The so called "geek syndrome"

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 8:21 pm

I found this observation about increasing prevalence of Asperger's syndrome in Silicon Valley quite interesting...
[url="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html"]http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers.html[/url]
Asperger's syndrome is a special, sometimes called milder, version of autism. Often the two conditions are called the Autims-Asperger spectrum.

There's a comment from a quite famous child neuropsychologist about Autism-Asperger [url="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/baron-cohen.html"]here[/url] and you can also take a test [url="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aqtest.html"]here[/url] The test is a clinical test, it's serious and made by professionals, but if you decide to take the test, remember that it's only a screening test, and all neuropsychiatric screening tests are made to be overinclusive, ie to make false positives. This is because you want to make sure not to miss anything, it's better to assess a person clinically and find out the condition is not present, that to miss out on somebody who has the syndrome but don't get treatment because they don't get a diagnosis. So if you should score above the cut-off on the test, that doesn't automatically mean you have Asperger's, it just means that there is a possibility you may.

I scored 15, just below the mean of the normal population, which means I certainly don't have Asperger's. (Which I already know - I'm far to extrovert and impulsive to fulfil the diagnosis criteria.)

[ 12-20-2001: Message edited by: C Elegans ]

Shadow Sandrock · Post by **Shadow Sandrock** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 8:28 pm

I tested a 9, but I admit that I did have this condition when I was a child, but I miraculously outgrew it. honest to God, I was literally... with Aspergers...

Ya know that when ya have Aspergers, you also find it very difficult to play sports... very difficult... so that's why I am behind today, because I lost the first 12 years of my life to this disease. However, I still am not sure HOW it happened but I just... stopped. Maybe it was just a phase..

Shadow Sandrock · Post by **Shadow Sandrock** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 8:37 pm

Please don't call it the geek syndrome. Sadly to say these children become geeks but don't know why, because they are born this way. If they were born normal trust me they wouldn't have chosen that path. It's a terrible, awful thing to go through, however it IS possible to outgrow it... and fortunately I did. Had I not, I wouldn't be posting here right now, I'd probably still be back at TPM

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 8:43 pm

I scored 30 on the test. Any idea what that means, CE?

Kayless · Post by **Kayless** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 8:53 pm

I got a 24! What did I win?

Nightmare · Post by **Nightmare** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 8:54 pm

Tested 18...

Might have had a small part of it as a kid, though.

EDIT: I agree with Shadow. I probably had a sort of geek syndrome as a kid, but now I've definitly out grown it.

[ 12-20-2001: Message edited by: Gaxx_Firkraag ]

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 9:01 pm

Originally posted by Shadow Sandrock:
Please don't call it the geek syndrome. Sadly to say these children become geeks but don't know why, because they are born this way. If they were born normal trust me they wouldn't have chosen that path. It's a terrible, awful thing to go through, however it IS possible to outgrow it... and fortunately I did. Had I not, I wouldn't be posting here right now, I'd probably still be back at TPM

Sorry Shadow, I called it "the geek syndrome" just because the article in wired called it that. I'll edit the title of the thread.

Asperger is a condition with about 90 percent genetic influence. Yes, people are born this way, probably due to differences in brain biochemical balance. Some kids, like you, are fortunate enough to experience a decrease in symptoms as the nervous system matures with age (The brain continues to change until the middle teens, for boys usually the late teen. Some neural pathways don't develop mature myelination (ie are not fully covered with fat around the nerves that conducts nerve impulses better) until then.)

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 9:18 pm

Originally posted by Sailor Saturn:
I scored 30 on the test. Any idea what that means, CE?

30 is pretty close to the cut-off, but not above it. It might mean you have a slight tendency of Asperger's, but it can also mean that you just have a personality that in some respects are reminiscent of Asperger symptoms. Things like being introvert, shun social interaction, having a preference for systemising things are common in the normal population too, not only among people with Aspberger's. I would say that one of the core features for Aspberger/Autism is the difficulties with reading facial expressions in combination with low social functioning and no interest/wish to have social interaction and the inclination to perservate, ie to spend excessive time doing the same stuff over and over again.

When I worked as a clinician, I met a young boy who I later diagnosed with Aspberger's. This boy had not been out of his house other than briefly, for two years. (That's why his parents contacted the clinic). He had stopped to go to school (he was 18). He had no friends and no girlfriend, and no wish to have any. He said he was doing fine, he just wanted to be left alone and play his guitarr. He was an excellent guitarr player. He spend many hours every day playing very techincally difficult passages. But he had no interest at all in playing in a band or perform, he just wanted to do it for himself, at his room. He was very bothered with social interaction with his parents. He called them "the two persons", not mom and dad or by name. His life goals was to get a flat of his own and play his guitarr. He wasn't interested in having an education, a job, or a social life. Taken toegether with his problems with attention/concentration, this was IMO, a typical Aspberger patient.

Kayless · Post by **Kayless** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 9:24 pm

Aspberger... sounds like McDonalds is adding snake to its menu.

Zelgadis · Post by **Zelgadis** » Thu Dec 20, 2001 10:53 pm

33! I think i've scored highest, so far. Do i get the grand prize?

Dottie · Post by **Dottie** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 12:16 am

I only read to page four before i became to bored

, why do you post such long articles? they make me feel inferior

btw, nice to se you back and posting again CE.

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 12:54 am

Originally posted by Dottie:
I only read to page four before i became to bored , why do you post such long articles? they make me feel inferior

btw, nice to se you back and posting again CE.

Thanks, Dottie

Bah, the article was poorly written IMO, far to long. I kept wondering when they would get to the point. To summarise, the article describes different observations that is believed to reflect an increase of Aspberger's syndrome in the population in the Silicon Valley area. It addresses the question whether the increase could be due to better or more preicise diagnosis, and proposes this is not the case. (And from data presented, I don't believe that's the case either.)
However, the increase is believed to be caused by an increasing frequency of Aspberger related genes, in the gene pool. Asperger's is believed to be overrepresented among tech & computer people compared to the average population. The tech people (as a group) have a higher risk than average) to get child with Asperger's.

The interview with the psychologist is a good and clean description of what Autism-Asperger is, and what can be done to make life easier for those who have these problems.

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 2:16 am

Hey CE!

Good to see you back

I scored 9

CM · Post by CM » Fri Dec 21, 2001 3:11 am

GOOD GOD!!!!
I also scored a 9.

I swear i will commit suicide if I have anything else in common with Ysh!!!

Oh yeah welcome back darkflame!!

Like we need more of they around here!

Edit had to change spelling.

[ 12-21-2001: Message edited by: Fas ]

Nippy · Post by **Nippy** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 10:22 am

I scored an 8. Does that mean I am geeky?

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 11:05 am

I got ten(wow i thought it would be higher ie 999)

Shadow Sandrock · Post by **Shadow Sandrock** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 11:45 am

@Sailor Saturn--your obsession with Hotaru pictures might be a sign of it?

Shadow Sandrock · Post by **Shadow Sandrock** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 11:53 am

Originally posted by Nippy:
I scored an 8. Does that mean I am geeky?

I scored a 9. 9 is actually good, normal people are scoring about 14. Perhaps spamming lowers aspberger's rates?

In excess, soars them *points at Hotaru...*

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 11:58 am

I scored a 22 but evaluating my answers did not lead to believe I had symptoms but rather I am the methodical, meticulous, low risk taking, carefully planned out, anal retentive, freak that I am.

Have always sort of been a geek but never had a problem with sports, making friends, meetin ladies. Sure, I'll admit there were times in my life when a good night of PnP DnD won out over spin the bottle, big deal. Who would've known back then I made the right choice. These days, I still chase after and date women, however, my friends and I can rarely find the time to get in a good game of DnD. Now, it's multiplayer BG2 and it just ain't the same.

very interesting test although I'm not sure what it is getting at. I sort of fit the description but don't think I ever had the syndrome. Great thread C, enjoyed it.

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Fri Dec 21, 2001 12:02 pm

But I got a 9 and I am not a spammer