Broader Autism Phenotype

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What is it? I keep seeing that phrase bandied about. Where are you'all getting that from? Its not an official DSM thing, right?

BAP describes people who have some autistic traits but not enough or strong enough or causing impairment for ASD diagnosis.

I don't really get the concept either....you either have autism or you don't, sure some non-autistic people may have an autistic trait here and there, doesn't mean we need to create a special term for them.

It makes no sense you either have autism or not, like autism is a single module that you have loaded in your brain or not.

It's an effort to acknowledge that there's something different in some people that seems to be related to autism, but which no one considers to be autism.

The term seems to be primarily used about women, and often mothers of children who are on the spectrum.

There is something really odd about the situation where we say autism is often inherited, there are many families where it seems to be on the mother's side, she is not seen as having autism though may struggle a lot, and then she gets this BAP label. And then people argue about whether autism looks different in women, is she BAP, is she on the spectrum, etc.

BAP is not used primarily in reference to women or mothers of autistic children.
It originated as a term used to describe some mothers or fathers of autistic children.
In recent years, it has broadened to include people with some autistic traits regardless of whether they have autistic children or children at all.
Family studies have found that BAP and ASD close relatives like parents and children have some similar traits at both behaviroal and brain levels.

It is also used for some older adults who present as Autistic but where their is no evidence of early childhood autism because there were no records kept, or the records have been long ago destroyed, parents are not alive or just don't remember that far back.

I meant it originated that way and is still used that way by regular people but usage has shifted in the research community. Thank you for clarifying! You're very good at precision in what you write.

In lay I have still primarily seen the term used about women.

Do you do any research around this concept?

One time I told someone from a forum that I have AS and she said no, I have BAP. She said because I cared and showed I cared about other people, and what they felt.

I know she was being kind. I felt really weird, though. There's this stereotype that really bothers me that BAP is everything but ____ (fill in the blank). And the notion that I will or have grown out of AS is frightening because if I'm "only" BAP, it seems like I'd have to work even harder at fitting in, and I really CAN'T.

No one talks about labeling with BAP if you grow out of ASD, but logically, when people talk about that some people grow out of ASD we usually still seem weird, I do anyway. And people seem to need labels. Not that anyone's ever said I grew out of it so I suppose this is maybe not worth my worrying about. I do worry about it, though.

I hope I made sense!

It sounds to me as if we are continuing to acknowledge that the traits typical to men on the spectrum are autism and need extra supports. But if your traits are more typical of women of the spectrum, you have BAP and you're out of luck when it comes to having help. That's FUBAR.

I really didn't start this thread to bate a gender conversation, but now that you point it out, I'm kinda fuming. I'm very good at reading body language because it's my special interest. This is often seen in women. We can debate the reason later. If I had the same interest in, say, steam engine trains, would I be more autistic?

Also, we all know (or a lot of us know) that girls on the spectrum have fewer problems with communication on average and more problems with sensory issues. My own experience reflects this. But sensory issues aren't even a part of the new diagnostic scheme. Am I right on this? So what we're really seeing here is a continuation of the theme that boys get help when they need it. Girls get told to accept their reduced status in society.

This sounds like someone who got their degree in autism from the university of Google. We all know that the stereotype of the autistic person who doesn't care for anyone is wrong. We make attachments differently, especially if sensory issues preclude touching. But we have strong feelings of caring. She's mistaking autism for narcissism, a separate issue that some autistics also suffer from.

I'm really interested to see how much more touchy this new generation of autistic kids seem to be. They love clinging to their parents. My theory is this is because all the sensory techniques they use with kids today to teach them touch can be helpful.

The term Broader Autism Phenotype is actually quite helpful. It is an acknowledgement by psychologists and other professionals involved in the diagnosis process that the autism spectrum is extremely broad, and that as yet no-one, including themselves, has managed to completely understand all its many facets, nuances and complexities. As we all know here, a diagnosis for ASD (or, previously, Asperger's Syndrome) is relatively recent, and with each new diagnosis the medical profession hopefully learns a little more about this fascinating condition. So by using the term BAP, psychologist are showing some humility and admitting their own limitations, which I find rather refreshing.

Even though I had a definite speech delay (I didn't speak until age 5 1/2), and had classic autistic symptoms until I spoke, then Aspergian symptoms afterwards, I would say that I fall, as far as overall presentation is concerned, under the Broad Autism Phenotype most of the time--unless I'm under stress.

Under stress, I become more blatantly Spectrumite in my behavior and my reactions to stimuli.

I didn't mean to be provocative. Just is frustrating that different people see me as having ASD and having BAP and they're quite sure of themselves and I'm just a person to me, it's really weird people always want to label me. The professionals say ASD though. So I get mad why I need another label even though I know it's meant well.

You didn't do anything wrong. I'm rather easy to nudge into discussion of gender inequity.

I'm also rather growly about people who diagnos anyone over the Internet. It's very different to ask if someone has learned about a certain problem than it is to come out and say that you think they aren't what they say they are. We have the right to self-definition. Not our friends, our family, and certainly not strangers on the Internet. I get to define myself. You just get to listen.

I think I'm growly overall today. (Speaking of issues with female bodies. I think I'm experiencing a hormone shift.)

Thank you for this point of view. I think this is also likely part of the truth.