Autism should not be in the DSM

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Autism is a neurological disorder.

Autism is not a mental illness.

Get rid of the shrinks and bring in the neurological scientists.

Don't shrinks help people more who have autism more than neurological scientists?

It is a mental disorder...so it still fits.

Autism is not a mental disorder.

Autism is caused by abnormal brain structure, growth, and function, and abnormal organization within the central nervous system.

The DSM's definition of mental disorder does not at any point state its not neurological in origin.

http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/285/

Fascinating read on autism neurological hardwiring.

I think it's important to note that neurological and mental disorders are intertwined. A lot of neurological disorders cause mental health problems and a lot of mental health problems are believed to have neurological causes. For example depression is a mental health disorder however there is increasing evidence that a lack of blood flow to certain parts of the brain (such as the amygdala and the hippocampus) is behind the illness. Further studies show the electro convulsive therapy works to treat depression by destroying neural connections in certain parts of the brain where there are too many.
There are also neurological conditions such as epilepsy that have a very high rate of co-morbid conditions like depression, OCD, GAD etc. Parkinsons is another neurological illness that goes hand in hand with depression.
As for aspergers there are higher rates of depression and anxiety within people who have it than say in the general population.

What I'm trying to say anyway is that although aspergers may have a neurological basis I still see it as a mental health issue. But as a mental health issue with a neurological basis. However I'm not sure of the efficacy of using medications to treat it. I still think the best place for evaluation and for treatment is from a psychiatrist as they can treat any other co-morbid problems that may exist with it and can refer the patient to other services such as social skills classes etc.

But I do know what you are saying. I hate the connotations that are attached to "mental illness". Even though I suffer from mental illness I would never class myself or call myself as someone who is "mentally ill".

I hope I haven't offended anyone or anything and what I have said makes sense

I guess my logical brain desires autism to be addressed by neurologists who have found the cause and can investigate ways to help us re-wire our brains to help overcome functional deficits. Research has shown that learning actually paves new pathways thru the brain. We can form the connections we need.

Any mental "abnormalities" are actually perfectly reasonable and logical responses to the hardwiring in our brain and nervous system. The mental is the soft response; the neurological is the hard cause. I'd rather work with the root of the matter.

Our behavior may seem "abnormal" to neurotypicals but it is a natural outcome of our neurological makeup. Trying to change behavior that is legitimately tied to hardwiring is not the best way to approach the problems.

MRIs, PETs, EEGs, MEGs etc distinctly show the differences, the reasons.

Problem is, our current neurological interventions are basically the equivalent of banging with a hammer. Very few things can be successfully treated neurologically. Whereas many psychological treatments, despite not getting to the root of the matter, do help.

Besides, the neurological-psychological connection goes both ways. For example, psychological trauma rewires your brain. Why couldn't CBT do so too?

Most mental health issues are neurological in basis, anorexia nervosa, anxiety, depression etc psychologists are the best to deal with it because neurologists are more like diagnosed you now get out

The depression comes how the environment treats people with aspergers, not from aspergers itself.