Poll 21: Is autism a brain development disorder?

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One of the most common names for autism; a disorder.

There are a lot of people who have spoken in my polls and who agree that autism is a disorder. That is fine, I am not here to try and take away from any autistic person their own opinion on what autism is. But I do want to make it clear that "disorder" is short for "development disorder" which is short for "brain development disorder".

The reason they call it a brain development disorder is that studies on certain autistic people have shown areas of the brain not responding to certain stimulus which does cause a response in neurotypicals. The images can be seen if you google "autistic brain".

Personally I believe that these studies were done on very "low-functioning" autistics and that as a "high-functioning" autistic my brain would respond to the stimulus.

Furthermore my brain developed much faster than my peers; whilst they were learning the alphabet I was sitting in the corner reading a book.

In conclusion I am an autistic man and I do not have a brain development disorder. My brain developed differently, it developed much faster in some areas and perhaps slower in others. It perhaps is larger in some areas and smaller in others. It perhaps responds differently to stimulus than a neurotypical brain. I think differently. I am different but this is not a disorder.



Proof:

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&site=&q= ... 80&bih=827

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autism

http://all-autism-info.blogspot.com/

http://www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=isch ... 16l2-2l2l0


Option A
I am autistic and after reading the text I still think that autism is a brain development disorder

Option B
I am autistic and I think that autistics have a different development to varying degrees of "functionality" (both positive and negative) relative to how people believe we are "supposed" to function but this should not necessarily be called a brain development disorder

Option C
I am autistic and I have another opinion which I have written below

Option D
I am not autistic and after reading the text I still think that autism is a brain development disorder

Option E
I am not autistic and I think that autistics have a different development to varying degrees of "functionality" (both positive and negative) relative to how people believe we are "supposed" to function but this should not necessarily be called a brain development disorder

Option F
I am not autistic and I have another opinion which I have written below

I agree with you completely. I would be really bad at spelling normal words during the tests, but I would outdo the rest of my class at drawing or painting.

Almost voted E, but really, I think my answer is that it's just too complex to describe with one answer.

Like the OP, and perhaps some of the others here, I deverloped a lot faster in some ways, reading at age 3, reading chapter books as big as Agatha Christie mysteries at age 8-9, reading almanacs for fun when little, that sort of thing.

However, I voted in the "not autistic" part becasue I don't necessarily consider Asperger's Syndrome autism, though I know it's on the spectrum. I know it's a slope and that someone who is close would probably not have as much of a problem calling themselves autistic, but I personally, autism to me implies a much larger difficulty to overcome.

Had I been diagnosed as a child it might be different, of course, but my first thought on hearing about AS was, "Can't be, it's on the autism spectrum." But I'm one of those who is so mild that it might have been missed even in today's culture. (As it was, it wasn't even a common diagnosis till I was out of school.)

So, why did I vote F and not E?

I can easily see someone saying that I, personally, have a "developmental disorder," but I prefer the word handicap. I think it's just a question of semantics here, but a handicap is an obstacle, something that one can overcome, in my case through a lot of faith and a great family.

If AS were my only condition, it's possible that I would be willing to consider it a disorder. However, it's not - I have a big of cerebral palsy (perhaps the same amount as AS0 but also Dandy-Walker Syndrome which caused serious visual handicaps and a hearing problem that leaves my right ear too weak for an aid to be of much use and my left 75% hearing, though 100% with an aid. I do not consider my visual or hearing impairments to be disorders - I consider them handicaps. To me, a disorder implies that it's somehow dangerous - and my visiona nd hearing aren't. (THey would be if I tried to drive, of course, but you know what I mean. )

A handicap, though, is somethign that says I was built different, but that I can still accomplish a lot; maybe not all a totally sighted person can, but I don't feel impaired to a huge extent. It's nice to know the limits or other unique features of my mind are likely from something like this; but to me, it's just another obstacle to overcome, another mountain to climb over.

But, then again, maybe that's what you mean by disorder. In which case I'd vote E. But, that's one of those reasons I tend to think I need to ramble a lot at times, or that I think an explanation is so convoluted compared to what others say.

And it's nice to be able to point to somethign and say, "Yep, this is okay, it's just like when I can't see something well, and now I'll adapt in some way."

It's just some someone with autism might find it harder to adapt than someone with mild Asperge'rs.

Sorry this got so long.

I picked option "C." I have AS, and I believe that all neuropsychiatric disorders are caused by atypical brain development and/or function. It irks me that, nowadays, people are calling ASDs "neurodevelopmental disorders," but bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and the like are still called "mental illnesses." Every DSM diagnosis has a neuropathological basis. Therefore, the term "mental illness" should either become non-existent or the term "neuropsychiatric disorder" should be used much more (and include ASDs).

I didn't read the articles, but this is my take after many years trying to wrap my head around it.

The way I look at it is that neurotypicals develop milestones evenly across the board. At this age you do this, at that age you do that and if you meet these milestones in all areas consistently you are typically developing. I see autism as a developmental brain difference, in that certain areas of the brain develop faster or slower than others outside of the typical milestone age. Some areas are behind and others are ahead. It's not even like neurotypicals. Like my son for example. There is a 45 point spread between his visual IQ and his verbal IQ. He is highly developed and tests above average to superior in visual/spacial and math and logic, however he is just below average in language tasks. A neurotypical person would be pretty even in both areas hitting right in the center of average for everything along the way.

I think that a "developmental disorder" of the brain can go both ways...it can give you gifts as well as difficulties or handicaps. It just depends how it develops, in what areas, and if they ever fully develop, or over develop.

If I were to pick an option, it would be E. I don't know that a disorder is the right word either.

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder meaning it effects various aspects of development because of different wiring in the brain. (I do not use the term brain developmental disorder but PDD instead). For me autism is a developmental disorder. Not only was I behind in my verbal communication from childhood, I am behind my peers in many aspects today. I once read that it is not a pervasive development delay in that people with autism do not someday "catch-up" in many areas to their NT peers. Rather they develop on a parrallel path that is different from that of an NT. For me, this path happens to be that of a developmental disorder while having some positive aspects to it as well.

I chose A. There has been more research than seeing if areas light up in the brain of autistics to come to the conclusion that it is a neuro developmental disorder. One, the amygdala grows too fast and then stops growing. The frontal lobes may be under or over connected. The limbic system is dysfunctional for those who have little control over their emotions.

A developmental disorder usually means 'delays'. Some of you were lucky to escape that but you may have delays in other areas, social skills for one. Just because you don't have the delays doesn't mean other people who share your diagnosis were as lucky. I, for one was slow to speak, walk and was a very slow learner, however I could draw but drawing is not going to give me communication skills, a job, life skills, etc.

If it wasn't a disorder it should be taken off the DSM V and no one will get diagnosed with it and no one will find out why they are so different. Call it a difference if you like...hell think of yourself as some kind of highly evolved species but I'm sticking to my very literal interpretation of the DSM. I don't even need to be literal, my autistic symptoms are cause me a lot of stress and makes it hard for me to communicate with others and even take care of my basic needs.

I say the word disorder in no way implies delay, it just implies there are some sort of problems that either you have or other people have with you.

I chose C but A is very close to what I wanted to say - which is that autistic brains have an uneven pattern of development. Some things are delayed, some things are not. Some things may actually be ahead of the expected curve. But it is still a developmental disorder that causes significant impairments for those who have it.

That and I agree with littlelily613's and pensieve's replies.

I think my brain grew too fast.

Could you quit with the options, please?

Some members are more illiterate than others, like me for example. The only reason I'm able to type well is because I have spell check. I can't speak for everyone else on here, but I have a very hard time reading unless it's something related to my special interests.

I guess that would be Option G.

Edit:

I apologize to you if I seemed angry. I didn't sleep well last night and I do have troubles reading a fair amount of words. If I've hurt you in any way, I apologize. You can make as many polls as you like.

In simpler terms, the way I see it is this: -

Autistic people have a different development.

Autistic people do not all develop the same though, they all develop differently from each other as well.

Some autistic people develop in ways which seem to cause them nothing but excess problems and conflict in their life

Some autistic people develop in ways which seem to not cause them any problems with their life and in fact appear to give them a huge advantage in certain areas.

Most people of course are in between, most autistics see positives and negatives in their autistic neurology.

Personally I think that the term "Development disorder" is too inaccurate. I personally think that it's more accurate to say "Autistics have a different development to varying degrees of relative functionality and relative positive and negative differences."

The term "Development disorder" is too much of a generalisation towards the negative differences which can, but do not always, arise from this different development. The term "development disorder" is also far too short and so open to interpretation.

The different development autistics have, can, and does often, cause problems in some or many areas relative to their environment, which if you like you can call a disorder. Conversely however it can cause benefits in some or many areas. Not all autistics develop the same and some do not develop in a way which can so easily be considered negative, certainly if they are 1. Happy and 2. Functioning well at what they want to do with their life can you say that they have developed in a way which is causing them problems?

That is why I think it's so important to say "Different" rather than "Disorder" when talking about autism. Affix the term disorder to negatives which stem from autism sure but not to autism itself, it's too much of a generalisation.

Simply, there are autistic people who do not think that they have developed negatively or that they have a disorder.

I do not think that looking at the "milestones of development" is a good way to say whether someone has a development disorder or not since I do not think that there is one ideal way of being, one standard way to be which we should compare ourselves to.


Anyway this is all just my personal opinion. It does not offend or upset me at all to see an autistic person telling me that autism is a disorder because I know that they are talking relative to themselves and their own experience with autism. I respect that greatly and I do value being able to speak to other autistic people about autism. It does upset me that non-autistic people say that I have a disorder though because I am one of those autistic people who does feel that I'm functioning well, as intended, that I developed differently but not negatively and not in a way which could be called a disorder. I don't think autism should be classed as a disorder but I can see why many would say that it is. My autism is not a disorder though.


I guess it is quite an issue to debate and it really shows the range of.. well I guess "The autistic spectrum" that there are some autistics out there who are independent, smart (egocentrically so) and proud, many of them saying "why the @!%& are you giving me all of these derogatory terms and saying I have a brain development disorder you $%(@*£s!! I'm just a bit different that's all you intolerant %($*@s!!" And then there are autistic people who are completely dependent on others to care for them, and many in between. Some perhaps wondering what kind of ego juice the first mentioned group is on that they won't accept their disability, or if the first group is even autistic at all. And from all of these groups some who say that autism is a disorder and some who say that it's not a disorder it's a difference. It is a big spectrum and I still think that "Disorder" does not do it justice and is too much of a negative generalisation.


Like I said in my first post, I'm not here to try and take away from any autistic person their opinion on what autism is, but if a non-autistic person tells me that I have a disorder then I shall invite them to battle in this minefield!