Asperger's in the Mainstream Media

I am all for raising autism awareness.

In some ways, I think raising awareness is one of the leading ways to destigmatize autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger's.

And that is the first step to the uptake of individuals with ASDs into the mainstream of society, where they can contribute unique gifts that otherwise would go wasted. 

And what gifts they can be... 

While some say it's impossible to diagnose the dead, I think it's ridiculous to totally dismiss the possibility that Albert Einstein, for example, was on the spectrum.  

He strikes me as an obvious autistic, or at least on the spectrum.  

For example, not only did he have very little regard for standards of clothing fashion (he almost never wore socks, and preferred rumpled trousers and sweaters to the normal suits)... His focus was legendary.  He didn't speak until he was 5.  

Despite his brilliance, he was forced to accept a lowly job as a clerk.

His hair was famously unkempt... And emotionally speaking, he was almost totally incapable of dealing with other people, including his own son, who I believe probably was on the spectrum too.  

He dumped his first wife without any seeming emotional distress, yet it was also clear that he cared deeply even though he seemed to express this care more intellectually than intimately.

There seems to be an anti-aspie argument out there that disallows this kind of theorizing.  They suggest it's a kind of pollyanna revisionism - a fantasy or, worse, a deception.

Well, I don't know about that.

They can't have it both ways.

They can't bemoan the fact that aspies have these traits - lack of social skills, non-standard dress, unkempt hair, intense focus - and then simply suggest that Einstein's obvious spectrum symptoms were "genius" and had nothing to do with ASD.  

Anyway, it's always good to see spectrum disorders being talked about in the mainstream media.  The more we talk, the better.

And that's why I'm a fan of the new political commercial from Autism Speaks.

It has to do with insurance discrimination and making sure that families affected by autism are protected - or at least not discriminated against.

In fact, I really like what I've seen of the Autism Speaks organization in general.

Keep up the good work, people!

Peace.