alt Hacker NewsThe reason we say "somewhere on the spectrum" is there are a lot of high functioning people who have a few autism like symptoms that benefit from some autism treatments. You can change the name/diagnosis what you want, but in the end we need to get people the treatment they need.
Replies
The diagnostic criteria isn't based on whether the condition is treatable.
For example, nobody who is diagnosed with autism is proclaimed "not autistic" if they find therapy to be unhelpful.
If a person can take care of himself, hold a job, and generally not burden anyone else why does he need treatment? To try to make him into whatever we consider "more normal?" Just let him be who he is.
So... you agree with what I am saying?
My point is, if it is commonplace to refer to Autism as a spectrum we are already acknowledging that it is not a single thing.
Which seems to be the entire basis of this article while also mixing in the rambling of someone anti-science that frankly won't change even if it was split up.
That's the benefit of a broad diagnosis. Narrow diagnoses make it hard to get specific treatments for problems.
That's my main concern about trying to split up autism. It's all well and good for study purposes, but for "can I get my insurance to pay for my kid's occupational therapy" purposes I'm really skittish about such a breakup. All the sudden my kid might have "omegaism" or whatever and boom, it's uncommon for them to need OT so insurance won't cover it.