9 r . . . 0 0 0 12 Th ichga aiy - eneda, -ovebe 2,S00 My family's syndrome y mom called me earlier this semester to tell me that my brother had got- ten in trouble again. This time for a new indiscretion - he had stayed out too late with friends on a school night. "I'm just so happy," my mom said. Weboth were. For years, the idea that my brother could be punished for being too social had seemed impossible. For my brother, a 17-year-old with Asperger's syndrome, the road through adolescence has been more than bumpy. It's been land- mine laden. Asperger's is one of several lesser-known autism spec- trum disorders that are beginning to penetrate the sphere of public recognition. The growing recog- nition of such conditions is due in part to research done at the Uni- versity of Michigan. University psychologists diagnosed both my brother and dad with Asperger's syndrome about eight years ago. Asperger's isn't easily identi- fied, even by those familiar with the autism . spectrum. Its dis- tinct symptoms are expressed in small, ambiguous aspects, like my brother's incapacity to wear jeans because of a hypersensitivity to texture. Unlike more severe and better known conditions like Down syndrome,Asperger's affects social skills, not intelligence quotient. My veryintelligentbrother can explain to you everything from how a crab layers plankton on its claws to the COURT From page 7B Education associations often file such briefs on behalf of uni- versity faculty, students or staff. An example is the American Asso- ciation of University Professors. In the Parents and Meredith cases, the AAUP joined in an amicus brief with the American Council on Education, an organization that represents and advocates for about 1,800 universities - including the University of Michigan - and other higher education-related organizations. The brief argued that "programs to promote racial and ethnic diversity in K-12 educa- tion advance ... efforts to achieve excellence in higher education." scientific explanation of the effect of brass knuckles - he just won't look you in the eyes when he does. It's now thought that one in 100 people have autism. Much of that 1 percent of the population is like my brother. They're the weird, loner kids in elementary school class- rooms, the spazzes, the abrasive know-it-alls: people whose condi- tions are often misunderstood by society or misdiagnosed by the medical community. Instead of receiving treatment and support,. children with autism spectrum disorders are often designated as the classroom lost cause or given misguided attention. My brother's case involved a misdiagnosis of depression when he was 8 years old. In the third grade, mybrother began to express suicidal thoughts and was put on Prozac. But the anti-depressants only agitated his problems. He began to put on too much weight, a common side effect of his medi- cation. He stopped smiling in his school photos and started throwing screaming tantrums in class. A few years later, he was diagnosed with Asperger's, a condition my parents had never heard of, but after a little research, immediately recognized as accurate. The diagnosis didn't solve my brother's problems, but it explained them.- Asperger's is thought to be largely hereditary and to manifest almost exclusively in males. My father had himself evaluated after Tyler was and found out he has the organizations like ACE play a role not only in judicial proceed- ings, but also in policy guidance once decisions are handed down. The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is another institution that serves students and universities following rel- evant court decisions. Alger, who once worked for the OCR, said that universities pay close attention to the policy guidance offered by the OCR. Universities can choose to be highly involved in the policymak- ing that follows court decisions. Taking part in a formal notice- and-comment process is one way to do so, Alger said. In such a pro- cess, a federal office like the OCR may propose a rule and universi- ties can submit suggestions that condition as well. My 77-year-old Typical people intrinsically know grandfather has not been evalu- what is expected of them in social ated, and vigorously contested that situations because they imagine he has Asperger's when I acciden- what they would expect if they tally suggested the idea at a family were in their companions' posi- dinner last year. But we're all cer- tions. It's not the case for people tain that he, a self-described "space with Asperger's. They don't try to alien," bequeathed the genes. perceive the desires of others until The funny thing about my dad's later in life, when it's explained to diagnosis is he's one of the most them that they should. affable people you could hope to For my brother, missing this meet. My father has an incredible crucial link in the stages of social ability to assimilate into any social interactions makes getting along arena. He is just as at home at the with teachers and peers difficult. School's prerogative is proper socialization. Most kids learn For my brother, quickly to play a certain way dur- ing recess and to leave the teacher social cues are a alone when she's wearing a "God- damnit-I-need-a-cigarette" scowl. foreign language. Given my brother's condition, it's no wonder his academic history is littered with snapped pencils, neighbors' United Auto Workers bruised bullies and office refer- pig roast as he is at a wine tasting rals. with regional executives. But he Living with a father and a broth- attests that he experienced a lot of er with Asperger's had its social my brother's issues when he was consequences for me, too. Though growing up, including the same I don't have the syndrome, I exhib- anxiety and frustration. My father it what experts on the subject call can socialize with anyone now "ghosting" effects, less embellished because he has spent years study- expressions of a syndrome's symp- ing how to. It's kind of like how toms. I don't always follow through people who learn English as a for- with social conventions like greet- eign language often speak it best. ing friendly acquaintances and My' father has the grammar of making small talk. I have trouble conversation down, but he still with eye contact and massaging struggles with the deeper mean- unpleasant truth. I've been called ing. He knows what to do, but he cold, blunt and unapproachable. doesn'tnecessarilyunderstandwhy It makes sense. I grew up in a he should. The main characteristic house where everyone could be of Asperger's is a lack of empathy. home and not say a word to each other for hours. That affection would come in sporadic bursts rather than a regular program seems natural and in many ways preferable. But the social customs of Asperger's men are often hell for the women who love them. Since my parents got.divorced and I left for college, my mom has only my brother for company at home. She tells me she's lonely. She talks to the cat. My mother has friends and a committed boyfriend, but she's starved at home for the light small talk properly socialized people require. Asperger's syndrome hinders a person's ability to navigate society, but an initial lack of empathy in childhood doesn't mean less abil- ity to connect personally with oth- ers. My brother and father are the two most loving men I know. My mother knows my brother loves her because he comes upstairs and sits to play his Gameboy near her sometimes. It's not a conventional expression of affection, but it's sincere. What if all of society oper- ated by this Aspergian social code? Silicon Valley supposedly does. I imagine how honest and unbound by etiquette the social circles of Microsoft must be. It might be an improvement. For one thing, in Asperger's society, you don't talk unless you have something to say. And honestly, more people should try it. -Jessica Vosgerchian is the assistant magazine editor. He said that the relevant depart- ments could hold focus groups and complete formal research, for example. Whenit comes to court decisions, universities are oI'erwhelmingly reactive. Higher education insti- tutions have options to participate in High Court proceedings and the policymaking that ensues to vary- ing degrees. Some, like Alger, say that universities and the organi- zations that represent them need to step up to the plate to trumpet the special context of universities in relevant court cases. Still, much of what is brought to the court and decided by the justices is in the hands of the country's ideological and political climate, and higher education's unique place in society is not tenured. the Office would then consider before publishing a final rule. Within auniversity, a key player in the aftermath of court decisions is the general counsel's office. For Law School Dean Evan Caminker, the role ofauniversity's general counsel is an art. The art, he said, is in the creativity general counsels must use to bridge the university's interests with honest advice about what isn't working for the university. The multi-faceted role of a uni- versity's general counsel includes preventative measures to protect the university from future law- suits. General counsels have to be smart in distinguishing between High Court decisions that estab- lish a clear precedent for higher education - those that ensure future lawsuits if changes are not made - and one-off decisions that only affect the parties involved in the case. Aside from filing amicus briefs, Caminker said that general coun- The complex ties between the justices and the universities sels together with administration officials should thoroughly dotheir homework to be confident that the issue at hand is "real" before pursuing or appealing a lawsuit.