Asperger Autism As A Minority Social Grouping

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For a long time now, I’ve been trying to define a more accurate distinction between the neurotypical and autistic identity, also pondering the problem as to whether autistics can be defined paradoxically as a “social group”. In my view, Jaensch came very close with his integrated and non-integrated model. I should point out autism varies a lot in its causes and here I’m focused mostly on Asperger’s particular definition. To properly pinpoint Asperger’s autism, I would define, thus:
A failure to develop as a socially functional human being caused by innate resistance to external modulating processes, i.e. social conditioning, resisting adaptation to social groups and especially response to emotional stimulae. So, the autistic individual, put simply, is at odds with the environment he, or she, is born into. This individual will function poorly in any family group, school or social structure and – I will also stress – they normally remain on the edges of society, often isolated from family and awkward within communities. Quote:
“As we know from many studies of autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions, autism and other diagnostic classes are psychiatric constructs that denote a spectrum: a series of interrelated multidimensional traits. These extend into the subclinical population, therefore many people who do not have an autism diagnosis have autistic traits.”
Autism isn’t “a spectrum”, as I often stress. That view was discredited as far back as 1925, at a time when psychology could boast of highly qualified researchers and geneticists. “Autistic traits” are what we often see in socially integrated people, whose symptoms don’t overspill into abnormality. American psychology continues to confuse Schizothymia (geeky personality) with Autistic Psychopathy, Asperger’s clinical, pathology. This is confusing and mistaken. However, I do agree there are also types of autism that don’t simply make someone disintegrated (Jaensch’s definition). Disintegration is going to be from early childhood and totally pervasive.
“Disability scholar Runswick-Cole has pointed out these terms (neurotypical or autist) can be divisive, fostering an “us” and “them” mentality. She denounces a dichotomized view of the world where you are either “in” or you are “out”.
For, Asperger Syndrome, theoretically it’s possible to distinguish, more so if we apply the Jaensch model. For me, at least, I tend to be able to perceive socially integrated people. Non-integrated minorities are not likely to have any significant status, even in the emerging Neurodiversity Movement, due to poor integration in social organizations and structures. Despite that, an “us or them” movement always tends to create discord or victim status and, worse still, people simply adopting labels, as we have seen happen. Still, it would be a good idea to create awareness that the Asperger diagnosis was never invalid and that the current A.S.D. definition has blurred Dr. Asperger’s research, leading to vague diagnosis. As often stated, to somehow identify a kind of social class of non-neurotypical high-functioning autistics would be practically problematic, given the fact people with the syndrome tend to remain withdrawn from involvement, and also said diagnosis relies upon highly skilled psychiatrists (now more scarce than in the 1980s). What we do need to do, however, is create awareness that real people who struggle with Asperger Syndrome should be accurately represented.

[Fulgurator]

“Disability scholar Runswick-Cole has pointed out these terms (neurotypical or autist) can be divisive, fostering an “us” and “them” mentality. She denounces a dichotomized view of the world where you are either “in” or you are “out”.

I agree mostly. I do think, though, there's a big problem where neurotypical researchers and organizations are somehow creating a "safe, comfort zone autism", highlighting geeky celebrities as "on the spectrum" while ignoring both Asperger himself, his research and the kind of people he outlined as pathologically autistic, i.e. the autistic psychopath. A.S.D. as a definition is so vague, people who differ neurologically are just lumped together as "on the spectrum".