Today I started reading blogs and posts of Autism and Aspergers groups I follow, and a few of them got me to thinking. One said Aspergers is somewhere between Autism and Normal. The other asked, "What do you think of the term 'Aspie' to describe those individuals diagnosed with Asprgers?" Curious, I asked my Aspie why he prefers that term. His response was that Aspergers Syndrome or Autism Spectrum Disorder makes him feel like there is something wrong with him. Aspie is just who he is and makes him feel unique.
Aspie is who he is. So I wonder if this is not a disorder, but more of an evolution of human culture. If there is ever a majority of people on the Spectrum, then how would the rest of us define "normal" or "neuro-typical"? We would be the "weird" ones, the "freaks." So maybe society needs a new perspective.
Is someone "weird" just because they don't understand your language? When I worked at a major theme park in Orlando, Florida, I had the unique experience of working with people from all over the world; and while our languages were structured differently and the purpose of words varied, we still found ways to communicate. Sometimes, my Aspie will say things that are well-meaning, but can hurt his sisters' or peers' feelings. That of course, works both ways because he doesn't always interpret our language appropriately.
And even when we did speak the same language, different words had very different meanings. A fanny pack in the USA is not the same thing as in the UK. Don't test this one. Likewise my Aspie still says "playdate" instead of "hangout." To him, they are virtually the same. However, one will get him dirty looks from his peers.
A well-meaning gesture of "ok" or "peace" or asking for a "party of two" to fill a busy ride could send a very opposite message to people from Brazil or Australians and Europeans. And just like you cannot tell just by looking that someone might be an Aspie, you can't always tell just by a cursory glance which country others are from.
When I was in second-grade a few years ago (yes a few, don't argue!)my teacher gave me the opportunity to help a new student from Japan. Her name was Maki. My first impression was that she smelled different, but that was neither here nor there. Her lunches were different, her utensils were different, her clothes were different, too. It didn't matter. We became friends. I helped her with American customs and words and she taught me Japanese customs and words in return. Of course, I also remember a Michael who got me in trouble for teaching me some American and much less appropriate words. I preferred Maki's cultural education, and even now, I remember the impression she left on me.
People from the Aspie culture tend to use different coping mechanisms than the Neuro-typical culture and because they are different, we deem them as freakish and weird, rather than Aspergian. Often they speak a different dialect of the same language, making us understanding them and them understanding us take a few seconds longer and maybe even a little more effort and patience. They don't seek out attention, but that doesn't mean they won't accept it. They are not usually skilled at making friends, but that doesn't mean they don't want them and won't be good friends in return. Their gestures might seem foreign, but to them their movements are perfectly natural and acceptable. While they may seem very different, they do have a lot to teach us. Don't believe me? Ever heard of Sir Isaac Newton? Thomas Jefferson? Jim Henson? Adam Young of Owl City? Albert Einstein? Beethoven? Jane Austen? I could go on. All of them either had, have, or have been speculated to have had Aspergers.
To think of Aspergers as a disorder seems, to me, to be a misnomer. If we "normal" people were more accepting and willing to learn and embrace, maybe those with Asperger's wouldn't feel like outsiders. And, just maybe, we would see the world a little more clearly, too.
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