Aspergers not in next DSM, so what happens next?

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Teaching isn't therapy? Tell that to the occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists who work with autistic kids every day. Maybe it's because we're adults that we are often simply given medication and expected to work things out on our own.

What now since Asperger's is being removed as a label in the new DSM? At first I was concerned about it. But now, I'm hardly thinking about it. Let them do whatever they want. I was officially diagnosed with Asperger's several years ago. I'm not paying more money to some psychiatrist to learn what my severity scale is. I think many of us will continue to use the term Asperger's. And if that isn't satisfactory, I will use autistic---which I sometimes do anyway.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAQp2aNm2T4[/youtube]

When I was a child without a diagnosis I worked with a speech therapist.

When I was a teenager without a formal diagnosis (but with it having been noticed by a professional who didn't know enough about ASDs to diagnose me) I both did have anxiety medication (which I completely disagree with) and worked with someone who taught me how to interact with people better.

Now as an an adult, with a diagnosis, I am:
a) seeing a counselor/psychotherapist weekly where I am working on meltdowns, working on learning how to identify emotions, figuring out to discuss things properly, going through processing information that I have difficulty processing on my own, and more
b) seeing an occupational therapist weekly working on my sensory processing problems and hypersensitivities
c) seeing a life coach weekly who is guiding me in independent living skills that I do not have because of my autism, currently focusing on the ability to deal with food from what do I need to get at the store to identifying what I can eat from what's at home, to preparing food, to cooking
d) seeing a vocational rehab caseworker weekly who is working with me on attempting to make me employable in the future.

Not everything is medication.

That sounds really excellent to me. Perfect.

How much do you all spend on money for psychologists and diagnosis?

I didn't spend very much... most of it was paid for by the government because I'm low income. When I was first hospitalized, I had to pay only for the ambulance ride (long story)... Then after that I paid nominal amounts for psychologists, psychiatrists, medication, etc., usually from $5 to $50. Lately I've had problems with Medicaid because I'm trying to get an education and they keep counting my tuition as part of my resources, so I've had to pay up to $200 a month, often out of the tuition money by going to the school clinic (you can go to the school clinic and essentially pay for medical treatment with scholarship money)... I've been clearing up the paperwork, though, and hopefully it'll be paid for again starting this week; so they can reimburse me and I can put the money back in my school account where it belongs. I'll need Medicaid at least through graduate school; after that I'll probably be able to afford my own health care, because I'll have a job. A real job. *sigh* I can't believe I'm thinking of possible employment as a wonderful dream come true, but I am.

Chances are it is most likely going to be labled as HFA. Its pretty much the same and I was dxed with both anyway I am what I am.

It won't change very much. Even with another name, my issues will remain the same.

We have free public healthcare here, so I don't spend anything, although the downside is that more people avail of health services and as such waiting times are longer here than in places where one has to pay, unless one were to go private in which case the cost would be around 600 euro for assessments and consultations.

DSM isnt used here, ICD still lists aspergers syndrome.

http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12 ... guide?lite

Dr. Gail Saltz speaks in this one.
Dr. Saltz has spoke in many of Carly Fleischmann's youtube videos also. She is a well known doctor.

She said Aspergers has always been understood to be on the mildest end of autism. It's diagnosis is disappearing however it will be included
as a mild form of Autism in the Autism Spectrum Disorder.

How do people feel about being in the Spectrum in general? It seems like people have adopted a subculture almost of "Aspies" after a diagnosis. This is first of it's kind thing ever seen or heard of. We don't have bi-polar culture. Yet for some reason the Aspie group seems to have its own set of "rules" and "ways".

They say no 2 Autistics are alike. I'm HFA and i don't identify myself with any of my diagnoses. In years past, people would be embarrassed to identify with a disorder. However now we see trends and fads of people actually wanting to be Aspergers. I don't understand it, is it to fit in?
Is it due to the internet age? Am i an old person who doesn't get it?

I have no problems with people not hiding who they are, i always believe the more open people are the easier it will be for a "group" to make progress. For example, the gay rights movement. If everyone remained in the closet, progress would not have been made.
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