Autism in the United States Senate: An Asperger Syndrome Staff Member

I work as a staffer in the United States Senate. If you ever see a Senate hearing or a particularly powerful Senator speaking about the latest political standoff on TV, you will notice well-dressed young professionals with sleek haircuts and expensive suits standing close by. Although these individuals are easy to forget when you are focusing on the politician (as you are supposed to), you will notice them easily if you pay attention. You may even see me; just one nameless politico in a crowd of many. One important thing sets me apart from the crowd, however, as it has for my entire life: I have Asperger's Syndrome, a form of Autism.

In essence, Asperger's Syndrome, like Autism, is a neurological condition that makes it impossible to relate "normally" to other people emotionally and socially. People on the Autism spectrum are quite literally wired differently. Among other "symptoms," we have trouble understanding and conveying subtlety, body language, irony, double meanings, and so on. While this condition significantly affects all aspects of life (as anyone who has experience with Autism can attest), I have discovered that Autism and the United States Senate (and politics in general) are a particularly bad match.

I work in an environment in which image is everything, and yet, because of my "condition," I could not possibly care less about how other people see me. I have no problem wearing the same 3-year-old pair of shoes every single day, regardless of whether or not they "go well" with whichever of my three suits I happen to be wearing. I don't care if I am seen with the "right" people or talk about the "right" things. In fact, I don't even know what "right" is. I am me, and I've always been comfortable with that without having to modify my personality and opinions for other people.

Like most on the Autism spectrum, I tend to say what I mean and mean what I say. However, the world of politics is a world in which your words have very little to do with what you actually mean. It is a world in which a seemingly straightforward comment can be construed as a "devastating attack" or a "underhanded misdirection" (or so I'm told). For me, however, the complete inanity of almost everything anyone says in my line of work is boring beyond measure (although I am always sure to at least describe the latest speech or event or policy proposal as "...interesting..." if anyone asks). The fact is, because I'm basically incapable of naturally understanding anything other than being up-front and honest (an unusual trait in Washington, DC), I'm actually quite bad at my job as a U.S. Senate staffer. It seems that I just don't "get it."

You see, I happen to believe that there is a great deal wrong in this country. You'd have to be blind not to notice the suffering and hardships that our shrinking middle class (and the ever growing number of people in poverty) are facing on a daily basis, not to mention the results of our disastrous foreign policy. And, since I happen to work for and around the very people who have the power to fix these problems, it makes sense to me that I should try to actually work on making things better. The very first step of this process, in my opinion, would be to bring the Senate's attention to the problems through briefings or memos, etc. However, the very first time I attempted to do this in my first month on the job, I was severely reprimanded. Apparently, "that isn't the way we do things here."

People with Asperger's Syndrome and Autism tend not to follow the conventional rules of society. In theory, this has to do with our disconnect from the "normal" human experience. No matter what we do, we are always different; we do not succumb to peer pressure because we have no real peers. This means that even without trying, we spend our lives as iconoclasts in a world that values conformity above all else. In the arts, iconoclasts are often brought to the forefront as innovative new thinkers, ahead of their time and society in every way. In politics, however, iconoclasts are cast aside as being risk-takers and "jokes" (as opposed to the serious contenders) when they should be applauded for their integrity. Just look at Russ Feingold, Ron Paul, or Dennis Kucinich.

Instead of paying any attention to the real problems we have, our elected representatives follow a strict playbook established by the Congressional leadership and determined by what they think will make them look good - but not controversial - in the next election. To my neurotypical coworkers, this is just business as usual, and to suggest anything different and rock the boat would be a serious career mistake indeed. To me - an Asperger staffer - however, staying silent when I have a chance to make a difference just doesn't make sense. Maybe I am just crazy or old-fashioned (or forever naive as a result of my condition), and this really is just another job that requires blending into the crowd and sacrificing your principles for the good of the company. In my humble opinion, though, it is a travesty that this is the way our government "works" (if you could call it that), and yet, it is me who is "disabled." Go figure.