You Say Asperger’s, I Say Autism–Let’s Not Categeorized The Whole Group As One
Written by SAPL on July 15th, 2019 in Science and Technology.
There are a lot of names to call autism these days, especially in the United States. With the changes to the diagnostics manuals used in the U.S. in 2013, some may be tempted to say that Asperger’s no longer exists.
This omission may not only be unpopular among those who prefer the title, it may also be detrimental.
An article in U.S. News and World Report discusses such a debate while it gives a summary of why autism is called autism, Asperger’s is called Asperger’s and why the two have been combined.
Traditionally, autism has been thought of as a more severe form of the developmental disorder, with more pronounced difficulties in speech, communication and learning. Asperger’s, on the other hand, was reserved for those with social awkwardness that hindered them from forming social connections. Aspergers also may have had difficulties in some learning categories, but were thought to be more functional.
Shades of gray? Or blue.
Luc Lecavalier, professor in the departments of psychology and psychiatry at The Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center said:
“You could have dark blue or lighter blue, but it’s still blue. It’s just different. But you get to the point where blue is not red,” meaning that anything noted as red would be a completely different condition that would be categorized differently. “But within that category (of autism, or shades of blue) there’s different variations, and that’s why we use the term spectrum.”
The upside of putting everyone in the spectrum is that those who weren’t previously able to receive treatment due to insurance issues under the Asperger category can now possibly do so. The downside is–well–not everyone is the same shade of blue. Ask any fashionista and she’ll tell you–some blues are better with some outfits than others.
As noted researcher and famed autism expert Temple Grandin said:
“I think the DSM made a big mistake removing Asperger’s syndrome,” because “I’m seeing too many verbal kids less severe than me getting put in classes with nonverbal kids. I’m seeing too many smart kids not learning job skills.”
You say to-May-to, they say to-Mah-to. Should we petition to bring the old term back?
