Thinking about the 'spectrum' approach

Is it better than how things were previously? I was dxed with Asperger's  because that was still an official diagnosis in May 2019. These were how a dx was given. 1)social communication & social interaction at Asperger's level = Asperger's . 2) One at classical autism level,one at Asperger's level = Asperger's  3) Both at classical autism level= classical autism.

I fitted the second group. Social interaction = Asperger's level. Social communication= classical autism level . I would say that I'm different from both groups 1 and 3. Does the spectrum approach  make that difference more or less clear? I'm not at all sure.  Is it important that that difference is acknowledged  by those working with autistic persons? I would say 'yes' to that.   Although closer to those in group 1, I don't fully identify  with such people. That may or may not be increased by having a comorbid SMI.

Parents
  • I think that the spectrum approach was introduced, in part, to do away with having to classify individual people into 'boxes'; boxes that often had arbitrary boundaries. Plus there was an inevitable variation between assessing clinicians as to where these boundaries were drawn. On a spectrum, at least in theory, all possible variable individual traits can be accommodated. On the whole, I think the move from the separate 'boxes' towards a recognition of a wide range of presentation was a useful transition.

Reply
  • I think that the spectrum approach was introduced, in part, to do away with having to classify individual people into 'boxes'; boxes that often had arbitrary boundaries. Plus there was an inevitable variation between assessing clinicians as to where these boundaries were drawn. On a spectrum, at least in theory, all possible variable individual traits can be accommodated. On the whole, I think the move from the separate 'boxes' towards a recognition of a wide range of presentation was a useful transition.

Children
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