A Term, A Term, My Old Car For A Term Part 3
Welcome back! This week, we continue our look at the article from the ASPERGAIN (again, there call-caps, not mine) and how the whole spectrum definition might be skewed. Last we left off, I talked a bit about the names of some of the colours of the Autism/Asperger rainbow (Pragmatic, Social Awareness and the rest), along with a possible replacement name for it: instead of spectrum, perhaps we could call them a trait, or an ability, or a skill (The more positive sounding, the better in cases like these). But, enough stalling for now, let's get back to the main event!
Don’t you hate it when people stall? It’s like “common man! I wanna get to the next part already!” I had a buddy of mine right? He stalled for so long right? He stalled for so long, we missed most of the when we finally got in the theater. Another buddy of mine right? We was trying to get to an event right? And he...
So, to harken back to last weeks post abit, if you check all or most of the boxes listed on the article, you are on the...Autistic/Aspie trait list (almost said spectrum). According to the article. But if you check off only one or two of the boxes, than the article says that it’s not Autism/Aspergers you have, but something else entirely. E.g.: you struggle with communication alone? You have communication disorder. Problems with only movement/control? Dyspraxia/developmental coordination disorder, or you could shorten it to DCD (an amalgam that sounds like CDC, but switch the letters around). Sensory processing issues? Sensory processing disorder. And you get the rest.
Hence the problem with the phrase “we’re all a little autistic” (other than the obvious ones. Oh you are, are you? So tell me, what are YOUR obsessions? Bare in mind that obsessions are not something that we simply enjoy, but something that we enjoy intensely and will attempt to learn EVERYTHING about it. Literally, everything). If you just hate fluorescent lights, or feel awkward in some/all social situations, you are not a little Autistic/Aspie, you just hate fluorescent lights or feel awkward in some/all social situations (that said, you should still probably see your GP, incase you need some form of assistance).
Or another name for GP (General Practitioner, hope I spelled that right), is family doctor. But what if you don’t have a family? What if you are a family of one? Are they then known as a PD, personal doctor? This is an important question folks.
The article put it in another, I think interesting, way: it’s the equivalent of saying “you are dressed ‘a little rainbowy’ when you are wearing only red’” (Aspergian, It’s a spectrum doesn't mean what you think). And, for those of you who may not know this, and at the risk of already repeating what was already said in the last post about the article (the article on it’s own repeats itself in some areas), not every person who is Autistic/Aspie has the exact same traits, and the exact same strengths. While one person may be able to handle themselves very well in social situations, hitting all the right notes and picking up most, if not all, of the social cues. Another person may need a lot of help in the same social situation, a kind of guide or coach. While one may have very few repetitive behaviours, and know what kind are socially acceptable, others may have quite a bit of repetitive behaviours, and/or may not know or understand which ones are okay to do in public. You get the idea.
Well, that does it for this week's post. Next week I will either do one last segment on the article, or move onto another topic to keep things entertaining (and to keep things suspenseful as always, I won’t tell you which one I’ll do! Oh, it’s not that suspenseful? Because in the end you’ll find out anyways and it won’t really affect your world that much? Can you pretend to be in suspense? It’d really help my ratings. Might even get you day or so off work if the boss thinks you are suffering some kind of extreme stress! Or get you simply kicked out from a public space, but that's the risk you take.). But until next time, this continues to be, The Audacious Aspie.
Sources used:
https://theaspergian.com/2019/05/04/its-a-spectrum-doesnt-mean-what-you-think/