Are youth receiving "fake" Aspergers diagnoses

[Gomendosi]

Recently I replied to a thread about tech being all pervasive in today's society, so this has been in my mind lately.
So as it happened I was watching the tellie this afternoon, something I don't usually do these days, and there was some panel show on in which they were discussing how children now being diagnosed with Aspergers may be receiving a wrong diagnosis due to being bought up with a disconnectedness brought on by saturation point immersion in modern technology.
They said that children are losing the ability to recognize facial expressions and that only over the top displays of emotion will register with them due to the emotional impact of such displays and not the associated expressions. Their [essentially] cyber-nanny upbringing is isolating them now more than ever from the regular interaction so crucial to today's interpersonal relationships in school, family and society, "In a sense, what we are seeing is younger people who are more savvy with technology than with communicating face to face" one panel member said.

This to me seems like something that is increasingly getting recognition as a genuine phenomenon and could explain the absorption of the official Aspergers diagnosis into autism, because, when is Aspergers not Aspergers? When it's this new thing which is some kind of techno-disconnection syndrome...

 

[King_Oni]

It's something I have been wondering as well. The same goes for ADHD diagnosis I guess. And there's probably a few more that could be named as well.

The problem with diagnostics tools is that they can't keep up with current trends and developments as much. I mean, from DSM IV to DSM 5 has been just under 20 years. How much has changed? And from DSM 3 to 4 was about 14 years. We're diagnosing people with disorders, while in fact, we're not taking in consideration the dynamics of society as a whole.

Aside form this techno-disconnection, just look at how social dynamics changed and how people got less friendly and polite in the past say... 30 years. That's the kind of dynamic changes on a social level which I feel aren't taken in consideration either. I sometimes feel that the ones who create these diagnostics tools are in fact rather disconnected with reality themselves as well.

And what I touched upon at the start, the entire ADHD generation of now. With the extreme amount of energy drinks being branded and a non-stop exposure to moving images (television years ago, and now the internet... and probably even cellphones by now) it's not weird children have an attention span that's worse than that of a goldfish. I sometimes wonder if all these meds are actually meds to treat a condition or if they are in fact just pills they would've used in times of war decades ago to make soldiers retain focus. It's not as much fighting the symptoms as just "enhancing" people... which, through this faux-"medication" sets a new standard on how to live your life and what behaviour is expected. No one ever tested if modern life and the automation that comes with it actually has ill side-effects. And the same can probably be said about behaviour and what experts recognize as "autistic" behaviour.

Before I got my diagnosis and when I talked to therapist there wasn't a notion of being on the spectrum at first. Only after my mom was included in research and she confirmed that some idiosyncracies where present as a child, they figured that it might be something neurological. My behaviour now might most likely be labeled "anti-social" and slightly off. Which probably can tangent off to a debate of "is your asperger's an excuse?" since if it's not an excuse, then I'm just highly anti-social... and this becomes the new label for my behaviour.

So back to the entire modern technology thing; it might be a reason why there's an explosive growth of people on the spectrum right now. On the other hand, the diagnostics tools to diagnose people have improved as well. But there's just way too much variables that could come in place and require more than what a psychologist knows. I actually think that for the current generation to diagnose it, either there has to be extensive and lengthy research about the effects of modern technology and how the brain reacts to it, or an involvement of more than just a psychologist who researches a child. It would become a full on case study with sociologists, psychologists, teachers and what else there is that have to be included for every single potential diagnosis to be sure about it.

And let's not kid ourselves... in this day and age that's really all way to expensive. The cheaper alternative is to just tell people they're sick, they should take meds, shut the f up and get their **** together. Oh, and if possible pay for those meds themselves, since the pharmaceutical industry is big business.

 

[Jacki Cucinotta]

The media exaggerates emotions on a frequent basis, and it might be possible that many people from today's generation might come to believe that the emotions portrayed on TV, in movies, and even in music videos are associated with particular facial expressions. I'm not sure how they are able to claim that it is one reason why Asperger syndrome is being more frequently diagnosed, but I do see how this might be connected to the isolation from interactions with others in social situations. It will take much research to see if the increase in AS diagnoses is positively correlated with the increasing amount of exposure to technology and decreasing amount of face-to-face interactions. On the other hand, this issue addresses a frequently discussed concern that has become even more prevalent in the last decade or so: the impact of the media on today's society, including those with Asperger syndrome.

 

[Arashi222]

I'm not sure. I think that often with anything such as ADHD there is a point when we do have more information but not enough practice in diagnosing properly so there is always a stage where a particular disorder is the fade. However, I think that with Autism/Aspergers there is a difference between being overly into electronic communication and truely being unable to handle and understand social cues and social facial expressions and such. We display traits that go far beyond what is considered normal technology disconnection whatever. I think that we honestly have to be careful with how we diagnosis but we also have to be aware of the changing of society like King_Oni said too.

 

[Ste11aeres]

There is a trend I have seen on the internet to dismiss/disbelieve/mock other people's diagnoses.

The possibility of these diagnoses being false is speculation.
The psychologists who made the diagnosis could have made mistakes. On the other hand, they did actually meet the individuals in question, and subject them to careful scrutiny and analysis. On the other hand, the people dismissing these diagnoses, are (I assume) speaking in general terms of persons they don't even know individually. On the other hand, as King_Oni said, there's so many variables at play...

 

[wyverary]

The possibility of these diagnoses being false is speculation.
The psychologists who made the diagnosis could have made mistakes. On the other hand, they did actually meet the individuals in question, and subject them to careful scrutiny and analysis. On the other hand, the people dismissing these diagnoses, are (I assume) speaking in general terms of persons they don't even know individually. On the other hand, as King_Oni said, there's so many variables at play...

It will take much research to see if the increase in AS diagnoses is positively correlated with the increasing amount of exposure to technology and decreasing amount of face-to-face interactions. On the other hand, this issue addresses a frequently discussed concern that has become even more prevalent in the last decade or so: the impact of the media on today's society, including those with Asperger syndrome.

I agree with both of you. It is a subject well worth investigating, but until then, without any hard data gleaned from carefully-controlled studies, it seems a little...reactionary. For as long as there have been technological advances in how we communicate, there have been those complaining that somehow it will chip away at our ability to sustain interpersonal relationships. Folks always like to "blame" some problem or whatever on anything they can latch onto, and it is usually "the media" or "the Internet" or [insert whatever evolving/changing paradigm our society goes through]. Perhaps, to an extent, there is a nugget of truth there, and one cannot argue with the fact that the way we interact with others has changed dramatically. But does it actually cause these disorders? I highly doubt it, especially with autism spectrum disorders, where there is a clear neurological cause, even if we can debate how various societal influences affect the way in which it manifests.

Not that speculation is useless, of course; or that I am accusing y'all of anything more than that. It is good to think about these things. I do not even know how we could go about investigating this scientifically, without ignoring a huge number of variables (something, incidentally, I think some sociological studies fall into rather more often than they should).

So...yeah. Just my two cents, for what that is worth.

 

[Cyanide Lollipop]

I wonder if this modern phenomenon will lead to a benefit for the genuine Aspies? If society is full of people who cannot read non-verbal signs and who have the same types of difficulties as Aspies, then it may lead to specific curriculum in schools designed to counteract it. Some Aspies will no longer be overlooked or rejected for being different because they will effectively be part of a majority exhibiting these traits.

 

[Ste11aeres]

I wonder if this modern phenomenon will lead to a benefit for the genuine Aspies? If society is full of people who cannot read non-verbal signs and who have the same types of difficulties as Aspies, then it may lead to specific curriculum in schools designed to counteract it. Some Aspies will no longer be overlooked or rejected for being different because they will effectively be part of a majority exhibiting these traits.

If there was a specific curriculum developed, that would be good. But, it seems more likely that it would just become accepted as the norm. Which I think would be an impoverishment. Or, what if there was curricula, but they were badly developed/taught. Which would lead to mis-reading things.

 

[King_Oni]

I wonder if this modern phenomenon will lead to a benefit for the genuine Aspies? If society is full of people who cannot read non-verbal signs and who have the same types of difficulties as Aspies, then it may lead to specific curriculum in schools designed to counteract it. Some Aspies will no longer be overlooked or rejected for being different because they will effectively be part of a majority exhibiting these traits.

It could just as well go the other way. Let society crumble until people try way harder. Decline services for anyone who fits the profile and tell them to try harder to get somewhere.

And that's actually what seems more viable in this economic climate where there's cutbacks and all and from what I'm seeing, less services and accomodations.

 

[total-recoil]

The current Hikikomori syndrome in Japan has a technology, plus a drop-out basis. I agree with you, though, that the effects of excessive net use and isolation aren't the same as A.S.(which is something you're born with). In Japan a fairly small number of Hikikomori young people went on to be diagnosed with autism.

I'm not sure. I think that often with anything such as ADHD there is a point when we do have more information but not enough practice in diagnosing properly so there is always a stage where a particular disorder is the fade. However, I think that with Autism/Aspergers there is a difference between being overly into electronic communication and truely being unable to handle and understand social cues and social facial expressions and such. We display traits that go far beyond what is considered normal technology disconnection whatever. I think that we honestly have to be careful with how we diagnosis but we also have to be aware of the changing of society like King_Oni said too.

 

[Jacki Cucinotta]

I do not even know how we could go about investigating this scientifically, without ignoring a huge number of variables (something, incidentally, I think some sociological studies fall into rather more often than they should).

Exactly Wyv! It's not one of those areas that can be proven with tangible data. Biological facts can only go so far. Psychology is a more complex field in that it has to do with how the mind is processing what is going on around us. That's where interpretations and noticing patterns tends to come into play. And yes, there is a very high amount of variability that is observed in many psychological studies.

 

[code-e]

I definitly have Aspergers but sometimes I don't feel like it

 

[ptogrph17]

Well I think that a big difference between Hikikomori(if that's what could be being mistaken for Aspergers, if that's happening) is the way Aspies perceive the environment around them. I don't have time to get into detail about this, but there are a lot of Aspergers traits that I don't think can be explained by computer overuse, e.g., above average artistic ability, above average IQ, the subtle physical differences. Apparently in Japan They don't have this issue of mistaking autism for Hikikomori, so hopefully people here in other countries won't either.