Actually, I find Ledgin's evidence wanting, aside from
the natural point you raise about the time factor. He
apparently utilized various biographies of Jefferson,
which, besides being secondary sources, are not woeks
necessarily written to draw the same conclusions from
since all biographers paint their own portrait of the
subject.
Also, despite referring to various diagnostic scales
and the like, Ledgin seems to implicitly lean heavily
on a comparison with his own son, a young adult with
Asperger Syndrome.
He ties in reports of Jefferson greeting guests in his
slippers as an expression of Jefferson's Asperger-like
need wear comfortable clothing regardless of the
appropriateness, as well as of his not appreciating
implicit social rules. Also, a reported discomfort and
awkwardness with public speaking. His very
'renaissance man' character, with the various,
wide-ranging interests is chalked up to an Aspie-like
tendency to focus on a particular subject to the
exclusion of all else, before moving on to another.
Even his indebtedness is marked as a sign of not
comprehending the concept of money or the meaning of
numbers, if I recall rightly.
In summary, all could be explained otherwise, if even
true.
Ledgin does try to suggest a family tendency toward
autism or autistic-like traits in the related Randolph
family, pointing to such notable "eccentrics" as John
Randolph of Roanoke. Actually, other than knowing that
Jefferson's mother was a Randolph, and that a daughter
or two married (back) into that family, I do not know
how the two men were related exactly.
I am aware that inbreeding was at least one thing
blamed for the particualar traits credited to the
Randolphs, although I understand not all of them were
necessarily affected. How much is legend and hearsay
and how much is fact beyond John Randolph of Roanoke
(or even there)I am not sure.
Mr. Ledgin's stated purpose of increasing awareness
and understanding of autism spectrum disorders is
admirable, but whether his approach is appropriate,
even if the basic hypothesis were true,which cannot be
confirmed one way or the other. Personally, I think it
bad history, and an unfortunate form of advocacy.
--- Anne Pemberton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I don't have the book or easy access to it, but am
> somewhat familiar with
> autism and Asperger's syndrome because it has
> blossomed in the youngest
> generation in my family.
>
> Perhaps my greatest concern is the notion of
> diagnosing Jefferson long
> after he is gone. Identification of autism and
> Asperger's's has undergone
> quite an "improvement" in the past decade or so.
> Prior to that, intelligent
> children with autistic and Asperger's's
> characteristics were identified as
> Learning Disabled, even tho they never did quite
> fit. And that was with the
> subject right there to study, not long dead! So, I
> would be most reluctant
> to agree to a diagnosis of someone who is not
> available for the testing and
> questioning that usually goes into making such a
> diagnosis.
>
> What type of evidence does Ledgin present? Does he
> show a clear trail of
> autism in descendents? Can he trace the autism back
> a generation or two?
> How does he feel the traits were manifested?
>
> Anne
>
>
> At 06:38 AM 1/7/03 -0800, Jackson Jarl wrote:
> >To All:
> >Please forgive me if this topic has been discussed
> >already, but I was curious: If any of you have read
> >Norm Ledgin's DIGANOSING JEFFERSON, what do you
> think
> >of the book? Are its arguments and supports
> sufficient
> >and valid, merely suggestive, or more or less
> totally
> >in error? Apart from the case Ledgin attempts to
> make
> >in the book, what do you think of the idea - the
> >possibility - that Jefferson had Asperger Syndrome,
> >was on the autism spectrum, or had autistic-like
> >characteristics?
> >
> >My interest in this based on work as an independent
> >scholar, studying Jefferson, and work with an
> agency
> >that serves clients with autism. I also have an
> >additional reason that I do not want to reveal, for
> >fear of affecting any responses.
> >
> >Thank you,
> >
> >Jarl K.Jackson
> >
> >
> >__________________________________________________
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> Anne Pemberton
> [log in to unmask]
>
> http://www.erols.com/stevepem
> http://www.educationalsynthesis.org
>
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