Thread:Sannse/@comment-1038387-20141117164512

Regarding your words on autism on this thread, I though of something. It pops up evey now and then in discussion, people saying "I have autism", which may not always get the sympathy originally intended. I think a blog about how to deal with people with ASD can be very useful. Wikia caters to a lot of fictional fringe subjects, which drags in nerds and, obviously, autists as well.

I've seen several people struggling with what to do with the revelation that the other party is autistic. It only tells a very small portion of the story - there are about as many types of autists as there are autists, and they're not all Rain Man. I'll admit to feeling frustration myself when, after having to take a lot time semi-berating a user, I get that A-bomb dropped on me. It may explain a little, but it doesn't excuse much, and being frank about that can have adverse effects, both to them as a Wikian and as a person.

There's also the possibility that both sides of the debate have ASD, or ADD, or other disorders that might be detrimental to a standard discussion.

Autism is a subject that's sort of close to me (it's in the family), though I'm nowhere near knowledgable or authoritive enough to write about it. Perhaps it's a good idea for a future blog? Admins and other users can't really be expected to be or replace psychiatrists or health care professionals, but some general words of advice could be helpful to many. 