Exploring Recovery Cases in Asperger's Syndrome: From Mild to No Diagnosis - Psychiatry

Dr. Li Jite reply Psychiatry

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Hello, Ms.
Lin.
This is a somewhat complex issue, so please bear with me as I explain.
First, autism and Asperger's syndrome share core clinical characteristics (difficulty in social interaction and communication, and a tendency to focus on repetition and consistency).
However, due to historical context, they were initially classified as two separate disorders.
In reality, there may not be a significant difference in severity between the two; that is to say, if we strictly adhere to past diagnostic criteria, we would find individuals with mild autism, severe autism, mild Asperger's, and severe Asperger's.
Mild Asperger's may not necessarily present milder symptoms than mild autism, and this comparison also requires a discussion about the definitions of "mild" and "severe."
Given this context, autism and Asperger's syndrome are no longer distinguished and are collectively referred to as "autism spectrum disorder" (ASD).
Therefore, regarding your question, I would first advise against fixating on the notion that "Asperger's is milder and thus has a better chance of recovery." Although this is a side note, in our observations, such thinking can lead to a strong sense of gain and loss, causing individuals to overestimate or underestimate the actual severity of the issue.
In summary, your question can be simplified to: "Is there a possibility for the severity level of autism spectrum disorder to decrease, or can it be cured?" In Taiwan, when we refer to a "manual," we are likely talking about the disability certification manual, which categorizes severity levels as mild, moderate, severe, and profound.
These levels represent "the extent to which a person's daily functioning is affected by a particular disorder." Generally, the more severe the disorder, the greater the impact on daily functioning, leading to a more serious classification.
However, since we are considering daily functioning, there can be situations where "the severity of the disorder does not change significantly, but the ability to cope with the disorder improves, resulting in a decrease in the severity level." This scenario is quite common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder as they grow.
From a scientific perspective, autism spectrum disorder is viewed less as a disease and more as a characteristic of a person (albeit one that has a significant impact on daily life), similar to introversion or extroversion, which can shape a person's personality throughout their life.
Through education and environmental adaptation, individuals can improve the expression of their characteristics and their daily functioning.
While each individual's path to improvement is unique, there are indeed individuals who grow and become more socialized through education, better managing their fixations, ultimately leading to improved daily functioning and a reduction in their severity level as mentioned earlier.
However, we would not say they have been "cured"; rather, their characteristics remain but are modified to better adapt to life.
We say this is not a cure because, in interactions, we may still perceive them as less intuitive and more fixated.
Understanding this allows us to respect and appreciate them better, which benefits both parties.
At this level, whether it is considered "cured" (to the extent of being like everyone else) becomes less significant, as people are inherently different and should respect one another.
In conclusion, to simplify, "Individuals with autism spectrum disorder can improve their daily functioning through effort, potentially to the point of not requiring a disability certification." I hope this information is helpful to you.
Wishing you peace!

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Reply Date: 2022/12/07