More than a social disability

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I just started going to a counselor, partially to help me learn who I am (just discovered I'm autistic recently) and also cope with that and the comorbids that come along with it (depression, anxiety, etc). Her first reaction was to say that autism was a social disorder. She also said I would be considered to have aspergers. I have problems with both things she said.

First off, the DSM-V eliminated the distinction between aspergers and other types of autism because they acknowledged the distinction, if there is one, is more complicated than that. I told her that and she politely disagreed with me. She let it drop because she's there to help me, but it stays in the back of my head and bothers me...

Secondly, I really dislike that it's called a social disorder, as if all our problems can be attributed to communication problems. I feel like this really marginalizes the massive array of sensory issues, anxieties, emotional navigation and other problems autistic people face regardless of company. Is a clothing or light sensitivity social? Do executive function issues only happen if someone witnesses it?

Point being, I really feel like calling it a social disorder is a very third-person perspective that, just like the "high-" and "low-" functioning labels misunderstand and erase a LOT of what being autistic means.

I think it is partly a social disorder, but there are other aspects to it, like communication problems and sensory issues. And different people have different aspects that affect them the most. For example, I don't have severe sensory issues, so the emotional and social aspects are more troubling for me. Someone else might experience severe sensory overload and be nonverbal, but not have such significant social problems. It isn't a simple disorder, and it affects everyone differently.

To neurotypicals, it is mostly a social disability.

To us, it is also struggling outside the social world. Sensory issues, Unable to express onself and thus being mentally in a prison is very hard.. To some people with autism, it can be very hard to do stuff like paying the bills in time, making important phone calls & keeping things clean and organized

Yeah. And I'm not saying it isn't a social disability at all, but I think it's a lot more than that, and it upsets me that they're ignoring that by giving it such a limiting label.

I find that for me it is not primarily a social disorder. I think of it this way:

1. Social problems
2. Sensory defensiveness/processing issues
3. Executive functioning problems
4. Obsessiveness (needing routine, order, obsessing over interests, etc)

In my opinion, these all affect me about equally, so it's a lot of problems with functioning.

But other people may not have all of these problems to the same extent. I think it really depends on each person. But I do agree, it is not just a social disorder. I would say most have at least some other areas where they are having problems.

I tend to think completely differently from NTs also, just in the way my mind works, and I don't think that really fits into any category, but it's a real problem.

Labels... on people.

Last edited by LaetiBlabla on 12 Jan 2016, 1:53 pm, edited 2 times in total.

This is a good chance to educate the therapist a little about how autism affects people.

Instead of being upset, think of this as a "teaching moment."

As a previous poster stated, the therapist only has 3rd hand knowledge.

Whelp...

I was told by the big deal psychologist, who tested my husband, Autism is a developmental disability that is present from birth. Social is one part of it.

My husband still uses Aspergers to describe himself to the great unwashed. If you say "Autism", the average NT thinks a kid biting his hand, screaming wearing a helmet and a diaper. It's a stereo type, but not every encounter with a human is a teaching moment.

My husband has also gotten crap from parents who have low kids, that hate the DSM V dropped Aspergers. They think saying Autism (when you can pass on the surface) is equal to being a drama queen.

You are seeing a therapist for mental health issues, so yeah, she'll focus on that. My husband sees a shrink who does nothing for things related to speech therapy or his other non social issues.

Yeah, it ticks me off.

There was a topic on here a few months ago that asked what your biggest autism-related problem is, and it seemed like the most common answers were sensory issues and executive dysfunction. But executive dysfunction isn't in the diagnostic criteria at all, and sensory issues weren't added until the DSM5. Even now, sensory issues are just one sentence in the "repetitive behavior" section of the criteria.

Yeah, most people on here don't have really extreme communication problems such as a complete inability to speak. But even then, is a communication disorder a social disorder? If someone is aphasiac for for any reason other than autism, do they call it a social disorder?

Seems more often than not, other aspects of my autism outweigh my social disability.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Technically a disorder or disability definition in psychology is MUDA (Maladptive, Unjustifiable, Disturbing, Atypical) If the behaviour doesn't meet this criteria it doesnt classify as a disorder.

However Disability is classified somewhat differently, there needs to be a form of Impairment. So with that knowledge we know that The Inability or great difficulty to initiate relationships, socialize and effectivly communicate needs and wants can interfere with a persons life greatly and usually does causing difficulty maintaining relationships, keeping jobs or attending school. Sensory processing issued can cause difficulty in public situations which can cause a severe agoraphobia, executive functioning problems can present differently i know my ASD is mild and i still have trouble feeding myself and keeping myself and my enviroment clean and the obsessivness depends on how severe the obsession is, usually the need for routine and obsessions NEEDS to present issues inorder to get a diagnoses in the first place.

I agree though, its more than just "socially awkward" i consider my social issues to be the least of my problems, my adapting to change and obsessions hinders my ability to function more than anything and my sensory issues make life 10000000x harder than any of my neurotypical counterparts.

Yeah, my biggest areas of difficulty are executive dysfunction and sensory issues. Social issues are a minor concern for me.

I sometimes feel also that certain elements are getting left out of the overall picture. Then, I remember that what most autistics experience are those social approach, and restrictive or repetitive (routine) behaviors. The remaining characteristics and co-morbids are less likely among all autistics (that is why it is described as a spectrum).

This topic reminds me of the ongoing World Health Organization studies to determine ALL the emotional, psychological and functional characteristics experienced by autistics, no matter how rare. By creating this huge list of characteristics ( viewtopic.php?t=303336 ), diagnosing worldwide should become quite extensive and precise. I suspect that it will even spin off some related conditions and disorders. The studies are scheduled to be completed in September 2016 when they will be presented to the world. In any case, they are expected to be referenced within the upcoming ICD-11 diagnostic criteria for autism.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is the perception (of neurotypicals). For me, the social stuff is not the main issue.

Definitely the social disability ranks third or fourth on my list of ASD issues. I can cognitively compensate for social difficulties like recognizing facial expressions by studying the movements of facial muscles, social interactions by memorizing scripts, and navigating tricky work situations by asking my boss for advice. It's a lot of work and is mentally and emotionally very taxing, but at least I can sort of manage.

Some of the other stuff though, is much harder to compensate for. How do I manage painful or nauseating sensory symptoms if I have to commute or shop? How do I manage overlapping jobs when I am so bad at multitasking? How do I manage anxiety at talking to strangers, when I have trouble understanding what they are saying, and can't predict when they will become suddenly hostile?

There have been times that I've been afraid to even go outside for weeks, and it's worse now that I can't afford a car. Before the diagnosis, I thought about committing suicide every single day for months at a time. I would stand on the subway platform and think about throwing myself on the tracks. Only the thought of my grieving family and the traumatized train operator and passengers kept me from doing it.

Autism is a neurological disorder/difference. What it produces in thinking and behaviour can be called a "social disorder", but it's not a matter of psychology. It involves neurology.

Might want to point your counselor in this direction-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYY2XGEmc1s