What is Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome?

[jackmt]

Autism occurs when for one of various reasons, the human spirit withdraws from its normal place (conscious eye-level) to regions within the soul the Bible describes as 'inner chambers'. It stays there and hides until it decides that there is good enough reason to return.

You seem to speak with authority on this subject. Where does your knowledge come from and what are some of the various reasons?

BTW, Rex Lex is Latin for the 'rule of law' or 'the king is the law.' Is there some significance to your choice of names?

 

[grandvizier1006]

Rex of Lex doesn't know what he's talking about. If it was a spiritual issue than God would just heal it. Plus, most non-autistic people who say "autism" are thinking of low-functioning autism. A lot of people don't know it's a spectrum. So if I went up to someone and said, "I'm autistic," they'd probably say, "No, you're not! You can talk!" or "Oh, but you can talk. You must have been cured of it." Although there have been some times in which (low-functioning) autistic people have been "cured" (or have they just moved up on the spectrum?)

 

[paul becke]

'If it was a spiritual issue than God would just heal it.'

Why do you say that, grandvizier? Why should spiritual trials be eliminated by God any more than physical sickness, for example? Surely, a trial is a trial. Period; being allowed by God as the staple of our spiritual life, and the means whereby we learn obedience, just as Jesus is said to have done.

 

[grandvizier1006]

Hey, Paul. One thing you have to understand about autism-spectrum disorders is that it's not a "sinful" condition. When you have some form of autism you're certainly a sinner, but that sin can vary, and it comes as a result of the circumstances and life experiences that autistic people commonly face. Some people, as a result of having Asperger's, turn to drugs or alcohol, or they get involved in crime. I myself was lonely and so I became lustful.

Another common sin that Aspies are tempted with is bitterness. That may not seem like much of a sin since it's not an obvious vice, but remember all those times in the Bible when Paul discussed not having malicious thoughts or unkind speech? We can also become selfish due to our resentment of people at large (because we feel misunderstood), or dogmatic. I know one poor Aspie on Youtube who isn't a Christian that reminds me of what I used to be--that same angry, dogmatic person who thought he just "had" to be angry.

But not all Aspies act like jerks, or at least they don't try to. We all have various sins and issues we have to deal with, and with God's help we can triumph over our sins

Rex of Lex is speaking from ignorance, as a non-autistic person and most likely having never met someone like me. If he got to know me he wouldn't dare make some assumption about the position of my spirit or whatever.

The Bible doesn't clarify how a person's soul "works" inside one's body, and I have no idea what kind of inner chamber thing he is talking about. But assuming for a moment that he's on to something, if my soul is just cloistered away in some inner chambers, then why do I have such a strong desire to make friends and navigate the social world? Why do I enjoy talking with the people on here? Rex of Lex is falsely accusing autistic people of deliberately avoiding social stuff. That's not the problem; the problem is that we autistic people don't really know or understand how it works, so when we mess up people chastise us (without telling us what we did wrong and expecting us to behave exactly like them) and so we sort of "give up" and often develop social anxiety.

God doesn't heal people of Asperger's or autism. The point of a relationship with God, as an Aspie, is for me to both be able to cope with and manage my social difficulties. I may not be the most gregarious person in the room, but I don't have to be shy. I may sometimes think too inwardly, but that doesn't mean that I have to be selfish. I may be "smart", but I need to always be reminded of the fact that I'm not as wise as I think I am.

Do you see what I'm saying, Paul? It's not the autism that needs to be healed or relieved from. It's the bad habits, thoughts and fears that come about as a result of being "too different", and then to show everyone I can that people with Asperger's can be godly people.

 

[paul becke]

I've only read a part of your letter so far, GV, but I have to dive in straight away because I obviously gave you a totally wrong impression of what I was talking about. I was not attributing Asperger's or autism to personal sin at all. Very far from it. All our sicknesses and infirmities, physical as well as psychological, are ultimately down to Original Sin - and most, also, proximately down to Original Sin. That is what I am interested in here: Aspergers/autism as trial, like (almost) any other, i.e. not down to personal behaviour, still less, shortcoming, of any kind.

Still, I'm not saying jackmt's analysis of AS, as a withdrawal of the human spirit into 'inner chambers' is right or wrong. I seem to remember the term as referring to a kind of recollectedness in prayer. But I don't know.

I do believe addictions of one kind and another, anorexia, bulimia, are psycho-spiritual, and as such superable, but they are a different kettle of fish.

Perhaps I was mistaken, but I understood Rex Lex to be referring to quite sever autism, which prompts the victim to recoil from an overwhelming of his senses, at the level of the autonomic intelligence, like breathing - except that I believe that in some measure it can be unlearnt.

I read a most heartening article about a nurse, who had retired to look after their infant autistic son, who really was 'in a bad way'. (Don't get me wrong...!) Apparently, when they got a dog, they called, Henry, and asked him to do this or that by saying that Henry was asking him to do it! Apparently, it was a godsend and the beginning of real progress in his overcoming the worst effects of his autism, or some of them, anyway. Your level of Aspergers seems to be so different, it could be another kind of affliction.

The father was a manager in the City, at a stockbrokers or some such, and then had the long train journey home, so You can imagine what a cross the child was in his most difficult, early days. But what struck me was the quiet heroism of 'ordinary people' (who is ordinary? No-one, of course.) To be a parent strikes me as being possibly the most epic undertaking we are capable of, as human beings. And in all the adverse circumstances, particularly of the world today, most seem to make an amazing fist of it, it seems to me.

 

[paul becke]

Do you see what I'm saying, Paul? It's not the autism that needs to be healed or relieved from. It's the bad habits, thoughts and fears that come about as a result of being "too different", and then to show everyone I can that people with Asperger's can be godly people.

I think so, GV. I don't know you well enough to know whether or not I can respond sensibly, but here are some thoughts. I would say that your concerns are basically a reflection of your normality as a young man living in the kind of society we live in today.

inappropriate contentography is a curse, particularly as it is so ubiquitous. I don't know how I would have survived as a youngster. Unfortunately, when you're young, testosterone is a drug that just keeps giving. Remember this when you feel you're letting Christ down. He knows the score. I've woken up in the night in the middle of a wet dream, and then, for my pains(!), eventually had to touch myself, just to be able get back to sleep. I still liked to confess it, because it is an 'objective sin', however relatively unblameworthy it might be. I always felt better. Non-Catholics could say a small act of contrition if it makes them feel better.

I suffer a great deal from obtrusive thoughts, but I know that all such trials will be over for us fairly soon, as these do seem to be the End Days, and thirty odd years ago, I believe I had an intimation of the New Heaven and New Earth (and much clearer intimations of my own restoration to the kind of spiritual and psychological 'high point' I was at, at that time); but that's all it was an intimation, a vision, without details. However, I'm 74 and don't believe I'll live more than another few years or so, and with the all the various signs, from keeping the thoughts of it on the 'back burner', as something too vague to give much thought to, I have it pretty close to front and centre now.

 

[grandvizier1006]

You're probably right about Rex of Lex. It's just that we Aspies are very specific about our terminology. Most people don't know about "high-functioning" autism of any sort. We just don't want people misunderstanding us and suggesting for us to handle our issues in a way that might not be according to God's will. I believe that God might have different plans for different sorts of Aspies--neurological differences don't seem to make much of a difference to Him

And that story about the boy and his dog is really sweet. I've heard some people like Temple Grandin claim that autistic people can often get along with animals well, and animals seem to likewise have an easier time befriending "us".

Personally I'm not sure if I agree with everything she says--she's not a Christian and so she has no problems with saying that humans are just another animal and that autistic people "think like animals". I, for one, as a Christian, know that I'm above animals, and even though I might have loved learning about animals as a kid I know that I am a HUMAN with A HUMAN BRAIN. Regardless, though, animal friends can be very helpful.

And I've often wondered if I had what it took to be a parent, but I guess all I can really do is just let God take the reins.

 

[paul becke]

Thanks for this information. I have Autism but I really wish I didn't. I do know when my brain is having "different than normal" thoughts and I try to catch and correct myself.

It's probably cold comfort for you to hear now, but that vigilance and the need for recollectedness are features of the interior life of prayer, so you are on the 'high road' to sanctity, if you so wish, as far as God is concerned.

 

[paul becke]

You're probably right about Rex of Lex. It's just that we Aspies are very specific about our terminology. Most people don't know about "high-functioning" autism of any sort. We just don't want people misunderstanding us and suggesting for us to handle our issues in a way that might not be according to God's will. I believe that God might have different plans for different sorts of Aspies--neurological differences don't seem to make much of a difference to Him

And that story about the boy and his dog is really sweet. I've heard some people like Temple Grandin claim that autistic people can often get along with animals well, and animals seem to likewise have an easier time befriending "us".

Personally I'm not sure if I agree with everything she says--she's not a Christian and so she has no problems with saying that humans are just another animal and that autistic people "think like animals". I, for one, as a Christian, know that I'm above animals, and even though I might have loved learning about animals as a kid I know that I am a HUMAN with A HUMAN BRAIN. Regardless, though, animal friends can be very helpful.

And I've often wondered if I had what it took to be a parent, but I guess all I can really do is just let God take the reins.

To flesh out a little, what I was saying earlier, grandvizier, of course, both soul and spirit have a supernatural, as well as a natural dimension to them. St Augustine designated as the faculties of the soul, a person's memory, will and understanding. I would assume that it was the subliminal, autonomic, cognitive aspects of the soul which were implicitly referred to by Rex Lex, and not any moral or eschatological aspect of the soul.

 

[axydavid]

Some of the characteristics that are commonly found with those on the spectrum include:
Unusual Abilities

Heck yeah!

 

[BryanMaloney]

First post on thread is in severe need of update. PDD-NOS and Asperger's are obsolete.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html

 

[Sabertooth]

The one common trait that is shared across the whole spectrum, according to Dr. Lorna Wing, is a lack of social instinct.

 

[kdm1984]

32 year old female with Aspergers here. Clinically diagnosed in 2014. I scored 134 on the verbal comprehension portion of the WAIS-IV but only 98 on Perceptual Reasoning. Some Aspies are actually much more language thinkers than perceptual/visual. Tends to be one extreme or the other. I'm told I write well, but that I read social cues poorly, am often socially inappropriate, and can be very tactless in my communication. I'm also a very poor multi-tasker and have some executive functioning deficits, like poor short term memory (which influences my relative inability to multi-task). However, I always excelled academically in school, perhaps because school is very structured and you always know what you have to do (unlike socializing, which is spontaneous). I do best in employment where I either work primarily by myself or under the supervision of someone who can explain to me exactly what I need to do. I've done best as a substitute teacher aide in Special Education.

 

[OneOfTheMany]

Hey, Paul. One thing you have to understand about autism-spectrum disorders is that it's not a "sinful" condition. When you have some form of autism you're certainly a sinner, but that sin can vary, and it comes as a result of the circumstances and life experiences that autistic people commonly face. Some people, as a result of having Asperger's, turn to drugs or alcohol, or they get involved in crime. I myself was lonely and so I became lustful.

Another common sin that Aspies are tempted with is bitterness. That may not seem like much of a sin since it's not an obvious vice, but remember all those times in the Bible when Paul discussed not having malicious thoughts or unkind speech? We can also become selfish due to our resentment of people at large (because we feel misunderstood), or dogmatic. I know one poor Aspie on Youtube who isn't a Christian that reminds me of what I used to be--that same angry, dogmatic person who thought he just "had" to be angry.

But not all Aspies act like jerks, or at least they don't try to. We all have various sins and issues we have to deal with, and with God's help we can triumph over our sins

Rex of Lex is speaking from ignorance, as a non-autistic person and most likely having never met someone like me. If he got to know me he wouldn't dare make some assumption about the position of my spirit or whatever.

The Bible doesn't clarify how a person's soul "works" inside one's body, and I have no idea what kind of inner chamber thing he is talking about. But assuming for a moment that he's on to something, if my soul is just cloistered away in some inner chambers, then why do I have such a strong desire to make friends and navigate the social world? Why do I enjoy talking with the people on here? Rex of Lex is falsely accusing autistic people of deliberately avoiding social stuff. That's not the problem; the problem is that we autistic people don't really know or understand how it works, so when we mess up people chastise us (without telling us what we did wrong and expecting us to behave exactly like them) and so we sort of "give up" and often develop social anxiety.

God doesn't heal people of Asperger's or autism. The point of a relationship with God, as an Aspie, is for me to both be able to cope with and manage my social difficulties. I may not be the most gregarious person in the room, but I don't have to be shy. I may sometimes think too inwardly, but that doesn't mean that I have to be selfish. I may be "smart", but I need to always be reminded of the fact that I'm not as wise as I think I am.

Do you see what I'm saying, Paul? It's not the autism that needs to be healed or relieved from. It's the bad habits, thoughts and fears that come about as a result of being "too different", and then to show everyone I can that people with Asperger's can be godly people.

grandvizier1006,

I do see what you are saying. As a 30 year old man with Aspergers, I have developed many of these bad habits. I have become bitter to the point that many of my words and thoughts while living the daily city life are negative. I get angry quickly at people for not being efficient enough or really no reason at all.
I also tend to think I am smarter, wiser, even more timeless than many of my fellow humans, which is not true.
I often wish I could explain to people that I'm just different, but it's hard because in many ways I come off as being very normal and can reason very clearly about many things.

Let me ask you for three things, if you'd be so kind.

1) How do you best explain to people that you have Aspergers? Maybe it's just as simple as saying "I have Aspergers" and I don't have the courage to do that yet...

2) How to you curb the bad habits that can develop from this condition, including thinking we are smarter than everyone, and being bitter and judgmental in the course of daily life?

3) How do you take steps to mitigate pressures in social situations? For me, and I'm assuming for many folks with Aspergers, the pressure increases exponentially as the group grows. When I'm with just one other person, I usually do very well, and can at least be polite and make small talk and be goofy and get a cheap laugh. When I'm with a 2-4 people, I do realize I am different, but I can still 'hang on' and participate in my own way, depending on the group. But when the group starts to get larger than 5, I really become overwhelmed. My heart rate increases and the situations become overwhelming to my nervous system. Other people are confused as to why I'm so nervous, but it's a biological response. I'd do anything to turn it off, but thus far, I haven't been able to. This is the biggest thing I've struggled with in my life and I could not even begin to describe my elation if you were able to help with this.


Ok, thanks in advance.

 

[Sabertooth]

If I may weigh in on your previous questions...

1) How do you best explain to people that you have Aspergers? Maybe it's just as simple as saying "I have Aspergers" and I don't have the courage to do that yet...

For those who would listen, I liken it to being left-handed or color-blind in our neurology. By itself, it certainly isn't a disability, but it is clearly a handicap (in an NT world).

2) How to you curb the bad habits that can develop from this condition, including thinking we are smarter than everyone, and being bitter and judgmental in the course of daily life?

1. By being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. James 1:19
2. By praying for God's take on the other person.
3. As to being smarter, realize that your expertise and the other person's most likely are not in the same areas. Theirs is likely to be outside of yours and may yet prove to be insightful.

3) How do you take steps to mitigate pressures in social situations...?

In the spirit of James 1:19, listen. Avoid impulsive responses and you may get a deeper sense of the other person (and their place in the Body). Even if they are not an intellectual heavyweight, they may yet prove to be a heavyweight in love, faith, prophecy, wisdom, etc. And you wouldn't want to miss all of that because you were only watching for intellect.

 

[OneOfTheMany]

That is actually a nice insight.

Even though I may be frustrated with someone, and I don't understand how they don't see the foolishness of their ways, it's not my perspective that matters, but Gods.

I know this, of course. But I don't put it in the front of my mind. This could actually be a useful tool in mitigating my frustrations and possibly rounding some of those sharp edges that keep people away.

 

[Isocoma]

Thank you for this info.

 

[GodLovesCats]

Heard that there is no cure for it though.

I mean this is our lives we are talking about and peoples' lives can be ruined by just one disease or injury.

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't let that disease/injury win and take over us and dictate our lives.

Of course there isn't. Autism spectrum disorders are genetic.

Asperger's syndrome is not a disease. People tend to think it is because they are not educated about ASD biology.