I have also separated the description of the condition from the personal perspective piece and de-personalised it where needed.

This section by and large contains the views of the writer only, and should only be used as a guide, not a bible so to speak.

The Condition itself
Aspergers Syndrome (AS) is a classified as a pervasive developmental disorder on the Autistic Spectrum. This spectrum also includes conditions like Autism (High and Low Functioning), ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified) and others. It has a genetic basis and is highly vulnerable to environmental factors of all varieties. It was first discovered in Austria in 1944 by Hans Asperger, but it has only been noted by the English-speaking world since the late 1980's. The main features of AS become obvious during early childhood and can easily be mistaken for Autism itself or ADD at that early stage. Some may also mistake it for schizophrenia or Special Learning Disorder (SLD) - although this happened more prior to 1994 than since. The features remain constant throughout life although the adaptation and the degree of the condition can vary greatly. It is rarely recognised before age three, and is more common in males than females. The earlier the diagnosis the better - as the chances of a successful adaptation into society in the long term are much higher.

The features of AS include an excellent rote memory, the ability to absorb facts easily, a generally high standard of maths and science, a general inability to cope with criticism or imperfection, a target of teasing in the school environment causing withdrawal into isolated activities, an unusual gait or stance with a tendency to be clumsy, a presentation that is often seen as odd or eccentric, an appearance of good language skills but limited content, poor social understanding, a louder than normal voice with a tendency to be hyper verbal, a tendency to live in a fantasy world, a tendency to be disorganised, obstinate, callous, vindictive or insensitive, a tendency towards obsessional questioning, a tendency to be restless, repetitive or a strong sense of perseverance, and may have fads or obsessions.

As the child matures it will be necessary to adapt the condition as best as possible. The parents and the school the child attends should do their best to protect the child from the inevitable teasing and bullying the child will receive in the school environment and reduce the fall out from such experiences. The period of hormonal change needs particular attention.

Aspie Unfriendly
Important Note - individuals who deliberately attempt to do all they can to be included in this section will not get their way. Persons who set out from the start to try and be included are not true Aspie Enemies. They are wannabe Aspie Enemies.

The box on the right lists the group of companies and/or organisations that I consider to be Aspie Unfriendly. That is – they do not show the proper respect for the structural needs of Aspies. This is an expansion of the simple list that was on my old website, providing reasons why this is the case. Some of the organisations listed aren't here - because the enemy status is better applied to the individual concerned, or it is covered for in another section. Examples are;

* Big Soccer - this is covered for by the Big Footy article
* The Wrestling Pit - owned and operated by the team of Miss Talie, Killjoy and Lunatic Thighs
* No Holds Barred - owned and operated by the team of Sturvt and Miss Rhi and has now closed

There is also a list of individuals who do not respect Aspergers. All of them in some way has in their own way vilified me either on the basis of aspects of my personality that are dictated by my condition, or on the basis of the condition itself.

Some of the articles are password protected.