Understanding Autism more through Aspergers

As I understand it, Aspergerians are the same as Autistics with one significant difference in that Aspergians have better language skills. I was watching a story on Dateline or 20/20 (I can't remember which) about an Autistic twin. Her name is Carly. She has autism yet her twin does not. I found that to be interesting considering we feel there is a genetic side to autism. It left me wondering how one twin could have autism and the other did not. I speculate that it has something to do with they way testosterone and estrogen affected or did not affect each fetus.

Carly developed next to her twin and through her development her parents noticed that she was not meeting milestones as her twin was. They consulted many physicians and had done many tests with the result leading to autism. Carly grew progressively worse and all of the friends and relatives wondered why her parents did not institutionalize her. They simply couldn't. Carly was their child for better or for worse. They accepted her warts and all. It brought tears to my eyes. I understood how they couldn't give her up.

They spent thousands of dollars on therapies for Carly and when she turned 13 (I think) she was introduced to a computer and she typed the words "HELP HURT". She was trying to reach out. When her parents finally understood that she did have language through a computer, they required her to type all of her wants and needs and now she communicates beautifully and effectively through her computer.

She has written that she does have feelings, and her body does not work they way she wants it to and she has no control over her body and that is frustrating for her. She longs to be like other children. She wants friends. She wants a life.

I couldn't help but think of Helen Keller. A girl who became ill as an infant and was left being mute, deaf and blind, and because her parents wouldn't give up on her, she went on to become college educated and a pillar of our society and has taught us so much.

I think learning more about Aspergers is going to revolutionize the way we understand autism. I can remember as a kid everyone saying tha autistic people don't have feelings for people just things, but the more I talk with and watch my Aspergian son develop, I know that simply isn't true. If anything Aspergians are overwhelmingly sensitive and caring. Carly demonstrates that as well.

I can remember when my son (before I knew that he had Aspergers and when my sister in law thought he was autistic- he was about 3 or 4 at the time) saw me crying on the couch and he came up to me and said, "Mommy why are you sad." When he said that I thought, "There it is. He is not autistic because if he were he would not recognize emotion." That simply is false. My Aspergian is overflowing with emotion but his body and nervous system is overwhelmed by external stimuli and he tries to compensate for it through being loud and screaming which other people view as bad behavior.

I think as society gets more technologically advanced, neurotypicals are becoming less caring for people and Aspergians and Autistic people can see how superficial society is. I think Aspergians and Autistic people have a deeper spirit and are closer to God. I think we have a lot to learn from this class of society in how to treat others and live the golden rule: "Treat others as you would want to be treated." I think people on the spectrum are treated unfairly by society. I wish more people were like Aspergians. I think people would be happier and society would be richer. I've lost patience with Neurotypicals!!