Reply To: Asperger's diaries

[Anonymous]

Hi Dragon,

You’re definitely not alone. This topic sets people off in just about every space I’ve seen it come up.

Here’s the straightforward answer with a little context

Asperger syndrome was officially rolled into Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 2013, when the DSM-5 was published by the American Psychiatric Association. That’s when it stopped being its own separate diagnosis and became part of the broader autism spectrum.

At this point, “Asperger’s” is more of an identity label than a medical one.

Personally, I still prefer the term Asperger. Most people don’t really know what it means, and honestly, I’m okay with that. The second you say “autism,” people tend to immediately treat you differently even though most of them don’t fully understand that either. If I’m going to use a label publicly at all, Asperger is the only one I’d invest in based on other peoples response.
I’ve noticed a lot of older adults feel the same way. Asperger felt specific. ASD is an umbrella term. And for people who value precision and clear definitions, that shift can feel frustrating. I get where that reaction comes from.

I’ve also been volunteering at some spectrum related events. From what I’ve seen, anyone diagnosed under 18 is classified as ASD now. But a lot of the adults at these events usually 30 to 50 years old still use and relate to the term Asperger. All events for those age groups go with Asperger for the listing title of the event. Younger crowd “Autism or ASD”

A reason for dislike for the Asperger term. Who the condition was named after and the acts of things that individual performed to obtain those answers. Simply put Dr Asperger was very unethical. I had no idea, but more then one person told me. Fact checked it, accurate, worth a read! Both sides have really good points! But many felt really strongly about this topic. That’s why I wanted to put all the cards out there.

Taking a position on either side that aligns with your values is the right answer. There is no wrong one in this case, which means we can’t screw this up! Lol. Hope that was helpful, took a bit to figure out.