Max vs Hank
The subject line is a reference to two characters in the recently concluded US television program Parenthood. If you've seen it, then you already know what I'm talking about. If you aren't familiar, well in the early episodes there is a couple with a son (Max) who exhibits quite a few obvious symptoms and is soon diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, then a couple of years later, a female character (the sister of the male half the of aforementioned couple) becomes involved with a man Hank who is later on diagnosed with AS as well. The difference is that Hank had never suspected he had anything clinically "wrong" with him and did not understand why his relationships seemed to always end so badly despite his sincere efforts to make them succeed.
The point I want to make is that these two characters clearly fall into two different categories of AS. The first is diagnosed at an early age, receives specialized education, has behaviors that are obvious to an observer on first meeting, and goes through life thinking of himself as "different" in a clearly defined way. The second type might have always felt that something is wrong with him but has gone through life with the expectation of behaving according to the standards set by everybody else (and failing miserably). I would also expect that the second variety has never had "sensory problems" pronounced enough to seem abnormal to him.
I would say that a Max has more "severe" AS than a Hank, but am unsure whether the psychiatric community recognizes levels of severity within AS.
Any thoughts on this? Does anybody clearly identify with one side versus the other?
Any thoughts on this? Does anybody clearly identify with one side versus the other?
Of course, the psychiatric community recognizes levels of severity within AS. If you read the technical literature as much as you follow TV, you would know that. It doesn't even have to be technical literature. Just read lay digests of the technical literature.
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According to the psychiatric community's diagnostic Bible, the DSM, they no longer recognize AS at all. Though they do recognize varying severities for autism.
It seems to me that people who are diagnosed later in life usually either lack or only have very subtle expressions of historically stereotypical "autistic" behavior, such as stimming, SIBs, being non-verbal, or savant presentations. And I think that is because back when they were kids (people diagnosed later in life), autism was barely known and barely understood, so only the more severe cases or stereotypically congruent cases were recognized.
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I don't watch the show, so I don't about the characters, but kids who had more severe traits could grow up to be adults with moderated traits, probably along even larger spectrum than the difference between Max and Hank.
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You bring up some really interesting points. I identify with the "second type" of AS you mentioned (that Max has). I was diagnosed late in life.
You theorized that Max's type might have never had sensory problems pronounced enough to be seen as an issue. Mine, in fact, were very severe. I just learned to quit talking about them because it brought negative attention. Even therapists didn't seem to understand what I was talking about. No one was trained to treat them. Since I had no one who shared my sensory issues I, at times, believed I might be crazy. I learned to work around them as best I could without sharing them with others.