Labels vs. Life

Published July 07, 2009 @ 04:00PM PT

Is it Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, or both? is the headline of an Examiner post that, well, talks about autism vs. sensory processing disorder a.k.a. sensory integration dysfunction.

This is akin to discussions regarding autism vs. nonverbal learning disabilities (that link is a discussion by various professionals on a case study and is a case study in itself for the point of this post here).

And also akin to discussions regarding autism vs. semantic pragmatic language disorder.

On one hand, these labels can be a really positive source of self-understanding, of needed supports and services, of better communication, and a key to finding accommodations that work.

On the other hand, these labels aren't life--how people think, feel, experience and interact with the world is incredibly complex. Even if we discard (ha!) the interplay between personality, history, and biology, mind remains too complex for us to even define let alone label with a tidy diagnostic word. Sometimes it's easy to forget the artificiality of these labels.

In the end what matters isn't whether a person "has" this thing or this other thing or both, what matters is that a person "is"--complex, undefinable, real, alive.

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Comments (1)

My son was diagnosed with sensory integration disorder, but I don't know if he would still be diagnosed with it. Since his sensory integration differences are 'normal' to him, of course he cant tell me how he feels 'differently'. But, certainly he seems to be less and less affected by sensory issues as we proceed with his biomedical interventions. Chelation seems to have helped the most.

We enjoyed the fourth of JUly, fireworks and lots of noise, with no issues at all. It *was* independence day at our house! (But, I did worry about what he was being exposed to from the fireworks. Yet, sometimes you just gotta live and throw caution to the wind!)

Posted by Cheryl White on 07/07/2009 @ 05:55PM PT
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Dora is committed to improving quality of life for individuals on the autistic spectrum--including herself! She is Co-director of the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education and a member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's Board of Directors.