Person with Asperger's syndrome: fit in with other people and/or just live with it?

Question:

At what age or mental developmental stage would it be appropriate for a person with Asperger's to switch from a "fit in with peers" mentality to a "proud to be oneself" mentality? Some argue that children with Asperger's should undergo therapy and other forms of intervention, to help them establish a "normal" life and future. In other words, the intervention helps the children to appear rather "normal." However, adults who never had this kind of intervention and still have problems in most social situations... should these adults still try to learn the social behaviors to appear normal, or should they instead focus on accepting the mildly autistic individual that he or she is? Or a mixture of both? Please explain.

I think every person needs to accept who he or she is at all ages and stages in life, but there is a lack of info about adults with Asperger's, and life as an adult with Asperger's is hard enough as it is without any form of support. Thank you for your responses! :)

Answers:
I think the focus is not so much on "being normal," but on being able to function normally in society. That doesn't mean the person can't be themselves. Addressing problems with difficulty in social situations is one thing, but "acting normal" is a different thing altogether. People with Asperger's can achieve success in social situations, while at the same time being themselves. That's one reason for mainstreaming children with this syndrome at an early age; they become comfortable being themselves in social situations.

There is a wonderful book about the search for 'acceptance' by a woman with Aspergers

"Song of the Gorrilla People."

Each aspergers person is different, adn what works for one will not work for another. There are aspergers support groups both on line and all over the world- in these individuals can come to terms with what they want and if they choose, learn social skills to 'pass'

Aceptance of ones self is hard if you are different, and this society is not very accepting of someone with aspergers.

What's normal anyway :)

I think BlueJulie should say as "normal as possible". Also, I think there should be more input from adults with this thing called Asperger's Syndrome. I am one of them, but what I really want to know is: How many other adults live like this?

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Person with Asperger's syndrome: fit in with other people and/or just live with it?

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