Definition of Asperger’s Syndrome

{I’ll try to post more often. I promise!}

Here’s something I wrote as a reply to someone with rather misguided ideas about Asperger’s.

… one doesn’t “have Aspergers for 6 years”, any more than one has blue eyes for 6 years. AS is a brain condition, we’re wired differently, and that can cause not only learning problems, but strengths as well.

Strengths — we tend to be honest, sometimes brutally so. We don’t play social games — I doubt you’d ever hear an Aspie say “If you loved me, you’d know what I want for a birthday gift.” If we promise to do something, it will get done.

Weaknesses: we don’t instinctively know how to do social communication — we have to learn, as you may learn to play piano. If we don’t realize we need to learn, and nobody helps us, we look like awkward geeks, cold and unfeeling, and completely clueless about others. We *can* learn though.

We often have very deep feelings, but have trouble knowing how to express them. I tend to just not share anything. My husband tends to have all negative emotions come out as anger. Again, we can learn to deal with this.

We have different logic patterns than NT folk. We can often leap to conclusions in odd ways — or we need to go over every step in great detail (like I’m doing here? Better stop.)

Though I didn’t say so above, AS is a difference in brain wiring, nothing more, nothing less. Most people with AS have brain wiring differences that aren’t so severe as to prevent them from living productive lives as members of society, assuming we get the right education from our parents and others. If the brain wiring is different enough that we can’t function, then I would say that person has autism, not Asperger’s.

All above my thoroughly non-professional opinion. I’m not a psychologist, neurologist, or other researcher. just an Aspie mom who is curious.