WI George Washington had autism?

For the sake of argument, let's assume history goes as OTL until Apr 20, 1789, when he becomes president. If George Washington had a social disorder, how would that effect his presidency. On one hand, speeches were primarily read in newspapers, so odd speaking habits probably wouldn't be as much of an issue with the masses. But on the other hand, it'd become much more difficult to organize his cabinet and understand the plight of the common man, among other things. He might also focus on different things during his presidency.

So, how would a social disorder like autism effect the first presidency?
 
It would probably cripple the United States in its infancy. If George Washington suddenly contracted some sort of late-onset Autism Spectrum Disorder in 1789, the Union probably doesn't last past the Whiskey Rebellion. I can't see someone suddenly suffering from that sort of crushing illness overcoming it to competently run a store, let alone take military command of an army in the field. Especially back then.
 
It would probably cripple the United States in its infancy. If George Washington suddenly contracted some sort of late-onset Autism Spectrum Disorder in 1789, the Union probably doesn't last past the Whiskey Rebellion. I can't see someone suddenly suffering from that sort of crushing illness overcoming it to competently run a store, let alone take military command of an army in the field. Especially back then.

Hmm, I don't know. Don't they tend to obsess over things? What if he gets obsessed with military strategy and that makes him a new Napoleon?

On the other hand, politically it would probably put him totally under Hamilton's influence, because Hamilton was devious and Washington wouldn't be able to detect non-verbal communication so he'd be easy to manipulate, so he'd probably become king, with Hamilton the power behind the throne.

So would his step-son become John I, or would Hamilton succeed him as Alexander I?
 

maverick

Banned
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism#Communication

Autistic individuals display many forms of repetitive or restricted behavior, which the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R)[32] categorizes as follows.

Compulsive behavior is intended and appears to follow rules, such as arranging objects in stacks or lines.

Sameness is resistance to change; for example, insisting that the furniture not be moved or refusing to be interrupted.

Ritualistic behavior involves an unvarying pattern of daily activities, such as an unchanging menu or a dressing ritual. This is closely associated with sameness and an independent validation has suggested combining the two factors.[32]

Restricted behavior is limited in focus, interest, or activity, such as preoccupation with a single television program, toy, or game.

Self-injury includes movements that injure or can injure the person, such as eye poking, skin picking, hand biting, and head banging.[3] A 2007 study reported that self-injury at some point affected about 30% of children with ASD.

This is worrying.

Also, would they allow him to continue as president?

Wouldn't they try to lock him up, some big shot 18th century doctor saying he's crazy and that he needs to be secluded at his house in Virginia?
 
I heard that Jefferson may have had Asperger's, or High-Functioning Autism, so if we were to give Washington that...

I'd say that Hamilton exercises more power. If Washington turns out to be socially inept to the degree that he has Asperger's, then, as earlier posters said, Hamilton can manipulate him. But it really depends on whatever he fixates on. He can become some sort of amateur scientist (sort of like Jefferson was), or he can become a Napoleon. But given that the man was quite old by the 1780s, he doesn't have many years in front of him for that.

But the consequences really center on Hamilton. If Hamilton were to work his way up in the Cabinet, perhaps our Second POTUS turns out to be Alexander Hamilton.
 
as a parent of a child with Asperger's, It's not something that "just shows up" as an adult, it's something they deal with their entire lives. and the fixation on a few specific things is quite common. according to this site He did have Asperger's.


If it an adult onset Autism, then you'll probably see the Cabinet take over with Adams or Hamilton running the show, and probably see minor rebellions and an extremely weak Government as Adams, Hamilton and Jefferson all fight over control of it.
 
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Which is a bunch of BS. There is a very worrying trend among certain people to diagnose historical figures with Asperger's, often on anecdotal or even false information.

Its a very odd sort of fixation among some scholars, sort of akin to Black Nationalists recoloring Ancient Egypt. Its also just as daft.
 
I heard that Jefferson may have had Asperger's, or High-Functioning Autism, so if we were to give Washington that...

I'd say that Hamilton exercises more power. If Washington turns out to be socially inept to the degree that he has Asperger's, then, as earlier posters said, Hamilton can manipulate him. But it really depends on whatever he fixates on. He can become some sort of amateur scientist (sort of like Jefferson was), or he can become a Napoleon. But given that the man was quite old by the 1780s, he doesn't have many years in front of him for that.

But the consequences really center on Hamilton. If Hamilton were to work his way up in the Cabinet, perhaps our Second POTUS turns out to be Alexander Hamilton.

Can we assume that Washington would still create a Cabinet as per OTL (and including the same people)? He could be more antisocial and decide to run the nation on his own.

as a parent of a child with Asperger's, It's not something that "just shows up" as an adult, it's something they deal with their entire lives

Yes, I realize that. I'm asking for suspension of disbelief. If this was just "WI George Washington had autism" with no qualifiers, he wouldn't have become a national figure and this would've just turned into a "WI no George Washington" thread. I feel the threat of autism is very important to consider.
 
as a parent of a child with Asperger's, It's not something that "just shows up" as an adult, it's something they deal with their entire lives. and the fixation on a few specific things is quite common. according to this site He did have Asperger's.
Then again, that article names seemingly a quarter of the United States's presidents as having Asperger's, along with many famous European nobles. So I would take it with a shaker or so of salt.
 

Zioneer

Banned
Honestly, as a person with (doctor-diagnosed) Aspergers, I think that if George Washingston had it, or a similar kind of high-functioning autism, he might have a chance at fame and glory; it just depends on what his obsession is.

If he is consumed mentally by maps, histories of great battles, and strategies, then he could still become famous, just not a president, general, or anyone he was in OTL.

But he might not be locked up, depending on how good he is at hiding; I myself have surprised people when I tell them I have Aspergers (although if you pay close attention, I have many non-verbal cues that make it obvious).
 
Which is a bunch of BS. There is a very worrying trend among certain people to diagnose historical figures with Asperger's, often on anecdotal or even false information.

Its a very odd sort of fixation among some scholars, sort of akin to Black Nationalists recoloring Ancient Egypt. Its also just as daft.

I wouldn't go that far, but I think they're trying to diagnose without having nearly enough evidence to make such a determination.

I think a better comparison would be to the question of whether or not Abraham Lincoln was gay.
 
I wouldn't go that far, but I think they're trying to diagnose without having nearly enough evidence to make such a determination.

I think a better comparison would be to the question of whether or not Abraham Lincoln was gay.

Everyone knows Lincoln was gay. :rolleyes: What are you going to claim next? That Stalin wasn't gay?
 
Then again, that article names seemingly a quarter of the United States's presidents as having Asperger's, along with many famous European nobles. So I would take it with a shaker or so of salt.

just like 95% of people on the Internet who think they have Asperger's don't and are just nerds, I'm sure most of the people on this list just had focused or unusual interests and were sometimes rigid or socially awkward. Remember that Asperger's is a form of Autism, and it's very unlikely that someone with Autism could rise through the ranks to become president of the United States, especially pre-late 20th century, when prejudice against the handicapped was far worse.
 
Hmm, I don't know. Don't they tend to obsess over things? What if he gets obsessed with military strategy and that makes him a new Napoleon?

I wouldn't call it obsession, more so a natural affinity towards pattern recognition and brain stimulation that people with Asperger's don't find elsewhere. They generally have a really incredible auditory and visual perception and are able to recognize 'domain specific' areas of interest. It's certainly possible that a Washington with Asperger's could develop a real incredible understanding of military tactics- but you have to understand Asperger's is debilitating with regards to communication and empathy. Even as a tactician and general, he'd need to have basically the best mix of both to be effective: people with Asperger's are generally terrible speakers to say the least.

I think if he could somehow manage it, or if he had a very close friend who was able to interpret him better and was also very Charismatic, a person with Asperger's could easily outdo Napoleon :D.
 
It all depends, of course, on the degree of Autism. If GW were obsessive like Mr Monk it probably wouldn't have been the subject of much comment.

This thread has led to me to think ..... WI a modern US President, say since WW2, started to display signs of Tourette's Syndrome? A recent TV program featuring people with this syndrome claimed that it could be triggered by a trauma or high stress levels, thus appearing to develop "out of nowhere". Just imagine such a President on TV or at a vital USA-Russia meeting!
 

Zioneer

Banned
It all depends, of course, on the degree of Autism. If GW were obsessive like Mr Monk it probably wouldn't have been the subject of much comment.

This thread has led to me to think ..... WI a modern US President, say since WW2, started to display signs of Tourette's Syndrome? A recent TV program featuring people with this syndrome claimed that it could be triggered by a trauma or high stress levels, thus appearing to develop "out of nowhere". Just imagine such a President on TV or at a vital USA-Russia meeting!

I would make a Biden joke, but it's just too easy...
 
Honestly, as a person with (doctor-diagnosed) Aspergers, I think that if George Washingston had it, or a similar kind of high-functioning autism, he might have a chance at fame and glory; it just depends on what his obsession is.

If he is consumed mentally by maps, histories of great battles, and strategies, then he could still become famous, just not a president, general, or anyone he was in OTL.

But he might not be locked up, depending on how good he is at hiding; I myself have surprised people when I tell them I have Aspergers (although if you pay close attention, I have many non-verbal cues that make it obvious).

I take it that 'resident Mormon' is a title reserved to individuals of the Asperger persuasion? Hnau and I being the board's non-resident Mormons? :)
 

Zioneer

Banned
I take it that 'resident Mormon' is a title reserved to individuals of the Asperger persuasion? Hnau and I being the board's non-resident Mormons? :)

Well, I made the title when I didn't know that there were other Mormons on this site, so... Yeah.

Eh, I just changed my title anyway, so it doesn't matter anymore.
 
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