pretty good at both. But I must admit with art, I only use programs like Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Premiere, Fireworks, Dreamweaver) and I'm better at the technical side than the artistic side. I can re-create someone else's artwork, but I'm not so good at coming up with my own

Some like the written word

I do art by hand. I love to carry out all the steps to create a great masterpiece. OK, that exaggerating a bit. I just love the process, no matter how long and stressful it is. I tire mentally and physically too.

It takes a bit for me to imagine something up. I need examples and to see it visually. I struggle when seeing something three dimensional and my spatial awareness takes a type of concious focus. But zooming in on details I can do and do well.

The other day I decided I would get back into drawing Lion King characters as a gift I'd paint for my niece for Christmas has that theme. And it took 10-15 minutes to draw something that looked almost accurate. I was happy and now I think I've found one thing I'm good at. I did spend my childhood copying any image I found, even paused the VHS so much I broke the tape. Actually my sister was the one who paused last.

I think anything that involves detail and effort of some form will be represented by an Aspie - although it doesn't necessarily have to be. In which field that interest can be attributed, solely depends on the person. I guess a comparison between how numerous Aspies have been in the arts and science throughout history in ratio with Neurotypicals can be made (assuming certainty in the mental development and symptoms of these individuals;) however, I'd think the results would be the same or at least similar. I like the idea that people with autism have an integral role in society that complements the role of Neurotypicals. Without such a range of diversity in how thinking works, we wouldn't be as far as we are today in the development of human society. As we evolve further, and the differences in how the brain works become even more significantly diverse, so shall we have more potential. That is as long as a political or cultural division based on these differences doesn't divide us.

I personally am not very creative in any form of art: musical, visual, or literary. I enjoy or appreciate the efforts and pieces made by others though.

I have a BSc in microbiology, but I'm also an amateur artist. When I was at school, my best subjects were science and art. I studied science instead of art, as I felt pushed in that direction. My parents saw art as a good hobby, but nothing more than that, even though my art teacher was encouraging me to apply to art school. If I had my time back, I would have gone to art school instead. To me, art, science and mathematics are very connected - from technical drawing to the colours and it's effect on the brain and emotions. Even in my job, I saw the connection. I used to design databases - for me, this is art (they had too look nice), logic and maths, all entwined.

I think some of us like science, some of us like art, some of us like neither, and some of us like other things.

The assumption that it must be one particular thing is more a mistake than anything.

Also, I like science, art, writing, and music.

Science resonates very deeply with me. I love to absorb information about just about anything. I dont understand why everyone else is not at intensely interested in every intricacy of how nature functions. I wish television only had science shows on all the time. Ok well i like some variety now and then and occasionally find satisfaction in non-educational entertainment, but i just wish i didn't have to stay up until 2 in the morning find a good science show on history channel or pbs. National Geographic channel i would have to say most consistently has good stuff on at any point through the day, but the basic cable at my place of residence does not give me access to this channel when i am at my apartment.

I also love art. I can channel the thoughts inside me that cannot be expressed with directly representational language.

Silver and Shiska
have you ever experimented with non-representational art? some would call it abstract, but technically speaking abstract art, is an abstraction of a real object, furthermore fundamentally speaking even a photorealistic representation is an abstraction because it is an image of the object, not the object itself.

anywho. just get your medium and your surface, and start making something. paint, ink, clay, whatever else.
it may not sound like much, and you may have never thought much of abstract art, but i think once you start working in it your presuppositions change.

I am a physical xerox machine. I can almost exactly recreate works by hand as long as I have it as a reference, but I cant come up with my own stuff and make it look even remotely good.

I used to draw by hand when I was a kid, but then I stopped and you kind of forget it. I do lots of um... "art" in Photoshop though. I like to express my feelings this way. I also photograph nature, it makes me feel good. I'm generally more "artsy" than anything, I also create some amateur music too in Reason, but I admire and respect science and read a lot about it but my mind was always too "dysfunctional" to focus well enough on science subjects. I really wish I could get a crack at electronics, there are so many cool things one can do these days, but I can't wrap my brain around it