illness, disorder or disability?

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Which do you think Autism is? For me, I think it's the last two. I don't think it's an illness because it doesn't make you sick like mental illnesses do or the flu does either.

I think it's both a disability and disorder also, but I checked disorder in the poll as specifically some HFA/AS don't see their condition as a disability, but a difference.

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It's not an illness so it's a disability or a disorder, depending on how much it affects the person's life. If the disorder becomes debilitating, then it can start to be considered a disability. Some Aspies learn to compensate for their difficulities as they grow up, and hold down a job, get married, follow their special interests., etc., while others don't manage that level of functioning.

The LFA end of the spectrum is a hot potato, but I don't think it should be too controversial to say that somebody with learning difficulties is more likely to be disabled than somebody who is not. But it's not set in stone - I'm impressed with how articulate a couple of LFA people have been on here. I'm a natural pessimist, but I believe in not writing people off at an early age because that most likely will condemn them to a lifetime of disability. With the right support and encouragement, some people can exceed all expectations.

I didn't check any of the three choices because in my opinion (as everyone has a right to an opinion, and I respect that), I perceive autism as a "difference."

I don't think autism is an "illness" at all.

I think it can cause "disability"--but it doesn't always cause it.

There are times when autism is not even a "disorder"--rather, it's a "difference."

It really depends upon the individual with autism.

It is a disorder which can be a disability for some at times.

It depends. It is circumstantial. Under the right ones, it's normal. Something the DSM has no definition for whatsoever. Than again it can also be a complete nightmare too.

I guess it is an extremely unbalanced thing that involves a whole bunch of stuff, and most of the time, a whole bunch of other stuff attatched to it. Soo... it is just alot of stuff. Everyone is still working on the normal thing. It has not been successfully developed yet.

I'm going to go with not mature. Or underdeveloped. Like a house made of matchsticks. Only there is leftover matchsticks. They are still inside the house, so you can only use one room. Something like that.

Sometimes that room is o.k.

I'm just throwing stuff out there to be different again.

I do not want to answer the question, because it looks to relevant to everyone.

It depends on how disability is interpreted and what model is used to define disability. What disables Asperger syndrome is aspiphobia and people with scant understanding of AS people and expecting AS people on first contact to be an expert on allism. Also expecting unconditional trust. This is what allistic society expects, I see that sensory integration difficultie could at times be restricting but autism needn't be a disability in fact it may be useful if shown how to use it properly.

I brought this up because someone on another forum referred to their HFA as an illness. It bothered me, but I didn't confront them since I didn't want to create a huge stir. For me, it's a disability. I'm not officially diagnosed with having an intellectual disability, which is why I call them delays instead of a disability. I've been told a dozen time that my delays are due to my autism. It's so confusing, yet I can't get officially diagnosed or re-diagnosed because it will screw up my SSI.

This person was also ignorant of the fact that autism can be a disability for people on a more severe end. Like, it affects their functioning abilities with being able to do daily living skills or things by themselves. I don't mean that those with LFA are incapable of special abilities either (especially seeing how KoR and EzraS have functioned quite well for being on the low end of the spectrum and proved that people with LFA are capable as anyone else who have AS or HFA).

It is what it is, no matter what it's called.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Autism is a difference. For many it is a disability. It is named a disorder. Autism symptoms that do not require any support (severity level 0) are subclinical and do not qualify for diagnosis. If you only have level 0 symptoms, you would be given some other diagnosis than ASD.

Illness is a complicated word with many meanings only some of which are appropriate, so it's probably better not to use it to describe Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Can't be an illness, there is no cure, it does not kill, it's not contagious, it doesn't even make someone any less healthier. So; "No".

A disability to some, yes. Some really needs help to function, but some doesn't. In my own case, it's not much. This part of my answer is "Varied".

A disorder? Likely, aside from the by-product that is... This one is kinda defined by the norm (both specific and in general; therefore regardless being in the spectrum or not, one can have this) so... "Yes" in technical sense.

But in my own case, in my own opinion not so. Because what most NTs considered as abnormal to them, is normal to me. Hence; the 4th option answer: it's a difference.

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I see it as a difference as well.

Definitely not an illness.

Disorder? Maybe - I can be quite disorderly

Disability - only because most the rest of this forsaken planet is not like me. If it was everything would be just fine.