I have asperger's, does that mean I am considered autistic?

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lionesss
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27 Aug 2008, 2:55 pm

Age1600, that was extremely helpful!! Thanks for making that list.. now I can see why I was diagnosed with having PDD-NOS instead of either autism or Asperger's, I am going to copy and paste what you had written and I'll tell you how any of the things in the list apply to me-

Differences between Aspergers and Autism...
1- Person with Autism usually obsess over their own stims or sensory related things <-- as a kid somewhat but it started to disappear as I had gotten older
2- Person with Autism usually stim all the time, doesn't usually think to hide their stims.<-- not me, in fact never
3- Person with Autism usually has severe sensory related problems.<-- I did as a toddler but that ended quickly.. though these days I become anxious if I hear a buzzer or an alarm (not clock but security) but maybe that is not unusual even for "NT's"
4- Person with Autism usually have some sort of language delay or more severe problems speaking throughout their lifetime. <-- I had a significant language delay but today you would never know it..
5- Person with Autism usually have many problems with taking care of oneself, and usually need assistance.<-- never (other than the care that I needed as a child..like every child needs), in fact I have a hubby and family to care for! The only reason I would ever neglect to take care of myself these days is because I am too busy taking care of everyone else lol

1- Person with Aspergers usually obsesses over a certian subject, or theme. <-- yes!! always have and that hasn't really changed
2- Person with Aspergers usually try to hide their stims, and usually can seem as a Weird/Quirky Neurotypicals.<-- yep!! ! Not that any of my stims these days are all that unusual, taking walks is one and there is nothing "odd" about that. But I used to have some weird ones as a kid and even back then I knew enough to hide it.
3- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as much sensory problems as someone with Autism does.<-- yes, other than me having adverse reactions to bright lights and loud sounds as a toddler, but even as an older kid and today, other than becoming anxious at the sound of the buzzer.. I have no other sensory issues
4- Person with Aspergers usually don't have a language delay but usually have language problems like stuttering, stammering, slurring and etc.<-- not at all, had the delay but my language comes out just fine now
5- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as many problems taking care of oneselfs rather then somebody with Autism.<-- yep for me

So what does that tell you? Oh yeah and I will also add my social skills are okay considering... I still prefer to be alone but there are other times that I want to be with others, I have no problems with initiating small talk, I can read facial expressions and body language, and understand sarcasm... so that explains why I was put into the "miscelenaous" category..


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Age1600
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27 Aug 2008, 3:11 pm

lionesss wrote:
Age1600, that was extremely helpful!! Thanks for making that list.. now I can see why I was diagnosed with having PDD-NOS instead of either autism or Asperger's, I am going to copy and paste what you had written and I'll tell you how any of the things in the list apply to me-

Differences between Aspergers and Autism...
1- Person with Autism usually obsess over their own stims or sensory related things <-- as a kid somewhat but it started to disappear as I had gotten older
2- Person with Autism usually stim all the time, doesn't usually think to hide their stims.<-- not me, in fact never
3- Person with Autism usually has severe sensory related problems.<-- I did as a toddler but that ended quickly.. though these days I become anxious if I hear a buzzer or an alarm (not clock but security) but maybe that is not unusual even for "NT's"
4- Person with Autism usually have some sort of language delay or more severe problems speaking throughout their lifetime. <-- I had a significant language delay but today you would never know it..
5- Person with Autism usually have many problems with taking care of oneself, and usually need assistance.<-- never (other than the care that I needed as a child..like every child needs), in fact I have a hubby and family to care for! The only reason I would ever neglect to take care of myself these days is because I am too busy taking care of everyone else lol

1- Person with Aspergers usually obsesses over a certian subject, or theme. <-- yes!! always have and that hasn't really changed
2- Person with Aspergers usually try to hide their stims, and usually can seem as a Weird/Quirky Neurotypicals.<-- yep!! ! Not that any of my stims these days are all that unusual, taking walks is one and there is nothing "odd" about that. But I used to have some weird ones as a kid and even back then I knew enough to hide it.
3- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as much sensory problems as someone with Autism does.<-- yes, other than me having adverse reactions to bright lights and loud sounds as a toddler, but even as an older kid and today, other than becoming anxious at the sound of the buzzer.. I have no other sensory issues
4- Person with Aspergers usually don't have a language delay but usually have language problems like stuttering, stammering, slurring and etc.<-- not at all, had the delay but my language comes out just fine now
5- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as many problems taking care of oneselfs rather then somebody with Autism.<-- yep for me

So what does that tell you? Oh yeah and I will also add my social skills are okay considering... I still prefer to be alone but there are other times that I want to be with others, I have no problems with initiating small talk, I can read facial expressions and body language, and understand sarcasm... so that explains why I was put into the "miscelenaous" category..


thats great, hehe i was first diagnosed severe pddnos so i def know how u feel!
Heres the diagnosis critera for pddnos that i made also hehehe. See if this helps.



Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)

PDD/NOS is a diagnosis often considered for children who show some symptoms of autism but who do not meet the specific diagnostic criteria for the other Pervasive Developmental Disorders. PDD-NOS can mean Mild Asperger's<--->Just About Classic Autism. PDD-NOS is not always mild, can also be severe. PDD-NOS= mild aspergers, between aspergers and autism-atypical autism, or one or two symptoms away from classic autism. This diagnosis is usually give when the person does not meet the whole criteria for Autistic Disorder because of late age at onset, atypical symptomatology, or subthreshold symptomatology, or all of these.


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lionesss
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27 Aug 2008, 3:21 pm

Yep, that does fit me, mild Asperger's that is... but yes PDD-NOS can be severe and at one time I believe it was but not at all now, but its still enough to interfere with my life. If I didn't have the speech delay I probably would have been diagnosed with AS, but then again my social skills are not bad.. so who really knows. Then again, there are plenty of those who have AS that have good social skills too (and yes, it didn't come naturally, I had to learn these skills... the hard way :cry: ) but it did pay off.


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27 Aug 2008, 4:52 pm

Age1600 wrote:
As for the differences between autism and aspergers is very small, i made a list awhile ago, see if this helps some people...

Hmm, let's see how I do with this. :)

Differences between Aspergers and Autism...
1- Person with Autism usually obsess over their own stims or sensory related things Never did
2- Person with Autism usually stim all the time, doesn't usually think to hide their stims. Did this when I was a kid
3- Person with Autism usually has severe sensory related problems. Hmm, how severe is severe?
4- Person with Autism usually have some sort of language delay or more severe problems speaking throughout their lifetime. I speak very well, always have
5- Person with Autism usually have many problems with taking care of oneself, and usually need assistance. Never had any trouble with that

1- Person with Aspergers usually obsesses over a certian subject, or theme. Yes
2- Person with Aspergers usually try to hide their stims, and usually can seem as a Weird/Quirky Neurotypicals. True of me as an adult
3- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as much sensory problems as someone with Autism does. Hmm, I have some
4- Person with Aspergers usually don't have a language delay but usually have language problems like stuttering, stammering, slurring and etc. Never have had language problems
5- Person with Aspergers usually don't have as many problems taking care of oneselfs rather then somebody with Autism. True, never had any trouble with this

Age1600 wrote:
Both Diagnosis's can overlap, some individuals with Autism can have Aspergers symptoms, and some individuals with Autism can have Aspergers symptoms.

As far as actual diagnostic criteria go, aren't the symptoms the same except that with Asperger's a few of them are removed (speech delay and possible mental retardation)? That would make it impossible for them to overlap. :?:



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29 Aug 2008, 11:33 am

Age1600 - thank you, that list is very helpful and interesting. I've acutally sorta noticed these differences but found them difficult to describe so thank you very much for listing them. :D

It shows why I see myself as Asperger's rather than Autistic. I don't have any sensory problems at all. My speech is a bit cluttered but I learnt to speak at the normal age and don't have trouble speaking unless I'm very upset. The only thing that's more autistic is I stim all the time and don't really hide it, but I don't obsess over them I just do it without thinking.



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29 Aug 2008, 12:03 pm

The two syndromes can overlap, as I fit both HFA and AS. Just as AS and NVLD can overlap.

I have the single interest [of Asperger's], but I also have all of the other stereotypical symptoms of Autism, which I have had my whole life. The "single interest" has actually been in Autism since the beginning of its description, and it usually manifests as the child develops (children with Asperger's have it earlier).

dougn,

The DSM-IV-TR lists the differences in its expanded text, it's just that you'll have to read more than just the criteria (they're useless by themselves); I'll post it:

Quote:
Asperger's Disorder must be distinguished from the other Pervasive Developmental Disorders, all of which are characterized by problems in social interaction. It differs from Autistic Disorder in several ways. In Autistic Disorder there are, by definition, significant abnormalities in the areas of social interaction, language, and play, whereas in Asperger's Disorder early cognitive and language skills are not delayed significantly. Furthermore, in Autistic Disorder, restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped interests and activities are often characterized by the presence of motor mannerisms, preoccupation with parts of objects, rituals, and marked distress in change, whereas in Asperger's Disorder these are primarily observed in the all-encompassing pursuit of a circumscribed interest involving a topic to which the individual devotes inordinate amounts of time amassing information and facts. Differentiation of the two conditions can be problematic in some cases. In Autistic Disorder, typical social interaction patterns are marked by self-isolation or markedly rigid social approaches, whereas in Asperger's Disorder there may appear to be motivation for approaching others even though this is then done in a highly eccentric, one-sided, verbose, and insensitive manner.



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29 Aug 2008, 4:24 pm

Danielismyname wrote:
The DSM-IV-TR lists the differences in its expanded text, it's just that you'll have to read more than just the criteria (they're useless by themselves); I'll post it:

Thanks. I'd never seen that before. It makes it much clearer that there is actually supposedly a difference between the two other than speech delay.

Some of the things they talk about as being typical for autistic disorder are actually in the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's disorder. Incredibly confusing.

All this really needs to be re-written to be clearer.



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29 Aug 2008, 4:25 pm

Kajjie wrote:
Age1600 - thank you, that list is very helpful and interesting. I've acutally sorta noticed these differences but found them difficult to describe so thank you very much for listing them. :D

It shows why I see myself as Asperger's rather than Autistic. I don't have any sensory problems at all. My speech is a bit cluttered but I learnt to speak at the normal age and don't have trouble speaking unless I'm very upset. The only thing that's more autistic is I stim all the time and don't really hide it, but I don't obsess over them I just do it without thinking.


Your welcome, i actually fixed it so ppl can see the differences in child and adult, if anybody wants me to add anything or correct anything let me know


Differences between Aspergers and Autism in Adult...
1- Adult with Autism usually obsess over their own stims or sensory related things
2- Adult with Autism usually stim all the time, doesn't usually try to hide their stims.
3- Adult with Autism usually have severe sensory related problems.
4- Adult with Autism usually has more severe problems speaking throughout their lifetime may even need some sort of communication device.
5- Adult with Autism usually still have problems taking care of oneself, and may need extra help if wanting to live on their own
6- Adult with Autism usually may notice they are different but don't usually try to act like someone else to fit in.
7- Adult with Autism usually is refered to by public as Rainman

1- Adult with Aspergers usually obsesses over a certian subject, or theme, sometimes even turns that obsession into a career.
2- Adult with Aspergers usually try to hide their stims, and usually can seem as a Weird/Quirky Neurotypicals.
3- Adult with Aspergers usually don't have as much sensory problems as someone with Autism does.
4- Adult with Aspergers usually have language problems such as stuttering, stammering, slurring and etc.
5- Adult with Aspergers usually doesn't have as many problems taking care of oneself and can even be very independant.
6- Adult with Aspergers usually may notice they are different and try to fit in like everybody else and usually makes them seem even more weird
7- Adult with Aspergers usually is refered to by public as having the highest functioning form of autism or almost neurotypical.


Differences between Aspergers and Autism in Children
1- Child with Autism usually obsess over their own stims or sensory related things and sometimes even ignore whats going on around them
2- Child with Autism usually stim all the time, doesn't usually think to hide their stims
3- Child with Autism usually has severe sensory related problems.
4- Child with Autism usually have some sort of language delay
5- Child with Autism usually have many problems with taking care of oneself, and usually need one on one assistance with simple tasks.
6. Child with Autism usually are more in their own world and are more socially aloof.
7. Child with Autism usually have a below average-average IQ
8. Child with Autism usually sometimes is refered to also as mentally ret*d

1- Child with Aspergers usually obsesses over a certian subject, or theme and let everybody around them know so.
2- Child with Aspergers usually may notice their stimming and may try to hide them more.
3- Child with Aspergers usually don't have as much sensory problems as someone with Autism does.
4- Child with Aspergers usually don't have a language delay
5- Child with Aspergers usually don't have problems taking care of oneself as someone with Autism may.
6. Child with Aspergers usually are very eager to have friends, and just are very confused how to socialize.
7. Child with Aspergers usually has a average-above average IQ
8. Child with Aspergers usually refered to as little professors.

Danielismyname wrote:
The two syndromes can overlap, as I fit both HFA and AS. Just as AS and NVLD can overlap.

I have the single interest [of Asperger's], but I also have all of the other stereotypical symptoms of Autism, which I have had my whole life. The "single interest" has actually been in Autism since the beginning of its description, and it usually manifests as the child develops (children with Asperger's have it earlier).

dougn,

The DSM-IV-TR lists the differences in its expanded text, it's just that you'll have to read more than just the criteria (they're useless by themselves); I'll post it:
Quote:
Asperger's Disorder must be distinguished from the other Pervasive Developmental Disorders, all of which are characterized by problems in social interaction. It differs from Autistic Disorder in several ways. In Autistic Disorder there are, by definition, significant abnormalities in the areas of social interaction, language, and play, whereas in Asperger's Disorder early cognitive and language skills are not delayed significantly. Furthermore, in Autistic Disorder, restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped interests and activities are often characterized by the presence of motor mannerisms, preoccupation with parts of objects, rituals, and marked distress in change, whereas in Asperger's Disorder these are primarily observed in the all-encompassing pursuit of a circumscribed interest involving a topic to which the individual devotes inordinate amounts of time amassing information and facts. Differentiation of the two conditions can be problematic in some cases. In Autistic Disorder, typical social interaction patterns are marked by self-isolation or markedly rigid social approaches, whereas in Asperger's Disorder there may appear to be motivation for approaching others even though this is then done in a highly eccentric, one-sided, verbose, and insensitive manner.


Thanks! i also have some traits of aspergers when it comes to socializing, a lot of the time am very socially aloof but sometimes im very social to even be classified as autistic, but as a child i wasn't but now for some reason im more social.


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29 Aug 2008, 4:58 pm

That was the other thing I've noticed about Asperger's: people with Asperger's are more likely to be sociable, while people with Autism are more likely to be happy on their own. When I was little, I used to talk to everybody, but I didn't realise sometimes it's not appropriate to talk to somebody and probably didn't realise that people didn't always want to talk about dinosaurs.



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29 Aug 2008, 11:15 pm

Yes. AS is an ASD.



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30 Aug 2008, 12:17 am

dougn,

In the expanded description of Asperger's and repetitive behaviours, it's the first one that's the most common. I'm guessing the others were added for the same reason AS was; for research to see if Tantam's narrowly defined criteria for Asperger's is distinct (it appears that it is, but that it's rarer than Autism). You'll note that only one criterion point is needed from the repetitive behaviours cluster (which is pretty much always the first one).

Here (with this, it's possible to apply a couple of the other criterions to the single interest; it's how they manifest which is the defining point):

Quote:
As in Autistic Disorder, restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities are present (Criterion B). Often these are primarily manifest in the development of encompassing preoccupations about a circumscribed topic or interest, about which the individual can amass a great deal of facts and information (Criterion B1). These interests and activities are pursued with great intensity often to the exclusion of other activities.


Some more on the differences in social interaction:
Quote:
Although the social deficit in Asperger's Disorder is severe and is defined in the same way as in Autistic Disorder, the lack of social reciprocity is more typically manifest by an eccentric and one-sided social approach to others (e.g.,pursuing a conversational topic regardless of others' reactions) rather than social and emotional indifference.



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30 Aug 2008, 12:53 am

Danielismyname wrote:
Here (with this, it's possible to apply a couple of the other criterions to the single interest; it's how they manifest which is the defining point):

That describes me. Or rather, my special interests. They are definitely "encompassing preoccupations about a circumscribed topic or interest, about which the individual can amass a great deal of facts and information ... pursued with great intensity often to the exclusion of other activities."

Danielismyname wrote:
Some more on the differences in social interaction:

Hmm. That one is difficult - I could be considered to have "an eccentric and one-sided social approach to others (e.g.,pursuing a conversational topic regardless of others' reactions)" but also in many cases, "social and emotional indifference".



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30 Aug 2008, 2:34 am

Danielismyname wrote:
dougn,

In the expanded description of Asperger's and repetitive behaviours, it's the first one that's the most common. I'm guessing the others were added for the same reason AS was; for research to see if Tantam's narrowly defined criteria for Asperger's is distinct (it appears that it is, but that it's rarer than Autism). You'll note that only one criterion point is needed from the repetitive behaviours cluster (which is pretty much always the first one).

Here (with this, it's possible to apply a couple of the other criterions to the single interest; it's how they manifest which is the defining point):
Quote:
As in Autistic Disorder, restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities are present (Criterion B). Often these are primarily manifest in the development of encompassing preoccupations about a circumscribed topic or interest, about which the individual can amass a great deal of facts and information (Criterion B1). These interests and activities are pursued with great intensity often to the exclusion of other activities.


Some more on the differences in social interaction:
Quote:
Although the social deficit in Asperger's Disorder is severe and is defined in the same way as in Autistic Disorder, the lack of social reciprocity is more typically manifest by an eccentric and one-sided social approach to others (e.g.,pursuing a conversational topic regardless of others' reactions) rather than social and emotional indifference.


There is definitely lots of overlap. Also, when it comes to social indifference and awkward approaches, throughout my life there are times when I am, internally, socially indifferent, and times when I am seeking out social interaction. This often is different from how it appears to others, and I have appeared both ways as well (not always corresponding to what's going on internally, but sometimes).

I have the all-encompassing interests, and I also have the focus on almost-constant stimming, such as watching a ceiling fan for hours or such things as this. My language development was a bit odd, considering I spoke at age one year with single words, but by age three still using non-communicative echolalia, primarily or almost exclusively.

While my daily living skills are not severely delayed, things like bathing, doing laundry, changing clothes, preparing food, washing dishes, multi-tasking, remembering to eat, etc. are very difficult for me to do either at all or with reasonable regularity, and I generally need lots of prompts and alarms and explicitly written instructions to complete these things, and where I don't have assistance in some of these things I may go awhile without getting them done.

That was another perplexing thing for my parents when filling out an ABAS questionnaire - I know how, in theory, to do most or all of these things (such as I know how to bathe and brush my teeth, though things like laundry or dishwashing or preparing non-microwave foods I really don't know how to do), but I have trouble putting what I know to practice, or generalizing to other situations (so I know how to take a bus I've already taken before, but I have to REALLY go over the process again for new routes and times), and so getting ready in the morning can easily take up half the waking day.

I think I technically fall into the autism dx, though at age 10 when I was assessed they gave the Asperger dx, but really for the characteristics written in the narratives I either share 50/50 or both versions at different times, and for the other criteria (language oddity/delay and IQ/adaptive skills) that differentiate I'm somewhat in the middle (with a performance IQ in borderline range and overall IQ 85, and adaptive skills that are not what most peers have, but can mostly be compensated for by using alarms and cards to prompt me and having meals prepared for me at the college).

And speaking of socially, I can read body language, tone of voice, and understand sarcasm and non-literal language well (learned this naturally and at an early age, not by being explicitly taught or working through it logically), yet I make almost zero eye contact and many social situations elude my understanding (such as, I know that the person's look that they're giving signals that they're implying that they have upset feelings about the actions of another person that's around, but I am oblivious to the actual argument, or I will know that someone is hinting that they want to discuss a private matter with the other person in the room and not around me, but I have trouble coming up with a socially acceptable way of excusing myself). Also, while I'm pretty good at reading NT body language, I am not at all good at using it myself, and for much of my life was oblivious to things like the fact that I rocked and other aspects of my body language.

I'm majoring in physics, one of my main interests outside of autism and math, but I also love to spend a few hours feeling interesting textures or watching a top spinning. I feel very much like it would be pointless to try to tease out the small little differences that might push me into one category or the other, and just think of myself as autistic.


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30 Aug 2008, 2:49 am

Also, as it actually says, distinguishing between the two conditions can be problematic in some cases. Which to me, implies that one can be seen as going either way.

When this is taken into account, it's actually a good definition of the spectrum; you have those who only fit Asperger's, some who only fit Autism, and those who bridge the gap between the two disorders as it can go either way in manifestation (those with "HFA" tend to hover around this gap).

Some countries lump those with AS/HFA together (more alike than not, is their motto; personally, HFA and LFA can appear the same, just as AS and HFA can), so their prevalence data and wide dispersal of severities within the "Asperger's" label is different to the US.

To the OP: sure, the man himself called it "Autistic Personality Disorder" (it's beside the point that you can call yourself whatever you want to).



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30 Aug 2008, 9:27 am

I have been diagnosed as having AS but I often find people react by going 'buh?' when I tell them that! I find it easier either to say high functioning autism or just to explain briefly what my problems are. Failing that, I have a yellow card which explains everything. I don't like to distinguish between the two because I sort of border on both!


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30 Aug 2008, 7:38 pm

GodsWonder wrote:
just wondering, I wasn't sure it that was just the people with classic autism or anyone with a ASD

Aspergics are considered high-functioning Autists.

Classic Autists are controversially described as low-functioning.

But Asperger's is most definitely on the Autistic spectrum.