Six Reasons Why Asperger's Syndrome Is Not a Disability

There has been a buzz to change the terminology that governs the topic of Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). For a long time there has been a movement underfoot to reclassify Asperger’s Syndrome as a condition of being differently able rather than disabled, and although parents and advocates of AS children may beg to differ, those in favor of changing the classification do make some compelling points.

The top six reasons why Asperger’s Syndrome is not a disability gives an inside glimpse at the workings of the condition and also the struggles individuals facing it have to endure on a daily basis.

1. The mere fact that children are seen paying attention to those things for which they have a general interest, as opposed to those that teachers and behaviorists believe they should notice, does not make Asperger’s Syndrome a disability. Instead, it may be viewed as a tacit nod to absolute honesty in one’s desires and therefore is simply an ability to overcome social conditioning. 2. What has been referred to as latent anti social behavior so often exhibited in young children diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome – characterized by their inability or unwillingness to interact with parents or caregivers extensively – is found to be an expression of their desires to pay more attention to the world of objects as opposed to subjects. This may be attributed to a simply matter of preference, not a disability. 3. What earned children the description of little professors during the experiments that convinced Dr. Asperger of his theories, may not be a disability but could be much more aptly described as a strong interest in a given field of study. This causes the individual to notice nuances others do not and thus renders her or him differently able and perhaps even superior in perception. 4. The systematic organization of things and items may be of unique interest in a child diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. It does not really matter if this is the means of taking a picture with a camera by holding down a button, turning on and off a light, or delving into the intricacies of a physics equation. The problem arises when the system in which the child shows interest is simple, and soon has some clamoring at needing to be outgrown. 5. Routines are another symptom of Asperger’s Syndrome and it has been documented that children have the hardest time functioning in a classroom setting where such order is frequently interrupted or even missing. This may be seen as a disability to some, but others simply believe it to be a sign that the child has a very serious affection for that which it can control versus the unknown. 6. Perhaps the most convincing fact used by those suggesting that Asperger’s Syndrome is not a disability rests in the fact that the mere decision to value one trait or situation more than another is one of personal preference, not one born from a lack of ability. Therefore, a person who does not interact well with others but instead finds it far more important to invest time in physics and other subjects she deems important, may be considered eccentric, but it does not render her disabled.