Living with Asperger's Syndrome
Albert Einstein, Bela Bartok, Alan Turing, Bill Gates, Thomas Jefferson and I. Is this a list of Geniuses? People who have changed history?
Or are these people who display the symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome? Dr. Tony Attwood, the world-renowned Australian psychologist who is an expert on Asperger's Syndrome, cited them as examples of people with Asperger's during a Conference held at the Palisades Center in Rockland, New York, in October of 1999. Dr. Attwood is a practicing clinical psychologist at MacGregor Specialist Center in Australia, with twenty-five years of experience in the field of Asperger's Syndrome.
I had the opportunity to join over 200 other participants at the day-long Asperger's Conference. Participants came from as far away as Africa to assist with organizational tasks and to listen to Dr. Attwood's presentation, as well as his answers to questions from the audience. Dr. Attwood, who has worked with Asperger's patients and lectured around the world, commented, "I have always been impressed by their patience and ingenuity in achieving abilities others acquire without a second thought."
Where does the name Asperger's Syndrome come from? Over fifty years ago, a Viennese pediatrician,...
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...at comes naturally to most people: listening to others, looking them in the eye, and trying to understand another's point of view. Dr. Attwood believes, "Children with Asperger's Syndrome have the strong desire to have friends while recognizing their considerable difficulties with achieving and maintaining genuine friendships. Many experience ridicule, exclusion, teasing or bullying. Education programs can be used to assist them."
Education is a powerful tool. The conference provided lessons beyond Asperger's Syndrome. "The more you learn about one disability, the more you learn about the nature of all disabilities."
In the 1940’s two doctors in different countries observed children displaying similar behaviors and deficits. One of the doctors was Viennese pediatrician Dr. Hans Asperger and the other was a child psychiatrist named Leo Kanner. Dr. Kanner was the first of the two doctors to report his observations. What he described were behaviors similar to those seen in children with what we call Autistic disorder. The behaviors affected the children’s communication, social interaction and interests. Dr. Asperger later published an article discussing what he dubbed “Autistische Psychpathen im Kindesalter” which translates to “Autistic Psychopathy”. Although some behaviors overlapped, there were differences leading to the belief that these doctors were documenting two different disorders. The two most prevalent were the differences in motor and language abilities (Miller, Ozonoff). Another was Asperger’s belief that his patients were of normal or above average intelligence. It was not until 1994 that Asperger Syndrome was entered into the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM IV), finally becoming an official diagnosis. At the time, Asperger Syndrome (AS) was labeled as a subcategory of autism along with autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive development disorder. Since then, the community of people with Asperger Syndrome has grown to love and better understand the disorder that they live with every day. Some of them have even affectionately named themselves “Aspies”.
The Inuit people of Nunavik had a very distinct culture before the Europeans arrived. The modes of transportation consisted of dog sleds, and kayaks made of skin and bone. Because of the cold climate, they ate animals from the ocean and rivers such as Beluga Whales, seals, and fish. In the summer, they found berries to eat. There are no trees in the arctic, so they used other resources to build shelter. They lived mostly in igloos, made of ice blocks and sealed by pouring water over them and letting it freeze. They also built sheds and other buildings out of whale bones and various animal...
The characteristics of Aspergers syndrome differ from one to another but yet they are categorised into the three main group. Th...
For the purposes of this discussion we will focus on the lives of the Inuit. The Inuit are a group of people often mischaracterized as Eskimos. They lived in the area of central and northeastern Canada and Greenland. There has been much discussion of the orignination of this group of people but the most recognized theory is that they crossed from northern Asia across thin bridge of land over the Bering Strait sometime around 6000-2000 BC. Many people mistakenly think that the Inuit and Native Americans are one in the same. It seems that the Inuit most likely came from Asia more likely than the Native Americans. Although both probably came to the Americas through the Bering Strait. Biological, cultural and dialect differences show the different origin. Much of this theory is supported due to the close resemblance of the Inuit to the Mongoloid races of Eastern Asia. Because of the harsh land and climate of the Arctic, this area was probably one of the last regions to be inhabited making the Inuit on of the earth’s younger cultures.
having an extremely hard time staying focused in the belief system that I comfortably grew up in,
Inuit origins begins with the Dorset culture around 3,000 years ago when humans from Siberia crossed over an exposed land mass which connected the Bering Straight (Condon and Stern 2016). (Edit: Recent scholarship suggest a much earlier ‘peopling of the America’s to a date of 130,000 years before present (Holen et al. 2017)). The Dorset are believed to have become the Thule culture, which then developed
The Inuit, Iroquois, and Haida had very different tribes and had a different ways of doing everyday things but, very alike ways of living.
Some Inuit populations may have the luxury of gathering herbs and other plants as long as the climate permits for such treats. For clothing, animal skin is mainly used in order to cover up for the tough winters. Due to dependence upon nature, Inuit culture is strong on sharing and co-operation. Meals are shared and everyone is expected to do their part for the benefit of the community (Inuit Culture). In other words, their culture is relatively collectivist.
Dr. Hans Asperger was the first to describe Asperger’s Syndrome, also known as AS, in 1944. He explained that AS causes clumsiness, poor motor skills, and an inability to walk or run smoothly (Miyahara, Tsujii, ...
Over the years, my knowledge of Jesus has developed as I continue to become more spiritually mature. As a child, I viewed Jesus as the baby lying in the manager. I knew the importance of his existence but did not know how it affected me personally. During my spiritual journey, I have learned about Jesus through prayer, attending church, reading the Bible, various Bible study classes, and fellowship with other Christians; however, my understanding is still far from being complete. What I have been taught and what I believe to be true are usually the same but not always identical in interpretation. For that reason, it is important to continue to contemplate the Bible, which includes the study of Christology—Who is Jesus?
One of the central themes that theologians often take note of in Jesus’s teachings, parables, and miracles recounted by Matthew and Luke is the
The Inuit hunted and fished whale, seal, and walrus by way of a kayak or by waiting patiently near holes in the ice. They made great use of animal skins for warm and beautiful clothing as one may observe on display in the Polar World exhibit at the museum. They primarily made a living by hunting, trapping, and buying and selling handicrafts. They also traded whale blubber which was used for fuel. They traded the blubber with missionaries, whalers, and other foreigners.
There are many cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated. Hinduism can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilization that took place in 4000 BC to 2200 BC. India was a land of diverse cultures, religions, races and ethnicities. Hinduism was the unifying umbrella that brought peace to the land. The belief in Ahimsa or non-violence reduced warfare. In Ancient India, the caste system brought about social order but later this system decayed and gave rise to social ills. Many other cultures and invaders of the region influenced the development of Hinduism over the centuries. When the Indo-Europeans invaded India during 1500 to 500 BC, their religion of Vedas also greatly influenced the indigenous beliefs of Hinduism. Over 80% of Indians still practice Hinduism in modern India. The Hindus brought up in Hindu families are so steeped in the various Hindu traditions from infancy that they are totally imbibed into the Hindu religious system. The sages and seers over the ages held a prominent place in the religious beliefs of the region and their teachings of non-violence, unity, prayers and a life of righteousness have greatly influenced Hinduism.
Achebe describes him as stern, manly, and the absolute opposite of his father. Okonkwo selfishly wanted to be looked up to and admired in his community. He never showed emotion, nor did he empathize with his clan. Okonkwo highly resented the European missionaries who came to Umuofia. When Okonkwo returned from exile, he found that the European’s had transformed his village and everything had changed. It became evident to Okonkwo that he would never regain his title in society.
Jesus teachings were meant to bring those who listened closer to God and to know Him better. They listened to Jesus and were taught what God expects of them. Jesus was a very kindhearted and sympathetic person toward those who were suffering. He also recognized and rewarded the faith that people showed in Him. In Matthew 5-7, Jesus sat down on the mountainside to teach His disciples as the crowds started gathering around Him, and so began the Sermon on