LoveToKnow Autism:AllComments

From LoveToKnow Autism

Comments

Hi Kim,

I was surprised to see Hitler on the list, too. I have to look into why someone would make a connection...W.B. Yeats is another one that confuses me because he was a poet. Lots of metaphors/similes instead of direct language.

-- Contributed by: Ella Rain

Hitler could not possibly be autistic or asperger, we hate violence and weapons!

-- Contributed by: Kim P

I think part of the problem is that there are no real physical characteristics, and the conditions manifest behaviorally. It is important to note that neurological tests reveal that brains of autistic individuals function differently than those of neurotypical people.

It also becomes complicated when the general population sees how media portrays the conditions (such as Autism Speaks) as if the deficits have to be severe in order to be diagnosable.

Those who know autism find the cop-out argument to be very frustrating because it is comparable to someone claiming that diabetes is exaggerated. "Well, stop feeding the kid so much sugar and you'll see that there's nothing wrong with him," is how the over-diagnosis argument sounds.

-- Contributed by: Ella Rain

Jack, thanks for helping point out the rampant misunderstandings about conditions on the autistic spectrum.

Of course, any discussion of historical figures is speculative, but it also helps people to consider the signs of autism as well as to be inspired by the successes of some of these folks. I appreciate the article, as well as the comment which (unwittingly) was a great example of how people don't understand autism disorders.

-- Contributed by: Ann M.

Hi Jack, I appreciate your perspective on this matter, especially since it brings light to fundamental problems with how autism is perceived.

The unconfirmed list is speculation and it is impossible to properly diagnose an individual with any condition after death. Autism is a neurological condition that is not usually debilitating in every aspect of an affected person's life.

Noting historical figures who have some characteristics of autism will hopefully communicate the notion that autism is a universal condition, one that is apparently gravely misunderstood.

I don't think that a diagnosis of autism or related pervasive developmental disorders is a "cop-out" nor would I profess to know more than an individual's physician on the matter, especially when such speculation is about individuals I have never met.

-- Contributed by: Ella Rain

This list is utter garbage. Suspected autism? Are you serious? So apparently anyone who ever did anything amazing was autistic. You left out Shakespeare, lets suspect him of autism while we're at it. Autism is a serious medical condition, and it is usually debilitating. Autism over diagnosis has become the biggest cop-out of the 20th century.. are you kind of an ...? Claim to be autistic.

-- Contributed by: Jack
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