Comments on: Here’s the Autistic Adults http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/ Family, Health, Home and Lifestyles Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:51:13 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: theasman http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-558978 theasman Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:04:23 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-558978 The Autism Society of America has statistics that show that between the years of 2002-2007, 22 people used Asperger’s as a defense in a violent crime case. I have never or would ever do that. But I suspect that those cases it probably had to with the other guy being NT more than anything else The Autism Society of America has statistics that show that between the years of 2002-2007, 22 people used Asperger’s as a defense in a violent crime case.

I have never or would ever do that. But I suspect that those cases it probably had to with the other guy being NT more than anything else

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-556845 Kristina Chew, PhD Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:22:57 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-556845 Now that sounds good to me----- Now that sounds good to me—–

]]> By: Regan http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-556844 Regan Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:13:18 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-556844 OT/ Kristina, I checked to see what kind of public tours Brookhaven National Lab offers. This is a little more like the Exploratorium than what I had in mind. The website has other things that might interest you. <a href="http://www.bnl.gov/community/summer_sunday.asp">Summer Sundays 2008</a> and <a href="http://www.bnl.gov/video/main_e.asp">Streaming media in various categories</a> OT/ Kristina, I checked to see what kind of public tours Brookhaven National Lab offers. This is a little more like the Exploratorium than what I had in mind. The website has other things that might interest you.
Summer Sundays 2008
and Streaming media in various categories

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-556870 Kristina Chew, PhD Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:11:01 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-556870 @Paula, Yes. Some kind of sloppy inference seems to be made between the notion of autism and "social deficits" and these being connected to (in some public mindsets) pathological behavior. @Paula,

Yes.

Some kind of sloppy inference seems to be made between the notion of autism and “social deficits” and these being connected to (in some public mindsets) pathological behavior.

]]> By: Paula http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-553084 Paula Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:16:33 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-553084 The comment about “beating up a woman” may be fabricated or at least anecdotal, since the journalist who wrote the article neither attributes the comment or cites a source. I think it's either made up or one of those things where someone heard someone else say that they heard something... Other things in the article are equally questionable. For example, although the article is entitled *Researchers* lift the veil…” some of the informants in the article are not researchers at all. Instead of breaking news or facts, speculation and opinion are offered, such as the comment “"There's no rhyme or reason. And the problem is with everyone else around them. It's never their fault." If the informant really thinks there is no rhyme or reason, she is merely indicating that she knows very little about autism. How do journalists get themselves into this sort of thoughtless selection of “experts”? And the comments about scientists never looking outside the lab at the beauty of the world are just silly. I'll cite those ASA and FBI Uniform Crime Reports statistics again: The Autism Society of America has statistics that show that between the years of 2002-2007, 22 people used Asperger's as a defense in a violent crime case. That's about 4.4. crimes per year out of (in 2006) 1,417,475 violent crimes. I think researchers ought to look elsewhere if they want to pin the blame for violent crimes on a specific subset of people. In fact, it probably *not* a subset that commits the crimes, but the *majority,* whom, the last time I checked, were "neurologically typical." The comment about “beating up a woman” may be fabricated or at least anecdotal, since the journalist who wrote the article neither attributes the comment or cites a source. I think it’s either made up or one of those things where someone heard someone else say that they heard something…

Other things in the article are equally questionable. For example, although the article is entitled *Researchers* lift the veil…” some of the informants in the article are not researchers at all. Instead of breaking news or facts, speculation and opinion are offered, such as the comment “”There’s no rhyme or reason. And the problem is with everyone else around them. It’s never their fault.” If the informant really thinks there is no rhyme or reason, she is merely indicating that she knows very little about autism. How do journalists get themselves into this sort of thoughtless selection of “experts”? And the comments about scientists never looking outside the lab at the beauty of the world are just silly.

I’ll cite those ASA and FBI Uniform Crime Reports statistics again: The Autism Society of America has statistics that show that between the years of 2002-2007, 22 people used Asperger’s as a defense in a violent crime case. That’s about 4.4. crimes per year out of (in 2006) 1,417,475 violent crimes. I think researchers ought to look elsewhere if they want to pin the blame for violent crimes on a specific subset of people. In fact, it probably *not* a subset that commits the crimes, but the *majority,* whom, the last time I checked, were “neurologically typical.”

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-558688 Kristina Chew, PhD Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:18:32 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-558688 A question to raise is the article's emphasis on the extreme (and sadly violent) instances. A question to raise is the article’s emphasis on the extreme (and sadly violent) instances.

]]> By: mayfly http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-561750 mayfly Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:31:14 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-561750 Is beating up a woman an eccentricity? Is stalking not wrong? Does autism excuse such things? Einstein, stuck in a lab? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article685637.ece Seems the old boy got out quite a bit. Newton never married. He thought women could give birth to cats. Interesting some people think some of his eccentricities were due to mercury poisoining. Maxwell was thought strange in grade school and earned the nickname daftie. He married Dewar's daughter. One could possibly read some degree of autism into Maxwell's life, but James Clerk is in the history books because of his contribution to science, his social skills or lack thereof are not. Pauli exhibited some autistic tendencies It's hard to see any sign of autism in Heisenberg's life. The same goes for Planck, Schrodinger, Bohr, Rutherford, Feynman, or Weinberg. Is beating up a woman an eccentricity? Is stalking not wrong? Does autism excuse such things?

Einstein, stuck in a lab? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article685637.ece

Seems the old boy got out quite a bit.

Newton never married. He thought women could give birth to cats. Interesting some people think some of his eccentricities were due to mercury poisoining.

Maxwell was thought strange in grade school and earned the nickname daftie. He married Dewar’s daughter. One could possibly read some degree of autism into Maxwell’s life, but James Clerk is in the history books because of his contribution to science, his social skills or lack thereof are not.
Pauli exhibited some autistic tendencies

It’s hard to see any sign of autism in Heisenberg’s life. The same goes for Planck, Schrodinger, Bohr, Rutherford, Feynman, or Weinberg.

]]> By: Kristina Chew, PhD http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-556215 Kristina Chew, PhD Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:42:32 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-556215 Personally, while I'm fascinated by the concepts of physics, I could never get too far with any of the equations or experiments. Personally, while I’m fascinated by the concepts of physics, I could never get too far with any of the equations or experiments.

]]> By: Regan http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-555125 Regan Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:22:11 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-555125 I didn't mean to imply that the majority are, and we also know some of the renaissance folk that you speak of who have broad interests and excellent people skills. But I assure you that we have known some more than quirky guys who had social difficulties. I didn’t mean to imply that the majority are, and we also know some of the renaissance folk that you speak of who have broad interests and excellent people skills. But I assure you that we have known some more than quirky guys who had social difficulties.

]]> By: mayfly http://www.blisstree.com/articles/heres-the-autistic-adults/comment-page-1/#comment-555117 mayfly Thu, 24 Jul 2008 04:08:22 +0000 http://www.autismvox.com/heres-the-autistic-adults/#comment-555117 I work for a national laboratory which has produced Nobel laureates. The physicists I know are not autistic. They raise families, many being the older ones being grand-parents, their interests are eclectic. They follow, sports teams, read books of every sort, have active social lives, enjoy colloquia on subjects which are not their specialty. They enjoy trivial pursuit, bridge, world travel. Justas there are persons with autism in many professions, no doubt there some physicists who may have a touch of it. But in no way is it rife in the physics community. I work for a national laboratory which has produced Nobel laureates. The physicists I know are not autistic. They raise families, many being the older ones being grand-parents, their interests are eclectic. They follow, sports teams, read books of every sort, have active social lives, enjoy colloquia on subjects which are not their specialty. They enjoy trivial pursuit, bridge, world travel.

Justas there are persons with autism in many professions, no doubt there some physicists who may have a touch of it. But in no way is it rife in the physics community.

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