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I wonder if Jesus could have had this condition, it appears he was intelligent; a lot of very bright people have Aspergers syndrome, a form of autism. Without a thought for his parents, at the age of twelve he disappeared off to the Temple in Jerusalem to challenge the religious hierarchy.
I speak as one who has any extremely intelligent grandson, now nearly 14, who challenged his mother at the age of two to explain how she knew Jesus existed as she couldn't see, hear or feel him! Our lad would certainly have given Jesus a run for his money. On the occasions he has consented to go to church with his mother he has interrupted the sermon and challenged the preacher, very politely, on some point they had made with which he didn't agree, YE GODS! As you can imagine he doesn't get taken to church very often. As our grandson has Asperger's syndrome he thinks his behaviour is reasonable, as no doubt did Jesus!
No, it's not true that "a lot of very bright people have Asperger [no apostrophe S] syndrome." There are no more above-average intelligence people with HFA (high-functioning autism...Asperger Syndrome is no longer its own DX as of the DSMV) than among the standard, non-autistic population. That is simply a long-standing myth due to a few people (usually techies) being picked out of the populace (Bill Gates is one; another, probably erroneously, is Einstein, who may for all we know have been autistic, but who could not have had Asperger Syndrome at least as it was designated when it was an active DX as, per Einstein's family, Einstein experienced a significant speech delay until erupting into functional speech at the age of about two years, nine months).
Jesus spoke often in parables, which doesn't necessarily rule HFA out but makes it less likely, as autistic individuals have more difficulty with abstracts than the average person.
Sorry if this sounds abrupt. As the parent of an autistic person (classic/Kanner autism) as well as intellectual delay, the myths about autism get old. (The one we hear quite a bit in my family is that my son "must be a savant" since Rain Man was...)
No, it's not true that "a lot of very bright people have Asperger [no apostrophe S] syndrome." There are no more above-average intelligence people with HFA (high-functioning autism...Asperger Syndrome is no longer its own DX as of the DSMV) than among the standard, non-autistic population. That is simply a long-standing myth due to a few people (usually techies) being picked out of the populace (Bill Gates is one; another, probably erroneously, is Einstein, who may for all we know have been autistic, but who could not have had Asperger Syndrome at least as it was designated when it was an active DX as, per Einstein's family, Einstein experienced a significant speech delay until erupting into functional speech at the age of about two years, nine months).
Jesus spoke often in parables, which doesn't necessarily rule HFA out but makes it less likely, as autistic individuals have more difficulty with abstracts than the average person.
Sorry if this sounds abrupt. As the parent of an autistic person (classic/Kanner autism) as well as intellectual delay, the myths about autism get old. (The one we hear quite a bit in my family is that my son "must be a savant" since Rain Man was...)
No, it's not true that "a lot of very bright people have Asperger [no apostrophe S] syndrome." There are no more above-average intelligence people with HFA (high-functioning autism...Asperger Syndrome is no longer its own DX as of the DSMV) than among the standard, non-autistic population. That is simply a long-standing myth due to a few people (usually techies) being picked out of the populace (Bill Gates is one; another, probably erroneously, is Einstein, who may for all we know have been autistic, but who could not have had Asperger Syndrome at least as it was designated when it was an active DX as, per Einstein's family, Einstein experienced a significant speech delay until erupting into functional speech at the age of about two years, nine months).
Jesus spoke often in parables, which doesn't necessarily rule HFA out but makes it less likely, as autistic individuals have more difficulty with abstracts than the average person.
Sorry if this sounds abrupt. As the parent of an autistic person (classic/Kanner autism) as well as intellectual delay, the myths about autism get old. (The one we hear quite a bit in my family is that my son "must be a savant" since Rain Man was...)
Excellent post - wish I could rep you for it.
I can understand the impulse to speculate about a diagnosis of an historical figure. Paul having temporal lobe epilepsy is an example that makes sense, whether or not he did. But this thread starter seems more like a Lets Diagnosis Jesus Book of the Month Club topic. In addition to a different book of the Bible each month, there would be a diagnosis of the month. Oppositional Defiance Disorder could be next month because Jesus liked to misbehave.
I mean no disrespect to anyone with special needs and their families. The book club comments are meant to illustrate where this diagnosis speculation can lead without making adequate effort to educate oneself about the condition. Obviously I'm trying to be funny at the same time. I hope you receive as such and aren't offended. I work with children with special needs and I too get tired of knee jerk responses.
To the OP - I recognize you mean well, but suggest you learn more about the autism spectrum. I also hope your grandson is encouraged to pursue his interest in questioning religion and see a lot of irony in his not being encouraged to attend services. I won't go there right now.
I wonder if Jesus could have had this condition, it appears he was intelligent; a lot of very bright people have Aspergers syndrome, a form of autism. Without a thought for his parents, at the age of twelve he disappeared off to the Temple in Jerusalem to challenge the religious hierarchy.
I speak as one who has any extremely intelligent grandson, now nearly 14, who challenged his mother at the age of two to explain how she knew Jesus existed as she couldn't see, hear or feel him! Our lad would certainly have given Jesus a run for his money. On the occasions he has consented to go to church with his mother he has interrupted the sermon and challenged the preacher, very politely, on some point they had made with which he didn't agree, YE GODS! As you can imagine he doesn't get taken to church very often. As our grandson has Asperger's syndrome he thinks his behaviour is reasonable, as no doubt did Jesus!
There are some legitimately bright children who has autism or aspergers. The movie House of Cards is a good movie to watch on this. There are also a number of parents that are convinced that their child is a special snowflake.
Jesus was a genius kid. Your grandson is a twit, who challenges authority and you think it's cute. The priest on the other hand, probably wishes your "cute" little narcissist would shut the hell up with his stupid questions. Jesus had actual religious potential, he was a savant, and became trained as a Rabbi if you read carefully.
You understand? Now leave.
Last edited by bulmabriefs144; 12-21-2015 at 11:18 AM..
There are some legitimately bright children who has autism or aspergers. The movie House of Cards is a good movie to watch on this. There are also a number of parents that are convinced that their child is a special snowflake.
Jesus was a genius kid. Your grandson is a twit, who challenges authority and you think it's cute.
Wow, what a turd you are! Because his/her grandson is smart enough to see the idiocy in religion, he is a twit? Right, everyone reading this knows who the twit is.
Wanting evidence and not being an ignorant fool doesn't make one a twit.
Last edited by southernbored; 12-21-2015 at 11:23 AM..
Wow, what a turd you are! Because his/her grandson is smart enough to see the idiocy in religion, he is a twit? Right, everyone reading this knows who the twit is.
Wanting evidence and not being an ignorant fool doesn't make one a twit.
No. Because he is a twit. And so are you.
As one who legitimately has a social disorder (my parents thought I might be autistic but never told me until I was an adult, but I realized the schizoid label was closer in line with me), I have seen overdiagnosis by deadbeat parents. I tried to be a decent kid, because my folks expected good behavior. The reason autism didn't apply was that I had deadpan and super-calm tendencies, not spastic or bratty behavior. And I'll be damned if I see more parents give these brats a free pass. In the 90s all kids were diagnosed with ADD. Me too. I wasn't ADD, but the medicine sure did mess me up. I now have poor short term memory.
There are real autistic kids. Your grandson is not one of them. Kids with aspergers don't have "challenging authority" as the defining trait for their behavior.
No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles or other facial expressions by nine months
No babbling by 12 months
No back-and-forth gestures such as pointing, showing, reaching or waving by 12 months
No words by 16 months
No meaningful, two-word phrases (not including imitating or repeating) by 24 months
Any loss of speech, babbling or social skills at any age
They have trouble speaking. They have odd mannerisms, or inability to read body language. They have compulsive behaviors (wearing a cape everywhere), and they have meltdowns when days aren't according to a precise program. I never had any of this, though I did have an odd detached behavior and general apathy uncharacteristic of most children.
You know what does have "challenging authority" as defining trait? Two conditions: narcisssism and sociopathy. Neither of which you want your baby to have. So, yes, a child like this, is a twit. And should not be encouraged.
It is fine to challenge religion. As an adult. With actual evidence. It is not fine to trash people twenty or more years your elder, without proof, because mommy and daddy are wonderful little sociopaths that have no respect for authority, and praise their children when they give teachers, priests, and librarians a miserable time. "Yes, that's great, you keep telling people they're idiots. You're so brilliant and misunderstood pookums! School administrator suspended you for bullying? Surely my sweetest couldn't have done that!" Right up to the point where they're in Cell Block A of prison.
As one who legitimately has a social disorder (my parents thought I might be autistic but never told me until I was an adult, but I realized the schizoid label was closer in line with me), I have seen overdiagnosis by deadbeat parents. I tried to be a decent kid, because my folks expected good behavior. The reason autism didn't apply was that I had deadpan and super-calm tendencies, not spastic or bratty behavior. And I'll be damned if I see more parents give these brats a free pass. In the 90s all kids were diagnosed with ADD. Me too. I wasn't ADD, but the medicine sure did mess me up. I now have poor short term memory.
It is fine to challenge religion. As an adult. With actual evidence. It is not fine to trash people twenty or more years your elder, without proof, because mommy and daddy are wonderful little sociopaths that have no respect for authority, and praise their children when they give teachers, priests, and librarians a miserable time. "Yes, that's great, you keep telling people they're idiots. You're so brilliant and misunderstood pookums! School administrator suspended you for bullying? Surely my sweetest couldn't have done that!" Right up to the point where they're in Cell Block A of prison.
The OP's grandson has a diagnosis, which needs to be respected.
Yes there are a lot of people misdiagnosed with a lot of stuff. However, that doesn't make it okay for you to name call like this.
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