Israeli cannabis news report-effects of THC on autism

[butters]

Most studies focused on using cannabis for treating the symptoms of autism highlight the benefits of CBD.

However, researchers from Tel Aviv University have discovered that the psychoactive compound THC could actually be more useful. “Studies that are underway mostly don’t focus enough on the details of what it is in the cannabis that may be helping people,” said researcher Shani Poleg to the Times of Israel. “In our study, we looked at the details, and came up with surprising and interesting findings.”

“THC was more effective. The main difference was that THC treatment also improved social behavior, not only repetitive compulsive behavior,” she says. But since THC makes you high, Poleg added that their research recommends just a small amount and this can already make a difference. “Our study shows that when treating autism with medical cannabis oil there is no need for high contents of either CBD or THC.”

“We observed significant improvement in behavioral tests following treatments with cannabis oil containing small amounts of THC and observed no long-term effects in cognitive or emotional tests conducted a month and a half after the treatment began.” She also explains, “According to the prevailing theory, autism involves over-arousal of the brain, which causes compulsive behavior. In the lab, in addition to the behavioral results, we saw a significant decrease in the concentration of the arousing neurotransmitter glutamate in the spinal fluid, which can explain the reduction in behavioral symptoms.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/me...ine-weed-marketplace/ar-AATERRS?ocid=msedgntp

one of my own offspring is in his 30s and has high-functioning autism (though it's no-longer termed that and lumped under one umbrella of the spectrum); it was in his teenage years he discovered the benefits of smoking weed... said it cut off a lot of the over-stimulation and allowed him to function more 'normally'. Unfortunately, he was unable to distinguish when the benefits outweighed the costs; it's not that he became addicted to weed, but that he was 'addicted' to the relative brain-peace it provided.
In the end he had to completely cut himself off from all of the people he hung out with and got himself free of people after him for money owed while still trying to keep him supplied. He had to endure (at the same time) suffering from not socialising at all AND benefitting from the lack of exposure/stimulation socialising brought him.

if he could get the same brain-relief from medicinal-quality and dosage THC, it would be incredible for him; calmer without the zombie-eyed look he had when using and responsible without the paranoia he developed.

He's been clean a long long time now, but mostly keeps himself to himself, talking online with the exception of the odd one or two people he will speak with in person (apart from his family).

 

[pecksniff]

Well, we already have legal medical marijuana. This is just a matter of expanding the list of ailments for which it is approved to included autism-spectrum conditions.

Which would be controversial only in that some autism-rights activists object to such conditions being classified as disorders at all.

 

[butters]

Well, we already have legal medical marijuana. This is just a matter of expanding the list of ailments for which it is approved to included autism-spectrum conditions.

Which would be controversial only in that some autism-rights activists object to such conditions being classified as disorders at all.

i think the point the report was making–and the article states the Israelis are light-years ahead of us all in their investigations–is that THC works better and in far smaller doses

my own son doesn't consider he has a disorder... in fact, he is convinced that people with autism similar to his are advanced beyond us mere mortals. His brain definitely consciously sees and registers way more information --the trouble is he also has problems processing that and distinguishing what would be considered credible sources of information. He's mostly worked himself through the conspiracy theories of 9/11, lizard people, flat earthing etc..., but is very vulnerable to the newer shit like trumpworldism and elections.

 

[stickygirl]

My first thought is that once I'm on a roll with a particular favourite interest no one else gets a look in on a conversation. If I had weed as well I'd be there for a week, talking at everyone without pause!

Your son is correct Butters, and as dolf once posted, we're the upgrades . For self-reliant auties, the problems often centre around the exhaustion of too much brain activity, whether through emotional or intellectual over-activity.

There are too many misconceptions about autism, from assumptions about how/who we are to crack-pot ideas about curing it. Trying to cure autism is like trying to cure the colour blue or how to cure a mountain. Mountains come in all shapes and sizes and have to be navigated differently to the plains but they can't be fixed. There are one or two well-funded, overly publicised organisations like Autism Speaks who see autism as a disorder that can be cured often by harmful means ( think bleach enemas ) so I'm always suspicious of any treatments that promise amazing outcomes.

Weed might help some people in moderation - great, but autistic people aren't a monolith waiting desperately for a single miracle cure - and Butters example doesn't claim that. I'd be very wary of using any drug that was addictive because I'm not good at dealing with addictive things in general.

Once you've met one autistic person, you've met one autistic person. I'm happy being autistic because I'm happy being me and fuck anyone who is out to change who I am.

 

[JohnnySavage]

I suppose keeping them stoned gives the parents some respite.

 

[pecksniff]

There are one or two well-funded, overly publicised organisations like Autism Speaks who see autism as a disorder that can be cured often by harmful means ( think bleach enemas )

That would affect the neural system?!

 

[Philthy_Phil]

That would affect the neural system?!

It also cures covid.

 

[RobDownSouth]

I suppose keeping them stoned gives the parents some respite.

Didn't help BoBo's parent's marriage....just sayin'.....

 

[pecksniff]

My first thought is that once I'm on a roll with a particular favourite interest no one else gets a look in on a conversation. If I had weed as well I'd be there for a week, talking at everyone without pause!

It's weed, not coke!

 

[srgreene]

Well, we already have legal medical marijuana. This is just a matter of expanding the list of ailments for which it is approved to included autism-spectrum conditions.

Which would be controversial only in that some autism-rights activists object to such conditions being classified as disorders at all.

There is no place in the United States where marijuana is legal (some research protocols would be an exception, but they are very limited). Under federal law, marijuana is illegal everywhere.

True, some states have legalized it, but they do not override federal law. This is just another example of you posting half truths that are highly disingenuous, but that, apparently, is the way your mind rolls.

 

[srgreene]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/me...ine-weed-marketplace/ar-AATERRS?ocid=msedgntp

one of my own offspring is in his 30s and has high-functioning autism ...

Thank you, butters, for posting this highly personal narrative that must have caused much pain in your family. I won't deny that cannabinoids may have medicinal properties, and it is unfortunate that federal law has made research on the subject so difficult.

Nevertheless, in my own life, I have witnessed only their destructive power (well, ok, I've experienced a few pleasurable moments too, even if, I would say, they came at some personal price). That so many young people are seduced by mj and its derivatives, and experience far greater repercussions in their lives than I did, is a national, even civilizational, tragedy.

 

[pecksniff]

There is no place in the United States where marijuana is legal (some research protocols would be an exception, but they are very limited). Under federal law, marijuana is illegal everywhere.

True, some states have legalized it, but they do not override federal law. This is just another example of you posting half truths that are highly disingenuous, but that, apparently, is the way your mind rolls.

Nevertheless, it is effectively legal in certain states. The federal authorities don't seem to care.

 

[srgreene]

Nevertheless, it is effectively legal in certain states. The federal authorities don't seem to care.

I don't know what "effectively legal" even means. I am certain that Uncle Sam would not entrust my hub with the job he has if they caught wind of his toking up. I am pretty certain that the FAA would frown on a commercial airline pilot who did the same. You are confusing some form of legality with a disinclination to prosecute.

Once again, your "don't care" claim, while true in many situations, fails on scrutiny. I would feel sorry for any young person who took your word as sound advice on how to live a life.

 

[LongDraw]

Speaking as someone who has struggled with AS all of my life with no professional help, I can tell you some truths about Autism that you wont get from these idiots at Autism Speaks and these quack doctors that assume they need to "fix us".

1. If I can care for myself and only struggle at work, school or other places when dealing with "normal people", maybe, just maybe, it could be that those "normal people" need to open their eyes and stop assuming everyone has to act exactly the way they expect. Example, I will listen to a single song on repeat all day long for weeks on end. It centers me, but drives everyone else crazy. Deal with it.

2. My AS has brought with it significant benefits like an exceptional aptitude in math, science and engineering. I can literally conceptualize entire machines down to the most minute details in my mind, in seconds, visualize it in front of me and trace it to a white board with ease. The side effect of that benefit, I have a complete absence of the ability to recognize rhetorical speech. It does not follow hard logic and thus always eludes me, to this very day. I don't need anyone to fix what isn't going to be fixed. Deal with it.

Butters mentioned weed helped his son with his autism. From my personal experience, I have suspicions that it is more a case of it helping him to shutdown his higher brain functions so he "appears" to be normal, causing others to accept him in their circles. This helps everyone else, not your son. I completely understand and agree one billion percent that having our brains working 24/7/365 at 300% of "normal" is exhausting and sadly, can result in many with autism to break psychologically and take their lives. Your son, like all with autism need to find a non-narcotic way to cope with the mental burnout. It is your responsibility as their parent to aid them in this journey. It will undoubtedly be one of the most difficult in your life.

Don't try to turn him into a version of you. My entire family tried to force that on me my entire life and I now have been left no option but to completely shut them out of my family's life. Me, my wife and our children have zero communication with them anything they mail to our family gets returned to sender. Please, for the sake of your son's happiness in life, don't make the same mistake of trying to "normalize" him.

And dont buy into Autism Speaks bullshit either.

 

[LongDraw]

Oh, and butters, if you ever hope to establish that deep connection with your son that is complicated by his autistic mind, you need to drop that attitude you have.

He's mostly worked himself through the conspiracy theories of 9/11, lizard people, flat earthing etc..., but is very vulnerable to the newer shit like trumpworldism and elections.

With Autism, we dont have the luxury of shutting off our brains at night. I one time passed out from exhaustion after over 200 hours with zero sleep, and while unconscious, my brain analyzed over 200 lines of computer code to discover the answer to my bugged code which appeared as millions of semi colons. Turned out the semicolons were dead on.

So your son being afflicted with "newer shit like trumpism" and "9/11 theories" is his mind analyzing excruciatingly complex details to derive logic from chaotic world events.

Like I previously said, you need to drop the attitude and make a real effort. Or you can run the very real and very likely risk that he one days cuts you off completely, or worse.

I've said all I can. Use it or ignore it as you have up to now. It's up to you how much you love your son.

 

[GothTalk]

Oh, and butters, if you ever hope to establish that deep connection with your son that is complicated by his autistic mind, you need to drop that attitude you have.

Nope.... she's super anti-Satan's lettuce....

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/011/884/dce.jpg

 

[stickygirl]

Without picking quotes from you Longdraw, I think there was a certain amount of irony in what Butters said about her son. From previous exchanges and discussions with her, she has a good attitude though it may not have read that way here. However, I'll leave that to her to clarify as it's not my place... just didn't want anything to kick off for the sake of misunderstandings.

From your earlier post about not needing to be fixed, we're on the same page there so thanks for sharing your experiences.

 

[butters]

Speaking as someone who has struggled with AS all of my life with no professional help, I can tell you some truths about Autism that you wont get from these idiots at Autism Speaks and these quack doctors that assume they need to "fix us".

1. If I can care for myself and only struggle at work, school or other places when dealing with "normal people", maybe, just maybe, it could be that those "normal people" need to open their eyes and stop assuming everyone has to act exactly the way they expect. Example, I will listen to a single song on repeat all day long for weeks on end. It centers me, but drives everyone else crazy. Deal with it.

2. My AS has brought with it significant benefits like an exceptional aptitude in math, science and engineering. I can literally conceptualize entire machines down to the most minute details in my mind, in seconds, visualize it in front of me and trace it to a white board with ease. The side effect of that benefit, I have a complete absence of the ability to recognize rhetorical speech. It does not follow hard logic and thus always eludes me, to this very day. I don't need anyone to fix what isn't going to be fixed. Deal with it.

Butters mentioned weed helped his son with his autism. From my personal experience, I have suspicions that it is more a case of it helping him to shutdown his higher brain functions so he "appears" to be normal, causing others to accept him in their circles. This helps everyone else, not your son. I completely understand and agree one billion percent that having our brains working 24/7/365 at 300% of "normal" is exhausting and sadly, can result in many with autism to break psychologically and take their lives. Your son, like all with autism need to find a non-narcotic way to cope with the mental burnout. It is your responsibility as their parent to aid them in this journey. It will undoubtedly be one of the most difficult in your life.

Don't try to turn him into a version of you. My entire family tried to force that on me my entire life and I now have been left no option but to completely shut them out of my family's life. Me, my wife and our children have zero communication with them anything they mail to our family gets returned to sender. Please, for the sake of your son's happiness in life, don't make the same mistake of trying to "normalize" him.

And dont buy into Autism Speaks bullshit either.

i'm sorry to hear your family behaved that way with you. It wasn't the same circumstances with myself and my son, and our relationship's just fine. The older he's become, the more he understands his autism, the more i understand it. My understanding of his autism is led by his own and bolstered by personal experience and observation. He was the one who told me and his diagnosis pyschologist that his autism was 'different' from the next autistic person, and that was years back. He wasn't officially diagnosed till his early twenties, and throughout our attempts at understanding how eachother worked i never 'tried to make him a version of me'. I saw some of what he struggled with, and have been educated–by him–to more as his own understanding grew. While I appreciate your efforts to help me be a better parent, my 30 years of experience with him (with his own smarts and his own 'glitches' as he terms them) will be the basis of our relationship. His autism is different to yours. Harder things he finds easier to understand, simple stuff eludes him. Very minor example is, as a small child, he had no problem with his 8xtables, forward, backwards, inbetween... but the 2s? He struggled so bad. He couldn't get his head around the concept of a round world and traveling into space, or–when he was able to make a short bus journey–he wasn't able to work out how to get home. His lack of being able to work from the basics prevented him from doing so much. Now, if he really needs to travel someplace, he'll use a cab. He isn't stupid, and i never called him that or allowed others to do so. I always tried to work with him around his areas of difficulty, and this became easier as he gained understanding of how his brain functions... not 'less' but 'differently'.

as i posted earlier:

he discovered the benefits of smoking weed... said it cut off a lot of the over-stimulation and allowed him to function more 'normally'. Unfortunately, he was unable to distinguish when the benefits outweighed the costs; it's not that he became addicted to weed, but that he was 'addicted' to the relative brain-peace it provided.
In the end he had to completely cut himself off from all of the people he hung out with and got himself free of people after him for money owed while still trying to keep him supplied. He had to endure (at the same time) suffering from not socialising at all AND benefitting from the lack of exposure/stimulation socialising brought him.

yes, he tried anything he could to achieve some level of brain-quietude, but realised it dumbed him down too much (because once he had some he wanted more and more as it gave his brain respite) for his liking and so opted to go weed-free.


one last thing: not every one is trying to 'normalise' auties; there are those of us simply trying to make life less difficult for those we love. If he can get respite from his brain never turning itself off (because it's what HE wants) in a manner that doesn't decrease his natural smarts or causes other problems (financial/physical), then it's something i'd happily wish for him.

btw, i'm a mother, not a father.

 

[butters]

Oh, and butters, if you ever hope to establish that deep connection with your son that is complicated by his autistic mind, you need to drop that attitude you have.



With Autism, we dont have the luxury of shutting off our brains at night. I one time passed out from exhaustion after over 200 hours with zero sleep, and while unconscious, my brain analyzed over 200 lines of computer code to discover the answer to my bugged code which appeared as millions of semi colons. Turned out the semicolons were dead on.

So your son being afflicted with "newer shit like trumpism" and "9/11 theories" is his mind analyzing excruciatingly complex details to derive logic from chaotic world events.

Like I previously said, you need to drop the attitude and make a real effort. Or you can run the very real and very likely risk that he one days cuts you off completely, or worse.

I've said all I can. Use it or ignore it as you have up to now. It's up to you how much you love your son.

as i said, our relationship is as we want it to be; i understand his brain is working 90 to the dozen and, he worked through those conspiracy theories BY HIMSELF. Eventually. His life revolved around online conspiracy theories, lizard men, fake moon landings and more at one stage. So, thankyou again for your well-intended advice but just maybe i understand my own son a little better than you do given your different circumstances.

 

[Tigersman]

If I understand Butters and Longdraw correctly, Butter's son and Longdraw have what used to be called Asperger's Syndrome which as I understand is a much higher functioning form of autism. On the television station ABC is a program called "The Good Doctor" whose main character has Asperger's. When the character is trying to figure out the patient's problem, they show a transparent drawing of what his mind is processing. There is also a movie "The Accountant" where Ben Affleck stars as an accountant and assassin. Affleck's character has Asperger's. The movie shows how a person with Asperger's can function day to day and be successful.

As a volunteer editor I've worked with one author who has Asperger's. He wrote three series about a character with Asperger's. His story started when his character was in his teens, took him through college and into marriage. His next story continued with his children, one who had Asperger's. The author used the story to explain how Asperger's affected day to day life and their interactions with other people. Between my editing for this author, the TV series and the movie, I ended up with a better understanding of autism. As a retired nurse, I suspect autism is a genetic disorder, but that is my opinion.

 

[LongDraw]

Without picking quotes from you Longdraw, I think there was a certain amount of irony in what Butters said about her son. From previous exchanges and discussions with her, she has a good attitude though it may not have read that way here. However, I'll leave that to her to clarify as it's not my place... just didn't want anything to kick off for the sake of misunderstandings.

From your earlier post about not needing to be fixed, we're on the same page there so thanks for sharing your experiences.

Yeah, certain statements previously irked me, and I feel everyone should have the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't as if butters hates her son, but it came off as dismissive/disrespectful.

I'm sorry to hear your family behaved that way with you. It wasn't the same circumstances with myself and my son, and our relationship's just fine. The older he's become, the more he understands his autism, the more I understand it. My understanding of his autism is led by his own and bolstered by personal experience and observation. He was the one who told me and his diagnosis psychologist that his autism was 'different' from the next autistic person, and that was years back. He wasn't officially diagnosed till his early twenties, and throughout our attempts at understanding how each other worked I never 'tried to make him a version of me'. I saw some of what he struggled with, and have been educated–by him–to more as his own understanding grew. While I appreciate your efforts to help me be a better parent, my 30 years of experience with him (with his own smarts and his own 'glitches' as he terms them) will be the basis of our relationship. His autism is different to yours. Harder things he finds easier to understand, simple stuff eludes him. Very minor example is, as a small child, he had no problem with his 8xtables, forward, backwards, in between... but the 2s? He struggled so bad. He couldn't get his head around the concept of a round world and traveling into space, or–when he was able to make a short bus journey–he wasn't able to work out how to get home. His lack of being able to work from the basics prevented him from doing so much. Now, if he really needs to travel someplace, he'll use a cab. He isn't stupid, and i never called him that or allowed others to do so. I always tried to work with him around his areas of difficulty, and this became easier as he gained understanding of how his brain functions... not 'less' but 'differently'.

as I posted earlier:
yes, he tried anything he could to achieve some level of brain-quietude, but realized it dumbed him down too much (because once he had some he wanted more and more as it gave his brain respite) for his liking and so opted to go weed-free.

one last thing: not every one is trying to 'normalize' auties; there are those of us simply trying to make life less difficult for those we love. If he can get respite from his brain never turning itself off (because it's what HE wants) in a manner that doesn't decrease his natural smarts or causes other problems (financial/physical), then it's something I'd happily wish for him.

btw, I'm a mother, not a father.

I don't mean to insinuate that you don't love your son, and your follow up responses are more of what I would hope to see of a parent towards their autistic child. Without picking apart your response, I just wanted to ask you if you would refer to your own mental challenges in life as "glitches". Things like depression, anxiety, OCD, etc that just about everyone can identify they have at least one of. Maybe you do, and if so, that's fine. It just seemed odd to me.

I do also recognize that there are several forms of autism on the spectrum since I have a niece that is diagnosed with a low-functioning form and has been in therapy from a young age. As for normalizing those with autism (I don't care for the nickname you used, so I'm not using it), it is society as a whole that has for centuries of recorded history that has forced those with symptoms we identify as being indicative of autism to normalize. There are high profile figures such as Einstein and Tesla that we now firmly believe were autistic based on what we know of them. This should be an indicator to society to allow autistic people to grow to their own full potential, not society's.

as I said, our relationship is as we want it to be; I understand his brain is working 90 to the dozen and, he worked through those conspiracy theories BY HIMSELF. Eventually. His life revolved around online conspiracy theories, lizard men, fake moon landings and more at one stage. So, thankyou again for your well-intended advice but just maybe I understand my own son a little better than you do given your different circumstances.

I don't know what you mean by 90 to the dozen and I don't have time before my interview today, so sorry, that part of your response is lost to me for now.

If I understand Butters and Longdraw correctly, Butter's son and Longdraw have what used to be called Asperger's Syndrome which as I understand is a much higher functioning form of autism. On the television station ABC is a program called "The Good Doctor" whose main character has Asperger's. When the character is trying to figure out the patient's problem, they show a transparent drawing of what his mind is processing. There is also a movie "The Accountant" where Ben Affleck stars as an accountant and assassin. Affleck's character has Asperger's. The movie shows how a person with Asperger's can function day to day and be successful.

As a volunteer editor I've worked with one author who has Asperger's. He wrote three series about a character with Asperger's. His story started when his character was in his teens, took him through college and into marriage. His next story continued with his children, one who had Asperger's. The author used the story to explain how Asperger's affected day to day life and their interactions with other people. Between my editing for this author, the TV series and the movie, I ended up with a better understanding of autism. As a retired nurse, I suspect autism is a genetic disorder, but that is my opinion.

Yes, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome the day before my 18th birthday. Prior to my diagnosis, my parents and sisters spent more than a decade claiming I was depressed, ADD, ADHD and OCD, None of which any of the counselors, psychologists or psychiatrists agreed with. Infact, I have never actually understood depression as it has been described to me. I just don't seem to possess the ability to exhibit those qualities, I can't explain it, it just isn't how I've ever felt. I dealt with life's challenges with as best I can describe it, an inner rage. It fueled me whether those challenges were, bullying, injuries, test questions I didn't understand or people in life that targeted me for being different then themselves.

One thing that did come out of all that clinical testing though was the state of IL assigning one of their psychologists certified to perform IQ tests testing me at age 15. I don't recall all of the results on the report, but I was identified as being 2 IQ points below the clinical threshold for being identified as a genius. So not depression, and possible genius IQ since IQ testing isn't considered an exact science as the results can vary day to day.

I don't know if genetics is the cause of my autism, all I can say is that I have had it as far back as my memory goes, which unfortunately is only to about age 7 when I was involved in an F5 tornado that picked up my house with my sisters and I in it and dropped it back down on us. I'm finally seeking treatment for possible PTSD since everyone in my family assumed I was fine with no physical injuries.

I only responded because like a little girl my wife was a Big Sister to (the volunteer program, not family) was autistic and ADD and she was at the point she was going to give up on her because she couldn't get through to her. Once I helped my wife understand how to communicate on my autistic level, she had that Ah ha moment and going forward she had a much better relationship with her. I was only attempting to provide you the same benefit. Take it or leave it. Thank you.

 

[stickygirl]

If I understand Butters and Longdraw correctly, Butter's son and Longdraw have what used to be called Asperger's Syndrome which as I understand is a much higher functioning form of autism. On the television station ABC is a program called "The Good Doctor" whose main character has Asperger's. When the character is trying to figure out the patient's problem, they show a transparent drawing of what his mind is processing. There is also a movie "The Accountant" where Ben Affleck stars as an accountant and assassin. Affleck's character has Asperger's. The movie shows how a person with Asperger's can function day to day and be successful.

As a volunteer editor I've worked with one author who has Asperger's. He wrote three series about a character with Asperger's. His story started when his character was in his teens, took him through college and into marriage. His next story continued with his children, one who had Asperger's. The author used the story to explain how Asperger's affected day to day life and their interactions with other people. Between my editing for this author, the TV series and the movie, I ended up with a better understanding of autism. As a retired nurse, I suspect autism is a genetic disorder, but that is my opinion.

Understanding is the key and my late-20's diagnosis helped with my own problems, but through a better knowledge of autism, I'm trying to be more accommodating of other people's personalities and dynamics. There's too much stigma attached to autism and I see the reactions in people's face when I tell them ( at an appropriate time ) that I'm on the spectrum.

I'm sure most ND people have a different peeve about how their personality is portrayed in the media: mine is the assumption we don't pick up emotions or that we're machine-like. Another might be that we are savants or that because we may not respond facially the way NTs do, that we are evil, untrustworthy or simply bored. <- look smiley!

( Side note Asperger's name has been dropped because of his association with Nazi war crimes... and the erasure of the original research done by a Russian psychiatrist in 1925. Plus if you start cutting the cake of autism into smaller pieces too many people get left out... I stop now before I talk too much )

 

[LongDraw]

Understanding is the key and my late-20's diagnosis helped with my own problems, but through a better knowledge of autism, I'm trying to be more accommodating of other people's personalities and dynamics. There's too much stigma attached to autism and I see the reactions in people's face when I tell them ( at an appropriate time ) that I'm on the spectrum.

I'm sure most ND people have a different peeve about how their personality is portrayed in the media: mine is the assumption we don't pick up emotions or that we're machine-like. Another might be that we are savants or that because we may not respond facially the way NTs do, that we are evil, untrustworthy or simply bored. <- look smiley!

( Side note Asperger's name has been dropped because of his association with Nazi war crimes... and the erasure of the original research done by a Russian psychiatrist in 1925. Plus if you start cutting the cake of autism into smaller pieces too many people get left out... I stop now before I talk too much )

Yeah, you tell them you are autistic and you get one of three responses, oh that's so sad, oh so you're like rain man, or them thinking you're retarded. None of which are appreciated or true.

Yeah, I'm not a computer. I just don't have the ability to understand "normal" people's "fuzzy logic". I get the phrase "It's raining cats and dogs.", but for me I just think it's raining either soft or hard. Or when someone asks if I want a baker's dozen. I think to myself initially, do they not realize a dozen is mathematically 12, just as a couple is 2. It's not something that should be debatable.

As for if I'm a savant, who knows. I did draw very detailed schematics for a propane-fueled jet engine with thrust vectoring and named it an aero spike engine at the top of the page I drew it on when I was 8 years old, several years before the military started experimenting with that same technology, by the same name, with the same fuel. I've also drawn schematics for a plasma-based power generator capable of producing 8 Petawatts of electrical energy in a single burst, and it is renewable energy. Everything is mathematically sound and the physics principles have all been proven. I just lack the money to build a prototype. Is that a savant, I don't know.

As for his name being dropped because of his association with Nazi war crimes, I look at it this way. What was done, was done. We can't go back and change the past. We as a civilized people (which the verdict is out for humanity in my eyes to this day) need to just never resort to that kind of barbarism ever again. My family barely survived the Nazi party, my great grandfather being taken to Auschwitz before he escaped when they accidentally put him back on the train from a clerical error. But let us not ignore what was learned.