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Mobius... the search for outward signs of AS
I never heard the term before reading some messages, and choose to shy from directing where the phrase caught my attention. It's people looking for some tell-tale sign that this or that child or person may or may not have indicators of AS.
What an absolute insult! Possibly, there are outward, obvious manifestations. But, if all were readily-transparent, then... maybe more people would not feel as isolated or so alone in the scheme of life if someone said, "Wow, you got some signs of mobius" (mouth and/or lips). Mobius is a syndrome, a clustering. Not just lips/mouth.
What is it when it comes to the mouth/lips anyway? I can't find in any search data about mobius lips/mouth. I keyed the terms in a targetted search. Does it mean that some are just not as (facially) expressive as some might be or lead themselves to expect? Heck, I can look directly at a person, and that is a conscious effort, and tell a joke I know will evoke a laugh... and do it all-the-while without any indication of where it is leading expressed by my face. I've also heard it referenced as "dry humor." Look at someone, deliver the joke and see if the person "got it." I do it all the time, particularly when I want to "test" a joke I created :). I don't want my neurolinguistics to influence anything.
I sleep with my eyes wide open, at times. The worst of times is around people I have not fully trusted... or being in unfamiliar surroundings. Not in my own home.
I've been told to smile more when I am smiling. Is that Mobius? I dunno.
But I find myself lost in the terminology others may know or seek on which to do "ad hoc" dx of a person suspected with AS. Scary business.
I betcha, there is an abundant supply of demographics whom also sleep with their eyes wide open, appear to stare, don't bat an eyelash, and will out-look a person.
The causation? Possibly... PTSD - or other factors.
So we now know what I think of arm-chair diagnosis by folks whom may have good intentions.
My stats?
I have large pupils. Subjective observers have stated that my eyes appear as if dilated... constantly. My eyelids do not close themselves when I am in a different environment, other than where I feel "at home" or on-guard (like in hotels, etc.), and I have small teeth.
Once others told me that I scared them, and they thought I was awake and they were speaking to me, I became more aware. Maybe, too I just didn't feel at-peace around them, so my eyes were truly the "window" into my soul: My body's way of saying, "Hey, I don't trust you and this is an autonomic response."
Do those things render me to the dx of AS. I think not.
There are oodles of people out in the world whom have similar characteristics/behaviors/traits. They do not have AS.
I think it by coincidence some mapping overlaps with people whom do have AS.
I find it both sad and yet comical that some look for a "hallmark" sign or signature on personality and presentation to diagnose - but lacking the schooling, internships, experience to do so.
If my docs had had their way, when I was a toddler, I would have found myself forever labeled "retarded." It is something my parents should not have repeated to me, but they did, and it drove me ... to discover ME.
Half of my elementary and secondary education was in "gifted" classes/educational core programs.
So... I think: Look at the person, remember the person, treat each as a person.
The rest? Just grist, and it can cut like a knife.
I searched the term Mobius and I was led to this site:
http://www.irtc.org/stills/1997-06-30/view.html
If I've got something Mobius going on, I can live with it :). And bless those whom understand it, and even more the folks whom work years with their own children, and with others' children, whom study how to help without insult and who help create bridges toward greater understanding.
You know who you are.
Posted by Sierra on February 27, 2005 at 12:39 AM | Permalink
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Comments
OMG, I just found out about this site and read your post. I don't know if I have AS or not (been told by 6 doctors I don't) and keep going to doctors because I'm afraid someone, somewhere is going to accuse me of having AS and being in denial about it! AS it gets better known I'm sure people have all these supposed ways of armchair-DXing people with AS and it scares me to death, which is why I keep going to doctors to find out if I have it or not, or to find one who can reassure me that I really don't have it, and that I need to work on my social anxiety, which is what I've been DX'd with.
I've heard people on forums saying this or that person in their workplace, neighborhood, college class or whatever might have AS, and they describe people that may be a little quirky, or have an anxiety or other disorder, but probably aren't AS. OR they'll bring up a fictional character, on TV or a movie or in a book, that they think has AS because of a couple traits. It scares me because I just know people are doing that with me. And the funny thing is, I can't get a doctor (including 3 doctors who are AS/autism experts) to diagnose me with AS. The last one I saw said I had some symptoms but not enough for a diagnosis. The other 2 said definitely not. (The other 3 doctors I saw said I didn't have it but I don't feel they really knew enough about it to say for sure.)
So now there is this Mobius thing--I haven't gone to the link yet and probably won't because I'm afraid I'll worry that I have it. Why do people have to do this? There probably is no outward sign of AS/autism that could mean only that the person had AS, nothing else. Not even outward actions that we could observe in someone we don't know well. (Possibly rocking or hand-flapping might be an exception.) There could always be another reason for actions, facial expressions or lack of such, and so on. Some people are not that expressive. Some non-AS people have trained themselves not to show much expression for various reasons, or only to show pleasant ones, for appearance's sake on their jobs or in social relations. Some Aspies have extreme expressions, too.
Posted by: Norah | Apr 8, 2005 5:28:48 PM
One more thing: I checked out the mobius site and there is a lot of mathematical detail there, but nothing about how a Mobius mouth pertains to AS--is there a link to a site that explains this? I realize that a Mobius strip is a piece of paper, fabric or whatever which was joined with a 90 degree twist, so that if you traced the outline of the resultant object, there would be only one side. (Knitters like to make Mobius scarves which are based on the same principle.)
So how does this shape pertain to someone's mouth and whether or not they have AS? Does it mean that people with AS twist their mouths into more shapes than NT people do?
Or am I just taking this too literally (an AS trait which I thought I didn't have) and is Mobius a code word for something else?
Posted by: Norah | Apr 8, 2005 5:34:37 PM
One more thing: I checked out the mobius site and there is a lot of mathematical detail there, but nothing about how a Mobius mouth pertains to AS--is there a link to a site that explains this? I realize that a Mobius strip is a piece of paper, fabric or whatever which was joined with a 90 degree twist, so that if you traced the outline of the resultant object, there would be only one side. (Knitters like to make Mobius scarves which are based on the same principle.)
So how does this shape pertain to someone's mouth and whether or not they have AS? Does it mean that people with AS twist their mouths into more shapes than NT people do?
Or am I just taking this too literally (an AS trait which I thought I didn't have) and is Mobius a code word for something else?
Posted by: Norah | Apr 8, 2005 5:35:12 PM
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