Did Andy Warhol have Asperger's?

In Prof. Larry Welkowitz's recent Antioch http://www.antiochne.edu seminar on December 17th, the main topic of discussion was the incidence of comorbidity in individuals diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. In psychiatry, comorbidity refers to the presence of more than one mental disorder occuring in an individual at the same time. I am gently reminded that all things in this world are connected, linked by physical and emotional stimulus... cause and effect. The threads that are woven into our psyche are not single strands but knotted and bound together. Pull one thread and others may come loose. Comorbidity.

For people who have social impairments it is difficult to free themselves of the stigma of 'outsider' status that links so many clinical mental disorders. I think most people have felt the inability to connect to a group at one time or another. For people with Asperger's the incongruence seems to be as they become less symptomatic and more sophisticated in their social understandings, the more likely that a comorbid psychological state will occur. New understanding brings metacognitive awareness; injured self-esteem and feelings of missing that place of 'splendid isolation' can psychologically undermine social growth. Why can't I fit in? Andy Warhol once said "Be yourself- everybody else is already taken." This twentieth century pop icon, believed to have Asperger's, found ways to normalize his view of the world. He convinced millions to buy into his view (and buy his view). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilHmvLd4Bhg Did Warhol have Asperger's? Did he have other co-occuring mental conditions? Was Warhol's 'outsider' status what made him a creative genius or a marketing strategist? For more on Andy Warhol and other information gems about cognitive styles visit Kathleen Seidel's site http://www.neurodiversity.com .

Lastly, guest speaker Andy Silva, really got to the heart of the matter when he recounted his experiences growing up with Asperger's Syndrome. He said one way to help people on the Autism Spectrum is to get them to buy into the social world. Agreed. His, is a viewpoint well taken.

peer mentoring vs. teaching tolerance

Many counseling psychotherapies were demystified by Professor Larry Welkowitz Ph.D. in his recent lecture for a course, "Introduction to Counseling Interventions," at Antioch University New England.

The theory and counseling models were an interesting review of Rogerian techniques, psycho-analyical techniques, behavioral theory, and cognitive theory. However, my imagination was captured in the discussion of 'peer mentoring' as a natural way for students with High Functioning Autism or Asperger's to learn about how social structures work. Prof. Welkowitz shared about 'peer mentoring' at a college level. Peer relationships seem to foster genuine self-selected therapy goals.

In my work with early elementary students, I take a strong perspective on teaching tolerance to help all my students learn to cope with diversity. My student population is a melting pot: mixed grade, mixed ability, mixed culture, mixed socio-economic background. We are neuro-typicals. We are also on the autism spectrum. I began to wonder if 'peer mentoring' would be a natural way for younger children to meet social goals. What would peer mentoring at first and second grade look like? Could younger students be responsible enough to assume the role as mentor?