5 ms·

Many Asperger's people themselves have rejected the "disorder" label and ask to be thought of as different in a neutral, not necessarily bad way. For this reaso

by ds9 13y ago

Many Asperger's people themselves have rejected the "disorder" label and ask to be thought of as different in a neutral, not necessarily bad way. For this reason they refer to non-Aspergers people as "neurotypical". This is reasonable in regard to high-functioning Aspies, but remember that ASD covers a wide range. I think it would be better to retain the separate label for Asperger's, because it is distinguished by normal or better intelligence and language ability (while sharing other traits with classic autism) -- however, even within the Asperger's category there is a wide range. Another aspect that is often underappreciated is that the HF aspie, if smart enough, can learn to adjust to normal society to such a degree that he/she can often pass for normal, so that a diagnostician would place him/her at a different point on the spectrum at different stages of life.

fecak 13y ago
The neurodiverse crowd is an interesting case. Autism organizations find themselves getting criticized by them, with the stance that they "don't need fixing" - and they are correct. For those that autism is a gift, keep that gift. The people the groups are trying to help don't focus on the neurodiverse, but rather are focused on those. If you have the ability to say "I don't need fixing" to the autism organizations, rest assured that they aren't referring to you.
- ds9 13y ago
  To be clear, I was only commenting on the neurodiversity thing in reply to the parent, not advocating for it. We agree that it is relevant for only a small percentile of ASD individuals. And on second thought, it may make sense from a public health perspective to abandon labels for subtypes, unless the experts think the subtypes have different causes. But AFAIK the causes of ASD are unknown.
  - fecak 13y ago
    Understood. I'd argue that the need for additional classifications is fairly evident just from the comments in this thread. Saying someone has 'autism' doesn't tell you much in terms of what level of care they may need - those who fall into the neurodiverse crowd may require no care and perhaps minimal supports, while some require lifelong care. The burden on families and society is quite different for these groups, and further classifications are necessary. There are also several related health patterns (digestive, allergy, etc.) with many who are usually more severely impacted which will likely lead to more research on causes. Some advocate for an additional medical diagnosis instead of just referring to the neurological. Down the road there could be a separate diagnosis for those.

by ds9 13y ago

fecak 13y ago

The neurodiverse crowd is an interesting case. Autism organizations find themselves getting criticized by them, with the stance that they "don't need fixing" - and they are correct. For those that autism is a gift, keep that gift. The people the groups are trying to help don't focus on the neurodiverse, but rather are focused on those. If you have the ability to say "I don't need fixing" to the autism organizations, rest assured that they aren't referring to you.

ds9 13y ago
To be clear, I was only commenting on the neurodiversity thing in reply to the parent, not advocating for it. We agree that it is relevant for only a small percentile of ASD individuals. And on second thought, it may make sense from a public health perspective to abandon labels for subtypes, unless the experts think the subtypes have different causes. But AFAIK the causes of ASD are unknown.
- fecak 13y ago
  Understood. I'd argue that the need for additional classifications is fairly evident just from the comments in this thread. Saying someone has 'autism' doesn't tell you much in terms of what level of care they may need - those who fall into the neurodiverse crowd may require no care and perhaps minimal supports, while some require lifelong care. The burden on families and society is quite different for these groups, and further classifications are necessary. There are also several related health patterns (digestive, allergy, etc.) with many who are usually more severely impacted which will likely lead to more research on causes. Some advocate for an additional medical diagnosis instead of just referring to the neurological. Down the road there could be a separate diagnosis for those.