Front Lines of the Autism Wars

To me this seems like a false equivalence. There are many characteristics that, in moderation, are not disease states; there are many characteristics that, in excess, are - whether one refers to excessive iron uptake in hemochromatosis, or excess connections between disparate parts of the brain in schizophrenia.

The problem at hand is that mild autism and severe autism have been united by the recognition of their common underlying mechanics and deficits, where they had previously been seen as distinct entities. However, united by common physiology doesn't necessarily mean they are united in pathology - it wouldn't be inappropriate to consider that one is a disease state and one is not, and both are done a disservice by using medical terminology to label both.

The real problem is the absolutists (on whichever side) that believe they have claim to the "real" definition of autism, and that "other" group doesn't get to speak for them.