Mexicans, Aspergians, and history

There was a Mexican couple at one of my last appearances, and we talked about the way Aspergian traits seem to be inherited. Their visit got me thinking about how Aspergians fit into today’s world, and how we’re perceived by different cultures, and what that may say about Aspergians through history.

Their questions made me realize that I know nothing at all about Asperger’s in Mexico. I’ve been fortunate to do radio shows all over the world to support the foreign publication of Look Me in the Eye. I’ve done interviews and discussions in Brazil, other parts of South America, and all over the US and Canada. But Mexico – right in the middle – remains an enigma to me.

In a few hours I’m on my way to speak to the staff at Google. We now know that tech companies like that are full of Aspergians. Indeed, Aspergians are all over the creative, scientific and technical scenes. When we read Aspergians of the past, we hear names like DaVinci and Newton – more creative, scientific, or technical people.

Where were the Aspergians in other cultures? As far as we know, Asperger’s and autism are fairly equally distributed among populations and races. So getting back to the Mexicans . . . who were the Aspergians in their past? Where are the Aspergians in their present, for that matter?

Some parts of Mexico are very similar to the US. They've got medical research, scientific labs, and engineering firms. I'm sure they have their Aspergians, just like here. But what about rural Mexico, which is, after all, what most of the world was like before all this new tech stuff sprouted? What do the Aspergians do in those places?

Perhaps that sheds light on another question: What did a creative eccentric do in Mexico, 500 years ago? Were they the priests, the ones who are credited with the advanced calendar and astronomical knowledge? I really have no idea. What about Asia? It’s well known that many eastern cultures revere and venerate certain traits (love of math for example) that are closely associated with Aspergians. I’ve expressed admiration for those attitudes before. But where does it come from? Who were the Asian Aspergians of yesteryear?

I have no knowledge of forensic psychiatry, or whatever skill one would use to identify people with Asperger’s in the past based upon their writings or what’s known of them. But perhaps some of you in the blogosphere do . . . who were the Aspergians in other cultures in years gone by? What did they do, and why?

In our own culture we know people with more autistic impairments were historically dismissed as retarded. There was an ugly period where some went to “state schools” or other institutions but prior to that, most lived quiet lives in their communities. The lower functioning population was not just written off, though. Our written history identifies a good many “different” folks with extraordinary talents and abilities.

I have often wondered about the evolutionary purpose of autism and Asperger’s. As far as we know, it’s been with us forever, but why? Did we - as some people suggest - evolve to be out of the box thinkers? It would not surprise me to learn that the world needs a few people whose thinking it totally unique to move society forward, at all levels of functionality. Perhaps a look at Aspergians in other cultures would give some insight.