"On the spectrum"

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firemonkey
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08 Jan 2018, 3:33 am

livingwithautism wrote:

firemonkey wrote:

livingwithautism wrote:

kraftiekortie wrote:

The “spectrum” aspect reflects the diversity of autism.

You're right but most people seem to think of it as a sliding scale of severity. I see it this way: you have autism or you don't. The differences are how much and in what ways it affects your life.

Person A meets 50.5% of the criteria-diagnosed. Person B meets 49.5% of the criteria-not diagnosed. Is there really much difference. Both may have areas in which they struggle to function.

Not how much in a quantitative way, a qualitative way. What autistic qualities that affect their life and what extent does the person need support. It's not about a percentage.

Then again we have a problem defining a 'qualitative way' . For example who needs more more support the person who is severely affected in one autistic domain and mildly in others, or the person moderately affected in 2 or more domains?
Take me for example I need a lot of support socially and also a little less but still quite substantially with the practical tasks of day to day living . In other respects my autistic qualities could be seen to be mild though above that of the average NT.

Good chance I'd fail to meet the threshold of number of symptoms required for an official diagnosis , but the reality is I may struggle more than someone who crosses that threshold in terms of number of symptoms required.

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09 Jan 2018, 12:08 pm

I dislike the term on the spectrum too.
I also hate the term aspie. I don't lnow why I dislike aspie. I just do.

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OhkaBaka
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09 Jan 2018, 1:08 pm

EzraS wrote:

I'm not on any spectrum far as I'm concerned, I'm full blown autistic.

There are those among us that are "locked in" so severely that posting to this forum would be impossible. If I were to call someone "full blown autistic," it wouldn't be someone who could so easily describe their struggles. To THEM, you are the one who is getting off easy...

Then there is me... I've learned enough coping mechanisms to slide mostly through life without anyone noticing... I'm (much) more devastated by my ADD than my ASD... until I slip and start talking too loudly to the wrong audience about a special interest... then suddenly everyone thinks "Oh, now I get it." ...but ultimately even that is "forgiven" by society for the most part.

Then there is my son, who isn't debilitated... between meltdowns, which will likely prevent him from ever getting by the way I do... but he's handsome and smart and has his mother and I fully behind him... he'll be fine.

The point is it IS a spectrum... we are all on it...

livingwithautism
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09 Jan 2018, 3:31 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:

I agree with LivingWithAutism that the Spectrum is not linear, and that it is quite complex.

One could be relatively good in some domains, and not as good in others.

And all this could depend on the person's mood that day.

I think you actually said this originally with the diversity thing and I misunderstood you and agreed with you anyway.

livingwithautism
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09 Jan 2018, 3:44 pm

OhkaBaka wrote:

EzraS wrote:

I'm not on any spectrum far as I'm concerned, I'm full blown autistic.

You don't know what you're talking about. I'm so sick of this profound autism vs. mild autism and nothing in between. I have moderate autism and it's readily apparent to anyone who sees me. That doesn't mean I can't post on a forum. I can only describe it because I've lived it for 27 years and I'm still learning about it. Including going on this forum and comparing notes with people like Ezra. You don't even know him. If you did, you'd know a whole different story.

OhkaBaka
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19 Jan 2018, 6:20 pm

livingwithautism wrote:

OhkaBaka wrote:

EzraS wrote:

I'm not on any spectrum far as I'm concerned, I'm full blown autistic.

Quote:

You don't know what you're talking about. I'm so sick of this profound autism vs. mild autism and nothing in between.

That is literally the opposite of what I said. "spectrum" is "everything in between"... that is... what it means.

Quote:

I have moderate autism and it's readily apparent to anyone who sees me. That doesn't mean I can't post on a forum.

No one is saying you can't talk about it here, you are one of us, this is our forum.

Quote:

I can only describe it because I've lived it for 27 years and I'm still learning about it. Including going on this forum and comparing notes with people like Ezra. You don't even know him. If you did, you'd know a whole different story.

Not even sure what the rest of this is about. It sounds like you have a lot of passion about it, and that is great. Maybe a little anger... less great, but still ok... All the same, I apologize, but I don't follow what statement you are trying to make.

naturalplastic
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19 Jan 2018, 8:39 pm

livingwithautism wrote:

OhkaBaka wrote:

EzraS wrote:

I'm not on any spectrum far as I'm concerned, I'm full blown autistic.

Your original post consisted of saying: "autism isn't a spectrum...it's a....spectrum!". And the whole rest of thread you keep repeating the same self-contradictory statement "its not a spectrum...its a spectrum...its not a sliding scale...its a sliding scale", and other variations thereof.

I am sorry. But you simply are not making any sense.

No sane person can figure out what it is that you object to about the phrase "autism spectrum".

SplendidSnail
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19 Jan 2018, 9:17 pm

naturalplastic wrote:

livingwithautism wrote:

You don't know what you're talking about. I'm so sick of this profound autism vs. mild autism and nothing in between.

No sane person can figure out what it is that you object to about the phrase "autism spectrum".

I think I've got it.

Most people who use the term "On the spectrum" to describe themselves tend to be towards the higher functioning end of the spectrum, and they tend to use the term without specifying where on the spectrum they sit.

So, when people use the term "On the spectrum" to refer to the OP, they are, intentionally or unintentionally, implying that she, too, is toward the higher functioning end of the spectrum.

If people, instead of saying they are "On the spectrum", explicitly said, "I have high functioning autism", it would be better.

Have I got it, livingwithautism?

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livingwithautism
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19 Jan 2018, 10:29 pm

SplendidSnail wrote:

naturalplastic wrote:

livingwithautism wrote:

You don't know what you're talking about. I'm so sick of this profound autism vs. mild autism and nothing in between.

No sane person can figure out what it is that you object to about the phrase "autism spectrum".

That's correct.

kraftiekortie
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19 Jan 2018, 10:40 pm

I have heard "on the spectrum" in reference to "lower" functioning autistic people as well.

In a vlog I saw on YouTube, a nonverbal autistic child was said to be "on the Autistic Spectrum."

naturalplastic
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20 Jan 2018, 4:57 am

livingwithautism wrote:

SplendidSnail wrote:

naturalplastic wrote:

livingwithautism wrote:

You don't know what you're talking about. I'm so sick of this profound autism vs. mild autism and nothing in between.

No sane person can figure out what it is that you object to about the phrase "autism spectrum".

That's correct.

Ok. I get it.

But I don't get it.

If its all about the expectations that folks around you put on you... then don't bore folks with trying to explain to them what "the spectrum" is. Just tell them what they need to know about you in simple terms, and in terms that set the bar low for their expectations of you.

When you describe yourself just don't use the phrase "I am on the spectrum". Just say "I'm autistic" and folks will just low ball their expectations of you, and assume that you are a Kanner type hard core Level 3 low functioning autistic of the kind that they all heard about in the media in the 1960's (when autism was first made public, but before it got expanded to being thought of as a spectrum) and will assume that you cant even dress yourself. And then they will all be pleasantly surprised that you can do what you can do (which I assume is more than just dress yourself).

The term "spectrum" is useful. And any alternative term would just be something else that means the same darn thing as "a spectrum". So when autism is talked about in the abstract its pretty much indispensable. But when talking about yourself you don't have to use the term.

livingwithautism
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20 Jan 2018, 11:54 am

kraftiekortie wrote:

I have heard "on the spectrum" in reference to "lower" functioning autistic people as well.

In a vlog I saw on YouTube, a nonverbal autistic child was said to be "on the Autistic Spectrum."

That's true. I guess I just don't like how abstract that term is and how people will take it to mean anything they think it to be.

livingwithautism
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20 Jan 2018, 11:55 am

I also think it's because I see the "spectrum" more as finite divisions rather than one big grouping of the same exact thing.

SplendidSnail
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20 Jan 2018, 5:15 pm

livingwithautism wrote:

I also think it's because I see the "spectrum" more as finite divisions rather than one big grouping of the same exact thing.

So you prefer the DSM-4 / ICD-10 definition then, where Asperger's is a separate diagnosis from Autism?

If so, my psychologist agrees with you. He told me that he was opposed to the DSM-5 combining then.

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kraftiekortie
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20 Jan 2018, 7:26 pm

The Spectrum IS “one big grouping of the same (or quite similar) thing.”

Think of Spinal Bifiida:

Some people with Spinal Bifida only have a little discoloration around the tailbone, and are otherwise “normal.”

Some people with Spinal Bifida are in a wheelchair for life, and have intellectual disabilities.

All have Spinal Bifida.

livingwithautism
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20 Jan 2018, 9:03 pm

SplendidSnail wrote:

livingwithautism wrote:

I also think it's because I see the "spectrum" more as finite divisions rather than one big grouping of the same exact thing.

Yes. However I think there are different forms or presentations of autism. But I disagree that they are all the same.

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