Disorder Out of Chaos Continued from Page 1	Moreover, large epidemiological studies have demonstrated that mild symptoms of autism are common in the general population. In particular, scientists have found that family members of a child with autism often exhibit isolated autistic traits. With autism, as with many medical diagnoses – like hypertension and obesity – the boundary lines are drawn as much by culture as by nature. Dividing up the workings of the mind is not as neat and orderly as categorizing species. The proposed new diagnostic criteria, by describing severity and functioning along a single continuum, would also capture the	quirky high school senior – she would more likely be given the diagnosis of Asperger's disorder. Narrow diagnostic categories do not help us understand the way a person will develop over time. We no longer need Asperger's disorder to reduce stigma. And my daughter does not need the term Asperger's to
but received no help from teachers. It's no longer a secret that people with autism can have careers and meaningful social relationships. Witness the spate of recent movies, from HBO's “Temple Grandin,” about a woman with autism who became an animal scientist famed for her designs of humane slaughterhouses, to “Mary and Max,” an animated feature about a friendship between a 44-year-old man with Asperger's and an 8-year-old girl. But a culturally meaningful distinction isn't always a scientifically valid one. Almost

everyone with Asperger's also fits the profile of the more classic autistic disorder. Indeed, in the current diagnostic manual, a child who has good language acquisition and intelligence qualifies as autistic if, in	often unpredictable changes among children with autism. When Isabel was 3, she had all the symptoms of autistic disorder, but if she walked into a doctor's office today as a new patient – a chatty,	bolster her self-esteem. Just last week, she introduced herself to a new teacher in her high school class. “My name is Isabel,” she said, “and my strength is that I have autism.”
addition to having restricted interests and problems with social interaction, he has just one of the following symptoms, which are common among children with Asperger's: difficulty conversing, an inability to engage in make-believe play or repetitive or unusual use of language. Even the best available diagnostic instruments cannot clearly distinguish between Asperger's and autistic disorder. People who now have a diagnosis of Asperger's can be just as socially impaired	ALUMNI Parents are not the only people that take great pride in watching family members perform. Older siblings (and Boyd School alumni) came to watch their brothers and sisters perform during the December Holiday performances. We are always interested in hearing how former students are doing. If you wish to share your story, please email: resourcecoordinator@theboydschool.com	Dower and Associates The Boyd School has welcomed the addition of Dower and Associates Inc. to the Aldie Campus. Nikia Dower, President of Dower and Associates, Inc. has been in private practice since 1986. Dower and Associates, Inc. specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents with language learning disabilities, speech/language delays/disorders and those with autism and other developmental disabilities.
with autism. So Asperger's should not be a synonym for “high functioning.” Likewise, people with autism who are described as “low functioning,” including those without language, can have the kinds of intelligence and hidden abilities that are associated with Asperger's – in the art, music and engineering, for example – and can communicate if given assistance. Page 10 --->