kraftiekortie wrote:
Peoples' milestones run the gamut here. Some people spoke extremely early; some people spoke extremely late, for example.
I often wonder about the Aspie/HFA distinction. With Aspies (as a general rule) being relatively good verbally, but "weak" in motor coordination and visual-spatial abilities whereas HFA people (as a general rule) experience difficulty with the verbal realm, but have relatively good motor coordination and visual-spatial abilities.
A speculated disorder, known as "nonverbal learning disability (NVLD) has been noted to be strongly correlated with Asperger's Syndrome. Many HFA people, though, are excellent in mechanical things, and might even have some sort of verbal learning disability.
I learned to speak very early but my verbal communication skills obviously suck. I'm overwhelmed by talking with just one person at a time and if there're two or more people I'm mute. The fact that you can speak doesn't exactly mean you can also talk/communicate in my case.
Another thing is I'm a visual thinker but I'm weak in motor coordination. ASD as a diagnosis makes more sense to me than high functioning autism and/or Asperger's. Also, in my opinion, labeling people with only their existing or non-existing language delay as classically autistic or high functioning is just wrong. Things change even for autistic people and that's why the severity levels make more sense for you might evolve a great deal or very little when you grow up and older and some kids with a language delay can grow into better functioning adults than other kids that spoke early.