Historians have long remarked on Thomas Jefferson's "peculiarities."
But it took author Norm Ledgin, whose son has Asperger's Syndrome, to
see what others did not. In this intriguing book, Ledgin carefully
constructs a convincing case for the likelihood that Thomas Jefferson
had Asperger's Syndrome.
He matches Jefferson's behaviors with five diagnostic criteria for
Asperger's: social impairment, preoccupation with "special interests,"
impairment in nonverbal communication, lack of emotional reciprocity,
and inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines. He also addresses
other well-known signs of Asperger's, such as failure to recognize
social cues, need for calming pressure, and indifference to peer
pressure. A fascinating read!