Asperger Syndrome should the label stay?

Yes I have Co- Existing conditions.

I have difficulty recognizing people so I could not possibly really do the emothion tests for Ofer Golan.  At the time I thought it was Asperger Syndrome but most Asperger people can recognize other people.  I also get lost easialy that again is not Asperger Syndrome.  Do you all know about the mind reading tests organised by Simon Baron Cohen in Cambrige.  I should really have refused to do the tests as I probably have prosognosia as well as Asperger Syndrome.

I have perception problems so someone stopped testing me when she saw my verbal reasoinging was good but my perception was poor.  She was doing research into Autism.

I am also not well co-ordinated so I probably have Dyspraxia.

As for Dyslexia I  found it difficult to learn to read when I was a child but my Mother helped me.  I still have trouble spelling.

I took a test by the Dyslexia institute a few years ago and the lady who anylised the tests said I do not have dyslexia and all my problems can be accounted for by Asperger Syndrome.  I expect when I was younger I would have counted as having Dyslexia.  I got six O Levels and two A Levels but never got the required C in English.

This what makes me think we should have an all embracing label with an explanation with the diagnoses.

David

Yes, I think this is true. I know a person with AS who has epilepsy, one with dyspraxia and speech impediment, another with mild psychosis, one with OCD, another with depression - they all attend my AS social group. Speaking for myself, I have OCD and ongoing anxiety, which I experience every day. I have a visual-spatial learning difficulty, which has got better over time but which I still struggle with, and I have discalculia - maths impairment.  I struggle with some practical tasks which involve coordination and  multi-tasking, and I can get easily distracted during the completion of practical tasks and with following multiple instructions. These difficulties are not severe enough to merit the label dyspraxia, but I consider them to be part of my aspergers, and yet  many people just look at the social difficulties. So I agree that  an awareness of neuro-diversity within the AS diagnosis is vital.

I am clumbsy as well so I probably have Dyspraxia as well.

It stands to reason that I have Dyspraxia as well as it is another developmental disorder.

Many people I know with Asperger Syndrome have other problems.

Some people diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome also have Epilepsy.

Mary of DANDA when she was allive used to say that very few people diagnosed with Asperger just have that one condition.

Out of the people you know with Asperger Syndrome do they also have a Co Existing Condition?

The question is this do more people diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome have other difficulties than the general population?

I think that has been proven to be true.

David

David said:

.I have said before that I would like to lump Apserger people with other Developmental Disorders such as Dyslexia Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is because most people diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome usually have at least one of those disorders as a co-existing conidtion.

Is there any hard evidence that this is true?  I don't have any of those.

In the 1990s many people thought that Aspererger Syndrome and Autism are separate disabilities.

Since the 1990s there has been evidence that Autism and Asperger Syndrome are the same disability.

I know some people with Asperger Syndrome have siblings with Classic Autism and who cannot really speak.

I think that is why the American Psychiatric Association want to lump all Autistics in a label called Autistic Spectrum Disorder with different degrees of Autism from mildly Autistic where most current Asperger people will come into.

I know some people with Asperger Syndrome wont like being lumped with Classic Autistic people.

I have said before that I would like to lump Apserger people with other Developmental Disorders such as Dyslexia Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is because most people diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome usually have at least one of those disorders as a co-existing conidtion.

Anyway the Doctors whether we like it or not will probably in future call all Autistic people including Asperger people ASD meaning Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

David

birdalone said:

I dont feel there is a need for a separate label of Aspergers syndrome. HFA is just fine.

There must have been a good  reason for orginally applying a separate label for Asperger's Syndrome. 

To any query as to what is the difference the usual answer is  that those diagnosed with HFA have speech problems - either late development, or the need for therapy in order to obtain a 'normal' level of speech. 

I've also seen it stated that people diagnosed with AS generally have an awareness of their disability and that they are 'different' from others, coupled with a desire to be like everyone else i.e. have friends, a girl/boyfriend or a job which often causes problems for the individual,  and which differentiates them from those with HFA.

If indeed there are differences  then I don't think that putting them both under the same umbrella of HFA would be in any way fine.

I do not think here is the place to discuss  problems with DANDA.

We can do it by private E Mail to me.

I was just discussing that one idea of Mary Colley about Co-Existing Conditions.

That means that most people who have Asperger Syndrome have other conditions.

As Mary said that many people with Asperger Syndrome have Dyspraxia so do not have an eye for detail.

Mary is no longer alive.

You can observe what DANDA does on their web site and send E Mails to them.

David

DANDA has some good ideas and a neurodiverse label seems sensible. The problem I found with DANDA is everything happens in a London venue somewhere, so it may not mean much to many provincials. Those conferences I managed to attend I enjoyed, because they always had a positive spin on things.

The American Psychiatric Association want to get rid of the term Asperger Syndrome in May 2013 and replace it with mild Autism.   They are doing it in a manual called DSM 5.

On careful reading those who already diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome will keep the label and Doctors will be able still be able to use the term Asperger Syndrome unofficially.

Mary who sadly died used to say that most people with Asperger Syndrome have Co-Existing Conditions.

I probably have Dyspraxia as when I worked at Waitrose they complained that I was too slow with the packing and taking shopping across the road.  The DEA tried to say that it has nothing to do with my disability as the employers are not complaining about my social skills.

I think it would be a good idea to replace Asperger Syndrome with a new Neuro Diverse Label which includes Asperger Syndrome Dyslexia Dyspraxia Attention Deficit Disorder.  The Diagnoses should include a statement of needs.

The organisation DANDA embraces these conditions which the late Mary Colley founded.

Unfortunately there appears no plans to replace Asperger Syndrome with a new Neuro Diverse Label but those of us who are worried about loosing their diagnoses of Asperger Syndrome need not worry as it is not going to happen.

David

Looking forward to replies.

Yes I remember about twenty years ago in Croydon the parents of the Asperger group of children quickly removed the Autistic label to put up Asperger Syndrome.

I talked to a Mother and she explained that her six year old Asperger son is very naughty and there is no point punishing him.

I do not know what he is like as an adult.

There should be homes for Asperger people who cannot controle their anti social behaviour and I expect medication cannot controle it either.

If we do not have the label Asperger Syndrome there should still be homes for high functioning Autistic people who cannot cope in the community without getting into trouble with the Police.

We do not want those sort of people landing in Prison if it is no good punishing them.

The danger is that they could be prison for life for public protection which would not be fair as the offence might not be serious and the Autistic person could not help what he or she did.

At one time I expect Autistic people could spend their lives in Mental Hospitals but most of the Mental Hospitals have closed down.

I know an Autistic home could be a nicer sort of Prison as people in some Autistic homes have the front door locked and they are not allowed out without staff.

Unfortunately Autistic Adults sometimes continue their childish behaviour as Adults and do not reform so the Police and the Courts need to be aware of that but the public still has to be protected.

David

I know the above E mail deals with other subjects than labels.

David

I am diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome and have often come across people who respond to the term with oh thats a mild version of autism isnt it?

I believe it's all autism and I am autistic.

so i have a high IQ and am verbally able but in other ways I could be 'rainman'  but it's not apparent.

aspergers means I dont seem to get cut any slack. I believe 'autistic' would be taken more seriously.

perhaps some parents take comfort in the aspergers label because it doesnt seem so 'bad'.?

my son has a diagnosis of autism, but has less issues.

I feel that it really is an autism spectrum and we are all on it, but in our individual places and we can even move along it sometimes.

I dont feel there is a need for a separate label of Aspergers syndrome. HFA is just fine.

The question is whether it is better to call Asperger High Functioning Autism or Mild Autism.

The trouble is that most people with the label Asperger are far from Autistic and have many other co-existing conditions.

The label mildly Autistic is not helpful if a person has a few Autistic traits but is disturbed because of a mental illness.

That confuses people.

The word Asperger had the advantage that people were prepared to accept their disablity but  the word sounds funny to  people who have not got it.

It was also difficult to explain to people what Asperger Syndrome is.

We were trying hard all these years to get people to hear of this label now it is going to disappear in America and probably all over the world.

May be Asperger should be replaced with the term Autistic traits.

I expect with the label Asperger a community might disappear when the label goes

as they will not want to join the Autistic community.

May be high functioning Autistic people will still club together.

Doctors will still have to decide whether their co-existing conditions such as Mental Illess are more important than their Autistic traits.

David

Given that Hans Asperger's original subjects are I gather deemed no longer typical, I guess it has always been on the cards that the name might be changed. Last time I asked my GP whether they still had my diagnosis on file, his comment was that old cookie "Aspergers, is that a new vegetable?", but it didn't get me any further. My GP also believes Aspergers only happens in childhood. A fundamental problem we have is that GPs don't take it seriously, and I don't see any progeress being made until GPs are confronted with the folly of their attitude. Besides, treating potentially aspergers individuals for anxiety and stress and other conditions, while disregarding aspergers as a factor, surely costs the NHS more in inappropriate treatments.

So I concur we are in for a change in recognition, and probably to the further disadvantage of all of us so diagnosed.