Are pilots and people with high functioning autism/Aspergers similar in a way?

N918KT

N918KT

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I have always wondered if pilots and people with high functioning autism or Aspergers are similar in a way, such as a very strong interest in one or a few things, and having an abundance of knowledge on a certain subject?

Of course, I think there are some pilots out there who do have this condition so I am not saying the two are mutually exclusive.

Would it even be possible that a pilot may be misdiagnosed with this condition even if they really do not have Aspergers/high functioning autism because pilots usually have a wealth of knowledge in aviation (and they are supposed to) and flying is one of the things they would talk about?
 
The minority of pilots that are any good are on the ADD side of the spectrum. The rest of pilots, who are mostly crap, are on the aspergers side. Why one is disqualifying and not the other is simply cause people with ADD have more fun things to do, and aspie pilots are the ones who show up to make rules based on their feelings of inadequacy.:lol:
 
Not sure ,maybe,I'm into flying but also boating,so I might be an aspie pilot.
 
Are you really suggesting that being knowledgeable in a specific area is autistic?

Most of us would call that motivation and its relative, hard work.
 
You can say the same about doctors, lawyers, police officers, etc. They are all really good at what they do and have an abundance of knowledge on a certain subject.
 
Aspergers *is* autism nowadays, just located higher on the autistic scale. Wife's 26 YO son has it and I would never want to see him behind the yoke. Can't drive, can't work, can't make friends. It's an effin sh***y life for all involved.

My wife calls me a "one trick pony" and she's basically correct. But I would never confuse my passion for flying with her son's Aspergers.
 
N918KT said:
I have always wondered if pilots and people with high functioning autism or Aspergers are similar in a way, such as a very strong interest in one or a few things, and having an abundance of knowledge on a certain subject?

Of course, I think there are some pilots out there who do have this condition so I am not saying the two are mutually exclusive.

Would it even be possible that a pilot may be misdiagnosed with this condition even if they really do not have Aspergers/high functioning autism because pilots usually have a wealth of knowledge in aviation (and they are supposed to) and flying is one of the things they would talk about?
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Yes, there are some shared traits but there is typically a differential in quantity as well as quality of effect. Everybody works with a set of shared traits that typically fall into range of balance that defines our personality. It's when these traits get out of balance as defined in the median of the population that we consider people to have a disorder.

Autism/aspergers is as much defined in the traits lacking as the traits appearing. Your general pilot/technical community will share the traits that the autistic/aspergers afflicted show, how ever they have the traits that the autistic/aspergers afflicted lacks.
 
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N918KT said:
I have always wondered if pilots and people with high functioning autism or Aspergers are similar in a way, such as a very strong interest in one or a few things, and having an abundance of knowledge on a certain subject?

Of course, I think there are some pilots out there who do have this condition so I am not saying the two are mutually exclusive.

Would it even be possible that a pilot may be misdiagnosed with this condition even if they really do not have Aspergers/high functioning autism because pilots usually have a wealth of knowledge in aviation (and they are supposed to) and flying is one of the things they would talk about?
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No....pilots are experts in everything.:yikes::rofl:
 
No. Every person on the planet could fit into the description " highly interesdted in one thing," descriptor. That's far from the only thing that people with Autisum have.
 
I've seen these kind of statements in the chess world. Considering how many great players have gone nuts, it's probably a fair statement, haha. I see interesting similarities between pilots and chess players. I was a competitive player for years and there are definitely some common traits between the two groups.

Analytical;
Prefer to spend time on complex tasks;
Competitive;
Independent Thinker;
Goal Orientated

One glaring difference it that pilots are generally outgoing while most chess players are introverted to one degree or another.
 
A bizarre suggestion. I'm with EdFred on this one. Does every teenage girl who's obsessed with a pop star (for example), in the OP's mind, have autism?
 
FlyingTiger said:
I've seen these kind of statements in the chess world. Considering how many great players have gone nuts, it's probably a fair statement, haha. I see interesting similarities between pilots and chess players. I was a competitive player for years and there are definitely some common traits between the two groups.

Analytical;
Prefer to spend time on complex tasks;
Competitive;
Independent Thinker;
Goal Orientated

One glaring difference it that pilots are generally outgoing while most chess players are introverted to one degree or another.
Click to expand...
Book is called "the big short" by mike Lewis. It describes how Wall Street screwed the taxpayer in 2008. Great read. In it , he explains how a doctor with apsberger, graduate of Vanderbilt, decides medicine is not for him, goes home , study's Wall Street, stocks in general, rules governing Wall Street , etc. and decides it's going to blow sky high. ( this was in 2006) tells His investors this but they doubt him. In the end he saved them many millions. He was 100 percent correct. Great read.( Lewis worked on Wall Street before he became successful writer. )
 
Nah, autistics have one head, pilots have one head. They must be the same.

And, all fire trucks are red, so my red Jetta must be a fire truck. Doesn't hold much water, though.
 
Autistic? On the East coast doesn't that mean you draw very well?
 
There are traits that high functioning autistics exhibit that are also traits inherent in anyone that is a technology 'geek', which pretty much includes the whole pilot population for these purposes.

That is the level of relationship between 'pilot' and 'autistic'.
 
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