Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Socially unacceptable expression of intolerance for one’s conditions. ~Frankie Abralind
You may already be feeling incensed by the definition I’m offering above. This is controversial territory: I’ve been encouraged by well-meaning people to be quiet about my position on ASD. In most forums, I am. I agree that it’s probably wise.
This is my Blotism Aug, though. It's my opinion. It’s what you came here for.
Let’s start by breaking down my definition.
Socially Unacceptable. I’m making the point that ASD, as a diagnosis, depends on the perception of society. Behavior that works for me becomes a "disorder" only when other people judge it as wrong. "Masking” is common for amongst Autistic folks: if I can hide or restrain a behavior that’s brought me criticism in the past, doing so can prevent such criticism in the future. This is the part that differentiates my Autistic experience, which can benefit from voluntary self-management and which should always be celebrated, from plain ol' neurodiversity, which enables life on earth to thrive (and which should always be celebrated).
Expression. Autism can be expressed in many unpopular ways. In the absence of that expression, there's no need to label Autism as a disorder. An analogy: if you're allergic to pet dander but never hang out around dogs or cats, nobody would think to nickname you "Sneezy." There is a spectrum of conditions in which I can do my best work. As much as possible, I try to stay within those conditions. If I'm outside of those parameters, I express my unhappiness at varying degrees of nicety.
Of Intolerance. My Autism shows up when I see a better way for things to be (read: when I don’t like the way things are). It’s why I’m such a careful layout designer and such a focused, precise painter. It’s also what I mean by “getting fussy” when I’m apologizing to my sweetheart for my occasional rude behavior. My Autism shows up a lot when I’m going through a TSA checkpoint in an airport. I resist carrying my bags back and forth along 50 meters of empty tensabarrier zigzag; I’m tempted to risk the wrath of security every time by ducking right under.* Knowing this is a danger zone for me, I've put great effort into self awareness and restraint around this over the years. *Yes, I recognize that I’m leveraging white privilege here. This sad truth is worthy of note: it’s significantly more dangerous for people of color to embrace their Autism in many parts of America. This underscores the importance of encouraging society to embrace Autism via accessible accommodations and more evolved experience design.
For One’s Conditions. Intolerance is more about the conditions than the person (see: Social Model of Disability). Imagine you’re super sensitive to the texture of sand. You don’t just hate the beach; you hate sandboxes. You’re uncomfortable around hourglasses. If you touch sand, you recoil violently. If you get sand in your shoes, your sheets, or, heaven forbid, your mouth, you’ll pitch a tantrum nobody’s gonna forget for weeks. ASD! Voilà! Unlesssssss, what if you’ve never encountered sand? If you grew up in a landlocked urban center and had never, ever been exposed to the vile stuff? No tantrums. No recoiling. No hours of self-soothing recovery necessary. The “disorder” label never even crosses anybody’s mind.
Next, let’s look at the currently-accepted definition of Autism provided in the medical standard directory of all known psychological ailments, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5):
Diagnostic Criteria for 299.00 Autism Spectrum Disorder: [source: CDC]
"To meet diagnostic criteria for ASD according to DSM-5, a child must have persistent deficits in each of three areas of social communication and interaction (see A.1. through A.3. below) plus at least two of four types of restricted, repetitive behaviors (see B.1. through B.4. below).”
Whenever we talk about the “official” definition of Autism, it’s important to note how much that definition has changed over the years (and with each successive edition of the DSM). Steve Silberman’s illuminating book Neurotribes provides a detailed history of this. I heard about Neurotribes from the artist Austin Kleon, one of my heroes, and I read it cover to cover earlier this year. I recommend it strongly, though I’ll caution that it’s filled with heavily-researched detail and does not constitute light reading.
You can read the full text of the DSM's negatively-biased criteria, which includes lines like “abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation,” on your own by following the source link above.
I’m stopping my quotation here for three reasons:
I bristle at the starting place that neurodiversity is a “disorder” (it's a difforder).
The foundational use of the word “deficits” is prejudiced and disturbs me. It dishonors the distinct value brought by nonstandard perspectives on this world.
No thank you to "normal" as the vaunted best and highest objective.
Aren’t we all experiencing the elephant differently? Isn’t it wise to approach it from a variety of angles? How about we come at it with encouragement for accommodation of abnormality, rather than diagnosing an abnormal individual as having a disorder?
Autism is not diphtheria. Its characterization is elusive. When we define it as a disorder, and seek to treat it out of existence, we risk obliterating the neurodiversity that makes us beautiful.
P.S. I am open to further discussion of this definition. Please feel free to add a comment or message me if you think I'm missing something, and I will do my best to understand and learn from your perspective.
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