Is there such thing as 'slightly autistic'?

There's another forum, I frequent. Certain mod was getting quite enthusiastic about giving infractions to some members. He banned many and there were rumours off-forums spread by one of these "villains", that this mod is "slightly autistic" and hence should not be making decisions.

I've followed the said person work and I notice that there is something different about the logic , he follows. He is very easy to go on the bandwagon of seeing people as "bad" and worth punishing, when some trolls can have him on his side with their provocative speeches against those on his "black list". If he is in friendly terms with someone, he seems to be taking their word for it, if they can butter him up (manipulate) in the right way. Otherwise he seems to be loving detailed rules, but doesn't seem to have ability to interpret them. It appeared to me, that with his meticulous approach he managed to irritate some members, who would again reply in a manner, that would give him a reason to slap another warning or infraction, so that it finally piled up to many and gave him a right to permaban them.

This person has family, no job though, so he has time to spend on said forum. He is always polite though, makes typos at times, but overall posts in good manner. He never says bad things to others, but he uses very actively warnings and infractions, and likes to give them a lecture about rules. You could call him eager.

I dont' know much about autism myself, but another person told me, one can't be "slightly" autistic. Yet I've heard a father of an autistic person tell, autistic person needs and likes routines, so in that light, this moderator could fit under the description.

Any comments?

 

No job so maybe he is using his moderator duties to qualify his self worth.

 

Asperger syndrome is often considered a high functioning form of autism. People with this syndrome have difficulty interacting socially, repeat behaviors, and often are clumsy. Motor milestones may be delayed.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002516/

I know someone with this, I didn't know it until years later... I always wanted to slap them in the face for some of the social fails prior. The person is a genius and great to be around.

 

They call them Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), so yes there is such a thing as 'slightly' or less autistic. There are also different sorts of 'symptoms' where to people who are 'equally' autistic are very different. Depends on where you take your lumps, so to speak.

Whether or not that applies to the individual in question is anybody's guess.

 

There are documented cases of people so severely autistic they're incapable of caring for themselves who, when placed in front of a computer, are able to communicate like an ordinary if "off" sounding person. I also personally know people who are more or less functional physically but socially are practically incapable of relating properly in some ways, like they just don't "work" the same way.

 

I'm detecting this said person is not capable of understanding sarcasm. Is this a clue?

In cases, when he does moderating and interacts with people, he uses certain phrases, I think he must have picked from others, seeing they might be suitable, but used in a context of talking to a frustrated member, they may be received as he would be mocking them with his words.

Thanks for the comments. I actually have a cousin around 20, who was diagnozed with some sort of Aspergers. He doesn't live near, we don't see each other often, so I don't have experience of his manners, other than I've heard about some of his "peculiarities". He was very good at computer games already at age of 5 and played a lot too, very stingy with his money and other belongings. He didn't want to eat meat or any other food, that possibly had touched the meat in the fridge... Things like that.

He went through the normal schools, albeit his mother had asked teachers to test him, they said he's fine. Not until he turned 18 and had difficulties to decide on schooling choices for future career and had to attend to call-up for military service, they did the testing and it confirmed, he has some difficulties. He's always been shy and just smiling, when we have met, but apparently he's not always aware, who the people are, he doesn't frequently meet. It must be funny for him, because he must see some resemblance in the looks as we are related. I'm not sure though, how this works, since someone told me people with Aspergers might not recognize faces.

 

ADHD and Autism are on the same spectrum and there is noting "typical" about either. Having difficulties understanding sarcasm often goes with that spectrum but it's not a proof.

 

I took this test, it indicates I have Asperger's: http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

for entertainment only, and all that.

 

Almost everyone score on a ADHD tests, it's the combination and if it's affecting the persons life that rules if a person has ADHD. I presume the same goes for for Aspergers. One common downside of ADHD is loosing or misplacing things needed for daily routine, like keys and such, but misplacing your keys doesn't say that you have ADHD. But ADHD and Aspergers have their upsides too.
As is there is no known cure for Aspergers and those that have been "cured" have been lucky to have learned, with or without help, how to minimize the effects of Aspergers on their daily life. That is a great achievement in itself but not a cure.

 

So, he's fair with you until you piss him off (or until you piss off one of his 'friends' who tend to manipulate him) then he's nitpicky?

Maybe he's just an ass
jussayin

 

Some diagnoses just inform a person what they need to be aware of. No cure for who you are, but it can help you deal with others better. ( agreeing with Zweiblumen )

 

I knew a genius in my 5th grade! He is no more. There are couple of instances when I wished that he survived instead of me! He was that good! He was not clumsy, he didn't have issues socializing. But he was TOO precise and accurate. In situations where we apply mistakes beautifully, he would fail because he cant make those mistakes.... hard to explain! I liked him so much. Everyone I knew back then loved him. We all loved him. It is too bad he died (in an accident).

I am very intelligent in some occasions. But I am stupid, dumb, slow, indifferent many times. I don't catch sarcasm many times. I easily get bored and disassociated. I can get tired and my mind or motor can fail responding quickly. Am I slightly autistic? Or just a knuclehead?

 

It would be a long story regarding the manipulative part. He has had personal life problems, I think he finds acting as moderator somewhat rewarding, being jobless and all. In some cases the eagerness to moderate is not the best qualification for the task though.

He seemed to have issues with me, underlying mostly, since I've been active member for years, much longer than him - and seen how things are run and how they change, when people in charge change. I've also become knowledgeable about some technical matters during that time. He didn't talk to me much at all before becoming staff and after that he didn't like, if I pointed out something he overlooked, or if I advised members myself, when noone else replied. Some of these matters were quite simple, he didn't even properly know the structure of forums.

I'm a little confused hearing about his possible condition, because it's not really confirmed, yet his actions imply, he has not the best social skills required for the task. There are many cases, when a frustrated member should be dealt with differently than he has done.

I haven't actually pissed him off on purpose, merely let him politely know, he made a mistake. Sometimes jokingly. I didn't realize, maybe he didn't understand it. As a default he apparently saw, that he is above me by being chosen as mod. He has gained more experience now, but the fact remains, he makes wrong conclusions or he takes the side of a person, who knows to manipulate him on his side, there's been a person or two with the interest to lead him to punish some members, they dislike.

Luckily we have enough good staff now, at last. Apparently they look after him a bit, it seems. I'm also noticing he trusts some of other mods and asks their opinion as well.

I find this confusing for regular members though, because it's not easy to determine, whether a mod is an ass, like issmm says, or maybe he is a bit challenged. It's not fair to ask a mod to inform members about his condition all the time, nor is it proper thing to ask, if he doesn't say anything himself. Having a mod like that though, turns things upside down, when a member expects to get guidance, but finds himself in a situation, where he possibly has to understand the mod's condition.