Subclinical autism as an overlooked part of the spectrum?

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We occasionally discuss BAP here though not the problems for the people in the category so much. I found this article which addresses the problems, there are not many articles like this, so am posting it for general interest:

http://www.avaruthbaker.com/uploads/5/0 ... ectrum.pdf

Thanks. This is a good article. I read it a while ago.

The BAP label works for people who seem to have mastered the art of surviving in the tough social terrain of typical society through a combination of autistic perseverance and a good portion of luck.

It works until life throws a curve ball, creating a context in which the learned survival skills are no longer adequate.

I read this article too a while back. I wish there was more useful info about the BAP, but there sure is very little about it. I suspect a good chunk of the "missing girls" fall into this range. Having two X chromosomes may push girls who are the counterparts of the boys who have a milder presentation into the BAP range.

I think this might describe me.

I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS as a kid/adolescent.

One of the challenges is that I appear normal enough to pass, but not abnormal enough to get a whole lot of sympathy, support, or help.

Interesting article and discussion. I am almost certainly a 'cousin' at the higher-functioning end of the spectrum. I'm currently going through the diagnosis process in the UK, and have been told that, although close to the clinical threshold for ASD, I am unlikely to cross it.

There is a not-dissimilar category that I've come across on various autism sites, 'the highly sensitive person syndrome'. I'm not sure how clinically valid it is, it seems a relatively new idea - perhaps just another attempt to create a label.

Being 'in the shadows' reminds me of a quote from Thomas Mann's novella, 'Tonio Kröger, in which the eponymous hero, a poet from a wealthy merchant family, says this of himself:

'I stand between two worlds. I am at home in neither, and in consequence I suffer'.

Wow. Good stuff.

I liked especially the idea (if one connects the dots in the right way) that adults who could now be described as having BAP could also have been diagnosed with AS/HFA as children. I infer either that: 1) there are over-diagnoses of children, or 2) adults who could have been diagnosed with AS/HFA as children were able to develop beyond typical childhood diagnostic characteristics. The latter has been anecdotally discussed among us at WP and, I suspect, elsewhere. So, one question should be: Is the successful development of adults who could have been diagnosed as children but not as adults a natural occurrence, or is it autodidactic intention? If it is intention, shouldn't we be learning from them what works in the possible development of other children as they age (presuming that the children and their parents choose such therapy)? Temple Grandin has done this and many children, their parents and other adults are learning from her successes.

In light of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria which rely on the quantitative deficit model of characteristics, it is likely that I will never quite meet or exceed the expectation of certain deficits despite having several other deficits which can be of variously mild, moderate or extreme severity at different times and circumstances. But, under the BAP model which would presumably rely on a more qualitative deficit model of characteristics, I would not only qualify, but accept such a diagnosis happily. Unfortunately, I don't see much progress toward such an option by those who make such decisions.

Or, am I wrong

Certainly for myself, "autodidactic intention" is a major explanation of how I crossed the bridge, so to speak, to participate in that other planet that most of the other humans were on. That, and the luck in meeting a very significant mentor from whom I learned a great deal about how the NT world worked and how to navigate my way through it when I needed to negotiate tricky and challenging adult situations in my political lobbying.

I think, most of the time, that I'm "subclinical" these days....but not always.

I had trouble being "neurotypical" enough for my mother. She wondered why I didn't talk to her about my nephew's graduation when "most people would have alluded to it earlier." There are many other instances of subtle "social deficits" which she always seems to "catch."

If I would put myself forward and attend more social functions, I think I would probably cross the threshold into a clinical disorder at these functions.

The fact that I know my limitations probably contributes to my relative success in the "NT" world. I'm able to pass for eccentric, weird, and court jester. Thus, I am not "required" to be social in the conventional sense. Should I be required to fulfill that role, the symptoms would surely emerge. I'm fortunate that I've been able to carve myself into the amiable court jester role....this, after much trial and error.

Yes, knowing your limitations, and being quick to recognize your own "early warning alerts" is a big part of adaptation for functioning well in the NT world. And, of course, playing to your strengths, recognizing your own "islands of competence" and using them to maximum advantage. The old saying "know thyself" is particularly true and important for us... On WP you really see a lot of evidence amongst the "oldies" that decades of learning, trial and error, finding what works, and accumulated knowledge helps us navigate the "two worlds" simultaneously much more easily.

When I advise people to adapt to the neurotypical world, I'm not advocating that THEY be neurotypical. Attempts at being neurotypical, invariably, evoke derision.

Like B19 states, one should emphasize his/her "islands" or "peninsulas" of competence while seeking to sublimate, in public, their more "negative" symptoms through the use of his/her cognitive abilities and powers of observation.

I'm sure Temple Grandin feels similarly.

Me too - after that 2 hour point I feel as if I am starting to fray at the edges like a worn piece of cloth!

Is it a symposium kind of thing?

If so, you could attend lectures which reflect your special interests. This will help me keep your Aspie Stirrings at bay.

Aren't most presentations less than 2 hours, anyway?