Asperger’s syndrome, autism, and bi-polar disorder: separating fiction from fact. Or did Sherlock Holmes have Asperger’s? With help from REM, Rory Hoy and Talking Heads!
Date posted: Sunday 12th July 2015
Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock: Elementary or plain confusing?
I read once that Sherlock Holmes probably had Asperger’s syndrome. ‘Evidence’ supporting this deduction included his attention to minute detail, ability to collect obscure facts then classify and memorize them, his social aloofness and brilliance at deduction (but not his drug dependency, I hasten to add.) Similarly Christopher, the teenage main character in the novel and play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- time is generally described as having either Asperger Syndrome, ‘high functioning autism’ or ‘savant syndrome’. This is despite the fact that author Mark Haddon has stated that this was not his intention and that the book is about ‘difference’.
In the fab BBC series Sherlock, Holmes is described in one episode as being either a psychopath or a sociopath (there’s a big difference), and in Series Three he makes a reference to the possibility that he might have Asperger’s syndrome. As the series progresses, the writers allow Sherlock to gain insight into other people’s emotions and why people do what they do. His sidekick, Dr. Watson, is constantly pointing out Holmes’ need to be more empathetic, which our sleuth finally takes on board, (though in a typical Holmesy kind of way he uses his new knowledge for his own devices). Benedict Cumberbatch (this actor is just awesome) initially portrays Holmes as having a very blank, almost expressionless face, but by Series Three he is using all sorts of nuances in his use of eye contact, to portray emotion.
Here’s a thought though… Sherlock Holmes and Christopher are both fictional characters.
Then we have the possibility that certain real people from history and the recent past may have had Asperger’s. These include Sir Isaac Newton, Mozart, Lewis Carol and Hans Christian Andersen. More recent possible ‘Aspies’ are thought to include Albert Einstein, Andy Warhol and American comedian Andy Kaufman (hero of REM’s song Man on the Moon, with some of the most mis-interpreted lyrics of all time).
REM: Man on the Moon
 Benedict Cumberbatch |
 Alan Turing |
And then there’s Alan Turing, the British mathematical genius who invented the Enigma code-breaking machine. He’s generally thought to have had Asperger’s, and certainly Benedict Cumberbatch plays him as such in the film The Imitation Game.
Here’s a thought though: Hans Asperger’s work only came to prominence in 1981 and, as far as I know, neither Alan Turing, who died in 1954, nor Andy Warhol and Andy Kaufman, who both died in the mid-1980s, had undergone an assessment for Asperger’s. Such an assessment would have matched their psychological, social and behavioural profiles to an internationally accepted set of criteria, that would have given an accurate diagnosis, differentiating their ‘disability’ from other ‘conditions’ or ‘normality’. Because that’s what should happen before we can go around claiming that someone has ‘Asperger’s’ or is ‘a bit Aspergersy’ or ‘almost certainly on the spectrum’.
Just because someone from history was a genius and not very good socially, it’s not enough to say they were ‘probably autistic’.
Oh come on Michael, give us a break will you? No. There’s more…
Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Raymond, an entirely fictitious ’autistic savant’ in the film Rainman, apparently did a lot to raise awareness about autism. But it also left many filmgoers with the erroneous impression that everyone with autism has isolated islands of incredible skill. A few do, but most don’t.
What’s your point Michael? Cut to the chase will you? Not yet. I’d like to add to the mix the film A Beautiful Mind, based on the life of American genius economist John Nash, who had schizophrenia. Now let’s throw in the brilliant Silver Linings Playbook, starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert de Niro (Bi-Polar, nobody’s quite sure what and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder respectively).
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper: Mental health problems? Misunderstood? Or just ‘plain quirky’?
A film is a mixture of original facts (possibly), writers’ ideas and interpretation, and then screenwriters’, director’s and actors’ interpretations. And the financial backers get the final say about what is eventually portrayed in the film. Hopefully, something will emerge from the process that influences our empathy, if not exactly giving us accuracy. For this reason I loved Garden State, where the two main characters may or may not have mental health issues.
OK. Now I’ll give it to you straight. Fictional representations of mental health and social, cognitive and behavioural problems can be very helpful, but how do we find out about the real thing? I was really lucky to meet a young man with autism who made a film where he explains, in his own words, what autism really is. In his short film Autism and Me Rory Hoy nails the essence of autism bang on the head: “Normal people have divided attention. They can think and do many different things at the same time. Autistic people have single attention. We become absorbed by one thing, and devote our entire attention to it.” In 2008 I travelled up to Yorkshire to interview Rory for a magazine article about his film, and his work as a DJ and musician.
Rory was 19 at the time, and working part-time in the Media Studies department of the secondary school where he had been a pupil. I wasn’t sure how to react to someone who, like most people with autism, was likely to be unsure of a new situation and as a result probably become highly anxious. So we met in a hotel foyer, as many rock journalists and their subjects do. I switched on my dictaphone, and you can read the interview here. It was great fun, as I played the part of a music journalist and Rory played himself. This was a very illuminating experience for me. This young man was very aware of his difficulties, but utterly positive and able to make me laugh, reflect and understand what it might be like to be him. Rory is now a successful recording artist, and I loved that he wanted to be portrayed as ‘an artist who is autistic, but who is basically quirky and eccentric’.
Autism and me
Then there’s David Byrne of Talking Heads. He once claimed that he had Asperger’s syndrome, but is now ‘healed’. As far as I am aware, you can’t be ‘healed’ or ‘cured’ of Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). If you truly are somewhere on ‘the spectrum’, then that is where you will be for life, though there are many approaches that can help you function better socially. Maybe David Byrne has Asperger’s. What we do know is that he is very focused on music and was possibly not so interested in social relationships as other members of the band, but that his ‘quirky’ approach to writing and performing produced some of the most innovative music and stage shows of the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s.
My view is that if you are going to call yourself or someone else ‘autistic’, then you need to make sure that you have your facts straight. Just because you are very focused on one thing, and exclude other people, and as a result are not very confident with social relationships, or you have become ‘quirky and eccentric’, does not mean that you have an ASD. It could mean that you might need help to get your priorities straight and begin to spend less time in your bedroom/office sitting in front of a computer, focusing on feeding your intellect, while making an effort to get out more and spend time being with other people.
In 1981, when I was a fledgling speech and language therapist, and Lorna Wing had just brought Asperger’s work to prominence, most youngsters with autism would automatically be sent to a special school. In the UK at least, it is now commonplace for children with ASD to attend mainstream schools, with support. It’s not always easy; for the children, the family, the teachers and other pupils, but at least it’s an option. Films like Rainman and books/plays like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time have been great to raise awareness. But if you want to get to the facts about ASD, there’s no better place to start than with Rory Hoy’s DVD. Rory’s work helps people with ASD to understand themselves and to give them inspiration, which is probably the most important thing, in the end.
Talking Heads: Did David Byrne have Asperger’s but is now ‘healed’? (And does it matter?)
Take care out there!
Michael
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4xoxFrRA2Q
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Spot on, as ever, Michael.
I do sometimes wonder if a diagnosis for Aspergers is preferred to Autistic Spectrum Condition, because of the links with the high functioning individuals. Of course it is ridiculous to say that everyone with Aspergers will be brilliant mathematicians (or whatever) any more than all blue eyed people will make good Prime Ministers.
I wasn’t aware of the David Byrne link either. Great music links today!!
Did you see this news article last week? A mature, human response to the situation: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/autistic-teenager-beaten-up-by-bullies-makes-them-watch-20minute-video-about-autism-10368201.html
Thanks for a great read.
Kathy
P.S. And Benedict Cumberbatch is the BEST!
Thank you Kathy,
I wonder about that too. Since 1981 it has always seemed to me that those children with advanced language skills, but lack of social skills were different, and at that time we often identified them as having Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder. Understanding Asperger’s syndrome, as a concept and reality, really opened my eyes, and it has been so beneficial for the children themselves as they grow into adulthood to identify with this group.
We meet so many children and teens with this type of profile that it has almost become part of ‘the norm’, (at least in the US, Canada, Scandinavia and northern Europe), which is a huge step forward since 1981.
Thanks for responding and keep up the great work!!
Michael
Hi Michael,
Great article again and thanks for the link Kathy 🙂
I do wonder if taking the term ‘Asperger’s Syndrome’ from the DSM-5 is going to be popular. I know lots of young people who identify themselves as ‘Aspies’ and do recognise the skills as well as the difficulties this brings along with it. Not sure the generic term ‘Autism’ will help others understand the spectrum of differences experienced by those with it.
http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/all-about-diagnosis/changes-to-autism-and-as-diagnostic-criteria/qanda-dsm-5.aspx
I hope all is well with you and you’ll have a chance to enjoy the summer! 🙂
Amy
Thank you Amy, and it’s lovely to hear from you again!!
Yes, I think it has been important for the youngsters themselves to feel that they can identify with a group like ‘Aspies’ because it is not the same as being part of a group labelled ‘autistic’ because this does not acknowledge the specific aspects of development that make people with Asperger’s the way they are.
Still, whatever we call people, we have all come a very long way since I qualified in 1981 and Asperger’s was first brought properly to the World’s attention.
Interestingly, this has proved to be one of my most popular posts. I suspect that is reflects the huge interest in ASD, which again is a huge step forward since 1981, when autism was still mysterious and not at all understood. I think we can sometimes forget just how far we have come with inclusion too.
It’s lovely to hear from you again!!
Michael
Interesting! Sometimes I think it would be nice if we could just go back to calling it “quirky” instead of Asperger’s, because with the former of these labels our society is better able to accept the positive of it rather than focus on the negative that comes with calling it a syndrome. We’re all better off with their creativity and difference, and not just those that go so far as to be considered genius.
Anyway, good post, thanks for the comment on my post, and thanks for making me think. (You also reminded me how good a movie Silver Linings Playbook was.)
Hi Paul
I see what you mean. I met a young teacher recently who told me about his brother, who as a young child was really bizarre, and the whole family were quite distressed by his behaviour. However, the (accurate) diagnosis of Asperger’s has been very helpful for everyone, and especially his brother, who now understands himself.
Also, in the UK it is essential to have an accurate diagnosis otherwise children will not get appropriate support paid for by the local education department. ‘A diagnosis of ‘quirky’ won’t get you anywhere!!
It seems to me that ADHD and other issues with behaviour are much more difficult to agree on. That’s why I enjoyed Garden State and Silver Linings Playbook so much, because the characters are having conversations about the nature of ‘normal’. Of course it helps if they are beautiful people like Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper!
Very best wishes to you in the U.S., from me in France!
Michael
Very interesting and I have to admit I was one of those people who would say “definitely on the spectrum ” but try not to now . You mentioned The Rainman but it’s now known he had F G syndrome snd not autism.
Also I am a bit concerned about AS being taken out of DSM 5 as I already know two youngsters whose parents were told that they would have met criteria for As but not ASD so didn’t get any diagnosis.this wouldn’t worry me if we addressed needs but without diagnosis resources can be very limited . Will be looking forward to following you .
Thank you for commenting Adele!! For the readers, pleas can you explain ‘FG Syndrome’? I too have to keep reminding myself that ‘Rainman’ was a figment of the imaginations of Dustin Hoffman and the film director. The depictions of high anxiety (e.g. when the smoke alarm went off) remind me that many people with learning disabilities appear ‘autistic’ when under stress. they often are described as having ‘autistic tendencies’ because they like a very tight and predictable routine and have some ritualistic behaviour. This is often because they find it difficult to cope with new situations, rather than being ‘autistic’.
What do you think?
Looking forward to your reply!!
Michael