Help me with my learnings!

[ishyface]

Questions for... well, everyone, I guess:

1) How big is the gap between Asperger's Syndrome and high-functioning autism? (From what I understand the two overlap a lot. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

2) What is the Baptist Church's official stance re:stigmata? (Any info about the Baptist Church would be useful, actually- I know very little about it.)

3) What does it feel like to have a nosebleed? (I've never had one.)

4) How do you know when "coffee" is not just coffee but coffee? (Because I just made plans to go for coffee with a friend, but I think said friend may be under the impression that these plans are for coffee instead of coffee. And, um, that could be problematic!)

5) How much does Thomas Hobbes suck? (Like, a lot, right?)

This list brought to you by the Gerald Doesn't Wanna Finish Hir Philosophy Paper Wildlife Fund.

ETA: From the essay I am currently writing on Hobbes' theory of the state of nature:

"Hobbes would have us believe that people tend not to murder their children because of the power of law and the state, but this is nonsense: anyone who has ever been in the same room with a fussy baby for more than ten minutes is sure to wonder why its parents do not simply drop it into the nearest lake and tell the authorities that dingoes ate it."

I don't even care if I am grossly misrepresenting Hobbes here,* I am not cutting that sentence.

* I am, but only because I don't like him.

Comments

[ishyface.livejournal.com]

1. Could you elaborate a little more? From what I've heard/read/picked up along the way, people with Asperger's generally don't encounter the kind of verbal difficulties as people with autism (although I think verbal tics are one of the signs of AS?), and are generally less likely to be perceived as "mentally disabled" than autistics. Some of my sources may be less than stellar, though.

3. ew. ew. crusts. ew.

[apiphile.livejournal.com]

One of the characteristics defining Asperger's, as I recall from Mummy's frantic reading after my diagnosis, is the desire for social contact (which isn't matched by social skills). Autism, high-functioning or no, is much more introverted; Aspies want to make friends and join in but lack the skillz0r, and yes, there is much more chance of decent language skills and as you say, verbal tics (pompous, overblown language is another feature). I know a couple of open-mike comedians in London who have Asperger's, but none with high-functioning autism... if you want I can see if I still have The Books knocking around for more info, but the major ones are social desire and verbal ability.

[ishyface.livejournal.com]

Nah, you don't have to hit The Books. The clarification re: social skills and the desire for social contact is really helpful. (I'm asking about autism because a character wandered into my brain the other day and I've been trying to diagnose him; from what everyone's told me I think he qualifies as an Aspie rather than autistic.) Takk!