Jumping to Conclusions or Stereotyping
07 Oct 2010 4 Comments
in Asperger's, autism Tags: Asperger's, autism, stereotypes
So who should I trust? People on the spectrum or the learned professionals?
My Family Physician said I don’t have Asperger’s because I make normal eye contact with her. A psychologist said I don’t have Asperger’s because I am too emotional.
My eye contact varies with the level of stress I am experiencing. In structured or relaxed situations it can be good enough to pass but when I am anxious or nervous in social situations I need to look at an uncluttered space in order to gather my thoughts and formulate a response. And the response can be slow in coming which makes me even more nervous!
But if I know and trust the person (such as my doctor, wife or kids) in a one-on-one conversation I can do reasonably normal eye contact (Edit: I actually watch people’s’ mouths! Hardly “normal eye contact”). A tough question will still send my eyes in search of a stimulus-free surface just so I can think and put together an answer. So do I make good eye contact or not?
I realized the psychologist was wrong about Aspies not having emotions when, last August, I discovered Laura’s and Rachel’s blogs. In their posts I found that strong emotions are part of the Asperger’s/autism package. I certainly have strong emotional reactions, especially to sad movies or incidents of suffering on the TV but my wife has to tell me (spell it out in words) how she is feeling because I don’t just “pick it up”. Once it is spelled out for me my feelings can respond (after I’ve had time to process the information in my mind). So I have to wonder if the psychologist was jumping to the wrong conclusion in saying I don’t have Asperger’s because I am too emotional.
The psychologist and my family physician each seem to have picked up on a particular stereotypical aspect of Asperger’s and based their thinking on that one aspect. The psychologist was wrong in his assumption that Aspies don’t have emotions. The family physician was correct in thinking Aspies have difficulty with eye contact but I doubt they necessarily all have difficulty in all situations. So I don’t think she was right in concluding that I don’t have Asperger’s simply because my eye contact was normal in her office (which I consider a safe environment).
The bottom line is that I know that Asperger’s is the best explanation for all the weird and wonderful puzzles of my life. When I read blogs by autistic people or Aspies I keep having “Aha” moments. I see my life described on their blogs and it makes sense to me for the first time. No other model (such as Social Anxiety) has ever accounted for all the aspects of my unusual life.
So for now I will self-identify as an autistic/Aspie person. I would rather trust people on the spectrum who, when writing about themselves, seem to be writing about me, too!
Has anyone else found that their professionals have jumped to conclusions? or held stereotypical views of people on the autism spectrum?
Eye Contact
05 Oct 2010 8 Comments
in Asperger's, autism Tags: Asperger's, autism, eye contact, stereotypes
I saw my Family Physician yesterday and asked her about a referral for an assessment to see if I qualify for a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome. She said that I don’t have AS because I don’t have trouble making eye contact with her. She then demonstrated someone turning their head to the side and staring at the floor and she said I don’t do that. But the Doctor/patient encounter is a very structured situation with clear rules governing the interactions. I knew what I wanted to say and I could anticipate her questions and reactions. It always flows smoothly in her office and there are no surprises.
However, when I am in a social situation and have to respond rapidly I am nervous and find myself looking away at the floor or the wall because it takes all my resources to generate a reply. I noticed this a few weeks ago when I was introduced to my daughter’s boyfriend. I looked at his face for a few milliseconds and then at his hand so I could connect with the handshake. Then as I said “nice meeting you”, etc., I actually realized that I was looking at the junction of the wall and floor just beyond the boyfriend. I recognized that this is an habitual pattern, i.e. looking at a relatively featureless surface while I try to think of what I will say next. A born salesman or politician would have been looking him in the eye.
My Family Physician is quite happy to make a referral for an assessment anyway so nothing is lost but it made me realise that professionals can make judgements without having all the data. And they are just as vulnerable to operating from stereotypes as anyone else. 
It is therefore up to me to make sure I supply all the facts. The catch is that I don’t think fast on my feet. I only realized what my usual pattern of eye contact was after I got home. So for my next appointment I hope to bring a list of my symptoms and patterns so I will be better able to describe how I am outside her office.
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