Will a Woman With Asperger's Be America's Top Model?
Here's a pretty unlikely piece of popular cultural trivia for you: According to a report in Entertainment Weekly, one of the women vying to be America's Next Top Model this season has Asperger syndrome.
The magazine quotes the show's executive producer, Ken Mok, as saying that "our cast is a really compelling group of girls. There's one with Asperger's syndrome. We delve into that disability and how she deals with it."
Well. Visibility is good, I guess. I don't have a lot of faith in the ability of a reality show about would-be models to "delve" into a disability in a responsible and meaningful way, and modeling isn't exactly the first ambition you'd expect from somebody with AS, but stranger things have happened.
There's some chatter about the announcement on the Asperger's forum Wrong Planet, and on the TV forum Fans of Reality TV, and it appears that the contestant in question is Heather, a 21-year-old college student from Indiana whose video profile you can view on the CW site.
There's some confusion, though, as Heather was originally described as having ADHD. Does she have one, the other, both? Aw, all these "A" diagnoses. You can't expect models to keep this stuff straight.
Since the contest requires the model-aspirants to live together and endure stressful challenges, it will be interesting to see how someone with either or both of those "A"s copes. Or, you know, read about it. I've got enough on my nerves without having to watch pretty woman obsess about their prettiness week in and week out. But if you're a fan of the program, do write in and keep us posted.
“and modeling isn’t exactly the first ambition you’d expect from somebody with AS”
oh. stereotypes. what “fun”.
I’m addicted and AJ watches with me so we’ll keep you updated at both My Two Boys and Discussing Autism.
My family and I watched the first episode when this young woman was introduced. They asked what she was diagnosed with as a child and her response was “adhd and then asperger’s” — which as we all know in this community, is a very possible scenario! I don’t know how this story line will play out, but I love the discussion about autism and stereotyped abilities that it has generated in my family so far!
My son has Asperger’s, is 10, plans parties, writes letters to his friends, calls his friends on the phone, and has a pack of kids running through our house most days. A regular social butterfly, he.
But if that weren’t the case, and he were more comfortable spending his time alone, that would be alright with me, and encouraged by his loving and admiring mother who has Asperger’s too.
I would appreciate it—if you feel the necessity to write *pithy* comments— which are in reality stereotypical statements about people with a specific disability, that you do your research before you *spread* more prejudice amongst our society.
If your research isn’t enough, then perhaps you should experience your subject and broadly, in real-time before you again dispense your *wisdom*.
It would have been better if you had attempted to show your cleverness cleverly, instead of showing us the limitations of your world and your reasoning abilities.
You are one step removed from the models whose “show” of mental abilities you critique—and somewhere in my own seemingly *uncanny* Aspergian ability to read between the lines (just one more of the qualities that my non-Aspergian friends love me for) I know that you are capable of more.
Take the step—stranger things have happened.
My eleven year old daughter was diagnosed with Aspergers at the age of seven. I don’t think people fully understand Apergers so they make broad assumptions. My daughter is very bright, very loving, and very social. Perhaps that is her biggest challenge, learning not to be overly social and how to read visual cues from people whom are less social. People with Aspergers are also very perceptive. They take in everything and are quick to pick up on negative feelings. My daughter has a hard time understanding people who are mean spirited and
don’t want to be her friend. She carries these “hurt” feelings sometimes for months. If she were to read the article that prompted this thread, she would struggle trying to understand why someone would be so “narrow minded” when writing an article about Aspergers. She excels in anything that perks her interest. She reads at several grade levels higher than her current grade. She is a wiz on the computer, a great artist and wants to be a cartoon animator. Most people with Aspergers are extremely successful when doing something they enjoy. To talk to a person with Aspergers is like talking to a college professor. Thier vocabulary is out of this world. She has her little quirks, like not wanting to sit by anyone who smacks when they eat or not wanting to sit at a dirty table in a restruant. Then again, who amongst us don’t have our quirks.
Last comment, there are some very famous and succesful people in this world who have either been diagnosed with Aspergers or were suspected to have Aspergers. Bill Gates has Aspergers and Albert Einstein is suspected to have had Aspergers.
People with Aspergers are not be looked down upon or shown pitty. They very well may rule the free world someday…. if they ever feel so inclined.
You are an idiot! Try coming out of that box you live in and meet the rest of the world! Our children are wonderful human beings with more class and knowledge than you will ever have!