The shift from ASD to ASC

[RainbowZebraWarrior]

I've noticed that there seems to be a shift from the term Autism Spectrum Disorder to Autism Spectrum Condition. I find this interesting as I know a lot of us prefer less negative terms.

It's a small thing, really. But my main obsession is medical facts and terminology (possibly because I have a lot of other medical diagnoses, and because I studied Anatomy and Physiology for three years)

Wondered what others thought. If anything. I know things changes quickly. Part of me wants to keep up and celebrate the advances in research - I welcome any advances that are beneficial. Part of me thinks it's neither here nor there and it's just me and my special interest.

Yes I don't like using the disorder word.

Autism does just fine though?

I don't even believe it's a condition. It's a minority neurotype. We don't need a medical term to describe us. We're a different type of person. We need a social descriptor, not a medical one.

Yes, Autism does just fine for me too.

The constant meddling is both a distraction, but also a hope that it isn't being dismissed / forgotten about if you know what I mean.

Homosexuality used to be included in the psychiatry textbooks.

Things move on.

I don’t really care about disorder vs condition - I’m kind of used to writing ASD as shorthand now; ASC looks weird to me. Although tend to just use autism.

I detest with a passion all the “cutesy” terms people come up with, though. Autie being the most recent one I’ve seen,, which I want to read as - and my autocorrect wants to change to - Auntie.

Yes, I think that was my point. The constant shifting sands. And I have gay friends who were subjected to conversion therapy and worse. Being the age of 50, I've seen lots of terms come and go. Including some really horrible attitudes.

My sister had the most disabling form of Downs syndrome. Non verbal, unable to walk, was also blind. My Mum was subjected to insults daily when my sister was a baby, Including "what did you do wrong" An assumption that it was something she did in pregnancy. My sister was called a 'spastic' and the term 'mentally / physically handicapped' was the term back in the 70's. I was bullied because of the way my sister was. My father didn't cope, turned to alcohol and physically abused my Mum. And as a result, my difficulties went largely unnoticed.

My Mum and me ran away from my Dad when I was four. My sister had to go into care. She died tragically aged 29.

I'm still mindful of the damage that was done in the years whereby parents were scared to give the combined MMR jab. It's jarring, it's wrong, it's upsetting and it's insulting.

And so, I'm grateful that things move on. Especially in the positive sense.

Autism is just fine for me too.

I don't like disorder. I'm not a disorder! And condition just sounds weird.

@RainbowZebraWarrior

That's so awful, on so many levels

Disorder sort of sums me up. Sometimes.

[quote Clarice99]@RainbowZebraWarrior

That's so awful, on so many levels [/quote]
It's fine, but thank you. Water under the bridge and such. I have fully come to acceptance. We all have a story to tell. But it may explain my slight obsession with 'terms'

@RainbowZebraWarrior that's really awful what your family went through 😥 the past can be such a bad place.

I believe that people like us speaking out and telling our stories we can help to redefine autism and become more accepted and make things easier for subsequent generations. It has to start somewhere. I've seen massive changes just since I was identified as being autistic. So many autistic people are speaking up now.

Autism Spectrum Conditions is the label for explaining that someone has a diagnosis of both ADHD and autism.

I don't use it because most people don't understand what it means.

I mean, people here don't seem to understand that neurodiverse and neurodivergent do not have the same meaning.

It's no wonder the neurotypicals (and indeed some autists) don't know of ASC.

Really? I don’t think so @Junction5aOnTheM4
I was diagnosed with ASC. No mention or suggestion of ADHD. I don’t have ADHD or any associated symptoms.

psychiatry-uk.com/autistic-spectrum-condition/

Im with @BachAndByte . But I think if it as a negative. I don’t embrace any of the ‘it’s a gift’ rhetoric at all.

@Junction5aOnTheM4

Autism Spectrum Conditions is the label for explaining that someone has a diagnosis of both ADHD and autism.

I don't use it because most people don't understand what it means.

I mean, people here don't seem to understand that neurodiverse and neurodivergent do not have the same meaning.

It's no wonder the neurotypicals (and indeed some autists) don't know of ASC.

No it isn't. ASC is an umbrella term for autism that attempts include those who don't consider themselves to have a disorder.

Ds2's school uses it, although he is very severely disabled by it. To minimise the extent of his autism as merely a "phenotype" would be doing him a disservice.

Nobody is minimising anything. The autistic brain includes just as many types of person as the neurotypical brain, including people who have learning disabilities, co morbidities etc.

Given the definition of disorder is ”an illness or condition that disrupts normal physical or mental functions” I don’t see the point in the change to using ASC.

'normal'? I'm not abnormal thanks.

I never said you were!

Given the definition of disorder is ”an illness or condition that disrupts normal physical or mental functions” I don’t see the point in the change to using ASC.

It states here disrupts normal physical or mental functions

This is inappropriate.

You may think it is inappropriate, but it is the definition of the word “disorder” and since we are talking about the use of ASD and ASC, and thus the words “disorder” and “condition”, it is appropriate to the thread.

And it is not the same thing as saying you (or me or anyone other ND person) are ‘abnormal’.

In order to be diagnosed with autism/ASD/ASC one is required to have “persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction” and “restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests” which “limit and impair everyday functioning”.

If the difficulties with the triad of impairments “limit and impair everyday functioning”, which they must do in order to be diagnosed, they do “disrupt normal physical or mental functions”.

If with the shift to ASC autism is classified as a ‘condition’ and the threshold for diagnosis is difficulties with the triad of impairments that “limit and impair everyday functioning” therefore which also “disrupt normal physical or mental functions” then, using the definitions of the words, ASD/ASC, the ‘condition’ is also a ‘disorder’. Hence me not seeing the point in the shift from ASD to ASC.

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation

'normal'? I'm not abnormal thanks.

I think the use of the word 'normal' here is medicalised, i.e. within an expected range.

So, take for example: humans are bipedal. If a person is born without one leg, that would, within an expected medical range, make them abnormal, because they fall outwith the bell curve.

It's not a value judgement, it's just a statistical analogy.

@Extremelybumpy

You may think it is inappropriate, but it is the definition of the word “disorder” and since we are talking about the use of ASD and ASC, and thus the words “disorder” and “condition”, it is appropriate to the thread.

And it is not the same thing as saying you (or me or anyone other ND person) are ‘abnormal’.

In order to be diagnosed with autism/ASD/ASC one is required to have “persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction” and “restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests” which “limit and impair everyday functioning”.

If the difficulties with the triad of impairments “limit and impair everyday functioning”, which they must do in order to be diagnosed, they do “disrupt normal physical or mental functions”.

If with the shift to ASC autism is classified as a ‘condition’ and the threshold for diagnosis is difficulties with the triad of impairments that “limit and impair everyday functioning” therefore which also “disrupt normal physical or mental functions” then, using the definitions of the words, ASD/ASC, the ‘condition’ is also a ‘disorder’. Hence me not seeing the point in the shift from ASD to ASC.

This is an interesting analysis, and shows why language is both a) important and b) occasionally subjective.

I know, for example, that some autistic people will say that they are disabled: I am not happy to use that term, because I do not consider myself disabled by my autism, but I will admit that I do suffer some impairments as a result.

So does that make me disabled, or not disabled? It's none of my business how other people identify and I don't want to take away of that power, but at the same time, I do not want to apply that 'label' (labels are for jam!) to myself.

I'm fine with ASC, but I am an adult with a reasonably 'successful' life outcome: I am not, nor the parent of, an autistic non-verbal child with severe learning difficulties and other co-morbidities.

I see it a lot within the 'ND community' (which I always think makes as much sense as an 'anarchists' collective' ): language policing is very prevalent.

Afflt without wishing to go against your beliefs in the legal sense of the word you would be classed as disabled, and therefore covered by the Equality Act.

The Equality Act "defines a disabled person as a person with a disability. A person has a disability for the purposes of the Act if he or she has a physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities” (S6(1)).

"It is not necessary for the cause of the impairment to be established, nor does the impairment have to be the result of an illness."
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/570382/Equality_Act_2010-disability_definition.pdf

I hope I have not caused offence by saying that, as that wasn’t my intention. You have every right not to view yourself as disabled. Obviously you (and any other ND person) can choose not to use the term or see yourself as disabled.

I see myself (adult diagnosis of ASD after 2 DC diagnosed) as disabled by my ASD, as does 1 of my DC (diagnosed ASD, would have been HFA prior to the switch). The other doesn’t, although does think her autism (diagnosed AS) makes her life harder than it otherwise would be. Both viewpoints are equally as valid, and neither one should be viewed by others with disdain.