A Victory for Asperger's Syndrome!!!

It is a great day indeed to be Aspies.

So, in celebration of this, why don't we post endlessly on the same dull topics, disrupting as many conversations as possible with total irrevelances?

Solidarity, fellow Aspie!

Speaking as another one who has the syndrome, this should encourage other sufferers to make the most of their knowledge. He got there on merit and full credit to him. We may have Aspergers, but that doesn't make us stupid!

Exactly. I am with you guys. This just shows the way people with the syndrome have intelligent knowledge on one particular subject/obsession. Often people with Aspergers are too shy to express their knowledge or don't realise they actually have a talent.

or indeed lots of subjects! There are of course stereotypical images of people with Asperger's that people seem to pick up on (probably from how it's been represented in the media) - e.g. nerdy, one special interest, into sci-fi; but in reality, people with the condition are all as different from each other as 'normal' people - with all sorts of different hobbies/interests. As far as intelligence goes, just like with the 'normal' majority population, some aspies are bright, some aren't.

I find it odd that one of my major interests is television/radio (or why else would I be here?), yet I spend far more time on this site than I do actually watching the tripe that is shown these days. All I seem to watch without fail is Neighbours and the news.

I'm certain this child is NOT the first Mastermind contestant with Asperger's syndrome - just the first to make a big deal of it. Indeed, I would say that in all probability a goodly proportion of adult contestants have AS.

This is almost certainly true, as masterminds format of specialised subjects would be ideally suited to those with AS who often have a consuming interest in one or two specific fields. I know because I have AS myself.

I hope he does well in the final.

I have to admit I went through a period where I was obsessed with EastEnders. I'd write to the BBC asking for merchandise etc, cut out photos of the characters from magazines and make collages! I was 11 at the time but I enjoyed it.

Also, you may remember early last year there was a documentary on BBC One called 'My Family and Autism' featuring a 14 year old boy from Lancashire called Luke who had AS and his 3 brothers who had ADHD. After that show there was a webchat on the BBC's Ouch! site. I later emailled him from his website www.lukejackson.info. and he replied saying he used to have an obsession with batteries or something.

The hobbies/interests people with AS have are often branded as obsessions and can be absolutely anything.

have i missed something here? does katherine have aspergers syndrome?

I think she fakes it to get more money out of the DSS.

Now that is just plain ignorance! You've just implied that all AS sufferers are spongers. If I were you I wouldn't go anywhere near Boston for a while - not unless you fancy incurring the full wrath of Miss Birkett....

Sufferers are born with it from birth, there is no question of it being faked.

No, THAT is plain ignorance at something which is SO CLEARLY meant in jest.