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@xellas84

I can see where you are coming from. It's true that when a Pride movement is used to deny that a problem exists it can be destructive.

The problem is that it's also very destructive to only focus on the disability side my Asperger's. It's part of who I fundamentally am; to wish it away is to wish myself dead and replaced with another person. I've struggled my whole life with feelings of being less then normal people, of being broken before I was born. Growing up it always felt like I was always trying so hard, and only managing to be barely competent. I've spent so much time hating myself for not being normal, for being such a spazzy retard. Even now I still struggle with this.

For me, Asperger's pride is helpful because it stops me from being a poor little victim. Yes, some parts of it suck, but there are some parts that are really cool. Earlier I only talked about how sensory integration problems can be painful, but they can also be beautiful. Part of me enjoys being different and eccentric; it's fun when I can let myself be me, instead of trying to be normal. Struggling from a young age has given me an odd sort of turtle-and-the-hare tenacity. Note that Autism isn't the only disability group to have this sort of mentality.

Another part of Asperger's Pride is convincing others that we aren't all Rainman. This is incredibly annoying. In every job interview I've always had to debate whether to reveal my disability or not. On the one hand, not revealing it is sort of lying by omission, which makes me feel guilty; I'm also a much better worker if I can get a few accommodations, which aren't hard to provide but can be odd enough to need explanation. On the other hand, if I reveal it there's a good chance that the employer will think 'Rainman', and ignore my qualifications regardless of how good they are. Even if I do get the job, I may be judged by my disability first and my actual performance second. I've also been criticized for not having stereotypical Hollywood Asperger skills. I'm not a bloody magic negro damnit. This sort of problem is why you won't see a Brunette support group, because people generally don't have to struggle against this kind of idiocy for having brown hair.

[JohnnyParadise]

It looks like it's being phased out as a clinical diagnosis.

Nobody has been able to show consistent differences between what clinicians diagnose as Asperger’s syndrome and what they diagnose as mild autistic disorder

It’s not an evidence-based term. It may be something people would like to use to describe how they see themselves fitting into the spectrum.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03asperger.html?em

[stressbunny]

I have to admit, my first response was "Oh goody, changing something that deals with people who generally fear change above all else!"
But I can see the point. My older boy's diagnosis spent a few years wavering between Asperger's and Autistic. Finally I nailed the paediatrician down and got an Autistic diagnosis.
(I wasn't looking for 'Autistic', per se, but getting funding in NZ can depend on a definite diagnosis, the Dr was waffling about with my boy's therapy funding.)
The younger boy was diagnosed PDD-NOS about a year later.
Frankly, I gave up trying to explain that one and just tell people they both have ASD.
Then I have to explain that you can't 'see' ASD, and 'no they don't grow out of it, they learn to deal with it', and that 'yes, they look just like normal kids'. (Except mine are better looking than yours.)
If the retirement of Asperger's as a diagnosis leads to a better community understanding of ASD as a whole, I'm all for it. The separation of diagnosis leads to a lot of misunderstanding. People presume that the severity of symptom display belongs strictly within one grouping along the spectrum, leading to confusion when an individual doesn't exactly display what is expected.
The older boy, who is also in training to be a teenager (Oh Joy unbounded) doesn't do much self stimulation. He doesn't really have much in the way of tics, except when he's especially happy. But he 'reads' as far more autistic than his brother, who is social and bubbly. But the younger boy is a 'toucher', and has several vocal and movement tics.
If this alteration of the diagnostic labels can lead to an understanding that it is call Autistic Spectrum Disorder for a reason, I may be able to retire my cards.

Funny little aside: Late last year, the younger boy's class was discussing light. He came home all excited. "Mummy, a spectrum is a rainbow!"
Later that night, talking to his sister on the phone: "Leah, guess what? I've got a rainbow, too! But mines got Superman, betchya."
(His sister was Gay, and he knows that a rainbow is the international symbol of Gay Pride).

[not terribly clever]

My son's official diagnosis is PDD-NOS but everyone from the doctor who originally diagnosed him to his teachers and aides describe him as autistic.  I'm not even sure any more of what the difference is and it doesn't affect the services he receives so I don't worry about it. It's fine with me if he wants to tell people that he's "artistic."

[StantheGarbageMan]

I was diagnosed with Asperger's when I was about five (though I was previously diagnosed as "profoundly retarded"). I didn't actually know about my condition until I was in sixth grade, and when I did learn, it explained a lot. Though I was very smart for my age and had quite a few weird behaviors, I didn't mind speaking to people; but I could never tell what they were thinking when I was talking to them. More often than not I'd be rambling on and on and on without realizing the other person wanted me to shut up until they actually said something.
However, rather than try and use it as a crutch, I actually tried to get around it by interacting with people as much as I could. Over the years I've picked up a lot of visual cues and learned how to properly react to others' emotions. Sometimes I feel like an actor putting on a play without a script, and all I have to go by are people's faces.

[ToadHole]

*****RANT WARNING*****
I've got 2 boys, one with Asperger's (now 20, dx'd at 14 by psychs, dr's, neuros and more) and one with profound Autism (now 14, dx's at 2 yrs, non-verbal, non-toilet trained) and every time I hear the words "Autism Awareness" I want to punch someone in the mouth.  Aware of what exactly?  I think we're all pretty well "aware" that it exists. 

Every time there is a sitcom, dramedy, or movie of the effing week with an autistic character all my well meaning co-workers/friends/relatives have to call me and tell me.  Well, so effing what - they have a neurotypical person acting out the behaviors and challenges that some producer "thinks" kids with and ASD have? And now all those same well-meaning (but clueless) fools can think they now KNOW what I and my boys "go through" and sometimes even what I should do to "fix" them!  Diagnosis by television?  The checker in the grocer who offers you advice, and I quote - "like it's some kind of initials thing, like ABA or ADA, that you do to fix your kid, that's what my friends cousin told me and she has like an Assburgers kid."

And then you have the unrepentant arseholes who co-opt an actual diagnosis, that kids actually need help with, and cause others to question the reality of my son's issues.   Adult ADD got taken by any jerk who didn't want to finish a job or needed excuses for playing xbox all day.  Well, now they can pretend to be Aspies and anytime they violate the social contract they have a convenient excuse....

Deep breaths, in...out...in...out...rant over

[CaptainObviouso]

I guess I'm what you would call a closet aspergers sufferer i was diagnosed when i was ten and never told anyone for one reason i didn't want my condition to define me. and i think I'm mostly normal but iv got a good memory iv memorised complete books EG the complete works of shakespear and i have a photographic memory but i also cant make eye contact and i find it hard to socialise and i insult people.

There are also many of us that feel we are Aspergers but go out of our way to avoid a diagnosis so that we can be covered under medical coverage without it being termed a " pre-existing condition". Ditto for the many Military guys I know that have carefully avoided diagnosis in order to continue to serve. Nearly any military intelligence analyst I have met could be considered Aspergers.

I have an aunt who was diagnosed as Aspergers Autistic last year, at age 43. She was always the " Weird Aunt" everyone has, and I was always the one person who understood her. We would have conversations that would freak out anyone else listening, we had developed so many personal memes between us that we literally nearly speak a separate language. She has had issues her entire life, primarily because she is farther "off" on the spectrum than I am ( and she is much closer to average intelligence, with dyslexia no less). I have done alright for myself, regardless of my issues.

I now have memorized so many behavior patterns of friends, family, and strangers that I jokingly am able to make predictions in how others will act. My friends hate it at times " Let's see if I'm psychic". Being right a far disproportionate amount of the time makes it more amusing for me, but tedious for others.