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jasoncala... jasoncala...
 
M$2 January 27, 2009 05:24 PM

Is asperger's syndrome real?

Last week some friend got into a debate over drinks as to the validity of asperger's syndrome.

One individual felt that Asperger's was a "rich-person's, western disease," like allergies, that in a harsher society would remain undiagnosed, unrecognized and as a result people would either ignore or deal with the issue instead of "crying about it." 

While I can find a lot of research on asperger's syndrome what I'm looking for is actually considered review and data points for the argument that asperger's syndrome is not actually real--if that research is out there.
Note: I don't have a position on this either way. I'm looking for research to share with the group and as such I'm not looking for a flame war over this issue. I'm looking for research and analysis of the research you fine (i.e. this person, who seems trusted because of these qualifications, feels this way, while these two other individuals who believe X and Y." In other words, let's leave out emotion and try to keep it to research of the facts, opinions and research.
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easyeboy easyeboy
 
 January 27, 2009 05:42 PM
Yes, I believe it's real, it's just people have different levels of it and it's not good to label someone as Asperger's Syndrome, yet sometimes simply call them a creative thinker, or a creative minded person, and they may have a mild form of such a syndrome. I may have had some symptoms of it throughout my life, yet I formerly have not been diagnosed.  When I was in grade school, I would always look at the floor, count the tiles, calculate them in my head, draw out designs and objects, as well as figure out patterns, and come up with creative envisions, and inventions well before they existed.  For instance, I would draw inventions of objects like an iPod at age 9, and would draw pictures of gas pumps that would pump the gas for you, and the credit card would be built into the pump, and this was way before they were invented.  I am still like this, thinking differently than anyone in some ways. Also, I would not look at the teacher and people when they talked to me, but this is before there was much known about Asperger's.  Asperger's is not a bad thing, it's just a different way of thinking, which some may call "social dyslexia" as described in the video.   People who have changed the way things are done or thought of something that has changed the world have been diagnosed with this symptom, or some of the most impressive people had some form of Asperger's Syndrome. It's sometimes embarrassing or uncomfortable to admit it, so people sometimes who are diagnosed with it mildly, are sometimes in some sort of denial.  Bill Gates supposedly had a mild form of Asperger's Syndrome, and some believe Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton may have had it as well. BitTorrent's founder Bram Cohen is open about it, and was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and there was an article on him Business Week.

BitTorrent's Bram Cohen Isn't Limited by Asperger's
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_43/b4105046863317.htm

Einstein, Newton, and Asperger SyndromeDid both men have the disorder?
http://rarediseases.about.com/cs/aspergersyndrome/a/041003.htm
Famous People with Asperger's Syndromhttp://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/article_2086.shtml

It's one of those things that are harder to diagnose, yet there is a diagnoses of it. Some people are afraid to admit to this disorder.

I am not a psychologist or an expert in the field, yet there was an interesting research study and information below.

NINDS Asperger Syndrome Information Page
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/asperger/asperger.htm

There is a good documentary on it below.

Source(s):
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_43/b4105046863317.htm
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/asperger/asperger.htm
http://rarediseases.about.com/cs/aspergersyndrome/a/041003.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome



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drmatt drmatt
 
January 27, 2009 05:32 PM
As with any diagnosis, it is created by someone. Someone (or, in this case, a group of someones) decide on the symptoms that comprise a diagnosis.

Asperger's is part of a spectrum of disorders in DSM-IV-TR. It's listed under "Pervasive Developmental Disorders" and runs along the Autistic Disorder spectrum... I believe Autistic is the extreme form and Asperger's is on the other side.

It's as real as any of these other disorders. When they shifted from DSM-III to DSM-IV, a whole host of people were "cured" because the disorder vanished from the DSM. And... another host of people were deemed "disordered".

It's just a way for clinicians to be able to identify a cluster of symptoms, but others have used it in different ways.

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jasoncalac... jasoncalac...
 
January 27, 2009 05:39 PM
Interesting perspective. Do you have any insights into the "asperger's doesn't actually exist" meme?

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easyeboy easyeboy
 
January 27, 2009 06:04 PM
I like to "think it doesn't exist," but since I had some symptoms of it, I believe it exists, but it's like any label, like calling someone disabled, but sometimes people who might have a trait of it, are very much so able!

I don't call it Asperger's Syndrome, I call it creative thinking, or inventor's mindset. When I was 9 years old, I invented the gas pump that pumped itself, and took credit cards. I was fascinated with this idea, and would talk about it to my mother, as though this was a reality. I had this creative mind syndrome that other people were not experiencing, because I would think, and think deeply about things that nobody else thought about at the time, and at my age.

The reason such great inventors were post diagnosed with Asperger's is that this label did not exist. I also it was because they were fascinated with objects, and they would not look at things the same way everyone else would. People who have this syndrome could be extremely bright in some ways, so I don't believe it's as much as a syndrome for everyone.

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drmatt drmatt
 
January 27, 2009 06:11 PM
Yeah.. Asperger's is on the side of the spectrum closer to "normal". It's difficult to differentiate and diagnose.

Asperger's is diagnosed by "qualitative impairment in social interaction", yet, what does "social interaction" mean? Part of that symptom definition includes marked impairment in nonverbal behaviors like facial expression, and eye-to-eye gaze. That is VERY subjective in my opinion.

Another part of the diagnosis is "restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior'... like "interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus" and "apparently inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals". How is that different than a "normal" five-year old? I would think that this the DEFINITION of a 5 year-old!

It's a newer disorder and more research is being put into it.

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easyeboy easyeboy
 
January 27, 2009 06:32 PM
Yes, it's one of those tricky ones, because they are not considered autistic and it's not savant syndrome. There are "normal" people who have this, yet they are not socially adept as some of their counterparts in school. Some Asperger's students can be gifted in some areas as well, as you watch in the video, there are some very talented people in this niche. I do believe it can be worked with as well. To claim it doesn't exist is like claiming Chicken pox doesn't exist. Chickenpox, you may get it as a kid, and you can't get it again in your lifetime. In general, behavioral syndromes and disorders are different kinds of diagnosis, because people have to sit down and observe behaviors of the person. Some people can get Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome confused, as they are very much alike, and perhaps the person can be diagnosed with one or the other. This is really a question for an advanced psychology student.

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tracebooks tracebooks
 
January 27, 2009 05:52 PM
It's real, but its prevalence in Western society doesn't make it made up.

There are two factors in this: we eat very differently than most of the rest of the world. There are certain nutrients that are present in the healthiest societies that are missing from our diet of overprocessed foods. There is a lot of research to back this up in the book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A. Price, and at the website http://www.westonaprice.org .

There is also the very interesting research by Dr. Robin A. Pauc that points to a common cause for the cluster of disorders Dr. Matt mentions above. Many of these disorders have overlapping symptoms, and Dr. Pauc believes that they share a common cause and should in reality be called a syndrome. Included besides Asperger's and the austism spectrum are disorders such as sensory integration disorder (or whatever it's going by now); Tourette's of childhood; OCD; ADD, and others. Dr. Pauc has been successfully treating this multi-faceted syndrome at his U.K. clinics.  He also believes there is a dietary link, similar to Dr. Price's research indicated.

His book is fascinating.

Source(s):
http://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Child-Dyspraxia-Tourettes-Childhood/dp/0753510... and I've read the book. It does address autism spectrum disorders, even though the cover and write-up on Amazon don't mention it.

www.westonaprice.org


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drmatt drmatt
 
January 27, 2009 06:15 PM
The diagnoses DO overlap... because they are all on a spectrum.

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johndog johndog
 
January 28, 2009 12:56 AM
Yes it is indeed real, I have a friend in England who's son has Aspergere's and although it is similar to autism it is very different.  Although these children seem highly functional they do have symptoms of autism and need help. social interaction is a problem and some behavior is difficult in their development.
Yes it is very real, and similar to autism -studies show that kids with these handicaps most often have high toxic mercury levels and chemicals in their blood.

Also other chemicals are found which impair brain function -so a detox progam is necessary and does prove relief from the symptoms.  Much of these problems are caused by an increase in the amount of chemicals in vaccines they give to babies. They are vaccinating with more diseases and more chemicals each year given to babies who's immune system has not fully developed.

Jim Carey's girlfriends' son has autism and she did a completely holistic program and the boy is much improved.  If you know someone with autism or aspergers disease just google : Jim Carey autism....and you will find his girlfriends organization which gives you more information.
Hope this helps anyone who has any questions on asperger syndrome.
Source(s):
me.


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