AndrewWH wrote:
Also when I signed up for an account the was a drop down selection and I didn't know what any of them were so I picked nyorotipical or something. What does that mean.
Neurotypical refers to those who don't have an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
AndrewWH wrote:
Is aspergers a disease?
It's a syndrome, not a disease. It's the result of a deleterious mutation, and not any more contagious than having a particular eye or hair color. I don't know, I'm personally absolutely terrified of catching blondeness, but most people tell me that I have nothing to be afraid of.
AndrewWH wrote:
What is it? Is he...ret*d?
Asperger's, along with all other Autism Spectrum Disorders, is a primarily social dysfunction. Individuals with Asperger's Disorder fail to develop natural abilities to read nonverbal cues and to make appropriate responses to social situations. These can be and often are learned to at least some extent. Other symptoms like stimming (repetitive physical behaviors), narrow and intense interests, and (in the case of Asperger's Disorder) issues with visuo-spatial processing are often common. On a biological level, the mechanism for Asperger's Disorder is not fully known, but likely results from a mutation in the part of the genome which codes for the nervous transmembrane protein neuroligin. It's possible that Asperger's results from problems with myelinated white matter in the interior portion of the brain, resulting in problematic connections between different neural regions. There are other theories as well with similar levels of support, but this explanation seems likely in my mind as at least a contributing factor, since it would help to account for significant difficulties in non-verbal processing.
Asperger's, by definition, does not include mental retardation. A diagnosis of mental retardation rules out a diagnosis of Asperger's entirely, and suggests another Autism Spectrum Disorder. If your roommate actually has Asperger's Disorder, then he isn't ret*d, and even if he were, then you would ideally still treat him as you would any other human being. You know, with decency.
Last edited by globalwolf2010 on 30 Jun 2012, 4:12 pm, edited 3 times in total.