Heather Kuzmich got to the last five on "America’s Next Top Model". Pretty good going for anyone but for someone with Asperger’s Syndrome, as Heather Kuzmich does, that’s really very good going indeed. It’s important to realise though that something like Aspie’s isn’t a "disability" in the classic sense, rather, its a measure of being differently abled. This piece from hte New York Times says it nicely:
The disorder, considered a form of autism, is characterized by unusual social interaction and communication skills. Aspies, as people with the condition like to call themselves, often have normal or above-average intelligence, but they have trouble making friends and lack the intuitive ability to gauge social situations. They fail to make eye contact and often exhibit a single-minded fixation that can be both bizarre and brilliant.
OK, that doesn’t sound too good but this:
But while Heather’s odd mannerisms separate her from her roommates, those same traits translate as on-the-edge high fashion in her modeling sessions. In interviews on camera, she often glances to the side, unable to hold eye contact. But Ms. Banks, the ’60s-era model Twiggy and the fashion photographer Nigel Barker, who all appear on the show, marvel at Heather’s ability to connect with the camera.
Differently rather than dis-abled I hope you’ll agree? There’s more on Heather Kuzmich and Asperger’s Syndrome at that link. There’s more here:
Heather Kuzmich made it to the final five competitors on "America’s
Next Top Model," despite suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of
autism.
Asperger’s is a developmental disorder that makes understanding
social interactions difficult. Kuzmich made no secret of her
disability.
And there’s part of Kuzmich’s interview with Dianne Sawyer there as well. There’s another Kuzmich interview here.
And of course Jossip has a more irreverent take on it all:
Meet 21-year-old Heather Kuzmich, the “socially awkward” stunner and
Asperger’s sufferer, who “has trouble making eye contact,” is
“sometimes the target of her roommates’ jokes” and got kicked off last
week’s episode of America’s Next Top Model for having below average map-reading skills.
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