Correcting Misnomers

For those of you who know me well, I am both an OT advocate and autism self-advocate. I mentioned yesterday in another blog that my OTD project is going to be a great opportunity to blend both of these occupational roles into something valuable for both the autism and OT communities. It will be a benefit for the autism community because I am blazing a trail for individuals in autism and show to both caregivers and consumers that individuals with autism can have their place in the OT profession (albeit they have to work extra hard for it because of the demands of the OT profession, particularly socially). For the OT community, it is obviously a great example to showcase the magic of OT on an individual with autism. That said, there is a lot of work for our profession to do. Take a look at this quote by an individual with autism- "I agree that there may be Some who are misdiagnosed as Aspergers...who are just spoiled brats....but I still think that it may be a little under diagnosed. This, in my opinion, is due in part to the lack of awareness and training in the medical world. Also, it is also a problem of the rise in the cost of healthcare, and lack of insurance, especially for adults. I know, for me, if I had insurance that covered most of my costs, it would be a lot easier for me to get an official diagnosis. Mental healthcare costs are way too high, and there are few options in my area. This could also be part of the problem...people who live in smaller areas do not have the specialists and such available to them. They would have to travel quite a distance....and people with limited means, such as myself, may not be able to do that. I also feel that being self aware is in some ways more important than having an official diagnosis. Especially for adults, because if you are self diagnosed, like me, there are so many places, like this one, online where you can find tons of info and support to help you on your journey. While I really want to get an official one....my self diagnosis is enough for me for now....until I get the means to make it official. I am grateful to have found this site and the other ones, people I have talked to here and on the other sites have been so helpful!" When I read the quote, one side of me said that it is great that she is finding means to support her well-being and finding what she wants to find about Asperger's. But, the OT advocate in me is trying to highlight all the misnomers that this particularly consumer claimed. After all, posts like this does mean there are many more consumers from various disability communities who are currently believing in some myths about various allied health professions, including OT. What can we really do? I believe there should be an approach for both students and professionals. For professionals, they have to be more aware of such voices out there and advocate on our profession's behalf. For students, they have to know that they also play a role in increasing the public's health literacy, even as early as in their fieldwork settings to practice advocating for our profession. After all, we ALL have a responsibility to help current and future consumers and caregivers in ensuring they have access to the correct and appropriate information that will help them.