Uta Frith: why I no longer think autism is a spectrum

[velociraptor]

there should be 4 categories

Asperger's was the fourth category. Let's meet in the middle on this. Give it a new name that doesn't have any Nazi issues and let those of us who were Aspies be Somethingelseies and we're Even Steven.

 

[Hypnalis]

Asperger's was the fourth category. Let's meet in the middle on this. Give it a new name that doesn't have any Nazi issues and let those of us who were Aspies be Somethingelseies and we're Even Steven.

Asperger has no Nazi issues.

The "issues" were fabricated by ignorant airheads, and found their way here via people who got way too enthusiastic about catastrophizing. Among NTs catastrophizing is still in use, but it's become mostly self-harm - I think it's time for us to ignore it in general, and completely avoid it in use.

I agree with cyber though - I think a 4th category would be a good thing.

Asperger's doesn't work well as a 4th category though. The distinction was essentially "someone with Autism, but without a significant communication deficit".
Modern ASD is much broader than Autism was in his day - Almost everyone here would be over that bar.

 

[Cyber]

Aspies are basically Level 1 - require some level of accommodation and/or support > normies. But < category 2 & 3. Support for level 1's doesn't have to be financial, could be in terms of divulging diagnosis to normies in order they be inclusive or getting extra support from parents or guardians.

Category 4 are invisible Autists...travelling through life passing as normies, perhaps hiding little quirks (and hiding them well enough)

 

[NB79]

In my country pshychiatrists don't even diagnose adults,
They know about autism, but they don't bother,
unless you are with really difficult things about autism,
but if you can walk and talk and keep calm etc, forget about about diagnoses and support.
Most groups are still in the 'parents with children with autism' they don't consider adults.

 

[Hypnalis]

Aspies are basically Level 1 - require some level of accommodation and/or support > normies. But < category 2 & 3. Support for level 1's doesn't have to be financial, could be in terms of divulging diagnosis to normies in order they be inclusive or getting extra support from parents or guardians.

Category 4 are invisible Autists...travelling through life passing as normies, perhaps hiding little quirks (and hiding them well enough)

I agree with this in principle.

I always have to tell people I'm ASD, because I can function indefinitely within NT norms. But when I tell them, they find it's a simple, clear explanation for many of things they've thought were relatively "close to the edge" of NT norms.

I've met a lot of people like this (not all ASD as such, but close) due to working almost my entire career in IT, which is a very ASD1-friendly profession, and very accepting of us (not all ASDs, but ASDs who are smart, focused, and "hyper-analytical" do well in IT, and the downsides (e.g. in social skills) have hardly any negative effect in technical IT).

Bottom line - I'm very confident there's room for a 4th category, and also that it's identifiable. And most of that confidence is based on direct observations at a statistical frequency that is way too high to be random.
:
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IMO our biggest problem with this right now is that there are way too many people who claim to be ASD to score additional victim points.
They're messing up the numbers, and they're diverting resources to the wrong places.

 

[Jonn]

I was never diagnosed have no interest in ever being diagnosed, explained who I am all I need.

Diagnosis does help a lot of ppl.
I have heard this many times over the years.
It helped me understand myself better.

 

[NB79]

I think diagnosing may help if there is support,
if there isn't i think a person can learn for themselves if they are autistic,
because after reading experiences of others and about autism, it just falls naturally i think
when you realize 'Yes that is me'