Horrific Article in NY Magazine

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It's not about whether AS is actually rare or not. Of course I don't approve of people calling themselves Aspie just because they think it's cool or they don't want to be mainstream, but honestly, I don't exactly think their numbers are in the thousands. And it's pretty amazing how apparently you can judge by a few forum posts whether or not somebody has Asperger's. That sounds very condescending, if you ask me. Maybe we should all stop going for an official diagnosis and just ask you to guess, then.

From where did you get that I judged only by a few posts? I know some people here that SURELY don't have aspergers, it is obvious from their posts - few or not. Don't put me to name them because I won't. And why do you feel so offended?

Well, the tone of your post felt pretty condescending - like "don't even try, because I know better."

No, I didn't said that I know better, but I have the right to have my own opinion. As I said, I doubt that some people here really have aspergers.
I don't appreciate this herd mentality either.

You can't deny that there is a herd mentality on this forum, just like on all the other forums on the internet.

I read the article and 100% agree with the OP. I, too, think the author should apologize. Saying that either presidential candidate might have Aspergers is absurd.

... The author didn't say either presidential candidate has it. He only said that people are starting to say various celebrities have it just because of certain things they've done. He is saying that people are throwing around the word "asperger" indiscriminately and without any real understanding of what it means, which I think almost everyone here would agree with.

It's not a particularly good article, in my opinion, but I honestly don't see anything (at least in the first few pages, I have other priorities in life than reading 7 pages of poorly-written articles) to be offended by.

I already posted this in the beginning of the thread, but maybe this needs pointing out again. Did all of you guys who are offended miss this paragraph on the second page?

He's saying people throw around the words without any understanding of what they mean, because they see asperger's in terms of its obvious symptoms of social inappropriateness and don't realize that it's actually a very serious disability involving, aside from difficulty understanding non-verbal communication and other social rules, also sensory issues, poor body awareness, etc. As a result, people are throwing around the label of Asperger inappropriately - if all these people were actually on the spectrum as people suggest, then EVERYONE must be on the spectrum, which they are obviously not. Furthermore, many people are wondering if they have AS simply because they are socially awkward, even though they lack any of the other issues.

Again, it's not particularly well-written at all, but I don't disagree with any of that.

I have been busy, but look - the real problem I have with the article is that, while there is a tiny line saying he's not talking about everyone, it frames autism as something to greet with doubt. So, if people read this and talk to you, they're going to be presuming you're a lazy brat, making excuses for your wife/husband, even if it's properly diagnosed. That's the damage.

Could you imagine this was being written about people being bipolar? Or, how about someone who was simply developmentally disabled, but not with ASD? Why don't they just "try harder?" "Clearly they're making excuses." I could imagine the reaction to that. How many times have we heard "Why don't you "just be normal?"" Ugh!! !!

And, then use references with zero expertise, like Nora, an author and the couples' counselors who know nothing of it. I've been to therapists who specialize it, and if they're good, they admit that's not their expertise and refer you to someone who actually knows autism. They won't just spout out and give their opinion, off the cuff.

To me, having this is hard enough . Now if I mention it, I feel I might have to PROVE I really have it, and even with that, they still may doubt it if they read this article. That's what I can't stand about it. Yes, some people may be giving unscientific guesses, but people are not being improperly diagnosed. Not only was it poorly written, poorly referenced and used zero credible experts, but it was terrible journalism, to top.

So going forward, I'm going to have to check if any NT I came across read about that article and has yet ANOTHER inaccurate impression of me, which I now have to justify my diagnosed condition. Fantastic.

Last edited by JRR on 08 Nov 2012, 9:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

I see Puff Daddy there. And Slash? If they have Aspergers, I am the King of Sweden.

Well no one ever believes I have it anyway because I've spent so many years learning to hide it and am good at mimicking other people, so I'm always met with doubt when I have to tell people I have it and need to "prove" it anyway.

Also, I think he has a valid point about the DSM-IV criteria not being specific enough. Almost all the criteria are based on social issues, which is only one part of asperger syndrome. There are other things that can cause social issues, but autism is also sensory and body control/awareness issues which are not in the diagnostic criteria. This means that people *are* being diagnosed with asperger syndrome when they don't actually have it.

I don't think it's overdiagnosed in general, because I'm certain it's massively underdiagnosed in women and adults, but that doesn't mean that everyone who is diagnosed actually has it. I'm sure many do not and are being treated for something they don't even have. I've seen so many forum threads along the lines of "I'm kind of awkward, do I have asperger syndrome?" It is SO much more than that.

I know that's not a popular thing to say on this site, but it's the truth. It is unfortunate that so many people misunderstand what asperger syndrome is and treat people with it unfairly, but let's face it, it's the same with many other conditions as well. I think this article makes valid points overall, but is just very poorly written and supported. If it were written properly and with better source citation, I'd say it's a good article. As it stands, maybe I'll try to summarize and rewrite what the author seems to have intended (I'll put it in my blog with a reference to the source), and maybe people will be less offended by that.

Is this an American thing? I was just thinking that I know one person who is diagnosed with asperger's and one who might be. I've never heard asperger's used as a slang term or in a derogatory way - it would be like calling someone the n word.

I also don't understand why there can't be a high number of people who aren't NTs - does it shake the NT world that there's people who are different amongst them? It's like saying, sorry we've filled our quota for cancer, so you must not have cancer.

Sort of funny.
but This author obviously never looked at the negative sides to the spectrum and the damage this type of rant does to those that need help in so many aspects of their lives.

They seem to think all people in high places are on the spectrum. Probably true
I can not function below an NT. but every NT wants to be in the superior IQ range.
They seem to think they understand what they are talking about. Probably false
They lack the attention span to do the research.
They also lack the ability to see beyond the book they are reading or to adjust the knowledge accordingly.
If they knew what they were talking about they would realize that all of our leaders are most likely on the spectrum and their lack of empathy is why they keep getting richer why the rest of us pick up the tab.
Logic says they only way to combat that is continued study of the spectrum. Understand how we all operate and how different we are so we can form better partnerships.
In 1980 they realized I was very smart but failing every class
they called me lazy. They said they could not reach me. Then they asked me why.
when I was 13 I told them; there is a greater gap between my IQ and theirs and than Their
IQ and some one who is developmentally challenged according to their own IQ charts. I did not see the point in learning the things they taught because they had no practical use in my life. These people graduate with the ability to play Yankee doodle on a flute and paint with q-tips, but they can't cook, or change the oil in their car, or have any understanding how the worlds systems work.

Although half of them think the aliens are already here, they just can figure out that we are right in front of their face...lizard people:) LOL

Lets just settle this right now. FREE SPECTRUM EXAMS FOR EVERYONE!
They can prove they are right and we can get a bunch of NTs fakers out of our club!
Let NY Magazine put up or shut up! Take the "ASPIE CHALLENGE"

OK, It took about an hour to try to summarize this article in a way that I think gets the points across more clearly. I don't agree with everything in the article, but I certainly wouldn't call it "horrific." The author seems to understand that AS is more than just social awkwardness and is trying to show that you can't call someone an Aspie just because they did something you didn't like. If anyone is interested, it's here - feel free to leave feedback, whether positive or negative. I will allow all reasonably polite comments to be posted, but I have to approve each one individually so please be patient if yours doesn't show up right away.

http://crowdedhead.blog.com/2012/11/08/ ... -spectrum/

Good blog post.

Thank you very much. : ) The purpose of this blog is education - if I'm successful enough, maybe I can help to prevent some of the thinking that causes the problems this article discusses. That's my goal, anyway.

I think the word "horrific" is misused more than the the word "Asperger's."