Although Anthony Curkeet-Green says he has Asperger’s syndrome, he says he doesn’t have a disease.
The first-year biology student was diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was eight years old, but he wasn’t told about it until four years later.
“A disease would imply transmission from a pathogenic vector or a genetic disease with altogether negative effects,” he says.
He says he likes to compare it to a learning disability.
“To put an analogy to it, it’s like having a learning disability in social interactions,” he says.
People with Asperger’ display difficulty socializing, speak formally, and have an extreme interest in unusual activities which they become very knowledgeable of, according to a publication by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The idea that people with Asperger’s are extremely intelligent due to these interests isn’t necessarily the case, according to Curkeet-Green.
“Many individuals can range below or above the normal intelligence range,” he says.
“In many cases for the disorder, those diagnosed are only the average intelligence level,” Curkeet-Green says.
Living with the disorder can be difficult for people with Asperger’s when they come to an age of independence, according to Curkeet-Green, but usually they only require a little help.
“As long as the individual gets the social help and assistance early enough, that individual can potentially excel beyond the norm with their studies and lives,” he says.
Many support programs are set up in schools to help young individuals learn how to live with the disorder. These sorts of programs teach them social and learning habits that try to minimize the impact of the disorder on their education and working lives.
Carleton is home to the Paul Menton Centre (PMC), an organization that helps students with learning disabilities study and excel with academics.
Curkeet-Green says he chose Carleton because of the support he would get through the PMC.
“That opinion is highly biased because I have yet to attend other universities, but Carleton is known for its support networks,” he says.
Curkeet-Green says his involvement with the school is similar to that of his peers. His routine in the first semester was to attend the campus gym a few times a week and making appearances at volunteer and charity events.
Unfortunately, his routine changed two months ago, when his mom died of cancer, he says. Because of this, he says he’s auditing his courses.
“I need the time to get my life back in order,” he says.
He says he’s still planning on earning his degree at Carleton, as well aspiring to work in research related to his field of study during summers.
During the summer of 2011, Curkeet-Green got the opportunity to aid in research in the Canadian National Collection of Insects, Nematodes and Arachnids (CNC). The CNC contains about 16 million specimens, according to its website.
Curkeet-Green says he was first introduced to the research as part of his high school co-op program, but he offered to continue his work during the summer.
Curkeet-Green says his future plans include continuing his studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he wants to earn a PhD in cancer research. He says he also has some other hopes for the future.
“Beginning a relationship with a respectable young woman would not hurt either as a primary goal,” he says.
But eventually, he says he’d like to return to Ottawa.
“I find Ottawa to be a desirable city to live in,” he says. “Its tranquility and yet also its liveliness are essential for starting a family and perhaps working in the federal government or teaching at a university.”
No matter where he ends up, Curkeet-Green says he just wants to express a message of acceptance.
“Accept one’s self for whom you are, and accept your life’s goals and follow them to whatever ends.”
