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 > > >__________________________________________________ >Do you Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. >http://mailplus.yahoo.com > >To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions >at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html Anne Pemberton [log in to unmask] http://www.erols.com/stevepem http://www.educationalsynthesis.org To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html