Ta Da!! I know some psychiatrists and PhDs who could use this explanation! My cousin also an RN, has 2 grandchildren with the same story. The first (early talker) is very bright and a gifted pianist. Her younger brother, on the other hand, didn't talk until he was 4 or 5, and has great difficulty connecting to people. My cousin saw one study that suggested there may be a genetic process with Aspergers and autism that is not unlike what happens with the sickle cell gene. If someone inherits one sickle cell trait gene, it is an evolutionary gift that protects the person from malaria. If both parents carry the sickle cell gene, and their offspring inherits sickle cell genes from both parents, they develop the terribly painful sickle cell anemia. Perhaps this is what happens with the gift of Aspergers vs the burden of autism. My cousin was never able to locate the article again (pre-internet), but the concept makes perfect sense to me. The one continuum concept makes NO sense to me. I haved worked in special education, mental health and general education, and have been part of evaluation teams. In my experience, your experience is closest to reality.
Ah. My cousin's husband was a wonderfully brilliant physicist, as was their daughter who married a brilliant chemist. I fear that the "spectrum" catchall diagnosis is getting in the way of more helpful research path.
Yes, and all the "high achieving" parents who don't want to know it was their "defect" that gave their child "autism." You don't catch it, it doesn't happen from what you ate or anything you used, it's how your brain is wired, but never discount the otherwise-unemployables of the Ambulance-Chaser Corps from coming up with some new bullshit to hook the to-rich-to-know-they're-morons parents in for another lawsuit that proves nothing.
Right!
I started talking understandably at 11 months. That's Aspergers.
My brother didn't talk understandably until age 4. That's Autism.
There's a difference.
Ta Da!! I know some psychiatrists and PhDs who could use this explanation! My cousin also an RN, has 2 grandchildren with the same story. The first (early talker) is very bright and a gifted pianist. Her younger brother, on the other hand, didn't talk until he was 4 or 5, and has great difficulty connecting to people. My cousin saw one study that suggested there may be a genetic process with Aspergers and autism that is not unlike what happens with the sickle cell gene. If someone inherits one sickle cell trait gene, it is an evolutionary gift that protects the person from malaria. If both parents carry the sickle cell gene, and their offspring inherits sickle cell genes from both parents, they develop the terribly painful sickle cell anemia. Perhaps this is what happens with the gift of Aspergers vs the burden of autism. My cousin was never able to locate the article again (pre-internet), but the concept makes perfect sense to me. The one continuum concept makes NO sense to me. I haved worked in special education, mental health and general education, and have been part of evaluation teams. In my experience, your experience is closest to reality.
That could make sense, since the difference between my brother and I was similar to what you describe here.
Ah. My cousin's husband was a wonderfully brilliant physicist, as was their daughter who married a brilliant chemist. I fear that the "spectrum" catchall diagnosis is getting in the way of more helpful research path.
Yes, and all the "high achieving" parents who don't want to know it was their "defect" that gave their child "autism." You don't catch it, it doesn't happen from what you ate or anything you used, it's how your brain is wired, but never discount the otherwise-unemployables of the Ambulance-Chaser Corps from coming up with some new bullshit to hook the to-rich-to-know-they're-morons parents in for another lawsuit that proves nothing.
Yup.