Would you rather have the PDD label or the AS label?

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PDD sounds like a euphemism for retardation, though it is "Disorder", not "Delay"... AS has so many strings attached, though I have AS traits but not enough of them to diagnose me as AS. A shrink I had years ago could tell I was AS, but one later on said it was a PDD, later asking me how I would like to have PDD.

I wonder if my shrink knows about Mental Disorder NOS. I should tell him about it. Depression NOS too, but he knows I was depressed and still am when I don't take my stuff.

Alright Strapples, nobody is trying to usurp your Powerthrone! LOL

I think that PDD-NOS has indeed been used as a euphemism for more of a cognitively disabled kind of person, whereas AS assumes a higher IQ. This is based on a small sample though. I self-identify as having a lot of AS traits but now I think that the NOS thing might fit me better, as I don't have some of the most disabling traits. I mean, it puts me at a disadvantage in many situations, but I am gainfully employed and happily married. Most troubling to me is that I have a terrible memory and the majority of Aspies seem to have an incredible memory for their own particular favorite arcana: dates, statistics, etc., whereas I can barely remember yesterday.

I like AS better. In my experience, it has more positive connotations. PDD-NOS is too open to interpretation for my taste.

The thing that sucks about the label pdd-nos is the fact that it can mean two different things! pdd-nos can either mean borderline autistic, or more autistic then aspergers. I like HFA label better, i was first diagnosed pdd-nos, low functioning, and on the paper it didnt even say pdd-nos, it just said "more autistic then aspergers". Its like your in between autism, i have a diagram that shows, pdd-nos is stuck in the middle of the whole spectrum, can either be this way or that way, its weird! I didn't understand, just recently found out the people who diagnosed me, don't usually diagnosis classic autism, only aspergers, so when i seemed more autistic, they thought pdd-nos will fit me the best. I'm glad i got rediagnosed though!

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Being Normal Is Vastly Overrated

I read the other day that PDD-NOS is the most common diagnosis (considering the great variance in prevalence rates from institution to institution, salt and all).

Atypical autism
atypical Asperger's
et cetera, come under the heading of PDD-NOS; if you don't fit the full criteria, but you're still autistic, they peg you with the label.

I've kinda grabbed onto the AS label I was given rather than the autistic one; the AS one with Gillberg's criteria attached fits me perfectly, so does the autistic one; I'm far too high-functioning for the latter when I'm compared to those with classic autism that I've seen (I can look after myself for example).

PDD sounds better for me. I fit it better.

I wouldn't want either label stamped on my medical record, but I definately would like to know if I fit the criteria following an evaluation from a psychologist, and keep any label off my actual records.

An aspie already has both AS and PDD as labels as AS is a PDD.

I agree. PDD/NOS sounds like a euphemism for mental retardation.