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 ...
People don't die from Aspergers syndrome.
BTW, you may want to check your grammar on that sentence.
I rewrote it several times and obviously failed to proof read.
He died from complications from a condition that was caused by behaviors tied to Aspergers.
A normal person would not have had the same problem.
Exactly. There’s Chicago Dead, and then there’s Too Dead to Vote.
Asperger’s isn’t fatal; it’s a form of autism. Maybe you’re confusing it with something else that sounds similar?
You really think Asperger’s Syndrome and mental retardation is the same thing? If you do, then your advice probably is not worth that much.
ping
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I remember the 1972 atmosphere, and, yes, there was a large political upheaval when homosexuality was removed. Whether one considered it a research-driven change or not depended on your opinion of homosexuality.
Certainly, there are people still selling “treatments” to “cure” homosexuality. Now, however, they can’t get insurance companies to cover the costs anymore - patients have to pay out of pocket.
But more and more people have to pay out of pocket for medical, dental and psychiatric procedures these days. Psychiatric in-stay treatments aren’t covered, in most csses, unless they are considered emergencies that threaten the life of the patient. Even eating disorders have to fall into a critical category.
Of course, if there was a pill that someone developed which ostensibly “cured” homosexuality, then perhaps that category would be once again included. So many of these psychiatric illnesses seem to be nothing more than excuses to sell more pharmaceuticals. I’d argue that the influence of drug companies is much larger on the medical community than any political argument, from which the doctors are well-shielded.
I was still in High School and wasn't paying attention to the field of psychology (although I ultimately earned a degree in Psychology, oddly enough).
Of course, if there was a pill that someone developed which ostensibly “cured” homosexuality, then perhaps that category would be once again included. So many of these psychiatric illnesses seem to be nothing more than excuses to sell more pharmaceuticals. I’d argue that the influence of drug companies is much larger on the medical community than any political argument, from which the doctors are well-shielded.
If there were a pill to "cure" homosexuality there would be an outcry that it's hateful to market such a thing. I know that the ex-homosexuals get treated quite badly, both by the media and the homosexual community because their mere existence counters the lie that one has no choice in being homosexual or not.
No. I was trying to provide an example where the subject would be someone most people would consider to have a 'dating' issue.
If you do, then your advice probably is not worth that much.
Whether I do, or not, MY advice is probably worth exactly what you paid for it.
One of my colleagues, who I suspect is an Aspie, was married barely 6 months. (This was someone who, when I asked for a write-up of a librarian conference, sent me -- I think -- 12 pages of German philosophy. I had to get into a trance to read it.)
Another Aspie was nearly dumped by his bride (my friend) right after the wedding night. She said to me, "I didn't get married just to get divorced!" Over the years she worked with him, and as you said, it wasn't easy. I believe their kids have problems.
These kind of people might do well with someone who can carry them socially and practically -- someone with a lot of patience. It is risky, though, because at some point the person might get fed up.
Hey, that’s a good one! I can tell my husband that I cured him.
Come to think of it, maybe I did?
Marking
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