asperger and autism?

[johannakatriina]

I'm a 24-year old woman with asperger's autism. i see it sometimes a hinder, sometimes a blessing.

Are there others?

Just curious about your views.

[Guest guest]

8 years old, has been diagnosed. It is a funny syndrome, actually. Many dont understand and lump it in with the wide range of autism disorders, but asperger is quite different.

 

My daughter likes what she likes, and doestn like what she doesnt like, and there is no gray area. She is very good at math, for instance, but she does not want to, for one second, engage is math problems. She is very good at reading, but she has no use for word structure, spelling, grammer, etc.

 

Physicians will not readily diagnose asperger because of stigma, and working with the local school district, I see why.

 

My daughter has nothing she needs, perhaps copuld use a bit of socialization, but is well balanced, very happy all the time. She makes dance, music, plays, things other 8 year olds cannot do, but shes a pre school drop out, a kindergaqrten drop out, and a first grade drop out. Not her fault, shes what the new agers refer to as an INDIGO, meaning her evolution is what is not understood. She is actually a headliner at the local open mike performances, bringing in her full drum set and doing "you got to move it, move it" to the wild cheers of the audience.

 

aspergers fits the full meaning, in my opinion, of "gifted".

 

My concern is her potential openness to being exploited.

 

Id love to hear from you more

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[mahak]

Haribol. As mentioned, I not onlky deal with my daughters asbergers, I work with severely autistic people.

The medical nonsense is just that, nonsense. Autism is not an illness, not a disease, not a disfunction, not a syndrome. It is actuially a Transcendence, and those who look into the hearts of those who have this blessing, the curse of being childlike at all times, do not have dismay, thinking of the poor soul. The parenmts and caretakers may have some work on their hands, but the person is like an avadhuta that we reaD ABOUT, Sukadeva, jada bharata, and retired ksatriyas.

One should research what new agers call "Indigo Children", those who rode in on comet dust to take birth over the last 15 years or so. Interesting phenomena. My daughter is not interested in math, does not want anything to do with it. Why? She is a genius master of everything she attempts, why not math?

Because she will not need it, thats why. If armageddon happens, math will be useless, if not, its almost useless anyway when we have machines to do this mundane academic practice. The genetic change going on (according to those who are into the ideologies of indigo children) disctates what is needede. Art, dance, performance, chanting, religious study, these things are not hampered at all because one has asbergers or aUITISM.

On that note, if anyone has access to japa beads, I would like them donated to me for distribution to some of my autistic friends. They make beaded jump ropes, and I have them chanting on these, but they sure like gifts whenever they are given. E-mail is mahaksa_d@hotmail.com.

Storybook children, I remember the reggae classic. A rastafarian prays for such a malady to happen to them, and so do I.

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[Sirona]

You're great folks. I had come here to start a thread on Asperger's finding this one.

 

My question is, what kind of "reward" will the Holy Name give to an autistic individual which is largely incapable of "loving" and has no desire for "service" because of not understanding it and just chants to get their nerves soothed.

[mahak]

You answered it, too. What is needed most? To get the nerves soothed. So, the person actually gets the greatest gift (far more than we, BTW, who have so many more conditions of what we need to have our lives truely be sublime).

 

I mentioned avadhuta, like jada bharata. We take birth for education. If we see what we percieve to be an unfortunate condition, this is transferance. All of a sudden, a person's heart races, tears flow uncontrollably, arms are numb, head is aching, the nerves are afire. Chanting is a focus point where senses are controlled by injection of a higher occupation. There is no difference in the sadhana bhakti process for asbergers and non-asbergers folks. The chanting may be for things other than love or understanding of high religious principles, but all love and all religious understanding are fully contained in one utterence of Harinama.

 

Maybe the asbergers person is different because they chant purely, for no other reason other than the sound coming from their lips and filling their ears.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[Guest guest]

Aspergers is just one end of the Autism spectrum disorder and just because a person has Aspergers doesn't mean that they are enlightened and are chanting pure nama.

 

It all depends on an individual's past life sukritya. So in regards to service Aspergers person may be limited in the type of service she or he can render which helps one to earn more and more sukritya.

 

Is very complex situation. There are people with Aspergers who also have anti-social personality disorder, what used to be called sociopaths. So such a person can't tell right from wrong and they also have no feelings of remorse for doing wrong.

 

So by committing sins that even that person with Aspergers disorder she or he is not going to become liberated very soon, like the Buddha said about his cousin Devadatta, "Yes Devadatta will also become liberated but after millions of lifetimes for all of the offenses he committed by sowing discord in the sangha.

 

In conclusion it says nowhere in any scripture that having Autism spectrum disorder is a qualification to attain pure bhakti and chant pure nama. Perhaps is more accurate to say depends on a person's past life sukritya what is happening internally to him or her even though appears another way externally.

 

Just because some devotees appeared externally like simpletons doesn't mean that all people with LDs are enlightened beings, in the same way that

just because Pundarika Vidyanidhi [sp?] appeared externally to be gross materialist but was internally qualified enough to be spiritual master of Sri Gadahara Pandit.

 

Doesn't mean that everyone who lazes on silk bed in rich clothing is enlightened being either even though Pundarika Vidyanidhi [sp?] was.

So same thing not everyone with Aspergers is a pure soul just because one or in the past were.

 

There are plenty of people with LDs in federal penitentiary who have committed crimes like murder manslughter etc. Are you saying they are pure devotees also just because they have diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder on top of sociopath, borderline personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder etc.?

 

So just be careful how broadly you are painting the picture versus what is the reality. The reality is no one knows who is advanced except by the person's inner bhajan and past life sukritya.

[Guest guest]

Also tears are no indication of advanced devotional status per se. In India is a famous story once was a hari-katha festival and a lady was weeping and weeping. And everyone thought, "Oh this must be very advanced sadhaka."

 

Afterwards she went to pay her respects to the sadhu and he said, "It seems like you really enjoyed hearing about Sri Krsna's pastimes, because you were weeping and weeping, tears falling from your eyes like torrents of rain."

 

And the lady said, "Actually...sniff...your beard reminds me of my pet goat...sob... that died last week. So whenever I looked at your beard...whaaaa....then I remember my dearly beloved goat...sigh."

 

So tears don't necessarily mean anything spiritual at all.

 

Also Jada Bharat was only acting the part of a simpleton to avoid getting caught up in worldly life, but when he was asked to speak then began speaking very high philosophy to show that he was self-realized soul.

 

Is this happening with every single Autism Spectrum Disorder person everywhere in the world? No. Are they all speaking high transcendental philosophy when they open up their mouth? No.

 

So don't delude yourself by thinking all Aspy's are spiritually advanced. Perhaps some are and perhaps some others are not and in truth are suffering greatly for past life kukarmas and sins and nowhere near the end of their soul's journey at all.

 

Bottom line is tears are not symptomatic necessarily of advancement in pure bhakti. If tears were a reliable and fool-proof symptom of anything spiritual at all, then "tears in the eyes" would be listed as one of the 26 qualities of a devotee, but they are not.

[Guest guest]

All your points are valid. What I speak is from my experience only, not the wider range of "ALL". Of course what you say is true, the individual is unique.

 

Like the ganja issue. Many conclude, due to their experience, that ganja is mild and productive of peacefulness. This is the hipster ideal of the sixties. But it doesnt hold true, because charlie manson smkoed herb. Sometimes, gangbangers will get high and go blow their enemy crips down. The fact is, herb ios neutral in its effect, for peaceful people, it may weell stimulate the electric brainwave to produce serenity. But it may act on the same type of electricity to enhance violent behavior.

 

I play guitar better stoned. I have better technique in tracking down rolling sixties. Same herb, different result.

 

Any condition of the being, from seemingly insane to seemingly sane (all open to debate), is thus neutral. The individual determines everything. There is potential in those who have aspergers or other varients of autism, non-different than with the rest of the population. Aspergers is not a qualifier, nor a disqualification. This is my meaning for discussing here. Dont discriminate because someone has a particular diagnosis. Dont discriminate because someone may be having a fit, all priests and fools do the same.

 

Ive noticed the fits are not psychological, but rather phisiological. Rapid heartbeat, numbness of the extremity, inability to speak, a mild stroke-like status that is very scary and even life-threatening. I wish it were just a stress syndrome or a depression that can be talked away in time.

 

My issue is that folks dont wanna play. They will play even with those undergoing chemotherapy for a popular cancer that is fully funded. The schools will know everything needed to accommodate loss of hearing, inability to speak english, but they have no idea about aspergers and their technique and their lying to collect state funding is atrocious and mis-applied, and damages greatly and helps none.

 

haribol, ys, mahaksadasa.

[Guest guest]

Your points are inaccurate as well. I stated:

 

"There is no difference in the sadhana bhakti process for asbergers and non-asbergers folks."

 

You did not get it, and said:

 

"Aspergers is just one end of the Autism spectrum disorder and just because a person has Aspergers doesn't mean that they are enlightened and are chanting pure nama. "

 

We are speaking apples and oranges here. I clearly am speaking of vaisnavas, engaged in sadhana bhakti, and such status precludes any idea of criticism due to perceived infirmities of the temporal self. I never indicated in the slightest degree that autism is gift for successful devotion, only hinted that it may be of benefit in regard to tendency of person to close off any other conflicting progressions of thought. If one is fully concentrating on just the sound vibration of the holy name, and their is no other motive, no desire for material considerations, such chanting is kinda defined by shastra as somewhat pure. But I was not speaking that such persona should be worshipped as mahabhagavata, only comparing to the purity of small children who sing the holy names so happily, much more so than their parents.

 

Hare Krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[riih.qarojamahoamaan]

 

I'm a 24-year old woman with asperger's autism. i see it sometimes a hinder, sometimes a blessing.

Are there others?

Just curious about your views.

NAMAS TE.

Although i have not been diagnosed by a doctor, i have read much about this "syndrome" (there is also a forum specifically on this subject), i m sure that everyone who knows what asperger syndrome is, would call me an "aspy", a typical "asperger syndrome person". By the way, asperger is no autism, i can see no reason to call it autism. See that on yourself: do you really stop considering other people for a moment? If you think about your connections to other people all the time, how can you b called by "autism"? That word is mere SLANDER.

In fact there is nothing strange about what they call asperger, they are not enlightened persons, and they are not dispriviledged. In one word, i would say they are just sensitive and sensible persons, and if they look a bit different it is only because the world is generally insensitive and insensible. Consequently, since we r sensitive and sensible, we grow responsible, and, expectedly, we grow committed to something. Just because of sensitivity, then because of a sense of responsibility. All this is good, and if the whole of mankind was so, everything would be morally correct. In fact, all humanity was just like what they now call "aspergers". After overpopulation with war and constant conflict came in, people had to b desensitized, so they lost their good old asperger qualities. Some people may still keep those good old qualities, so help you God.

I was glad to know there is such a woman out there, i believe i can match with such a lady, as i m sufferring from being without a woman for so many years, and the reason is, you guessed, those innocent asperger traits. I want to know more about you, sent me a personal message please. If we cannot be husband and wife or so, still i treasure your friendship.

P.S. to know me, you may start from my signatures, thank you.

[liam]

 

You're great folks. I had come here to start a thread on Asperger's finding this one.

 

My question is, what kind of "reward" will the Holy Name give to an autistic individual which is largely incapable of "loving" and has no desire for "service" because of not understanding it and just chants to get their nerves soothed.

Youre kidding right?

Well im actually interested in the nerve soothing bit concerning children with autisim ..Whats the sht about love and reward and incapable of loving..OK ,you have to be joking.

I was wondering if bringing my friends family with their autistic son to the sunday krishna feast in the hope of getting the food and the dancing to ground him a bit and maybe even socialise him.

[ayurveda4uall]

marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction

failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level

a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g., by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)

lack of social or emotional reciprocity

Restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:

 

encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus

apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals

stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)

persistent preoccupation with parts of objects