Autism Spectrum Disorder


My personal feelings about the official removal of Asperger’s Syndrome as a diagnosis to Autism Spectrum Disorder is that I do not agree with it. I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at 5 and since my diagnosis cannot be taken away from me, this will not personally affect my life.


But I do not feel like it will be beneficial to anyone, Autistic or not. I’ve seen many doctors for various health issues and most of them were not well versed in Autism or asperger’s syndrome. I had a couple of doctors say that I should get reevaluated because I could talk to them without avoiding eye contact.


To a lot of doctors out there who do not specialize or have much to do with kids/teens with autism or asperger’s syndrome, asperger’s was a way for them to differentiate.


Unfortunately, many people fail to realize that there is a spectrum in the disorder. I’ve met people who are nonverbal, some who just have no impulse control/mental filter, some who have learning difficulties/disabilities or reduced intelligence, and a lot of people who are really, really smart and creative. I feel like a lot of people associate Autism with nonverbal and stupid. And that they associated Asperger’s syndrome as socially awkward geek, like Bill Gates.


While I do not agree with these all or nothing ways of thinking, it was a way (a terrible one, but a way) for people to differentiate between the two.


There is a lot more to asperger’s and autism than people know or care to understand. Yes I am socially awkward and not good with people. But I also have issues with fine motor skills and organization. I have a very sensitive central nervous system and probably will never be able to stomach alcohol. I have IBS and tend to get sick more than most people. I am quiet and tend to focus on my work better than the other kids despite having a terrible attention span. I used to take things very literally as a child. I had a great deal of anxiety and did not talk for the entire school day unless it was to a teacher. I did not raise my hand and feared being called onto to read something outloud. I hated the sound of my own voice. I do not like to be touched. I used to give people backwards hugs or avoid them all together. While I still do not like being touched, I hug people now without a problem. I have a huge sensitivity to heat and get overheated rather easily. My boundaries with other people are not as good as they should be. I often say too much or not enough. I want to tell you everything the second I meet you.


By the time I was ready to talk to people at school, it was too late. It was 7th grade and people already saw me as an intelligent, quiet girl who had no desire to talk or make friends. Or they thought I was a snob. I wanted friends. Badly. I just did not for the life of me know how to talk to people. I questioned every single things that came out of my mouth for years. As a result, I never said anything in school for years. I talked late and was put in speech therapy because I was so quiet. I could talk fine, I just chose not to.


I am a visual and auditory learner. Sometimes I need extra time on tests because it may take me a little longer to process something. I often need to see and hear things to fully comprehend something.


Anything that may seem obvious or common sense in regards to people and their actions and behaviors is not something I naturally understand. I read people rather well now, but I had many years of practice. Years of sitting by the sidelines unable to speak, watching others and how they went about doing so and taking mental notes.


Like for example, I can easily tell when someone is mad, upset, or pissed off. But it may not occur to me that it was something I did or said that made a person feel that way.


I also am not in touch with my own emotions. I was so anxious as a kid I never learned to cope with my emotions and now have to learn to do so later in life. As a young adult. While I am getting better, it is still difficult.


The ways in which I have become more high functioning was years of physical therapy, occupational therapy, regular old therapy, the great amount of time my parents put in to helping me get there, social groups, reiterated ideals (Hearing something over and over again until it finally sinks in), observance, and starting all of this at a very young age.


My mom is a social worker so she already knew a great deal about this to begin with, but immediately learned everything she could once I was diagnosed. She knew I needed to start working on my issues young and got me started at 5, the time?of my diagnosis.


My point is this; there is a huge spectrum. Asperger’s syndrome is on the high functioning end. With all of the progress I’ve made… while I am nowhere near perfect (But who really is), I blend in with the rest of the loners in the world. People cannot tell I have asperger’s syndrome and to this day doctors are still surprised when I reveal I do. Some still say I should get reevaluated simply based on the fact I can carry a conversation while looking them in the eye.


That took years for me to be able to do comfortably. But they don’t know that.


Full blown Autism is entirely different. There can be a plethora of things that differentiate it from Asperger’s. Whether it being lack of understandance of other people’s feelings, pervasive disorders, lack of speech or a nonverbal child, learning disabilities or an appearance of lack of intelligence, taking things entirely literally, not having any mental filter, etc.


EVERY individual case is different. There is not a typical example for each that one can look to and use as a model. Human beings are all different and unique without Autism Spectrum Disorder. So why do people assume that everyone with Autism is the same and everyone with Asperger’s in the same? It is like someone’s personality. You will never find another exactly like it. In the entirely world.


Doctors and the people in general are rather uneducated on Autism and asperger’s syndrome as it is. Few are aware of the spectrum and most of those who are do not realize how wide the range is. They see asperger’s as just being socially awkward. They see Autism as being nonverbal. There is WAY more to it than that.


So I do not agree with Asperger’s Syndrome being removed as a diagnosis. People establish it as a lowgrade form of Autism. A lot of doctors use that to differentiate from full blown Autism. I believe that this will negatively affect not just those with Autism or asperger’s syndrome but also the general population who is uneducated about the spectrum and many differences involved in it.


I also have to wonder what the new qualifications for this Autism Spectrum Diagnosis will be? Will people who had previously qualified as someone with Asperger’s Syndrome like myself, slip through the cracks? Just thought to be quiet, a loner, a geek, or socially awkward? While having issues socially in both day to day aspects and interpersonal relationships is a huge part of asperger’s syndrome and autism… it is not the only part. By a long shot.


I feel like all of this will take away some of the progress that has been made over the years. I feel the world has a lot of ways in which it needs to improve upon Autism and asperger’s syndrome awareness and comprehension.
I feel as though this is a step back and both sides will suffer immensely because of that.