Different Types Of Autism?

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I was reading in the bookstore today that, essentially, "Classic Autism is a very different condition than HFA/Asperger's, which have more in common with NonVerbal Learning Disorder".

Do you think this is true? Are there several different kinds of Autism? Should AS be considered Autism? Is it a "milder" form of Autism, or something else entirely?

I'm not sure what to think, myself.

I know AS is a form of autism.

The autism spectrum is vast and we are as diverse and different as those that are not on the spectrum, so many factors depending on many things, co-morbid's, life etc... this link will give you some ides, but labels are for the professionals trying to figure, not sure I will ever fit into a neat tick box! http://asplanet.info/index.php?option=c ... Itemid=113

I guess we are all born as unique individuals and I have many neurological differences and will never be the average norm or will any label define me, labels change, while I stay the same!

I have Aspergers and many associated, other conditions/differences all make up part of who I am a very proud and happy autistic individual

asplanet, the article by Donna Williams was EXTREMELY helpful. Thank you.

I've been saying it in threads all over this board, Autism is Autism is Autism. It is possible to diagnose me as Classical Autistic with Catatonic Schizophrenia. Or you could just treat me as a unique individual who has a unique combination of qualities the same as any other human person. A diagnosis of a behavioral disorder is only reasonable if it creates a path to specific assistance that the individual wants or needs. Trying to find a difference between sub types of autism is only useful if those differences result in contradictory treatments. When the difference is one of degrees and the diagnosis has no predictive power over the degree of intervention actually required by the individual, the whole thing is a fool's game.

Being open about my diagnosis probably leads to more negative response than positive response, but being closed would be a negative reaction to my own self. I accept who I am and if somebody else does not, that is on them not me, I accept them for who they are and if who they are is somebody who does not accept me, fine, it is a big enough reality for both of us.

Definitions.

Traditionally,

HFA is "classic autism", just with an IQ over 75 (which usually equates to less severe or less symptoms and less handicap); this is closer to SPD than NLD if one is to use that as a distinction, and as a comparison to classic autism with an IQ under 75 (usually 50 to 60 and under)

AS is people with autistic symptoms who have/develop adequate speech [in all cases] and aren't socially aloof* (i.e., they don't ignore people and appear in their own world cut-off from others. They'll be cut-off from outside social influence, but they'll still talk and interact with people)

*This aloof behaviour is characteristic of classic autism, and that's why you can see a marked difference between the odd and eccentric behaviour of adults with AS compared to the aloof behaviour of those with classic autism.

I have AS and I ignore people A LOT. In fact, I am very choosy about who I talk to. I am aloof and lack social reciprocity in a major way. It's true, I don't like talking to just anyone and am very selective. I can talk to people, however. I would describe myself as " socially stubborn and conversationally selective" and "aloof". You might describe me as "snotty" or "snobby" but it's not because I want to be...exactly. More like it's because it's who I am.
I don't buy for one minute that everyone with AS enjoys being social and talking to people. The DSM doesn't say that and I am proof it isn't always the case.

I agree with Crassus, we are all individuals and you cannot stereotype people.

The term asperger's is currently used by many, including some on this board, to to distinguish higher-functioning from lower-functioning autists. I find that this demeans lower-functioning autists, and want no part of it.

Societies have a long history of dehumanizing those who are different or lower-functioning. At one time, "normal" people didn't want to associate themselves as human beings with certain people, including autists, who they perceived as deficient. Even in Western societies not so long ago, such people were put in inhuman institutions or worse. And now we find that some "Aspies" don't want to associate themselves with lower-functioning autists, because "they are very different from me".

A mentally deficient person or a severely affected autist is still a human being, and deserves to be respected as such, even if the person is different from an intelligent, athletic high achiever. Similarly, just because I function better in society than some autists is not a valid reason for me to give myself a different label in order to distance myself from them. In the same way that I will continue to insist that even those who are the most severely disabled are still human, I am pleased to associate myself with low-functioning autists. After all, we are all autists, and I will never tell anyone that I have Asperger's - a term that is perhaps even more imprecise than autistic.

What was the title of the book, Almandite? Who was the author?

Ana,

If you were aloof, you wouldn't be interacting with anyone, except perhaps a single carer or two; you wouldn't be posting here, that's for certain.

I misunderstood, Daniel. I thought you meant aloof as in not wanting to interact but capable nonetheless.

I guess TECHNICALLY, they are right. I always thought of kanners as being the classic autism. It IS! And HFA IS kanners! BUT, if you think of classic as being the original, then HFA isn't classic, because it requires things that kanners didn't originally allow. The DSM was changed to alllow for HFA.

The other type is aspergers.

Autism is defined according to similarities in symptoms, not similarities in causes. It's quite easy for to people who officially have Autism to have wildly different causes of it. Which is why some have hypersensory issues and others don't. Why some get extremaly emotional and others don't. It doesn't matter, as long as you fit the DSM criteria.

To be honest, it doesn't include anything about social skills in the DSM, or ToM, or Hypersensory issues... in fact, most stuff commonly attached to people with Aspergers isn't in the DSM criteria for it.