I currently mentor a young woman with AS, Bonnie. Upon hearing that a girl she knew was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was interested in a trial surgery in the states, she decided to organize a concert to raise money for this surgery. The concert is coming soon and was briefly mentioned in the local paper.
What ticked me off was that the only thing mentioned about Bonnie was that she had Asperger's. I feel this way because that is not only irrelevant to the article, but it was possibly done in a sense to equate AS as an illness, like what the girl she knows is going through. It also implies that the main thing you should know about her is that she has AS or that it is somehow it is a huge anomaly for people with AS to be doing good things in their communities.
The point is, there are so many instances similar to this in the media, and honestly, this needs to change. That's just my opinion, but yours may differ. I am just so sick of all of these patronizingly ''feel good'' stories about people on the spectrum that do not view the person as anything but disabled.
What are the forums thoughts and comments on this issue?
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Given a “tentative” diagnosis as a child as I needed services at school for what was later correctly discovered to be a major anxiety disorder.
This misdiagnosis caused me significant stress, which lessened upon finding out the truth about myself from my current and past long-term psychiatrists - that I am a highly sensitive person but do not have an autism spectrum disorder
My diagnoses - anxiety disorder, depression and traits of obsessive-compulsive disorder (all in remission).
I’m no longer involved with the ASD world.
02 Sep 2011, 9:47 pm
