Among other proposed changes to the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, due in 2013, Asperger's, PDD-NOS, and all the other diagnoses on the spectrum would be classified as Autism Spectrum Disorders, instead of having separate entries. I have no problem with this: it makes sense to refer to all those shades of functionality - from Aspergian genius to the most severely-affected, wordless recluse - as points on the same spectrum.
But some folks with Asperger's are upset about this change, because they don't want to have to call themselves Autistic. I read
this on NPR's site, and it annoyed me a bit:
But the change is going to be hard for some people with Asperger's, says Michael John Carley, executive director of the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership in New York and author of
Asperger's From the Inside Out. "I personally am probably going to have a very hard time calling myself autistic," says Carley, who was diagnosed with Asperger's years ago.
Many people with Asperger's take pride in a diagnosis that probably describes some major historical figures, including Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, Carley says. Under the new system, those people would represent just one extreme of a spectrum. On the other extreme is "somebody who might have to wear adult diapers and maybe a head-restraining device. This is very hard for us to swallow," he says.
Yet Carley says he agrees with the decision to fold Asperger's into the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. I'm certainly glad that Aspies like Mr. Carley are proud of this element of their personal identities, but they could do a great service for others elsewhere on the spectrum by embracing them. Maybe if high-functioning people tell the world, "Hey, this is autism, too," they would help to reduce the stigma for those in the middle of the spectrum, like Ryan. By showing neurotypical people that individuals with autism are characterized not only by their challenges but also by their strengths, they would help foster understanding from NTs and self-esteem in people with mid-functioning autism.
Someone at Psychiatric Times pissed me off, too. Explaining why she thinks lumping Asperger's in with other ASDs, she writes:
Those with Asperger’s (which is much less impairing) will be stigmatized by the association with classic autistic disorder.It's this stigma that we have to work on. I hope that the proposed changes to the DSM-5 take a significant step toward that end.
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Comments (5)
"Maybe if high-functioning people tell the world, "Hey, this is autism, too," they would help to reduce the stigma for those in the middle of the spectrum, like Ryan."
Maybe some of them are afraid that trying to reduce the stigma for people like Ryan = caring about what other people think (people like Ryan are people too) = acting neurotypically?
Excerpt: "Maybe if high-functioning people tell the world, "Hey, this is autism, too," they would help to reduce the stigma for those in the middle of the spectrum, like Ryan."
I agree with this comment. I turned 60 a couple of months ago. I learned in August of 2011 that I actually have Asperger's Syndrome. At age 6, I was labeled Autistic, and I kept hearing that label until I was in my teens, along with the label of Weirdo, Freek, etc.
I kept my label of Autistic a secret until last year from everyone that crossed my path, including my ex-wife.
I came out of the closet on August 18, 2011, received the new label of Asperger's Syndrome, and I have no intention of going back into that closet of shame.
But I do prefer the label of High Functioning Autistic verses Asperger's. I don't like being labeled after dead people, no matter what their celebrity was.
A side note: I enjoyed reading the term "Aspergian genius" in this post. I have a rather high I.Q. for an autistic, supposedly over 200, but I think I.Q. tests are extremely unreliable, and I can prove that by the way. Nevertheless, it's fun to see a positive spin put on what is considered a "disability"...
I am about to begin a blog and this will help me tremendously. Of course it has given me many things to consider as I update my website too. I appreciate it much.
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