Lets redefine aspergers

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No, that is not what my post indicates.

Broader as in adding more hard science.

Hard science may actually make the definition so narrow, that the only fitting act would be to place Asperger's Syndrome under a much broader classification ... like "Autism Spectrum Disorders" ... as has already been done ...

Besides, where are you going to find real scientists in and among the WP membership?

I am doing autism/neuroscience research right now with studies in autistic adult participants at a university towards my goal of acquiring graduate degree in neuroscience and becoming neuroscientist.

My background is in chemistry, and I have been doing neuroscience research for only a few months so far, and still learning about it and the differences between physical and cognitive science, but even though my interest is in cognitive, I am always keeping track of autism-related developments on the physical side in neurobiology and genetics.

That is what I mean by broader definition of autism, broader understanding of autism beyond behavioral traits defined in DSM.

I know that there is another WP member named Sophist who is also doing autism/neuroscience research more on the physical/neurobiology side.

Okay, that's two members. Good.

Can you post or link to an abstract of your research?

I have only been doing this research since March, so results on this project are not yet published.

Here's the other members research, with the thread she started to share the news with this community.
http://link.springer.com/article/10.247 ... 013-0113-6
http://scienceoveracuppa.com/2013/06/09 ... isk-genes/
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp5447824.html

Will you please consider posting a link when it's finished?

(The responses to this were a little disappointing to me...the subject is so important...I suggest to not let your brain function be defined by someones elses definition....that is giving yourself a very short stick...).

First, to frame a problem or situation in a new way allows for insight, or, put another way, insight into a particular way of framing, such as its over generalizations and inconsistencies can lead to a new way of framing that is more allowing of further insight.

Second,I really doubt that you or I have the power to make a new definition that will change the way the world looks at autism...that is kind of big...but we do have the power to understand our own brain functioning and this understanding can change ourselves and so affect the world.

I am so glad you are questioning into this, as I see many people on this forum looking at autism in an extremely limiting way, and am thinking it is because they are autistic, so there is a kind of double bind. To get past a double-bind requires a genuine interest to discover the way out, and also probably a special approach that is given from the outside, so to speak, as generally when we are caught in a double bind we cannot see it, so we need to be given some kind of means or way, plus also there needs to be a deep dedication. The support of others on the same quest would be helpful, too:-)

To Anomiel, I have responded on that other thread, as I was the last person she responded to there, and, at the time, it was too intense for me to follow through...:

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp5447824.html

Great to read that two people at wp are already working on non behavioral definitions of aspergers. So are others. E.g. I think the work of Uta Frith provides a solid basis for new thinking. Within the profession there are others working on new approaches and definitions.

What is our role as self advocates? Raising the topic. Enriching the discussion based on our experience. Staying involved as the topic moves in somewhat different directions from what we expected. An asperger definition is a powerful "meme" that requires people willing to serve its development, while excepting that such ideas are never "owned" by anyone, professional or participant or writer or ...

As others have pointed out, Asperger's Disorder is no longer in the DSM. As a professor, I can access the DSM-5 digitally. If you are a professor, college/university staff, or student, you may be able to do the same (on your college's or university's library site).

"Asperger's Syndrome" is still in the ICD-10. However, it is not included in the ICD-11 Beta (due to be released in 2015) which appears to be moving in a similar direction to the DSM-5:

ICD-11 Definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder

You would think it would make it broader, but in some ways it makes it much narrower. So what are the two different ways?. If you say some people have a different kind of brain this to me makes it narrower. (I do think some people have a different kind of brain, and I surely include myself as one of them, and tend to feel more sympatico with those with brains like my own, but approaching life from such a perspective is different than simply factoring this info into a comprehensive view)..

From Wikopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uta_Frith


So how does this make it broader? I think it can just as well be interpreted as making it narrower..

I realize my point of view is less than typical here, but all of this is just enquiry, so do not take it personally. I feel I have something to share that is very meaningful and which in general will enrich the aspie culture. I will be back soon to explain why I think the view of Firth as quoted from Wikopedia in some ways makes it narrower rather than broader.

Aspergerplus, just so I'm following, you're advocating more "stakeholder" involvement with the definition of AS, correct?