Is Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism necessarily a disability?

Baron-Cohen, S. (2000) Development and Psychopathology, 12, 489-500.

This article considers whether Asperger’s syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA) necessarily leads to disability or whether AS/HFA simply leads to difference. It concludes that the term difference in relation to AS/HFA is a more neutral, value-free, and fairer description than terms such as impairment, deficiency, or disability; that the term disability only applies to the lower functioning cases of autism; but that the term disability may need to be retained for AS/HFA as long as the legal framework provides financial and other support for individuals with a disability.


Summary
In a world where individuals are all expected to be social, people with AS/HFA are seen as disabled. The implication is that if environmental expectations change, or in a different environment, they may not necessarily be seen as disabled.

We could imagine, for example, people with AS/HFA might not necessarily be disabled in an environment in which they can exert greater control of events. The social world is very hard to control, while the technological world of machines is in principle highly controllable. Equally, people with AS/HFA might not necessarily be disabled in an environment in which an exact mind, attracted to detecting small details, is an advantage. In the social world there is no great benefit to such a precise eye for detail, but in the world of math, computing, cataloguing, music, linguistics, craft, engineering, or science, such an eye for detail can lead to great success rather than disability. In the world of business, for example, a mathematical bent for estimating risk and profit, together with a relative lack of awareness of the emotional states of one’s employees or rivals, can mean unbounded opportunities.