Learning I had Asperger’s syndrome as an adult helped me understand many of the communication barriers I faced through the years whether they were social, professional or as a child in school.
Asperger’s syndrome, defined as “developmental disorder affecting ability to effectively socialize and communicate,” is a form of Autism. I personally do not see it as a “disorder” simply because anyone who has Asperger’s is able to function like everyone else.
However, your brain does process things differently if you have Asperger’s. Asperger’s is like speaking a different language, the same way English and Spanish are two different languages. Asperger’s is also like writing with your left hand when the vast majority of society is right-handed.
April is Autism Awareness Month, so I would like to take the opportunity to share some of my own experiences and what I believe it would take to break communication barriers that come from Asperger’s.
I do not consider myself an expert on Asperger’s or mental health by any stretch of the imagination, but living with Asperger syndrome has allowed me to see first-hand the issues I face on a daily basis that lead to communication barriers.
I considered putting together a book about living with Asperger’s syndrome and interviewing mental health professionals to provide perspective on my personal stories. I already wrote down many stories from my life that can be traced back to Asperger’s. Then I contacted some of the people who witnessed those stories.
Responses I received were very mixed.
Some people thought I did an excellent job telling my stories. Others ignored them and clearly did not want to talk about these stories with me.
I learned two very important things from the responses and lack of responses. One, Asperger’s was not very well-known when I was a child, making it very difficult to diagnose approximately 30 years ago. Two, even though society is more aware of Asperger’s in 2025, not enough people in leadership positions are willing to have very important conversations about it. Few leaders are willing to engage in the dialogue about how to break the communication barriers between people who have and do not have Asperger’s.
There is still the incorrect perception that someone with Asperger’s should correct his or her behavior to fit in. We should be embracing the uniqueness of someone with Asperger’s. We should encourage people with Asperger’s to be their best selves.
While not formally diagnosed, many people believe Albert Einstein had Asperger’s syndrome. I don’t believe anyone would question Einstein’s intelligence or abilities.
Many assets come with Asperger’s. There is an innocence that allows you to connect with younger children and see the good in others around you. There is a high level of creativity. There is an ability to observe things others might not spot.
When you are just looking at something from a different angle, it is inevitable the good qualities you have will differ from the majority of society.
One place that had a very positive response to me reflecting on my story was my overnight camp as a child – Lake of the Woods & Greenwoods Camps in Decatur, Mich. I went to overnight camp from 1989 to 1994.
I attended a camp reunion in Aug. 2024, where I saw old cabin mates, many other kids I knew and some counselors.
A few days after I made it back home, I wrote down some of my thoughts about going to camp with Asperger’s and the positive way the counselors responded.
I posted what I wrote in the camp alumni group after receiving encouragement from some of the executives there. The response was positive and supportive in every way I could expect.
I told the story of my first day at camp in 1989, at age 10, when I went to take the horseback riding test. I had never been on a horse before, but my parents signed me up for riding.
Once I was seated on the horse, the horse’s mouth was moving. I insisted, “The horse is trying to eat me,” because its mouth was getting closer to my hand. The counselor giving me the test, Dayna Glasson Hardin, could only laugh.
Dayna had been at camp for years, first as a camper, and then a counselor when I met her the day of that horseback riding test. She went on to be the camp owner and is currently the owner emeritus.
Throughout my summers at camp, Dayna would tease me about what I said taking the horseback riding test, which is probably why I remember it at age 46. She would tease me in a way where I knew she cared about me, liked me and believed in me. She and I had a special relationship in many ways.
It’s safe to say that most adults would have reacted much differently to what I said on the horseback riding test and the result would have been negative. But even as I insisted the horse was “trying to eat me,” Dayna saw the good in me.
The way Dayna responded shows where most adults and society in general, even today, fall short.
I showed Dayna what I wrote after the camp reunion. She replied, “Ahhhh Josh. This is such a beautiful story. I am so grateful that you took the time to write it. Just when I was about to forget the horseback riding test you have me laughing again! Needless to say I had never had a camper tell me that before. You are very correct in that I and camp always believed in you! None of us knew anything about Asperger’s back when you were a camper but I have since worked with many campers with that diagnosis. To me, you were always a camper with a huge heart and a huge passion for Greenwoods. I am grateful that Greenwoods was a place where you felt your best self. It is certainly something that we strive for. It was so great to see you at alumni day. I am sorry we did not have more time to catch up but it looked like you and everyone were having a great day!!! Please keep in touch and thanks again for this very special note.”
Dayna’s words are a reminder we are still learning about Asperger’s and society needs to have an open dialogue about it. Her words are also a reminder that Asperger’s brings out a uniqueness we should embrace as we encourage everyone to be their best selves.
Let’s keep the dialogue about Asperger’s going 12 months a year and not wait for Autism Awareness Month. The only way we will bridge these communication barriers is to openly talk about them regularly.
- Josh Troy is the editor and publisher of the Madison Journal and can be reached at (318) 574-1404 or jtroy@madisonjournal.com.
