tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post2908611079420954641..comments2024-01-01T21:31:27.654-08:00Comments on UNCLE EDDIE'S THEORY CORNER: ASBERGERS AND TOURETTES SYNDROMEEddie Fitzgeraldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-39647152279513513102008-07-21T22:33:00.000-07:002008-07-21T22:33:00.000-07:00For a start it is Aspergers Syndrome, not Asberger...For a start it is Aspergers Syndrome, not Asbergers. It is not an ailment or illness like a cold or the flu. You don't get over it - ever. It was discovered by Hans Aspgerger in the 1940's, not the 1990's.<BR/><BR/>Both my husband and son have Aspergers Syndrome and they are beautiful talented people - my son is a classical pianist.<BR/><BR/>If you wish to write on a medical condition, do the people who have that condition the courtesy of researching it (even basically) first!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-2814137542307733622008-05-07T07:11:00.000-07:002008-05-07T07:11:00.000-07:00Anybody who makes fun of Tourettes is either ignor...Anybody who makes fun of Tourettes is either ignorant or heartless or both. I have a son with a mild form of Tourettes. He also happen to be an amazing athlete. So...go figure. So much for preconceived notions. But is is difficult when we witness motor and vocal tics. We don't know the course that this will take. It could get worse like it could go away. In the meantime, compassion is appreciated, not being made fun of.banguhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10309019018607592186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-21077718520252188432008-02-25T10:49:00.000-08:002008-02-25T10:49:00.000-08:00I have an 11 yr old child with Tourettes syndrome....I have an 11 yr old child with Tourettes syndrome. I find it amusing that people want to act like they have TS. It amazes me that people think it would be funny to have involuntary muscle and vocal control. I guess its funny to twitch your head for so long that it aches, or to lick your lips until they bleed, How about this, is it funny to try to play a sport and get made fun of for wanting to be like evry other child in AmericaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-59698448744922139852008-01-28T22:53:00.000-08:002008-01-28T22:53:00.000-08:00Yes, this is way late but I just ran across a link...Yes, this is way late but I just ran across a link to this post and feel compelled to tell you how totally brilliant it is. Great posts never die!John Noonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04049546337845797837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-27925676085312748572007-08-31T04:56:00.000-07:002007-08-31T04:56:00.000-07:00I'm the guy (geologist) in the 2nd video. I spoke ...I'm the guy (geologist) in the 2nd video. I spoke at a conference a few years ago and I said that for me Asperger's is "a nerd with side effects". Yes, some with Aspergers are nerds but their nerdyness is exaggerated to a clinical degree, thus they face great difficulties (side effects) and they require help. A "normal" nerd, sometimes, maybe an extremely mild case of Asperger's.<BR/><BR/>The comparison with the nerd stereotype is a double-edged sword, while it aids recognition it diminishes the profound negative impact that Aspergers can impose.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-54505703021428596032007-07-31T00:15:00.000-07:002007-07-31T00:15:00.000-07:00I happen to have autism spectrum disorder, which i...I happen to have autism spectrum disorder, which is exactly why I'm obsessed with animation and spend afternoons watching cartoons frame by frame.<BR/>A lot of autistic kids become obsessed with anime or video games, but for me, it was Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Now I read books about animation history, and I collect old cartoons.<BR/>So, I'm an animation nerd.Zach Colehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07011352521665205305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-20726614880500917532007-07-29T22:27:00.000-07:002007-07-29T22:27:00.000-07:00Eddie: gluten (not 'gluton') is the protein in whe...Eddie: gluten (not 'gluton') is the protein in wheat. A gluten-free diet eliminates wheat, barley, oats, and other cereals that have gluten in them.<BR/><BR/>I've lived with a roommate that had celiac disease and had to follow a gluten-free diet; she could only eat bread & pasta made from rice flour, for example. I never thought about all the foods made from wheat and cereal until I knew someone who couldn't eat them!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-31616346335846339792007-07-22T09:21:00.000-07:002007-07-22T09:21:00.000-07:00Anon: I got the info I posted from a YouTube video...Anon: I got the info I posted from a YouTube video: "What is Autism? - Hans Asperger." The dad in the video said the Asperger book didn't appear in translation in America til the early 90s. (Sigh!)I guess you have to take net videos with a grain of salt. Thanks for the correction.Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-61783439952194487422007-07-22T05:02:00.000-07:002007-07-22T05:02:00.000-07:00Asperger's Syndrome (not "Asberger") was not diagn...Asperger's Syndrome (not "Asberger") was not diagnosed in the 1990s. It was originally studied in the 1940s by a pediatric psychiatrist named Hans Asperger. He didn't name it, but did describe it quite well in his studies. <BR/><BR/>The term "Asperger's Syndrome" was coined in 1981 by another psychiatrist, in honour of Asperger's work. <BR/><BR/>There's a lot more to Asperger's Syndrome than just "being a nerd" (though that can be part of it). Some Aspies (as they're known) have trouble with sequencing, such as following the plot of a movie, just as one of many examples of different "brain wiring". And many Aspies actually do grow up, manage to have social skills, marry, and lead productive lives. Some even go on to be the world's richest man. <BR/><BR/>I'm not an Aspie, although as a child I probably came pretty close to it. And while I was a nerd and still am a geek (note: not all geeks are nerds!), not all nerds are Aspies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-1981061969236857892007-07-22T00:02:00.000-07:002007-07-22T00:02:00.000-07:00Lester: Interesting article! I wonder if evolution...Lester: Interesting article! I wonder if evolution really works that way?Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-744412670717174702007-07-21T07:37:00.000-07:002007-07-21T07:37:00.000-07:00hehe, ass burger.hehe, ass burger.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14215131815879764959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-64138408651957218282007-07-20T12:37:00.000-07:002007-07-20T12:37:00.000-07:00I just found an article by the Campbridge developm...I just found an article by the Campbridge developmental psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen, who makes much the same point I do above, except instead of saying it about nerds, he goes all the way and makes the point about autism. He says:<BR/><BR/>"It is not that the neurotypical brain or the autistic brain is more evolved than the other: each has evolved differently, one to empathize and master the social climate, the other to systemize successfully so as to master the physical niche."<BR/><BR/>You can find his article <A HREF="http://www.incharacter.org/article.php?article=101" REL="nofollow">here</A>.Lester Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14746157071827337723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-170440406026893532007-07-19T12:13:00.000-07:002007-07-19T12:13:00.000-07:00Interesting quiz, Jorge! :)Your Aspie score: 43 o...Interesting quiz, Jorge! :)<BR/><BR/>Your Aspie score: 43 of 200<BR/>Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 172 of 200<BR/>You are very likely neurotypicalAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-91205265957605143632007-07-19T11:41:00.000-07:002007-07-19T11:41:00.000-07:00Ya wanna know a funny story Eddie? I asked about A...Ya wanna know a funny story Eddie? I asked about Aspergers Syndrome around the office full of geek types and I pronounced it as you spelled it "Ass Burger Syndrome." I got chortles of gawky laughs when I said that. Kind of ironic eh? :) They all then promptly corrected my pronounciation and I said, "You guys are such lucky ass burgers!" :)Sean Worshamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02847304253885335658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-37924998926256765382007-07-19T08:02:00.000-07:002007-07-19T08:02:00.000-07:00But when you add chemical imbalances, bad diet, ba...But when you add chemical imbalances, bad diet, bad environment, TO autism, it's intensified.<BR/><BR/>Hope that makes sense to you.<BR/><BR/>Okay, I'm through. I think. :D I can talk about this for hours. Sorry about going on and on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-51027273979493468932007-07-19T07:53:00.000-07:002007-07-19T07:53:00.000-07:00Being a nerd doesn't indicate you have autism. Pe...Being a nerd doesn't indicate you have autism. People always want to say, "you have something wrong with you" when sometimes it's just temperament, mannerisms (which are learned), environment, etc...things that may have nothing to do with any degree of autism at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-14937788392712253402007-07-19T07:39:00.000-07:002007-07-19T07:39:00.000-07:00Eddie, my best friend taught children with behavio...Eddie, my best friend taught children with behaviour disorders for 7 years (recently she's started a family with her husband). She's had lots of kids with autism in her classes. Different degrees of autism.<BR/><BR/>She'd tell you (as she's told me) that autism can be a combination of a brain/central nervous system disorder, temperament, chemical imbalances, diet, environment, etc. There's no one formal name that covers the many layers of problems these children have.<BR/><BR/>Don't think that because I posted Jungian typology that I'm discounting everything else. I'm not. I don't buy into a lot of Jung's ideas either, but I've been studying his typology theory for 23 years and have found it to be very accurate in a lot of ways. I have my own theories about how it could be improved a little, but I won't bore you with that unless you'd like me to. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-7124579133990933112007-07-19T00:33:00.000-07:002007-07-19T00:33:00.000-07:00Lester: Interesting point! Maybe there will be a f...Lester: Interesting point! Maybe there will be a formal condition that describes the disfunctional opposite of nerdism.Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-87286688207665575782007-07-19T00:28:00.000-07:002007-07-19T00:28:00.000-07:00Kelly: Why don't I like Jung? Aaaargh! That would ...Kelly: Why don't I like Jung? Aaaargh! That would take a long answer!<BR/> <BR/>It probably seems odd that I'd have a visceral reaction to what seems like an old man's innocent speculation. Rousseau, Nietzche, Bakhunin (spelled right?),Marx, Jung, Salinger and others all seem so quaint and harmless now, but in their day they were powerful influencers of brick-throwers in the street. If Ghengis Kahn or Atilla had written books they too would probably seem quaint and harmless now too.<BR/><BR/>I don't know if Jung was a national socialist or not but he was a big believer in the Aryan supremacy theories of his day and believed that Christ came to establish a religion just for Aryans. These ideas meant a lot to him and I have a feeling that his race theories underlie a lot of what he said about the collective unconscious. His works were edited after the War to delete these references. Later the hippies used his ideas to discredit attempts to make psychology scientific.<BR/><BR/>I don't mean to rant. I don't know much about Jung and I do think his ideas about personality types are interesting. If he has good ideas I hope I can be unbiased enough to recognize them.Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-45692660108367394972007-07-18T22:58:00.000-07:002007-07-18T22:58:00.000-07:00I've always thought that a nerd can be defined as ...<I>I've always thought that a nerd can be defined as someone who is much better at dealing with things than with people..</I><BR/><BR/>Mechanics aren't usually great with people, generally speaking, but they usually aren't considered nerds.<BR/><BR/>The classic nerds that have been promoted in media are science and math wizards with little to no social skills.<BR/><BR/>People that have their emotions into something so deeply that they are addicted to it (like cartoons) are geeks, not nerds. They span the spectrum from social geniuses all the way to socially non-functional.<BR/><BR/>I'm a music and cartoon geek according to the way the word is used nowadays.<BR/><BR/>Shyness isn't the determining factor for either. You can be outgoing and be a nerd OR a geek.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-61315896071772522962007-07-18T22:00:00.000-07:002007-07-18T22:00:00.000-07:00I've always thought that a nerd can be defined as ...I've always thought that a nerd can be defined as someone who is much better at dealing with things than with people (where "things" includes, eg., mathematical objects). ... Interesting that we do not have a word for people with the opposite sort of imbalance, though it is surely at least as common and nearly as dysfunctional. We don't seem to regard it as abnormal!Lester Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14746157071827337723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-32321919051009881562007-07-18T21:40:00.000-07:002007-07-18T21:40:00.000-07:00Eddie, after you click "go directly to test" the o...Eddie, after you click "go directly to test" the only required information is Year and month of birth and gender. You can skip the rest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-23630444489734345702007-07-18T20:59:00.000-07:002007-07-18T20:59:00.000-07:00Jorge: The Asperger test people want a lot of pers...Jorge: The Asperger test people want a lot of personal information before they'll let you take the test.<BR/><BR/>Jennifer: Gluton-free? What is gluton? It sounds like you stumbled on something useful for the Asperger people! Thanks for mentioning it!<BR/><BR/>Anon: I KNEW I was going to mis-spell that! Oh, well...<BR/><BR/>Roberto: Aaaargh! I don't know what to believe! I got that information from a YouTube video called "What is Autism __ Hans Asperger," and the same information appeared in another video clip. But...I've been burned by YouTube information before, so...Eddie Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07729949238666234774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-87685483502766263422007-07-18T19:45:00.000-07:002007-07-18T19:45:00.000-07:00One thing that's under-appreciated is that autism ...One thing that's under-appreciated is that autism is a continuum. Up at one end are the slightly geeky types (probably a lot of people here, truth be told), and at the other end is Rain Man. Asberger's is somewhere in the middle.Pseudonymhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04272326070593532463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28525168.post-67535503797619548872007-07-18T18:33:00.000-07:002007-07-18T18:33:00.000-07:00Hey, guys, I found a great Aspergers quiz! Very th...Hey, guys, I found <A HREF="http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php" REL="nofollow">a great Aspergers quiz!</A> Very thorough!<BR/><BR/>My results were:<BR/><BR/>"Your Aspie score: 112 of 200<BR/>Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 55 of 200<BR/>You are very likely an Aspie"<BR/><BR/>Shocking! Nut it seems I only got slightly over 50%. That sounds very minor.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I think the lesson here is that Aspergers can occur in degrees and that everyone has a few tendencies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com