Re: CHAT: OT CHAT: Asperger's syndrome

On Thu, 22 Jun 2000, Roger Mills wrote:

> in the brain.  But the main problem of the kids in the article-- aside from
> some odd behaviors like jumping up and down a lot,-- was _ failure to make
> eye-contact_, and of course hyperverbalism.  The eye-contact thing is a
Gee, sounds like my sons, but they're just yackity and smart.  Oddly
enough, they have no problems relating to other kids as yackity and
smart.  It's only when put in with those who don't share interests that
they become "dysfunctional"...

> Interestingly, it seems that when these kids were placed in a class with
> others similarly "afflicted", i.e their peers in intellect and offbeat
> interests, the behavior problems apparently abated.
Yes, very interesting.  Some "syndrome"...

> The "average" parents probably view an extremely intelligent child not as a
> gift but as something terrifying.  "With all those weird interests, how will
My mother was afraid to talk to me from the time I was about seven to the
time I was in my mid-20s.  (She admitted as much to me later.)  It wasn't
until she saw me lying on the floor being crawled on by babies and taking
it all in stride that she stopped being intimidated by me.

> little Junior ever grow up to be president of General Motors, as we expect
> him to do?"    We are far too quick, in this country at least, to proscribe
> any sort of "odd" behavior-- and lately, to seek some chemical remedy.  I
The cardinal virtue for proles/drones in an industrial society:  Be like all
the other proles/drones.  The mortal sin for proles/drones in an industrial
society:  Differ from the other proles/drones.  Ordinary school
administrators now feel themselves qualified to prescribe mind-altering
drugs as a means of controlling children in the USA.