DSM Messed Up Asperger's







I feel absolutely stunned by the latest news about Asperger's Syndrome. Someone out there has created a stereotype which is very difficult to return back from. 

The DSM manual is the source of all knowledge about mental disorders. Toni Collette's character regularly refers to it in the movie Mental. But more importantly, it's what every psychologist uses. The latest addition of this book has made a dramatic change towards labelling people as something they are not.

CBS News reported the latest DSM will group Asperger's Syndrome as one of the Autism Spectrum disorders. Asperger's will no longer be a disorder of its own. This is completely outrageous because Aspies are not necessarily Autistic. Pure "low-functioning" Autism can involve not speaking at all. It can be illustrated by, but not limited to, the Rain Man. Autistic people can be friendly and happy just like anyone else. But there is one thing they are not: they're not exactly the same as people with Asperger's. AS is the high functioning version. It could be so subtle that people will never notice someone has it. The two are on totally different ends of a spectrum. It would be like calling shoulder-length hair long. Yes it might relatively be labelled that way, but it's actually an un-useful stereotype.

There are great benefits to being diagnosed with Asperger's, especially at a young age. So many kids struggle to fit in at school. AS becomes a crucial explanation to help those kids better understand how their perspectives differ from the perspectives of other kids. It's also a way for people of all ages to identify their weaknesses in regards to team work, and then to improve those weaknesses. AS is not a limitation, it is a description. It is often easy to pick when someone is Autistic, but not when they're Aspie.

If you called me Autistic, that would sound crazy. The Autism Awareness site lists a few differences for Asperger's. It says there should be no "clinically significant" delay in language skills or other age appropriate skills. The lists of signs sound very similar. But the agreed difference was that one looked 'high functioning' and 'high intelligence.' The other was more 'low functioning.'

Who knows where we will go from here, and how the changed DSM will change the perception we have of the two labels. Suppose the writers simply wanted to narrow the range of people who are qualified for extra assistance (separate exam room at school or whatever else). Maybe there were economic motives behind it. But there is no way this could improve society's perceptions.

Comments

Post a Comment

You are very welcome to post any friendly comments after blog posts. Both sides of all discussions are welcome. Keep it nice and constructive and join the conversation.

Popular posts from this blog

Subscribing to this blog by email

Image
Tweet This blog, What Mel Wants, has a very easy way for you to subscribe to posts by email. This box below simply requires the email address you want the posts to be sent to. It does not require any "sign up" at all. What Mel Wants will continue to be the most convenient possible format for readers. Here are some images of my demonstration on how to subscribe: Then a verification will appear. This is just to make sure you're not a computerised hacking program. It's very normal these days. The font is odd enough that a computer couldn't understand what the letters and numbers are. Just type the text into the bar. Easy! Then there are some easy instructions to follow. You just go to your email inbox and click on the link it gives you. The reason is simply so we know the email address is correct and we don't accidentally message someone else at the wrong address. After these steps, you're now successfully subscribed to the blog What M
Read more

Craving Community in a Digital World

Craving Community as a Millenial A real sense of community is needed more than ever. The digital world can coexist with face-to-face interactive community experiences. Local group events are needed for true connection with fellow human beings. Digital tech and social media can facilitate in-person communities. Digital and in-person experiences do not have to be an either-or. Social media is not in itself a bad thing. The way we use this technology can be helpful or harmful. The popularity of social media is clearly evident. It can either be seen as a threat or an opportunity. Facebook had " 1.18 billion daily active users on average for September 2016". Twitter claims to have 313 million monthly active users. Instagram recorded 600 million active users in December 2016, with an increase of 100 million in the 6 months prior. Social media is growing. It should be augmented with existing life, not contained as a world of its own. Digital environments and local
Read more

More at the Gold Coast than Theme Parks

Image
There is More to Explore at the Gold Coast than Theme Parks My husband and I booked our honeymoon months in advance. We wanted a nice long stay at the Gold Coast. I wanted more than rides at theme parks. After research and then experience, I can now share some attractions everyone should enjoy. I was never enthusiastic about theme parks, because extreme rides have always frightened me. I typically got through other theme park visits with one favoured activity - minding the bags. As friends whirled around on rides, I enjoyed opportunities to calmly sip a coffee and look at social media on my phone. Perhaps there are other ways to slow down and still have fun. So we chose to experience Queensland beyond what was already known. This was the goal. The result has been exciting experiences at amazing attractions. Here are some key attractions we have experienced so far. Skypoint Observation Deck We took an elevator all the way to the 77th floor. 60 degree windows provided clear
Read more