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Recognizing Aspie Strengths

© Juli B

A few months ago someone approached me asking if the term "aspie" was a politically correct term and/or a legit medical term. To be honest, I hadn't really thought about it.

Andy was diagnosed Asperger's Syndrome and ever since I've lovingly called him "my little aspie". So imagine my surprise when someone felt strongly there might be some negative vibes associated with the term aspie. Not being one to intentionally promote anything even remotely politically incorrect, I set out on a quest to discover the origin of "aspie" and the reasoning's (if any) behind it.

I was not disappointed with my findings:

"The Discovery of 'Aspie' Criteria" was written by Tony Attwood and Carol Gray, two well-respected professionals within the field of Autism and more specifically, Aspergers.

They explain that in order to make any kind of diagnosis requires attention to weaknesses, the observation and interpretation of signs and symptoms that vary from typical development or health. That being said, Asperger's Syndrome is "identified by specific diagnostic criteria, a constellation of observed social and communication delays and/or deviations".

Once they are diagnosed, a child or adult with the diagnosis is simply referred to with politically correct terminology, i.e. a person with Asperger's Syndrome.

Now ordinarily I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with Andy being identified by his diagnosis. Afterall, he does in fact have Aspergers. What I do have a problem with is the fact that he is identified primarily by his weaknesses as a result.

Anybody that knows anything about Asperger's Syndrome knows that these individuals usually have talents that far exceed the before-mentioned weaknesses. They have excellent rote memory; their intense pre-occupation with a particular subject can lead to superior things later in life; and they are generally not ones that give up or let fear stand in their way with respect to going after something they want.

Case in point, there is a list of famous people with autistic traits that posses many of the same characteristics as ones diagnosed with Asperger's. Although they were never diagnosed, many feel that if the criteria was in place at that time, a majority (if not all) of them would fall somewhere within the autistic spectrum. Some of the people are...Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Jane Austin, Emily Dickenson, Henry Ford, Mozart, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Graham Bell, etc.

A few of the more contemporary ones on said list are Andy Kaufman, John Denver, Woody Allen and Bill Gates. And not to leave out any fictional characters, Alex P. Keaton would most definitely fit the mold of what Asperger's Syndrome looks like as well.