As someone with a mild form of Asperger's, I have to echo member Dreamer above. Hot tempters are not a characteristic of Asperger's syndrome, through the stilted way of conversation by people with Asperger's is usually (mis)interpreted by most Malaysians as "angry" and "unhappy".

That said, I acknowledge and understand the difficulty of getting mental health support in Malaysia. Still, before one can form any kind of opinion, one has to determine if your brother actually has a mental condition, or its just because of his personality.

Psychiatrist or Psychologist? They are not the same, and one has to distinguish the diagnosis between the two. Secondly, Autism and aspergers, while they share common traits, are not mutually inclusive.

You clearly have no idea how someone with Aspergers interacts. Forcing someone with Aspergers to "go out" and "make friends" and "see the world" is one of the worst things that well meaning but misguided people do.


Being bullied all the time is sadly very common, and at times the "angry" and "hot tempered behavior" is usually a form of defense only when provoked. That said, physical force that causes property damage is rather unusual for someone with aspergers, but not unheard of.

I will distill my feelings into 3 questions for member Feliz:

1) Has your brother indicated any strengths in any SPM subject (eg Physics, Chemistry, etc)
2) Is he left handed or right handed? (And I mean by birth, not which hand he eats with)
3) Can your family live with the fact that your brother may not have post-secondary qualifications?

That really displeases me, to say the least. Even if your parents are of the opinion that he will fail the said subjects, that is no reason, at SPM level particularly, to stop anyone taking a paper for the assumption of failure. Netherless, that is the past.

With no evidence of any science background (Biology, Physics, Chemistry) nor further details on his results in general Science, I will assume that the sciences are not his strength. The reason why I asked about his hand orientation is to have a feel of his aptitude. Left handers are usually more inclined to visual cues. (This is not to say that right handers have no artistic sense)

Feliz, does your brother display any kind of OCS? It need not be only using a particular pair of cutlery that only he can use, but is he neat? Pays attention to detail, for example dividing a study desk into specific sections for particular items?

For what member Feliz's brother can do, all I can suggest is think out of the box. It may be an unorthodox as a sketch artist in the tourist areas. I can't chart his future. Start small. Try getting him a job in, say, a cafe or something in the service industry. See how he takes it.

This is not to say there is no "stress and pressure" as a waiter, but even staying at home all day can be mentally difficult, even for people with Aspergers.

This post has been edited by haya: Jul 28 2010, 08:16 AM

People who have no idea what they're talking about should just keep quiet.

Oh? As if being called "weird" and "funny" and "introvert" are not labels given to people with autism? At least once someone is diagnosed with autism, there is an explanation, and one can take proactive measures.

Yes, people with autism have been described as "being an introvert, hard to socialize with people". But the reverse is not true. In any society there will be those who get along with everyone they meet, and those who have a small circle of people to interact with. This does not mean every other kid in Malaysia has "asparagus".

Still, I agree that "they need more work than usual folks". I will take the modus vivendi on the statement "Social skills can be attained", but having a routine is always sound advice, aspergers or not.

Finally, may I try once again to distinguish between Autism and Aspergers. They share similar traits, but are not mutually exclusive.