Hey Rocket Geeks - get out your DSM-IVs

In spite of the title the article is mora about autism than aspergers syndrome. Aspergers is considered a very mild form of autism. A distant cousins daughter was misdiagnosed for many years as autistic, until she was properly diagnosed as the 21st person in the world with some other specific genetically identifyable fingerprint.

No. I'm on a different page in the DSM :-)

I do know someone I suspect has Aspergers. But like so many other conditions, this diagnosis didn't exist when we were kids, and there is virtually no literature on adults with any of these "childrens" disorders.

Bob Kaplow NAR # 18L TRA # "Impeach the TRA BoD" >>> To reply, remove the TRABoD!

Asperger's doesn't demonstrate the stout disconnectedness that autism does. Children with Asperger's are more educable, especially in social norms as communication. They also don't generally demonstrate the same clinginess that autistic children do but often maintain some lack of eye contact.

Autism used to be blamed on mother's who seemed to be less tactile, or "chillier", hence the phrase "Refrigerator Mothers". Autism - as is Aspergers' - is neurological. More has been understood about Asperger's in the last 5 years than since its identification. Unfortunately, most schools in the US provide no programs that recognize Asperger's.

Gene "see-what-happens-when-you're-SO-is-a-shrink?" Costanza

P.S. We generally wax poetic about psychology when the rocket gab peters out...

P.P.S. You said "wax"...hehhehhehhehhhehhhehhhe

P.P.P.S. You said "peters"....hehhhehhhehhhehhhehhe

P.P.P.P.S. The DSM says I have priapism :-)> or is that the PDR?

Gee, me and my drink'n buddies thought Asperger's was...well, never mind.

...WHITE CASTLE!!!.. wooHOOOOOO!!!

message

My (fraternal) twin brother was diagnosed with Aspergers a couple of years ago. His life has been spiralling inwards since he was a teenager, and he's *always* been rather "odd". Never fitted in socially, awkward in his physical movements, and obsesses about things--these days *any* conversation with him ends up being steered into this weird ultra-dogmatic world of politics.

He graduated from college, held several jobs, even taught an undergraduate C programming course. But he hasn't been able to hold a job, or even live what might be considered a "normal" life in about ten years. It's terribly sad realizing that now that he's in his 40s, it's unlikely that his life will ever return to "normal". He'll likely never have a family--he's never even had a girlfriend.

Much as it might be "cute" to consider folks with this disorder simply slightly-odd geeks, it can actually have devastating consequences on both the victim, and the people who support them.

As the article pointed out, Aspergers and autism are part of a continuum. The "slightly-odd geeks" the article talks about are just that... slightly-odd geeks, who are a little socially awkward and very focused, but otherwise able to function in society. This doesn't down-play the reality that there are many individuals further up the spectrum toward full autism, with varying degrees of function. My best friend's

8-year-old son has Asperger's, and he's quite a bit closer to autism than he is to "able to function". He gets good grades in school, but he goes to school with a "para" who spends most of the day with him, pretty much leading him through the classroom process. Without the para, and a special-ed class, he was being sent home early every day... he'd stab other kids with pencils or otherwise be disruptive. He's heavily medicated, and even the best combinations of meds make him barely able to cope socially.

The concern about the slightly-odd geeks isn't that they have social problems, but that they carry genes that may greatly increase the chances of their children being autistic. If this apparent trend is real, it's something we ought to be studying and considering when it comes to having children. It's a scary thought that a couple of extremely bright people may have a very high chance of having autistic children. I would want to know the facts so I could factor that into my decision to have children.

Also note that the article is 2.5 years old... there's been a lot more research into this since then.

-- Carl D Cravens ( snipped-for-privacy@phoenyx.net) Wichita, Kansas, US -- Read my model rocketry journal at

Yes, you're quite correct. I guess I'm overly-sensitive on these types of topics. There was a similar (offensive-to-me) discussion about Alzheimers on this list a couple of years ago--early-onset Alzheimers killed my mother. And now a thread about Aspergers. Why is everyone picking on me? :-) :-) :-) :-)

I suppose that I should probably be worried about my own offspring--both my wife and I are quite bright, and my son has been described by professionals as a "prodigy". He's fiercely bright, and more "highstrung" than his siblings. But he doesn't have any problem being social with people of all ages. At the age of 3, he explained (correctly) the function of fins on a rocket to me--despite that I'd never explained it to him. He simply figured it out by observation.

That's awesome. You should be very proud.

I've learned that my son has my obsessiveness. And it has already caused him some behavioral problems - he got in a little (tiny bit of) trouble at school last spring.

I sat him down and explained that God's gifts can be blessings and curses at the same time. The pin-point focus and concentration skills he has will enable him to work on very tedious challenges, but they will sometimes keep him awake at night as well as get him all wound up.

I told him to give thanks for the blessing and take a break when it's a curse. And he was able to find solace when it was explained he's not alone, and that the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, and that it's an easily managed situation - all he has to do is put his mind to it.

BTW: Part of your boy's high strung disposition likely comes from getting impatient having to explain to everyone else that which is obvious to him :)

Doug