
A Concise History of Asperger Syndrome (2015) - lainon
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4725185/
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j9461701
> ... a peculiar, fascinating physical appearance, with “finely boned
> features,” of “almost aristocratic appearance”

Is this referencing the mild physical androgyny observed in many Asperger
patients, or just Hans Asperger suffering from a small sample size? I've never
seen this symptom described elsewhere before.

Regardless, an interesting overview of the state of the field. I had no idea
physical clumsiness was so central to the diagnosis in so many systems and for
so many years. Poor social skill, need for sameness, but bad motor skills was
never something I considered so core to being an Aspie.

~~~
jcrben
It sounds like old-school 1940s-era science. Seems like you might be taking it
too seriously.

~~~
tyingq
It's just one study, but seems to be in the same rough space, and fairly
recent: [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2051749/Autism-
Wid...](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2051749/Autism-Wider-eyes-
broader-mouth-Scientists-identify-subtle-distinct-facial-characteristics-
children-developmental-disorder.html)

~~~
DanBC
You can't trust anything the daily fucking mail says. For example, from the
article you link to:

> Some scientists however believe there has been an actual rise in autism
> cases due to environmental factors. The MMR vaccine has been cited as a
> possible cause however a link has yet to be confirmed.

This is bollocks, and we knew it was bollocks before 2011 (when this article
was published).

The GMC hearing; the Lancet retractions, and Wakefield being struck off all
happened in 2010.

~~~
tyingq
The article publisher wasn't the interesting part. Other publications reported
on the study.

~~~
DanBC
Why not link to the study and avoid the reputational hit that you'll always
get from the daily fucking mail?

~~~
tyingq
"reputational hit". Heh.

~~~
mavhc
Daily Mail was pro Hitler and pro killing babies because they were gay. They
are really good at SEO though.

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zero_intp
As a high functioning non-normative, I have found kinship with many of those
diagnosed with Asperger's. The full isolation of the Autistic have generally
had little parity with the challenges I have faced.

The blithe dismissal by the writers of the DSM-V of an entire developmental
process has led me to dismiss the entire psychological profession as self-
serving.

~~~
jcrben
If someone is high-functioning, why is a diagnosis necessary? Why pathologize
personality? I think that was part of what the removal of Asperger's was
about. It's unclear if there was any effective therapy for what many don't
even regard as a disorder or disability.

There are many personality traits which might be uncomfortable in various
situations, but aren't classified as medical disorders. It doesn't mean they
aren't worth exploring as part of self-discovery.

With that said, there are some captured into this category who really do need
help, which is what the ASD spectrum diagnosis can capture.

~~~
emmab
I'm high functioning but still have sensory processing disorder related to ASD
which makes it hard to function in very sensory overwhelming environments.

I also had a lot of difficulties relating to socialization growing up related
to ASD, even if they are less relevant now that I'm an adult.

~~~
jcrben
Hopefully we get better at spotting sensory disorders and perhaps someday
"sensory processing disorder" will be a recognized diagnosis with specific
evidence-based treatment.

From the article: "field trials showed that DSM-5 ASD has improved specificity
at the cost of excluding more cognitively able individuals, including up to
75% of those previously diagnosed with AS". Also from the article: "there is
evidence that patients, families, education professionals, and health
professionals connote AS with positive features and associate Autism with
strange behavior, learning disability and family dysfunction".

Autism correlates with various things and I imagine that these would involve
different therapy. For example, the number thrown around is that 1/3 are
nonverbal and do not develop functional speech in adulthood
([https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Autism&oldid=7996...](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Autism&oldid=799627286#cite_note-36)).
In children, about half engage in self-harm
([http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2788.2003....](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2788.2003.00507.x/full))
or physical aggression
([http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946712...](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946712001456)).

See also (not necessarily endorsing): [http://nymag.com/news/features/autism-
spectrum-2012-11/](http://nymag.com/news/features/autism-spectrum-2012-11/)
[https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-no-label-
movemen...](https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/the-no-label-movement)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment)

