“I celebrate every autism diagnosis!” declares a post circulating among autistic self-advocates. I read this in several ways. First, the positives. Diagnoses help individuals receive services and supports. For many people, a diagnosis also helps understand struggles. Diagnoses also ensure, with disclosure, some legal protections. The negatives exist, too. Believe…
Tag: DSM-IV
Podcast Episode 0064; Season 04, Episode 28; May 18, 2021 Our daughters and I have had a fair number of neuropsych assessments. The girls both have a list of official diagnostic labels. The three of us have ADHD in common. On her ninth birthday, we began yet another neuro-psychological assessment for Leigh, our eldest…
What does it mean to be autistic? Like many diagnosed later in life, I turned to books for some answers. The autistic label was applied to me during my first year in a doctoral program. That was also the academic year I started this blog. Among the books I read…
When did I ‘become’ the autistic me? That’s a complex question and one that raises questions about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders from the American Psychiatric Association. This post, however, does not engage in a debate over the DSM-IV and DSM5 criteria for autism. Instead, I wanted to…
Every few months, online or in real (physical) life, I hear the skeptical, questioning, puzzled phrase, “You’re not autistic. You can’t be.” I’ve addressed the question here many times, and I still lack a single good response. The “positive” versions: Because you are successful, self-expressive, driven, and have a career,…
I’m definitely leaving any and all cognitive research related to autism behind after 2010. I’m shifting back towards creative writing and, hopefully, new media rhetoric. I’m hoping to find a university where I can work on my poetry, scripts, and novels. Research is interesting, but the public conflict isn’t. (If…
Today, December 15, 2008, I went to yet another neurological exam. Actually, it was a psychological exam, supposedly screening for seizure disorders (complex partial seizures). However, it was simply another bad experience with that vague semi-science we call psychology. I think about 20 to 30 percent of psychology / psychiatry…
I was reading LiveJournal today, the Asperger’s Syndrome community, and encountered the recurring topic: “I’m an Aspie, but my therapist denies it.” Okay, I’m not a therapist, but I’m about to play one online. (That’s sarcasm.) Self-diagnoses can be valid. They can be necessary when you need to start on…
Though the autistic label is fairly new, I have been labeled many things in the past. As I think about the past and present experiences, I realize that including bits and pieces from my evaluation in the book I’m completing will help others with similar experiences. I know I am…