Published on 12, July, 2020
I have Asperger’s syndrome. Why do they class Asperger’s and autism as the same now when they are so different from each other? I mean Asperger’s is a genetic condition which affects the way someone thinks and makes them slightly different and socially awkward and more anxious. Autism on the other hand in the classic sense is a debilitating condition characterised by the inability to speak and vocalise words, intellectual disability and aggression with violent outbursts. Why do people with Asperger’s dominate the perception of autism. Everybody seems to forget about these kids who cannot talk at all. People view people like us people with Asperger’s as what autism is. This is not the case classic autism as it used to be defined was basically someone who regressed around the ages 2-4 into losing all speech and ability to function. It seemed to start around the 50s to 60s. Whereas Asperger’s has been around for maybe thousands of years. There is cases documented of people who may have had Asperger’s way before the 50s. A woman in Russia in the early 1900’s at the beginning of that decade worked with under a dozen kids who would have been declared as autism highly functioning or Asperger’s syndrome nowadays. These kids were quiet and inhibited but showed great ability to work machines and understand mechanisms of things and patterns. However it appears that people who have Asperger’s are born with it and always have it. They may take a while to develop language but they never develop it and lose it forever the same way someone with classic autism does. I have known people who had one child who lost the ability to speak and function about 2-4 years old and never spoke again and had to be put in a care home. But none of the boys other siblings had this happen to them. So how do you explain this sudden regression in some people that doesn’t happen with every other kid in that same family. Something must be causing a sudden regression especially if it’s only in a specific family member and no others. Asperger’s on the other hand is genetic and if one family member has it they all are almost garuanteed to have it more or less. If anyone has any thoughts on this please do share them as I would like to make more sense of this.
I’m back in the U.K. now it was only a summer job you know camp America. The U.K. is my home and I don’t wish to leave it.
Awesome! I like to hear the positivity. Keep the good vibes rolling. How’s life in the big USA? I’ve always watched American films it seemed like a cool place in the 80s still seems cool I guess. Party in the USA!!!
Not really I am not so sure. It is all a bit confusing at times. Does it make sense to you? I have not read this book about neurotribes but it sounds good. I might read it when I get time though thanks for the suggestion.
Truth be told I think autism is an amazing thing the levels everything. Last year I worked at a summer camp in America with children with autism. There were kids there who were high functioning some were non verbal. This one kid was non verbal he was really aggressive but was really sweet. He could say words like tickles or cake and so on extremely intelligent. But one minute he could be giggling and happy the next punching and head butting you. It wasn’t his fault he got frustrated and could only communicate through hitting or punching. Then there was this other boy also low functioning but was sweet and gentle he was verbal. What I found absolutely amazing was the verbal kid worked out the code or sequence to every table or I pad in the whole bunk. Autism or Asperger’s we are all unique and amazing people. I am proud of myself for actually achieving getting a job in America, keeping that job and afterwards travelling from state to state with 2 other girls I met at camp also on the spectrum. Autism or asparagus I don’t care but I’m proud to be me. A woman on the spectrum I have achieved greatness. Autism or Asperger’s it’s what you feel comfortable with I am comfortable with both and I absolutely find autism fascinating we are all unique in our own separate ways and we all have our talents I will also be making a post about my success at some point because I am proud of who I am and what I have achieved.
Thanks
Home computers and socia "benefits" have this in common:
The more vital it is for them to work for you, the less likely they are to actually do that...
History:
Lorna WIng worked in the 70's. She coined the phrase Asperger Syndrome in '76. That was neigh on 50 years ago. Asperger worked neigh on 90 years ago. Under the tutelage of the Nazi's.
so, to be able to "work" and "be independent" or not?
Is that where you draw a distinction?
High support needs= autism?
low support needs - Asperger's S?
Just asking for clarification.
Good point Rach91 it’s what the word means to you that matters. It’s how it makes you feel. If you want to use it please do at least I won’t judge you for using it despite the past. Of course if we assume that Hans Asperger was a bad man then yes that’s appalling and wrong what he did. But still the word itself is different depending on what it means personally for you.
I always thought it was because of him Asperger was no longer used. I was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome but no I just say high functioning autism. The camp I worked at in America last year was a camp for children with autism they didn’t like the term Asperger. But there was one kid there who was 8 years old and was on the spectrum but was extremely high functioning. Did everything themselves could have a conversation with but you could tell that this kid was on the spectrum because of certain behaviours. But really the question is is Asperger’s such a bad word? I don’t think so and I’m not afraid to say I have it either.
I grew up in the 50's. I don't like division either, dear AH. It bring back how isolating it can be and how "normal" can make that isolation. My blood also carries the strain. The 90s were a bit better.
yeppers. I would not want my name anywhere his.
Aspergern was active neigh on 90 years ago! No one wants to go back there!
this is extensively covered in "NeuroTribes" by Silberman. A great book all people on the spectrum may benefit from reading and a great illumination for practitioners to know more what we face.
‘Do you make your definition as a medical professional or layman?’
I make it as an autistic person who has been researching autism over the past two and a half years.
‘Can you also layout the definition for us to understand better please?’
I think ‘profound autism’ means autistic + high support needs – therein being the point: it’s autism *and* another condition or conditions.
Ann Memmott is an autistic autism professional. She says that difficulties such as an intellectual disability and epilepsy have been inaccurately labelled as ‘profound autism’.
https://annsautism.blogspot.com/2022/10/i-am-not-fan-of-creating-profound.html
Karen (surname unknown) was diagnosed as autistic aged 40 and she runs a wonderful YouTube channel called Proudly Autistic. In one of her videos, she comments on attitudes to autism that remind me of ‘profound autism’:
‘“You’re just a little autistic”…”You’re not really AUTISTIC autistic”…“I have some random neighbour or relative and they are autistic: they’re really autistic – they’re nothing like you.” All these attitudes are extremely offensive, and they demonstrate a general lack of understanding of what the autism spectrum actually is.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTAgmyoTgAw
My dislike of the ‘profound autism’ term is matched by my dislike of ‘high functioning’. As someone commenting on the Proudly Autistic video I have quoted from said:
‘High functioning means you’re spending much more energy trying to pass as normal. It doesn’t mean your life is easier.’
That’s pretty profound, isn’t it?
Likewise, Erin Ekins said on Twitter/X:
‘Autistic people that society has decided are ‘high functioning’ tend to have extremely disproportionate levels of mental illness and trauma, to the point where it’s actually life limiting and life threatening.’
This is a big problem. thanks for sharing.
‘Can you also lay out the definition for us to understand better please?’
Ann Memmott is an autistic autism professional. She says that difficulties such as an intellectual disability and epilepsy have been inaccurately labelled as ‘profound autism’:
‘"You’re just a little autistic"…"You’re not really AUTISTIC autistic"…"I have some random neighbour or relative and they are autistic: they’re really autistic – they’re nothing like you." All these attitudes are extremely offensive, and they demonstrate a general lack of understanding of what the autism spectrum actually is.’
Rach91 said: a guy who discovered autism was a cruel nazi his last name was asparagus which I believe to be German for autism or something.
The guy was Hans Asperger - he gained his position in the paedatrtic department in 1931 following the purge of jewish doctors and grew to be department head there in Vienna, Austria.
The hospital seems to have been strongly influenced by the Nazi party and Hans used this to facilitate all sorts of research into areas of personal interest using the anti-jewish policy to facilitate the approvals for what would otherwise have been dubious research.
He began identifying the symptoms that cover much of what is not called autism towards the end of the war and this ended up with his name on the condition he spotted.
He was clearly an opportunist and of dubious moral fibre by todays standards.
en.wikipedia.org/.../Hans_Asperger
They tend to be biased, often culturally, but bias would not, I think, produce a double-peaked distribution without some underlying cause.
I believe it’s because of the nazi party and world war 2 a guy who discovered autism was a cruel nazi his last name was asparagus which I believe to be German for autism or something. Well he experimented on kids and apparently asparagus is now offensive to diagnose I believe that’s the reason but i could be wrong but I know it’s to do with ww2 and the *** hope this helps
I like Spectrum. And autistic, for me, is like saying artistic, or gender queer, or person with hazel eyes or any other self-identifying modifier without any disorder implied.
I like saying I am on the spectrum and people like rainbows so hear a positive thing and that echos in their minds. Let's give it another year and see what happens.
Right now, we are headed towards more inclusion and understanding. Things are SO much easier now than in the 1950s! Take the win, and move onward, says I. Follow that star and straight on till morning!
Not to forget the IQ tests themselves being unintentionally biased. (Is that what firemonkey's article said?)
Cognitively I'm somewhat spiky.
+ = verbal, numerical,pattern recognition, working memory,
- = mental rotation,matrices,executive functioning(organising and planning),visual memory,non-verbal memory
+/- = processing speed.
The EF meant that I academically underachieved. It's been the most disabling thing for me.