Mr Pickles

[Fulgurator]

Some thoughts on a random person I came to know who seems to have Asperger Syndrome. It illustrates some harsh realities - especially how those who really are high-functioning autistic differ from the media view.
When I first encountered Mr Pickles in my local shop (now closed down), he struck me as very normal and even having something going for him. He dressed and looked like a continental, a light suit jacket and neat, dark hair. A bit like a young French man. For some reason, he smelled very strongly of vinegar so it was assumed he worked in a pickle factory. However, my Indian friend, who has a very autistic son, told me the smell could be medication. Anyway, it soon became clear to me Mr Pickles wasn't that normal at all. He tended to act strange and especially stared at the female staff. One of them was virtually a neighbour of his and said he tended to stare at her in the street."He just creeps me out!" she said.
Now, as I saw it, Mr Pickles was really harmless and his staring pointed to a lack of precise orientation needed in social skills. True, he would be attracted to these females he stared at but didn't know how to hide his expressions - as neurotypicals do. He also sometimes lingered and hesitated in the shop, looking awkward. So, the female staff disliked him. I thought it was kind of sad too when he gave them an Xmas card and it wasn't at all appreciated.
One day, I was surprised to see Mr Pickles enter the store with friends. Myself, I have none so it struck me he was actually in a group. However, that only lasted a few days and then the friends no longer accompanied him. I suspect over time, Mr Pickles got worse and more isolated, just as is often the case as the reality of autistic conditions consolidates.
The most uncomfortable truth I find is that people with Asperger's are disliked, similar to the fictional Carrie White. You'd be amazed by how much difference subtle body and facial language makes, as well as mode of communication. In around 90 per cent of cases, Asperger Syndrome isn't compensated in the individual sufficiently to make the condition in any way a plus. Most wind up unemployed, unmarried and partly shunned. I'd rate Mr Pickles as about mid level, neither mild symptoms or critical.

[Fulgurator]

Over the last year, I've had to face up to very stark realities. Prior to that, I tended to try and shrug things off. The biggest overall acceptance was I decided my strength in life would be to be self-sufficient and not to rely on other people - even family. I attempted to develop self-acceptance, which is a skill I got from connection with dogs and cats. Animals tend to find the good in you and their affection isn't based on conditions but how you really are inside. So, I try to be at peace with myself as I am. The cat just glues himself to me yet isn't that close to surrounding people. So, I don't view myself as essentially a bad person, though I have my short-comings. I have to believe in myself too since over the years I was written off as a misfit and so forth. Knowledge helps a lot. The more you learn, the less you need to depend upon others.

[quietvoice]

In around 90 per cent of cases, Asperger Syndrome isn't compensated in the individual sufficiently to make the condition in any way a plus.

It can't ever be a plus, because it is a condition of damage to the neurology, and that damage has come from the childhood vaccine schedule. Like it or not.

[Candid]

I respectfully disagree.

[quietvoice]

I respectfully disagree.

No worries. Does not make it less true.

[Fulgurator]

Well, Quiet Voice's theory that all autism is caused by vaccines wouldn't be taken seriously. Some historical figures clearly had Asperger Syndrome but there were no vaccines. For example, Hans Christian Anderson who wrote The Ugly Duckling. Very autistic - his mother died in an asylum. Yet, no vaccines in his era. We can even go back to ancient Greece and Diogenes who lived in a tub and walked backwards. At some point you have to accept the research we have passed down by other generations and respect that knowledge. These researchers dedicated their lives to genetics and studies but I think Quiet Voice seems to be ignoring what they have to offer. That's not how research works. I tend to read the research available and then often join one line of opinion. That doesn't make other researchers useless, however. I don't agree with Lorna Wings spectrum theory but I have read her essays and agreed on some points.
Candid, help!!!

[Fulgurator]

In my case, I got a pretty rough ride from autism but one strange thing is from age 20 my intellect started to claw back to some uneven progress. I developed ways to take in information not by the normal person to person group teaching. It took till around 40 odd to make up for all the lost education. Without social mechanisms to properly interact, all you have left is the intellect. I had to rote learn the very basic social rules. So, there was some adaptation but now I'm very much a freak, especially the lack of emotions or warmth, except with animals that tend to be drawn to my company. And the lack of obvious gender. I know a few autists whose intellect never really adapted that much - more common scenario. I wouldn't want anyone to have gone through the nightmare of autistic childhood but, sure, there was some compensation by nature.

[quietvoice]

Well, Quiet Voice's theory that all autism is caused by vaccines wouldn't be taken seriously. . . .For example, Hans Christian Anderson . . . Very autistic . . . Yet, no vaccines in his era.

.


HCA born in 1805.

In Denmark:
The vaccination reached Denmark in 1801 when Frederick Christian Winsløw received the vaccine directly from Denmark. Around the same time, Denmark was hit by a severe smallpox epidemic and on 4 March 1810 a law was passed that required all persons to become vaccinated unless they had had smallpox naturally.

In the States:
In June 1805 the system of vaccination was changed according to Mackenzie's suggestions: vaccination against smallpox was redefined as a “civil Regulation rather than a Medical Practice”, relocated to the Judicial Department, and Mackenzie was appointed as the new superintendent of vaccination.



~
Try again, David Banner.

[Fulgurator]

You can go back as far as you want. Diogenes of ancient Greece appears to have been autistic. Hadrian went mad and Caligula seemed to have schizophrenia.
Then there's genetics studies conducted by Germans. Most autistics have family lines that have a history of epilepsy, psychopathy, schizophrenia and often T.B. We even know Schizophrenia is a recessive gene whereas Asperger's is not. Just because one vaccine recently hasn't been tested properly doesn't mean all vaccines are useless. Vaccines used to be thoroughly tested and voluntary.

[quietvoice]

AND YET, we are experiencing the highest ever rate of this condition, and at the same time, oh my gosh, infants and children had been getting ever increasing numbers of doses of needle-junk. Does correlation enter the picture at all in your mind? Vaxxes have always been a problem. And now, we can't seem to hide from them. Why? Did you know that there have been ZERO cases of autism found among the Amish who NEVER vax their children?

Anyway. Don't know why I bother with you.