What are the advantages and disadvantages of having the label Asperger’s Disorder?
The advantages tend to be personal and emotional. For parents, the diagnosis and label provides them with a sense of relief. Many parents of children with Asperger’s say that they have known that something was “wrong”, but felt that they could not get “the problem” properly identified. When such difficulties are identified and labeled, parents and individuals are better able to understand the nature of the problems and how to remedy them. By labeling the disorder, it is easier to address any problems that are associated with it, and allows parents and individuals the opportunity to maximize the positive aspects of the disorder. People with Asperger’s often have a unique ability to focus, and to catalogue detailed information about their areas of interest. In many situations, these talents can be put to very positive, constructive uses. One only needs to look at the celebrities who some suggest may qualify or may have qualified for an Asperger’s diagnosis (e.g., Thomas Jefferson, Albert
