Mike's Asperger page

There is a gender gap in our schools and, despite what the feminists may say, the girls do not have some catching up to do in order to close the gap with the boys.  Rather, it is the other way around.  In virtually every academic and social field, boys are at a disadvantage, and remain so for the rest of their lives – which, not coincidentally are several years shorter than women’s.  Girls read at a higher level, write at a higher level, obtain higher marks, and are more likely to go on to and succeed in college or university.  Even in math and sciences, boys can no longer claim to get higher marks than girls do.  When it comes to learning disabilities, drug abuse, dropping out of school, youth crime, and social problems, boys outnumber girls by at least ten to one.  As boys grow into men, they all but corner the market on homelessness, crime, substance abuse and poverty.  A visit to any drug treatment facility, homeless shelter, psychiatric hospital, prison, or morgue is sufficient proof that men have failed to thrive in this society.

In this new Congress, awareness and accommodation of people with disabilities must go beyond the “holy trinity” of disabilities: mobility impairments, visual impairments and hearing impairments.  Wheelchair ramps, braille library materials, and closed-captioned television programs have become so common in the past three decades that most Patriens no longer give them a second thought.  But there is another type of disability that is as debilitating as being blind, deaf, or confined to a wheelchair but is often ignored, misdiagnosed as a mental illness, or not recognized as a disability because there are no obvious signs of impairment such as a wheelchair or guide dog.  This is the social disability of Asperger’s syndrome, a pervasive developmental disorder that was virtually unknown outside of a few obscure research papers until as recently as 1995.  Just as Patria has been made accessible for people who are blind, deaf or use wheelchairs, in the 47th Congress the special needs of people with Asperger’s will be addressed in schools, workplaces and in public accommodations.  One simple way in which persons with Asperger’s can be brought into the mainstream is to recognize that Asperger’s can affect social skills so much that it may make it impossible to marry, have an intimate relationship, or even go out on a simple first date.  On the sidewalks, on transit vehicles, on park benches and in other public places, couples should refrain from open displays of kissing, cuddling and fondling.  Not only because it is not appropriate in a spiritual environment that aims to support the practice of brahmacharya or celibacy, but also because people with Asperger’s may feel the pain of having to witness such behavior, as their disability often prevents them from having a boyfriend or girlfriend.

But my best Asperger coping mechanism of all...

The unconditional, all-embracing love of my two Divine Mothers: Ammachi (Mata Amritanandamayi Devi) and Karunamayi (Sri Sri Sri Vijayeswari Devi).  All I need to feel loved, appreciated and accepted is to be held in Ammachi's trademark hugs, or to listen to Karunamayi's melodious singing and sweet speech.  Jai Ma!!