<from an Asperger's Disorder site ...>
Asperger's Disorder is a milder variant of Autistic Disorder. Both Asperger'sRight, right, this thing got several names, like my cousin the hot-check artiste.
Disorder and Autistic Disorder are in fact subgroups of a larger diagnostic
category. This larger category is called either Autistic Spectrum Disorders
or Pervasive Developmental Disorders.
In Asperger's Disorder, affected individuals are characterized by socialWho is on this committee that defines "eccentric"? Where do they meet? Can I sit in on their meetings? Can I serve on this committee? What is the definition of "eccentric"? Who decides objectively who is eccentric and who is not?
isolation and eccentric behavior in childhood.
There are impairments in two-sided social interaction and non-verbal communication.A hazy picture here, what are they saying exactly? In fact, what language is this in general?
They usually have a circumscribedGood use of unclear, evasive, ill-defined word and concept here.
area of interest which usually leaves no space for more age appropriate,Ah, I want to serve on this committee, too, the Committee Who Decides What Interests Are Appropriate for What Ages, I really want to see these guys at work.
common interests. Some examples are cars, trains,I'm 53 and obsessed by trains. Who has a problem with this? Should I be worried?
French Literature,Always a bad sign, seek professional help immediately.
door knobs, hinges, cappucino,No! Not cappucino obsession! Not my little Timmy!
meteorology, astronomyYup, yup, that's me, I am obsessed by astronomy. I went to Australia just to see Halley's Comet. (But I spent a lot of time watching the kangaroos hop around. And riding on trains.)
or history.I try to pay an awful lot of attention to this stuff, because it explains an awful lot about the epoch I'm personally stuck in. How do I know if I'm too obsessed with history? How do history professors avoid this? Or didn't they?
Do the phrases "junk science" or "psychcobabble" come to mind? Since when did doctors and psychologists start institutionalizing conformity?
Bob Merkin
Elmer Elevator's Discount Prep:
http://www.javanet.com/~bobmer/