Autism vs. Schizophrenia

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I know this has probably been brought up before, but I was going over this page and wondered, how the heck do you know the difference? This seems to encompass nearly all the signs of AS, just with the addition of hallucinations and delusions. But it even says some of the hallucinations start as sensory oversensitivity, and delusions are usually paranoid in nature - most Aspies have some paranoid thoughts just from being aware that we don't fit in and can't tell when people are lying to us.

So how do I know which I have? I have all the classic signs of AS but I also have some pretty serious mood issues, and my mom is schizophrenic. I'm terrified because I've been deteriorating lately in my ability to handle life, and I'm within the age of onset range for schizophrenia (I'm 21) though I've had AS symptoms all my life. Maybe I have both? Maybe I have some new hybrid disorder where everything in my brain is broken? I don't know. This is upsetting to me.

Not sure there could certainly be some overlap in biology. Schizophrenic often take
antipsychotic medications for the psychosis and person with AS some times take low
doses of atypical anti-psychotics for various reason (not sure on the effectiveness).

Not having hallucination though is a massive distinction though. The estimates for
Schizophrenia are about 1% in the population and AS is a little less. So who knows
Schizophrenics may have the same range of genes as aspies have plus some additional
ones making them at risk of psychosis.

First of all aspies don't get weird thoughts like they think someone is spying on them or they think there are people after them or someone has planted cameras in their house, etc.

We also don't see things thta aren't real or hear things that aren't real. I would suggest watching A beautiful Mind. It's about schizophrenia and they show a good example of it. I used to think i was going schizo myself but when I saw the movie, I realized I was not going schizophrenic and I wasn't even close.
Also read books on schizophrenia and read autobiographies on it too written by people who experiance it and you will know the difference by then.

I'm schizophrenic. It hasn't reared its ugly head yet, but one day I'll probably have to take anti-psychotics or something.

It may not be schizophrenia, people in my family call multiple personality disorder schizophrenia.

Ha tell that to my boyfriend, he will say you aren't aspergers.

Your boyfriend maybe the typical pedantic aspie who keeps a copy of the DSM-IV in his
back pocket at all times. The real world of biology verses mans attempt to put labels on every aspect of the human condition are very different things. The label of aspergers or
schizophrenic are human constructs. With better understanding we will find a large number of genes related to both conditions. And perhaps some common genes to both conditions. In that case biology has decided one can in fact have both aspie like and schizophrenic like features at the same time.

Um, I think I said in the original post that my mom is schizophrenic. I have no problem with knowing what schizophrenia is

My point was more that the EARLY stages of schizophrenia can look like Asperger's, and how would you know the difference between the earliest visual "sensitivities" of schizophrenia, and simple sensory problems of AS? It just looks so much the same at that stage, and it seems so likely for one condition to be misdiagnosed with the other...

The criteria for schizotypal personality disorder and AS are so similar... I fit both. I guess the main difference would be either obsessions (for AS) and hallucinations or delusions (for SZ) that are so extreme and out of control that they effect your quality of life. In other words, the delusional thinking is not just a quirk or "odd thinking," but actually has a detrimental causal influence on your actions and choices.

Oh-- and it's not surprising that autism and schizophrenia seem to run in families... there might be a genetic link, as Rh- blood type is much higher in both groups. I had a grandfather who might have been schizophrenic.

(And-- my mother, my sister, three of my children, and myself are Rh-, which means my father is Rh+ but has +/- alleles.)

Last edited by Apatura on 24 Apr 2007, 12:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hey wow, my mom is Rh-....

I think they shouldn't jump to conclusion about early diagnosis just be supportive. I think they should go with one but explain the other possibilities.

A neuropsycholgist can sort out organic brain differences which define AS as a neurobiological condition. I'm not familiar with brain differences in schizophrenia, but I do know it is mainly a disorder of thinking. I have no paranoia nor delusions. I may be wary of certain situations because factually I understand they could be unpleasant, but I don't think people are out to get me. I am an exceedingly rational person and I believe that many aspies are rational and factual.

To my understanding a person with schizotypal personality disorder lacks interest in things. That is completely opposite from the typical aspie's obsessive interests.

I read an article a couple months ago that discussed the fact that many psychologist/psychiatrists want to get rid of the diagnostic term, "schizophrenia". They claimed it's an umbrella term that covers several conditions that have different specific effects. So, calling someone "schizophrenic" is no longer helpful when seeking treatment.
Years ago, even after Kanner's studies explained what "autism" was, many autistics were still getting diagnosed with "schizophrenia". It seems that "infantile schizophrenia" was used interchangeably with autism. The main mistake has been interpreting types of stimming and stereotypies as symptoms of hallucinations, delusions and psychosis. This still happens, not all the experts are savvy to what stimming is and why it's done.

Also, I think kids that are already in special education or receiving "medical treatment" might be under different scrutiny than NT kids. So, when autistic kid talks to himself or reports seeing dragons and magic stars, a professional will automatically assume some medicalized reason. This comes up in the Parents forum here and just yesterday, my son's teacher brought it up.

are you alright man?

I read the book A beautiful Mind (didn't see the movie) - but before he went off into schizophrenic it seems like he was very Aspie when he was younger. I often see people using this as an exclusive example of paranoid schizophrenia. He was not schizophrenia until he was older - and felt that teaching put too much stress on him.

However schizophrenia as someone else mentioned is a psychiatric dumping ground for lots of different behaviors. One study I read showed that a great deal of the time different psychiatrists would not use the same label for the same behaviors. And considering how heavy a label schizophrenia is you would think that there would be better standards.