AdvantagesandDisadvantagesofLabelingChildrenwithan"Autism

SpectrumDisorder"

ReceivingadiagnosisofAspergers(AS)orHighFunctioningAutism(HFA)canbeamixedblessing.
Someindividualsarehappywithselfdiagnosis,whileothersprefertogetaformaldiagnosissothey
can know for sure whether or not they have an autism spectrum disorder.
IfyourchildreceivesaformaldiagnosisofASorHFA,therearegoingtobeanumberofbenefitsaswell
as difficulties associated with getting the label. In this post, we will look at the advantages and
disadvantages of getting labeled with a developmental disorder.
First,

lets

look

at

some

of

the

disadvantages

of

labeling:

1.Alabelissimplyacognitiveshortcut(i.e.,atermusedtorepresentaseriesofcharacteristics),butitis
usefulonlyifpeoplearemindfulofthefactthattheyareusingitasashortcut.Whenpeoplelosethat
mindfulness,

label

becomes

stereotype.
2.Allkidshavesomeproblematicbehaviors.Labelscanexaggerateachildsactionsintheeyesof
parents,teachers,andothers.Adultsmayoverreact tothebehaviorofalabeledchildthatwouldbe
tolerated

in

another

child.
3.Childrenontheautismspectrumcantreceivespecialeducationservicesuntiltheyarelabeled.In
manycases,theinterventioncomestoolate.Theneedtolabelchildrenbeforehelparrivesunderminesa
preventive approach to the mild learning problems associated with AS and HFA.
4.Labelingachildgivesotherstheabilitytopigeonholeormakeassumptionsabouthimorherbased
onthediagnosis,ortheirunderstandingofthediagnosis.Thiscanleadpeopletomakedecisionsand
judgmentsaboutthechildbasedonthediagnosisratherthanontheneedsandcharacteristicsofthechild.
5.LabelsperpetuatethenotionthatchildrenwithASandHFAarequalitativelydifferentfromtheirpeers.
Thisisnotalwaystrue.Childrenonthehighendoftheautismspectrumgothroughmostofthesame
developmental stages as other kids, although sometimes at a slower rate.
6.Labelsshapetheexpectationsofparents,teachers,peers,andothers.Imaginethatyouareateacher.
WhatwouldyourreactionbeiftheprincipalinformedyouthatthenewchildinyourclasshasanAutism
SpectrumDisorder(ASD)?Researchonteacherexpectationshasdemonstratedthatwhatteachersbelieve
about student capability is directly related to student achievement. Thus, if a teacher lowers her
expectationsofastudentontheautismspectrum,statisticallyspeaking,thatstudentwillbelesslikelyto
perform at the level he or she could without the ASD label.

7.Peoplemayconfusethechildwiththelabel.Whenachildisplacedinaparticularcategory,people
whoknowsomeofthetraitsofthatcategorymayattributeALLknowntraitstothechild.Thisiscalled
stereotyping.Stereotypeshurtchildrenwhenpeoplerationalizehisorherbehavioralproblemsbyciting
traits

of

the

label.

8.ResearchshowsthatchildrenandteensknowntohaveASandHFAaremorevulnerabletostigmaand
discrimination especially from peers (e.g., teasing, bullying, peerrejection).
Next, we will look at some of the

advantages

of labeling:

1.Alabel(i.e.,aformaldiagnosis)providesaframeworkwithinwhichtounderstandthedisorder.By
noticingwhichsymptomsseemtoshowuptogether,thennoticingwhichclusterofsymptomsaparticular
childseemstofallinto,treatmentdecisionscanbeinformedbywhathasorhasnotworkedforother
children

with

similar

clusters

of

symptoms.
2.Bylabelingthedisorder,itiseasiertoaddressanyproblemsthatareassociatedwithit,andallows
parentsandteacherstheopportunitytomaximizethepositiveaspectsofthedisorder.Youngpeopleon
theautismspectrumoftenhaveauniqueabilitytofocus,andtocataloguedetailedinformationabouttheir
areasofinterest.Inmanycases,thesetalentscanbeputtoverypositive,constructiveuses.Oneonly
needstolookatthecelebritieswhosomesuggestmayqualifyormayhavequalifiedforanASD
diagnosis to realize what talents can be associated with what is called a disorder.
3.Childrenandteensonthespectrumhaveknowntheyfacecertaindifficultiesforalongtimewithout
beingabletoexplainwhy!Alabelcanbeareliefbecauseitallowsthemtolearnabouttheirdisorder,to
understandwhytheyfindsomethingssodifficult,andindeed,whytheyareverygoodatsomethings.
4. Diagnoses can serve as a sort of cognitive shortcut. Rather than list all of a childs symptoms
individually, therapists can name the cluster and understand the child more quickly, speeding
communication.
5.Formomsanddads,thediagnosisandlabelusuallyprovidesthemwithasenseofrelief.Manyparents
saythattheyhaveknownthatsomethingwaswrong,butfeltthattheycouldnotgettheproblem
properlyidentified.Whensuchissuesareidentifiedandlabeled,parentsarebetterabletounderstandthe
nature of the challenges and how to address them.

6.Havingadiagnosisisthekeytogettingautismspecificsupport(i.e.,supportthatisprovidedbypeople
who understand AS and HFA, as well as the specific difficulties associated with it).
7.Havingreceivedadiagnosis,a youngsteronthe autism spectrum can tell otherfamilymembers,
friends, and classmates about it (if she wants to), perhaps giving them some information about the
disorder.Thishelpsotherstounderstandautism.WhenthepeoplewhoareclosetotheASorHFAchild
understandthatthereisareasonforherdifficulties,it'smucheasierforthemtoempathizewithherand
offer

support.
8.IfachildhasASorHFA,butdoesntknowit,itaffectshimanyway.Ifthechilddoesknow,hecan
learn to minimize the negative impact and leverage the positive!
9.KnowingaboutASorHFAgivesthechildorteenanexplanationnotanexcuseforwhyherlife
has taken the twists and turns that it has.

10.Labelingprovidingparentsandteacherswithawaytolearnabouttheyoungstersspecificbehavioral
difficulties.Bylearningaboutthedisorder,peoplecanbetterunderstanditsimplicationssothatparental,
teacher,andcommunityexpectationsofthechildarerealistic,reasonable,anddonotrequirehimtomeet
standards that are outside his range of abilities.

11.Someadultsontheautismspectrumchoosetogetadiagnosisforreasonsconnectedtowork(e.g.,to
getcertainaccommodations).Perhapstheyarehavingproblemsfindingajob,theyhaveajobbutare

worried they will lose it, or they feel misunderstood by their employer or fellow employees.
12. Sometimes, young people on the autism spectrum have been misdiagnosed with mental health
problems(e.g.,schizophrenia).Thismaymeantheyhavereceivedinappropriatetreatmentorservices.
ButwithaformaldiagnosisofASorHFA,thiscanberectified.Also,someyoungpeopledoindeedhave
mental health problems, and these can be better addressed once their spectrum disorder has been
identified.
13.WhenyoungpeoplearegiventhediagnosisofASorHFA,itcanvalidatetheirexperiencesbyletting
them

know

that

others

have

similar

experiences.
14.WithouttheknowledgethatyouhaveASorHFA,youarelikelytofillthatvoidwithother,more
damagingexplanations(e.g.,Imafailure,weird,disappointment,notlivinguptomypotential,etc.).
15.Perhapsmostimportantly,whenanindividualknowsexactlywhatheorsheisdealingwith(inthis
case, an autism spectrum disorder), accommodations specific to the disorder can be pursued. For
example:
a.anolderteenoryoungadultcanusetheinformationtoplotacoursethroughcollege

takeclassesparttimetoaccountforexecutivefunctioning/organizationalchallenges

requestreasonableaccommodationsatschooloratwork

choosetoliveathometominimizethenumberofchangesallatonce

prepareforacareerthatmatchesinterestsandabilities

joininterestbasedgroupssothatsocializinghasapurpose

requestasingleroomtodecreasesocialandsensorydemands

b.amiddleagedorolderadultcanusetheinformationto

workdifferentlywithhelpingprofessionalswithanemphasisonconcretecoachinghelp

renewand/orrepairrelationships

improveonrelationships

pursuebettermatches

findpeoplewhosharesimilarinterests

findothersonthespectrumwithwhomtocomparenotes

doalifereviewtounderstandwhycareersandrelationshipshaveorhavenotbeensuccessful

customize ones environment to be comfortable and accommodating to the strengths and

challengesofthedisorder

askforaccommodationsatwork

pursueworkthatismoresuitable.

Itisalwaysimportanttorememberthatnopersonisadiagnosis,andthatnodiagnosisistheperson.AS
orHFAismerelyonequalityofanindividual.Thepersonwillhavemanyothertraitsandaspectsofhis
orherpersonality.ParentsandteachersareencouragedtolearnaboutthechildFIRST,andthenexplore
thewaythediagnosisaffectshisorherfunctioning.
Inanutshell,labelsareusefulasatool.However,asweallknow,somepeopleuselabelsasaweapon.