Posted by dj on June 18, 2000, at 11:22:41
In reply to Little Professor Syndrome - Asperger's - long..., posted by dj on June 18, 2000, at 11:06:29
When I read the following article back in April I was quite taken by it, and even forwarded it to some friends and family noting that it described the type of brain I have and it does, to some degree.
However though we all have similarities my brain and personality is unique, as am I and each and every one of us ("milage varies", right Bob ; ) so it is difficult to fit into a 'syndrome' or a one size fits all box. Unfortunatly that is what the bureaucratic mindset attempts to do and that, I believe, is one reason we have a rising level of depression, anxiety and other dis-eases...in the societal model which the technocratic mindset and North American societies embrace.
Neil Postman writes brilliantly about this mindset in his books "Technopoly", "Building a Bridge to the Eighteenth Century", "The Dissapearance of Childhood", "Amusing Ourselves to Death", etc. where he critiques our societal embrace of the deeply shallow and points out some of the consequences..., though he does not make the link Prof. Homer-Dixon does in his article "The Razor's Edge" which I copied above...
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Einstein said mystery is fundamental,
but many fear the mystery of autism
ICEL JANE DOBELLThursday, April 6, 2000
Globe and MailAn Ottawa musicologist has suggested that Glenn Gould may have suffered from Asperger's syndrome, a mild form of autism. A psychiatrist who is writing a biography of Mr. Gould disagreed.
Two years ago, my 10-year-old, David, was diagnosed with mild autism. You would assume such a severe disorder would be obvious long before the age of 8, but autism is one of our great mysteries, difficult to diagnose, steeped in controversy, prejudice and myth.
When David and I read the musicologist's descriptions of Mr. Gould, it was obvious to us that he was high functioning autistic (HFA). Conversely, we were alarmed by the psychiatrist's description of mild autistics as "robots," incapable of eye contact, unlike Mr. Gould, who was "a delightful, very advanced child."
David reread the article several times, then -- contrary to the psychiatrist's description of HFA -- looked at me with his intense blue eyes and, exhibiting emotional pain absent in robots, asked whether we could write the psychiatrist to explain the truth about HFA.
For 50 years, autism has been under attack. We know now that autism ranges from high to low functioning individuals -- each as unique and typically human as any person. One school principal says David is as wise as an old philosopher. Other descriptions run from "sensitive, compassionate and amazing" to "dreamy and obsessive."
David is obsessed, like Mr. Gould, with one interest; in his case, it is marine biology. When discussing the sea, his focus is unshakable. His cheeks flush with passion and his eyes become impenetrable. He paces back and forth pontificating, then suddenly stops to stare into the heavens for further enlightenment, oblivious to his audience. Like an absent-minded inventor, scientist or artist -- areas of human expression where HFA is typically found -- he often retreats into his imagination.
Mr. Gould's refuge was the piano. David's sanctuary is the Marine Ecology Station on Vancouver Island. This ark, filled with all manner of ocean life, was created by a visionary marine biologist, Bill Austin. Here, David is permitted every summer to play the role of junior marine biologist, conducting unofficial side tours of Bill's magical wonderland, complete with row after row of microscopes poised over tanks rich with specimens.
Like the Pied Piper, David marches around the station with children in tow, a group enchanted by his anecdotes and details inherently interesting to the young: the grasping mating ritual of crabs, the excretion of fluids by the bulbous sea cucumber, the affectionate and endearing habits of the octopus.
Dr. Austin works to keep it accurate.
When David conducts his tours, he becomes heightened and somehow separate -- but he is no robot. True, when discussing biology or in the face of subjects that do not capture his interest, he withdraws into his own world, but he is also capable of being present, sensitive and intuitive. Though he regularly misses social cues, he can also be acutely perceptive.
This often occurs while we watch films such as Jane Eyre or Howard's End.In Emma, when the heroine must apologize to Miss Bates for an unkind remark, David yells with his own embarrassment and races upstairs to hide under the pillows. One of his favourite characters is Darcy in Pride and Prejudice; he is incapable of social games, and we are convinced he is HFA.
David's capacity to integrate any situation is influenced by his extreme sensitivity to sensory stimulation -- like Mr. Gould -- as well as his internal process, thoughts and emotions. While watching films, with minimal extraneous stimulus, his attention is riveted and he is given to deep analysis of human motives. Add other conversations, music, smells, lights and myriad distractions that might occur in any moment, and David becomes distant.
His greatest challenge is understanding social conventions. His ability and contrary inability to comprehend the emotions and expectations of others leads to misunderstandings. But he is far from insensitive to these situations. For hours after each crisis, he must go over the details to process his own experience and to understand the experience of others. He is like a scientist of human behaviour, or an alien challenged by the enigma and complexity of human inconsistencies and hypocrisies.
David is shockingly honest and direct -- the source of much of his troubles, as it was Mr. Gould's. David cannot pretend to comply with expectations he feels are unreasonable. If he is not engaged in a conversation, he cannot feign interest. His eyes cloud over and no amount of bribery or threats can induce him to focus.
David, like Mr. Gould, has his share of eccentricities. Mr. Gould predominantly ate scrambled eggs and Arrowroot biscuits. David has a passion for butter. But it cannot be melted and it cannot be spread underneath the jam; it must be placed in little chunks spread out visibly on top. Or it can be on the side of the plate, but only if the plate is cold so the butter does not become too soft. At times, I feel I am living with Sally from the film When Harry Met Sally.
To adequately explain HFA would require volumes. The problem is not so much describing the behaviours as much as it is refuting all the loaded assumptions. These assumptions are steeped in judgments that reflect the values of society. Autism is threatening to society. As we fear the unknown, it is not surprising that so many are repulsed by autism and view it as a disease. But Glenn Gould was a genius and autism was part of his genius. Albert Einstein, Vladimir Nabokov, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Béla Bartok: Are all mentioned as examples of those who might have been autistic. If any of these men were anything like David, it was not necessarily the challenges of their condition that were the source of their "suffering" so much as the judgment and expectations of others.
"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious," Einstein said. "It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and science." For those who know HFA intimately, there is a magical unknowable quality to these people who break down our preconceived assumptions and offer new perspectives -- often through art and science. For those who are able to embrace the challenge, autism is a window into the mystery.
Icel Jane Dobell lives in Vancouver.
poster:dj
thread:37688
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000610/msgs/37689.html