Neurotypicals HIJACKED the Aspergers diagnosis!

Page 1 of 5 [ 74 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next

logician
Butterfly
Butterfly

User avatar

Joined: 14 Jan 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 16

04 Aug 2013, 2:00 pm

Since the diagnosis of Aspergers became popular in the early 1990's (I myself was diagnosed in 1994), the increase in Aspergers diagnosis has accelerated.

When I went to a special school in 1997, I was a rare case. Everyone else were mentally ret*d infantile autists.
Then there came others like me. And then some who were more well-functioning than me. And then some that are so socialized that I can't see the difference between them and
Neurotypicals.

While nobody are alike, there are some main characteristics defining Aspergers and Autism Spectrum Disorder in general.
The problem is that whenever I point that out, the ones I suppose to be NT's disguising behind an Aspie diagnosis, play the "No True Scotsman" card:

"Don't say that we aren't aspies, we are all different, I'm not an NT!" is the summary of their comments.

What has happened is what I feared in the early 2000's when I heard about the rise of Aspergers diagnosis and my worries became stronger when I read about the "Geek syndrome".

My worries are that the increase in Aspegers diagnosis leads to inflation, like economic inflation, in the diagnosis, devaluing the importance of the diagnosis.

This in turn means that people who truely need help will be deprived of it in the future, and duties imposed upon them (like military conscription etc.) will be more heavily enforced in countries with such measures, because Aspergers is now nothing more than another NT-variety.

What has really happened is that the Neurotypicals are hijacked the diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome, in order to say "hey, if he can avoid military conscription, thats unfair, lets prove that his diagnosis is worth of nothing, so I'll just fake some of the symptoms and get a diagnosis myself, HAHAHA!"



Last edited by logician on 04 Aug 2013, 2:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

babybird
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 62,470
Location: UK

04 Aug 2013, 2:03 pm

Well said.


_________________
We have existence


Phssthpok
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 16 May 2007
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 227

04 Aug 2013, 2:40 pm

Your concern over military conscription is completely ridiculous.

I think it's pretty obvious that you're resentful of all the newly diagnosed aspies because they make you feel less unique and special. You sound like one of those hipsters who gets irritated when some indy band they like goes mainstream.



chlov
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 851
Location: My house

04 Aug 2013, 2:40 pm

I agree.
AS has become much of a stereotype in the last 20 years, and has gotten to the point that it is "just being a genius who's a little introverted".

However, AS doesn't exist anymore.
Now there's only autism.
I myself am officially diagnosed with HFA now.



Robdemanc
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 May 2010
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,872
Location: England

04 Aug 2013, 2:48 pm

What is your concern here? Are you upset that more people have a diagnosis now than in the 1990's? Well that is because more time has lapsed since Asperger's became known in the western world. So naturally there are going to be more people with a diagnosis.

It's like saying you are upset there are more people with iPods, or mobile phones since the 1990's.



Jonov
Raven
Raven

User avatar

Joined: 22 Jul 2013
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Posts: 116

04 Aug 2013, 2:55 pm

logician wrote:
Since the diagnosis of Aspergers became popular in the early 1990's (I myself was diagnosed in 1994), the increase in Aspergers diagnosis has accelerated.

When I went to a special school in 1997, I was a rare case. Everyone else were mentally ret*d infantile autists.
Then there came others like me. And then some who were more well-functioning than me. And then some that are so socialized that I can't see the difference between them and
Neurotypicals.


Since Asperger's was added to dsm, the research into this subject has accelerated and many people who have been struggling with parts of their personality for years, while functioning in the NT world, have come to realize they are part of the spectrum, this is a good development.

Quote:
While nobody are alike, there are some main characteristics defining Aspergers and Autism Spectrum Disorder in general.
The problem is that whenever I point that out, the ones I suppose to be NT's disguising behind an Aspie diagnosis, play the "No True Scotsman" card:

"Don't say that we aren't aspies, we are all different, I'm not an NT!" is the summary of their comments.

What has happened is what I feared in the early 2000's when I heard about the rise of Aspergers diagnosis and my worries became stronger when I read about the "Geek syndrome".


Just because their problems are invisible to you or are unimaginable to you doesn't mean that they do not exist, you sound quite biased here, please elaborate further what you try to get across.

Quote:
My worries are that the increase in Aspegers diagnosis leads to inflation, like economic inflation, in the diagnosis, devaluing the importance of the diagnosis.

This in turn means that people who truely need help will be deprived of it in the future, and duties imposed upon them (like military conscription etc.) will be more heavily enforced in countries with such measures, because Aspergers is now nothing more than another NT-variety.

What has really happened is that the Neurotypicals are hijacked the diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome, in order to say "hey, if he can avoid military conscription, thats unfair, lets prove that his diagnosis is worth of nothing, so I'll just fake some of the symptoms and get a diagnosis myself, HAHAHA!"


People who deliberately mimic disorders and get away with it are quite rare as they usually get caught sooner or later by a proper psychiatrist.

Besides people have used plenty excuses in the past to avoid military conscription, and the illnesses/disorders they mimicked are still taken seriously.

I don't understand what you are so afraid of, you sound very distrusting towards NT's and very biased towards seemingly more socially capable Aspies.



foxfield
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 10 Sep 2011
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Posts: 276
Location: UK

04 Aug 2013, 3:01 pm

Yes, I think what you describe is a very real effect.

When a diagnosis or idea is new, the only people who bother who learn about it will be the most astute, conscientious and passionate of psychologists. These are the people who are likely to diagnose accurately.

Then as the diagnosis becomes more and more well known, so will less and less intellectually rigorous people get hold of it.

This leads in to a steady decrease in the quality of diagnostic assessent (and so a rise in misdiagnoses). The effect is cumulative, because as more and more people become misdiagnosed, the more it appears to the psychiatric community that these diagnoses are in fact correct (because of it becoming the norm)

The effect is also sadly irreversible, as you can't turn around to all the people you diagnosed and say "sorry, we got it wrong". and yes it does screw up peoples lives. For an exactly analogous situation, see grade inflation which is a very real and measurable occurrence.

The only point I disagree with you on is that it is some NT conspiracy. I don't believe that at all, rather I think it a very explainable statistical effect.



uncommonsense
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

User avatar

Joined: 6 May 2012
Age: 55
Gender: Female
Posts: 2

04 Aug 2013, 3:04 pm

I suppose I am one of those folks that you describe. I can seemingly fit in many social situations and can appear to fit in quite well. So well, in fact, that I did join the military.

My life has been spent mimicking the social people to the extent that now, at age 44, I am just beginning to learn what I like. Who knew I was allowed to make choices? Not me.

So go ahead and piss, moan and groan that someone like me came along and spoke up about my own, personal and JUST AS DIFFICULT of an experience and how this effects you.

All of these years searching for where the hell I fit in and then I find out that group is too cool for me too. Go figure.



cberg
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Dec 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 12,183
Location: A swiftly tilting planet

04 Aug 2013, 3:07 pm

Beyond close relationships, I suffer from very little social malfeasance. Not that you'd know it from looking at me, but its' taken the better part of two decades to reach this point, and I got my diagnosis from a speech language pathologist. My MOM is a believer in 'geek syndrome' and I believe it's morally corrosive, providing excuses for unpleasantness where they don't really exist . I could tell you to shove it in XML, but I'm a PERSON, so I'm not used to rearranging the syntax that way. I think you just judged a LOT of books by their covers, so enjoy your flame war I guess.


_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos :mrgreen:


cberg
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Dec 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 12,183
Location: A swiftly tilting planet

04 Aug 2013, 3:12 pm

Phssthpok wrote:
Your concern over military conscription is completely ridiculous.

I think it's pretty obvious that you're resentful of all the newly diagnosed aspies because they make you feel less unique and special. You sound like one of those hipsters who gets irritated when some indy band they like goes mainstream.


Dead on. If I happen to be misdiagnosed, then I'm still grateful for all the help spectrum individuals have rendered me, and as a means of moving past it I choose to accept my diagnosis rather than forget. Good riddance or better riddance, huh?


_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos :mrgreen:


Musicgirl
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Posts: 799

04 Aug 2013, 3:14 pm

chlov wrote:
I agree.
AS has become much of a stereotype in the last 20 years, and has gotten to the point that it is "just being a genius who's a little introverted".

However, AS doesn't exist anymore.
Now there's only autism.
I myself am officially diagnosed with HFA now.

Who do you see to get a new diagnosis?



chlov
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jan 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 851
Location: My house

04 Aug 2013, 3:16 pm

Musicgirl wrote:
chlov wrote:
I agree.
AS has become much of a stereotype in the last 20 years, and has gotten to the point that it is "just being a genius who's a little introverted".

However, AS doesn't exist anymore.
Now there's only autism.
I myself am officially diagnosed with HFA now.

Who do you see to get a new diagnosis?

A psychiatrist, simply.



cberg
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Dec 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 12,183
Location: A swiftly tilting planet

04 Aug 2013, 3:24 pm

I could seek an HFA diagnosis to quiet the naysayers but I know myself better than to be able to justify spending the money. And believe me, the naysayers are everywhere, not just WP.


_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos :mrgreen:


Phssthpok
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 16 May 2007
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 227

04 Aug 2013, 3:24 pm

foxfield wrote:
Yes, I think what you describe is a very real effect.

When a diagnosis or idea is new, the only people who bother who learn about it will be the most astute, conscientious and passionate of psychologists. These are the people who are likely to diagnose accurately.

Then as the diagnosis becomes more and more well known, so will less and less intellectually rigorous people get hold of it.

This leads in to a steady decrease in the quality of diagnostic assessent (and so a rise in misdiagnoses). The effect is cumulative, because as more and more people become misdiagnosed, the more it appears to the psychiatric community that these diagnoses are in fact correct (because of it becoming the norm)

The effect is also sadly irreversible, as you can't turn around to all the people you diagnosed and say "sorry, we got it wrong". and yes it does screw up peoples lives. For an exactly analogous situation, see grade inflation which is a very real and measurable occurrence.

The only point I disagree with you on is that it is some NT conspiracy. I don't believe that at all, rather I think it a very explainable statistical effect.

Or increased popularity leads to more people realizing that what they, or their children, are experiencing is actually a mental illness and they go get help for it. It's pretty much impossible to tease those two effects apart.



cberg
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Dec 2011
Gender: Male
Posts: 12,183
Location: A swiftly tilting planet

04 Aug 2013, 3:31 pm

I briefly attended an "all ASD" private school, and I can say this; there were some 'infantile' autists, there were some possibly misdiagnosed individuals with perhaps no more than severe ADD, and there were some HFA people such as myself. What you neglected to mention is that such organizations are focused on improving all aspects of the lives Autism Spectrum affects, INCLUDING misdiagnoses. Everyone there got the resources they sought.


_________________
"Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we see the fading of the suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds."
-Georges Lemaitre
"I fly through hyperspace, in my green computer interface"
-Gem Tos :mrgreen:


Musicgirl
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 30 Jun 2013
Age: 28
Gender: Female
Posts: 799

04 Aug 2013, 3:31 pm

chlov wrote:
Musicgirl wrote:
chlov wrote:
I agree.
AS has become much of a stereotype in the last 20 years, and has gotten to the point that it is "just being a genius who's a little introverted".

However, AS doesn't exist anymore.
Now there's only autism.
I myself am officially diagnosed with HFA now.

Who do you see to get a new diagnosis?

A psychiatrist, simply.

Thanks but I do not see a psychiatrist. Is there any possibility I could get it from someone else?