it's not a situation where both sides are equal. Saying "Asperger's is going to be taken out of the DSM" doesn't make sense, because that isn't true (by that definition of "being taken out of the DSM," Autistic Disorder is also going to be taken out, but I don't hear anyone saying that). Saying "kids with Asperger's are going to be forced to be in classes with severely autistic, nonverbal kids" doesn't make sense, because that isn't true. Saying "people with Asperger's are now going to be considered not to have any condition at all" doesn't make sense, because that isn't true. Saying "people with Autistic Disorder use diapers/headbang/etc., and people with Asperger's don't, so they should be considered to be different disorders" doesn't make sense, because that isn't true across the board, and even if it was, there are lots of disorders where some people use diapers/headbang/etc., and some people don't.
I don't have to respect opinions that don't make sense or are based on things that aren't true. And it's very hard for me to respect opinions which (in some cases) seem to have a basis in ableism.
ETA: [J.] and plenty of other people who are verbal and who don't use diapers or wear helmets have to share the Autistic Disorder diagnosis with people who do. I have to share the PDD-NOS diagnosis with people who do. If sharing a diagnosis with people who have certain problems that you don't have is so horrible, then why aren't any of us bothered about it? Probably because we're not elitists like Michael John Carley and we realize there's more to a person than whether they can control their bowels.
(Yeah, at this point I'm sort of being an asshole. SOMETIMES I GET OVEREXCITED, OKAY.)
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i got too annoyed with the entire debate to keep reading the lj comments, so i tend to skip the entries concerning that whole deal. call me narrow-minded, but i literally can't wrap my head around most of the negative arguments.
ReplyDeletethere was one person who said they never would've been diagnosed if it weren't for asperger's being a seperate condition, and another who said they never would've gone in for an assessment at all because they never would've thought of themselves as autistic, and wouldn't have done their research if it weren't for asperger's being something seperate. i suppose that's a valid reason-- although i disagree, i understand their concern.
sure, it's going to cause confusion and a higher functioning person may be frowned upon because people will be like "what? you're not wearing diapers and you don't headbang" but in my head that's something positive, because all the questions that are going to arise, will be a really good starting point for education.
there were other people who were concerned about health insurance policies, which is at least a valid excuse.
it seems like all the other people like being 'aspies' and don't want to be mentioned in the same sentence as those who are lower-functioning. they don't want to be catagorised as being the same as 'those people'. i don't understand, because i'm actually almost honoured to be the same as 'those people', because i'm so sick and tired of watching them being referred to as 'those people'.
i genuinely believed that especially people on the spectrum would be a little more respectful towards lower-functioning autistics. it confuses me a lot.
i like the idea of people no longer assuming i'm this magnificent creature just because i have asperger's. yes, i'm hyper-intelligent, yes, i might have some special talent (subjective)-- doesn't make a super-human. i still have to plan out my every move before walking into a shop; i still can't sit on a crowded bus without tearing up; i still have a lot of trouble maintaining friendships; and recently it still took me over a week to prepare for a phone call to make an appointment with my GP. a lot of people don't ever think of asperger's like that.
i know that many 'aspies' deal with the same judgment all the time, and in a similar way, lower-functioning autistics are under-estimated far too often. adjusting the DSM entries could actually be the beginning of a lot more understanding and knowledge, if people could just stop being so hesitant and afraid.
i agree that most of the negative points are based on lies or false assumptions. i can't really join in the debate because it angers me so much and makes me want to scream.
- nicky
I really can't stand this whole debate thing either, I am trying really hard to keep an open mind with arguments but a lot of them are not very .. logical. I don't even think the insurance one is logical either. I am so meh about the whole thing and I really don't know if I belong in that Asperger's community at all.. after all I'm not diagnosed with Asperger Disorder or whatever, I know i don't belong at wrong planet.. the views there are even WORSE. Like really bad view points about things, there are some who support the change but there are those that are so arrogant it pisses me off.
ReplyDeleteI am not on the lower end of the spectrum, but I don't hold them to any lower standards than I hold everyone else. They may have a bit more needs than I have, or less needs or whatever but that doesn't mean they are less of a person. I am beginning to think that I am viewed as less of a person compared to the Aspie supremacists who probably would view me as "one of those people" even though I'm not considered "LFA" since i'm diagnosed with Autistic Disorder.
I know a few Aspies who actually will not be qualified for a diagnosis, which means they shouldn't have been diagnosed in the first place. Blah.
This whole DSM-V thing is ridiculous.