MathGirl
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 Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:59 pm Post subject: Now that Asperger's is out of the DSM... |
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...are we still going to refer to ourselves as having Asperger's?
I don't think I could ever abandon that name, or even think in different terms. I'm not against referring to ourselves as autistic, I just feel like referring to people with Asperger's as "autistic" is not the first thing that is going to come to mind.
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Orwell
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:16 am Post subject: |
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| DSM-V Rationale wrote: | | There may be some individuals with subclinical features of Asperger/ASD who seek out a diagnosis of ‘Asperger Disorder’ in order to understand themselves better (perhaps following an autism diagnosis in a relative), rather than because of clinical-level impairment in everyday life. While such a use of the term may be close to Hans Asperger’s reference to a personality type, it is outside the scope of DSM, which explicitly concerns clinically-significant and impairing disorders. ‘Asperger-type’, like ‘Kanner-type’, may continue to be a useful shorthand for clinicians describing a constellation of features, or area of the multi-dimensional space defined by social/communication impairments, repetitive/restricted behaviour and interests, and IQ and language abilities. |
So, Asperger's will still exist as a label, but not a strict clinical disorder. The italics on the word "disorder" were in the original, so they are acknowledging that the autistic spectrum definitely extends beyond where it can be reasonably called a disorder. The people they are referring to with "subclinical features" are those of us who somehow heard or read about Asperger's and sought out a diagnosis as an explanation for the traits we saw in ourselves, as opposed to those who were, as children, sent off for psychological evaluation and returned with labels. It seems the DSM working group wants to de-emphasize the end of the autistic spectrum that is "high-functioning" enough to not need significant assistance.
In short, some of us are autistic, and some of us will have a non-diagnostic name for why we're a bit quirky. There will not necessarily be an extremely sharp demarcation between those two groups.
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Callista
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:17 am Post subject: |
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I think we'll get used to it. When I was first diagnosed, I thought they were two different things; but within a couple of years I had figured out I was on the autism spectrum, and not too long after that, I'd discovered just how close Asperger's and autism are. I've been referring to myself as "autistic" for a while.
It really wasn't a difficult transition to make. All I had to do was learn about what autism actually was, analyze and reject most of the stereotypes, modify the rest, and figure out that what was left looked an awful lot like me.
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BrooxBroox
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:26 am Post subject: |
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I'm not sure, so I'm going to ask this:
The DSM-V isn't due out until at least 2013, correct? And what they've let us see of it is what has been proposed. Does that mean it's actually, as of now, set in stone that Asperger's will be removed and put in "Autistic Spectrum Disorder" for certain?
Thanks. |
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Blindspot149
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Location: Aspergers Quadrant, INTJ, AQ 45/50
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:30 am Post subject: Re: Now that Asperger's is out of the DSM... |
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| MathGirl wrote: | ...are we still going to refer to ourselves as having Asperger's?
I don't think I could ever abandon that name, or even think in different terms. I'm not against referring to ourselves as autistic, I just feel like referring to people with Asperger's as "autistic" is not the first thing that is going to come to mind. |
When I mention that with 'I'm Autistic' (which is what I AM) I usually qualify it by explaining that I have AS.
In fact the last time I did mention my Autism to someone WITHOUT qualifying, the shocked reaction required an immediate qualification from me.
As it happens he was one of the FEW NTs (and I do mean full on NT) that I have spoken with who has not only heard of Asperger's but actually KNOWS something about it.
I think when speaking to NTz who are quite/very intelligent/gifted some explanation/qualification of 'I'm Autistic' is sometimes helpful................
NOT because they are any BETTER than anyone else on the Spectrum but precisely because of the stereotypes that are pervasive in the NT world.
The stereotype that ALL people on the Spectrum are 'Classical Autistic', is infact oxymoron to the term 'Spectrum'.
But then how many NTz are aware of the term Spectrum?
The first time I heard the term 'Spectrum' was just last year, watching an (repeat) Oprah show, featuring Jim Carey's girlfriend (who has an Autistic child from a previous relationship)
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Last edited by Blindspot149 on Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:38 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Orwell
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:32 am Post subject: |
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| BrooxBroox wrote: | I'm not sure, so I'm going to ask this:
The DSM-V isn't due out until at least 2013, correct? And what they've let us see of it is what has been proposed. Does that mean it's actually, as of now, set in stone that Asperger's will be removed and put in "Autistic Spectrum Disorder" for certain?
Thanks. |
Late 2012/early 2013. No, it is not set in stone, but I would be very surprised if they went back and decided to make Asperger's distinct again. They have been talking for years about rolling up Asperger's into autism, all the research supports doing so, and there is enough momentum now that they have more or less committed to that direction.
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MathGirl
admitted workaholic
Joined: Apr 12, 2009
Age: 22
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Location: Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:38 am Post subject: |
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| Orwell wrote: | | DSM-V Rationale wrote: | | There may be some individuals with subclinical features of Asperger/ASD who seek out a diagnosis of ‘Asperger Disorder’ in order to understand themselves better (perhaps following an autism diagnosis in a relative), rather than because of clinical-level impairment in everyday life. While such a use of the term may be close to Hans Asperger’s reference to a personality type, it is outside the scope of DSM, which explicitly concerns clinically-significant and impairing disorders. ‘Asperger-type’, like ‘Kanner-type’, may continue to be a useful shorthand for clinicians describing a constellation of features, or area of the multi-dimensional space defined by social/communication impairments, repetitive/restricted behaviour and interests, and IQ and language abilities. |
So, Asperger's will still exist as a label, but not a strict clinical disorder. The italics on the word "disorder" were in the original, so they are acknowledging that the autistic spectrum definitely extends beyond where it can be reasonably called a disorder. The people they are referring to with "subclinical features" are those of us who somehow heard or read about Asperger's and sought out a diagnosis as an explanation for the traits we saw in ourselves, as opposed to those who were, as children, sent off for psychological evaluation and returned with labels. It seems the DSM working group wants to de-emphasize the end of the autistic spectrum that is "high-functioning" enough to not need significant assistance.
In short, some of us are autistic, and some of us will have a non-diagnostic name for why we're a bit quirky. There will not necessarily be an extremely sharp demarcation between those two groups. |
Thanks for the info. I haven't read this part of the rationale... there is another thread with the link to the draft, but somehow this part of the rationale isn't in there. This is a very wise revision, in my opinion, because for 3 people I know in real life who have been diagnosed with Asperger's as adults/children, it is not really showing as an impairment in their everyday lives, and is more like a character trait of theirs. I always kept thinking how they got themselves diagnosed. Therefore, there are those who would meet the new criteria as children but do not fit the new criteria as adults anymore. I think this new criteria draws the line very well.
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We are all like specks of dust, floating around amidst the universe and trying to make something of ourselves in this transcendent, independent continuum of space and time...
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pensieve
President of Gallifrey
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:48 am Post subject: |
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The one time I said I was autistic to someone they believed me (and pitied me) because I was under a lot of stress at the time. I wanted to get away from a growing group of chatty NT's and all I could do was put my head on my friends shoulder.
I'm trying to use the word autistic more despite my mum and the Denis Leary's of the world (people that only believe severe autism is autism). Severe autism even says there is a spectrum, otherwise you could drop the severe out of it, now couldn't you?
Me being on the moderate end of AS has no problem at all with the merge. I think after the DSM V is released a few years will go by when mainstream crowd will change their mindset on what they think autism is. Perhaps the stereotype will change.
It is like Pluto being taken off the Solar System. People always whine about it but it makes sense to me. It is not a gas giant, hell, the moons orbiting it are bigger than it. So yes in a way I relate it to Asperger's being removed from the DSM V.
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Callista
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:53 am Post subject: |
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I get believed about half the time, I think. The other half, people contradict me by saying I'm smart. 
Anyway, with this change, people should begin to gradually understand the true nature of the spectrum. If we're really 1:100, and we gradually stop being ashamed of it as seems to be the trend, then eventually most people will know they know someone with autism, and that means that most people will probably have a realistic picture.
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Danielismyname
Keep making noises... .
Joined: Apr 03, 2007
Posts: 9599
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:00 am Post subject: |
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I don't really care:
I know I have a clinical level of impairment that's caused directly by symptoms of an ASD; they can call it whatever they like*.
*As long as it's not "aspie" or "autie" |
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pandd
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:01 am Post subject: |
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| BrooxBroox wrote: | I'm not sure, so I'm going to ask this:
The DSM-V isn't due out until at least 2013, correct? And what they've let us see of it is what has been proposed. Does that mean it's actually, as of now, set in stone that Asperger's will be removed and put in "Autistic Spectrum Disorder" for certain?
Thanks. |
It is a draft proposal (and so subject to change), but based on the information published about the process to date, it is highly unlikely that Aspergers and kanner will not be merged into a single diagnostic entity in DSM-V. |
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buryuntime
oh comely
Joined: Dec 07, 2008
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:04 am Post subject: |
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| To me it's a cause for celebration. I hate the term personally. The labeling they have no is just awful and does not work. |
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flamingshorts
Deinonychus
Joined: May 09, 2009
Posts: 302
Location: Brisbane Aust
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:09 am Post subject: |
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| I think there is still a problem for those people without clinical levels to get diagnosed autistic but have the "Asperger-type". They will continue to get diagnosed with anxiety or something else on the laundry list and get filled with pills. The reality of what they are and what causes it will not change. Many of them wont get the direction to the understanding they can benefit from. |
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Danielismyname
Keep making noises... .
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:22 am Post subject: |
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It says if you're able to be diagnosed with Asperger's now, you will meet the new criteria.
The old criteria did a poor job of conveying what they meant when it was compared to its expanded text, but nonetheless, the above holds true. |
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League_Girl
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| Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:25 am Post subject: |
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| I can refer to myself as slightly autistic or borderline autistic. I have thought for the past few years to make it all autism. Now they are finally doing it. I didn't know I was on the spectrum until I was 15. My parents never told me AS was a form of autism. |
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