[Earthdweller]

This sounds like what is commonly called Asperger's

Asperger's Syndrome is a term used when a child or adult has some features of autism but may not have the full blown clinical picture. A few people with Asperger's syndrome are very successful and until recently were not diagnosed with anything but were seen as brilliant, eccentric, absent minded, socially inept, and a little awkward physically.

Although the criteria state no significant delay in the development of language milestones, what you might see is a "different" way of using language. A child may have a wonderful vocabulary and even demonstrate hyperlexia but not truly understand the nuances of language and have difficulty with language pragmatics. Social pragmatics also tend be weak, leading the person to appear to be walking to the beat of a "different drum". Motor dyspraxia can be reflected in a tendency to be clumsy.

There is a general impression that Asperger's syndrome carries with it superior intelligence and a tendency to become very interested in and preoccupied with a particular subject. Often this preoccupation leads to a specific career at which the adult is very successful. At younger ages, one might see the child being a bit more rigid and apprehensive about changes or about adhering to routines.

[dog breath]

One of the most important things for the parent of a high functioning autistic child to remember is to take whatever interests them and run with it. My son has become obsessed with many different things growing up and has learned from each thing. From example, one of his first was trains, we learned, over, under, fast, slow, up and down. Later that developed into a understanding of commerce and transportation. A interest in the names of presidents ended up teaching him about government and American history. A fixation with lighting is now leading him into a career in electronics as he grows up. There is nothing really unique to autistic children about this, all children benefit from letting their minds explore what interests them. The language problems can even be helped by showing them the way things are all connected.

[benjaminjjones]

not diagnosed with anything but were seen as brilliant, eccentric, absent minded, socially inept

I'd like to respond in depth, but find myself weeping about the loss of a brother to cancer this past May, who had an un-diagnosed but similar-sounding mental disease as well, probably OCD, Aperger's might be a possiblity now.

I thought I had got over it, but his last, favorite, movie, "Master & Commander", showed up on cable and I was compelled to switch to it.

Big mistake, brought it all back.

[Centurion2000]

interesting, and talented bump

[texas booster]

BTTT.

I understand this.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

This describes our 15 year old "autistic" grandson. He had very delayed speech but was reading and writing at an early age. He began kindergarten with other kids his age and became interested in spelling. He was winning spelling bees.

Then it changed to math. His math accomplishments are incredible. I wonder if he's a savant but I don't think so. He just recently amazed me with his knowledge of Shakespeare and his ability to speak Spanish.

[snarks_when_bored]

Speaking of Asperger's Syndrome, I've just run across the following entry over at Peter Woit's blog:

Autistic String Theorist Accused of Ecoterrorism and Being a Police Informant

[johnnycap]

This does sound like Asperger's which runs in my family. It is sad and scary and its like functional autism. Sometimes I feel it come out in me and see it in my brothers. They are all geniuses but we all battle social demons to one degree or another.

I am lucky in that I have it the least. It does make you super, scary smart but a pain to be around. The one saving grace in recent years is the fact its being talked about. Michelangelo and Mozart are now considered likely sufferers. Most aspergers are refered to as nerds.

[WindOracle]

That is interesting, had never heard of that. that may answer some questions about myself. I have always known there was something different, but could not put my finger on it. A tendency to get what my friends call the stares, and a few other things. It is probably something entirely different, but one thing I have seen a connection in, with myself, is I am a very bad compulsive... sorta like Monk on television... and I have, ever since childhood, had an affinity for numbers. Patterns mainly, playing number games in my head and such, and sometimes unable to stop it.. like a tune stuck in your head. The positive benefit of this is I eventually developed a high level of skill in multiplication and division of numbers in my head. I do not see shapes, I mentally see numbers... but they kinda interact like the original article describes the shapes morphing together, rather than as numeric value. I do see numeric relationships, such as when calculating geometric shapes volumes or areas, as moving shapes. I have some symptoms though which have made me wonder about ADD too.. so who the heck knows?

Wierd.

[Yaelle]

Re Asperger's: you can "armchair diagnose" people like David Boies and Bill Gates very easily. My son also has it.