Pipinjo, I'd hope there's a difference between someone on the autism spectrum not understanding a comparision, and you being lynched. My apologies if my use of language didn't convey that properly.

Givemesleep, www.autism.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1937&a=17821 is the latest set of official estimates of underemployment in all ASCs (rather than just autism) according to the NAS. Until we have a national register of needs, it's likely to be an estimate only.

I'd be genuinely very interested indeed to learn of research showing that the figure is different. Other figures online suggest nothing higher than 20% on any survey so far, and none of these look at what the adults are actually doing. Are they in employment suitable for their skills, or given just any job stacking shelves or filling envelopes even if they have a degree? The adults I know with an ASC (with few exceptions) struggle to find any employment unless they invent their own jobs, are routinely offered very menial low-paying jobs, and are first to be made redundant when there's job cuts. Not a good picture. Much more to be done.

Yup, I have hope that the new DSM V will permit everyone to access the services they actually need rather than only addressing 1 out of 5 things.
Interesting Horizon programme last night about speech development - they're now finding the brain areas and genes that control it. Wonder if this means the chance of new directed treatments and therapies?

agree very much with give me's post.

Diagnosis is political IMO. Whether combined or separate ds1 is nothing like a child with AS or HFA and needs completely different services. I don't think the dx really matters providing each individual can access support they need.TBH ds1 accessed his support via his learning disability diagnosis so in some ways what happens at the HFA/AS end of the spectrum makes no difference to him.

Even those with severe autism can be aware. DS1 is VERY aware he is autistic and very aware that he can't talk and that upsets him. On occasions he has howled about having autism. We work hard to help him access lots and keep him happy but he was depressed after ds2 was born and I am aware that the severity of his autism is no buffer to that. I think autism diva has talked about that (or ballanatrix - are they the same person? I can't remember).

amberlight ps autism isnt anything like asthma either, I was comparing sypmtoms/ effect on persons life from one end to the other like any illness! I could have said any condition ie runny nose to a bad life threatening swine flu or headaches to brain tumor! Do you want me to go on giving other examples?

Peach if you re read my posts I have made it clear AS has had bad time in society think they are all Mensa geeks and that sensory, communication, depression etc can be be very disabling. Hence I used to laugh at mothers writing my HF AS dc....I dont write each time my 'sevely' autistic son! Like I said ds half sister is having MORE issues than ds at mo.

The reason why I was confused over the woman in Real Boy wanting her son Dx as AS...well she too maybe thinks their is only one AS like Bill Gates like the rest of society thinks and what if her boys AS was very disabling anxiety/phobias/OCD/depression (sucide very high in AS). I think some ways AS can be worse...esp if their is a lot of insight.

But their is a better outcome for some (high end of AS) work/friends/partners/family/live independantly.

So before I linched again...I would LIKE to see AS and autism united and grouped as one! Just wanted to know what you all thought.

but unsurprised at Gov't getting their stats wrong!

Government. Hansard debates over the autism Bill throughout the last year.

I think AS/HFA can be interchangeable, but not always. Depends how the diagnostician meant it. Lots mean Aspergers = mild, but the DSM-IV doesn't. Peachy, your ds1 and my J are so similar and yet have different labels. Their future re: independent living and staying out of crime etc. are sometimes uncertain (apologies if this doesn't count for your ds, I just know that the violent rages that ours share are worrying for J's future). Then there are people who has Aspergers mildly, like my sister, and can live and work independently. Then there are those who will never live independently. The spectrum is vast and I totally agree with Mrs T that, based on needs and independence, you can't compare someone with mild Aspergers to someone who has severe autism. It's apples and oranges.

It should be done more on impairment on life. My dad's clearly on the spectrum somewhere and virtually only communicates electronically. Not a problem, as he works in computers and spends all free time on them too. His self-care's Ok-ish, but helped by having a wife, and he never ever ever deals with bills etc.He copes fine with whatever he has. My uncle (who didn't speak until 5 or something and then spoke in full sentences, went to uni at 17, very very clever) has never worked or had a relationship and I would say is far more severely impaired by autism, but he has his sports obsession so is happy. Then my sister, who is able to live and work independently, so I would say is mildly affected. Then J and I hope the future will be hopeful as he is having so much support and doing so well. So does he then become milder? I guess so, if it affects his life more mildly.

Sorry to nit-pick, Amber, but 15% of people with autism (not Aspergers) are in full-time employment, according to the NAS. The figures for Aspergers are much higher (I forget how many, but my sister, who has AS and is obsessively researching AS statistics, did tell me and it's way higher). I'm not sure about the friendship figure either - I think her 'social links' figures were very different from yours. Could you let me know where your statistics are from so that I can pass them on to her?
I think that the Aspergers stats tend to be less negative than those for autism, well, that's what my sister found.

I hope that J will, like my dad, find a way to turn those obsessions into something positive.

A good lady. I'm working with her on a venture.

Yes v like deaf culture.

Donna Williams has written quite a bit (there's a lot on her website) about the difference between autism culture and autism condition. I think she gets it right really and always she comes back to the diversity of autism, and the many different forms it takes (she calls it fruit salads).

"Autism is not one thing"

Yes, again and again we come back to that.....I'm glad you say it often; I feel it bears repeating.

sounds like neurodiversity lot have found an point of view that is so right for them...... yes if they prefer to have online friends rather than get together in the pub that should be acceptable etc.....but applies only to them....and that they are trying to apply it to others. A temptation that's always so hard to resist....

I guess they're a bit like the deaf rights movement (which I did learn a bit about before thanks to Oliver Sacks). If you're born into a world of silence and like it that way, great, but don't tell someone with terrible tinnitus that they should be happy about that.....