The Title Character In ADAM Has Asperger's

Don't know what it is? Find out below.

• Asperger's is also known as Asperger's/Asperger Syndrome, Asperger's disorder and AS.

• Asperger's is a form of autism, but people with AS differ from those with other autism disorders due to their relatively normal verbal and cognitive development.

• Individuals with AS show difficulty in their ability to interact socially and emotionally, including impaired nonverbal behavior such as eye contact, facial expressions, posture, and gesture, which may make it difficult to develop friendships. The difficulty of showing empathy is possibly the most dysfunctional aspect of Asperger's.

• Unlike with most autistic disorders, people with AS are not usually withdrawn, but approach others, even if awkwardly. Example: engaging in a one-sided, long-winded speech about a favorite topic while misunderstanding or not recognizing the listener's feelings or reactions, such as need for privacy or desire to get away. This failure to react appropriately to social interaction may come across as insensitivity to others' feelings.

• An intense interest in very specific, narrow topics is a common feature of those with AS. They may collect volumes of detailed information on the topic without necessarily understanding the bigger picture. (Example: memorizing camera model numbers while caring little about photography.) 

• Asperger's is named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger who in 1944 described children in his practice who lacked nonverbal communication skills, could not empathize with their peers, and were physically clumsy.

• Fifty years later, AS was standardized as a diagnosis, but many questions about it remain.

• The cause or causes of Asperger's are unknown, but research supports the likelihood of it being genetic.

• There is no single treatment for Asperger's; its management usually comes from behavioral therapy to address communication skills, obsessive or repetitive routines and clumsiness. Most individuals with AS can improve over time, but difficulties with communication, social adjustment and independent living continue into adulthood.

• Some researchers and people with AS have advocated a shift in attitudes toward the view that AS is a "difference," rather than a disability that must be treated or cured.

• People with Asperger syndrome may refer to themselves in casual conversation as "aspies."

• Such famous historical figures thought to have possibly had AS include Thomas Jefferson, Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Mozart and Charles Darwin.

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The above information was derived from Wikipedia.

For more information on Asperger's and its possible existence among one of the aforementioned historical figures, check out the book "Diagnosing Jefferson: Evidence Of a Condition That Guided His Beliefs Behavior & Personal Associations." Apparently the director Max Mayer used the book as a guide during the making of ADAM.

Also, check out this online forum for people with Asperger's, Aspies for Freedom. ADAM gets a mention in one of the posts.

My little brother's name is

My little brother's name is Adam and he has Asperger's as well. I recently saw this movie and bawled through the whole thing. Not because it was overly sad, but because nearly the entire film rang true with growing up alongside my brother. So many of the quirks, obsessions, and emotional breakdowns mirrored exactly what our family life was and is like. Being a film fanatic, it makes me doubly glad that people are out there making films that matter AND mirror life. I plan on taking my brother to see this film and having it be the bridge to better communication and understanding between us.

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AS an ASpie, I'm thrilled to

AS an ASpie, I'm thrilled to find out a movie is coming out about Aspie. I am 51, and finally diagnosed that my name is Aspie in 2006! I am so happy that greater awareness is finally brought about Aspie in a major motion picture! AS an ASpie, I am hyperlexic, and love constantly playing with words. My definition of Aspie, has my name in it! A Lerner is in ALtERNativE Reasoning, which defines myself and Aspies. I also created this definition of how it is not like YOU think: Aspie operating system = A.LtERNativE Reasoning. I am &rew, put A in Lerner and love in
FLOrida
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I went out on a couple of

I went out on a couple of dates with a guy who seemed to be a package all what a girl wouldn't be looking for in a guy: he had an aggressive and inappropriate tone of voice, he was unable to communicate, came across as very egoistic, extremely dominant, "assholy", treating you like an object, unable to talk on the phone and he took everything literally. He came across as extremely male as in those prejudices. He basically missed seeing the forest for all the trees, as they say. A bit later, I got intrigued by an article about Asperger's syndrome (extreme male brainers) and do now wonder, whether the guy knows of his problem. He is almost 42 and has Asperger's syndrome for sure. I would want him too see the movie.

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I am an "Aspie", and I

I am an "Aspie", and I didn't figure it out until last year; I am about to turn 40. I spent so much of my life being different and hating myself for it, thinking I was defective somehow, never understanding until some puzzle pieces fell into place. Over time, it became clear that my youngest Uncle has always been full-blown Autistic. My father's "eccentricities" were always worse than mine, and after I stumbled across the book "Look Me In The Eye" by John Elder Robison, I was shocked at how he and Dad are nearly identical in both their childhood exploits and adult life. After much research, it wasn't hard to figure out that I was 'on the spectrum' all along.
Dad is still kinda in denial, but we have both gotten better with age. We still blow it sometimes in social situations, but I learned a lot of "rules and routines" for social interaction that make me seem more normal, plus I seem to have adapted better over time. It's like being an early learner at some things (for me it was language and science) and an extremely late bloomer with the social skills. I *still* have obsessive tendencies and no coordination or grace, but I have learned to live with it.

All we really want and need is a little understanding and to be loved and appreciated the same as anyone else. We just don't always know how to communicate or give and receive that information :)

-- JW

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I'm 44 and was diagnosed

I'm 44 and was diagnosed with AS last year. It has been a great relief to know what made me different as well as why I never felt like I belonged anywhere and had so much trouble "fitting/blending in" with society in general.

Looking forward to viewing this movie & hoping that "Adam" and other films of this nature begin to make headway with those who are ignorant of our condition including the fact that we are not usually being mean or rude when we do not respond in a typical fashion - we often just don't "get" the social cues neurotypical people understand as if by osmosis. Things they likewise do not notice at all can drive us insane within a span of seconds. (Certain sounds, lights, odors etc.)

For those who are interested, we have an Adult Asperger discussion group at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/adult-asperger

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I'm a thirty-nine year old

I'm a thirty-nine year old woman who was diagnosed with A.S. at thirty-three.
My teenage son is also A.S.
It's about time that we got some positive portrayals!

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My son has Aspergers and his

My son has Aspergers and his name IS ADAM....we are so excited about this movie!!!

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Our son's name is also Adam

Our son's name is also Adam and he too has Aspergers. Very interesting. I do hope the protrayal is accurate and informative to the public.

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I work within the Asperger

I work within the Asperger community and find myself as excited as I am nervous about how the people who are actually dealing with this difference will feel about the film and its portrayal of AS.

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I can't wait to see this

I can't wait to see this film. It looks like it was very carefully written and thought out.

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