Video Games Help Cure Autism?

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rolltide101x said:

Tootylicious said:

curl-6 said:

As somebody who has autism, I certainly hope video games don't "cure" it.

I don't consider it a disease, it's part of who I am. :)

Yeah, it's definitely not a disease.

Most people just think that everything diverging from the norm is some kind of malfunction or disease that needs to be "cured". They don't even consider that those people are perfectly fine with it and don't want to be changed.

It is absolutely a disease..... Millions of people struggle with it everyday. Just because some people are ok with it does not take away from its impact. I am glad that Curl is ok with it though and that is defintely a good way of looking at it :)

A disease and a disorder are not the same thing. And both can cause disabilities. 

http://www2.hawaii.edu/~heiby/overheads_classification.html

SYMPTOM

-refers to an observable behavior or state.

-there is no implication that an underlying problem necessarily exists or that there is a physical etiology.

-the simplest level of analyzing a presenting problem.

SYNDROME

-the next higher level of analysis

-this term is applied to a constellation of symptoms that occur together or co-vary over time.

-the term carries no direct implications in terms of underlying pathology.

-Whether, in fact, certain sets of symptoms co-vary with one another is an empirical question.

DISORDER

-like a syndrome, refers to a cluster of symptoms,

-but the concept includes the idea that the set of symptoms is not accounted for by a more pervasive condition.

-As with symptom and syndrome, there is no implication of etiology

DISEASE

-a disorder where the underlying etiology is known.

  

-It is the highest level of conceptual understanding.