The problem with calling AS autism.

Post Reply New Topic

Well if I remember right the only reason its called Aspergers Syndrome is because that was the last name of the person who came up with that diagnoses. It is a form of autism, so it makes perfect sense to call it autism and I am quite sure most people are more familier with autism then AS. In a conversation about specific differences between people with regular autism and AS then of course it makes sense to differentiate but in general I see no need for it.

I mean kind of like depression there is more than one type of depression, but if you want to discuss depression in general you would just refer to depression rather than a specific form of it.

What I meant to say earlier was that there is no problem with calling autism autism.

I agree that labeling someone as "autistic" doesn't tell you alot about what that person is going through. But labeling someone as having "Asperger's" doesn't tell you much about what the person is like, either.

Very true....but how many labels do we need to know get an accurate and useful understanding of a person? People are extremely complicated, and in my opinion (which, like everything else I say here, is only my opinion--I don't claim to be "right") a label cannot possibly convey all the information necessary to understand a person's needs, abilities and experience--no matter what that label happens to be.

The helpfulness of a label is not entirely dependent on how much information it encapsulates.



Bacterial pneumonia and liver failure do not have the same kind of symptom overlap that is often shared by "Classic Autism" and "Asperger's"--even professionals find that it's often difficult to differentiate between the AS and Classic Autism when it comes to diagnosing actual people, particularly in adulthood.

I would compare bacterial and viral pneumonia, as both conditions are quite similar-- sometimes they cannot be distinguished based on symptoms alone. Much of the treatment for any kind of pneumonia is based on treating the symptoms and not the cause, and what this treatment looks like depends on the severity of the condition. The major difference between helping someone with bacterial vs. viral pneumonia is found in treatments that address the cause. Only bacterial infections can be effectively treated with antibiotics like penicillin--whereas viral infections (if treated with antibiotics of any kind) would require anti-virals.

To be able to treat the cause of pneumonia depends on being able to determine that cause in the first place. This cannot be done for ASDs yet; They are extremely complicated, and no one has been able to demonstrate conclusively that the different types of ASD actually have different [edit: singular/separable] causes. Clinicians are just working with symptoms.

For a lay person, it's usually enough for them to know that a person has a "respiratory/lung infection" that is either mild, moderate, or severe--which I (personally) think conveys a level of specific information similar to that conveyed by saying a person has an "autism spectrum disorder" that is either mild, moderate, or severe.



I think if we started to call all types of fruit "fruit," chances are that someone taking an order for a "fruit pie" would start asking for descriptions that would tell them something about what kind of fruit you had in mind. (e.g. "Do you want a pie with a single fruit ingredient or multiple types of fruit? Do have a specific fruit in mind? Can you describe it's taste and appearance? Are you looking for sweet fruit or something more tart? Are you looking for a berry or a tree-fruit? What color is it? Does it have [edit: an edible] peel?")

I think it would be awesome if, when I said, "I have autism" people understood "autism" in the same way they understood the word "fruit." It would force them to ask questions or leave room in their minds for the unknown--rather than calling up a stereotype to compare me to.

This.

Yes, saying autistic is saying something incredibly generic, but saying "Asperger's" is actually also far more generic than people give it credit for. I have found that I've gotten more stereotypes about how I must be so mild as to not have traits when I say "Asperger's" than people saying that I must be lower functioning than I am when I say "autistic". I find the using a combination of the words works best for me. Those who know more about the spectrum get far more from "I am an aspie", while those who only know stereotypes actually get more from "I am autistic" because they've been around me enough to know that I'm not non-verbal and unable to take care of myself at all.

It might be that "autistic" is similar to saying 'fruit', and "aspie" is similar to 'berry', but when the person you're talking to only thinks of blueberries when you say 'berry' and you're talking about a banana (which is a berry by the botanical definition), then you get more across when you use the more generic word.

I think saying someone is autistic is not the same as saying someone has autism. The former implies 'characteristic of or affected with autism' as per The Free Dictionary.

IMHO:

Asperger's (AS), HFA, PDD-NOS (partly) -> autistic

LFA, MFA, PDD-NOS (partly) -> has autism

I agree with Chronos in that that some kind of subdivision of ASD should be maintained for practical purposes.

This made me smile as most NT's don't know they are an NT either =)

Personally I don't like "mild autism" as its met with "oh well it must be very mild so you don't *really* have major difficulties"
Yes,yes we do.

HFA is better.

Many times I will follow up "I have Asperger's" with "high functioning autism" or "a form of autism," etc. If I believe the person I am speaking to might not be aware of Asperger's as a term, then I will explain it as a form of autism. That has never bothered me.

I just say "I have autism," and if pressed further, I say that I'm "somewhere in the middle of things." Funny thing is that people frequently say, "Well then, you must be VERY high functioning!" I mean, really. No eye contact, confusing speech, staff with me at all times.... what, I must be so "HF" because I'm standing here at this function with "normal" people? I can't figure out what they mean to say.

Next time someone says it, I might say, "What do you mean by that?"

I would be interested to hear the outcome!

I think the problem here that they don't serve an Asperger's pie at most restaurants. You're better with going for the autistic. Don't be so picky. I'm sure they taste the same. You can barely tell the difference.

I get that a lot too, even during a shutdown where I'm staring past people and flapping my hands and can only reply in one word answers.
I think they just say it as a compliment.
Still, I hate it because it's like they're saying I don't have any of the issues I say I have.

Not always. I learned to talk when I was about 1. I have autism. My boyfriend said he was 5 before he learned how to talk, and he has AS.

You're half right, but half wrong.

A speech delay precludes a diagnosis of AS. You can NOT have a speech delay and have Asperger's. You have PDD-NOS or autism. He is misdiagnosed.

You can NOT have a speech delay and have autistic disorder. I am one of these.

Oh.

I agree with you. I do think all should be recognized as Autism Spectrum Disorders, but that they should each maintain their distinctive titles as well.