Question if "Autism Spectrum Disorder" should be renamed

Post Reply New Topic

Uses-WP-Too-Much-Spectrum-Disorder

(me)

I bet you know lots of people online who have autism spectrum disorder.

I was diagnosed under the DSM V, so no Asperger’s for me.

I'm Level 2 on DSM5.

My doctor said even if Aspergers was still its own condition, I'm not it.
I asked if Level 1 / HFA was equivalent to Aspergers on the new system and she said no.

I'm still not quite sure how Aspergers and L1 differ, since neither were relevant to me.

I think Level 1 is broader and encompasses more than just Asperger’s.

I think so too.

I picture Aspergers is more specifically a "little professor" and social awkwardness thing, and that they don't have the speech delay in childhood, but there must be more differences. I don't think Aspergers has all the sensory and non-verbal issues either.

I was just thinking tonight that I'd be interested to read the old Aspergers DSM (4?) definition.

"Autism Severity Disorder" wouldnt make any sense as a name for ...ANY thing.

Doesnt make any sense because the phrase doesnt mean anything.

What you mean is "Autism Variable Severity Disorder".

The combination of "variable" with "severity" makes it mean what you want the phrase to mean.

But "variable severity" just means the same thing as "spectrum".

So there would be no need to change.

A "spectrum" means something varies over a range- like colors on the rainbow. Visible light comes in different wavelengths/freguencies which the human eye perceives as different colors. Same with sound- varying frenquiencies are perceived as treble, midrange, and base.

Autism is now thought of as coming in a range- from severely autistic to varying degrees milder severity.

I have the spicy kind. ^

It's much hotter than mild.

A “spectrum” adds color, probably makes it easier for a layperson to understand, makes it more pleasant, somehow. Less clinical.

But it can still be a spectrum. It is regardless of what we call it.

I think calling Autism works by itself. We can drop the words "spectrum " and
"disrder" from the actual title.

Why does the title have to be less clinical? Does every single thing we are and do have to be dictated by what makes non Autistic people comfortable?

I'm not seeking to "make non-autistic people more comfortable." I'm seeking to make EVERYBODY comfortable

I'm just saying that expressing things in less clinical terms sometimes makes what is being said more easier to handle for people with all neurologies.

That is true but I think it's more important to say things accurately than to make people comfortable. I can't imagine that just calling it Autism would make people any less comfortable than calling it Autism Spectrum disorder. Every other condition on the planet is labelled for exactly what it is or for the person who first officially identified and recorded it. Why does what we call Autism have to make people comfortable? We don't have that concern about labelling any other condition.

It's questions like these - constant questions - which make me wonder whether you (and a few others here) are elaborate trolls.

No, I don't know if I am a troll.

I don't think he's a troll. He's too handicapped.