A simply heart-warming piece in the NYT today about Asperger’s Syndrome , an adult type of mild autism. Many of the people affected by it seem to have a weight lifted off their shoulders–no longer are they “social rejects;” they are people with Asperger’s.

It’s such a relief to be able to give something a name. You can understand it better, try to control it, accept it, treat it, or find others with the same condition. It sounds similar to other situations–diagnosing someone with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), dyslexia, or a learning disorder. Or even realizing you’re gay, or just that there’s a word gay. In each case, the individual struggles with something for a time, not understanding what it is, or why they are the way they are, but in each case, so much comes from simply being able to give it a label.

And no, please don’t treat being gay. Accept it and understand it.

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