What if Asperger's really isn't a disease?

[Po-Nonimous 583]

Being the kind of guy I am I'm generally curious about pretty much everything. This has served me well in life because I've learned an awful lot of things about an awful lot of things.

 

My curiosity led me to wonder about the exact nature of that syndrome known as Asberger's. To me, there was always something odd about it, that made it stand out from other known syndromes, that being the increasing prevelence of it among the general populations of people world wide.

 

I did a casual study on it some time ago and, as I researched it, I began to notice that very odd thing that I mentioned a moment ago.

 

In the research I investigated I found that the occurance of full blown autism has been decreasing over a period of decades where the incidence of Asburger's has been increasing!

 

Now, here's a big what-if? What if Asberger's isn't actually a disease but some kind of genetic mutation taking place in the human species? What if it's actually part of our next evolutionary step forward?

 

After all, viruses and bacteria mutate constantly and at a much faster rate than humans do and those mutations produce some very interesting and, sometimes, positive results. One positive mutative result occurred in a bacteria which became the Acidophilus bacteria which is a vital part of our digestive process.

 

Anyway, keep in mind that this is all speculation on my part but I do think it's worth at least a little discussion time.

 

I look forward to hearing your points of view and opinions on this.

[~Chaotic Eddie~ 479]

...As an Aspie, I can say that Asperger's Syndrome definitely isn't a "disease" - it's a learning disability, not caused by any sort of virus or bacteria.

[Gildarts 54]

I doubt that it's the next step in human evolution. 

 

The reason why more people have it today then for a couple years ago is simply because back then they weren't diagnose with it.

[Scream Lucid Dream 103]

Asperger's. Not Asberger's.

 

I doubt the validity of the opinion someone who cannot spell the name of the syndrome. And no, it is not a disease. It is a neurological condition that exists from birth.

[CC_Maud_Pie 6,431]

Asperger's isn't a disease. It's a disorder that affects the brain. More people are diagnosed with it because in the past, people had it but they weren't diagnosed with it.

[kuma9k 56]

It's not that more people have it now, it's just that more people know that they have it.

[Po-Nonimous 583]

Asperger's. Not Asberger's.

 

I doubt the validity of the opinion someone who cannot spell the name of the syndrome. And no, it is not a disease. It is a neurological condition that exists from birth.

 

Picky, picky! LOL! Yes, it's fine for you to doubt, I would expect you to as I hope anyone would. Feel free to do your own research on the subject and find out for yourself. Let me know what you find.

Well, what it is or isn't wasn't my point. My point and question was whether or not it was a next-step genetic mutation.

[Silver Letter 1,830]

It's something that makes life more challenging. I am sure that it is not in any way linked to a positive step forward for humans.

[VitalSpark 1,830]

My point and question was whether or not it was a next-step genetic mutation.

 

There is something called the "autistic spectrum". That is, a scale between "normal" (whatever that's supposed to mean) and crippling autism. Everyone's on that scale somewhere.

 

It's much like "height", which is a scale between dwarfism and giganticism. Everyone's on that scale somewhere. Most people are clustered somewhere around the middle. If you're very near the top or bottom of the scale, then it might cause you problems in life, and it's potentially medically interesting.

 

Ditto the autistic scale. If you're too far away from "normal", this can make things difficult in life, and the medical establishment is increasingly pathologizing this situation.

 

Changes to the number of people diagnosed as autistic or having Asperger's syndrome are primarily caused by psychiatrists shifting the points along the scale that they diagnose these conditions by, and not by any real changes to the population.

 

It's like how dwarfism is defined as having an adult height below 147 cm. If they changed the definition to 150 cm, then more people would be classed as having dwarfism, but it wouldn't represent a real change in the population.

Edited February 8, 2015 by VitalTwilightSparkle

[Nulln 754]

The human race will not evolve because we won't let it.  Evolution occurs when a desired trait is passed on and become a part of the whole (with exceptions) race.  We don't allow ourselves to get rid of undesirable traits, so we don't evolve as a species.  

[Haruhi-chan 486]

Um... neither autism nor Asperger Syndrome is a disease, just so you know. A disease makes you sick, and sometimes can even kill you too. Autism does neither of these things. While, it might make you feel different from other people, it's not like it's something that's going to cut your lifespan in half or something like that. It's a disorder that affects how the brain is wired and what not.

[Admiral Regulus 2,769]

Asperger's isn't a disease. It's more like a genetic trait than anything else. If you've done your homework as you claim, you should know this.

[VitalSpark 1,830]

The human race will not evolve because we won't let it.  Evolution occurs when a desired trait is passed on and become a part of the whole (with exceptions) race.  We don't allow ourselves to get rid of undesirable traits, so we don't evolve as a species.  

 

Humans are evolving though. Lactase persistence is an example of a gene that it currently taking our species by storm.

[Po-Nonimous 583]

There is something called the "autistic spectrum". That is, a scale between "normal" (whatever that's supposed to mean) and crippling autism. Everyone's on that scale somewhere.

 

It's much like "height", which is a scale between dwarfism and giganticism. Everyone's on that scale somewhere. Most people are clustered somewhere around the middle. If you're very near the top or bottom of the scale, then it might cause you problems in life, and it's potentially medically interesting.

 

Ditto the autistic scale. If you're too far away from "normal", this can make things difficult in life, and the medical establishment is increasingly pathologizing this situation.

 

Changes to the number of people diagnosed as autistic or having Asperger's syndrome are primarily caused by psychiatrists shifting the points along the scale that they diagnose these conditions by, and not by any real changes to the population.

 

It's like how dwarfism is defined as having an adult height below 147 cm. If they changed the definition to 150 cm, then more people would be classed as having dwarfism, but it wouldn't represent a real change in the population.

 

Good points! I was hoping someone would bring that up. I'm glad you did. *Brohoof!*

Humans are evolving though. Lactase persistence is an example of a gene that it currently taking our species by storm.

 

I have to disagree with that because evolution is a thing over which we have no real control and which will go on spontaneously as the needs of the species to adapt to environmental changes occur, such as changes in world climate, food sources, the kinds and quality of food we eat, even the amount of chemicals we're subjected to every day. If sufficiently radical changes take place in our world and we can't adapt to them then we'll die out as a species.

[Cleverclover 1,525]

.As an Aspie, I can say that Asperger's Syndrome definitely isn't a "disease" - it's a learning disability, not caused by any sort of virus or bacteria.

 

 

This. I have Asperger's as well.

 

In my pre-teen years, I was very outgoing and had a ton of friends because of it, though I often did not focus much in class. I changed as I became a teenager and went from being outgoing to being highly uncomfortable with putting myself out there, and so I did not have quite as many friends in my teens. That persists to this day. I'm 24 years old and I've never had a girlfriend because I'm too uncomfortable with asking a girl out, even girls who have flirted and showed interest in me. 

 

Anyway, I guess I should probably consider myself lucky that I don't have a more severe case of Autism, but I definitely don't feel like it's any positive step forward, evolutionary or otherwise. 

Edited February 8, 2015 by Cleverclover

[VitalSpark 1,830]

I have to disagree with that because evolution is a thing over which we have no real control and which will go on spontaneously as the needs of the species to adapt to environmental changes occur, such as changes in world climate, food sources, the kinds and quality of food we eat, even the amount of chemicals we're subjected to every day. If sufficiently radical changes take place in our world and we can't adapt to them then we'll die out as a species.

 

I'm not entirely sure in what way that's supposed to contradict what I said.

Edited February 8, 2015 by VitalTwilightSparkle

[Po-Nonimous 583]

@

 

I'm not entirely sure in what way that's supposed to contradict what I said.

 

Actually, I meant that for Scumcandy, sorry. Blame it on my bad eyes. lol

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

Asperger's isn't a disease. It's a disorder that affects the brain. More people are diagnosed with it because in the past, people had it but they weren't diagnosed with it.

What they said. For example, my older brother and I have had Aspergers for our entire lives, however, both of us only got our official diagnoses a couple of years ago (me) and a year ago (my brother). Back when we were teenagers, as a diagnosis, Aspergers didn't exist. So I'd say it was mostly more awareness which is why there are more diagnoses.

[CC_Maud_Pie 6,431]

What they said. For example, my older brother and I have had Aspergers for our entire lives, however, both of us only got our official diagnoses a couple of years ago (me) and a year ago (my brother). Back when we were teenagers, as a diagnosis, Aspergers didn't exist. So I'd say it was mostly more awareness which is why there are more diagnoses.

That's what I was trying to say. Thanks for mentioning the fact that it was lack of awareness. The more awareness, the more people want to research it.

[SuperBrony87 506]

Well coming from someone who has it... Despite mother dreading if their kids get it... It is NOT a disease. Like all forms of Autism it is a mental disability... For me it just means a learning disability and I'm slower at comprehension and retaining knowledge I've learned and just a bit slower paced than others and I know people generally don't like to repeat themselves but for me, learning had to be repeated once or twice for me to get it...

    For me, it also means that I'm smart, creative, full of an often very active imagination... I took to the arts, "coloring and drawing" at a young age and many thought that was my special gift. Despite our weaknesses brought on by Asperger's. We all also have something we're talented in. As I said, for me it was art drawing pictures and coloring. In ways I sought to place my very thoughts onto paper. Very often it was imaginings of what I wanted to be later in life or see myself as then with whatever obsession I was on. Soon after, I was filling entire notebooks with doodles of superheroes, cartoon characters, etc. and later files of pages of paintings drawn and colored by me on the computer.

    Asperger's also means we're shy, quiet, solitary and other antisocial traits. When I was younger, a boy in elementary school and so on. What few friends I can really remember explicitly, were friends that came somewhat unexpected to me but you find common interests and then you find yourself talking about that and this. Friends then for me were few. For me in fact enough was 1 or 2.  

    Now that I'm older, I can make loads of friends relatively easy. It's perspective. Everyone has different levels. And who knows I could just as easily be that kid turned adult rocking in the corner of a room muttering incoherent sentences to himself. Or that kid turned adult who never says a word to anyone and grows up mentally insane in an Asylum with is arms strapped around his back. Or some kid who grows up and ends up living in a similar institution with caretakers because he can't take care of himself on his own. Like I said, everyone has a level of somewhere on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 being the worst 10 being he's like Albert Einstein who also had Autism, as well as many genius and talented musicians and composers... Even some actors and actresses. May not have been Aspergers but they had Autism. It is very common and does affects (the body)/effects (The mind)... That's the difference between those words, but anyone who took English class knows that? Anyway is does in every 1 out of 8 kids... I think that's the statistic? 

     Growing up, I've had therapy, council, speech classes and individual sessions, Special Ed type classes and subjects... I've matured with time and I'm am better with socializing, talking to people, and also friends, like I said, I can make friends pretty easy nowadays. Friends, heck human interaction is inevitable, so why fight it or run from it? You can let anxieties and fears rule you or you can throw caution to the wind and poke you head out of your shell. This was all my life and my views on the subject and again, it's different for everyone. But it's definitely not a plan killer or a disease... It's not even life threatening like illness and cancers, like most diseases. We're just like everyone else not normal but a just little different we're special and we're all ordinary but also extrodinary. Imagine a kid who never talks to anyone, child or adult that isn't his or her mother, and can play the piano or something like a pro? That's how it is with us. In fact, if we weren't different then I'd imagine life would be pretty boring... Right?

 

                  This has been SuperBrony87 Thanks for Reading ASPIES UNITE!!!    

[ShadowPirateX 600]

Asperger's syndrome has never been a disease, pal.

[Vemillia Nightshade 2,247]

Yes. My 'assburgers' is TOTALLY a disease! 

 

But seriously, dude. Asperger's syndrome is far from being a disease of any kind. It's mental condition that is a defect you have at birth. It comes with a common thing called a 'learning disability'. Not to mention that ADD and ADHD can be stem offs from it too. If you had any proper training in heath science, you'd know better than to call it a disease. Do you know how conceded it makes you sound? I'm not saying I know everything, but this is common frickin' sense. I mean come on.

[Po-Nonimous 583]

Funny thing about asPerger's... I've had it all my life and, honestly, sure! I felt different but the only reason why I felt like something was "wrong with me" when I was a kid was because other people were saying that to me, family members included. Sure, I didn't think or see things in the same way everyone else did but, honestly, if no one had ever asked me, "what's wrong with you?" I can honestly say that I never would have felt like there was anything wrong with me.

 

Now, here I am, fifty years past my childhood and, looking back, what I see now is that my having Asperger's has actually turned out to be an asset, a benefit and a great blessing for me since it has allowed me to think beyond the norm, outside the box, in original and different ways that not only benefitted me but those around me and allowed me to be creative in ways which I might not have been if I hadn't grown up with Aspergers.

 

Sometimes a thing that starts out seeming like a bad thing can actually turn out to be a great thing, indeed!

[long gone 8,929]

I was diagnosed with AS when I was 3, and really, it's not a disease. It's a mental disorder. I cannot get rid of it like a cold or flu, or some other disease, and it's been part of my mental state since birth.

[Po-Nonimous 583]

I was diagnosed with AS when I was 3, and really, it's not a disease. It's a mental disorder. I cannot get rid of it like a cold or flu, or some other disease, and it's been part of my mental state since birth.

 

That doesn't mean you have to think of it as a disorder, more like a different way of thinking and seeing things. After all, psychologists now think that Einstein, the greatest mathematical mind of the 20th century, had Aspergers along with many other very talented, creative, even genius people.

 

Look at it this way: Psychologists used to say that being gay was a mental disorder that required treatment. They've since changed their minds about that.

 

Just being different doesn't make you sick but people telling you that you are, can.