Androgynes and Autism

[naniteswarm]

  Hello everyone.  After reading some of the threads in this forum I can't help but get the feeling that a lot androgyne traits are similar autistic traits; e.g. shyness, not really fitting in with others, having a calm exterior, etc.  It seems to me that autism and androgyny may somehow be related.  So, does anyone else here have a diagnosis of an Autistic Spectrum Disorder or think they may have on?

[Lokaeign]

Hmmm.  I have no formal diagnosis, but when people play Pin the Diagnosis on the Weirdo around me they often reach for AS labels.

[Eva Marie]

Hmmm.  I have no formal diagnosis, but when people play Pin the Diagnosis on the Weirdo around me they often reach for AS labels.

I can see why they might think that (no offense intended). I have a daughter that is borderline AS. And as an androgyne I see what the OP is getting at. It is an interesting possibility to consider.

[Lokaeign]

Well, no offence taken, but did I do something wrong?   

[Nero]

I don't think the two are related at all.  Most TG people have problems fitting in because our gender or lack of it doesn't match our bodies. Thus, we don't fit people's expectations making it hard for us to fit in.

I think the calmness of androgynes comes from having both male and female traits and thus being better equipped to understand different points of view. Men and women get upset over different things and in different ways. The androgyne is more balanced.

I'd say any resemblance to autism traits in the androgyne is just a result of gender.

[Eva Marie]

Well, no offence taken, but did I do something wrong?   

no, not at all 

for those that are not aware - AS is short for asperger's syndrome, it is a point on the autism scale. There are a couple of outstanding things about AS, including a child-like fascination with things, and above average intelligence. My own daughter (bordering on AS) is in the gifted-talented program at high school, but is fascinated with wolves (and previously dinosaurs). Her condition gives her an ability above and beyond "normal" (kind of like us androgynes). But she is also "different", and that is OK.

My point is that I can see where people who aware of AS (as Lokaeign mentioned) might see some similarities with the androgyne. But this is by no means definitive. I see it as just an an interesting observation.

Posted on: May 20, 2008, 11:03:18 PM

Well, no offence taken, but did I do something wrong?   

no, not at all 

for those that are not aware - AS is short for asperger's syndrome, it is a point on the autism scale. There are a couple of outstanding things about AS, including a child-like fascination with things, and above average intelligence. My own daughter (bordering on AS) is in the gifted-talented program at high school, but is fascinated with wolves (and previously dinosaurs). Her condition gives her an ability above and beyond "normal" (kind of like us androgynes). But she is also "different", and that is OK.

My point is that I can see where people who aware of AS (as Lokaeign mentioned) might see some similarities with the androgyne. But this is by no means definitive. I see it as just an an interesting observation.

I should also say that I do not believe being an androgyne has anything to do with autism. Should have made that clear in some of my above rambling 

[Constance]

Pin the Diagnosis on the Weirdo

Now that's an excellent turn of phrase.

Yes, I'm shy and don't really fit in.

The calm exterior thing is a recent development for me, though. Is it that I'm just maturing? I hate to word it that way as it seems a bit judgemental. I think it's just that I'm making a conscious effort to have a calm exterior, as I hate confrontations. I guess it makes me seem passive, which is something I've always been. I had to work to be assertive, and that didn't really start until my early 20's. But then, it wasn't long before assertive turned into aggressive.

I think I'm losing the aggression and trying to be more calmly assertive. It's not easy, as there's a lot of anger, frustration, and hatred in me. I try to keep it in check, and I think the zazen and walking the labyrinth helps. But, I feel like I need better methods still.

When I was very young, about 7 I think, I had been diagnosed as having some kind of "motor coordination" problem. I couldn't stay focussed in class, would fidget and not do my work. I ended up repeating second grade. I hated it then, but it was probably a good thing, looking back. And I don't mean that just for educational and developmental reasons, but because of the friends I had as a result of the class I was suddenly put into.

Based on what I understand Autism to be, I doubt that I have it. But, I'm not an MD. Do I have traits that are similar with Autism? Apparently so. But then, I have traits that are similar with any number of conditions, it seems.

[Patroklos]

I've been diagnosed with high-functioning AS. =/

[RebeccaFog]

    I had my head examined quite thoroughly last year and have been in therapy for at least 6 years and autism never came up.


    I agree with both Nero that we're just different anyway because of who we are.

    It's an interesting idea.  I'm not discouraging you from pursuing it.  Just let us all know if you discover we're not just insane. 

   I also agree with Lokaeign that we're weirdos.      And don't try to deny it anybody, because only a weirdo would deny being a weirdo.

[Shana A]

   I also agree with Lokaeign that we're weirdos.      And don't try to deny it anybody, because only a weirdo would deny being a weirdo.

The question is would a weirdo actually admit to being a weirdo?  So I could use reverse psychology and say I'm a weirdo, and then no one would think that I was, hehe  >

To the best of my knowledge, I don't have Asperger's. My only diagnoses from therapy were gender dysphora and clinical depression. That's plenty, thanks 

Z

[Jaimey]

I don't think they are related either.  I think the androgyne social awkwardness comes from social encounters, not autism or aspergers. 

We can't relate to binary people, so we don't mature socially the way our peers do.  But where an autistic person or someone with aspergers has social issues with everyone, when we find someone like ourselves or someone that we can relate to, our social skills are better with that person.  Take this forum for example.  A lot of us are really outgoing on here, but if we were in a group of binary people, we wouldn't behave the same way.

I think it's better not to jump on the popular disease band wagon.  Don't get me wrong, a LOT of people are affected by both austism and aspergers, but I feel like the media and the public are treating those like they did ADHD a few years back. 

Besides, there are a lot of other disorders that have similar symptoms, like shyness and social awkwardness.