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Trust me - Asperger's is real. It might be a fad in your parts and that is a shame. But Asperger's is not an illness! It is a characteristic that some people have. My partner will tell you that I'm an Aspie. I'm not aware of it but she is. Now I don't need a label or anything like that. But I do need to understand why I am the way I am. But by now it's just a curiosity.
I do wish Asperger's was known about in my early days and I sure wish it was known about when my son was born. He had Asperger's, no question about it it. Go to that website and read what they say. My son was just like they describe. One thing no one can do is to tell me I'm not what I am. Likewise my son. Hell, I was there. And he took his own life in a final act of desperation. It was not the Asperger's that killed him but rather the vulnerability that came with it. And one of those vulnerabilities was the way cannabis and alcohol affected him plus the way medication affected him (made him worse). There were undoubtedly parenting errors that contributed to his downfall but whatever those errors were, he was still a happy little guy until he was moved into mainstream school. He couldn't cope with school during his first year so he was put into 'special class' where he thrived. there were only ten kids in his class. Once back in mainstream with thirty kids he became very unhappy. Being on Ritalin did not help I'm sure (he was hyperactive). We did what we could for him and we did get him into a much better place but post school events, coupled with cannabis I'm sure, were his final undoing.
I sympathize with you for the loss of your son. I have children of my own and would be greatly and permanently anguished if one were to take his or her own life.
However, you've exemplified the problem the OP pointed out. When individuals make dilettante diagnoses of themselves and others, it diminishes the perceived validity of the syndrome.
If Aspberger's is not an illness but a "characteristic," then, frankly, it's not a societal issue. I'm a "nerd." I can look at a list on a website and diagnose myself as a nerd. Actually, if I go to an Asperger's advocacy website, I could diagnose myself as being on the Asperger's spectrum...and probably all persons currently considered "nerds" can do the same. You can go to other websites and find the same characteristics being defined as signs of psychosis.
Somewhere out there, there are people with genuine Asperger's Syndrome and they are debilitated by it, but the issue is not advocated by people making dilettante diagnoses based on website lists.
I work in the mental health field as a clinician. I did a fair amount of study on Aspergers in grad school (10 years ago) as it was just coming into vogue. I was curious: "what IS this thing I keep hearing about??" My thoughts:
It is a fad. My profession has had a number of pure fads over the years. This is today's Big Fad. (If that sounds unscientific and ridiculous, well, it is.) It is also a lazy diagnosis; it takes a fraction of the time and effort to make an Aspergers diagnosis versus figuring out/pinpointing more accurate, specific and useful diagnoses.
It is very, very dubious diagnosis at heart (almost always an attempt to blame bad parenting or family/school/social problems on a kid). It is remarkable how many "odd Aspy" kids who come my way have parents who are very odd. And it never even occurs to them that this might have something to do with why their kid is odd. Political correctness and the power of the Aspergers movement make it difficult to get any kind of contrary message out at all. Aspergers has been swallowed hook, line and sinker in lightning speed.
Major pharmaceuticals are working like mad to find a pill that they can give for it. They sponsor tons of conferences and trainings for people like me to go to, to become "experts" on Aspergers. And guess what? Those people go back to their hometowns and start to rapidly diagnose people with...........Aspergers. In other words, the pharmaceuticals are creating a new market.
What else can I tell you? Lol. Two or three percent of the kids who come my way with Aspergers diagnosis MIGHT have the disorder, in reality. Two or three percent! That is, if you believe that there even IS such a thing. Which I don't. ''
I think maybe you're saying that it's an incorrect diagnosis. Perhaps in the past people who suffered from this and other mental disabilities were merely accepted into the society without being set apart, and thought of as having idiosyncracies and weirdnesses, and families and community generally helped them out by providing them jobs and it was no big deal if they lived at home. Nowadays they are attempting to classify them because people in this society are increasingly required to "pull their own weight" and not depend on others. Disabled folks are required to make their own salaries, to finance their own living, etc. Just my opinion.
Because America is a 'labelistic' society.
Anything that strays away from the 'norm' has a description attached to it. This in turn allows one to disassociate the person from the behavior, which leads to the condition being blamed for the behavior, but not the person.
Ah, but as soon as being labeled becomes the norm..!
I suppose for someone who has not lived with Asperger's it is quite understandable to to have a negative view on Asperger's 'labelling'. As I said, I have not seen this 'fad' in my parts. I don't understand this 'labelling' thing.
I shall endeavour to provide some enlightenment on Asperger's Syndrome. Bear with me, this is not my strong point.
We in New Zealand have an Asperger's Association and an Official Autism Website. I provided a link above to an Asperger's site - I'd suggest reading it. Here is a quote by an experts.
Quote:
It is now recognised that autism occurs in a variety of forms, e.g. High-Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome (sometimes called Asperger’s Disorder). Autism and related conditions can now be grouped under the term Autistic Spectrum Disorder (A.S.D.) They are relatively common, with Asperger’s Syndrome occurring in one in every 300 persons.
This website seeks to give basic information on Autistic Spectrum Disorder, with an emphasis on the higher-functioning types of Asperger’s Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism. Checklists are included. To assist interested persons, I have also written a book on Asperger’s Syndrome, (see book page).
I know ten people (one deceased) with Asperger's, seven of them in my own family, including myself. My mother was autistic (same spectrum) and explains why so many of her kids and grand kids have Asperger's.
I take this Asperger's thing very seriously because of the devastation in my family. I struggled through school and adult hood. My son struggled through school and adulthood. It is serious business, this Asperger's. To say it's just a fad or labelling or an excuse doesn't seem fair to me. I don't see how it can be over-diagnosed either. I'd say it is still under-diagnosed.
Quote:
TUESDAY, June 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with the milder form of autism known as Asperger syndrome are much more likely to think about and attempt suicide than those in the general population, a new British study suggests.
The survey of 374 British adults with Asperger syndrome found that 66 percent reported having suicidal thoughts and 35 percent had planned or attempted suicide. Suicidal thoughts were much more common among those with a history of depression, the authors noted.
... and thought of as having idiosyncracies and weirdnesses, ...
This.
Have any of you actually looked up and taken an Asperger's 'checklist'?
Here is a quote from one website;
Quote:
Aspergers Disorder (syndrome)
Asperger's syndrome, or sometimes called Asperger's Disorder, is one of a group of diagnoses included under the general term "Pervasive Developmental Disorders". It is sometimes compared to high-functioning Autistic Disorder. In general, Asperger's syndrome is used to describe persons with severe deficits in social interaction and who display repetitive, stereotyped behaviors without significant delays in the acquisition of language or in cognitive functioning. The majority of persons with Asperger's have some degree of language disorder, although their language difficulties may be mild and related only to the use of language for socialisation. The following are certain areas which are especially difficult for children with Asperger's:
Children with AS generally have difficulty with social skills and are often teased or ignored by peers.
Children with AS generally have impairments in thinking / cognitive processing, which often includes perseverative, rigid, or ritualistic thinking.
Communication skills may be impaired, particularly in pragmatic language, problem solving, and abstract reasoning.
Children with AS may display unusual sensory reactions and may become easily over- stimulated.
Difficulties with motor or perceptual-motor skills are also common, and children with AS may often seem awkward or clumsy.
Some children present with what appears to be typical autism, but go on to develop language and other skills, and by adolescence have all the features described by Asperger. Distinction between Asperger and autism: absence of delayed early language development in Asperger.
No two children are affected in exactly the same way, thus allowance needs to be made for individuality. But a child with Asperger syndrome does not necessarily have to attend a specialist school - an ideal support is a cooperation of the network class teacher, support teacher and special support assistant. They should be calm, positive and consistent and preferably have a good sense of humour.
As you can see, there is not ambiguity. One cannot apply the Asperger's criteria to diagnose psychosis. A psychosis may be present as a comorbid condition though. Having Asperger's can win a person the title of being a nerd.
P.S. My son did have delayed early language development. We had to take him for speech therapy to learn to talk. And could he ever talk! He was very popular barman for a few years. He was clumsy and awkward as a teenager but that passed.
Maybe back when you studied it over a decade ago? The diagnosis should be made by a physician, based on an assessment of symptoms and diagnostic tests.
Quote:
It is remarkable how many "odd Aspy" kids who come my way have parents who are very odd. And it never even occurs to them that this might have something to do with why their kid is odd.
I suppose for someone who has not lived with Asperger's it is quite understandable to to have a negative view on Asperger's 'labelling'. As I said, I have not seen this 'fad' in my parts. I don't understand this 'labelling' thing.
I shall endeavour to provide some enlightenment on Asperger's Syndrome. Bear with me, this is not my strong point.
We in New Zealand have an Asperger's Association and an Official Autism Website. I provided a link above to an Asperger's site - I'd suggest reading it. Here is a quote by an experts. I know ten people (one deceased) with Asperger's, seven of them in my own family, including myself. My mother was autistic (same spectrum) and explains why so many of her kids and grand kids have Asperger's.
I take this Asperger's thing very seriously because of the devastation in my family. I struggled through school and adult hood. My son struggled through school and adulthood. It is serious business, this Asperger's. To say it's just a fad or labelling or an excuse doesn't seem fair to me. I don't see how it can be over-diagnosed either. I'd say it is still under-diagnosed.
This.
Have any of you actually looked up and taken an Asperger's 'checklist'?
Here is a quote from one website;
As you can see, there is not ambiguity. One cannot apply the Asperger's criteria to diagnose psychosis. A psychosis may be present as a comorbid condition though. Having Asperger's can win a person the title of being a nerd.
P.S. My son did have delayed early language development. We had to take him for speech therapy to learn to talk. And could he ever talk! He was very popular barman for a few years. He was clumsy and awkward as a teenager but that passed.
Unfortunately you will never convince some that certain conditions exist. No brain MRI, no actual physical evidence not even all these pages of first person descriptions will ever convince some that Aspergers is real.
Of course there's always the possibility that some are just those kind of people who liked to pick at the "different kid" since they're oh-so-much smarter/better then "that weirdo".
As for you Maineguy8888 I'd suggest it's time for a field trip for continuing education purposes. Might I suggest a trip to SARRC? Maybe once immersed in the spectrum you might just understand. Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC)
Unfortunately you will never convince some that certain conditions exist. No brain MRI, no actual physical evidence not even all these pages of first person descriptions will ever convince some that Aspergers is real.
Of course there's always the possibility that some are just those kind of people who liked to pick at the "different kid" since they're oh-so-much smarter/better then "that weirdo".
As for you Maineguy8888 I'd suggest it's time for a field trip for continuing education purposes. Might I suggest a trip to SARRC? Maybe once immersed in the spectrum you might just understand. Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC)
Thanks but no thanks, jimj. Been there, done that. Fifteen years in the field serving hundreds of families, masters degree, lots of personal research, etc. etc. and yet, and yet...counts for nothing, I guess. All that matters is that we who disagree with the diagnosis were big bullies who picked on kids with Aspergers forty years ago???
Your post is a perfect example of the way that the Aspergers discussion takes place: any one who DARES question that diagnosis today needs to be re-educated.
I tell you, this is a foul, wicked thing because it hurts so many kids. It is absolutely shameful what is happening. The kids don't even have a clue that they are just cogs in a big machine/industry. But then, how COULD they know?? They're just kids.
Last edited by maineguy8888; 06-27-2014 at 07:51 PM..
Maybe back when you studied it over a decade ago? The diagnosis should be made by a physician, based on an assessment of symptoms and diagnostic tests.
There's a genetic component to Asperger's.
No it was a dubious diagnosis ten years ago, and now it's even more dubious.
The genetic component argument absolutely does not wash. There has been NO identified organic aspect found, despite decades of trying. There is no "genetic test" that one can take to be ruled in or out as having Aspergers. It is not even "known" if Aspergers is indeed on the autism spectrum. First it "wasn't", then it "was", then it "wasn't". If a new diagnosis crops up and the "experts" don't even have a clue as to whether it is connected to autism, then almost nothing is known about the diagnosis. And if almost nothing is known about it, then it isn't a good diagnosis. In fact, it is an idea. Or a guess.
You would have to research the history of the creation of this diagnosis to understand how incredibly unique the process has been for the Aspergers diagnosis. It has almost nothing in common with the way all other diagnoses have come to be hypothesized, studied, formulated, adjusted, and revised. There are many, many people in the field who have had intimate knowledge of this process over the last fifty years who ended up becoming deeply alarmed if not shocked that Aspergers was being accepted as a mainstream diagnosis.
But then, you've never heard about all those people, have you?
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Maybe once immersed in the spectrum you might just understand. 
