Autism is not the same thing as Aspergers your mixed up. I have another guy friend with aspergers I've been educated on this.
The definition of aspergers is a higher functioning version of autism autistic but higher functioning.
My other guy friend John is a little bit mentally challenged and slow in some ways slurs his words doesn't communicate as well.
But he's also smart in some areas.So some Aspergers folks are mentally challenged like John or both challenged and smart like John.
Some are very smart and not challenged at all your right about that.
It varies.Some are more functioning then others.Perhaps I should have said he is high functioning rather then not mentally challenged that may have sounded better.
Both he and John have Aspergers John can not drive and hasn't been able to hold down a job and slurs his words. Those are some of the differences.
The reason it's called social anxiety disorder is Aspergers folks tend to have a hard time in certain social situations.
Theyre mind.the lights coming at them and voices some times confuses them.John has gotten confused a few times when at a restuarant with me.
I don't know Randal well enough but he does seem to have issues meeting people in public and being in social situations.But both he and John are comfortable with me.
Randal and I are celebrating thanksgiving alone so we don't have to be at my family thing.
1. I'm autistic and would be considered "high functioning" if I didn't hate that word. Please listen to actual autistic people on autism before thinking you're special because you have an autistic friend. I'm AUTISTIC, and the Asperger's diagnosis now falls under the category of autism. So yeah, Asperger's people are autistic.
2. What does "mentally challenged" even mean? He doesn't communicate as well as you? Well, as an autistic sign language user, I just have to ask - how well could you communicate if most of the global population had their brains wired differently than yours? If speaking was considered a secondary form of communication and eye contact was seen as rude? If your body language was used to profile you as dishonest and incompetent?
3. Smartness is such an arbitrary social construct and heavily defined by access to academic resources, adequate nutrition, literature, and a nurturing well-off home in which one's parents have time to teach them from an early age.
For example, your grammar is atrocious. "Theyre". "Your". Lack of periods, lack of spaces. Yet I don't call you stupid for that.
Also, in a lot of cultures, academic excellence isn't as highly valued as survival skills like hunting, so many "smart" Americans would be seen as stupid by their standards.
4. Why is it so important that someone be able to drive? If we had better public transportation, it wouldn't even be necessary.
5. I've met allistic people who can't hold down jobs either - are they "challenged"?
6. Functioning labels are offensive. Autism isn't a binary with high functioning at one end and low functioning at the other.
It's more like a sundae bar with different toppings. Maybe someone can't talk, or can but only part of the time. Maybe they scream. Maybe they rock back and forth. Maybe they flap their hands. Maybe they're introverted. Maybe they can't drive. Maybe they can't work. Maybe they bite or hit themselves. Maybe they cry a lot. Maybe they have speech impediments like slurring their words, stuttering, or having a hard time controlling the volume of their voice.
There are so many different "toppings", and they vary for every autistic person. Some of them have more of one "topping" than the others. Sometimes the toppings change from day to day. We're all unique.
Furthermore, "low functioning" is used to take away agency, perpetuate violence and abuse against them, and dismiss them as an equal human being, while "high functioning" is used to deny accessibility needs and tokenize the autistic person's abilities (i.e. if they have a special interest in a STEM-related field) for allistic people's benefit.
7. Autism is a developmental disorder. Social anxiety is an anxiety disorder. While they're not mutually exclusive and are often considered cousin disorders by the disabled community, they are by no means the same thing.
8. If we're going to pull the "educated" crap here, fine - not only am I autistic myself, but I'm a mental health major. I'm in my fourth psychology class of my undergrad degree and honestly, the way so many people talk about autism (like you're doing right now) is insulting and makes me seriously worry for any autistic patients they may eventually have as professional therapists.
