Hans Asperger

Who exactly is this Herwig Czech and what are his motivations for carrying out this research?

Something that I'm concerned about is how this is spread like wildfire through the mainstream media. It seems like every English language media source has run away with the story. In contrast Lorna Wing's 1981 paper remained a near secret outside of a small circle of academics for over 10 years. It was referenced by media sources in her obituary but how many journalists even knew of its existence back in the 1980s? Even references to the milestone books about Asperger syndrome by Uta Frith and Tony Attwood have only had a minimal mention in the mainstream media and often years after they were published.

I can't help but thinking that there is some malevolent behind the scenes project going on by certain factions of the Jewish community to discredit Hans Asperger.

It's the beginning of the end of Asperger syndrome. In a few years it will be labelled as just autism but the clock will also be turned back so that the only autism which counts will be traditional Kanner autism. Anybody who still wants to push AS (regardless of what it's called) will be vilified as a sympathiser of a Nazi war criminal.

I suspect that Lorna Wing, Uta Frith, and Tony Attwood will be consigned to the dustbin of history as naïve fools who just wanted to make a name for themselves whilst failing to understand who Hans Asperger was. So will Luke Jackson. I also suspect that JKP will stop publishing books about AS. 

The eugenics is a mere side show. There was plenty of support for eugenics in Britain both during the early 20th century and today. It's collaborating with the *** that's Hans Asperger's crime. This is just as unforgiveable in academia as it is in the real world.

Herwig Czech is a historian, and the motivation is presumably being researching history. Uta Frith and others have issued statements agreeing that this was valuable research.

I'd agree the media seem to have over-reacted, and would suggest it's probably worth reading Czech's paper in full (which I haven't yet) before coming to a firm opinion.  I wouldn't read too much into it as regards the status of AS.  The autistic community absorbed AS years ago, although the term 'aspie' is still used.  As the editorial suggests, Wing could equally have credited two Jewish members of Asperger's team, Frankl & Weiss.

I don't see your basis for saying 'the clock will also be turned back so that the only autism which counts will be traditional Kanner autism'.  The dividing line was always quite blurry - some people speak under some conditions, and not others.

Cassandro said:

I don't see your basis for saying 'the clock will also be turned back so that the only autism which counts will be traditional Kanner autism'.

AS is a useful diagnostic label when it comes to trying to acquire support and services for people with the condition. There is a real danger that if AS is folded into ASD then people with AS (and other higher-functioning ASD) will be pushed to the bottom of the pile when in comes to trying to acquire support and services as people with traditional Kanner type autism will be given much higher priority. This already happens within the NAS.

Cassandro said:

I don't see your basis for saying 'the clock will also be turned back so that the only autism which counts will be traditional Kanner autism'.

AS is a useful diagnostic label when it comes to trying to acquire support and services for people with the condition. There is a real danger that if AS is folded into ASD then people with AS (and other higher-functioning ASD) will be pushed to the bottom of the pile when in comes to trying to acquire support and services as people with traditional Kanner type autism will be given much higher priority. This already happens within the NAS.

Cassandro said:

Pretty much everyone previously with an AS diagnosis would under DSM-V be seen as 'ASD Level 1', that is requiring support, but not substantial support.

I disagree with this. I did not get an ounce of support myself from my school or local authority and ended up having to be home educated. The NAS was totally useless as all they could do was send information packs repeating what is already well documented on the internet and in readily available books. Experience revealed that the NAS services were largely restricted to special schools for more severe cases of traditional autism and residential care services.

The needs of people with AS are different from those with traditional Kanner autism, not different and not less important. Many families are having to provide support out of their own pockets because nothing is available for them.

DSM is American and does not officially apply in Britain.

Thanks for the reply. I think AS has been folded into autism already as regards most services. Since autistic people are extremely varied in what they need help with, just making a distinction on the basis of IQ or use of speech does not seem helpful to me.

The lack of services is a function largely of legislation (Think Autism guidance, and Care Act) and funding. It is probably true that putting resources into autism would be more than compensated by reduced spending in other departments. However, the resources need to go into autism services before that happens, and the decision needs to be made as far up the chain (in local and central government) as possible.

AS would have been seen as less complex support needs than Kanner syndrome/autistic disorder anyway. Pretty much everyone previously with an AS diagnosis would under DSM-V be seen as 'ASD Level 1', that is requiring support, but not substantial support.