This article made me think of my late sister-in-law who I always assumed was agoraphobic. As far as I know she was never diagnosed with anything but was totally unable to function in society. She never went to the supermarket, did all her shopping by catalogue (despite living in a huge metropolitan area) and maintained only the minimum amount of human contact she had to - even with family. No one was allowed to lay eyes on her the last 6 months of her life. She would accept meals from me but I lived hundreds of miles away - I had to pack them in dry ice and ship them overnight. No help accepted from relatives living closer. This article gives me an interesting insight into some of what may have been going on with her. She was absolutely brilliant, always felt that she was "different" (it came across as "superior" but who really knows) and seemed sort of bemused by the idea of social skills being important. She wrote a novel but became offended when the prospective publisher asked for some edits. She refused to change a word and never submitted another manuscript for review. She published a handful of pieces in national publications but only if they were accepted "as is". Any request for changes was met not only with a "no" but with never submitting to that publication again. The more I think about it the more of this article really applied to her...
Her son, now 21, is living a similar life but was not able to navigate academically like his mother. He is now living a very isolated existence but feels the loneliness. Late SIL would have likely been happy living her entire life alone with only books for companions but nephew *wants* to be able to function better than he is. I have thought he was likely on the spectrum since he was a young child. We don't know how it could have been missed in all his years in public school or if his parents just rejected the idea. Although male much of this article applies to him as well.
I don't think this sounds like typical gifted behavior. I am HG and it doesn't apply to me. DD, while highly imaginative, had imaginary friends, etc, doesn't fit this profile either. I am no expert but I think maybe the line between sensitive, gifted introvert and Asperger's may be internal dialogue. With social anxiety I would think there would be a desire to fit in but not quite knowing how or trusting your ability to do it. With Asperger's isn't it more of not understanding the expectations or why/how what you are doing doesn't fit? Feeling that something just doesn't feel right about how you fit into the world but it is not something you can change?
Interesting, though. Thanks for posting it.
