Hello there, reader! Thanks for reading Dictionary, even if you only got through a few words before deciding to look over this note. I'm simply going to explain the role Robin's diagnosis plays in the story to make her easier to understand as a character and Dictionary to understand as a whole. Let us dissolve the stigma around autism, one piece of literature at a time!
Robin has autism spectrum disorder, which has become an umbrella term for a range of symptoms that all pertain to or are similar to those of autism. Had she been diagnosed before the DSM-5 grouped several similar conditions together under this umbrella term, she would have Asperger's syndrome. I'll explain both Asperger's and autism spectrum disorder.
Some (slightly paraphrased) DSM-5 criteria for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder include:
I. Persistent difficulties with social communication and social interaction:
-Problems with reciprocating emotionally or socially, ranging from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation to reduced sharing of interests or emotions to failure to start conversations or respond to social interactions.
-Problems with nonverbal communication used for social interaction, ranging from poor verbal and nonverbal communication to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.
-Problems with developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, ranging from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends to lack of interest in peers.
II. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history:
-Repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech (e.g., flapping hands, pacing in circles, lining up toys or flipping objects, repeating single words or phrases to communicate, the use of made up words that only make sense to those who were there as the word was created).
-Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns or verbal nonverbal behavior (e.g., extreme distress at small changes, difficulties with transitions, rigid thinking patterns, greeting rituals, need to take same route or eat food every day).
-Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus (e.g, strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interest).
-Hyperactivity or hyporeactivity to sensory input or unusual interests in sensory aspects of the environment (e.g., apparent indifference to pain/temperature, negative response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, visual fascination with lights or movement).
III. Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed social ability, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life).
IV. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.
V. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. (Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur.)
Along with these symptoms, there are also levels that describe how severe ASD is. Level one, which is what Robin has, is the mildest form of ASD. This means she is comprehensible in conversation, but her social deficits and developmental differences are clear to see. However, those with level one autism spectrum disorder will not need as much support as someone with level two or three.
Now, here are some (slightly less paraphrased) DSM-4 criteria for Asperger's syndrome:
I. Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:
-Marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body postures, and gestures to regulate social interaction and conversation.
-Failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level.
-A lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people (e.g. by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people rather than just themselves).
-Lack of social or emotional reciprocity.
II. Restricted repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
-Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus.
-Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals.
-Repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements).
-Persistent preoccupation with parts of objects.
III. The disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning
IV. There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years).
V. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.
VI. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia.
As you can see, both disorders are quite similar. They both include a lack of eye contact, repetitive movements, constant routines, a strong interest within a subject, and social and emotional deficits. Robin displays some of these symptoms and more, such as touch and sound sensitivity.
Another thing mentioned frequently in Dictionary are meltdowns. A meltdown occurs when someone with autism is under a lot of stress or anxiety. They are usually unaware that they're building themselves up towards a meltdown, so the events are often sudden and shocking to witness. Meltdowns can take many different forms-- some people cry, some get angry, others do both. Similarly, someone with ASD will have a shutdown when stressed, making them suddenly unable to respond to any and all sensory stimuli or do anything but stare blankly at an object. Both shutdowns and meltdowns are uncontrollable, and many people with autism have to deal with them. The best way to help someone who's having a meltdown/shutdown is to give them some space or an area to collect themselves.
And finally, we come to the use of the word "autistic" at Robin and Vana's school. It's inappropriate and incredibly rude to call for someone to call something think is stupid "autistic." It's become more common now, and it's truly unacceptable. If you hear someone call someone or something "autistic," you should politely inform them to stop being a jackass and ask if they've ever met someone with autism before. Refer them to this story, even! But don't let them get away with it. Autism is not a joke! And it's not something that you should use to define people, either. Everyone has different layers, and the fact that they have autism may just be one of the dozens of parts that make them up.
I hope you learned something from reading Dictionary or this Author's Note. I loved writing this little short story, and I think I'm going to simply leave it here on Wattpad for a while. If you enjoyed this, please vote or comments on the story and tell me what you liked about it! I'd appreciate it a bunch! Goodbye, reader!
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Dictionary
Teen Fiction[Short Story] When Robin Park is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, her entire world seems to change. Her only constant is the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary-- a tool that comes in handy whenever she needs to define things like complex...
