3 ms·

If someone is high-functioning, why is a diagnosis necessary? Why pathologize personality? I think that was part of what the removal of Asperger's was about. It

by jcrben 9y ago

If someone is high-functioning, why is a diagnosis necessary? Why pathologize personality? I think that was part of what the removal of Asperger's was about. It's unclear if there was any effective therapy for what many don't even regard as a disorder or disability. There are many personality traits which might be uncomfortable in various situations, but aren't classified as medical disorders. It doesn't mean they aren't worth exploring as part of self-discovery. With that said, there are some captured into this category who really do need help, which is what the ASD spectrum diagnosis can capture.

emmab 9y ago
I'm high functioning but still have sensory processing disorder related to ASD which makes it hard to function in very sensory overwhelming environments. I also had a lot of difficulties relating to socialization growing up related to ASD, even if they are less relevant now that I'm an adult.
- jcrben 9y ago
  Hopefully we get better at spotting sensory disorders and perhaps someday "sensory processing disorder" will be a recognized diagnosis with specific evidence-based treatment. From the article: "field trials showed that DSM-5 ASD has improved specificity at the cost of excluding more cognitively able individuals, including up to 75% of those previously diagnosed with AS". Also from the article: "there is evidence that patients, families, education professionals, and health professionals connote AS with positive features and associate Autism with strange behavior, learning disability and family dysfunction". Autism correlates with various things and I imagine that these would involve different therapy. For example, the number thrown around is that 1/3 are nonverbal and do not develop functional speech in adulthood (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Autism&oldid=799627286#cite_note-36 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Autism&oldid=7996...). In children, about half engage in self-harm (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2788.2003.00507.x/full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2788.2003....) or physical aggression (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946712001456 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946712...). See also (not necessarily endorsing): http://nymag.com/news/features/autism-spectrum-2012-11/ http://nymag.com/news/features/autism-spectrum-2012-11/ https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-no-label-movement https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-no-label-movemen... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment
zero_intp 9y ago
To get to high functioning, engage in a significant amount of social counseling. High functioning does not mean working the same as everyone else.
mmusson 9y ago
The diagnosis may be very important. Recent studies are showing evidence that early (age) interventions offer effective therapies that lose effectiveness if started at older ages.

by jcrben 9y ago

emmab 9y ago

I'm high functioning but still have sensory processing disorder related to ASD which makes it hard to function in very sensory overwhelming environments. I also had a lot of difficulties relating to socialization growing up related to ASD, even if they are less relevant now that I'm an adult.

jcrben 9y ago
Hopefully we get better at spotting sensory disorders and perhaps someday "sensory processing disorder" will be a recognized diagnosis with specific evidence-based treatment. From the article: "field trials showed that DSM-5 ASD has improved specificity at the cost of excluding more cognitively able individuals, including up to 75% of those previously diagnosed with AS". Also from the article: "there is evidence that patients, families, education professionals, and health professionals connote AS with positive features and associate Autism with strange behavior, learning disability and family dysfunction". Autism correlates with various things and I imagine that these would involve different therapy. For example, the number thrown around is that 1/3 are nonverbal and do not develop functional speech in adulthood (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Autism&oldid=799627286#cite_note-36 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Autism&oldid=7996...). In children, about half engage in self-harm (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2788.2003.00507.x/full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2788.2003....) or physical aggression (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946712001456 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946712...). See also (not necessarily endorsing): http://nymag.com/news/features/autism-spectrum-2012-11/ http://nymag.com/news/features/autism-spectrum-2012-11/ https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-no-label-movement https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-no-label-movemen... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment

zero_intp 9y ago

To get to high functioning, engage in a significant amount of social counseling. High functioning does not mean working the same as everyone else.

mmusson 9y ago

The diagnosis may be very important. Recent studies are showing evidence that early (age) interventions offer effective therapies that lose effectiveness if started at older ages.