I just wanted to add something about autism for all those with aspergers boaderline children and obsessive counters..that the head of my organisation (a wide regarded expert in children with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder)) says that we are all a bit Autistic, but the difference is when the behaviors interfeer with living your life normally, okay you might count obsessively, but if you need to stop to pay attention to traffic can you? My partner loves twirling objects (and autistic trait) and would have several "ticks in the boxes of Autitic traits, but I think you need 6 ticks to be considered Autistic..there are many people who have a disability in other areas who also display Autistic tendancies..but are not diagnosed Autistic.

I say this as when you read about Christopher, you can see how it interfers with "normal" life skills, like catching a train (still possible, but without training a real challenge) or eating (can't eat things with yellow or brown) Of course he has many areas where he is brilliant, eg maths, and many (not all) people with aspergers syndrome excell at a particular area, for one they have the ability to concentrate to the point where nothing else exsists, and there are also studies that indicate that a person with damaged frontal lobe regions may utilise other areas of the brain we "normal" people don't access. The classic "RainMan" autistic of being a "idiot savant" is actually misleading, because not all people with asperegers or Autism have gifts, some do, some have normal intellegence.
I guess Autism and genius can be closely linked as the disorder is one of social and communication..but there are some famous people with Aspergers I'll bet you'dnever guess they were..like did you Robin Williams has Aspergers? Alot of people with aspergers have "trained themselves" on how to act in social situtions..hence Robin Williams is always acting when you see him in interview..he plays a role for the world..his private self is very different..

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