Asperger's Syndrome and the Fight over Words

It is not surprising that the fight over the verbiage describing Asperger’s Syndrome is heating up. Advocates and sufferers alike sometimes take umbrage at the notion that they are classified as suffering from a disability and in an effort to parse words would like to see themselves classified as being differently able.

In the same vein, those who consider themselves as being Asperger’s Syndrome patients do not like the idea of being occasionally classified as exhibiting a form of high functioning autism. In this case, the lines are actually very fluid and not at all easily drawn, and even some physicians are hard pressed to pinpoint the exact condition where autism stops and Asperger’s Syndrome begins.

Advocates contend that the classification of Asperger’s Syndrome as a disability robs those diagnosed with the condition any chance of aspiring to go beyond that which is allotted to them by virtue of the disabilities legislation currently in force. Almost designed to keep those able to do more down, advocates suggest that the use of terminology designed to pigeonhole their loved ones has little effect on the real world accomplishments and also real world challenges faced by them.

Even as the notion of a value free characterization of Asperger’s Syndrome is indeed attractive, the fact that there is little chance of this ever happening is not a deterrent to those in search for a change in language. Unfortunately, at times the zeal leads to a failure to help the person diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome to receive the adaptive aids needed, all in an effort to stress the normalcy of the condition as opposed to the differences that necessitate the aids.

Still others chafe at the idea of having Asperger’s Syndrome classified as a psychiatric disorder, remembering the times past when those diagnosed with the condition would be found locked away in the institutions of psychiatry rather than receiving the simple help they needed. This of course has contributed greatly to the heightened sensitivities about the language used to classify those who show signs of Asperger’s Syndrome, but at the same time the squabble over language that is mostly politically correct has very little effect on the real life struggle AS individuals encounter.

Persons diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome care little for the nomenclature, and their loved ones or caregivers also prefer the real facts over sugar coated, politically correct verbiage. It is therefore not surprising to see a backlash against the non-descript descriptions that seek to convey neutrality at all costs, and instead parents and caregivers shock those around them with a bluntness that is refreshing.

Considering a full understanding of the condition known as Asperger’s Syndrome in the least amount of words to be the single most beneficial means for learning how to adequately advocate for their family members, these parents and caregivers are reversing a trend that has left out of the equation the needs of the diagnosed patient, while worrying excessively about the needs and sensibilities of those around her or him.