From Simon Baron-Cohen’s paper “Is Asperger’s syndrome/High-Functioning Autism necessarily a disability?“…
This article considers whether Asperger Syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA) necessarily lead to disability or whether AS/HFA simply lead 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 only provides financial and other support for individuals with a disability.
(Emphasis mine.)
Note this does not imply that no one who is an Aspie is disabled. But claims that one can be an Aspie and not be disabled.
Tags: Asperger, Autism, Broader Autistic Phenotype, Psychology