Defining what is AS and what isn't

Hi Longman and Others,

I think I understand what Longman is trying to say, well here goes...

I too spaced out a lot when I was a younger child. I would go for moments into "my little own world" or simply into nothing at all and with the latter would completely lose what was going on around me. So if someone has said something to me, I wouldn't have known. These spacing out events do not occur often, now I'm older and I don't know why this is the case.

This doesn't mean I don't go into my own little world like I mentioned earlier but prehaps in different ways. For instance I might instead get so preoccupied in a task that is to do with my special interest, that I forget to eat for lunch etc. I think others have mentioned such issues before on here.

I think by analysing one's behaviour etc after events such as this or others, we may whether knowingly or unknowingly come across other behaviours that may seem "odd" or out of place. These then cannot be simplistically explained by the current working definition of Autism so we may ponder on them.

The positives in looking out for such behaviours, well for me is that, I can find out anecdoctal evidance from places like this forum that others may struggle with similar issues too. For instance whilst I'm not affected greatly by sensory issues as others may be on this forum, this then leads to the second point that it begs the questioning of whether such issues (like the sensory difficulties mentioned) should be looked or analysed in further detail and then given more weight when people are diagnosed with Autism in the future. 

For me this then issue then comes down to influencing Baron-Cohen et al   or those that actually set the diagnostic criteria for Autism internationally, to at the very least consider or acknowledge that the current model of the triad of impairments should be looked as being the starting block for Autism and that there may be other co-morbid or totally seperate issues/behaviours/traits/querks or whatever else you want to call them; that could have then potential being part of Autism. As a result this should lead to culture change (well in theory) and lead to the actual diagnostic criteria being changed accordingly.

I guess how far we go into this debate without adding too much that we risk loosing the core basis of the current diagnotic framework on Autism, is something that needs to be considered but I don't have an answer for this. I'm not saying I and others are hypochondriacs or whatever but this is an issue I have personally thought a lot about in private. I am therefore very glad that others like Longman have touched on this issue too and we can debate or look into it further. 

I hope I have tried to answer(ish) the issue that I believe Longman was bringing to our attention.

Take Care,

urspecial.  

Hi Longman and Others,

I think I understand what Longman is trying to say, well here goes...

I too spaced out a lot when I was a younger child. I would go for moments into "my little own world" or simply into nothing at all and with the latter would completely lose what was going on around me. So if someone has said something to me, I wouldn't have known. These spacing out events do not occur often, now I'm older and I don't know why this is the case.

This doesn't mean I don't go into my own little world like I mentioned earlier but prehaps in different ways. For instance I might instead get so preoccupied in a task that is to do with my special interest, that I forget to eat for lunch etc. I think others have mentioned such issues before on here.

I think by analysing one's behaviour etc after events such as this or others, we may whether knowingly or unknowingly come across other behaviours that may seem "odd" or out of place. These then cannot be simplistically explained by the current working definition of Autism so we may ponder on them.

The positives in looking out for such behaviours, well for me is that, I can find out anecdoctal evidance from places like this forum that others may struggle with similar issues too. For instance whilst I'm not affected greatly by sensory issues as others may be on this forum, this then leads to the second point that it begs the questioning of whether such issues (like the sensory difficulties mentioned) should be looked or analysed in further detail and then given more weight when people are diagnosed with Autism in the future. 

For me this then issue then comes down to influencing Baron-Cohen et al   or those that actually set the diagnostic criteria for Autism internationally, to at the very least consider or acknowledge that the current model of the triad of impairments should be looked as being the starting block for Autism and that there may be other co-morbid or totally seperate issues/behaviours/traits/querks or whatever else you want to call them; that could have then potential being part of Autism. As a result this should lead to culture change (well in theory) and lead to the actual diagnostic criteria being changed accordingly.

I guess how far we go into this debate without adding too much that we risk loosing the core basis of the current diagnotic framework on Autism, is something that needs to be considered but I don't have an answer for this. I'm not saying I and others are hypochondriacs or whatever but this is an issue I have personally thought a lot about in private. I am therefore very glad that others like Longman have touched on this issue too and we can debate or look into it further. 

I hope I have tried to answer(ish) the issue that I believe Longman was bringing to our attention.

Take Care,

urspecial.