Thoughts on this thread about Asperger's??..

[nayma]

Hi.  My sister sent me this link, and then asked what I thought.  I love my sister, but was a bit offended when she sent this, as I really do believe it was a passive-aggressive attempt to communicate some kind of doubt on her part - doubt of the authenticity of the AS diagnostic label, etc.  I want to respond, but I feel myself get angry when I try.  What are people's thoughts about this article ? - especially adults here who have been diagnosed with Asperger's.  Thanks!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/opinion/aspergers-history-of-over-diagnosis.html?_r=1&src=un&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fjson8.nytimes.com%2Fpages%2Fopinion%2Findex.jsonp

[HarperRose]

Writer is an idiot. 

Autism Spectrum Disorders run the gamut from high functioning (Asperger's) to lower functioning (non-verbal, never live independently, like my 34 yr old cousin). This guy seems to want to assume that AS is the dx of the moment, much like ADHD was in the 90s, and that just isn't the case. Not everyone with social issues is AS. And you can TELL. 

I came across this list on WrongPlanet.net today:

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt158940.html

This part of his article: The downside to this diagnosis lies in evidence that children with social disabilities, diagnosed now with an autism-spectrum disorder like Asperger, have lower self-esteem and poorer social development when inappropriately placed in school environments with truly autistic children.

.... completely irritates me because he's wrong. My aspie son and I both were NEVER placed in special ed classes. My low self esteem is a direct result of the domestic violence upbringing I had. Not my autism. He seems to think that Aspergers isn't a true disability or a true condition. He's an idiot.

[FarmerBeth]

I can't speak for everyone, but my son's self esteem was worse undiagnosed than diagnosed.  He felt stupid that he just couldn't get the stuff everyone else was getting, especially things like managing conversations, switching gears and not being able to get his mind off certain topics and actions.  He knew without a diagnoses that the other kids seemed OK when the teacher changed the book she was planning to read or the favorite oatmeal flavor ran out or they left one minute later than usual.  He knew other people seemed to have friends.  A diagnoses actually gave him something to work with, and an idea of having corresponding strengths with his weaknesses.

As someone who grew up with a social disability that I guess falls under "other" (NVLD) I don't think that social skills classes with people on the spectrum in the group would cause any difficulty and while I just looked at that new DSM V proposal and I'd have to say that I'd probably barely fall short on the obsessive component (I do have OCD but it's not quite the same type of obsessive, as in that I don't enjoy it like my son), if I had been misdiagnosed it would probably have done less harm than the lack of treatment I grew up with.  I guess there's the odd person misdiagnosed (take a look at the similarities between some of these disorders) but most are probably accurately diagnosed and it's not like you catch autism, from being in the same social skills group (I kind of felt like the article said that). 

Also, I think the author was a ninny for focusing so much on verbal difficulties.  I think it's way easier to get a false diagnoses focusing on difficulty with verbal communication rather than social impairment as everything from hearing impairment, to auditory processing to trouble getting your mouth around words affects whether you speak late.  My late speaking youngest son (no sentences till three, made up words, started primary with 2.5yo level speech) would seem more at risk by that criteria but my early talking oldest really firmly falls in the spectrum socially and in terms of obsessiveness.  Now that my youngest child's words have caught up, he can function socially and academically and in sports with so much more ease than my ASD son.

[LynnS6]

Well, the writer states "Currently, with the loosening of the diagnosis of Asperger, children and adults who are shy and timid, who have quirky interests like train schedules and baseball statistics, and who have trouble relating to their peers — but who have no language-acquisition problems — are placed on the autism spectrum."

For our son, this is patently untrue. Our son never had language issues. He was shy, slow to warm up, never a risk taker, somewhat anxious and has always had quirky interests (garbage trucks, fire stations, bus schedules, baseball, now basketball). When we had him assessed at age 7 for anxiety and Asperger's he clearly came out NOT on the autism spectrum.

And what the heck is a "pure social disability"?

[FarmerBeth]

Originally Posted by LynnS6 

Well, the writer states "Currently, with the loosening of the diagnosis of Asperger, children and adults who are shy and timid, who have quirky interests like train schedules and baseball statistics, and who have trouble relating to their peers — but who have no language-acquisition problems — are placed on the autism spectrum."

For our son, this is patently untrue. Our son never had language issues. He was shy, slow to warm up, never a risk taker, somewhat anxious and has always had quirky interests (garbage trucks, fire stations, bus schedules, baseball, now basketball). When we had him assessed at age 7 for anxiety and Asperger's he clearly came out NOT on the autism spectrum.

And what the heck is a "pure social disability"?

My bolding.  That's exactly what's silly about what he wrote.  Anyone who has sat through an ADOS would know that what professionals look for to diagnose someone on the autistic spectrum is a lot more than being quirky or shy.  There has to be pretty clear indicators to inability (not just trouble) to form relationships at an age appropriate level, lack of reciprocal conversation and showing of interest and really obsessive and exclusive interests that interfere with every day life.   That's not just quirky.  I've never met a just quirky kid with an ASD diagnoses.

And I can't think of any pure social disabilities either.  The closest I can think of is social anxiety, but that's also involving anxiety.

[HarperRose]

I think there is definitely the chance of people being misdiagnosed, but I don't think that's as common as people want to believe.

And just because, to an outsider, someone looks just "quirky" doesn't mean that they aren't freaking out inside or at home. I have managed to hide a lot of my aspie behaviors in public, but when I'm at home, I can relax and cope however I need to.