Thanks Lisa for getting me thinking harder on this one.
I am wondering if every one would consider a personality disorder a handicap.
I am talking about, sociopath, oppositional defiant disorders, narcissism, and so forth.
These are things that people don't realize they have so they don't change. YET, there are socially unacceptable behaviors that come from them.
It seems that we look at autism, downs syndrome, muscular distropy, dwarfism, and a whole host of things that show PHYSICAL symptoms totally differently, all though there are the things that are considered socially unacceptable behaviors that can stem from any of these issues as well.
I have a child who is ODD to the best of my ability to figure, it took LOADS of reasearch(and talking to her therapist which seems to be one of the worst things to do for her), and there really isn't a test yet, nor is there "therapy" per say. Structure, and natural consequenses, are the best therapy. And both are there.
I am just having a hard time dealing with it as a disability, which IS what it is. She doesn't have a clue how to feel for others, and she is in the here and now, with no thoughts of past or future, (unless bringing up something from the past is going to get her out of something), narcissistic to the hilt, lies, steals, and keeps repeating, she has no concern for hygene, be it the home or her own body, her rages and outbursts make it almost impossible for me to deal at times...
It seems to be correctable, BUT it is a precursor to adult sociopathy...SCARY
I guess, my perception is shifting, and I was wondering how many other people are still of the frame of mind that sociopaths are just deranged individuals not someone with a disability...
On a side note, I don't think that just because someone is a sociopath we should let them run the streets, robbing and murdering. Just trying to gain a different perspective I guess, on the kid I am dealing with, so HOPEFULLY she doesn't turn out to be one of those.