Autistic Sexuality (article)

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http://www.linds.net/sexuality.html

In, particular this section:

And this:


Discuss.

Troubling. This man has listed at least three studies that show that AS may not always be on the autistic spectrum. Very troubling.

Not only that, but he negates the success of my AS relationship with my AS BF and myself with AS.

40 years of work in autism??? This person should not have been allowed to practice at all, in my opinion. Of course, I'm not the "powers that be" that determine level of professionalism.

Luckily, I don't think this guy has the power of Tony Attwood, whose research is quite different.

To change the definition of AS in the DSM is a mistake. I hope this is not the case. A lot of us would then be left out.

http://linds.net/

Take a look at it. These are the opinions of someone who is not a professional and who has no professional credentials, although he produced a scholarly article based on his presentations at conferences.

I think there's a LOT of self-diagnosis out there. Being an "aspie" seems to be the in thing for rebellious kids to be, so we've got zillions of emo kids who think that since they choose to be alone (or feel alone) that they have AS. Well, no. It seems to me that if one fits EVERY diagnostic criteria that is accepted, then one should be called HFA. I happen to do so. Doctors are using "aspergers syndrome" as a code word for HFA. I think that a LOT of these parents who insist their kid has autism, then miraculously gets better via diet or chelation, that the kids never really had autism at all, or were just slightly delayed, or are epileptic. Autistic symptoms can be lessened via therapy, and drugs can help comorbids, but autism NEVER goes away or lessens. Maybe some people learn how to operate in the world better, but they're still obviously autistic.

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Email him if you disagree with his article. I did.

I agree with you there. At the moment it seems to be the "cool" thing to be, it's becoming the next emo, and next there'll be so called "aspies" here there and everywhere so they can give themselves an "edgy/mysterious" look, but that's not what it's about, any actual aspie would know that. Eventually no one will believe the real aspies, actually it's like that now, it's the reason we get the piss taken out of by the trolls and similar websites, they aren't even making fun of AS itself just the trend followers that say that have it to look cool on deviant art.

Regarding the 2nd quote, about is AS is on the spectrum or not. I think who's on the spectrum depends on how you define the spectrum. He seems to take a narrow view. Me, I'm more inclined to think those who have some autistic traits, who aren't NT, can be seen as on the spectrum even if they don't have enough traits, or don't have enough impairment, to be diagnosed with a disorder.

Yes, that's a difficult one because at this point, Aspergers is only assumed to be on the autistic spectrum, it isn't proven. In terms of MRI scans, there is precious little consistency in the scans of those with AS. Whereas with the autistic cases, there are much more consistent features, that *do* vary according to the persons position on the spectrum. Brain scan featires that have been noted as *possibly* indicative of AS, are then not present in many with AS, yet are detected in NT's - it is very inconclusive.

So in terms of scientific rigor, I think the writer (are we sure it's a 'he') is absolutely correct to point out the questionable nature of AS's position in "the spectrum".

On the article itself, I have AS and could relate to virtually *nothing* they wrote about sexuality either I have never had any problems with boundaries, inappropriate behaviour, touch issues etc. They seem to have missed that many AS males (and maybe females too) do try and initiate relationships but get repeatedly rejected, mainly due to poor social skills, causing a downward spiral of confidence loss ...and more rejection. And that is their essential problem, nothing to do with unawareness of cultural conventions of sexuality. In fact, some us are so *painfully* aware of those conventions, that is a problem in itself.

I'm wondering if the article applies to 'Kanners' autism and not to Aspergers? It obviously applies to some, but I personally feel no connection with the issues it describes.

PS I probably have only 1 of the infamous triad - social difficulties. Maybe there really *is* a huge misdiagnosis problem? It is all so speculative at the moment.

Last edited by ManErg on 24 Jun 2009, 12:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I guess it also depends on how you define "spectrum."

In the case of Autism Spectrum Disorder, "spectrum" is meant to modify disorder, and not disorder modifying autism spectrum. Or like this:
Autism SpectrumDisorder

and not

AutismSpectrum Disorder

By this definition, the spectrum means one of the spectrum disorders or ASD. Therefore if you aren't diagnosed with an ASD, you aren't on "the spectrum."

Here on WP (and elsewhere) the term "spectrum" has been broadened significantly to imply "varying degrees of traits associated with autism," almost contiuum style (except that it's not really a continuum).

So I think there is a lot of confusion about the use of the word "spectrum." Then again, it doesn't appear that the article is using spectrum as the ASD definition.

Eww.

The article reads as a series of weird assumptions, not a cogent or evidence-based analysis.

Can you provide some specific references for these statements, please?

Several articles:
http://www.modern-psychiatry.com/asperger%27s.htm

Some way down: MRI Studies Lack Replicability Stanford Study Suggests Asperger's Not Part of Autism Spectrum

And:

MRI Study Finds Only Small Increase in Mild Abnormalities; Not Consistantly: MRIs of 28 Asperger children and adults were compared to 23 controls. Mild inconsistent alterations were detected in 13/28 of the individuals with Asperger Syndrome compared to 6/23 controls.

Maybe 15 of the Aspies were misdiagnosed and 6 of the NT's were undiagnosed?

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/di ... id=5446284

Conclusions: HFA involved mainly left hemisphere white-matter systems; ASP affected predominantly right hemisphere white-matter systems.....This implies that aetiological factors and management options for autism spectrum disorders may be distinct.

Thank you . I'll have a read of them later.

I've found enough gaping holes in his documents after only a few minutes reading to feel that I'm in solid disagreement.

He's not claiming to be a doctor and he's made it clear that his thoughts are his own.

For that reason, I'm not going to annoy him by voicing disagreement on the site or via email. He's entitled to his beliefs (and after 11 years of study, he's probably quite right in at least some of them).

His essays are, I believe, intended to challenge the norm.

I can't say anything about the involvement of "emos" but I will say that I think AS is becoming a trend. I think that some people need to do some serious research or get a second opinion before they start calling themselves autistic. Sometimes I get worried that I am misdiagnosed, because I am mild. However, my therapist (who diagnosed me) says that despite the fact that my traits are mild, because I have had them since my youth it suggests that they are caused by a neurological reason rather than an emotional problem or something. And I fit all the diagnostic categories, to some degree at least.

I'm not so sure that your interpretation is entirely correct. I agree that "Spectrum" is a modifier with respect to "Disorder." However, you do not need to be diagnosed with an ASD to be on the Spectrum. To the contrary, I believe a Spectrum Disorder implies that some on the Spectrum do not have a clinically significant level of impairment, though they still display some characteristics of the Disorder. Stated alternatively, they are not "diagnosed" officially with an AS condition (the symptoms are not clinically significant) but they are on the Spectrum nonetheless.

Here's my reference in support of this view.

The article defines a Spectrum Disorder as "not a unitary disorder but rather a syndrome composed of subgroups [... ranging from] severe [to] mild and nonclinical deficits." Maser JD, Akiskal HS (December 2002). "Spectrum concepts in major mental disorders". Psychiatr. Clin. North Am. 25 (4)

I should add that I see no reason to defer to such an obviously flawed criterion as that in the DSM. While those who are less mathematically inclined benefit from the simplicity imposed by a discrete Spectrum with a few "official" diagnoses, in reality it seems highly improbable that the symptoms actually manifest themselves in such a discrete pattern. It seems much more likely that the distribution of symptoms is continuous.

Assuming I'm right, why would we want to limit our way of thinking here to such a crude standard of measurement.

Further, given that science advances much faster than official diagnoses, using the DSM also requires us to couch the discussion in terms of antiquated and incomplete theories of autism.

Imagine if we had this discussion a few decades ago... would we knowingly limit our discussion to severe forms of autism, blame our refrigerator moms, and ignore reality?