Madrid, 19 feb (EFE).-A definition in the dictionary does not change the lives of thousands of children diagnosed for autism, but well worth a linguistic battle to defend their dignity, initiated by a group of families for more than three years with the Royal Spanish Academy, which are very close to win it.
Have the commitment of the SAR include a new definition of autism in the update of its print edition, in 2014, which must be agreed with the 21 academies of the Spanish language remaining, explained to Efe a spokesman for the institution.
In the new definition, it would eliminate that syndrome is characterized by “the failure congenital establish verbal and emotional contact with the people”, which offends so many families when they read now in the dictionary, that remember the contact and communication kept “in a special way” with their children.
At your own pace, the Academy will adapt its definition – that happy more families and medical societies-, calling it a “developmental disorder that affects communication and social interaction, characterized by restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behaviour”.
“A child with autism can show us his affection being quiet or play repeatedly with a toy;” “we must learn to interpret their signs, which are written in a different language, to know if they really are or are not comfortable,” explains Dr. Celso Arango EfE.
Service Chief of child psychiatry of the Gregorio Marañón and director of the CIBERSAM (Centre of biomedical research in the area of Mental health network), the specialist puts us an example: “If a person adult autistic him dies a familiar, just not cry, nor shows melancholy or sadness, but ceases to sleep well at night or is irritated or agitated because something that was present has left and generates some anxiety”.
The battle of families to eliminate the definition “incorrect” – led by platforms such as “against the myths of Autism” or “AutismoDiario.org” – has focused on this idea: convince the SAR that people with autism feel and communicate, and even many speak.
“People are not autistic, like a person with cancer not called cancerous,” argues Daniel Comin, one of pioneers of this claim and parent of a child with autism that – assured Efe – “speaks at the elbows”.
“The current version of the SAR is false and when something is false, affects the quality of life of people and their social image,” believes Comin, who remembers that “language can be very powerful”.
On the net, which is where has remained live debate in these years, read samples of thanks by the reaction of the Academy. The most active and pioneers of the claim not yet seem correct update and continue requesting changes, addition to be reported in the “online” version of the term is under revision.
Others, they take advantage of the linguistic controversy, and open discussions on the pejorative use in colloquial language, other diseases.
For a few months, the HKSAR has an interactive dictionary, with the address “unidrae@rae.es” unit, to respond to requests and suggestions on any term. Also, we can know how to do and updated in “http://buscon.rae.es/draeI”.
Ana Rodrigo
