Could aspie's form a working sub-social existence?

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Probably, but it would look different from an NT society.

If we look at other species, many other species show traits that are more similar to AS than NT, and do OK. For example, cat species are kind of autistic-like in their behavior - even lions, the only social cat species.



I doubt it. Instead, we'd probably stim everywhere without anyone thinking it's odd. Having a special place to stim without being ashamed implies you're still feeling ashamed of stimming in other places. I could see some places being designated as quiet or still zones and certain stims being restricted there (kind of like no talking in the library) but I seriously doubt an all-AS society would make any effort to restrict stimming in most public areas. The only reason many AS don't stim in public is because NTs disapprove of it.

Have you even read the DSM-IV criteria for Asperger's? Below-normal IQ and delayed self-care skills are exclusionary criteria - according to the DSM-IV, if you have either of those, you cannot have AS.

So the 'real clinical Asperger's' is exactly the opposite of what you think.

The source is me.

Absolutely agree, Aspergers is autism without the learning disabilities and low IQ. But then Tyrion is filled with self loathing for his own condition so has a twisted view of what Aspergers is.

Exactly. Full-time care couldn't be further from my reality. I've taken care of my hygiene since childhood, gone grocery shopping since elementary school (although increasingly so with age), have been taking care of cooking my meals since my teens, and am perfectly capable of doing laundry and dishes and the like, pay bills, balance my account etc.
I do live with family, as I can't afford anything else without government financial support (which I would feel one inch tall if I asked for), but there is certainly no full time care! I find the very notion that someone like me should need it, offensive.
Do I ever need help? Sure, like everyone else. I hate making calls, so my NT mother usually makes them for me. She in turn hates writing letters, so guess who takes care of that here. Yup, me.


I agree with AspE that neurology isn't necessarily what makes me get along with someone.

Always loved the x-men for this reason, feeling like a mutant - the comics with character like Scarlet Witch and quicksilver, who were sympathetic baddies. I think the island would go up in flames, too, sadly. Aspocolypse now!

Magneto is my all time favorite superhero.

Enough said.

While I decline to comment on the content of the OP, the comments in the rest of this thread, that Aspies can't build a society, are unsupported.

As has been mentioned in this thread, more than once, the behavior on WP is hardly a mirror for Utopian idealism. That is supportive data, I believe.

I'm not suggesting "Utopian idealism".

WP is a wonderful beacon to Aspies all over the English-speaking world. However, WP, as on online message board, does not, and cannot be reasonably expected to, provide positive inducements for social interaction.

The title of the thread does not relate to the content of the first post. I will answer both questions.

I believe it may be possible for people with autism to create and manage their own society. I also believe people with autism have contributed to many societies around the world throughout history and continue to do so today.

With regards to the second question: If the government 'rounded up' everyone with autism, they are the ones creating the society. I'm going to assume you are talking about an English speaking current government and not a theoretical government composed of people with autism. If this is the case then we can look back and learn from history.

Nearly every time a government has 'rounded up' a specific group of people and expelled them from their society it has turned into a real and tangible horror story. I think this would be a very bad thing if it were to happen to us, and I wonder why anyone would want to fantasize about it.

When an animal is taken from its natural habitat it must adjust to its new surroundings. No matter how much effort is expelled into making its new habitat similar to its natural one, the animal will be stressed. Death is a very common occurrence when a human takes a wild animal and attempts to put it in captivity. Humans, as much as we like to think of ourselves different, aren't very much so. I think a new environment specifically for people with autism would be disastrous. How many with autism can actually say the idea of a whole new home and society would not cause stress, fear, pain and panic?

That sounds like a really cool and fun idea.

I think that could be done but I think there would need to be aspies who have really got over the social, communication and motor skills aspects. You need people who have skills in construction to build this society - houses, offices, businesses, retail outlets, roads etc. You then need politicians who are good at public speaking and someone who can actually lead a society like that, people who can organise the infrastructure that would let all these people do their work. Theres a lot more types of people from different trades / skills you'd need too but you kinda the idea.

You can do it but only because you're talking about all aspies not just a few dozen or a hundred. Different people will have overcome different issues (or not have those issues despite it being common) or just have a natural ability for that thing which a society needs. But I can see one problem.. you take all Aspies in the world give them a nice little island where no NT is allowed to set foot, and you've now got a society where there are much much more men than women. So it would take at least 1 generation for that to balance out. That's assuming common statistics about male to female ratio in aspergers are even close to right though.

Also what about the differences between aspies.. like the ones that definately don't mix well. Consider this..I am not very tolerant of noises but some aspies make a loud cacophony of noise because they are less sensitive to it. How do you solve that in the early days when you have only camps? Seperate camps miles apart? Sure but theres more people you might have to seperate just to stop them clashing. That kinda assumes people will fight over these differences but it could happen and if it's possible usually something will happen.. so yeah, how do you keep the peace?

Edit:

I've thought about this further and you would have to seperate people from their families to get them on this island alone. In the middle of the devastation that is all these aspies' bereavment how do you build a society? Then there are maybe some who have therapy who's therapists wouldn't be joining this new society. Also won't there be children born who aren't on the spectrum? or who aren't aspergers but just autism? I think that rules out the idea of a purely aspie society.

That's not to say it's not a great idea if it could work.. you could imagine it would be a nice place to be for aspies if it could work. Like every 10 metres there'd be shops devoted to one particular interest in the high street and there would literally be not a single thing from that shop that you wouldn't be able to buy for say electronics projects or something like that. There'd even be lectures held in the back probably. So cool in essence but I don't think possible.