Posted on 02/13/2010 4:28:39 PM PST by neverdem
IF you ask my daughter, Isabel, what autism means to her, she won’t say that it is a condition marked by impaired social communication and repetitive behaviors. She will say that her autism makes her a good artist, helps her to relate to animals and gives her perfect pitch.
The stigma of autism is fading fast. One reason is that we now understand that autism is a spectrum with an enormous range. Some people with autism are nonverbal with profound cognitive disabilities, while others are accomplished professionals.
Many people with milder symptoms of autism have, for the past 20 years or so, received a diagnosis of Asperger’s disorder. Some autistic adults call themselves “Aspies” to celebrate their talents and differences. And many parents have embraced the label because they have found it less stigmatizing, and so it has eased their sense of loss.
This may soon change, however. The American Psychiatric Association, with its release this week of proposed revisions to its authoritative Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is recommending that Asperger’s be dropped. If this revision is adopted, the condition will be folded into the category of “autism spectrum disorder,” which will no longer contain any categories for distinct subtypes of autism like Asperger’s and “pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified” (a category for children with some traits of autism but not enough to warrant a diagnosis).
The change is welcome, because careful study of people with Asperger’s has demonstrated that the diagnosis is misleading and invalid, and there are clear benefits to understanding autism as one condition that runs along a spectrum...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
“I have two teenage boys with Aspergers and a flock of associated stuff. Sometimes my wife and I want to run away.”
hear hear.
No matter what you call it - it’s very difficult and can drive you to your limit.
All getting laid as social therapy has left me is with the doctor at the local free clinic knowing me by first name basis, some of my belongings stolen and nearly ending up in jail because I have stress-related mutism whenever I’m under stress and an officer thought I was being avoidant. (Long story).
The kind of women you pick up if you try to get laid when you’re on the spectrum are women who don’t really care too much about themselves. Bar whores with sandpapery voices, fat chicks with personality disorders, women with low self esteem and bipolar women. I’ve seen it with some of my friends from my support group.
The kind of women that would ordinarially have some sort of care for themselves are ordinarially repulsed by some Autistic quirks and have nothing to do with you. Either that, or they look like men.
All getting laid as social therapy has left me is with the doctor at the local free clinic knowing me by first name basis, some of my belongings stolen and nearly ending up in jail because I have stress-related mutism whenever I’m under stress and an officer thought I was being avoidant. (Long story).
The kind of women you pick up if you try to get laid when you’re on the spectrum are women who don’t really care too much about themselves. Bar whores with sandpapery voices, fat chicks with personality disorders, women with low self esteem and bipolar women. I’ve seen it with some of my friends from my support group.
The kind of women that would ordinarially have some sort of care for themselves are ordinarially repulsed by some Autistic quirks and have nothing to do with you. Either that, or they look like men.
The APA is a fraud. I remember when homosexuality was identified in the DSM as a psychiatric disorder. Then homosexual activists within the APA had that changed.
It was a political decision and as far as I am concerned the APA no longer has any credibility.
Thanks.
Bump.....
They’re not dropping Aspbergers...they’re lumping it in with Autism...
It’s already on the Autism spectrum scale..
For me, this is good news.
In my job, I help parents access services such as The Division of Developmental Disabilities.
This agency, along with The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation helps children and adults gain access to training and assistance and accommodations for employment.
Some agencies will only accept the diagnosis of Autism as a qualifying disorder. The diagnoses of Aspergers does not count.
It’s so frustrating for parents who were “happy” that their child “had Aspergers” instead of “autism” which is usually perceived as being more disabling.
At that point I get to tell them that they could have easily pushed for the other DSM # Autism and had more available to their child. But now, they have to go back and try to get the broader diagnosis that they once fought against.
My heart truly goes out to these parents.
They’re worried about services for their adult children who may not ever be self sufficient without their support.
But, to be diagnosed with AUTISM instead of Aspbergers or Pervasive Developmental disorder just feels so much MORE...More...well disabling..to them, as their hearts are already breaking..
It’s just goofy to me that one diagnosis is a slam dunk..but another (on the SAME SCALE) is not.
Seems like it should certainly be ABILITY based rather than so subjective!
Anyway..thank you for posting the article!
I didn’t know this was anywhere on the radar :-)
So the shrinks are set to vote on a new list of phony disorders? Are they going to keep “internet addiction”? My favorite mental disorder is “disagreeing with a shrink’s diagnosis”? But “Can’t do math” is a close second. LOL!
It was a joke.
I cannot say it would really cure Asperger’s syndrome, but if your problem is lack of social contact, a successful ‘date’ does improve your morale.
Did you ever see ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’?
Was there a brouhaha when they removed homosexuality from the DSM? As I recall, it was a "political" decision and not a research driven change.
I think I’ll take you’re advice and get a date.
Restrict Sodium Consumption? Not Without Evidence, Researcher Argues
Yale Scientists Synthesize Unique Family of Anti-Cancer Compounds
Researchers develop dietary formula that maintains youthful function into old age
FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.
OK, seriously, how is this pronounced? Because around here I always hear it pronounced as “ass burgers” and that just can’t be right.
I think you're just going about it all wrong.
One of my best friends had a stepson who was mentally retarded. After he was of legal drinking age, we used to take him to our favorite bar.
He sided up to more women than anyone else could, and most often he picked the best looking one's to boot.
In his case, it was because he had no concept of where he was on the spectrum, and we always treated him like he was normal. He had no concept that the 'pretty' women were somehow 'better' than he was. And he didn't treat the 'pretty' ones any different than he did the one's that fit some of your descriptions. (It drives the pretty one's crazy when you treat all of them the same)
He treated them as if he could have his choice of anyone, and if they didn't respond, he simply moved on to the next.
There are some other skills that can be used to increase a woman's desire to be with you, but this isn't the time or place to go into them.
A related article I posted earlier in the week
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2448628/posts
It is pronounced “aus bergers”. The “aus” is pronounced as in Australia
I've been stranded in the combat zoneBilly Joel is a seer.
I walked through Bedford Sty alone
Even rode my motorcycle in the rainAnd you told me not to drive
But I made it home alive
So you said that only proves that I'm insaneYou may be right, I might be crazy
But it just may be a Lunatic you're looking for.
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