Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me

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D

Deleted member 35268

Guest
I never knew he had this condition and I know a lovely kid who also has it. Very insightful.
 

Electric_Andy

Heavy Metal Fan
Location
Plymouth
I heard about this from a colleague. My wife has the same, and was only diagnosed in later adulthood. I think it's good that TV personalities are brave enough to tell their story (Stephen Fry is another example), as it hopefully makes people understand that famous people along with average Joe's are sometimes fighting battles that we don't see. I am still finding out new things about my wife and Asperger's, for example she often complains about strong tastes and strong smells (like when I spray deodorant in the bedroom). I now understand that it's not that she doesn't like deodorant, but that her brain can't help but overly process the smell to the point where it overwhelms her senses.
 

Glow worm

Legendary Member
Location
Near Newmarket
He's a straight-talking and honest person. Look at what he did to stand up to the insane macho hunters on Malta: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...f-assault-malta-bird-altercation-bbc-wildlife

Yes he spent a night in a Maltese nick for that too - admirable stuff. His campaigning against the vile lime stick trapping on Cyprus has had some good successes and he has posted recently that he may take on these evil bar stewards in Lebanon too. (Warning, link contains some graphic images).
 

MikeG

Guru
Location
Suffolk
Hi.
I've just watched a really interesting program on BBC 2 about Chris Packham.
I never liked watching this guy on tv.
I always found him to be arrogant and somewhat strange and irritating ,but after watching a program about him tonight and his battle with Asperger's I now see him in a totally different light. I didn't know this guy had suffered with this ,up until watching tv tonight and found his story amazing and moving to listen to. All things that I disliked about him , he actually talked about ,and the problems he's tried to over come over the years. I think its hard to understand what it must be like to have Asperger's if you don't have it yourself ,but Chris really did a good job in this program in putting it across.
If you get chance its well worth a watch.

My eldest daughter has Asperger's. She is fairly typical, and had some childhood difficulties as a result. She is a wonderful person though, and a real advert for how well those with Asperger's can do in life. At 29 she's thriving in a deeply academic scientific environment, doing a PhD, and whilst she retains some quirks, most people would never know she was on the autistic spectrum. She struggles to find boyfriends, though, despite being really pretty, because she just doesn't understand body language.....her own, or others. She has no idea how people can walk into a room and know immediately who is interested in them, and who is not.

I'll look out for the programme.
 

Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
You just need to remember that anybody you see on telly is only projecting part of their personality out of the screen. So it's ok to think that so-and-so is a bit of a twat, as long as you realise that it's not the real so-and-so, just a TV version of them.

Same with us lot and our silly user names and such. We're all just avatars.
With respect, some of us are nobbers.
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
You just need to remember that anybody you see on telly is only projecting part of their personality out of the screen. So it's ok to think that so-and-so is a bit of a twat, as long as you realise that it's not the real so-and-so, just a TV version of them.
There are exceptions Ricky Gervais for instance
 
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Electric_Andy

Heavy Metal Fan
Location
Plymouth
she just doesn't understand body language.....her own, or others.
This is what my wife finds the hardest - she avoids parties and family gatherings because she doesn't know the "rules" around small talk and polite conversation. She'll talk about a specific subject quite easily, but she's not good with natural pauses and often says "I never know who's turn it is to speak".
 

MikeG

Guru
Location
Suffolk
There's the fun stuff as well. Taking words literally (ie not understanding idioms) always used to crack us up. There......try that one. If I'd have said "that cracks me up" within her hearing as a kid, she would have come and had a good look at me, peering all round, looking for the cracks!
 

MikeG

Guru
Location
Suffolk
This is what my wife finds the hardest - she avoids parties and family gatherings because she doesn't know the "rules" around small talk and polite conversation. She'll talk about a specific subject quite easily, but she's not good with natural pauses and often says "I never know who's turn it is to speak".

Interesting that this still applies. Our experience has been that this was learnt behaviour, just learnt at an entirely different rate from the rest of us who just absorb it instinctively as we grew up. Aspies that I know have all got over that stuff, but years and years later.
 
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