Normal is Overrated

I've been looking at Yahoo Answers, and have found a few questions and answers that have disturbed me. More than once I've seen questions from people saying they have Asperger's and asking if it is a mental illness, or if there is a cure that show desperation and despair. Asperger's and ASDs are not mental illness; they are simply a different way of being.

Some people might have more severe symptoms that may trouble them or make it hard for them to reach their goals, but these sorts of problems are exacerbated by society's insistence on people being "normal" where acceptance and accommodation makes more sense. I'm all for developing social skills, and minimizing sensory issues but the goal shouldn't need to be "normal" it should be functionality. "Normal" is way overrated.

Two of my children are blessed with Asperger's. Several of our friends and acquaintances have it or another autism spectrum "disorder." My children and friends are wonderful just as they are.  "Curing" them would not improve them but would destroy an important part of who they are. They notice things that others do not and approach problems in ways that neurotypical people would miss. They are artists, sculptors, scientists, mathematicians and excel in these fields in part because of their unique aspergian or autie thinking.

My oldest son made a small contribution to robotics research while in 6th grade and is now exploring concepts in AI (Artificial Intelligence). My middle son has memorized every fact in every book about sharks that he’s been able to get near. He has extensive knowledge about many topics, primarily scientific. These abilities are born from both their Asperger's and their high intelligence.

Not all people with Asperger's are geniuses, though some people think so. It's more that they tend to delve very deeply into topics of interest going further in that topic than their IQ would predict. Is it that they are smarter than their test indicates, or simply they make better use of what they've got? We don't half understand intelligence in all its many forms, so it's moot.

My youngest who isn’t in the spectrum approaches life and his interests so differently. He juggles a social life, a wide variety of interests and seems to need a wider diversity of experiences to be happy. Interestingly, one of his best friends has Asperger's, which never registered with my son as something notable because in his world Asperger's is normal. This makes me smile.

My spectrum kids do need to work a bit to develop social skills and won't ever have typical social interactions. Other people have to work harder to handle facts the way they do. Who's to say which is better? Aren’t they both functional and interesting ways to be? I think it's better to have a variety of perspectives and abilities cooperating together to survive.