Simon Baron-Cohen discusses ASD vs. ASC: is one small letter important? at Research Autism conference 'Disorder or difference? Autistic experiences of school
Depending on the level of daily functioning and suffering one can call it a disorder or a condition. Autism is such a complex thing as it affects every person in a different way. Generally speaking, you can not answer these kind of questions for every person. I am more than unhappy having it, so for me despite giving me high intelligence and talents, it's a massive disorder and handicap which had a severe and negative impact on my life. And at least 50% of it is caused directly by society. My view of the world and perception is not wrong but a lot of times does not correspond to the NT view of things which often is shallow and biased in terms of social heuristics. So I am being invalidated. Having high levels of anxiety does not help either.
The essence of ASC is simply that AS in not a disorder. 'Suffering' levels don't change this. You can suffer with a condition as much as a disorder, and may be more!! The fact that so many AS communicate well with AS, indicates that it isn't a disorder and experiments bear this out. The 'double empathy' idea describes AS and NT communication like to ships that pass in the night; whereas AS get AS and NTs get NT's, or at least think they do!
A consideration irrespective of word usage: Different people may be more or less "functional" in ways that matter both at a basic level of being a human and a more complex level, depending on development of themselves towards a context that "fits" or "suits" them. Equally, such contexts need to have an ethical dimension to them aka "Live And Let Live" or Golden Rule as such equivalent. As with anyone who's lumped in the normal group or the "abnormal groups", each individual needs to develop towards what is a good fit for them in life: Finding that seems a beneficial path for many people and perhaps a useful application of all this scientific knowledge. The reverse is observable: People may not develop both basic and complex or one or the other and not find a suitable fit context. Here we observe dysfunction or in the humanities language: Tragedies of human life. I found the arbitrary assignment of the DSM to be useful information.
Excellent. I would prefer the term Condition to Disorder. I'm ADHD, Dyslexic and Autistic. I refuse to use the word Disorder. Does anyone else find this USAmerican trend concerning?
I hear you. Same here. Using the word disorder in a medical environment is one thing, but why should someone have the right to call me a person with a disorder I a work or social environment. It's a framing that has an impact of the way people judge me. Fuck I'm a high performing person at work. As long as my work is good the way my brain works is none of their business
It can be "treated" with therapy. It won't be cured which is a different thing. We treat diabetes, but we don't expect a cure to be provided by the treatment.
It can actually, especially if you understand autism as a difference resulting in disability, rather than a sickness needing to be treated, like cancer. As Baron-Cohen said in the lecture, there are a lot of ways in which autistic brains are different rather than defective. In the same way that a neurotypical child can gain skills and develop through being in a healthy, nurturing environment, autistic people can too. With the right supports and coping strategies, like speech and language training or occupational therapy or many others, an autistic person can become less anxious and more open, which makes their autistic mind less of a problem and more of an asset. As an autistic person myself, that is how I experience the world.
