A man diagnosed with autism, Paul Isaacs asked me: How big do you think the Autism Spectrum is? So far there seems to be many subgroups such as Classic Autism, Mid-Functioning Autism, High Functioning Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Atypical Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Broader Autism Phenotype. Do you think there is room for more?

Hi Paul, well, in fact many of these categories actually don’t exist!

For example many who appear mid functioning are low functioning in other ways, many who are high functioning are hiding how low functioning they actually are when not push…ing themselves to the extreme, many who appear low functioning are getting away with giving up because people presumed them incompetent and then they presumed the same of themselves… so we can start with realising that in 50% of cases, those particular labels are utterly useless

Then lets take Classic Autism. I’ve worked with those dx’d with this and helped them through Dependent Personality Disorder, got them augmented communication for speech aphasia, brought in strategies to them understand their meaning blind/meaning deaf world, got them to those who could help with their health issues and 6-12 mths later they didn’t appear ‘Classically’ autistic at all… they appeared like a child with PDD with autistic traits. So there’s another category that in at least 50% of cases if an illusion

Then with Atypical Autism, this depends on the culture! So in italy the most ‘autistic’ are those who are Schizoid and don’t hug or show strong emotions/attachment. But in Japan the most ‘autistic’ are those who are the most ADHD and uncontrollable. In America the most ‘autistic’ were those who didn’t have natural striving to compete or self motivate… so what is ‘atypical’ in one culture is more ‘classical’ in another! Also it depends on the diagnostician! So one will dx the same child as ‘classical’, another as ‘Asperger’s’, another as ‘Atypical’, another as PDD Nos! So in 50% of cases, again, the label isn’t set in stone.

Then take PDD Nos. As a consultant these kids present with the same issues as those dx’d as ‘atypical autism’, but when you get down to the nuts and bolts those with PDD Nos tend to have the same issues, just they are often more motivated …to find adaptations or hide their issues… when you dig, you generally find the same issues those dx’d with autism have… plus PDD Nos is a way diagnosticians avoid adding to the funding pile… you get funding for a label of autism more quickly than you do for PDD Nos… so depends on the politics of the diagnostician!

And take Aspergers. Some Aspies go home and are very autistic there but at school are Aspie! Some have a Core Self that is more autistic but an Aspie persona or identity… especially with things like ABA where they’ve been trained into …the Aspie role then congratulated on their graduation. Then if you look closely at the Aspie kids you will find things like Social Emotional Agnosia, Dyspraxia, OCPD, sometimes also NPD… and if you get to work on these, well, surprise surprise, the kid is less Aspie… er… so what happened to the Aspergers? And then what do we call them ‘Aspie traits’? You see how ludicrous it is? Then take the same kid, give then 2-3 yrs of bullying and voila, they regress into being more autistic!

Donna Williams, BA Hons, Dip Ed.
Author, artist, singer-songwriter, screenwriter.
Autism consultant and public speaker.

http://www.myspace.com/nobodynowherethefilm
http://www.donnawilliams.net
http://www.aspinauts.com