In the last few days, I have followed two entirely separate paths to posts by Rudy Simone. My last post on Female Aspergers was one, today I have another.
Imagine A World Where Aspergers Was The Norm
In this blog post, Ms Simone describes a world where Asperger’s behaviors are the norm, and NT behavior is odd:
Those with no special interest are thought to be ungrounded and lost. Those without obsessive focus have to take classes to cultivate it.
Those who insist on saying ‘have a nice day’ and other polite exchanges of fairly empty niceties are taught to be honest and say what they think.
Ms Simone’s post is interesting, but only as a thought experiment. Because she neglects some of the realities of living in Aspie-World, at least the small coner of it that is my household.
In Aspie World, a common source of misunderstanding is misinterpreted body language. Married men give their wives new lawnmowers for Mother’s Day; women give their husbands silk underwear for Valentine’s Day. He can’t understand why she needs to hear the words “I love you”, she can’t understand why he always gives her advice when she just wants companionship.
Kids have meltdowns in school because one kid’s stim is another’s sensory overload. Schools have “meltdown rooms” where overstimulated kids can get some quiet to calm down. Kids need to be taught social skills such as giving others a chance to share their interests, taking turns, and working together. Kids need to be taught that the truth can be emotionally painful, and it may be better to keep silent than give upset.
I could go on … sometimes we Aspies go a bit overboard thinking that all we have is a “difference”, when in truth, there is some “disorder” in us as well.
