Tankichi said:
As for the Aspergers Syndrome i just can't help but laugh when i see it. I will Recite the Psychologist i spoke to about it "Its the internet disease. Anyone who reads about it online instantly thinks they have it because the symptoms are so far and wide spread it is impossible to diagnose it." Sorry. Had to say it.
This is not to prove to you it exists (you never said whether you do or do not believe it does thru ambiguity) but simply say there are several concrete symptoms that can be used to diagnose it. Including my own Aspergers over an observational period of about 6 months.
1.Social awkwardness / no friends
2.Obsessions / focused on one subject
3.Lack of eye contact
4.Sensitivity to noise / touch / feel of clothing / taste
5.Slow to begin talking
6.Odd speech / extreme logic / very proper speech
7.Anger / aggression / hitting others
8.Craves ROUTINE!
9.Appears lost / in own world
10.Flapping hands
11.Communication problems or motor skills problems
12.Stimming behavior
Quote "What Is Stimming? Stimming is repetitive stereotypic behavior commonly found in autism, but also found in other developmental disabilities.
This behavior may involve any or all of the senses in various degrees in different individuals. Several examples are listed below.
* Visual ? staring at lights, blinking, gazing at fingers, lining up objects
* Auditory ? tapping fingers, snapping fingers, grunting, humming
* Smell ? smelling objects, sniffing people
* Taste ? licking objects, placing objects in mouth
* Tactile ? scratching, clapping, feeling objects nail biting, hair twisting, toe-walking
* Vestibular ? rocking, spinning, jumping, pacing
* Proprioception ? teeth grinding, pacing, jumping." End Quote.
As you can see there are many and it is easy for as you said anybody to see some of these symptoms in themselves and say they have Aspergers. Problem is several symptoms go hand in hand with each other and if one is missing, it simply says that they are not autistic but rather have some other condition, example. (Remember I am not a psychologist or have access to brain mapping technology thus please do not use my own words as future reference as human error and opinion is unequivocally present here)
Some one might have symptoms 1, 3, and 7. One can tell they are anti-social
Some one might have symptoms 1, 2, 6, and 8. One can tell it is just their personality.
Some one might have symptons 1, 2, 3, and 6, showing abnormal social impedance. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuut... throw in symptoms 4, and 11, you add onto it the final symptoms of sensory defensiveness (plus some more). Add symptom 9, now we have a very desputible case of psychological trauma. Finally add symptoms 8, 12, and you dear Frankenstein have created an Aspy.
You are right that it can be easily mis, self, and over diagnosed (and it most certainly is), but there are as I have stated, with a lucid probibility of error in my description, that Aspergers has definitive symptoms.
Hope to hear a friendly reply, thanx.