The end of Asperger's draws near

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A purely semantic thing. Not worth worrying about.

ruveyn

While I know most people hear assburgers no matter how clearly I enunciate As Per Jers, I do believe I am one that could be called an assburger on occasion, much to my dismay. But the new classification perhaps minimizes the need to keep re-diagnosing people as they adapt to a society intent on measuring the depths of a perception and processing difference.

I think the change could help bring our community together by having fewer labels to call ourselves.

I also believe that the observation about changing diagnoses is a result of learning to act more NT as we build a data set of experiences to "learn" from. I have AS, but most people think of me as merely an eccentric anymore. However, I am 50, and have had a lot of experiences to "learn" some NT expectations and my work arounds. I figure that at this rate, I go from eccentric to just odd by the time I am in my nineties, and will be able to pass for normal by the time I am 151 or so. All the growing is learned behavior so not to stick out as much.

That is, if I ever went back to wanting to be able to 'Pass for Normal'. I kind of like being me, most of the time, and being eccentric is kind of fun. But no matter the technical term in vogue, I will still be an aspie.

Mark

Ha ha ha, I knew Cohen would jump on it. I'm waiting till Attwood puts one out.

(No more aspie, no more aspie, no more aspie, no more aspie, no more aspie, no more aspie ...~ All is right in the world.)

I guess I have an idyllic vision of my head of all the autistic people finally realizing how similar we are, and how we should be on the same side and support each other...

Yeah, I know. Idealistic. But it would be nice if people would stop letting such artificial diagnostic distinctions divide them.

The fear of losing a diagnosis because you no longer qualify is almost certainly unfounded. People without speech delay will still be considered to be on the spectrum. Nobody seems to be arguing that at all; either they will keep it a separate name, or they will put it with the rest of the autism category. They're arguing whether the autism variant without speech delay is worthy of a separate diagnosis or not. Nobody's seriously considering not making it diagnosable at all.

I agree with them removing Asperger's, I think it's a term that causes a lot of confusion. Better to have a full recognition of spectrum diversity - you can't possibly map every subset anyway, so it makes more sense.

Did you see what he said about (I paraphrase this) 'we don't yet know if Asperger's has the same genetic cause as autism or if it is distinct'. He's one of the most renowned autism experts and he thinks autism has only one genetic configuration? Talk about the blind leading the blind.

How where the criteria for autism said that there must be a language delay? The criteria only says that you should have at least one in four symptoms (being "language delay" one of them)



Don't forget that a diagnosis has both "pros" and "cons": with a diagnosis you can have special help and understanding, but you can have also the self-fulfiling prophecy.

I don't see how revision of the diagnostic criteria would be conducive to this end. The problems are the same no matter what you choose to call them. An umbrella label of Autism with different classifications would still have the same social/political divides. That's human nature.

From a personal point of view, I don't feel divided from the Autistic community under the current diagnostic criteria. I relate to self-diagnosed Aspies, low/moderate functioning Autistics and people with other ASDs just as readily as I relate to people with an official diagnosis of AS (I can even relate to NT folk after a fashion!).

You can put a label on people but, when you put them all together in one place, they will behave in pretty much the same way. Nothing illustrates this more than the internet.

I agree.

I've only used the term "Aspie" when in a very good mood and only here on WP. I don't like the word. It just doesn't sound good to me, which is why I would never openly brag by saying "I'm an Aspie!". That would be asking for trouble around here. People would think I am nuttier than they already do just because I called myself an Aspie in front of them. If I told them, "I'm slightly autistic" they might believe it and might understand I'm not crazy, exactly, just a bit autistic.
If I am in an awkward situation in the future, I might try that.

I'm not autistic. When people think of autistic, they think "ret*d" and "can't talk" and "all they can do is drool into a cup". Sorry, but unless the publics' view on autism changes, I have Aspergers, not autism

I respect your pov, Gramirez, however, I want to add something. You say you worry people will think that you are less able than you actually are if you tell them you are a bit autistic (which, to them, will mean you are very mild in the presentation of autism). I doubt they will. Once they start talking to you, asking you questions, and getting to know you after you disclose your mild autism, you have the power to change their perception of autism, which is what the autistic community needs most of all.
There are too many stereotypes about autism. Please don't believe that all LFAs will always be the way they are at two years of age. It sounds like you are buying into the myth, Gramirez. If enough people like you, me, and Callista educate others about the diversity of the spectrum, we can alter the public's perception of what bieng autistic means. Do you want to discourage parents with LFA children? Their children could go to college one day but only if others believe in them instead of just condemning them to a life full of stigma and misconception. This can only have a limiting affect.

And you are only helping the stereotypes stay alive, and I am trying to respect your opinion but its that kind of thinking that is really damaging to all people on the spectrum even yourself. After all, many people don't believe there is such a thing as Asperger's Syndrome, that it's made up. However, I do not think it is and those people aren't very well educated and it seems you, yourself aren't all that educated about people on the spectrum.

Granted, some children may not speak, and may be MR that doesn't mean every single person on it is also the same way. I'm Autistic and I can tell you straight out that I can speak (granted I have odd speech patterns, and sometimes fixate on one word instead of carrying out a fullblown conversation with people I don't know.. I rarely talk to strangers or someone I just met.) and I can happily tell you that I do not hold a cup and drool into it. I know some kids with LFA who "don't speak", and are considered "ret*d" but they don't drool everywhere. Putting so much stereotypes on people who are "LFA" is more harmful than good, I know soemone with LFA who seems happy granted she can't talk I still think she's very smart, and so does her Mom.

Just because one person may be all those things you stated avove doesn't mean every single person who has the Autism label (Classic Autism, I'm assuming is what you are talking about..) is gonna be the same every person is different.

It would be good to remember that.

I agree 100%. Let's not forget that people can be quick to judge a book by its cover, and certain groups are perpetuating such stereotypes. Like you said, education is important.

"and hilbilles prefer to be called sons of the soil, but it aint gonna happen"

Yeah, that was my first thought too. I was only diagnosed officially in october and who knows what the change could have meant for that...

the benefit of this is that those diagnosed will be treated with the same intensity as an autistic patient. a lot of GP's or medical professionals here are still ignorant to aspergers. hopefully, this will address that problem.