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.

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.

Afflt I think this is the really important part. And is how I feel but in reverse. I am disabled by my ASD but if others choose not to identify/see themselves as disabled that is absolutely their choice. But it should be a choice.

@Extremelybumpy thank you for your very considered response - you have summed up how I feel very eloquently.

Fundamentally, I think this comes down to 'if you've met one ND person, you've met one ND person': we are not a homogenous mass, language is important, individual strength is important, and 'nothing for us without us'.

“Disorder” is just plain rude and not always accurate in terms of self-image or daily functioning. Condition is a more neutral term. Much better to be neutral.

To me, the only real problem with ASD is that to GPs and other non-psychiatrists, the main thing that's going to come to mind when they see it on a list of your medical conditions is atrial septal defect, one of the commonest congenital heart defects.

This online list of medical abbreviations lists "atrial septal defect" for ASD, but not "autism spectrum disorder". It also lists "atypical squamous cells" for ASC and not "autism spectrum condition", but atypical squamous cells are less likely to come up in the same kind of context (like a list of your pre-existing medical diagnoses) than autism is.

I try to write it out in full if there's any chance of confusion. And whenever possible, I try to say "I'm diagnosed with" or "I have a diagnosis of" rather than "I am" or "I have", to recognise the constructed nature of these concepts and the fact that while I'm always the same person, the descriptors people choose may change.

I have no problem with calling it a disorder. If the problems it describes didn't have a detrimental impact on my life, then I wouldn't have merited a diagnosis.

Damn, missing picture.

From here: www.tabers.com/tabersonline/view/Tabers-Dictionary/767492/all/Medical_Abbreviations (first Google link I tried for medical abbreviations dictionary; I'm sure there are better ones)

I think disabled is a shorthand expression for the problems created by NTs lacking in empathy, imagination and perspective taking.

(Sorry - I’m particularly grumpy today)

Can anyone tell me the distinction between autism and ASD. In ds’ diagnostic report, and the verbal discussion afterwards, they made it clear he was being diagnosed with autism and not with asd. I haven’t been able to find a source that explains the difference and I was completely overwhelmed at the time.

There is a good reason why diagnosticians have moved over to ASC from ASD.

Depends how they were using it, deeply — some places e.g. those that use ADOS use "autism" for those who scored in the highest category, and "autism spectrum" for those who scored in the lower (but not unaffected) category. Basically they're splitting it out into Kanner/classic/LFA vs Asperger's/HFA again, but in a more confusing way, by calling them "autism" and "autism spectrum".

Thanks @ClumpingBambooIsALie

No problem — if they did use ADOS (and I suspect from the way you describe it that they did), you can find explanations of the ADOS scoring and cut-offs online. I don't know how well the ADOS distinction between "autism"and "autism spectrum" maps onto the DSM V severity levels, which are to do with how much support someone needs, but I'd guess it's likely that someone who's hitting the Autism cutoff on ADOS might merit level 2 or 3 on a DSM diagnosis, whereas someone hitting the "autism spectrum" levels on ADOS might merit DSM level 1 or 2. Not sure what ICD 11 says about the whole mess.

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation

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.

I like this.

Afflt exactly, expecting all ND people to agree just because they are all ND is ludicrous. No other population would be expected to agree just because they had something in common.

ClumpingBambooIsALie I always use autism spectrum disorder when abroad now because when DS was younger he required medical treatment on holiday and it was assumed ASD was atrial septal defect. Communication in another language is hard enough without there being multiple meanings for abbreviations.

deeplyrooted I think whilst sometimes ND people are disabled by their environment and society there are times where some ND people are disabled directly by the difficulties with the triad of impairments. For example, an easy to explain example of this is, DS is disabled by his sensory difficulties, even in a world on his own he would still be disabled by them.

It is interesting how there is a split between areas and HCPs diagnosing ASD and other areas diagnosing ASC.

I don’t see the use of disorder as ruder than condition as it is using the definition of the word. I don’t see ‘condition’ as more neutral either. Especially when the ‘condition’ (ASC/ASD) is also a ‘disorder’, which if the condition (ASD/ASC) “disrupts normal physical or mental functions” (which it must do if it “limits and impairs everyday functioning” which it is required to for a diagnosis) it is using the definition of the word ‘disorder’.

Different areas appear to diagnose it differently.

My diagnosis is autism. That what is on my paperwork.

Others get a diagnosis written as autism spectrum disorder. Seemingly having read this thread, some of you are receiving a diagnosis stating autism spectrum condition(s).

I have friends who have had a diagnosis for many years and it's stated they have aspergers.

So really there's a number of different labels for the same thing and we are all receiving different versions of the same diagnosis, and just going through this thread has given me a headache over it.

There's so much more I could write but I'd rather shift the headache.

@ClumpingBambooIsALie thanks for taking the time to explain. I went down a rabbit hole trying to work it out last night. It really is a complete mess!