17-year-old with autism pulls off identity stunt of the decade.

Cheshire Cat

galenkia

Yohimbe

rightyho


No idea mate.
I sometimes teach a boy with severe autism who, at 12, has the mathematical prowess to be studying A level.
Aside from one or two character blips which only crop up when certain triggers are placed in his way, you'd simply assume he's an outstandingly intelligent young man.
He also enjoys social interaction in the presence of many and is noticeably outgoing.

In which case he isn't severely autistic.  Since what you describe would not meet that criteria.  I've done more reading on this than most and once worked in an autistic school for a year.  From your description he's likely to be either aspergers or high functioning autistic. 

Agree mate.My sister is severely autistic.She is 45 now.She has been in a care home since she was 18.She was sent there because my parents could not control her when she had her wild aggresive tantrums.And she would self harm as well.She cannot communicate with people in general.She has talents as many autistic people have.For example,she can play the piano but has never been shown how to play it.But she could never look after herself in the outside world.She needs 24 hour supervision.

I don't think this guy is autistic at all.

 
So unless you have 24 hour supervision in a care home you are not autistic?
 
Your sister sounds highly autistic, and the lad in the article clearly is not. But there is a spectrum of conditions, which include high functioning austism and aspergers. See here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_spectrum_disorder
 
I have aspergers and therefore classed as being on the austim spectrum, but I don't need 24 hour supervision. The person in the article sounds to have an obsession with planes, which has likely lead him to perform this whole act. There was another case with the lad who hacked into the pentagon to try to find about UFOs, he has aspergers. Many people with apsergers are highly obsessive about random things - UFOs, Planes, Bus timetables, types of cats etc

I read the link you provided.In it it clearly states that one of the main effects of autism is the lack of ability to socially interact with people.This guy clearly has the ability to interact with people at a high level.I would say he more than likely has Asperger's rather than genuine autism.It is only a very,very mild version of autism.If you met a person highly autistic like my sister you would appreciate the difference.

I appreciate the difference having worked with both and having been diagnosed with Aspergers.

Though whether Aspergers is even related to autism is a whole other kettle of detail.

Yohimbe


I appreciate the difference having worked with both and having been diagnosed with Aspergers.

Though whether Aspergers is even related to autism is a whole other kettle of detail.

I can only speak from my own experiences of an autistic person.But Asperger's sufferers seem to be on a different level to autistic's regarding social interaction.My sister can barely speak,never mind go through the experiences this guy was said to have been through.

I have to agree Yohimbe about whether Asperger's sufferers are actually suffering from a form of autism.

galenkia

Cheshire Cat

galenkia

Yohimbe

rightyho


No idea mate.
I sometimes teach a boy with severe autism who, at 12, has the mathematical prowess to be studying A level.
Aside from one or two character blips which only crop up when certain triggers are placed in his way, you'd simply assume he's an outstandingly intelligent young man.
He also enjoys social interaction in the presence of many and is noticeably outgoing.

In which case he isn't severely autistic.  Since what you describe would not meet that criteria.  I've done more reading on this than most and once worked in an autistic school for a year.  From your description he's likely to be either aspergers or high functioning autistic. 

Agree mate.My sister is severely autistic.She is 45 now.She has been in a care home since she was 18.She was sent there because my parents could not control her when she had her wild aggresive tantrums.And she would self harm as well.She cannot communicate with people in general.She has talents as many autistic people have.For example,she can play the piano but has never been shown how to play it.But she could never look after herself in the outside world.She needs 24 hour supervision.

I don't think this guy is autistic at all.

So unless you have 24 hour supervision in a care home you are not autistic?

Your sister sounds highly autistic, and the lad in the article clearly is not. But there is a spectrum of conditions, which include high functioning austism and aspergers. See here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism_spectrum_disorder

I have aspergers and therefore classed as being on the austim spectrum, but I don't need 24 hour supervision. The person in the article sounds to have an obsession with planes, which has likely lead him to perform this whole act. There was another case with the lad who hacked into the pentagon to try to find about UFOs, he has aspergers. Many people with apsergers are highly obsessive about random things - UFOs, Planes, Bus timetables, types of cats etc

I read the link you provided.In it it clearly states that one of the main effects of autism is the lack of ability to socially interact with people.This guy clearly has the ability to interact with people at a high level.I would say he more than likely has Asperger's rather than genuine autism.It is only a very,very mild version of autism.If you met a person highly autistic like my sister you would appreciate the difference.

I think you have misunderstood.
 
Aspergers and high functioning autism are said to be on the austic spectrum. They are both autism spectrum disorders. You and others are saying he is not autisic, or he is using it as an excuse for his actions. People who have Aspergers and high functioning autism are often said to have "Autism", as both are within the autisic spectrum, thats not to say they share the traits as someone like your sister. People with aspergers or high functioning autism do not all share the same issues anyway - some people cannot socialise, others do not have any problems with this. I know a couple of people who have Aspergers yet they do public speaking about the subject. Some are highly obsessed with subjects and talk non stop about it, others not so. So not everyone who is classed as having autism will have issues with communication and talking to people.

Fair enough mate.It's just my personal opinion,but i don't class Asperger's sufferer's as 'autistic' due to my experiences of the illness.Asperger's sufferer's seem to be highly intelligent and very communicative,unlike my sister,who has intelligence but has no way of communicating with people.

galenkia


Fair enough mate.It's just my personal opinion,but i don't class Asperger's sufferer's as 'autistic' due to my experiences of the illness.Asperger's sufferer's seem to be highly intelligent and very communicative,unlike my sister,who has intelligence but has no way of communicating with people.

Yes, I can see where you are coming from. I know someone who is highly autisic so I can relate with what you saying.
 
But, there is an issue with the way people see people with aspergers, and I guess this is why I am trying to get my point across. Many people who have aspergers are smart yet they do lack communication skills. I lack communication skills greatly. I cannot answer the phone or door unless I know who it is etc. These issues may not be as "bad" as what your sister suffers, but I can clearly not function like others when it comes to speaking to people. If you were to walk past me on the street you would not know this, I have no clear indications that I have any "disabilty". People with aspergers may also try to hide their disabilties to fit in.

My aspergers causes me no issues.  I don't alienate people with my views or opinions.  I'm some kind of wonderful.

Cheshire Cat

galenkia


Fair enough mate.It's just my personal opinion,but i don't class Asperger's sufferer's as 'autistic' due to my experiences of the illness.Asperger's sufferer's seem to be highly intelligent and very communicative,unlike my sister,who has intelligence but has no way of communicating with people.

Yes, I can see where you are coming from. I know someone who is highly autisic so I can relate with what you saying.
 
But, there is an issue with the way people see people with aspergers, and I guess this is why I am trying to get my point across. Many people who have aspergers are smart yet they do lack communication skills. I lack communication skills greatly. I cannot answer the phone or door unless I know who it is etc. These issues may not be as "bad" as what your sister suffers, but I can clearly not function like others when it comes to speaking to people. If you were to walk past me on the street you would not know this, I have no clear indications that I have any "disabilty". People with aspergers may also try to hide their disabilties to fit in.

You certainly have the ability to express your thought's mate.But from reading you post's it shows the difference between Asperger's sufferer's and autistics.My sister would not be able to use a computer.I am not belittiling your illness at all mate,but i think Asperger's sufferer's have a far higher ability to communicate than autistic's.Of course i recognice that Asperger's is a very real affliction,but i think it is not quite as severe as autism.