There are two major problems with the current DSM categorisation of Pervasive Developmental, or Autism Spectrum, Disorders. One is the lack of any relevant distinction between Aspergers Disorder and those with higher functioning PDD-NOS and autistic disorders.
The other DSM problem which generates much unnecessary conflict is the inclusion of these various disorders on a "spectrum".
This inclusion of substantially different disorders, with wildly different challenges, in one "spectrum" of disorders implies that the very serious challenges of persons with Autistic Disorder who lack a fundamental understanding of the world, who have very limited abstract thought and who have very little in the way of communication skills are somehow fundamentally similar to persons with good to excellent facilities in all these crucial areas of life.
The intellectual, understanding and communication deficits of the severely autistic should be recognized in a category separate from the high functioning persons who live in the media spotlight and purport to speak on their behalf, even while they deny their existence, and complain that honest description of their realities by loved ones constitutes stereotyping and "pity partying".
Research is resulting in more and more people describing autism in the plural as autism disorders with different causes and different possible treatments. The life realities for those with severe Autistic Disorder are much different than those of Ari Ne'eman, Dora Raymaker, Alex Plank, Michelle Dawson, Amanda Baggs, Jim Sinclair and other high functioning "autistics" and "Aspergians". The real life challenges of these two groups are very, very different and the DSM should reflect those differences.
As an added bonus if the DSM V modified its autism spectrum as suggested, ASAN and other HFA and Aspergers groups would not have to feel embarrassed by lower functioning, more severely affected persons with Autistic Disorder. My son Conor, who I love dearly, is one of those lower functioning, severely autistic persons that the Neurodiversity crowed is embarrassed by. I speak honestly about his challenges. I do so as the father that has loved and cared for him for 13 years and will do so as along as I am alive. I do not see his autism realities, his real life challenges and prospects reflected in the ideology and rhetoric of the "autism is a culture, a natural variation" crowd at ASAN.
It is time for the DSM to get realistic about the Autism "Spectrum".
It is time to merge High Functioning autism disorders with Aspergers Disorder and separate them from Autistic Disorder.
It is time for the DSM to recognize the importance of levels of ability to function in and understand the world and to reflect those levels in their classification of development disorders.
I say this on behalf of my son with Autistic Disorder and profound developmental delays. I say this as the person with the legal and moral right to speak on his behalf since he cannot.
The other DSM problem which generates much unnecessary conflict is the inclusion of these various disorders on a "spectrum".
This inclusion of substantially different disorders, with wildly different challenges, in one "spectrum" of disorders implies that the very serious challenges of persons with Autistic Disorder who lack a fundamental understanding of the world, who have very limited abstract thought and who have very little in the way of communication skills are somehow fundamentally similar to persons with good to excellent facilities in all these crucial areas of life.
The intellectual, understanding and communication deficits of the severely autistic should be recognized in a category separate from the high functioning persons who live in the media spotlight and purport to speak on their behalf, even while they deny their existence, and complain that honest description of their realities by loved ones constitutes stereotyping and "pity partying".
Research is resulting in more and more people describing autism in the plural as autism disorders with different causes and different possible treatments. The life realities for those with severe Autistic Disorder are much different than those of Ari Ne'eman, Dora Raymaker, Alex Plank, Michelle Dawson, Amanda Baggs, Jim Sinclair and other high functioning "autistics" and "Aspergians". The real life challenges of these two groups are very, very different and the DSM should reflect those differences.
As an added bonus if the DSM V modified its autism spectrum as suggested, ASAN and other HFA and Aspergers groups would not have to feel embarrassed by lower functioning, more severely affected persons with Autistic Disorder. My son Conor, who I love dearly, is one of those lower functioning, severely autistic persons that the Neurodiversity crowed is embarrassed by. I speak honestly about his challenges. I do so as the father that has loved and cared for him for 13 years and will do so as along as I am alive. I do not see his autism realities, his real life challenges and prospects reflected in the ideology and rhetoric of the "autism is a culture, a natural variation" crowd at ASAN.
It is time for the DSM to get realistic about the Autism "Spectrum".
It is time to merge High Functioning autism disorders with Aspergers Disorder and separate them from Autistic Disorder.
It is time for the DSM to recognize the importance of levels of ability to function in and understand the world and to reflect those levels in their classification of development disorders.
I say this on behalf of my son with Autistic Disorder and profound developmental delays. I say this as the person with the legal and moral right to speak on his behalf since he cannot.
autism
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