I think aspergers was dropped because of the government

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THIS.

I realize I am a outlier in the community these days but with most else in life sub categories while far from perfect are often useful. But we can't do this for Autism the horror, the horror. Just another way Autism is looked at differently from other conditions and life in general.

The DSM-IV screwed up in making Asperger's a separate diagnostic category instead of a sub-category of Autism. This and poor wording caused problems. So instead of making Aspergers a sub-category of Autism and rewording it to newer understandings they did the cowardly thing and dropped it. If Aspergers became too broad or a catch-all why do most people think subsuming it into a broader category is going to ease this problem? This makes no sense at all. It only makes the problem worse

Here we go again Aspies with who want to identify with or describe themselves as Aspergers/Aspie are a bunch of elitists who don't want to associate themselves as the Autistics they really are. As with all groups some Aspies are like this. But what you are doing is stereotyping and stigmatizing a group of people. This is no different in concept that saying blacks want to collect welfare. Unfortunately unlike saying those things about blacks it is an acceptable prejudice within the community to stereotype people who describe, identify with Aspergers with this and other negative stereotypes.

Asperger syndrome was dropped because it was not easily and reliably distinguishable from autism, so they were merged into one category of autism spectrum disorder.

That's exactly what some of them are doing. They want to be seen as special little snowflakes. I've used previous accounts and I saw this happen on WP and various blogs when this whole DSM 5 thing went down. People felt like their aspie "identity" (special snow flake syndrome) was gone...you have autism! Shut the f**k up!

I spend money on fun things every month, and I get like $197/month + $190/month food stamps. My situation is such that I have some disposable income (but less than $100) and I can get all the food I need with SNAP. But as callista pointed out earlier, I still feel guilty when I buy myself a game or a book or really anything that isn't a necessity.

Looking forward to my next SSI hearing so that I can get on SSI. My expenses will go up, but I'll be in much better shape. But still subpoverty. Bleah.

Truth. That oxygen could have gone to someone who works for a living (sarcasm).

We agree SOME do this. I have seen it also. But we don't stigmatize all Italians because the Mafia is real and Italians have not given up their Italian IDENTITY because of the mafia. Gays did not give their identity because of the AIDS crises. Now Gay is subsumed into the broader LGBT identity but the "G" remains there proudly and it is still "Gay marriage. But many if not a large majority self identified Aspies acted differently fighting the DSM 5 with blogs and petitions then reverting 180 degrees out of fear and agreeing with the negative stereotypes that started outside the community. Pretty shocking to me Autistics generally do not like change.

The identity thing did not start out out as being special snowflake. It started out with people who grew up in the pre understanding era when there was no such a thing as as HFA or Aspergers who grew up being bullied and thinking were ret*d or some other negative false or partially correct labels. Then they find in adulthood, even middle age adulthood a label that finally fits creating acceptance and pride in themselves. Another words Aspie identity was a trans formative POSITIVE thing.

Pride, acceptance does not and did not mean looking down on others who share many of the same traits more severely. IMHO in any group you are going to get people whose pride in themselves takes the form on looking down on others. The DSM IV by making Aspergers a separate diagnosis instead of a sub-catagory probably exacerbated the problem.

Now it it is two years later and Aspergers is a colloquial term widely regarded as a term describing savants, elitists, snowflakes, excuse makers, disability ripoff artists and most widely not real autistics. Another words what was such a positive for many of us has been turned into a negative and for false reasons. Since I joined here in 2013 generally the view of self is much much much more negative. While there are other factors I can't help but think the combination of the DSM 5 and acceptance of the unproven negative stereotypes are a important factor and has set the community back 2 decades.

As I reference in my signature we have stigmatized a label dedicated to a person who was the first Autistic advocate in very difficult circumstances. Absolutely maddening

Good. Makes sense that the term aspergers is gone now. We all have autism with 1 2 or 3 level of functioning. Logical and not for personal reasons. Oh noes I'm not assburgers anymore I'm actually autistic...go figure!

If I had a nickel for every time I've seen an Aspie on here throw other autistic people under the bus in the name of pride in the Aspie label I'd have at least $10. Seeing that over and over does tend to taint how one views the label.

I forgot assburgers in my list of negative stereotypes. This stigma based on a upon a mispronunciation by Americans of of Hans Asperger's name. The most pathetic of all stigmatization of Aspergers. No logic in this at all.

So now we got levels. It is a number based on just as subjective criteria as the old diagnostic name.

As I linked to page 3 of this thread the head of the DSM 5 said logic of cost was a factor. Seconded by the clinician who diagnosed me who attended some of those DSM 5 meetings who said insurance reasons drove the discussions. Personal for the stockholders and executive board of insurance companies.

As far as I can tell Aspergers is still around to my surprise. Used all the time here and often in the media. But it is a colloquial term where anybody can define it as they please. Less logical not more.

That would be 200 times.

I see a lot of self identified Aspies protesting the treatment of Autistics at Judge Rotenberg Center, protesting the blogging moms, parents using quack treatments asking why it always about how the parents are suffering not that how their Autistic child feels. A lot of of times the people being defended fall under the "low functioning" label. Kingdom of Rats was a well regarded self identified "severe autistic" who posted here. These are a strange way of throwing people under the bus.

Then people I mentioned can a identify as Italians, Americans, Italians-Americans and nobody seems to have problem with this. A person can describe themselves as cancer survivor, a breast-cancer survivor nobody seems to have a problem. In Autism sub-catagories is this horrible thing that has got to be stamped out.

As a group cancer survivors and stroke survivors(that's me) are not described as special snowflakes, milking it for money or excuses, throwing people with more severe cancers or strokes under the bus. But those who for whatever self identify as Aspies (and Autistics) have be regularly accused of being part of a group that is all these in a so called support forum.

Ok enough of the rant when you see an individual poster being elitist call them out on it. Be civil, don't make it witch hunt or see it everywhere. We all should do more to make all sorts of Autistics be at home here.

I'll start. As many of you know Carly Fleishmenn was an autistic person thought so severely affected it was thought by all that she would never be functional. In her teens she had a breakthrough and via typing became one of the most well known autistic advocates. She attended college. A decision was made due to severe OCD to use electric shock treatment and it resulted in her losing her ability to communicate.

Her father said the decision was hers. There is no evidence this is false. At the time there was a lot of posts blaming the doctor and her dad. The doctor is at fault as electric shock is only advised for severe depression. My problem is with the assumption it was not her decision. We always talk about how autistics should be allowed to control our lives. But when a bad decision was made that had horrible consequences it was assumed she was brainwashed, she was not competent to make her own decision.

Yep.



And I've seen a lot of self-identified Aspies make excuses for parents who murder their autistic children, talk about not wanting a cure for themselves but saying that "lower functioning autistics should be cured," and I've seen autistic people being told that they're not capable of understanding a conversation because they weren't Aspies.



No, it's not, but Aspie supremacy is a horrible thing that shouldn't exist.



If you took my post as an accusation, then you misread it. I pointed out why people might have negative associations with the "Aspie" label. It's certainly why I do. I'm not making it up, it's stuff I've seen. I have no interest in that being a part of my life.



Well, no one is getting pressed to death with stones on their chest or hung or burned to death so I don't think anything can rightly be called a "witch hunt," since witch hunts ended, you know, with people getting executed for manufactured reasons.

As far as making all sorts of autistics be at home here, maybe it'd help to not deny that the supremacy crap happens, and address it when it does.



Interesting choice to illustrate your point.

Bla bla bla, wait...so you except ASD now? Yes!

Since I found out I have always identified as Autistic as well as Aspie and Aspie-Autistic. I never thought being Aspie and Autistic as mutually exclusive.

I totally agree with you on why these negative associations have happened. I just disagree with you on how to respond. Since Seinfeld said thought he was on the spectrum then retracted, the idea of High Functioning Autism being “real autism” has come under renewed criticism with many of the same negative associations. Do we give up the using HFA or the spectrum do to the negative associations? If we do that the NT’s will say “See even the Autistics on their forums and blogs agree with us, why should we pay for services or diagnose spoiled brats”. When does this stop? When we are back in the 1960’s and 1970’s with only the most obvious/severe Autism recognized? Maybe I am being paranoid and it won’t that bad but the idea is not that far fetched as it just happened with Aspergers. I spent a few decades in that not knowing why I was the way I was and totally unrecognized world, I have no desire to go back.


I have seen not excuses made, but those parents bitterly hated


This is the form of ableism I had in mind when I wrote “Aspie supremacy” needed to be called out. Another variation is somebody writing it is insulting to me to be called “person with Autism” but ok to call low functioning people that. Doing that is criticizing an individual and is different from stigmatizing a group

I would also add that when you are talking high functioning autism, high functioning enough that a degree of social awkwardness is the only real drawback, and this kind of autism: you can clearly see that advocating for a cure for one type and having the other type simply learning how to live differently makes sense. On the spectrum it is inevitable that some are simply different and others are not even in the same galaxy as being "just different". I do not think making note of this is ableism per se.