Autism

[Livewire]

Autism and its related conditions (Aspergers, other spectrum disorders) are some of the most controversial and highly-diagnosed conditions in the medical world today. Is autism actually on the rise? Or is the vague, 'umbrella' terminology in use actually misdiagnosing millions of young children?

For those of you with Autism spectrum disorders, share your expieriences here. As for the rest of PC, discuss your thoughts on the disorder and the scientific merits behind how it's classified and diagnosed.



Discuss.

 

[Outkin]

Funny you say that, I have (had rather) ADHD, while my brothers both have austim. I've noticed that theres many difffrent levels of it, I know three or four people who have it, but they only have odd habits, while another 4 people I know are mentally retarded pretty much and can barely (if at all) communicate. It is very well real, but I think it should be split up a bit, you have one guy who just has to has a couple odd habits, and the guy who is still in diapers and can't talk, yet they apparently have the same thing.

 

[Ephemeral Euphoria]

I have autism myself but luckily I had early intervention which saved me from becoming a complete bumbling retard for the most part but I was still stunted when it came to developing social skills for the first 15 years of my life, just glad I got that intervention though otherwise I would most likely be in a far worse mental state nowadays.

 

[Alice]

I have ADHD, and my doctor seems sure that I have Asperger's, although I've never been officially diagnosed. I've managed well enough though, and I'd say I'm a completely normal person, and I know for a fact you'd never guess I had any issues if I never told you.

It does makes certain social situations a little bit more difficult, and I relied 100% of medication to survive school. I tried to stop taking it on several occasions, and I just couldn't do schoolwork anymore. Although I haven't taken it for the last two years, as I haven't been in school. I really don't need it for things that don't require a huge amount of thought, so I wouldn't need it at work.

The really annoying thing about Ritalin is that the more you take of it, the less effective it gets, so about half way through the school year, it's basically like I'm not taking it at all... but at the same time, if I have been taking it, and stop suddenly, my ADHD gets severely worse. So, now that I've been off of it for 2 years, I'm actually wondering if I need it at all, because I just spent the last 5 days working 10+ hours straight on a game that I'm making(and plan to continue doing that), which is hard work, that requires a lot of thought. Had I tried to do that while I was dependent on Ritalin, it would have been impossible, even if I did take the medication, because it only lasts about 2 hours.

So yeah, Ritalin sucks, I know. Stop making fun of me for having to take it. lol


As far as Aspergers... I hate talking on phones for some reason. Like, I'm almost afraid of them. That's about all I can think of, so I'm not 100% sure I agree with my doctor. (Though it does tend to increase intelligence, at the cost of social skills, which is probably true for me, although I generally don't have any problems with in-person social situations. And hey, Bill Gates apparently has it, so it can't be that bad. :P)

 

[Sydian]

iirc, Autism comes from missing a specific Chromosone when the fetus is in development. I think that is what it was, but I can't remember that well. I do know someone that has autism and his parents certainly do have a challenge to face when their other child has ADHD. It seemed that it was especially difficult handling the both of them as well, as once, the one with Autism broke his hip. It's sad to hear about such a devastating disorder, but seeing it in person is a whole other thing.

idk where you read that, but the cause of Autism is currently unknown. There is, however, a theory about genetics playing a part in it, if that's what you're referring to. Another theory of the relatively high cases of Autism lately is that it could be an environmental factor.

I have autism myself but luckily I had early intervention which saved me from becoming a complete bumbling retard for the most part but I was still stunted when it came to developing social skills for the first 15 years of my life, just glad I got that intervention though otherwise I would most likely be in a far worse mental state nowadays.

Do you know how incredibly rude that sounds? People with Autism are not "retarded." In fact, if you do your homework, "mental retardation" isn't even the correct term for the respective disorder. It's now intellectual disability. Although people on the Autism spectrum can have IQs that qualify them with an intellectual disability, "retard" should never be the term you use for people with either, or any, disorder. Ever. Also want to note that most people with Autism don't have low IQs that put them in the intellectual disability spectrum. Most are usually average or above. The same with Asperger's. It's actually very rare that anyone with Asperger's have an intellectual disability.

On a lighter note though, that early intervention is very important and that's wonderful you got that. Unfortunately, some children still don't respond to the intervention, or some parents don't get involved with their children to where they don't get that help that they need. But it's good to see it worked for you.

Funny you say that, I have (had rather) ADHD, while my brothers both have austim. I've noticed that theres many difffrent levels of it, I know three or four people who have it, but they only have odd habits, while another 4 people I know are mentally retarded pretty much and can barely (if at all) communicate. It is very well real, but I think it should be split up a bit, you have one guy who just has to has a couple odd habits, and the guy who is still in diapers and can't talk, yet they apparently have the same thing.

And again... -sigh- Intellectually disabled. There is such negative stigma that comes with the word "retarded." If you had a child and they were assessed for intellectual disability and it turned out they had it, would you rather the doctor say "I'm sorry, but your child is mentally retarded" or "I'm sorry, but your child has an intellectual disability"? I'll take the latter, please.

Anyway though, back to Autism. It's very much a real thing. I've seen it in the school systems when I was a kid, and even when observing recently. As for the diagnosis rate, I'd personally say it's about right. I personally have quite a lot of symptoms of Autism, and even Asperger's, but I'm sure I would have long been diagnosed. Sure, that was the 90's and it's more on the rise now, but I don't think someone's gonna come diagnose me now at the age of 19. Though I have been wondering recently if maybe now the criteria for diagnosis has gone up. Maybe I do have it, and because the Autism rate wasn't so high when I was a kid, I was skipped? It's a question I can't answer. But the disorder is very much real and prominent now. I want to lean more on the environmental factors, honestly, however Autism rates are pretty consistent among countries. So...it can't be just that America or Canada have something funky in the air. Other places must have it too. I guess it's more of a combination between the genetic and the environmental factors.

Sorry about the rant on intellectual disability though. I'm an elementary/special education major, and I just cannot stand people using the "MR" phrase. Hope I'm not asking too much, but when in other conversations, here or irl, if someone uses that phrase, please correct them. It's not a well known term, and it needs to be. Times are changing. Let's be educated on the subject and help others do the same. When we know better, we do better.

 

[Alice]

Also want to note that most people with Autism don't have low IQs that put them in the intellectual disability spectrum. Most are usually average or above. The same with Asperger's. It's actually very rare that anyone with Asperger's have an intellectual disability.

Yeah, people with Asperger's usually have increased intelligence, but a lack of social skills. In my case, it's definitely true. When I was in 1st or 2nd grade, the school/government/whoever actually forced me to take an IQ test, because they noticed that I was significantly smarter than the other students (Like, doing multiplication/division in my head while they were learning addition/subtraction on paper.), and I scored a 168. That said, I have trouble putting any of it to use, because of my ADHD... so I'm actually more or less average in terms of actual brain usage. lol

 

[Yoshikko]

I have ADHD, and my doctor seems sure that I have Asperger's, although I've never been officially diagnosed. I've managed well enough though, and I'd say I'm a completely normal person, and I know for a fact you'd never guess I had any issues if I never told you.

So yeah, Ritalin sucks, I know. Stop making fun of me for having to take it. lol

Hahah I had the exact same thing, got ADHD (well ADD but they are classified both as ADHD so w/e) and they also thought I might have Asperger's, but turned out not. And I refused to take Ritalin so I got something else which is Concerta, but after a month or two of using that I stopped. The side-effects were too bad and didn't weigh up at all, and I'm so much better off without them.

Yeah, people with Asperger's usually have increased intelligence, but a lack of social skills. In my case, it's definitely true. When I was in 1st or 2nd grade, the school/government/whoever actually forced me to take an IQ test, because they noticed that I was significantly smarter than the other students (Like, doing multiplication/division in my head while they were learning addition/subtraction on paper.), and I scored a 168. That said, I have trouble putting any of it to use, because of my ADHD... so I'm actually more or less average in terms of actual brain usage. lol

And yeah both you and Sydian are right on this, that goes everything in the spectrum. It's just uncompensated basically, like you say, while you do have a higher IQ, you have a harder time to put it to use, I have the same thing and yea with meds you'd supposedly be able to use it to its full extent but hmpf lol.

 

[Alice]

It's actually kind of funny when you think about it, because I have one disorder that makes me really smart and shy, and another that makes me really dumb and outgoing... so they just cancelled out and made me completely normal. lol

 

[Hikamaru]

Sydian has a point. I am Autistic born to non-Autistic parents, however I have a relative in New Zealand who has Aspergers.

I spent my entire school life in the special needs units.

I was often teased due to my increased intelligence, but it comes at a cost. I often have trouble focusing on tasks such as studying, cooking food etc.

My brother (who was once a user here) also has some Autistic traits.

But the interesting fact is that 1 in 160 children is affected by Autism or a variation of it and most of those children were boys.

I got diagnosed when I was probably 3 and I often had developmental issues in my early childhood. I also often don't like social stuff (real life, not online) and often like to sit alone. Because of my condition, I use social media to interact better (especially Facebook and Twitter).

So my case is sorta interesting.

As I mentioned earlier, I went to a primary school specifically for those with Autism, Aspergers or any variation of it.

iirc, Autism comes from missing a specific Chromosone when the fetus is in development. I think that is what it was, but I can't remember that well. I do know someone that has autism and his parents certainly do have a challenge to face when their other child has ADHD. It seemed that it was especially difficult handling the both of them as well, as once, the one with Autism broke his hip. It's sad to hear about such a devastating disorder, but seeing it in person is a whole other thing.

@Team Fail That was so sad that he broke his hip.

Funny you say that, I have (had rather) ADHD, while my brothers both have austim. I've noticed that theres many difffrent levels of it, I know three or four people who have it, but they only have odd habits, while another 4 people I know are mentally retarded pretty much and can barely (if at all) communicate. It is very well real, but I think it should be split up a bit, you have one guy who just has to has a couple odd habits, and the guy who is still in diapers and can't talk, yet they apparently have the same thing.

@Outkin I never knew you had ADHD, particularly one with Autistic siblings. Very interesting to hear that. My brother often called me a retard due to my sense of humor.

I have autism myself but luckily I had early intervention which saved me from becoming a complete bumbling retard for the most part but I was still stunted when it came to developing social skills for the first 15 years of my life, just glad I got that intervention though otherwise I would most likely be in a far worse mental state nowadays.

@Xulek So we do share something in common... we are both Autistic. You being a guy and me being a girl.

I have ADHD, and my doctor seems sure that I have Asperger's, although I've never been officially diagnosed. I've managed well enough though, and I'd say I'm a completely normal person, and I know for a fact you'd never guess I had any issues if I never told you.

It does makes certain social situations a little bit more difficult, and I relied 100% of medication to survive school. I tried to stop taking it on several occasions, and I just couldn't do schoolwork anymore. Although I haven't taken it for the last two years, as I haven't been in school. I really don't need it for things that don't require a huge amount of thought, so I wouldn't need it at work.

The really annoying thing about Ritalin is that the more you take of it, the less effective it gets, so about half way through the school year, it's basically like I'm not taking it at all... but at the same time, if I have been taking it, and stop suddenly, my ADHD gets severely worse. So, now that I've been off of it for 2 years, I'm actually wondering if I need it at all, because I just spent the last 5 days working 10+ hours straight on a game that I'm making(and plan to continue doing that), which is hard work, that requires a lot of thought. Had I tried to do that while I was dependent on Ritalin, it would have been impossible, even if I did take the medication, because it only lasts about 2 hours.

So yeah, Ritalin sucks, I know. Stop making fun of me for having to take it. lol

As far as Aspergers... I hate talking on phones for some reason. Like, I'm almost afraid of them. That's about all I can think of, so I'm not 100% sure I agree with my doctor. (Though it does tend to increase intelligence, at the cost of social skills, which is probably true for me, although I generally don't have any problems with in-person social situations. And hey, Bill Gates apparently has it, so it can't be that bad. :P)

@QuilavaKing You're not alone buddy, I have to take Ritalin too. Also, one of my cousins in New Zealand has Aspergers. I have to take one Ritalin pill every morning, and when I started taking Ritalin, I had the powder crushed in yogurt which tasted awful cos I was worried I couldn't swallow the pill. I swallow my pills now.

 

[Alice]

@QuilavaKing You're not alone buddy, I have to take Ritalin too. Also, one of my cousins in New Zealand has Aspergers. I have to take one Ritalin pill every morning, and when I started taking Ritalin, I had the powder crushed in yogurt which tasted awful cos I was worried I couldn't swallow the pill. I swallow my pills now.

Oh geez... Ritalin is one of the worst tasting things on the planet. lol (It's sorta like really sour ear wax.)

I'd much rather take the pill whole, and even then you can still taste it a little. lol

 

[Ephemeral Euphoria]

Do you know how incredibly rude that sounds? People with Autism are not "retarded."

I wish my peers and teachers thought the same way back then I really do, sadly they weren't as sympathetic towards my disability at the time once they were informed hence I was coined the term retard because of my autism quite often back in school when I was more focused on reading books about paleontology than reading actual textbooks at the time leading to rather miserable grades unfortunately. That and regularly seeing other people with autism at my old elementary school doing some rather odd stuff such as one autistic kid around twice my size at the time routinely bang their knuckles against their heads like there was a parasite inside their skulls helped teach me that some things such as my autism were best kept a secret from my peers to avoid being singled out.

 

[Corvus of the Black Night]

Okay, I know the general stigma of morons on deviantART or whatever who claim to have a mental disorder after reading on it for 3 seconds, but I genuinely believe I have Asperger's syndrome. Now I wooooould get it checked out it I were on my own and I had some more money, but I've got a raging mom to deal with who hates even the premise of her daughter being seen as labeled with some sort of whatever. I'm a little afraid of being diagnosed since I feel that my managers at work would think I'm stupid, when in reality the opposite it true (like many others who posted here, I had to take an IQ test and I scored just shy of genius level), but he's a social butterfly type and I have real difficulty with those people. I think it would help in the long run though, but I still have my mother to deal with.

I tried to bring it up to her the other day and she attempted to shoot the premise down altogether, claiming some really horrible stuff that I won't go into detail here. But all she did was solidify my belief since she pretty much said "Oh Rachel, you're normal, you just have difficulty in social situations, fixate on narrow interests and hate being interrupted..."

I can understand part of her problem, since when I was little and in elementary school they tried to diagnose me with everything under the sun to put pills down my throat, and even today that premise is pretty terrifying. But I think now that I am a legal adult, I have a right to look into this and she's only trying to obscure it for me because she's afraid of the pills, which I can easily refuse.

Bah.

But my opinion of the whole deal? I used to hold my mother's belief of it being overdiagnosed, but now I feel everything just seems overemphasized. I agree that autism can be crippling in certain individuals, but the same can be said for the other side of the scale on the more social side. From what I've read at least on Asperger's, there's nothing actually wrong with most people who have it, they just seem to do things differently. It's almost like a totally different way of thinking for them, and the society we live in isn't willing to accept it, akin to the phobia of homosexuality and different races. It's kind of sad, really. People with at least high functioning autistic "disorders" should not be fixed but rather try to be understood, because I think that's the origin of a lot of other problems with them. And people with more severe cases? I think they should try to be helped but I don't think anything should be forced hard down their throat. That's uncomfortable for anyone. And there's no magical pill that can "fix" any of this either... It makes me livid that people have to hide this about themselves because other "normal" non-autistics fail to understand them. Wouldn't the failure to understand others' differences and purposely try to ostracize them count as some sort of disorder too, since I see a lot of that crap happening to me. I mean... People thought I was stupid and still think I'm stupid because I'm a social derp, but what does that have to do with it? I still managed to pass most of the classes they had difficulty with with ease, so obviously I'm not stupid. It just... frustrates me.

 

[Oryx]

There's a very fine line between Asperger's and "normality" so to speak, and that's where most of the controversy over autism comes from. I doubt there's a huge controversy over the child that's rocking in the corner and will never say a word to anyone, but the person that's just a little 'off', are they autistic or just a little off?

I think the actual diagnosis of it is probably right, just because there are specific traits that can be picked out that aren't inherent to the shy, smart person. However, every time someone says "I have Asperger's" online I can't help but wonder if they self-diagnosed. For many that have problems with social situations, it's easier to think that you have a disorder than to try to become more social of your own accord. If you have a disorder you don't need to, right? And the connection of Asperger's with intelligence is another plus. I've heard Asperger's described so often as "smart people that aren't good socially", which, while true, leaves out so much that's important to the disorder and broadens who may think they have it.

 

[ツ]

I just finished doing Genetics in school. Autism is where you are missing a part of a chromosome. It has nothing to do with the actual genetics from parents, it's just, you had genetic mutation.

 

[Livewire]

Aspergers/Autism is thought to be linked to a developmental impairment that originates in your Mitocondrial DNA - cells don't process energy like they should. Chromosonal Disorders are Down's Syndrome. Two very different things.

 

[Sydian]

I wish my peers and teachers thought the same way back then I really do, sadly they weren't as sympathetic towards my disability at the time once they were informed hence I was coined the term retard because of my autism quite often back in school when I was more focused on reading books about paleontology than reading actual textbooks at the time leading to rather miserable grades unfortunately. That and regularly seeing other people with autism at my old elementary school doing some rather odd stuff such as one autistic kid around twice my size at the time routinely bang their knuckles against their heads like there was a parasite inside their skulls helped teach me that some things such as my autism were best kept a secret from my peers to avoid being singled out.

I'm sorry your teachers weren't educated enough to know those things, I really am. Not sure how old you are, but if you're around my age, then that would make sense. Teachers now, it seems, are more sensitive to these subjects. And now, more disabled students are in the regular classroom, where they should be. There's only so much a teacher can teach a student with Autism in regards to how to behave in social situations. You know where the rest of that learning should come from? What they see from their non-disabled peers...preferably those that are gifted of course, because obviously not every non-disabled child is going to behave perfectly. But like I said before, I'm so happy you got early intervention. It's so important.

I think the actual diagnosis of it is probably right, just because there are specific traits that can be picked out that aren't inherent to the shy, smart person. However, every time someone says "I have Asperger's" online I can't help but wonder if they self-diagnosed. For many that have problems with social situations, it's easier to think that you have a disorder than to try to become more social of your own accord. If you have a disorder you don't need to, right? And the connection of Asperger's with intelligence is another plus. I've heard Asperger's described so often as "smart people that aren't good socially", which, while true, leaves out so much that's important to the disorder and broadens who may think they have it.

They're also incapable of keeping thoughts in their head, and they'll be quite honest about things. They will let you know if you dressed up bad today or if you are fat. Whole new definition to brutal honesty! But yes, I'm sure some people just self-diagnose, but that comes with any disability or disorder, really. Like I said, I have a lot of traits for Autism and/or Asperger's, but my language never regressed as a child, and I don't tell people my true opinions on them out of the blue. I just have social anxiety, lol. And apparently, it's not even severe enough to warrant medication, though I question that honestly. But anyway, if someone is gonna self-diagnose, they might as well go and get checked for a real one. Though Autism is definitely going to be detected early on, because like I said, there is a language regression. Some don't ever speak again, actually.

But my opinion of the whole deal? I used to hold my mother's belief of it being overdiagnosed, but now I feel everything just seems overemphasized. I agree that autism can be crippling in certain individuals, but the same can be said for the other side of the scale on the more social side. From what I've read at least on Asperger's, there's nothing actually wrong with most people who have it, they just seem to do things differently. It's almost like a totally different way of thinking for them, and the society we live in isn't willing to accept it, akin to the phobia of homosexuality and different races. It's kind of sad, really. People with at least high functioning autistic "disorders" should not be fixed but rather try to be understood, because I think that's the origin of a lot of other problems with them. And people with more severe cases? I think they should try to be helped but I don't think anything should be forced hard down their throat. That's uncomfortable for anyone. And there's no magical pill that can "fix" any of this either... It makes me livid that people have to hide this about themselves because other "normal" non-autistics fail to understand them. Wouldn't the failure to understand others' differences and purposely try to ostracize them count as some sort of disorder too, since I see a lot of that crap happening to me. I mean... People thought I was stupid and still think I'm stupid because I'm a social derp, but what does that have to do with it? I still managed to pass most of the classes they had difficulty with with ease, so obviously I'm not stupid. It just... frustrates me.

This is a great post. I feel the same way. It's sad that people can't understand and accept differences of others, especially when it's not even their fault. I learned early on that people had disabilities and that it's not something they chose to have or can help much, and that doesn't mean you're rude to them. The same goes for sexuality or skin color. I love that my dad taught me that so early on, because by doing that, we get more accepting people in the world, cause of course, we grow up and if we're still holding those early beliefs, well...there ya go.

You can't "fix" Autism or Asperger's, but you can greatly improve on it, mainly those social skills. You can teach a student with Asperger's how to keep their rude opinions in their heads, and help them improve those social skills, same with Autism. Great example is Temple Grandin. If you haven't seen the movie about her, I'd definitely check it out. She even has a speech about Autism somewhere on YouTube called "My Experience with Autism," I believe. So if you want a better understanding, it's worth the watch.

 

[jbthedelirious]

I have a mild case of Asperger's, in fact unless you really know the signs of Asperger's you'd probably have no idea. Unless you change my schedule without warning me or demand me to do something that honestly believe I can't do, and then you know something in my brain/chromosomes/whatever is different than "normal" people. So yeah, usually my Asperger's doesn't affect me, its the other issues, namely my severe clinical depression and anxiety disorder that make life suck on occasion.

 

[Oryx]

They're also incapable of keeping thoughts in their head, and they'll be quite honest about things. They will let you know if you dressed up bad today or if you are fat. Whole new definition to brutal honesty! But yes, I'm sure some people just self-diagnose, but that comes with any disability or disorder, really. Like I said, I have a lot of traits for Autism and/or Asperger's, but my language never regressed as a child, and I don't tell people my true opinions on them out of the blue. I just have social anxiety, lol. And apparently, it's not even severe enough to warrant medication, though I question that honestly. But anyway, if someone is gonna self-diagnose, they might as well go and get checked for a real one. Though Autism is definitely going to be detected early on, because like I said, there is a language regression. Some don't ever speak again, actually.

Yeah, those symptoms are the kinds of things that people who self-diagnose often ignore. They take shyness and above-average intelligence as Asperger's, no matter what other symptoms they don't match, and don't bother to get a doctor to confirm for whatever reason. I mean, I have above-average intelligence and I'm painfully shy, but I can tell that I don't have Asperger's because I've never been inflexible in my routine, had an overwhelming obsession with one narrow topic, used languaged in atypical ways, etc. But often people self-diagnosing will brush most of those aside and claim Asperger's, especially as it becomes more prevalent in our society.

General question for anyone: what do you think has led to the spike in autism in the past decade or so? I can't find recent data from my brief search but I found a comparison between 2001 and 2007, and the spike was apparent even then. Is this attributed to just more awareness of what autism is so more people are being caught, misdiagnosis, or something that's affecting us as a whole genetically?

 

[Yoshikko]

General question for anyone: what do you think has led to the spike in autism in the past decade or so? I can't find recent data from my brief search but I found a comparison between 2001 and 2007, and the spike was apparent even then. Is this attributed to just more awareness of what autism is so more people are being caught, misdiagnosis, or something that's affecting us as a whole genetically?

I think both tbh. I think they started to acknowledge it more, because way back, you'd just be classified as hyperactive/short attention span or just crazy even. But because of this acknowledgement, I think that we are also inclined to mis/overdiagnose quicker. Like when someone is hyperactive nowadays, often they are diagnosed as ADHD while they might not even have that at all, they are simply hyperactive, but they don't consider that anymore which yeah causes a lot of misdiagnosis.

 

[Corvus of the Black Night]

Yeah, those symptoms are the kinds of things that people who self-diagnose often ignore. They take shyness and above-average intelligence as Asperger's, no matter what other symptoms they don't match, and don't bother to get a doctor to confirm for whatever reason. I mean, I have above-average intelligence and I'm painfully shy, but I can tell that I don't have Asperger's because I've never been inflexible in my routine, had an overwhelming obsession with one narrow topic, used languaged in atypical ways, etc. But often people self-diagnosing will brush most of those aside and claim Asperger's, especially as it becomes more prevalent in our society.

It's actually quite common for those who look into disorders to self diagnose pretty quickly, you see it a lot in Psychology classes. This is why someone can't really judge from just a little textbook definition. I did a LOT of research before I came to my conclusion and even so, I can't say yes or no until I see a professional, which is why it frustrates me to no end that I can't see one until I leave my parents. I wouldn't mind being told that I don't have it but it's the fact that I'm not allowed to know that gets me (honestly first I thought I had schizoid personality disorder).

Sometimes I wonder if some people use a self diagnosis as a "pity party" which further destroys the reputation of those who actually have it.

I'll just throw my profile out there... I'm not a particularly shy person but I have literally zip social skills. I literally just start talking to people about whatever's on my mind (literally anything, ranging from some bird outside to sexual stuff ahaha) and honestly I don't know until a few minutes in that they are bored out of their poor minds. I've also got the obsessiveness as well (namely with birds and whatever video game happens to be my fancy at a certain time) as the general cluelessness but I'm not really the time nazi, ahahaha (although my boyfriend certainly annoys me because he can't schedule worth @#$%!). But yeah. That's where I got that conclusion. As I said I'd check it out if I didn't have crazy mom telling me that Aspies are crazy and this and that bull.

I don't think its becoming "more prevalent" per-se, but more likely just given a name to something that's always existed, ya know?