How important is formal diagnosis?

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Are you saying that if the DSM changes that for instance those of us diagnosed as Aspergers would have to start saying with have Autistic disorder instead? I'm going to ask my psych if she knows about this.

Sometimes it's a b***h to have something that nobody wants you to have as it doesn't 'fit-in' so to speak with the accepted wisdom of the age.

I suppose you could call your condition what you like. But what I mean is it is all undecided and currently under consideration. What I described is merely one possible outcome and by no means the only possible outcome.

It's not unlikely that there will be a change though. AS was added provisionally as a research diagnosis...kind of to see what would happen (as a result of information from research and clinical practice indicating that there was a likely group of persons impaired by the 'autistic triad of impairments' as described by the current AS dx, but not receiving Kanner autistic diagnoses as the diagnosis was then being used in practice).

Somebody told me the proposal paper outlines have already been published online. If so does anybody have the URL.

Somebody told me the proposal paper outlines have already been published online. If so does anybody have the URL.

You're thinking of this thread probably.

Or if you want to make suggestions, this one

But this really explains what might change and why

The second link and sublinks were excellent. People really should be paying attention to this stuff as it may impact the lives of many, especially most people older than around 25 who may need rediagnosis in order to keep benefits if they have any under the new guidelines.

Oh, thanks! I think I needed to hear that. Ok, I´m feeling less worried now.

I read a bit of this too.

But what concerns me is this new idea that they think autism can "go into remission". What do they mean? They think autistic people can suddenly become NT? I don´t like that...

What about the person that shows hardly any signs of AS in some situations, but shows marked AS in other situations? What doctor who diagnoses a person sees them in every instance, throughout their lives??? I, in fact, wrote an earlier post in this thread about how I feel quite comfortable in my job. However, if I were forced to change professions for some reason and get a new job (God forbid), things would not be so rosy. There are certain jobs that I would never apply for, because I feel too scared, or unprepared for them. It may look to the outside eye that people "get better"; but they only look "better" when they are in situations that they´ve experienced before, or are predictable. But put someone in a new situation?

No, I don´t think autism goes away. And I´m tired of hearing about this. Why don´t they just accept that some people happen to be autistic?

Autistic people who manage to make it pass say 30 years or so and managed to live a somewhat 'regular' life are an embarassment for society and the larger body of professionals who would much rather write us off as 'useless bagage'.
The now popular reasoning that we can have real lives is because we've 'outgrown' the condition.
Most of these professionals need to get a life.

Absolutely

i haven't read a good portion of this post but anyway since its succint...
it seems that the very act of diagnosing aspergers is paradoxically something rather aspergian to do

feel free to debate

I have to disagree - having for fifty years assumed that the rest of the race worked very much as I did.

It's the carers and mentors of aspies who wonder why we don't get it enough to push for diagnosis.

The lack of diagnosis, and more importantly treatment, leads to lifetimes of at best sub-standard happiness and productivity both for aspies and for those who live with them.

well that's not to say anything about further remedy, just about the distinction of the "problem", or the knot in question.
it seems perhaps the way of addressing the concerns from a canon of a diagnosis may in some cases hinder a finer understanding. If people are delving through the issue with broad, blanket terms, then they may not be noticing various aspects that are simply natural to any cognition, and perhaps even intrinsic to certain cognition of finer proclivities that anyone whosoever would wish to have.
i suppose i'm one to draw the line about whoever anyone is based upon that which they knowingly endeavor to understand, so labels, while somewhat informative, can ultimately pigeonhole.

When I was saying why I wanted a diagnosis I said that I had a mountain of data but no 'official' dx .... I was in a grey area and I HATE grey areas.

One person commented that was a very aspie thing to say.