I wouldn't describe it as an illness, but Asperger Syndrome is absolutely a thing and I'm not sure why you think it's abandoned.
It's an attractive diagnosis because it gives jerky nerds an excuse to act like a jerk, but (just like so many things), the fact that it's over-self-diagnosed doesn't mean that there aren't people with legitimate problems.
Edit: Ah, I guess you're saying that it's "abandoned" because the diagnosis is no longer "You have Aspergers Syndrome" and now "You fall somewhere on the autistic spectrum"?
> I wouldn't describe it as an illness, but Asperger Syndrome is absolutely a thing and I'm not sure why you think it's abandoned.
Excuse me? It has been abandoned -- it was voted out of DSM-5 (the current version), by the same people who voted it into DSM-IV. It is gone. Read more:
Simple enough? The reason it was abandoned is because it was widely abused by opportunistic therapists to exploit people who think mental illnesses can be made up without benefit of science.
> It's an attractive diagnosis because it gives jerky nerds an excuse to act like a jerk, but (just like so many things), the fact that it's over-self-diagnosed doesn't mean that there aren't people with legitimate problems.
Yes, and the fact that "vapors" is no longer accepted as a medical condition doesn't mean no one gets cancer -- it means there are fewer quacks practicing medicine.
> Edit: Ah, I guess you're saying that it's "abandoned" because the diagnosis is no longer "You have Aspergers Syndrome" and now "You fall somewhere on the autistic spectrum"?
Yes, exactly as though someone now says, "You're more interesting than the average person" instead of saying, "Your're queer and need therapy." Yes, there is a difference.
It's an attractive diagnosis because it gives jerky nerds an excuse to act like a jerk, but (just like so many things), the fact that it's over-self-diagnosed doesn't mean that there aren't people with legitimate problems.
Edit: Ah, I guess you're saying that it's "abandoned" because the diagnosis is no longer "You have Aspergers Syndrome" and now "You fall somewhere on the autistic spectrum"?