Here Comes the New Terminator (with a diagnosis)
November 8, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
The new Terminator has been “professionally diagnosed with mild autism”? From Sci Fi Wire:
Personality-wise, Cameron still has a ways to go, recently having been professionally diagnosed with mild autism. But like all Terminators to come before her, she’s a sponge for information. She’s been reading the Bible, watching TV and observing the kids around her to get a grasp on all the latest hipster lingo. It doesn’t always come out quite as it should, but she’s learning from her mistakes.
Is there the suggestion here that something being autistic leaves one a bit lacking in the personality department?
h/t to Jen!
Really! I mean, could they not have come up with a better way to explain her lack of personality? Could she have just been shy, or unsure of herself? Sorry, but my son has more personality in his little finger than a lot of people I know, ya just gotta be around him awhile! I never knew lack of personality was amongst the tell tale signs of Autism.
I don’t know.As with empathy,those of us with the more severe ASDs,seem to have a lot more “personality”,than those with Asperger’s.As someone who has struggled all of their life,with non verbal learning disabilities,and weird ones at that,I have always been a bit jealous of those damn aspies,that are “a sponge for information”.
Actually, in context it was a funny bit. Cameron and John are meeting with a family therapist, because they’re checking the guy out. He hasn’t spent that long with them and then checks in with Sarah Connor–and remarks that he would like to see Cameron as he is concerned she might have Asperger’s, based on her brusque manner and seeming disconnect from the family problems he’s been told they have.
“I don’t know.As with empathy,those of us with the more severe ASDs,seem to have a lot more ‘personality’,than those with Asperger’s.As someone who has struggled all of their life,with non verbal learning disabilities,and weird ones at that,I have always been a bit jealous of those damn aspies,that are ‘a sponge for information’.”
I didn’t know I had more *personality* than someone with Asperger’s… funny what you learn. Or don’t.
Cliff
As you are no doubt aware autism has not been kind to my daughter endowing her with absolutely nothing and taking away from here so much. One thing I can say is that it has not robbed her of a personality.
She cannot express herself with words and has not learned any alternate forms of communication, but she can smile and laugh. That’s where her personality comes through. She has her own view of what’s funny and what makes her happy. They are simple things without punchlines, plays on words, or invocations of literary device. They are more precious than gold.
Often one concentrates on academic achievement, language development and so forth. One overlooks a child’s social development, from being in their own worlds with no bonds to anyone, to the forming of parent-child relationships, to a rare interest in what other children are doing. Now this has happened perhaps three times, but it is developing. I hope this will grow into a want of friendship and that there will be people who will want her as a friend.
Low vs. High Functioning. I was talking to a parent of an HFA four year old lamenting about my daughter’s need to rip to shreds every piece of paper in the house, and that sometimes she gets important documents. He said they were having trouble with their son writing the names of his classmates on every sheet of paper, including a contract he was working on approving that he left for just a few seconds.
“punchlines, plays on words, or invocations of literary device”—— Charlie has many and I’ve shared many a good laughing session over too many repetitions of phrases like “but not anymore!” and “one day John got hungry”—–nonsensical to many, but, yes, gold (fun gold) in our household.