Aspie Girls

Recently, Dr. Tony Attwood appeared on the Autism Hangout video blog site and made a reference to a concept known as the "Cassandra Phenomenon". Dr. Attwood is a regular guest on the show and can be heard making many positive and upbeat responses to audience questions in "Ask Dr. Tony". Dr. Attwood's reference to the phenomenon has sparked massive controversy in the autism community and has even resulted in an online petition being passed around the internet. What exactly is it that Tony Attwood said that has everyone so upset?

Cassandra is an image derived from Greek mythology. She had been given the gift of prophecy by the god Apollo, but when she refused his romantic gestures he cursed her so that no other would ever believe her prophetic words. The "Cassandra Phenomenon" is, therefore, a metaphor that is often used in situations where the warnings or concerns of another are ignored or downplayed. The metaphor is not unique to psychology and is used to describe situations related to climate change as well as issues relevant to business dealings. In the episode of  "Ask Dr. Tony" in question, some place around 7 minutes and 45 seconds into the video, Dr. Attwood can be heard making a reference to this "Cassandra Phenomenon" in response to one woman's questions regarding her husband who possibly has undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome.

http://www.autismhangout.com/news-reports/feature-programs.asp?id2=103

The real controversy comes into play because of a lesser-known "disorder" called Cassandra Affective Deprivation Disorder (CADD). Maxine Aston, author of the book The Other Half of Asperger's Syndrome and Asperger's in Love, has coined the phrase.  Aston is a Relate councilor working in the UK who deals exclusively with couples coping with Asperger's Syndrome and Autism in their relationship. The symptoms of the so called "disorder" are said to be very similar in nature to Seasonal Affective Disorder and it is thought to be a direct result of living with a partner who has undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome. The "disorder" does not appear in the DSM-IV or the DSM-IV-TR and should not be confused with Affective Deprivation Disorder (a disorder that may be included in the upcoming DSM-V). While similar to Affective Deprivation Disorder, CADD is a disorder that is supposed to be unique to couples where one partner is neurotypical and the other has undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome. There is a great deal of concern over the notion that family members may be suffering from depression as a direct result of living with a spouse or parent who has undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome. This is largely because there are far reaching implications for the "fitness" of such parents in child custody disputes. Divorce rates are high amongst those with Asperger's Syndrome due to their struggles with interpersonal relationships and diagnosis such as CADD just add insult to injury. Individuals with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism may have a great need for solitary activities in a relationship and may have fewer emotional needs than their neurotypical partner. They may not understand or appreciate the social and emotional needs of their spouse and children and this could possibly result in the non-Asperger's family members feeling emotionally deprived. This emotional deprivation might then lead to a depressive state (i.e. CADD). The idea that spouses and parents with Asperger's or High Functioning Autism may play a role in the degradation of the mental health of the family suggests that there is something inherently sinister about the individual who is also, incidentally, coping with Asperger's Syndrome. I do not agree that one family member having Asperger's Syndrome is, in and of it's self, sufficient grounds to determine who should have custody or visitation of the children. Dr. Attwood has himself stated in defense of his comments that  "...having a diagnosis of autism or Asperger’s syndrome does not render a person automatically incapable of being a good partner and parent. Indeed, many of the people I know with autism and Asperger’s syndrome as clients and friends are exceptionally good parents and partners (http://www.faaas.org/doc.php?29,358)." Similar quotes can be found in Tony Attwood's books, as well. I believe that Dr. Attwood supports spouses and parents with autism and to place blame on him and accuse him of supporting "hate groups" as one website has suggested, is overly critical. I believe that the real confusion is over the use of the metaphor "Cassandra Phenomenon" as opposed to Astons suggested "Cassandra Affective Deprivation Disorder". The subtle difference between these two phrases and their implications is at the root of the controversy surrounding Dr. Attwood's comments. Personally, I think that Dr. Attwood is a wonderful advocate for individuals with autism and Asperger's. 

On the subject of Maxine Aston, I have read some of her books and found them to be very informative. I have even written a positive review of her book Asperger's in Love. It is clear that she has an incredible amount of practical experience in dealing with couples coping with autism and Asperger's Syndrome, but I am going to have to agree to disagree with her on the CADD idea. I was a little shocked to learn about her so-called "disorder". It is important to keep in mind, however, that she is a councilor and not a physician. She is only one person with one opinion. While it is true that she has a lot of experience to back her claims, she alone does not determine what constitutes a true disorder. I think that Cassandra Affective Deprivation Disorder bears far too much similarity to other existing disorders that are not specific to Asperger's Syndrome or Autism and feel that it is unlikely that her CADD will ever find a place in the DSM. Her expertise as a councilor is unquestionable, but her diagnostic abilities may be a little wanting. Nonetheless, she has written some really useful books and it is clear that her intensions are to help, not hurt. I think that the autism community would be well served to find ways to highlight examples of relationships between neurotypicals and autistics that have worked and not fixate on the ones that have been disastrous. We need to showcase examples of good "Aspie" parenting to show the world that we can do a superior job of parenting our children. We Aspie's can be pretty good at thinking of the worst sometimes. Let's try to remain positive and focus on creating and maintaining positive and healthy relationships with the ones closest to us.