Aspergers is defined by the world Health Organisation as a Psychological disorder. What are your views on this?
Parents
Former Member
I think it depends on how it affects you, and how severely. A friend of mine has far more overt sensory problems – visual and auditory sensitivity; while a family member had more severe problems with confidence.
For me, there are some difficulties in interactions with people, and with anxiety; but at the same time, there are things I know I can do and enjoy doing that NTs can't, or which require a great deal of effort from them. It's a matter of swings and roundabouts. I have disadvantages in some areas of life, but advantages in others.
Re: the analogy with being gay: I'm physically A, but bi-romantic, and used to be involved in LGBTQ awareness in the '80s. Gay people being "entirely comfortable with their sexuality" in this society, in the early 21C, has come about because they've worked for decades in educating and campaigning, and challenging and changing how mainstream society treats them. There were real difficulties – and, for men, legal obstacles – to be overcome. Many of us can become more comfortable with who we are if we don't feel discriminated against or disadvantaged by others in social and workplace attitudes and procedures.
One of the issues that I've come across is in the workplace, where more AS-awareness and friendliness could make a huge difference. Some jobs that used to be safe havens have been made more NT-friendly, and the skills and attributes we have are now seen as less important; that is a culture-shift and could just as readily be made to swing back. There are also management attitudes: managers need to be educated in working with us; that bullying people to the point of meltdown, and saying "you need training in self-awareness" isn't on…
I think it depends on how it affects you, and how severely. A friend of mine has far more overt sensory problems – visual and auditory sensitivity; while a family member had more severe problems with confidence.
For me, there are some difficulties in interactions with people, and with anxiety; but at the same time, there are things I know I can do and enjoy doing that NTs can't, or which require a great deal of effort from them. It's a matter of swings and roundabouts. I have disadvantages in some areas of life, but advantages in others.
Re: the analogy with being gay: I'm physically A, but bi-romantic, and used to be involved in LGBTQ awareness in the '80s. Gay people being "entirely comfortable with their sexuality" in this society, in the early 21C, has come about because they've worked for decades in educating and campaigning, and challenging and changing how mainstream society treats them. There were real difficulties – and, for men, legal obstacles – to be overcome. Many of us can become more comfortable with who we are if we don't feel discriminated against or disadvantaged by others in social and workplace attitudes and procedures.
One of the issues that I've come across is in the workplace, where more AS-awareness and friendliness could make a huge difference. Some jobs that used to be safe havens have been made more NT-friendly, and the skills and attributes we have are now seen as less important; that is a culture-shift and could just as readily be made to swing back. There are also management attitudes: managers need to be educated in working with us; that bullying people to the point of meltdown, and saying "you need training in self-awareness" isn't on…
