Can someone have more than 1 autistic spectrum disorder?

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AlexWelshman
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30 Jul 2011, 4:45 pm

For example: can someone have aspergers as well as autism? I know someone who says he has autism & AS.



MindBlind
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30 Jul 2011, 4:51 pm

Hello there.

The terms 'Aspergers Syndrome' and 'High Functioning Autism' are often used interchangeably. That's because they are the same thing. Kind of like how 'Bipolar Disorder' and 'Manic Depression' are also the same thing.

I hope that answers your question.



littlelily613
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30 Jul 2011, 4:52 pm

He cannot have classic autism and aspergers; the two are mutually exclusive. If he fits the diagnostic criteria for classic autism, then he cannot have aspergers. Some people use the terms (autism-not classic autism- and aspergers) interchangeably though...


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jmnixon95
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30 Jul 2011, 4:59 pm

Asperger's is--for now--classified as an autism spectrum disorder, so those with AS can technically say "I am autistic" and "I have Asperger's." However, someone with autistic disorder ("high"- or "low"-functioning) has an autism spectrum disorder and can say "I am autistic" but not "I have Asperger's." It has been proposed that the Asperger's diagnosis be eliminated from the next DSM, so there will just be autism with a severity scale because of some of the confusion caused.



littlelily613
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30 Jul 2011, 5:08 pm

MindBlind wrote:
The terms 'Aspergers Syndrome' and 'High Functioning Autism' are often used interchangeably. That's because they are the same thing.


This is not exactly true. Aspergers is sometimes called HFA because it is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum; however, high-functioning classic autism (aka. HFA) is not the same thing as Aspergers. HFA can have two meanings.


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AlexWelshman
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30 Jul 2011, 5:14 pm

littlelily613 wrote:
He cannot have classic autism and aspergers; the two are mutually exclusive. If he fits the diagnostic criteria for classic autism, then he cannot have aspergers. Some people use the terms (autism-not classic autism- and aspergers) interchangeably though...
I've also heard someone on YouTube say he's got PDD as well as AS. Is that possable?



littlelily613
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30 Jul 2011, 5:19 pm

Well, AS is a PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder). If you meant to type PDDNOS, though, then no, that is not possible. People get the diagnosis PDDNOS when they definitely have a PDD, but do not fully fit the diagnostic criteria for aspergers or autism.


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AlexWelshman
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30 Jul 2011, 5:37 pm

littlelily613 wrote:
Well, AS is a PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder). If you meant to type PDDNOS, though, then no, that is not possible. People get the diagnosis PDDNOS when they definitely have a PDD, but do not fully fit the diagnostic criteria for aspergers or autism.
Yes, PDD NOS was what i mean. He said he was officially diagnosed with both! How strange!



jmnixon95
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30 Jul 2011, 5:43 pm

AlexWelshman wrote:
littlelily613 wrote:
Well, AS is a PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder). If you meant to type PDDNOS, though, then no, that is not possible. People get the diagnosis PDDNOS when they definitely have a PDD, but do not fully fit the diagnostic criteria for aspergers or autism.
Yes, PDD NOS was what i mean. He said he was officially diagnosed with both! How strange!


That would make no sense.



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30 Jul 2011, 5:43 pm

When someone says they have both, I assume they have had two different diagnoses by two different doctors. I knew someone online who was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and Asperger's. That just shows how even doctors have their own opinions about autism so one may say you have AS and the other may say you just have autism, not AS. Some may say you have PDD-NOS and another doctor may say you have AS.


In fact I think lot of aspies don't truly have AS. They either have autism or PDD-NOS. Lot of doctors don't follow the criteria it seems like.



littlelily613
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30 Jul 2011, 5:46 pm

Well, he cannot have both, but he may have received both diagnoses at one point. For example, I was first diagnosed with Aspergers before being diagnosed with Classic Autism. So, I technically received both diagnoses even though I cannot have Aspergers Disorder. Is this perhaps what he meant? That he had received both labels over his life (maybe he had PDDNOS label, but then with further evaluation, they realized he fit the Aspergers diagnostic criteria for example?) If he says he really has both PDDNOS and Aspergers (rather than just one label given and then another replacing the original label), then he is wrong as that is impossible.


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Lucywlf
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30 Jul 2011, 7:08 pm

My boys' diagnosis is Autism and PDDNOS.



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30 Jul 2011, 7:28 pm

Did you mean:

My boy's diagnosis is autism and PDD-NOS? If so, this is not possible. There are no two ways about it. Either the diagnostician messed up, or you misunderstood, but one human cannot carry two diagnoses on the autism spectrum.

OR

My boys' diagnoses are autism and PDD-NOS? This is entirely possible. Unrelated, but possible.

I assume it was a simple typo either way.



League_Girl
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30 Jul 2011, 8:25 pm

Someone can be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and then another doctor changes the diagnoses because he doesn't agree with their autism diagnoses. Like one doctor might diagnose someone with AS and another doctor who sees the patient doesn't agree with it and changes it to PDD-NOS by diagnosing him with that. The person is on the spectrum no doubt. It's just the labeling of where to put the person on the spectrum and doctors have two different opinions. Someone can be diagnosed with AS and then they see another doctor and they get diagnosed with HFA because they mentioned their speech delay.



littlelily613
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30 Jul 2011, 8:54 pm

Lucywlf wrote:
My boys' diagnosis is Autism and PDDNOS.


So he would have to be one or the other. Which was the last diagnosis he received? That is likely the one that applies to him. PDDNOS means autism spectrum disorder, but not autistic and not aspergers. There is no such thing as someone who can have something that means "not autism" and autism.


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Diagnosed with classic Autism
AQ score= 48
PDD assessment score= 170 (severe PDD)
EQ=8 SQ=93 (Extreme Systemizer)
Alexithymia Quiz=164/185 (high)


2ukenkerl
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30 Jul 2011, 10:57 pm

Basically PDD is used to describe the catagory, or as a cop-out. AS means you have AS and nothing else. Classic, aka kanners, autism means only that, PDD-NOS means it IS a PDD, but they don't know what it is. Some say things like RETTs, or CDD, are autism, but they aren't, and would supersede any classifcation of one.