Asperger's Syndrome

 I recently read an article about Asperger's syndrome in the Sunday Times and was surprised to find that among the ones who suffered from it were people like Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Beethoven, Marilyn Monroe, Virginia Woolf and even Elvis Presley! Among the notable people affected by this syndrome in the present are Tom Hanks, Robin Williams and Bill Gates. Clearly this is a very interesting.. It seems that Aspergers Syndrome somehow helps a person to achieve brilliance in his/her field.

The article went on to say that Asperger's Syndrome is not a disease, but a "set of behavioural traits". It had also listed some of the traits that can be identified in children as follows,

• Reluctance to look at the face of the other person when having a conversation.
• Not discussing what happens in school with the parents.
• Abhorrence of a change in routine – if it happens, throwing huge tantrums.
• In-depth study and focus on a subject he likes and speaking avidly on it.
• Cannot comprehend jokes. If someone jokes with him he will misunderstand it and think ill of the other person and walk off.
• Acting and talking in a mature manner, not in keeping with his age.
• Preference for the company of older people than his peers.
• Unresponsive to others’ feelings.
• Living in a world of his own.
• Preference for solitude.
• Having unusual ideas and views which result in others teasing him. As others don’t agree with his views, huge friction occurs. He will also try to impose his will on others, against the wishes of the majority and fight tooth and nail which will cause rows both in the classroom and the playground.
• He will lose his temper frequently and be unable to control it along with being intolerant of others’ view.
• He will be very selective of the food he eats or the clothes he wears, rejecting all else except his preferences.
• He will be fearful of unusual things.
• Intolerant of delay, he will want everything done immediately.
• He has only a chosen few he calls friends.

 -Extracted from The Sunday Times Mediscene May 15 2011-

In my opinion, many of us have at least some of these traits..It is a part of what makes us unique as individuals. Try imagining a person without any of these traits. It would be a person with no specific ideas or preferences, with no ability to focus his attention on something and with low self esteem... So it seems that it is better to have Asperger's syndrome rather than being a workaday person without it  ;)