On the use of the term mild.

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I have subscribed for a Google alert about autism and Asperger. As for Asperger I receive many news pieces in which Asperger is called a mild form of autism. Of course compared to severe autism Asperger is much less frightening. People can be relatively self sufficient, sometimes they marry and have children, have an employment and may reach success in some definite field: music, painting, literature and even politics (but beware of AS politicians! Hitler might have been one of them). As there is huge difference between being paralyzed and being lame, so there is (at least externally) a great difference between a severe autistic person and an AS.
But using the term mild people tend to oversee the fact that the life of an AS is not mild at all and may in fact be a devastated life, especially if (as in great many cases of adults) is not diagnosed and if (this again happens most of the times) there is no understanding of what being AS means. The term "mild" should really be used with great caution.

The usual distinction between Kanner's autism and Asperger's autism concerns delayed cognitive and language development. However, within both categories, there are degrees of functioning. For instance, Temple Grandin is a high-functioning Kanner's autistic. We have both high-functioning Kanner's autistics and relatively low-functioning Asperger's autistics here on WP.

How we describe or construct autism, and its subtypes, will continue to change.

hurrah for being grouped in with hitler, that's very intelligent/useful isn't it?

Michael Fitzgerald,who clinically diagnosed over 900 individuals with autism and Asperger's Syndrome and is an expert in autism spectrum disorders, thinks that Hitler suffered from, and met all the criteria of Asperger's Syndrome as documented by Hans Asperger. As evidence of Asperger's Fitzgerald cites Hitler's poor sleep patterns, food fads, dislike of physical contact, inability to forge genuine friendships, and an emptiness in his human relations.
Fitzgerald further states that Hitler had a bed compulsion, which demands that the bed be made in a particular way with the quilt folded according to a prescribed pattern and that a man must make the bed before he could go to sleep. He did not use language for the purpose of interaction with others, but only for the purpose of dominating others. He endlessly engaged in long-winded and pedantic speeches, with 'illogical arguments full of crude comparisons and cheap allusions. He was unable to carry on a normal conversation or discussion with people. He simply forgets his companions, repeating the same stories over and over again in exactly the same form, almost as though he had memorised them. People found his look ‘staring and dead.’
Fitzgerald claims, therefore, that Adolf Hitler meets the criteria described by Hans Asperger and was not schizophrenic.

Two questions 1. Do you believe tha all AS are lambs or franciscan friars or Gandhian non violent people? 2. Do you think that deciding if an historical character is Asperger or not may be a matter of opportunity or utility?

Good topic. My own doctors have used the term "mild" concerning me. I think the mild denotes more social interactions as they never seem to take into concern environmental sensitivities; some of mine are quite extreme. However, they tell me I am mild enough that it is detrimental for me to be around other Aspies. Course I never mentioned WP to them.

One dr has told me the extremely uncaring CEO's that lay people off at Christmas are Aspies. It makes sense because so many AS people have lack of empathy. I think people are fooling themselves to think all Aspies are dependant and live in the parent's basement, etc because I see many highly successful, wealthy physicians and professors who most certainly have behaviors on the spectrum. So I am not at all surprised that Hitler might have had AS.

IMO, Hitler's behavior can better be explained by various personality disorders, especially schizotypal, paranoid, and antisocial.

Here is one example of a study on Hitler:

http://web.uccs.edu/fcoolidg/Hitler%20PDF%20unproof.pdf

Even if he might have been on the spectrum, his spectrum condition would likely have been secondary to various personality disorders.

Unfortunatly, a lot of people can lack of empathy when greed is involved. Or getting power. This doesn't mean they are aspies.

It seems that recently people tends to use the word autist abusively. This is not good news for real autists and aspies. I know a guy that is selfish and not able to really listen. He is not on the spectrum at all. On the contrary he is an alpha male.

I don't say aspies are all kind and good people. But even if you lack of empathy this doesn't make you a monster.

Yes, I suspect that most really monstrous people have personality disorders of one sort or another.

I agree. When I mention my AS to others, I always say it's a "relatively mild form of autism". I think most people already know at least a little bit about autistic behavior, so I figure the term "mild" lets them know that my behavior isn't as severe as they might expect. I throw in the "relatively" to let them know that the AS is still an issue to some extent.

Admittedly, I don't have any evidence that this approach really works as intended. I think most people just write me off as weird.

Do you think there aren't bad aspies? I mean look at the odds. Someplace along the time line there must have been. We sure have enough people trying to equate others to the good side. It isn't hard to find those lists. Where is the bad list? I run into the label thing all the time with bipolar, it's been around a while longer and had longer to garner the bad side of the mystic.


Subject reply: Mild is subjective. However I find the terms high functioning useful in describing myself through out the years. There are times I was higher functioning. While that could easily be argued, it does tend to lend itself to self description for those in the need to know. I do think higher functioning is subjective as well. I look for terms here that help describe what is going on in real time, or anytime for that matter. I find it difficult to get what is happening from my side to their side in communication. If the word mild worked I would use it as well.

You don't often hear a distinction when bipolar is described in the world at large. But it can vary and does between two people. Most often we hear it in terms of recent and often horrendous news. Be thankful there is at least an attempt being made, even if poorly with AS.