Does Sherlock Holmes have autism/Asperger's Syndrome?

He wasn’t socially awkward. He was just super smart and could infer from small details much about what he saw.

@zenvelo Ok thanks.

In the recent TV series with Benedict Cumberbatch, he is portrayed as socially awkward but I don’t think that’s in the books.

@janbb That’s it. I haven’t watched it, but is the series that my mom mentioned.

In that series is he portrayed as having a mental illness?

@RedDeerGuy1 No. Just unusual and brilliant.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen the series but I think there was a sister who was mentally ill or psychotic at one point in part of it. Sherlock may also have been depicted as somewhere on the spectrum but I don’t think it was labeled as such.

Some treatments imply that quite strongly. In the books he is what I would call ‘an asshole’. It’s a clinical term.

^Indeed. Being a genius apparently doesn’t make one immune to being a self riotous asshole. I have known some really smart people, who sadly have no idea how to talk to people. There is a cure, typically. Getting punched in the mouth, can be the best thing that ever happened to some…

It’s a good question though. I never read the books. But, certainly, some people are on one spectrum or the other of some type of “disorder.”..

^^ I even go so far as to say that most people are on one spectrum of “disorder” or another. What the hell is “normal” anyway? :D

I’m pretty sure that the character “Mr. Spock” from Star Trek suffered from Asperger’s.

@gondwanalon Spock does not have Asperger’s. He is half Vulcan and raised in a different culture where any emotion is suppressed. But he has varied interests and is not focused on just one or two subjects.

Spock had some mannerisms similar to Asperger’s. He didn’t seem to understand humor and didn’t seem to realize Captain Kirk and other members of the crew made fun of him right in his presence. Spock seemed to have the inability to pick up on subtle social clues. Spock also unusual facial expressions like his face was frozen.

That was all part of being half-Vulcan. The crew even remarks about the various behaviors during the show.

So Vulcans have Aspergers…

As if calling the social condition Asperger’s (Ass burgers) isn’t enough of a stigma?

Or making Schizophrenia so hard to spell.

^Oh definitely. How are we supposed to teach children about something that sounds like ass burgers?...

@MrGrimm888 “Vulcans have aspergers…” That’s what I was thinking! :D

That would be something. If we told an entire race of aliens that they have what we consider a disorder…
I think they may have some disorders in mind, that humans all have too…