Do you Think HFA and AS are the Same?

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This is just a poll out of curiosity.

No because HFA generally means someone who is autistic and can speak and take care of themselves and live normal lives except they had a speech delay or developmental delay while aspies didn't have that.

But looking at it another way they are both the same because when you meet a HFA, they function at the AS level except they had a speech delay and developmental delay.

I actually voted "No" on this one because I think they do mean different things, but not in the way you would expect.

They are "the same thing" as far as any two cases of autism can ever be "the same thing"; but they are seen differently by psychologists. AS has a connotation of being a primarily social problem--social skills delay, etc.--and often associated with high intelligence. HFA, on the other hand, is seen as being more of a "disability" with more problems with everyday life, with a more obvious presentation. HFA will often be diagnosed in people who match the symptoms of AS and should be diagnosed AS, but are obviously autistic or have an IQ score from 80 to 100. And AS will be diagnosed in people who should actually have a classic autism diagnosis because they have learned to speak well after an early speech delay.

Despite there being no intrinsic difference between the two--not as far as treatment goes, not as far as daily life goes, not as far as cognitive style goes--the two are different because they represent a trend in external presentation, enough of a difference that psychologists see two different categories.

So I would say: They are not fundamentally different. But they look different enough to a psychologist that the range of possible presentations needs to be acknowledged.

At this point, HFA and AS are basically representative of two different stereotypes about autism which the profession is having a hard time reconciling with each other and with the real range of presentation as it differs from case to case across the breadth of the spectrum.

It's important to take note of it when the same thing can present in different ways; otherwise you won't recognize an atypical case. That's why we didn't realize that AS was so common for so long, because we were sure autism had to involve problems with speech.

I think the two are both the same end of the spectrum, but sit parallel to each other.
I'm awaiting diagnosis, I lean more towards AS but may well be HFA - I do think there is a difference.

I go with the idea of HFA having developmental differences in childhood, I would also say that there is a difference to how the two perceive the world and interact with it, I can see autism (LFA characteristics in lesser extent) in HFA's but not so much in AS. From my limited experience I definitely sense a difference between HFA and AS people, amongst males in particular there seems to be glaring difference in the way they interact with others - I can't pin-point what that difference is, but it's there. Come to think of it I can't seem to remember ever talking to a HFA female, I've only ever come across LFA females, hmmm...that'd be interesting to see if I think there's a difference there too.

*ducks from any incoming hostility for above opinion*

Bloodheart, Pensieve is an HFA woman.

I'm leaning toward Callista's answer.

I think HFA and AS are similar, but not the same condition. I kind of believe the DSM has made a bland version of AS that superficially is almost identical to HFA but I think Asperger's originial description of AS is pretty accurate to the true nature of the disorder.

For one thing I know a number of HFA kids who are in school with LFA kids because despite the LFAers having mental retardation/intellectual disability, many more HFA kids than AS ones are too severe to go to mainstream school. Not everyone with HFA develops verbal language and it is often more literal than their AS peers. In whole, I consider them more severe. I know many aspies hate being called "mild" but I believe many of us are. In my work with LFA kids I can't really relate to them. HFA kids seem much more similar than the AS ones. More likely to fixate on objects versus interests, less interested in socialization, more obviously autistic (stimming, meltdowns), and more problems with change. Aspies may be delayed in certain developmental areas, but HFAers more so. The problems aspies have may not fully present themselves until a later age when things like hygiene, and being independant are expected.

I'm not saying all HFA cases are like this, but I have observed it. I think the lanuage delay is pretty significant. It speaks to an intrinsic difference. I've heard AS described as "active but odd" - ASers try to form relationships but lack the intuition about social cues to do so. I don't think grouping them together because they are both of (somewhat) normal intelligence is the answer. I worry more research should be done on this.

I think they are fairly similar, but not the same.

HFA: Has mild language problems.

AS: Doesn't have language problems, and may in fact, have superior language skills.

This is something that interests me but I readily admit I don't know much and more people on this site know more than me.

I found this post ( http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/showthr ... #pid108238 ) on this thread from another site and the person referenced this book called, "The Asperger Plus Child: How to Identify and Help Children with Asperger Syndrome and Seven Common Co-Existing Conditions". This post said this book has a section on the differences between AS and HFA. I checked if my library has it but they don't and the price I saw was quite expensive especially just for me wanting to see one section of it. So I will likely not be able to see the book myself.

It looks like the post says that AS people focus on the particular and it's harder to see the big picture. I can't tell for sure from this post but it looks like it says that it may be the opposite for HFA's ( I'm not trying to pigeonhole with the labels I am simply trying to figure some things out for myself about the types or the various characteristics of the spectrum).

I myself am overwhelmed with the "bigness of everything", which I've described before, and so I think my focus on things like blenders and juicers (watching food being blended, squished and turned from solid into liquid and chopped up ) off and on this past year has to do with calming myself from being overwhelmed. I'm currently being helped to focus on more of the details of my life right now. I don't want to try to explain much further as it's too complicated and there's no need to, and I don't want anyone to attempt to analyze me personally.

Also, there's this article I quote below. by Donna Williams, But maybe not totally related to this thread ( I am not sure). She has a book called "Autism and Sensing" which I've thought about trying to read.

I think there are differences in the thought process, probably sensory differences too , and I don't mean HFAutistics are lower on the spectrum, but like someone said, parallel. On a slightly different wavelenght maybe.
I tend to say i'm autisic, but on this board, there are "more real" autistic people, and i feel like a bisexual trying to convince a bunch of lesbians that I am just like them. It may be just a dumb feeling I get from having been rejected a lot in the past

Since there is no OBJECTIVE way of measuring, it seems like a discussion with low probability for good results.

By the standards of what most seem to think in this thread, I am Asperger-ish more than autistic-ish. Then I read anbuens posts and sometimes am struck by how closely her descriptions of her consciousness mirror mine. Her outward appearances are "classic autism". Mine are much closer to normal. I am just verbal and mobile, able to quickstep my way through a world that makes no real sense to me. But my mind functions in ways similar to hers or at least in ways similar to what she describes. So what's the difference?