Preliminary draft DSM-5 released

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I meet the criteria. I do not disagree with the change.

Trying to darn a sock with a blowtorch!

If I were to flirt or tease it would come out as an insult.

Years ago someone told me her friend, who was very cute, thought I was hot. He was younger, but I thought OK go for it for once. I saw him at an outside concert and said "Hey,we should have coffee sometime". "After all", I continued "I'm nobody and you're nobody too." He just looked at me and walked away. Later I tried to explain myself and said "I'm just.." and he said " I know, you're just you."

I was interviewed about this topic by a reporter for a local newspaper today. I'll find out tomorrow morning if/what she quoted. After the interview, she said "wow... that was so much information, for such a small amount of time!" I wanted to reply "yeah, that's how I do", but I decided to keep it professional.

A part of me likes this because in a lot of ways it seems like a better understanding of the mind, as have all the revisions of DSM, I learned III-R when I started college--archaic by the standards of today's science of mind!

Another part of me does not like this because Aperger's Syndrome describes me much better than the generic ASD, it gives a more nuanced, accurate view of what makes me different from other people.

Mostly I'm glad to have somewhere that, even if I don't post a lot any more or come by very often, I know I can run to when the NT world starts to drive me mad...

I have to say even though I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS I do meet this criteria. I think I was worried about the reciprocity thing, but now that I understand it better I do meet it. I tend to ramble, I think people put up with it because I come off as "interesting".

With that being said with NLD, many individuals with NLD do qualify for autism spectrum disorder. They are prone to one sided conversations and rigid routines. Even though there is often the "coctail language" there is language deficits usually dealing with comprehension and pragmatics (prone to the same literalism AS is famous for). While the restricted behaviors are not always present, routines for NLD almost always are. In reality NLD is getting folded into the broader ASD language, but also the broader LD language (this changed as well). Most folks with NLD would probably qualify for ASD under this new language, it is broad enough to be inclusive.

Also the language is positive for women on the spectrum (who are often diagnosed with NLD over AS because of a later appearance). This point " 3. Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities) " is a positive change since many symptoms do not fully manifest in girls until they reach middle school or high school. It allows for being able to take into account the different development patterns for girls with autism and greater possibility for diagnosis.

One of the many reasons why I will threaten a psychiatrist if he dares to diagnose me with something else, is that Autism Speaks will kick my *ss if I do, and I won't accept that, but the US has little dominance over Europe, so Autism Speaks and the DSM probably won't reach the borders until much later.

This is why I differ from most aspies.

In regards to "mild" AS, this sums it up well enough:

I think it's good it's all one condition now, but the criteria seem a bit stringent. Do you have to have all the symptoms even as an adult? I imagine a lot of autistic people exhibit 1a, b and c when young but over time learn to improve at social interaction to the point where they're at least not 'significant' deficits. That's the case for me. And as an adult I don't meet two of part 2 either, I used to have c but not anymore, I doubt I ever had b, I do have a though.

It's a lifelong disorder, and if anything, it gets harder as you age rather than the opposite. Social expectations just increase exponentially as you develop, and any improvement you do gain, is still overtaken by the societal expectations.

I'm bang on with the whole lot, and I've been called high functioning (not the traditional IQ term) by my psychiatrist and the people at Attwood's (28 over here).