Asperger's Autism

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My psychiatrist, whom I now just see to get my Lexapro and Remeron, told me that he does not distinguish between HFA and Asperger's in adults. At this point, I probably do not agree with him.

I find it quite alright to call it a syndrome. This word seems much more universal to me and easier to translate into various language unlike disorder. Some say "Stoerung" for it in German and I know a lot of those who're diagnosed with Asperger's badly hate this, as it indicates dysfunction just like saying "disorder". And I know many organisation of people who're diagnosed with Asperger's get worked up about these terms. Personally, I don't care for that though and say "disorder" too.

The thing is, all autism spectrum disorders are pervasive development disorders aren't they? Autism is a "PDD". That's where "Asperger's disorder" probably comes from. Must be the same in other languages too. It would be unreasonable to not say Asperger's disorder" if it's still called a pervasive development disorder. And it's not reasonable to change PDD into something else, because autism isn't the only thing that's considered a PDD.

I am trying to get into the habit of referring to the spectrum of autisms and avoiding the word "disorders."

This I agree with (going from my observations of people with Asperger's and HFA).

As is obvious, I don't mind the word "disorder". I don't become emotional over certain words when used in this context.

I have OCD, but my Asperger's/HFA is far more severe than the former, and the former had me housebound for several years due to a severe germ phobia (HFA/Asperger's here depending on who you listen to).

As an academic, I don't respond emotionally either. I am interested in understanding, as objectively as possible, the "many voices" on the subject, including the voices of various persons and groups who might be anathema to certain people on this forum.

Personally, as someone who was diagnosed (back in the early and middle 1960s) with childhood schizophrenia, at a time when virtually all kids on the spectrum of autisms were given that same label, I find almost any other label to be a welcome relief.

On the other hand, I think that labels do sometimes matter, especially to, say, a child or young teenager who is being diagnosed with Asperger's for the first time. They can also be important for influencing how the public, and social policy makers, relate persons on the spectrum.



Ditto, and my OCD is, thanks to the Lexapro and Remeron, almost completely gone.

I just added a section to one of the pages on my Neurelitism site. It focuses on the term "Asperger's autism":

http://narrative.neurelitism.com

Scroll about 1/3 down to the section, "Asperger's Autism in a Spectrum of Autisms."

It's called Aspergers syndrome (het Asperger syndroom) here in Holland. I think there's a big difference between syndrome and disorder. Disorder mostly means there's something wrong with you (as in technical disorder, reading disorder and personality disorder) while a syndrom is used to refer to something that lasts your whole life or is neurological and not psychological.

Here is the first definition of "syndrome" from the Random House Unabridged Dictionary. It is similar to what I have seen elsewhere, including in medical dictionaries:

"Pathology, Psychiatry. a group of symptoms that together are characteristic of a specific disorder, disease, or the like."

"Syndrome" is basically a euphemism for "disorder."

Last edited by nominalist on 08 Dec 2007, 7:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Actually, "syndrome" refers to a "a group of symptoms that together are characteristic of a specific disorder, disease, or the like," while a disorder refers to a "disturbance of normal functioning". So I guess the difference is that syndromes can encompass diseases and disorders.

Edit: I see nominalist beat me to it.

I'd call AS "Asperger's High Functioning Autism (A-HFA)" and call traditional HFA "Classical High Functioning Autism (C-HFA)"

That could work, too, but it is a little long.

I prefer "syndrome" to "disorder" for the same reasons others have given.
My first choice, however, is still "Asperger's neurology".
One's neurology is just the way one's brain operates. It doesn't suggest something has gone wrong and needs fixing. I don't think AS needs fixing. I think if there is sufficient awareness about AS, then NT people and AS people can learn to live together in understanding.

It's not the "NTs" that make it hard to live; it's me, my brain.