Arguments to make diagnostic criteria for ASD more broad

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FranzOren
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01 May 2022, 1:07 pm

I made an argument here that people who developed social skills on time should be given diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, but only if there is enough evidence that restricted interests and repetitive behaviors caused distress during developmental stages.

I remember that I asked a what if question if a person developed social skills on time, has all the social skills that neurotypical has, but had history of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors that caused distress during developmental stage.

Also, people with Broad Autism Phenotype should also be given an ASD diagnosis if those traits and personalities caused distress as well. I made a similar argument about Broad Autism Phenotype.



Joe90
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01 May 2022, 1:12 pm

The spectrum is already broad enough these days. If it gets any broader then the whole population will be on it.


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FranzOren
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01 May 2022, 1:14 pm

Not exactly, there has to be enough evidence that restricted interests and repetitive behaviors caused distress during developmental stage.



Alivia
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01 May 2022, 1:16 pm

What's the point of a diagnosis, if there's no clinically significant impairment or distress?

The only reason for anything to exist as a diagnosis is to help understand something and alleviate the problems that arise from it. White people aren't diagnosed as melanin deficient, because white skin is not a health problem (albinism, however, can be -- in which case it would be helpful to diagnose). If someone's development was delayed, but they caught up, there's nothing to diagnose, anymore than if they had a period of malnutrition that stunted their growth for a bit but recovered by the time they reached adulthood.

And "broad autism phenotype" doesn't make any sense unless you have a good idea of what "autism" is. A collection of disparate traits doesn't cut it.



FranzOren
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01 May 2022, 1:19 pm

I mentioned that you developed social skills on time, but had restricted interests and repetitive behaviors that caused distress during developmental stage. Those are just scenarios, but if it did happen, there should be some form of diagnosis to help with restricted interests and repetitive behaviors that caused developmental distress.

I think Broad Autism Phenotype should also benefit from a diagnosis of ASD or something similar, but only if those traits and personalities caused distress.



Joe90
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01 May 2022, 1:28 pm

There are other neurodevelopmental disorders that can share a few similar traits to autism. Fragile-X is one good example, as it typically involves sensory issues and social delays. Also ADHD can be similar to autism (in fact these days ADHD seems to have almost all the symptoms of autism and vice versa).

I imagine these developmental disorders as a sunflower. The center is neurotypical and all the neurological disorders are the petals, overlapping each other, each petal is a spectrum of its own. Probably a bad analogy but it's just how I imagine it to be, all having their own set of symptoms but some symptoms overlapping with others.


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FranzOren
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01 May 2022, 1:32 pm

I think having only restricted interests and repetitive behaviors can be explained by other neurodevelopental disorders you mentioned, but can be also be specifically explained by Stereotypic Movement Disorder.